THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 135 



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NOTES ON THE NIDIFICATION OF JARDINE'S 

 CAMPEPHAGA. 

 By G. E. Shepherd. 

 (Read before Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 11th January, 1897.) 

 During October, 1893, whilst out for a day's collecting on 

 that portion of the Mornington peninsula lying between Mount 

 Eliza and Hastings, I met with a bird hitherto unknown and 

 likewise unobserved by me. I saw but one, which I shot, and 

 had mounted. It proved to be the male of Jardine's 

 Campephaga, Edoliisoma tenuirostre. Thinking the bird was 

 merely a straggler, I did not at that time trouble further in the 

 matter. The following season, being again in the locality, I 

 noticed another of these birds (also a male), which I followed 

 for some time without being able to see anything of the female, 

 though I tried hard to find some evidence that the birds nested 

 in the locality. The spring of 1S95 found me again on the look- 

 out, and as the male bird was once more in evidence I was 

 convinced that these birds yearly resorted to this secluded spot 

 to breed, but the whole nesting period passed without my being 

 rewarded with even a glance at the female bird — a fact easily 

 accounted for, as apparently she makes little, if any, noise, except 

 that of fear when disturbed, or an occasional soft cluck-like note 

 uttered in an undertone. 



Repeated failures did not discourage me, however, and on 20th 

 November last, in company with Mr. A. J. Campbell and his son, 

 I paid a visit to the locality previously mentioned. The country 

 thereabout is undulating and thickly timbered with messmate 

 and peppermint gum, whilst a small creek fringed with ti-tree 

 runs through the centre. This creek, though a goodly-sized torrent 

 during winter, is dry in summer, save where holes have been made 

 by the action of water, which serve to supply bird and other life 

 with that necessary element during dry weather. Following the 

 creek for some distance, and noting several species of birds 

 nesting we suddenly heard the Campephaga giving forth his 

 peculiar note, which has been described by Gould as being a 

 harsh, grating, buzzing tone several times repeated. This, I may 

 say, is always delivered by the bird when at the highest point of 

 the tallest trees. This instance proved to be no exception to 

 this rule, as by following the sound we located the male bird at 

 the extremity of a giant messmate, which he seemed loth to leave, 

 and whilst quietly watching his movements Mr. Campbell, jun., 

 observed the female sitting upon the nest, placed in a horizontal 

 forked branch 50 or 60 feet below where the male bird was 

 perched, and at a height of 30 feet from the ground. On my 

 ascending the tree she showed no inclination to leave until the 

 snapping of a branch startled her off the nest with a rush, and the 

 single egg which it contained was broken. An examination, 

 however, proved it to be partly incubated. 



