BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 53 



Young. — Practically similar to adults at an early age. 



Nest. — Cup-shaped; composed of fine grass-stems, with which 

 are mingled sci'aps of wool, moss, and cotton (if built near a habita- 

 tion) ; usually lined with long hovse-hairs ; suspended by the rim 

 in almost an}' kind of thick bush or low tree. In suburban gardens 

 the pear is a favourite tree. 



Eggs. — Clutch three to four; roundish oval in shape; texture 

 very fine ; surface slightly lustrous ; colour uniform light bluish- 

 green. Dimensions in mm. of a clutch : — (1) 16 x 11, (2) 15 x 10, 

 (3) 14.5 X 11, (4) 15 X 11. 



Breeding Season. — September to December. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, King and several other 

 islands in Bass Strait, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, 

 South Australia; also New Zealand, Chatham Islands, New Cale- 

 donia, New Hebrides, and Fiji. 



Observations. — The majority of growers of small fioiits consider 

 this bird a pest, and use every endeavour to diminish its numbers. 

 Although diu'ing the fruit season it does a fair amount of damage, 

 it more than pays for the fruit taken by the quantity of blight 

 destroyed during the autumn and winter months. It usualW 

 moves in flocks varying in numbers from half a, dozen birds to 

 many dozens. Its movements are quick and eager. During both 

 autumn and spring its song is very sweet, and exhibits a consider- 

 able range. The White-eye is not at all particular as to the class 

 of coimti'y it frequents, it being equally at home in heavily- 

 timbered tracts, light open country, or suburban gardens. It is 

 principally during the autumn and winter months that the birds 

 congregate in any number; often flocks of from 12 to 50, if not 

 more, may be seen hunting for food in garden or field. During 

 the summer months it moves in pairs or in very small flocks at 

 most. Food of this species consists of insects of all descriptions, 

 seeds, small berries, and fruit. It is very fond of the berry-like 

 seeds of the grass-palm. During the fruit season the White-eye 

 is considered a very great pest by horticulturists, especially' those 

 who grow small and soft fruits, such as currants, cherries, goose- 

 berries, and grapes. The greatest havoc is generally wrought in 

 those orchards which are planted right up to the edge of thick 

 scrub. It is not so much the quantity of fruit actually eaten, 

 but the quantity only pecked and half eaten, which makes this bird 

 so obnoxious to orchardists. But to the credit of its account must 

 be put the good done by the destruction of vast quantities of 

 noxious insects during the remaining months of the year. The 

 movements of this bird are very rapid when insect-hunting; it 

 seems animated with the desire to devour as many as possible in 

 the shortest time. Suburban growers of chrysanthemums and roses 

 have a lot to thank it for; but for its assistance it would often 

 be a difficult task to bring these plants to perfection. In the 

 early autumn, when food is becoming somewhat scarce, it turns 



