of a Garden in Melbourne. 221 



would be ail extraordinary lesson. If there is a clump of 

 timber adjoining, as is the case with us, there will probably 

 be a Tree-creeper [Climacterts scandens) or a Tree-runner 

 (Sittella chrysorrhcea), or both in it. To see the former, 

 head upwards, working spirally up the tree-trunk, and the 

 latter, head downwards, descending a tree in search of 

 insects, is a pleasant diversion. 



The Tree-creeper is one of the puzzling forms that lays 

 bright eggs in a dark hollow, while the Tree-runner is equally 

 interesting as building a nest covered with bark, so as to be 

 in exact agreement with its surroundings. 



Within a mile of the house are usually several nests of the 

 Ground-Tit {Chthonicola) containing eggs, perhaps the most 

 beautiful of those of the Australian avifauna. Yet these eggs 

 are hidden away in a dome-shaped nest upon the ground — 

 an uncommon place for nests with a side entrance. 



The Yellow-rumped Tit builds a two-roomed nest in one 

 of our hedges ; the Striated Tit suspends its home from a 

 tree ; the Buff-rumped Tit nests within two feet of the 

 ground ; while the Ground-Tit places its nest, with its 

 peculiar eggs, down amongst the grass upon the ground. 

 A bird that tunnels far into the creek-bank to nest, and that 

 only scampers about on our trees in early spring and autumn, 

 is the Pardalote (Pardalotns striatus). 



Not being altogether satisfied with the creek-banks below 

 our property, the Fairy Martin {PetrocheVidon ariel) has this 

 year placed a colony of nests beneath the verandah of a 

 neighbour's house. This bird's nest, being retort-shaped and 

 composed of mud, is in itself a most interesting structure. 

 The close presence of a colony of such a species and its grace 

 of action should be enough to attract the notice of even the 

 most unobservant of mortals. 



The Welcome Swallow, with its nest in the coach-house, 

 flies in a high stratum of the air and captures those insects 

 which frequent it. The Swifts pursue the insects in the 

 stratum above all the others. Thus we have three genera 

 which appear to work together and to have a concerted 

 mission. Into our fish-pond a Dacelo glgas recently dived, 



SER. VIII. VOL. IV. K 



