242 Dove, Some Tasmanian Birds' Nests. f ^^" ., 



every paddock of short grass, racecourse, recreation ground, or 

 similar enclosure has its one or more pairs of Pipits through the 

 spring and summer. 



Seaweed as a Nesting Material. — Some of the Sordid Wood- 

 Swallows {Artamus sordid us), which visit us every year for nesting 

 purposes from the mainland, did not go inland as usual this year 

 (1915), but remained in the vicinity of Mersey Bluff to breed in 

 the small white gums which are native there, and in the imported 

 Monterey pines. During December, 1915, one of their nests was 

 blown down from a tree close to the beach, and was found to be 

 perfectly new and clean. The builders had made a new departure 

 for Wood- Swallows (as far as my experience goes) by forming an 

 outer nest or substantial foundation of dry seaweed from the 

 beach, and then placing a light, ornamental, inner nest of fibres 

 upon the weed. The foundation was mainly stems of hard, dry, 

 black seaweed, with one or two small dry gum-twigs interwoven ; 

 on the sides were a piece or two of the weed with narrow blades, 

 but stems formed by far the larger part. The upper nest was 

 formed of very long light brown fibres (one measured 15 inches 

 in length), curved into a shallow cup upon (and mostly within) 

 the black outer nest. The measurements were : — Outer nest — 

 width, 6 inches ; height, 2 inches ; inner nest — width outside, 



4 inches ; width inside, 2f inches ; depth, i^ inches. 



Mr. H. C. Thompson, of Launceston, has supplied me with 

 details of nests which he and his son, Mr. P. C. Thompson, found 

 in December, 1910, near Kelso, Northern Tasmania. The first 

 was that of the Dusky Robin {Amaurodryas vittata), built in a 

 niche in a gum-tree some 50 yards from the beach, and about 



5 feet from the ground. The foundation was composed of black, 

 narrow, dry seaweed, also a few pieces of green weed with velvety 

 surface ; sides of nest were of usual material — grass, pieces of 

 bark, and a little spider-web — with a few pieces of seaweed inter- 

 woven. Measurements not taken, but about usual size. In the 

 same district several pairs of Tree-Martins [Petrochelidon nigricans) 

 were observed going in and out of an aperture, about 15 feet from 

 the ground, in a v^ery large gum-tree. Some of the birds were 

 carrying pieces of seaweed 3 inches or 4 inches in length. Mr. 

 Thompson and son obtained a ladder, and, having enlarged the 

 opening, found that there were three nests some distance above 

 the aperture. The birds had made a run from the aperture to 

 the nests by placing seaweed upon the decayed wood. The nests 

 were shallow depressions scraped in the wood-dust, with a few 

 gum leaves and bits of seaweed for lining. Another nest was in 

 the small hollow spout of a large gum, about 40 feet from the 

 ground, and had to be reached with the aid of a rope. In the spout 

 about 9 inches, a few pieces of grass and leaves and seaweed had 

 been placed, and on this were three young Martins. All the 

 nests were within 200 yards of the beach. Some of the weed used 

 was green, but most of it was dry. On the beach seaweed was 

 piled up in places to a height of 3 or 4 feet ; it was in long pieces, 



