Vol. Xiv."j Howe, Notes on the Genus Pycnoptilus. 1(^7 



hours without getting a call ; but if, on the other hand, the 

 weather was cool, the calls were more frequent. It was notice- 

 able, too, that as incubation advanced the male became more 

 silent. Directly we got the female's answering notes we 

 endeavoured to find her and follow the birds about until she 

 gathered a mouthful of material preparatory to returning to the 

 nest. This was always an exciting moment for us, as the bird 

 lost no time, but flew and ran rapidly through the dense 

 scrub in the direction of the nest. Often this performance 

 had to be repeated a few times before we gradually 

 neared the site and located the nest ; then we would beat 

 a hasty retreat for fear the birds would desert their home. 

 If the female were already sitting, we had recourse to other 

 expedients to help us. The female never returns to the nest, 

 after coming off to feed, without taking back a bit of hning in 

 the shape of a feather or piece of fur, so we resorted to deceptive 

 measures. We took small tins full of the white, fluffy feathers 

 of the domestic Leghorn fowl, and placed a few in the scrub and 

 along the tops of fallen logs in the direction of the place from 

 which the bird called, and she was discovered ; the rest was com- 

 paratively easy. It was a pretty sight, the female carrying a 

 large white downy feather, and making through the scrub on her 

 way to the nest. When she settled in it the feather completely 

 blocked the nest opening. 



On 14th December, 1913, Mr. H. A. Purnell, of Geelong, at 

 my invitation, came to try to secure a photograph of the nest 

 and eggs of the Pilot-Bird, and he succeeded. Now, as the bird 

 always takes something back to the nest, it is logical to suppose 

 that she brings it out with her. On Mr. Purnell's last trip, 8th 

 November, 1914, we experienced difficulty in finding a nest that 

 we knew must contain eggs. We had hunted over every likely- 

 looking spot in a radius of perhaps 100 yards. Every time the 

 female called from the same direction, a spot that we had marked 

 down as very close to a huge white gum tree growing well up 

 the hillside. Finally, we sat down to await events. This waiting 

 had gone on for perhaps half an hour when one of the party began 

 to mimic the call of the male Pilot-Bird. Almost immediately a 

 female answered, and presently rose from a spot not more than 

 7 yards from us. Standing on a stick, she answered the male, 

 who called in response to her first notes. The nest of this pair 

 was cleverly hidden. When the female leaves the nest to feed 

 she generally .selects a small stick on which to perch to preen 

 and " fluff " the feathers, and then, uttering her call, is joined 

 by her mate. On the 8th November we were following two Pilot- 

 Birds that were nest-building when rain began to fall, and soon 

 the undergrowth and sapling suckers were saturated. It was an 

 amusing sight to watch the birds take a bath. This they did 

 by flying into the thickest parts of the sapling suckers. Flapping 

 the wings and raising the feathers all over the body, they were 

 soon wet. All the while they whistled and chattered with evident 

 enjoyment. 



15 



