170 THE USEFUL BIRDS 



The Fan- tailed species and two Bronze species clioose 75 per 

 cent, of dome-shaped nests, while the Square-tailed species is 

 content with 50 per cent, and the remaining half of open 

 nests. Because Tits are so thoroughly insectivorous and 

 obliging, they act in the majority of cases as foster-parents. 



The mature Cuckoo is supposed to be the only bird that 

 eats hairy caterpillars, though, if I mistake not, one of the 

 birds lately introduced to our shores also affects this diet. 

 At the same time it probably holds the distinction of being 

 the only insectivorous bird which lays 20 eggs in a season, yet, 

 on account of the enormous waste, such as destruction of eggs 

 by other birds, laying in old nests, and other unfortunate 

 occurrences incidental to a parasite life, their numbers never 

 reach abnormal dimensions. However, those that do appear 

 should receive complete protection, if only on account of their 

 hairy caterpillar devouring proclivities. 



The dates of the arrival of C pallidus from Queensland into 

 southern Victoria were, according to my notes, the 1st of 

 September in 1896, the 12th of August in 1897, and the 20th 

 of August in 1898. These Cuckoos start to call at daybreak 

 (5 o'clock), and the Bronze and Pallid species disturb the 

 the peace in the hours before and after midnight. I have 

 more than once left a cosy fire at 10 p.m. to investigate the 

 strange sounds. 



The call of the Ash-coloured Cuckoo {Cacomantis flahelli- 

 formis, Lath.) is a high-pitched, hard-sounding trill, given as 

 if the bird were in trouble and seeking someone it had lost. 

 It gives me the impression that the meaning of its generic 

 name — '' prophet of ill " — was appHed as if it had a direct 

 bearing on the voice. It is certain the birds of the neigh- 

 bourhood do not like it. As my friend, Mr. Graham, has made 

 a fuller observation, I quote from one of his letters as 

 follows : — "On the 30th August, 1897 (eighteen days after the 

 arrival of the Cuckoo into the Cape Otway district of Victoria) 



