BIRDS OF OUR BUSH 



by the way, may be seen in the right hand bottom corner 

 of the picture. She also found two intruders and an 

 unnatural looking object with a large bright eye staring 

 downward threateningly. She took very little notice, how- 

 ever, and perched on the point of the nesting log 

 in exactly the position desired by the intruders. She 

 stayed there a long time, and returned repeatedly. Her 

 antics and her plaintive little call when she found all efforts 

 to remove the obstruction unavailing were rather pitiful, 

 and we were constrained to allow her in. Before doing so, 

 however, we obtained a picture while our subject was in the 

 act of emitting the call mentioned. The sound the camera 

 failed to reproduce, but the characteristic stretching of the 

 neck and sideways turn of the head are well depicted. 



The Orange-tipped Pardalote is a small grey and brown 

 bird, with a darker head streaked white, and a streak of 

 white and yellow over each eye. There is also a streak 

 of yellow on each flank. In the photograph the yellow 

 markings mentioned appear as a medium brown. The 

 incorrectness of the colour rendering is one of the defects 

 in wild life photography. 



The nest has been described. The eggs, being in a 

 dark position, are pearly white, and of a size somewhat 

 larger than one would expect. The usual clutch is three or 

 four. 



The Spotted Pardalote differs greatly in appearance 

 from the Orange-tipped, but otherwise possesses much 

 the same characteristics. It always builds in the ground, 

 and is also a tractable subject. It is a beautiful little bird, 

 its dark brown plumage being spangled with small spots of 

 white. Its throat is a bright yellow, and the tail coverts 

 both below and above are brightly coloured with red orange 

 and yellow. The total length of the bird is three and a 

 half inches, somewhat smaller than the other species. 



Our experience of this Diamond Bird also is consider- 

 able. We first met it, so far as we know, at Warrandyte in 

 1910, when we spent a short holiday there. In the bank 

 of a little creek near the township we noticed a small bird 

 disappear, and investigated. It came out with a rush 

 almost in our faces, and we set up the camera. In a very 

 little time both birds were in a small bush beside us, and 

 showed very little hesitation about entering their home. We 

 photographed both male and female, and then caught the 



