THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 159 



which it is almost impossible for anyone to define, as there is 

 enough difficulty when in the normal state. 



It is not improbable that the Crow comes here in some portion 

 of the year, but I have not yet seen it. Professor Newton has 

 remarked that with the exception of New Zealand and South 

 America, the crow is mostly omnipresent. 



In a sub-family of Corvidse is placed the White-winged 

 Chough, Corcorax melanor ham pirns, Vieill., generally known as 

 the jay. The true jays (Garrulus) are distributed in the northern 

 hemisphere. The Chough is not a regular tenant of our woods, 

 but I have always noticed it when in the hilly country beyond 

 Bayswater. The mud nest, in composition similar to the 

 Magpie Lark's (Grallina), but of larger proportions, will weigh 

 from eight to twelve pounds, exclusive of the eucalypt branch 

 to which it is appended. This only Australian species mostly 

 frequents the timbered lands of low altitude, while the nearest 

 allied form lives in mountain country. 



In the adjacent hills I have observed a nest at approximately 

 1,000 feet above sea level. 



Our next species is the little Swallow Dicreum, Dicceum 

 hirundinaceum, Shaw, now known as Flower-pecker, through 

 the consideration given it by Colonel Legge and Mr. 

 Campbell. In India the bird is recognized as Flower-pecker, 

 and as Australia has but a single species a southern " follow-on" 

 is adopted. Dr. Sharpe has consigned both the Pardalotes and 

 this to live upon good terms in the family Dicseidae. Its attach- 

 ment is to the mistletoes, seeking them in trees that bear the 

 parasites, and passing other vegetation for them. In gullies and 

 gorges to the north-west of Melbourne (such as at Myrniong), 

 the birds will build their purse-like nests, and remaining 

 undisturbed will rear a comely brood. The notes of the bird 

 are fairly strong, with a lisp, and sound like " seek-er, seek-er, 

 seek-er," repeated. The eggs bear interest in their uniform 

 white and most uninteresting appearance, as being the product 

 of a beautiful bird using a dark-cavity nest. 



Of Tree-Creepers and Tree-Runners we have three species : 

 Climacteris leucophcea, Lath. (W.), White-throated Tree-Creeper, 

 much better known here than C. scandnns, the brown species ; 

 and Siltella chrysoptera, Lath. (W.), Orange-winged Tree-Runner. 

 The Sittellae go in small flocks of about eight, fly heavily when 

 pressed for time, and appear more like solid bodies in flight than 

 light bird forms. Of two specimens shot 25th July, 1896, in a 

 clump of timber, the male had a yellow band at the base of 

 upper mandible ; this I take to be a sign of immaturity, as the 

 sexes, according to Mr. Gould, are alike in this respect in the 

 adult stage. When the male had lost its mate it flew round for 

 some considerable time, calling " twit, twit," and remained rest- 



