IM Camera Craft. ["^sfort" 



tliat have occui)ie(l the kettle all along, the ownei^ of the 

 orchard are convinced, partly by reason of the fact that other 

 birds are driven away when they approach the nest. Further, 

 it is beliexed that the two original Tree-creepers "camp" in 

 the kettle during the winter. Certainly they appear to be always 

 about the neighbourhood. 



liy reason of the fact that Tree-creepers usually select a 

 hollow post or limb of a tree for breeding ]Jur]>oses, the nesting- 

 site is seldom adaptable to photography. A rough idea of 

 situation in the instance under notice, however, can be gained 

 from the illustration of the kettle site — made more cosy with 

 a brick and bit of tin on top. But a better indication is offered 

 by Mr. D. W. Gaukrodger's picture of a nest (.same species), 

 in a dried boree tree in Central Queensland. In this case the 

 eggs were ex])Osed through the removal of a narrow strip of 

 bark for photographic purposes. — A. H. CmsiroLM, Brisbane. 

 25/8/21. 



* * * 



Nesting of Emu. — This pair of Emus are nesting this season 

 in a small enclosure^ by the home of my sister, Mrs. Wyatt de 

 J.ittle, Temora, X.S.W. They are a very quiet i)air. The hen 

 slartf^d lo nest early in the season, and laid two or more eggs 

 after she became broody. The eggs took about fifty-two days 

 to incubate; the male bird took very little notice of the young 

 ones. This pair hatched all the .seven eggs laid, but one young 

 one died before the hen left the nest; the others are doing well. 



The male bird is easily distinguished from his mate; he has 

 a fuller breast, which he can inflate while making the drum- 

 ming noise. The hen bird has a totally different note, more like 

 a soft grunt, which she uses to call, and also to warn her young 

 ones in case of danger. — ShEila M. Robertson. R.A.O.U., 

 ?ilordialloc. 



* * * 



Good Camera Subjects. — The accompanying ] (holograph of 

 a pair c)f bellow Robins (Eopsaltria aiistralis) was one of a 

 series taken b)- us last season on the Scotchman's Creek, Oak- 

 leigh (Vic). This pair of birds was remarkably tame. The 

 male repeatedl}' fed the female on the nest while we had the 

 cameras focus.sed at a distance of eighteen inches only. 



At another time, when the young had hatched out, we placed 

 a ])iece of brown pajier over the nest to shield them from the 

 hot sun. The female, on arriving at the nest, and finding she 

 could not reach the nestlings, proceeded to brood them through 

 the paper. It was an amusing sight to see the bird anxiously 

 trying to fathom the altered conditions. 



We succeederl in securing .some pictures also, showing the 

 bird sitting on her nest, with one of us touching her breast 

 with the hand. vShe took little notice of this liberty beyond 

 occasionally ])ecking at the offending finger. — S. A. Lawkencp:, 

 K..\.().U., and k. T. Ijttlk ioiins. R.A.O.U.. Melbourne. 



