160 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



by her white forehead and throat, a fact which I have 

 determined many times by actual dissection, thus showing 

 the fallacy of the opinion, entertained by some naturalists, 

 of their being two distinct species. The male has a line 

 over the eye, a patch on each side of the neck, a longi- 

 tudinal stripe on the wings, tips of the secondaries, 

 rump, upper tail coverts, the basal two-thirds, and the 

 tips of the tail, under surface of the shoulder, breast, 

 flanks, abdomen, and under tail coverts, white ; the 

 remainder of the plumage, black, with a deep bluish tinge 

 on the head, throat, chest, and back, and a green tinge 

 on the primaries and tail ; bill, yellowish -white ; irides, 

 straw-yellow ; feet, black. The female differs in having 

 the forehead lores and chin white. The young, on 

 leaving the nest, have the irides black ; in other respects 

 they resemble their parents, but are, of course, far less 

 brilliant in color." 



Mr. A. J. North, of the Sydney Museum, records the 

 following interesting particulars regarding this useful 

 insect-destroying bird : u Stomachs of these birds which 

 I have examined contained chiefly portions of various 

 insects, those shot near the coast also containing a little 

 sand, mixed with a few blades of grass. I have never 

 known it to eat either fruit or grain. Pastoralists, 

 farmers, and orchardists, to whom this bird renders 

 valuable services, should, therefore, assist in affording 

 it absolute protection by preventing thoughtless boys 

 and pot-hunters from trespassing on their lands in 

 search for u something to kill," not only in the close 

 season, but all the year round. The ever- trustful and 

 fearless disposition of the bird should be, in itself, 

 sufficient claim for its protection, which it undoubtedly 

 deserves ; but, unfortunately, the easy manner in which 

 it may be approached is too often the cause of many of 

 them falling victims to a misplaced confidence in man. 

 It is an extremely sociable bird, frequenting the vicinity 

 of houses, and breeding in trees close to the streets in 

 many of the outlying suburbs." 



