46 EDWARDS, ./ South-Coastal Sclhornc. Ti^ffur 



scratching for insects that the same birds may easily be counted twice 

 over. Seen picking- up sticks, moss, etc., about the middle of May. 

 Nests found upon cliff ledges, rocks, stumps and logs, canopies of 

 wild vines; at the butts of tree-ferns and trees, and once in the fork 

 of a tree at about 12 feet from the ground. One chick which I had 

 under observation for nearly three weeks had a white larva, or mag- 

 got, probably of some carnivoious fly, attached to the base of its beak. 

 This appendage disappeared before the young Lyre-Bird left the nest. 

 I found a nest in October with one egg very much incubated. In spite 

 of the amount of labour which its large size necessitates, I think 

 Lyre-Birds rarely renovate an old nest, but build afresh season after 

 season. 



Hirundo neoxena. Welcome Swallow. — Common. 



Hylochelidon nigricans. Tree Martin.^Common. 



Lagenoplastes ariel. Fairy Martin. — Bi'ed about Murrah Estuary, 

 plastering its spouted nest in colonies upon the face of steep banks 

 overhanging the water. 



Microeca fascinans. Brown Flycatcher ("Jacky Winter"). — Very 

 common. Almost invariably nested in dead trees, the neutral tints 

 of which closely match its slender nesting material. 



Petroica multicolor. Scarlet-breasted Robins. — Fairly common. 

 Nested among the stringy barks. P'lame-breasted (P. ph(tnicea) 

 rarer, and the Rose-breasted Robin (Erythrodryas rodinogaster), 

 only seen occasionally in dense gullies or scrubs. A pair of Hooded 

 Robins (Melanodryas cucullata) nested season after season on a 

 certain hill, in dead timber, but rarely succeeded in rearing more 

 than one chick. The young are brought to the ground early, and 

 until they can fly strongly remain among bi'acken and undergrowth, 

 where they are at the mercy of monitor lizards and foxes. 



Gerygone fusca. Brown Fly-eater. — Common. Many of its beau- 

 tiful nests found. 



Eopsaltria au.stralis. Yellow-breasted Shrike-robin. — Very com- 

 mon. A pair were fed on bread and cheese crumbs thrown out for 

 them in a deserted garden. They grow quite fond of cheese, although 

 at first when it stung their palates they seemed a bit doubtful as to 

 its edibility from a Robin's point of view. 



Falcunculus frontatus. Yellow-breasted Shrike-tit. — Several pairs 

 seen in open timber. This bird has one curious note, something be- 

 tween the mewing and spitting of a cat. 



Pachycephala pectoralis and P. rufiventris. Golden and Rufous- 

 breasted Whistlers. — Common in open timber and scrub. One pair 

 seem to have destroyed their eggs after the nest was examined, as 

 I found them tumbled out on to the ground below. 



Rhipidura rufifrons. Rufous Fantail. — Appeared in late summer, in 

 dense gullies chiefly. I could never discover a nest. 



Leucocirca tricolor. Black and White Fantail. — Very common. 

 Sometimes nested in open mortices of standing posts and on rafters 

 of barns; very often on dry tree-roots. When near swamps, black 

 snakes (confirmed egg and nestling eaters) sometimes. I think, robbed 

 the nests. Have found them emptied without a hair of the lining 

 being disturbed. This is usually the neat work of a snake. 



Seisura inquieta. Restless Flycatcher. — Fairly common. Two nests 

 found, but the projirietors were driven away by Black and White Fan- 

 tails, which commonly nested in the trees chosen by the less pug- 

 nacious I'^'lycatchers. One of these birds reproduced very accurately, 

 I thought, a peculiar whistle habitually given by a farmer to his wife 

 to intimate that he had finished milking and was ready for breakfast. 



