40 



Harvey, Bird Noies from Mackay, Q. 



on honey extracted from blossoms, varying its diet occasionally 

 with insects and berries. It builds a cup-shaped nest of tea-tree 

 bark adorned with spiders' cocoons. The nest is generally 

 placed in the top of some vine-covered sapling in or near the 

 scrub. The two eggs which form the clutch are pure white with 

 a few specks of dark brown at the larger end. 



Australian Pipit {Anihiis aiistralis). — A pair of these'birds built 

 a nest in the horse-paddock adjoining our garden, but some 

 marauding animal robbed the nest when the young ones were 

 only half-grown. A second nest was then built within a few 

 yards of the first, and a second clutch of young ones hatched out, 

 only to suffer a worse fate. One morning a number of Egrets 

 which happened to be passing settled in the paddock to rest and 

 feed. One of these made a raid on the Pipits' nest, and before 



Australian IMpit {Anthus aitsti-alis) at entrance to nest. 

 rnoTo. iiY w. ci. Axn n. c. nARvr.v. 



we could interfere it had killed the mother bird, which remained 

 to defend her young rather than seek safety in flight. The male 

 bird continued to feed the young, but, in spite of all his efforts 

 and the assistance rendered by ourselves, they both perished. 

 On examination we found numerous parasites resembUng the 

 larvae of blow-flies firmly attached to the bodies of the young 

 birds. Two of these parasites w^ere preserved in spirits, and will 

 be forwarded to any scientist interested. 



Red-backed Wren (Malurus cruentatus). — This is the only 

 Mid urns found in our locahty. It frequents grassy flats and open 



