^°'iui6^'] LawrencI': and Littlejohns, Nesting of Mistletoe-Bird. 169 



that all were ted on insects when very young, and on berries only 

 as they became larger and stronger. The Loranthus seeds 

 evidently passed through the systems of the young birds very 

 quickly, and were unharmed. 



As the birds had become so trustful, we tliought that it would 

 be a pity to leave without taking some pictures which would 

 illustrate how accustomed even shy birds will in time become to 

 the presence of anything imusual. With very little trouble we 

 induced the female to perch on our hands and feed the young. 

 Similar photogra})hs of the male could have been obtained had 

 it not been that the day was far spent and the light useless for 

 further camera work. After putting the young birds back in 

 the nest and covering up our tracks in the vicinity as much as 

 possible, we left tlie birds to enjoy the peace they deserved. 



Some two months later we again visited the spot, and took 

 the remains of the nest for closer examination. We also examined 

 some Loranthus seeds which had passed through the young birds 

 and had lodged on the branch of a sapling. All had firmly adhered 

 to the branch, and had sent out small shoots. From our observa- 

 tions it would appear that, without doubt, the Mistletoe-Bird 

 must be a very important factor in the spreading of Loranthus. 

 We have watched other birds among the branches of the parasite 

 when in fruit, but have not seen any of them eat the berries. On 

 ist November, 1915, just a year after our previous observation, 

 we noticed that the Loranthus on the same hillside had not 

 finished flowering. Some berries were forming, but none was 

 nearly so far advanced as those noticed the same time last year. 

 We observed two different pairs of Mistletoe-Birds feeding on 

 the ripe berries of the native cherry tree ; White-eyes and Yellow- 

 faced Honey-eaters [Ptilotis chrysops) were doing the same. The 

 berries were pulped for some time in the bill, and swallowed with 

 the seed attached. The Mistletoe-Bird, however, appears to 

 favour the Loranthus berries when they are available, as, during 

 our observations last year, they did not eat the berries of the 

 native cherry, although the tree, within a few feet of the nest, 

 was in full fruit. 



Notes upon the YelloW'inantled Parrot (Platycercus 



splendidus, Gould). 



By H. L. White, R.A.O.U., Belltrees (N.S.W.) 



(Read before the Bird Observers' Club, lOth November, 1915-) 



SiNXE the time when Gould described this bird, in 1845, from a 



specimen secured by Gilbert in the Darling Downs district of 



Queensland, no further knowledge appears to have been gained 



of its range or its habits. I am therefore venturing on what is 



practically new work. Authorities evidently took it for granted 



that Platycercus splendidus was a rare bird, of very restricted range ; 



my observations tend to prove the contrary. 



