on some Tasmanian birds’ nests.



259



On another occasion, while exploring the vicinity of Distillery Creek,

in the Launceston district, we encountered a large tree which had

fallen during a gale, and which still had a quantity of soil packed

into' the hollow of the butt. Into this mass of earth a Pardalote had

burrowed, and in the chamber at the end had formed a nest of dry

grass, which was vacant. The bore was in just such a situation as

depicted in Campbell’s 1 Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds ’ as the

breeding-place in Queensland of the Black-headed Pardalote, where

the tunnel is driven into the soil still adhering to the butt of an

overturned forest giant. It is contrary to the usual practice of the

Spotted Diamond-Bird in Tasmania to construct its nest of grass,

therefore the example cited above may possibly have been that of

the Yellow-tipped Pardalote (P. affinis), or, in vernacular, the “ Tree

Diamond,” because it generally utilises a hole in a tree-trunk or

branch, often at a considerable height, in which to place its grass

nest. But it is said occasionally to make an earth bore, therefore it

is possible that the tunnel among the upturned roots may have been

the work of that species. As there were no eggs, nor could we see

any birds about the trunk, it was not possible to make certain. The

Yellow-tipped Pardalote is the lively little bird which appears in

numbers in the springtime among the big eucalypts, calling inces¬

santly “ Pick-it-up ! pick-it-up ! ’ or, as some interpret the notes,

“ Wit-e-chu.” While living in the forest near Table Cape, North-

West Tasmania, I used to notice about the same time each spring

this familiar call resounding among the trees where it had not been

heard all through the winter months, and from this fact, and not

seeing any of the birds themselves, I believe the Yellow-tipped species

to be a migrant, although the Spotted Pardalote (P. punctatus ) stays

with us all the year. The Pipit (Anthus australis), popularly known

as the “ Ground-Lark,” certainly does leave us in autumn, and

reappears just about the same time in spring as the “ Tree-Diamond,

which is strong presumptive evidence in favour of the latter s

migration. The Pipit is another of our ground builders, constructing

its cup-shaped nest of grass in a depression of the earth, usually

under a tuft. This species has a curious sibilant note, something

like “ Sssssiou,” and its song, delivered during a short ascending

flight, partakes of the same sibilant character; the descent is



