of a Garden in Melbourne. U19 



very injurious to the agriculturist. Just as we yearly wonder 

 what becomes of our Robin in summer, so we yearly miss 

 our Blue-bird in winter. The Robin (Petroeca phcenicea) 

 sports its brilliant coat in the open suburban districts during 

 the winter, and seeks the nearest forest to nest in the summer. 

 The Superb Warbler (Malurus superbus) stays in our gardens 

 throughout the year, but on account of the dropping of its 

 coat of blue and the putting on of a modest suit of brown 

 during the winter we may fail to recognise the identity 

 of the species. 



Spring to the birds of my father's garden is certainly the 

 gay time of the year, and at this season the hedges become 

 alive with the voices of the Tits. My great hope in early 

 spring is that the Yellow-rumped Tit {Acanthiza chrysorrhoa) 

 will find it worth while to build its nest adjacent to our 

 apple-trees. There are far too many aphides here. One of 

 the best of the feathered police of the gardens of this district 

 is the Silver-eye (Zosterops), yet it is viewed by some people 

 as a bird of doubtful character because of a propensity to 

 harry the grape- and fig-crops. Everything good in this 

 world seems to me to have an element of evil in it. So 

 with this bird, its marvellous utility in destroying noxious 

 insects in an orchard is combined with a power to seriously 

 damage a fruit-crop. Rose-growers, however, get the full 

 advantage of its presence. The gardener's best bird-friends 

 are more exclusively insectivorous. 



Five years ago the Wood-Swallows {Artamus) came south 

 in vast numbers and built several hundred nests in this 

 district. It was a blessing for the market-gardeners, for 

 these sociable birds acted as the best of A^ermin-destroyers. 

 The Boobook Owl also attends to this matter and keeps 

 down the smaller rodents. The Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus), 

 a real bird of the twilight, appears to be with us always, 

 devoting its attention to keeping the balance among certain 

 insects. 



The Red-browed Finch [JEgintha temporalis) weakens its 

 migratory ranks as it crosses our borders in the spring. The 

 Spine-tailed Swift passes by rapidly in the early summer or 



