252 Stray Feathers. iJlU 



in a nest of the above species. The Honey-eater's nest had two 

 young ones in. These were apparently recently hatched, and 

 had a few tufts of down on head, wings, and body. 



21/9/09. — White-bearded Honey-eater {Meliornis novoe- 

 hollandice). — Flushed male bird off nest containing two eggs. 

 This nest was remarkable as being made almost entirely of 

 wool, the latter being carried from remains of a dead sheep a 

 few yards away. 



1 5/1 1/09. — Pallid Cuckoo's {Cncuhis pallidus) egg in nest of 

 Goldfinch (European). 



6/ii/og. — Watched Wood-Swallow {Artanuis sordidus) 

 breaking twigs for a nest. He sat on a branchlet of a dead 

 stringy-bark, and, hopping up to the desired piece, caught it in 

 his beak, and, with a downward jerk, snapped off the tiny bit. 

 He did this several times, until he had a mouthful, when he flew 

 off to the nesting site. 



14/11/09. — Watched a pair of Graucalus {G. parvtrostris) 

 nest-building. The nest at which they were working was high 

 in the flat fork of a white gum. Occasionally one bird would 

 arrive with a mouthful just as its mate was leaving. The latter 

 would return to the nest and re-arrange what it had just placed 

 there, the other meanwhile resting patiently on the limb near 

 by until its contrary mate decided to leave. I saw the birds 

 seeking up and down the cracks, forks, and twigs of the trees 

 for cobwebs, so conclude the nest was nearly finished. 



A pair of Yellow-rumped Tits {Acanthiza cJirysorrJiod) built 

 their nest in the rose-bush growing over the verandah. Three 

 eggs were laid, and the hen had been sitting two days when she 

 was killed by a cat while off her nest. All that morning the 

 male bird whistled round about, but, obtaining no response by 

 afternoon, he flew over the fence to some wattles. Here he 

 could still be heard singing, and by the afternoon of next day 

 was back with a fresh mate. They inspected the old nest, then 

 hunted along the creepers and chose a fresh spot. Next day a 

 foundation of cobwebs was laid, and in five days the new nest 

 was finished. Both these nests were commenced with cobwebs 

 on the vines, from which nests were hung, then the cup part was 

 made, the dome and top nest being worked last. 



This season I have noticed several instances of the Yellow 

 Wattle-Bird {Acanthochcsra inauris) sitting on one tgg only ; 

 likewise one instance of the Brush Wattle-Bird {AcantJiochcEra 

 mellivora) doing the same. 



From a Spotted Ground-Bird's [Cinclosojiia ptmciatum) nest 

 under observation I found that in this case the bird laid every 

 other day. — J. A. FLETCHER. Cleveland (Tas.) 



How THE Penguin Fishes. — One fine afternoon, recently, 

 a friend and myself were walking near the bank of the Mersey 



