Notes from Far and Near. 143 



THE FLYCATCHEES. 

 W. M. Sherrie writes: Among the smaller birds of the bush 

 there are none more widely known and few more intelligent than 

 the Black and White Eantails (or willie wagtail). The clear dulcet 

 note of the Wagtail may be heard at all hours of the night, and 

 it is one of the first to contribute to the bush chorus which ^oyously^ 

 heralds tlie dawn of the new day. Unless it is nesting, the bird 

 has no fear, and will pertly dai't under one's very nose to seize 

 a fly. It is extremely wary and watchful, however in the breeding 

 season, and will resort to all sonts of trunspai'ent devices to lead 

 the intruder away from the nest. The birds invariably build near 

 or over watercourses. Usually a branch is chosen which bends 

 right over a stream or creek, so that the nest is practically safe 

 flrom the attack of land creatures. The Wagtail is one of the few 

 birds which after starting to build will select a fresh place to 

 nest in if discovered. The writer has seen them carry olf nests 

 which wei'e nearly completed, on finding that their retreat ^A^as known 

 and build with the same material in some other locality. In country 

 where Hawks and other predatory birds are numerous the Fly- 

 (Siitciiers will sometimes, deliberately, it would seem, build in the 

 vicinity of a Butcherbird's nest, appai'cntly relying upon the great 

 pugnacity of the latter to keep marauders of the air from the 

 iieighhourhood. Commonly enough the Butcher-bii'd ])reys on the 

 Bimaller tribe, hut I have never known that matchless fighter (for 

 his size) molest the Flycatchers. The nests of the latter are made 

 of hair and wool principally, the whole being bound together with 

 web. The nest is beautifully balanced on a limb, is about the size 

 and shape of a small saucer, and is one of the most artistic specii- 

 mens of bird-factory-work to be found in the bush. A rarer and 

 less known member of the same family is the White-shafted Fantail, 

 which also never ventures far from the creeks and valleys where 

 moistui'e is assured. This is a veiy beautiful little bird, and although 

 often found in isolated and secluded parts of the bush, is quite 

 devoid of fear of man. It will come almost within reach and follow 

 one about, as if interested in what you are doing. The general 

 ooiour is black with white shafts to the tail (which is very long), 

 and white facings on the head and -^ing feathers. The character- 

 istic attitude of the bird is like that of the Blue Wren, with the 

 tail straight up in the air. The neist of the White-shafted Fantail 

 is shaped like a turnip, with a long tail hanging bolow the branch 

 to which the thick part is fixed. From the bottom of the nest 

 this tail tapers off gracefully to a point, and the elongation does 

 not seem to serve any purpose but that of ornament. Like the 

 Common Wagtail, as it is popularly called, the restless Flycatcher-- 

 kjnown as the scissors-grinder, from the peculiar noise it makes, 

 resembling the ginnding or knocking softly together of flexible 

 'steel— is also black and white. This one has no black on the 

 throat, however. The greatest difference is in the notes of the 



