August, 1908.] THE VICTORIAN NAtUllALlSl:. 6l 



in full flight. It was also noticed that these birds are not 

 expert insect-catchers, for several of them made repeated efforts 

 to catch a small moth, which finally escaped them. Safely fixed 

 on some overhanging branch, many of the bowl-shaped mud 

 nests of the Pied Grallina, Grallina jnccUa, were noted, the birds 

 usually flushing off the nests some distance in advance of our 

 boat, meanwhile piping a plaintive note of remonstrance. A nest 

 of the Black-and-White Flycatcher, Bhipidura tricolor, was noticed 

 on a dead limb of a tree which had fallen into the creek. It was 

 found to be lined in a marvellous pattern with short red hairs, 

 evidently plucked from the back of some obliging horse, and 

 contained four eggs. These birds are commonly known as 

 " Shepherds' Companions," and are very pugnacious when any 

 other bird ventures near their nest. A Reed-Warbler, Acro- 

 cephalus mcstralis, trilled its enlivening and richly melodious notes 

 as it flitted from reed-stem to reed-stem in search of food for its 

 family of three, which we noticed in a deep, cup-shaped nest, 

 securely fastened to the slender, waving reeds. Notice with what 

 knowledge these birds build their nests ; observe how they place 

 them half-way up the stems so as to be above flood level, and yet 

 not high enough to suffer much from the vibration of the reeds 

 when swayed by the wind ; notice also how deep the interior of 

 the nest is, so as to prevent the eggs or young birds falling out 

 should the wind sway the reeds more violently than usual. 



As we paddle by a Red-gum, out darts a Sacred Kingfisher, 

 Halcyon sanctus, from a spout about twelve feet above the water, 

 and from the repeated swoops he makes at us, uttering the while 

 a shrill note of anger, as we try to investigate his home, we con- 

 clude that he has a family domiciled there. Many other birds, 

 which will be noticed later on, were seen as we proceeded up the 

 creek. In about four miles we entered the Redbank Swamp, a 

 large sheet of water, which was covered all over with duck-weed, 

 swan-grass, sedges, reeds, and water-liUes, the latter being simply 

 a blaze of vivid yellow flowers, which filled the air with a delight- 

 ful fragrance^ reminding us that flowers are the beautiful hiero- 

 glyphics by which Nature tells us how much she loves us. 



A colony of the Tippet Grebe, Podicipes cristatus, was dis- 

 turbed in the channel, a spot such as they prefer to hunt in for 

 small fish, on account of its being free from entangling weeds. 

 Soon the booming of the Bittern, Botaurus poeciloptilus, was 

 heard on all sides as the birds first inspired and then respired 

 their weird notes, and with the view of making a closer acquaint- 

 ance with these birds we mentally decided to revisit this spot. 

 Ducks of various species were flushed as we proceeded, and on 

 rounding one grassy point a White Ibis was disturbed, which 

 straightway dropped its capture — a large yabbie (crayfish) — and 

 flew hurriedly away. At length we reached our destination, just 

 as daylight was rapidly disappearing. 



