BIRDS OF OUR BUSH 



time amongst the mistletoe, but have not seen any of them 

 eat the berries. 



On this hillside at Ferntree Gully and elsewhere, we 

 have since discovered many nests of the Mistletoe Bird, but, 

 with one exception, they have been out of reach of the 

 photographer. We have quite often, also, seen the bird 

 feeding on the berries of the native cherry tree, but we are 

 convinced that this is done only when mistletoe berries are 

 not available. 



The picture of the male bird produced on page 145, 

 shows the peculiar attitude assumed when he undertook his 

 duties as a parent. The female, on the other hand, adopted 

 a different position, as shown in the picture on page 142. A 

 picture is also included which shows the female bird in the 

 act of cleaning the nest. Such photographs are rare. The 

 remaining picture we are rather proud of, as it proves the 

 state of trustfulness which may be encouraged, even in a 

 wary subject, by the exercise of care and patience. 



The Mistletoe Bird is hardly more than three and a half 

 inches in length, but for distinctiveness and beauty of 

 colouring is unsurpassed by any bird known to us. The 

 male bird is a picture indeed. Its back, head and wings 

 are a most beautiful glossy blue-black, with the appearance 

 of velvet. The throat is a vivid scarlet, and the under tail 

 coverts are faintly tinged with the same colour. The re- 

 mainder of the underparts are greyish with a bar of dull 

 blue-black down the centre from the breast to the tail. The 

 female is a sober-coloured bird, with a dark grey back 

 and underparts of greyish white. Their appearance may 

 be correctly judged from the photographs, but allowance 

 must be made in viewing that of the male for the fact that, 

 with an uncorrected photographic plate, the bright scarlet 

 of the throat is reproduced as black. 



The other subject of this chapter is a much more fami- 

 liar and noticeable species, and there are few persons who 

 have not seen, even if they have not particularly noticed, 

 the Summer Bird with its dark slaty grey plumage and its 

 skimming flight. Its official name is the White-browed 

 Wood Swallow, and it is one of three allied species which 

 nest annually in the portion of the Continent over which 

 our observations extend. One of the three species remains 

 in the locality all the year round, but the White-browed and 

 the third species are summer visitors only. Some years 



146 



