34 Hays, The Little Eagle. \ Emu 



^~ ° Liit July 



Eagle {Uroaiitis aiidax) in flight if wishing to ascend. The male 

 bird has since got a new mate. The two are using the old nest 

 of his former mate, and now (27th October) have hatched out 

 their one and only offspring. This seems very pecuHar, after 

 being so interfered with in the first attempt. While the female 

 is sitting on the egg the male bird carries her food, which she 

 tears to pieces and eats on the side of the nest. These birds are 

 evidently following the rabbits as they extend further north to 

 New England, as I have not seen them here before, and since 

 finding these have located another pair, nesting also. As these 

 birds live to a great extent on young rabbits, they should be rigidly 

 protected. 



Birds Nesting in the Drought, and its Effects on 

 Same. 



By R. G. Hays, R.A.O.U., Sentry Box, Blndarra, N.S.W. 

 As early as 30th August this year I found the Yellow-tufted Honey- 

 caters {Ptilotis melanops) nesting, and, as these birds are not very 

 common in this district, I became interested in them and watched 

 their nesting operations. I am convinced that all birds group 

 for nesting more or less, and these were a very decided instance, 

 as I found fifteen nests within a circumference of one mile, and 

 outside of that group you could not find a single nest or hear the 

 famihar " Cheop, cheop " of a single bird. Of the fifteen nests 

 found, two only hatched out. One of these was destroyed by a 

 fox when the young birds were nearly able to fly ; the other nest 

 was built on the side of a tree, about 6 feet from the ground, and 

 the young survived. 



Two others laid two eggs each, sat on them for a while, and 

 then deserted them. Of the other eleven nests completed, all were 

 deserted without having eggs laid in them, and, as this is the 30th 

 October, and all the birds have departed, the nests are stiH empty, 

 so it looks as if the increase in this particular species will be nil, 

 unless rain induces them to start nesting operations all over again 

 in some other locality. It would appear certain that the drought 

 was the indirect cause, and the lack of blossoms, natural food, 

 and water caused by the long-continued dry spell the direct cause. 

 Only one nest was built higher than 4 feet from the ground, one 

 w^as almost on the ground, the others all about 2 feet high, in small 

 ironbark bushes in most cases, one case on the side of a tree, one 

 in the dead leaves of a fallen tree, and. several in a low heath bush. 

 This desertion of nests (all ready for egg-laying) was found also 

 with the Fuscous Honey-eater {Ptilotis fusca). Of twenty-two 

 nests found, only three hatched out. The remainder, as far as 

 could be ascertained, never had eggs laid in them ; but, as most of 

 these birds build very high, I could not be sure, though I am 

 certain tha^ no others hatched out. ' Most other Honey-eaters 

 here have not attempted to build yet, as the drought- is still in 

 full force (31st October, 1919). 



