168 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS OF VICTORIA: 



all white ; upper part of throat, sooty-grey ; the rest of 

 the under surface, rich scarlet ; under tail coverts, 

 white ; irides, bill, and feet, black. 



The female is a uniform brown above ; wings, dark 

 brown ; tertials and wing coverts, edged with reddish- 

 grey ; tail, brown ; the outer tail feathers on each side, 

 almost wholly white ; all the under surface, reddish- 

 grey; irides, feet, and bill, black. 



The Flame-breasted Robin is very active on the wing, 

 and may be seen darting at, and catching, moths and 

 other insects. It is also particularly fond of aphids of 

 various kinds, and may be observed hopping about rose 

 bushes, abatilons, bouvardias, etc., devouring great 

 numbers of these very destructive pests. Eartjh- worms, 

 grubs of beetles, moths and butterflies constitute their 

 principal food. These Robins as we have before stated 

 are firm friends of the farmer and orchardist ; and, 

 when the ground is being ploughed, they may be seen 

 on the fences watching for any grubs which may be 

 turned up, and frequently darting down to pick them 

 up, and then returning to the fence this going on for 

 hours together. The nest is usually placed in the fork 

 of an old dead or burnt tree, or on the sides of a steep 

 bank, and is composed of strips and small pieces of bark 

 matted together, and generally lined with hair, fine 

 rootlets, fur, and occasionally feathers. The clutch of 

 eggs is generally three; but, as Mr. A. J. Campbell 

 says, occasionally four. The breeding season is August, 

 September, October, and November. Although pro- 

 tected, it is well known that numbers of these pretty 

 and useful birds are destroyed wholesale, the " permit" 

 to shoot birds and collect their eggs being often sadly 

 abused. 



Unfortunately for the male of this bird, as well as of 

 many others, the colors are so rich and striking that 

 they become an easy prey to the "destroyer;" while, 

 in many cases, the more sombre female gets off scot- 

 free. 



