42 A Bare Bird- 



jirowiuj;' in and ai-ound the swunijts as was expet-ted. bur in a 

 low stunted tea tree «»rowth on a flat between the swamps. 



A male- bird was noticed skulkin<>; in a clump ot" dwarf 

 niallee about three feet hijih and was so reluctant to leave this 

 cover that a luinl was made for his mate. After a while the 

 female was observed on the top wire of the fence alonjj; the 

 road. Imt remain in<» onlv a second or so. \\y closely watching 

 it was noted that she worked hei- way by short low flights and 

 runs through the bushes towards a large clump some distance 

 away. After working on dozens of the small bushes in this 

 clnmp the nest was found. It contained two young ones and 

 one infertile egg. It was somewhat sur])rising to find that the 

 nest was so mm-h smaller than the Ulue Wren {Maluriifi 

 ci/<ni('iis\ and not as strongly built. It measured 2; inches 

 in diameter being globuhir in form and built outwardly of soft 

 dried dark grasses loosely woven together and inwardly was 

 lined with soft feathers at the bottom of the eo;g cavity only. 

 The entrance appeared unnecessarily large, but this no doubt 

 was enlarged by the birds Avhen feeding the young, which were 

 only a few days ohl. The nest was placed in the forks of a very 

 thick stunted tea tree growth at the height of nine inches from 

 the round, being completely hidden from view until the bush 

 was opened out. 



To be certain of identity, this nest was visited later in the 

 evening, when the female sat on the nest until the bush was 

 opened u]). 



Though a great man.\ of these birds were located, this was 

 the only nest found, which is not surprising as the nest is 

 cnnningly hidden. 



A Rare Bird 



The Alfred Honey Eater. 



At the February meeting of th(^ S.A. Ornithological 

 Association, Mr. J. W. Mellor exhibited, auKUigst other birds 

 he had procured in the Murchison district during the R.A.O.U. 

 1020 Congress expedition to W. A., a specimen of the rare Alfred 

 honey eater (Certhioiiy.r wldtei) Mathews, 11)1 :;$. This was taken 

 in the dry scruT» country north of Ajana. W.A.. in November, 

 1<>20. This bird. .Mr. Mellor consid'ercd. was the best "find" 

 of the expedition, as it was the desideratum of so many collec- 

 tors. The species was first j)rocured by Mr. F. Lawsou 

 Wliitlock while collecting for Mr. 11. L. White, of Belltrees, 

 Scone, N.S.W.. at T/ake \\'a\- in the Fast Murchison district 



