BIRDS OF OUR BUSH 



what purpose the remaining nests serve is difficult to deter- 

 mine, though it is suggested that they are used as play 

 nests. Certainly the Babbler is a very playful bird, and 

 this explanation is possibly correct. How^ever, we almost 

 invariably favour explanations based upon the undoubted 

 instinct of all wild things to protect themselves, and in this 

 case incline to the belief that the untenanted nests are in- 

 tended to deceive some enemy. Perhaps the Cuckoo imposes 

 upon the Babbler just as it does upon some of the smaller 

 birds. 



We located one accessible nest, which contained three 

 ugly, naked young ones, and unnumbered small visitors 

 besides. These insects are popular neighbours of the 

 Babbler. A wait of half-an-hour — the camera up the tree 

 and ourselves at the foot — convinced us that our attenipt 

 was futile. 



The socialistic habits of the Babblers are well known. 

 They are an extremely happy family ; in fact, one of their 

 popular names indicates this. It is also said that the 

 members of a colony set about building the whole of the 

 nests required, just in the same way as the Fairy Martin is 

 believed to do. 



Round the Ferntree Gully house many of the larger gum- 

 tree birds frolicked or hunted a while and then departed. 

 The Butcher Bird, or, as we used to know him, the Whist- 

 ling Jack, was a frequent visitor, and his loud flute-like 

 notes disproved the statement that Australia rears no song 

 birds. The Butcher Bird is a murderous rascal, how- 

 ever, with a cruel beak and wicked eye. He has a reputa- 

 tion for dragging defenceless cage birds through the bars, 

 and for hanging his victims in a fork for the purpose of 

 more effective dismemberment. We remember one occa- 

 sion, long years before any thought of photography had 

 entered our heads, climbing half way to a nest containing 

 young birds. That was as far as we got. The fury of 

 the irate parents made it a positive danger to the climber's 

 eyes to proceed further. The nest is a stick one, after the 

 fashion of that of the Magpie, but smaller. 



Of the Parrots, Rosellas were, of course, common, and 

 Crimson Parrots, or "Red Lories," to a lesser degree. Their 

 nests we have found in plenty, and we have removed the 

 young ones to captivity many a time in our young days. We 

 have not, however, discovered a nest suitably situated for 



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