OF VICTORIA. 135 



Werribee River, we took part in a play in which the 

 principal act was performed by membf-rs of this species. 

 Our first interest was in a grub that lay quiet in tlie 

 Sittella's mouth, as we were inquisitive enough to know 

 whether the old bird had any objection to our looking on at 

 the anticipated feeding of the young. We were not kept 

 waiting long for the information, but we were for the results. 

 Ten minutes or more that bird continued to fly from bough 

 to bough, and finally decided to creep down the. main stem 

 to a crevice in the bark where was carefully hidden a young 

 and fully fledged bird, temporarily secreted. It was fed, 

 and one of us took hold of it. What followed in part may 

 be easily anticipated. There was an uproar by the young 

 bird, followed by three old birds, and all became as tame as 

 Fan-tails. The graceful flying and nearness of their repeated 

 approaches astonished us, even showing an inclination to 

 rest upon our hands, just with that instinctive feeling that 

 tells one exactly when to retire for safety sake. These 

 delicate advances on the part of three adult birds instead of 

 two w^ere followed by three more of the same species joining 

 the group, but keeping at a distance. These latter were 

 young birds. The adult Sittelire rested in the air with a 

 full expansion of the golden-coloured wings, as if for the 

 time from their wild habits tamed, and for moments perched 

 within a few inches of the hand that held the young. The 

 whole scene now was one of blended animation, timber, and 

 birds, with the flying forms passing between and over the 

 four members who constituted our party. The birds soon 

 sought the higher branches, and we faced the ascent of a 

 steep and rugged hill. 



Nest. — A clear case of mimicry of surroundings ; small, 

 rounded, and fitted in an upright prong to assimilate in 

 form with the fork ; made of downy portions of grasses, d'c, 



