26 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS 



MASKED WOODSWALLOW, 



Artamus personatus, Gld. 



Ar'la-mus persona tus. 



Ar tamos, a butcher ; personatus, masked. 



Artamus personatus, Gould, "Birds of Australia," fol., vol. ii., 



pi. 31. 



Geographical Distribution. — Areas 3, 4, 6, 7, 9. 



Key to the Species. — Under surface of body beautiful grey ; rump 

 and upper tail- coverts clear ashy-grey like the back. 

 31ale— Face and throat jet black. 

 Female — Lighter in markings of head and throat. 



As with the previous member, it is insectivorous to a nicety. 

 When opportunity occurs it shows an interest in an apiary. 

 Seemingly it does not despise the odorous pear slug, 

 according to a neighbour market gardener, who further 

 remarked to me " An odour so powerful that we are obliged 

 when picking fruit to keep to windward of greatly infested 

 trees, and leave them to the care of hellebore and Summer- 

 birds." There is little doubt about the former, but I 

 question any special service by the latter. 



Spring sees a struggle in vocal development ; its usual 

 rapid, rasping note is left aside for a moment or two 

 occasionally, and an endeavour to pour forth a bar of 

 melody for the benefit of a member of the gentler sex of iis 

 kin is made. The effort is great, and the result, though 

 comparable to the song of many of the bird fauna, falls 

 feebly and brokenly upon the ear of one accustomed to 

 better results from such an effort. However, it is an 

 advance decided on the little varied croak that early 

 becomes ordinary. 



