OCTOBER 



wren. Pleased, because the bird 

 is rather rare, and the nest is 

 always hard to find. Last month's 

 nest now contains a family. On 

 Saturday last 1 came across 

 another nest, the owners of which 

 have not been quite so fortunate ; 

 I was down the gully where I 

 had flushed a thrush from her 

 beautifully-situated bark nest, 

 placed in a little cavity in the 

 charred hollow of an old tree, 

 and was peeping at her pearly 

 treasures, with their spots of slate 

 and brown when a male wren 

 came hurrying across the creek, 

 and flew straight to a dead bush 

 lying on the ground, from which 

 a larger bird came away, the little 

 wren following in indignant pur- 

 suit. I saw that the big bird was the square-tailed cuckoo, 

 which had only arrived that very day, and walked over to the 

 bush to see the cause of the fuss. I at once saw the wrens' 

 nest, and beneath it, on the ground, were two unbroken eggs, 

 which the cuckoo had evidently turned out. No wonder Mr. 

 Wren was indignant. I did not interfere, as I wanted to see 



FANTAIL ON NEST 



