52 MATESHIP WITH BIRDS 



sion (I am assuming that the birds return to the 

 same district each year) made an unusual departure 

 by showing a decided penchant for nesting in green 

 bushes that is, among or near the actual leaves 

 a most remarkable procedure for birds other than 

 builders of such cleverly woven nests as those of 

 the Honeyeaters. One pair of Masked Wood- 

 Swallows went so far as to try to emulate the fine- 

 billed Honey-Birds by making a clumsy attempt to 

 suspend their nest. The reason for this curious de- 

 parture, which was followed by approximately nine- 

 tenths of the visiting "Skimmers," never became 

 apparent ; I know only that the experiment was not 

 attended with success, most of the nests being 

 despoiled. 



For all his noisiness, the male of each species is 

 quite a model helpmate. He takes his turn at the 

 brooding, and, moreover, is always willing to sit by 

 and cheer the female with a little whispering music 

 as she attends to the home. Until a few years ago 

 I had thought that the more placid, less assertive 

 Dusky Wood-Swallow was the only member of the 

 genus in the habit of dropping his voice to a confi- 

 dential warble when sitting by the nest. But there 

 came an occasion when, as I sat waiting for a Bell- 

 Bird to return to its bark home on a stump, a male 

 White-brow from a nearby nest gave over chiding 

 harshly, and broke into a run of soft, prattling 

 notes. In these could distinctly be detected the 

 "pee-pee-pee" of the Brown Tree-Creeper and the 

 long-drawn "wee-wee-woo" of the Pallid Cuckoo. 

 Was it mimicry? I hesitate to say. We are too apt 

 to generalise in these matters, and probably many 



