THE HAREWA 95 



the sprigs in search of insects. For so 

 closely does its body-colour resemble the 

 foliage amidst which it lives, that it may 

 be said to be a typical example of colour 

 protection in Nature. How justly does 

 its appellation of 'Leaf-Bird' lit in with 

 its nature ! It is essentially a leaf-hunter 

 and affects the topmost branches of trees. 

 It is seldom found on or near the ground, 

 and when clinging tenaciously to its leafy 

 surroundings, it keeps its eye not only on 

 the insects that remain hidden among the 

 leaves but also on fruits and nectar-yielding 

 flowers. For they are greatly relished 

 by the bird whose long and curved bill 

 and protruding tongue are of great help 

 to it in sucking up the liquid from inside 

 those flowers, and as the latter attract 

 various insects, the Harewa shows a 

 preference for all large trees bearing sweet- 

 scented flowers. Its fondness for spiders 

 may be easily guessed by its habit of 

 frequenting those prickly shrubs that are 

 usually covered w^ith a network of cobwebs. 



