OF VICTORIA. 23 



carried and plastered together, and order lias been restored. 

 Mr. Price Fletcher in a private diary says: — "Unfortunately 

 this curious and closely constructed home is no protection 

 against some of its feathered foes, for I have seen the Red- 

 rumped Kingfisher, instructed doubtless by its habit of 

 breaking into the tree-ants' nests in order to make a nesting 

 place for its own eggs and young, make persistent war on the 

 colonies of Fairy Martins. The kingfishers fly up, catch 

 the end of the neck or entrance spout in their beaks, and 

 gradually break it off until they reach the eggs or young, 

 which they ruthlessly devour. I have known the pretty 

 little Pardalote or Diamond-bird, which usually builds a 

 nest at the end of a tunnel 2 feet long excavated in some 

 sandy tank, deliberately take pof^session of one of those 

 spouted nests of the Fairy Martin, and hold it against all 

 opposition from its original constructors, and safely rear a 

 brood of young." 



In another case I know of an introduced sparrow that 

 took possession of a nest that was about being completed 

 by the Martins. As this sparrow absolutely refused to 

 leave the nest the Martins mudded it in. Perhaps it 

 was sick and could not leave. In any case my friend 

 released it. 



Nest. — Made of mud, with a neck to it that is retort- 

 shape, the funnel extending from the bowl several inches ; 

 the inner lining is made of grasses and feathers. A colony 

 of nests is placed under a bridge or on a bank. The figure 

 will illustrate it. 



Eggs. — White or white spotted with tawny brown ; the 

 spots may be distributed over the egg or at the larger end 

 only. Three to five generally for a sitting. Length, 0*7 

 inch ; breadth, 0*5 inch. 



