^'''jg^^''] Camera Craft Notes. I9I 



its natural p3rching place. Unfortunately, the photograph was 

 slightly out of focus. When I had finished I threw the bird into 

 the air, and off it flew. — D. Le Souef. Melbourne. 



An Unusual Nest of the Frogmouth {Podargus strigoides). — 

 During the recent stormy weather a nest of this bird, with the 

 unusual clutch of three eggs, was blown down. The birds then 

 went higher up the gully to a more sheltered spot, and, for greater 

 stability, built in an old nest of the White-backed Magpie 

 [Gymnorhina leuconota). It was in the fork of a manna gum, 

 about 30 feet from the ground. The bird was on the nest when 

 I discovered it, and was also on it the following day, when the 

 eggs were taken. It may be of interest to state that this nocturnal 

 bird flew apparently at its usual speed through several trees, and 

 appeared to have no difficulty in alighting, in the broad daylight. — 

 J. M. MoLESWORTH, R.A.O.U. Ballark, Morrisons (Vic.) 



Flight Aviary, Melbourne Zoo. — The birds shown in the photo- 

 graph, taken in the Flight Aviary at the Melbourne Zoological 

 Gardens, are nearly all Honey-eaters. We find they are very 

 hardy birds to keep, and live for years, and are a constant source 

 of attraction ; and so they should be, with their beautiful, graceful 

 forms and lively, engaging ways. 



Last year a pair of White-plumed Honey-eaters {Ptilotis peni- 

 cillata) hatched and reared two young, which early assumed the 

 same phase of plumage as their parents, but the young White- 

 naped Honey-eaters {Melithreptus lunulatus), of which several 

 were reared, had the top part of the head green, like the back, 

 and only assumed the black head and white crescent when well 

 over six months old. — D. Le Souef. Melbourne. 



Pilot-Birds. — In December, 191 r, whilst camping near Olinda, 

 in the Dandenongs, Victoria, with two other enthusiastic bird- 

 lovers, we were fortunate enough to locate a nest of the Pilot-Bird 

 {Pycnoptiliis floccosiis) in rather a strange way. While scrambling 

 down a dense, scrubby hillside, one member of the party, on 

 stepping over a log, was startled by a loud clamouring suddenly 

 arising from a tangle of dry bracken at his feet. We excitedly 

 searched for what we thought must be a nest of some kind, and 

 almost immediately located a dome-shaped nest of grasses, bark, 

 and leaves firmly woven together. It was lined very snugly with 

 feathers, and contained two fine half-fledged youngsters. Although 

 the nestlings called lustily every time the nest was disturbed, 

 no parent bird put in an appearance for some considerable time. 

 Eventually a beautiful chocolate-coloured bird came hopping 

 quite close to where we were sitting, and, proceeding to the nest, 

 fed the young birds with a large moth. Having had no previous 



