144 WOLSTEXHCJLME, Xotes from fra//roo;/f/a.['^,^f ^™" 



dark-blue (not black) head, on which the feathers can be erected 

 into a little crest, and its under parts pure white except for a slight 

 wash of rufous on the chest of the female. It calls so sweetly 

 (though, perhaps, holding the while a large moth in its beak), "Tu 

 whee, tu whee" high in the gums or on a telephone post, and gives 

 the grating, grinding notes lower down among the fruit trees and 

 vegetables. Close to the ground it flies along vei-y slowly, and at 

 times hovers as it searches the ground for insects and spiders, sud- 

 denly, maybe, drooping down on to them like a Kookaburra on to a 

 mouse. In hovering it gets its body and tail into a more vertical 

 po.^ition than Jacky Winter, and it*; head seems more pointed to the 

 ground. The scissor-grinding sound end.s with notes at a higher pitch 

 than those at the beginning. This effect is produced by opening the 

 mandibles wide. It does not nest low and near houses like its rela- 

 tive, the Willie Wagtail Fantail { Rhipiditra leucophrys ) , but usually 

 high in a eucalyptus. 



Myiagra rubecula. Leaden Fly-catcher. — Not plentiful; but birds 

 are to be heard and seen now and then in the high timber, never 

 about the garden. The tail is not held up like that of the Fantails, 

 but sometimes shows a slight quivering or trembling movement when 

 the bird is at rest. The female differs from the male in having 

 throat and breast lufcus, which in the male are of a greeny-blackish 

 colour. 



Monarcha carinata. Black-faced Fly-caLcher. — Not common. "Why- 

 you, which-you," heard two or three times, revealed the pi*esence of 

 two birds in a thick Pittosponam (P. undidatum) on February 17th. 

 They are singular looking birds as though wearing a black mask, the 

 face and throat being in such contrast to the grey upper and rufous 

 under parts. Odd ones also were seen on a few other occasions — 

 one with face and throat grey looked commonplace in comparison 

 with the black-faced birds. This was a female or immatui'e male. 

 They keep in thic.v brush country as a rule. 



Psophodes olivaceus. Whip-Bird. — Fairly common a little way off, 

 where there is thick undei'growth in the gullies. They come up to 

 the shrubberies in the warmer months, and may then be frequently 

 seen and heard near the ground among thick umbrageous shrubs 

 in the gardens that border on the bush. They are veiy shy. 



Acanthizae. Tit-Warblers. — These lively and most useful little 

 birds are very numerous in small flocks. About the ground, often 

 among the vegetables and flowering plants, may be seen parties of 

 A. chrysorrhoa (Yellow-tailed), and less often A. rcgidoidcs (Buff- 

 tailed), active and busy feeding on aphis and other insect pests, and 

 showing their yellow or buff upper tail coverts as they flit fi'om 

 place to place. 



Going through tree after tree (particularly Acacias) in little com- 

 panies, the Little {A. nana) and Striated (A. lineata) may be dis- 

 tinguished, hard at work devouring insects. A. pusiUa (BroviTi), 

 darker, and with spotted chest, is not so common; keeps more to the 

 bush. 



MaUiru.s cyaneiis Blue Wren-Warbler. — The bright warblings of 

 these lovely little birds are to be heard in every garden as they hop 

 and flit about among the small plants and creepers. Some will come 

 to the verandah, and take cheese thrown to them. It is surprising 

 how many birds like cheese. It must be more nourishing than the 

 outer parts of many insects. They nested twice in honeysuckle on 

 a bush-house. 



The Variegated-Warbler ( M. lamhrrti ) of the same genus is fairly 

 numerous, but sta/s in the wild undergrowth away from houses. 



Colluricincia harmonica. Harmonious Shrike-Thinish. — These are 

 very plentiful and are great favourites about the homes. They are 



