Vol. II. 



J A. G. Campbell, Birds of North-Eastern Victoria. 



wattle Bird [AcantJiochara caniucidata) arrives in numbers each 

 year after nesting is over, to share during the winter the 

 abundant food supply. The Friar-Bird [Phi/einon comiculatus), 

 the large Blue-faced Honey-eater {Entoniy.za cyanoizs), and the 

 Noisy Miner {MmiorJiina garruld) are generally found about the 

 river frontage. 



The Brown Tree-Creeper {Cliviacteris scandens) found in the 

 open country and the C. lezicopJicea in the more hilly, the 

 Zosterops ccerii/esans and the Dicceum Jiirundinaceinn are all 

 birds noted in many places throughout the districts under 

 notice. Two nests of the DiccKum were taken from low saplings, 

 containing each a valuable set of three eggs. The Striated 

 Pardalote {Pardalotiis ornatus) arrives in the district before the 

 end of August, staying during the breeding season and leaving 

 again in April. It usually nests in trees, but in the sandy 

 banks of the Murray some of the birds scoop out a chamber for 

 their grass-made nests at the end of a tunnel 9 to 12 inches in 

 length. Other nests have been found some distance inland, 

 tunnelled into the side of a ditch. The pretty Spotted Par- 

 dalote {P. punctatus) is found near Chiltern. Colonies of the 

 Tree Martin {Petmc/telidon nigricans) share numerous dry trees 

 on the river flats, while the common Swallow {Hinindo neoxend) 

 and the Fairy Martin {^P. arid) are of necessity obliged to build 

 nests of red material, because of the typical colour of the soil, 

 with the result that they have quite a different appearance to 

 those usually seen, made of grey mud. The Fairy Martin insists 

 on building under the eaves of a house, and no less than 75 

 nests have been seen in one colony, from which the birds, 

 coming and going, feeding brooding mates or nestlings, create 

 a great disturbance. The birds first arrived in spring, on 28th 

 August one year and 24th August the next. Their congeners, 

 the Tree Martins, arrive at the same time, and it is not 

 improbable that both make their migratory journey in company. 

 Nest-building with the Fairy Martins commences soon after 

 their arrival, and great difficulty is experienced at times in 

 collecting the necessary mud. The birds will not go far for 

 their material ; if it cannot be procured near, their work at the 

 nest ceases until the next shower of rain. The colony before 

 mentioned, however, had a permanent collecting ground around 

 a water tap, where the birds jostling and scrambling for mud, 

 had soon quite a large hole scooped out. At a certain stage in 

 the building operations, just before the last 2 or 3 inches of 

 spout were completed, the final possession of the nest was a 

 matter very much in doubt, for then pairs of house-hunting 

 Sparrows would do their best to oust the rightful owners, and 

 very often succeeded. However, the Martins persevered with 

 their tasks, but it was not until the 13th of October that the first 

 eggs were laid. They reared one brood of young, and finally 



