Vol. XV. 1 Ciiisiioi.M, Noles on the Yelloiv-hellieil Shrike-'rit. 8"^ 



1915 J ^ 



made sure of its mate's j)resence l)y calling iiKiuiringly. The 

 male also used the [Mping whistle freely. It hecame excited when 

 1 gave a call, and, seeming to think a rival was in the (leld, came 

 down at once, witli nvst elevated, jMping close to me. It is a 

 powerful, swelling note that the little throat emits, though tlie 

 liill does not open at all widely. Following the piping came a 

 polyglot chatter in the soothing undertone a human mother 

 might adopt to a restless infant. Something of this confidential 

 " croodle " is. 1 heliew, possessed by many otlier hiids. and little 

 is known of it. 



The manner in which the Shrike-Tits treat an imitation of their 

 simple monotone gives further evidence of their capricious nature. 

 A bird on the nest will usually i)eer inquiringly over the rim when 

 it hears the call, and nearly always a solitary female will respond 

 tfiereto. One I whistled to in early spring followed me excitedly 

 for lialf a mile. On many other occasions, however, the same 

 whistle has been treated by individual birds of both sexes with 

 disdain. While this monotone is the most characteristic note in 

 the Shrike-Tit's repertoire, it is by no means the most attractive. 

 A number of undertones are given forth at intervals. Possibly 

 it is a mimic, but I rather think that the notes are the natural 

 chatter. 



Finally, it may be well briefly to refer to the F . fiavigiiliis of 

 (iould. A few years ago Mr. (i. M. Mathews issued an invitation * 

 for definite information concerning this doubtful species, but 

 since then he has, I understand, written of it as the Victorian and 

 South Australian (sub-specific) form of F. frontatus of New South 

 Wales. Never having handled a Falcunculus at all, I am not 

 competent to express an opinion of worth, but I have seen any 

 number of young, and know that all the rest of the adult colours 

 take strength before the darkness of the throat ; so that small 

 size and " entire under surface yellow " strikes one as hardly a 

 broad distinction. The adult Shrike-Tit is really a much smaller 

 bird than it appears to be from a distance when the heavy crest 

 is erected. When the bird is close to one, slimness of the body 

 at once becomes noticeable. On some such occasions I have been 

 struck, too, with the uncommonly warm yellow displayed on the 

 back bv individual birds of both sexes. 



Great Brown Kingfishers and Starlings. — Mr. G. Murray Black. 



of Lower Tarwin, states that a pair of Great Brown Kingfishers 

 {Dacelo gigas) nested for a season or two in a box which he had 

 put u]) in a tree for that purpose, but lately the Starlings drove 

 them away and occupied the box for rearing their own brood. 

 The native birds, not to be beaten, visited the box later in the 

 season and paid the Starlings out by eating their young ones. 

 Butcher-Birds {Cradiciis destructor), Mr. Black states, frequently 

 take his young chickens. — D. Le Souef. Melbourne, 30/7/15. 



* Emu, vol. xi., p. iQi;. 



