292 ROBERTS, Birds of the Craiiitc Belt [Tst^Apdi' 



out of sight. Pitsilla is intensely interesting on account of the 

 suspension. The nest is placed a few inches from the ground 

 usually, in a low bush, and attached to a twig which, in many 

 cases, is loose, and has fallen from al)()\e; this was the case in 

 the nest illustrated (Plate Xo. Ixxviii.). It is built on long bark 

 with a small amount of sjjiders' web, and immediately calls to 

 mind a cheap suburban house which is all front; the entrance 

 is ornate, but the living chamber is a rough structure woven 

 into the back of this front, and supported by the twigs of the 

 bush, but tiot woven into them. So it is often possible, as in the 

 plate mentioned above, to lift the nest out without breaking a 

 twig. The birds love to use brightly coloured feathers as a lining. 

 Regiiloides builds a "humpy" of short bark just anywhere, the 

 fork of a tree, the end of a spout, a piece of hanging bark, or 

 the top of a dog-wood sufficing. It is ne\er woven to anything, 

 the dome is a true piece of thatch and in the case of the nest in 

 the dog-wood freciuently gets lopsided; .so he maintains his rejtu- 

 tation as a happy-go-lucky, lovable old chap. 



Everyone knows the bulky nest of Chrysorrhons, with its 

 double chambers, the one open, the other hooded. It is most fre- 

 Cjuently in a hangmg bough, but is often in a thicket with its 

 main support a thick limb behind or on one side. She owns to 

 her kinshi]) by sometimes laying a spotted €:gg in her white 

 clutch. Sacjittata is still the artist at concealment; he is truly 

 a master, for of all the common birds, his nest is the most diffi- 

 cult to find. A hole is scooped in the ground and the nest of 

 rotting short gras, with a hood and dome of recently dead 

 material to imitate the surroundings, is buill in tliis. We can 

 but gaze in wonder at the pure art colour of the three chocolate- 

 coloured eggs. 



So we pass from the ])leasant out-of-doors to considerations 

 which can be followed to a conclusion only after scenes which 

 we hate to look back upon. Our object, hitherto, has been to 

 characterise rather than to differentiate, and the task of collect- 

 ing these notes has been one of many pleasant hours. The e.xam- 

 ination in a systematic way of nestlings has suggested itself to 

 us, and we are seized by its imjxjrtance ; but the difficulty of 

 doing so in hooded nests will be api)arent, more especially to those 

 who ha\e done field w(jrk. .\nd we would beg to be excused. 



On a critical examination of the stomach contents of these 

 birds, one cannot helj) being impressed with the i)art they nuist 

 play in aifling the control of insect pests and also maintaining 

 a balance of nature. They wage ceaseless war against small 

 insects of almost every order, and though at times they may take 

 toll of some which are beneficial to man, the harm they do is 

 surely balanced by their good work so far as one can judge; 

 their numbers, nimbleness and uhii|uit\ icndov them a factor 

 Nvhich must be considered. 



