2798 The Zoologist— October, 1871. 



October 22. Saw another nest similar in build to that noticed 

 under date January 2nd ; depth of cavity only one inch three lines : 

 from its situation at a hend in the creek, it would appear rather to 

 confirm the idea that has been suggested as the reason which 

 guided the little architects in making this curious addition to their 

 neatly-built home. As far as we have observed, this mode of 

 nidification is restricted to R. flabellifera, the species that ap-. 

 proaches most nearly to R. albiscapa. Should not this lead to a 

 closer examination of the specific differences which separate our 

 pied flycatcher from its Tasmanian congener ? Perhaps the form 

 of nest which ornithologists give to R. albiscapa may be exceptional, 

 as in the case of R. flabellifera. 



October 23. Found this afternoon a nest with only the founda- 

 tion laid, about an inch in diameter, which was being built by birds 

 that had a brood of three young ones to feed. 



October 25. Scattered, in the vicinity of the nest, short lengths 

 of different coloured wools, worsted, cotton wool, cow-hair, white 

 horse-hair, &c. 



October 26. Saw some of the material supplied yesterday made 

 use of. 



October 27. Nest completed ; contained one egg ; rim of the 

 wall finished off" with white horse-hair, pink wool, &c. 



October 28, Female on the nest, male singing close by : the 

 female left the nest, when the male immediately took her place 

 whilst she fed. 



October 29. Three eggs. 

 November 14. Four young hatched. 

 November 27. Young left the nest. 



January 7. A union nest, in which were young birds in this 

 instance : the male was R. fuliginosa. 



January 10. The young birds had left the nest and were flying 

 about the tree in which it hud been built, with great vivacity : they 

 exactly resembled the offspring of R. flabellifera, but showed even 

 a greater share of activity : it was the most vigorous brood of fly- 

 catchers we had noticed during the season. Was this superior 

 display of energy owing to the cross between the parent birds .'' 

 Is the alliance between individuals of distinct species at all common 

 with any other genus of birds ? We noticed that the male bird 

 (R. fuliginosa) was as assiduous in his attentions to his young 

 family as the female, notwithstanding the birds were of a different 

 feather to himself. 



