260



Some Tasmanian birds’ nests.



accomplished by a slanting glide with wings outspread. It is one

of our most familiar birds ; every paddock of short grass, racecourse,

recreation ground, or similar enclosure has its one or more pairs of

Pipits through the spring and summer.


Seaweed as a Nesting Material. —Some of the Sordid

Wood-Swallows ( Artamus sordidus), which visit us every year for

nesting purposes from the mainland, did not go inland as usual this

year (1915), but remained in the vicinity of Mersey Bluff to breed in

the small white gums which are native there, and in the imported

Monterey pines. During December, 1915, one of their nests was

blown down from a tree close to the beach, and was found to be

perfectly new and clean. The builders had made a new departure

for Wood-Swallows (as far as my experience goes) by forming an

outer nest or substantial foundation of dry seaweed from the beach,

and then placing a light, ornamental, inner nest of fibres upon the

weed. The foundation was mainly stems of hard, dry, black seaweed,

with one or two small dry gum-twigs interwoven; on the sides were

a piece or two of the weed with narrow blades, but stems formed by

far the larger part. The upper nest was formed of very long, light-

brown fibres (one measured 15 in in length), curved into a shallow

cup upon (and mostly within) the black outer nest. The measure¬

ments were: Outer nest—width, 6 in.; height, 2 in.; inner nest—

width outside, 4 in.; width inside, 2^ in. ; depth, 1J in.


Mr. II. C. Thompson, of Launceston, has supplied me with

details of nests which he and his son, Mr. P. C. Thompson, found in

December, 1910, near Kelso, Northern Tasmania. The first was that

of the Dusky Pobin ( Amaurodryas vittata), built in a niche in a

gum-tree some 50 yards from the beach, and about 5 ft. from the

ground. The foundation was composed of black, narrow, dry sea¬

weed, also a few pieces of green weed with velvety surface; sides of

nest were of usual material—grass, pieces of bark, and a little

spider-web—with a few pieces of seaweed interwoven. Measurements

not taken, but about usual size. In the same district several pairs

of Tree-Martins ( Petrochelidon nigricans ) were observed going in and

out of an aperture, about 15 ft. from the ground, in a very large

gum-tree. Some of the birds were carrying pieces of seaweed 3 in.

or 4 in. in length. Mr. Thompson and son obtained a ladder, and,



