152 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



coverts and tail, black, the latter largely tipped with pure 

 white ; abdomen and flanks, dark brown stained with 

 rtisty red ; bill, blackish-olive-brown, except the basal 

 part of the lower mandible which is greyish-white ; 

 irides in the adnlt, straw-yellow, in the voting, brown ; 

 feet, blackish-brown." 



The nests are bulky, with the entrance at the side, 

 and are composed of dried sticks or rootlets, lined with 

 fur, bark, or other similar material. It is a well-known 

 fact that several birds assist in building a nest. On 

 the Lower Werribee, on the 6th November, 1894, Mr. 

 C. French, Junr., flushed a Rose-hill Parrakeet from 

 one of the bulky nests of the Babbler, and took six eggs 

 of this Parrakeet therefrom. This is, I believe, the 

 first record ; and several other persons have since noted 

 the same fact. 



Unfortunately, these nests are easily detected, or are 

 often placed within the reach of mischievous small boys. 

 Some I have noticed in small gum-trees and she-oaks, 

 only a few feet from the ground, where they are easily 

 robbed by the professional egg collector and others ; 

 and, of course, many young birds are thus destroyed. 

 When disturbed they fly on to the lower branches of a 

 tree, and hop from limb to limb. 



The interesting statements made by Mr. Campbell 

 in regard to the habits of these birds, to the effect that 

 several retire to the one nest at night, I am able to confirm 

 from my own observations. On many occasions I have 

 observed several birds fly from a nest, when the inmates 

 were disturbed, just about dusk. The nesting habits of 

 this genus, as Mr. R. Hall remarks, are rather strange. 

 About half a dozen nests are built before eggs are laid 

 in the final one, and it is a very great advantage for the 

 birds in adopting this means, perhaps unconsciously, for 

 the preservation of their eggs. 



The eggs are of a brownish-grey color, with cobweb- 

 like markings, as shown in our plate ; the markings 

 being easily washed off. The clutch usually consists of 



