244 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 



annually, and cause so much annoyance and loss in the fruit 

 crops ; but as a counterbalance it is the portion that does an 

 infinite amount of good as scale and coccid eaters. In this 

 well-wooded country such birds will be needed to patrol 

 the forests and lightly timbered lands for a century to 

 come. 



The use of the brush tongue in section («) is to gather 

 nectar from the " honey-pots " of the eucalypti. When there 

 are no blossoms the use of the brush tongues is partly dis- 

 carded, but the birds are so well informed that they know 

 scale insects contain a large amount of " honey-dew," and for 

 the remainder of the season largely prey upon them. In 

 this respect they differ from section (h), although not 

 radically, as the Rosella has been known, near Melbourne, 

 to clear many branches of the parasites. 



In support of section (a), the greatest of native-bird 

 enemies of the orchardist, generally speaking, I cannot do 

 better than draw your attention to a paper by Mr. D. 

 McAlpine, the Government Vegetable Pathologist, on the 

 relations between the lory and the fungus of the citrus 

 tree : — 



" Mr. J. G. O. Tepper, of Adelaide, has shown me," 

 writes Mr. McAlpine, " how the destruction of honey-eating 

 birds may affect the sooty mould of citrus trees. It may be 

 mentioned that it appears to have been practically absent 

 when nature was less disorganized by man, and for a very 

 simple reason. Being due to the sugary exudations of scale 

 insects, &c., coating the trees, its abundance depends upon 

 that of its producers, and this upon the reduction of the 

 sugar-loving brush-tongued parrakeets, and other birds, 

 which formerly abounded so greatly. These I have often 

 observed busy in the early morning among the foliage of 

 gums, &c., upon which the honey-dew appeared. Later in 



