THE SWALLOW DICTUM, 135 



Artificial aids to vision are required in order to watch the 

 habits of the Dicaeum, for it loves the tops of the tallest trees, 

 where its minute body can scarcely be seen without the assist- 

 ance of glasses. The Casuarinae are favourite trees with this 

 bird, which is fond of flitting about the branches of a parasitic 

 plant called loranthus, which bears viscid berries. It is not 

 precisely known whether the bird haunts the loranthus for the 

 sake of the berries or of the insects, but as the Dicaeum is one 

 of the insect-eaters, the latter supposition is probably correct. 



It is very seldom if ever seen on the ground, and its flight 

 among the upper branches is quick, sharp, and darting. 



The nest of the Swallow Dicaeum is as pretty as its architect, 

 and its ordinary shape can be seen in the accompanying illus- 

 tration, though the plain black and white of a wood engraving 

 can give but little idea of its full beauty. In colour it is nearly 

 pure white, being made of the cottondike down which accom- 

 panies and defends the seeds of many plants, and this material 

 is so artfully woven that the nest almost looks as if it were made 

 from a piece of very white cloth. It is always purse-like in 

 form, though its shape is slightly variable, and is suspended by 

 the upper portion to the twigs at the very summit of the tree. 

 Generally it hangs its nest upon the parasitic plant which has 

 already been mentioned, but it often selects the Casuarin^, or 

 the delicate twigs of the myall or weeping acacia, for that pur- 

 pose. The average number of eggs is five, and their colour is 

 greyish white thickly powdered with small brown specks. Their 

 length is about three-quarters of an inch, and their breadth 

 rather less than half an inch. 



On the next page is a portrait of one of the Honey-Eaters, 

 called the Lanceolate Honey- Eater {Plectorhyttchus lanceola- 

 fits), on account of the shape of its feathers. It is not a 

 brilliantly coloured bird, its hues being only brown and white, 

 diversified by a black line down the middle of each feather. 



The wonderful nest of this bird was found by Mr. Gould on 

 the Liverpool Plains, overhanging a stream, and being a beau- 

 tiful example of the pensiles. The materials of which it is made 



