BIRDS OF OUR BUSH 



salmon pink, while reddish brown spots and blotches form a 

 zone round the large end. 



The bird itself is plain. Its brown plumage is relieved 

 only by a yellow mark, which extends from the gape of the 

 beak past the eye. 



The New Holland or White-bearded Honeyeater is a 

 showy and sprightly bird whose ornate appearance rather 

 astonished our ignorance when we captured a young one 

 not far from the situation of the home last mentioned, and 

 a couple of years later. The nature of our apparatus had 

 taken a turn for the better in the meantime, but the disposi- 

 tion of the subject did not bear comparison with the trust- 

 fulness of the Yellow-faced. It was, moreover, one of 

 those uncertain days which bridge the gap between foul 

 and fair weather. A serious flood had just subsided, and 

 it was the sun's first day out, weak and tottering after a 

 week's enforced inaction. How the one young bird which 

 we eventually captured had escaped destruction in the flood 

 waters, was a marvel. Certainly it was more fortunate 

 than the occupants of many a creekside home during those 

 dark days. 



The wild notes and the erratic careering flight of the 

 parents caused us to expect very little display of trustful- 

 ness. They were bold and fearless to the extent of attacking 

 vigorously the innocent camera and the more guilty opera- 

 tor. Posing on a branch on which the lens shone steadily, 

 however, was beyond them. It must have been four or 

 five hours that we lay on the wet ground in hiding behind a 

 hollow log before one bird suddenly realised its parental 

 obligations, paused for a moment on the branch and then 

 away. A few moments later it acted similarly and the 

 shutter clicked. Two hours longer we waited, but never 

 another chance had we. 



The New Holland is the most conspicuous of the Honey- 

 eaters known to us. Its general colour is a dark brown, 

 while the breast and underparts are white, streaked with 

 black. The wings and tail are brightly marked with 

 yellow. The eggs resemble those of the previous species. 

 The usual clutch for this family of birds is two. 



The hill at Ferntree Gully of which we have previously 

 spoken provided us with pictures of a bird whose likeness 

 we had despaired of obtaining. The Spine-bill Honeyeater 

 had several times been tried and found wanting. We have 



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