142 MATESHIP WITH BIRDS 



much favored of the Golden-breasted Whistler, but 

 I have nowhere found the species more plentiful 

 than in the far east of Gippsland, bordering on New 

 South Wales. That pretty quarter rang with proud, 

 unvaried calls of the spanking male birds in a time 

 of nesting, while the more sober-minded females 

 tended eggs or young in the shade of the tea-tree. 



You may see this little lady, perhaps not to better 

 advantage, but certainly on more intimate terms, 

 in the Autumn. The sexes appear to separate at 

 the end of Summer. Time after time I have 

 watched solitary males and females respectively, 

 but only on very few occasions have I seen an appa- 

 rently mated couple between the beginning of April 

 and end of August. And yet no individual bird is 

 ever lonely ; if so, at least the sentiment is well hid- 

 den. Each one spends the quiet months profitably 

 to others beside itself in working among the leaf- 

 insects of the eucalypts, and a happily-reflective 

 whistle between whiles announces that all's well in 

 the immediate world. 



An indication of the bird's presence is given by 

 the constant "Crack, crack" in the trees frequented ; 

 only, it is well to be sure that the busy Shrike-Tit, 

 which much resembles the male Golden-breast, is 

 not the responsible party. By reason of his colora- 

 tion, the male Whistler is easier to locate than the 

 female, but I have found him to be more of a wan- 

 derer. During the cool months of the past few 

 years I frequently met the handsome bird, but al- 

 ways by chance; whereas there were at least four 

 gullies in which I could depend on finding a female 

 of the species just one to each area. 



