126 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



in search of them. Plants from different zones, discriminately 

 placed in a garden, will keep a pair of this species about the 

 same spot for the year, or years ; and the graceful actions of this 

 beautiful bird would almost convert the horticulturist into a 

 zoologist for the time being. Mr. Gould does not draw our 

 notice to an exquisite series of notes in springtime ; but such they 

 are, and I liken them to the " Pretty Dick " of the canary — 

 sweeter, fuller, and given three to six times, quickly and consecu- 

 tively. Another call is a single, uninteresting note, and this 

 is probably what the celebrated ornithologist describes in dis- 

 paraging terms. When indulging in a gambol the wings may 

 be heard to continuously flap, and they carry only for a short 

 distance. The three last months of the year are favourable for 

 nesting, but in cold districts the month of February is not 

 considered too late for egg-laying. In the Australian Alps, in 

 a valley below Mount St. Bernard, I took the eggs as late as 

 3rd February ; and when I also withdrew the pendent nest 

 because the builders had hazel irides instead of vermilion, they 

 merrily built another a few yards away, and, I believe, success- 

 fully raised a little brood of two, only a week late on previous 

 arrangements. Before taking this nest the birds pulled many 

 of the feathers out and strewed them in the branches above as 

 a sign of evacuation, which happened the following day. In 

 this district, on 10th November of last year, a pair removed the 

 twigs from a nest of the Pied Grallina and built their own with 

 them. Nature has not debarred this slender-tongued bird from 

 hunting for insects along the ground, which it does in company 

 with the tits and robins while waiting the time of epacris and 

 banksia blooms. 



Although this district is unsuited to the Warty-faced Honey- 

 eater, Meliphaga phrygia, Lath., it may be noticed once or 

 twice in a year, and then just at the commencement of spring, 

 when it might be expected to search for twigs and build a cup- 

 shaped nest, after the manner of its ancestors ; but so far I have 

 not yet found one. Following the creeks to the west of 

 Melbourne is more likely to be productive of good observations, 

 for there it builds, and others may build against its house if they 

 so wish. At Myrniong, in January, the Red-browed Finch had 

 placed its domicile a few inches below the Honey-eater's, or 

 vice versd ; however, they lived on good terms, to the best 

 of my knowledge — grain-eater and honey-eater. The brood of 

 one species would be two ; of the other, six. I can guarantee 

 good behaviour on the part of the young finches, but I am not 

 as educated as I would like to be with regard to the young 

 honey-eaters' dispositions. 



The noisiest of all southern Honey-eaters is the Garrulous, 

 Aianorhina garrula, Lath., W., and yet it is scarcest here. They 



