96 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS 



29th October. —Second egg laid. 



14th November. — Young birds hatch out of shells. 



23rd November. — Eyes open. 



25th November. — Young leave the nest. 



29th November. — Young birds are separated, each parent 

 taking charge of one and exclusively feeding it. The wings 

 have assumed a darker colour. 



The male alone feeds its charge, the female doing the 

 same with the other young bird. The young come to 

 receive food at the calls of the guardians, each obeying the 

 call of its particular one. No cross purposes seem to be 

 entertained as regards food. 



A young bird from a nest at Box Hill, when caged, for 

 twelve days following freely caught flies upon the bars of the 

 cage, largely living upon them in preference to still food 

 supplied. 



A phase of this first plumage is the throat of the rusty- 

 brown bird becoming greyish -white (February, 1897), while, 

 from what I have seen in the field, another phase when 

 handled would, I believe, show the throat to be rusty- 

 brown — the second last place (wings last) to remain rusty- 

 brown in the complete change from phase 1 to phase 2. 

 An example of the February phase of bird above was held 

 under observation by Mr. Graham until 25th July, losing 

 sight of it between the 18th and 25th July. This inclines 

 me to believe that the rusty-brown or first plumage is 

 retained for more than six months, and that it gives way 

 to the grey, or second phase, in time for the first breeding 

 season — a season of immature and very modest plumage. 

 The want of competition, surely, is the male bird's champion ! 

 Phase 3, of a male that must be at least two years of 

 age, is an elegant one. Also I met one on the Bass River 

 in December, about 1894, that was quite an exception to 



