GIPPSLAND WILDS 53 



Many birds are "touchy" in nesting time; the 

 Helmeted Honey-eater is distinctly aggressive. Mr. 

 F. E. Wilson, who is an authority on the species, once 

 observed a male Ptilotis cassidix attack and rout a 

 flock of Sitellas. When one of the small birds tried 

 to leave the flock it was "rounded up" by the angry 

 Honey-eater, which drove the invaders from its domain 

 as a cattle dog drives sheep from forbidden pasture. 



Homeward bound, we came again to the domain 

 of Emu-Wrens [Stipiturus malachurus], an acre or 

 more of uncultivated land fenced by Eucalypts. Here 

 Heath [Epacris] "Wedding-Bush," and other plants 

 throve so well that it was toil to wander through 

 them. Some bushes were overgrown by a parasitical 

 creeper [Dodder], with pale yellowish stems, and 

 fruits like red beads. In the forenoon we had spent 

 an hour searching in vain for nests of the Emu-Wren. 

 The nests, which are small, are always well hidden, 

 and in this miniature forest the chance of finding one 

 was slender. Still, we searched methodically, ex- 

 amining every foot of different areas that were 

 selected after watching pairs of birds. I fancy that 

 they enjoyed the game, and had little fear of losing it. 

 Once I felt sure that I was on the right trail. A male 

 bird was flushed from a bush and flew a few yards ; a 

 moment later a female followed. I explored the spot 

 whence they came, but there was no sign of a nest. 

 Then I watched the birds, which had been dodging 

 about nearly all the time. Presently they flew in 

 company to another likely place, about fifty yards 

 distant, and their actions indicated that the nursery 

 was there. I crouched and crept towards them, 

 marked the bush which seemed to attract them most, 

 and searched again. The birds soon returned to the 

 spot where they were first seen. My companion had 

 met with the same luck, and we continued our in- 

 terrupted journey, resolving to try again another day. 

 But that day was a to-morrow that never came; for 



