o 
108 IN AN OLD DESERTED GARDEN— 
to perfection, and he is the sturdier looking 
of the two. But both male and female are 
well set up strong birds, with powerful and 
somewhat arched beaks, which they use to 
good purpose on the berries of which they are 
so fond ; and they find them very useful for 
other vegetable food, including buds—often, 
unfortunately, those of fruit trees. These 
constitute their chief food. The male bird is 
formidable ina fight, though his familiar name 
of ‘bully’ is not borne out, I think, by any 
special pugnacious qualities. The photograph 
does not show the nest well, as it was sunken 
into the spine-like leaves of the deodora, 
and had to be taken from above. We were 
lucky to find this one, as they are often 
at the tops of high bushes. It was built 
chiefly of twigs and roots and lined with 
hair. The nest was an early one, as two or 
three are built each year. We did not hear 
the song of the bird. It is not a true song, 
being only a short and feeble note. The 
call to the mate is what is known as ‘ piping,’ 
this is not loud. either, but very prema. 
