126 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



was only four feet from the ground. In the same bush were two 

 other old nests of apparently the same species of bird, and 

 perhaps of the same pair of birds, as it is not at all improbable 

 that they return to the same bush two or three successive seasons 

 to build their nests. 



Not far from the homestead is a pretty view (20) of a bend in 

 the river, and it was in some of the overhanging trees seen that 

 the Grallinas built their nests. The bank on the right-hand side 

 is low, and soon gets covered with water in flood time. Near 

 this bend a pair of Sordid Wood Swallows (Artamus sordidus) 

 had built their nest between a piece of bark and" the rugged 

 trunk of a large redgum tree. It was about eight feet from the 

 ground, and just ready for eggs when found, but the materials 

 that the nest was composed of were of a very similar colour to 

 the surrounding bark, which made it difficult to distinguish. I 

 have occasionally noticed other birds' nests built in a similar 

 place. 



On a small open piece of ground near the Mallee, a solitary 

 tree was standing (22), and high up was situated the newly built 

 nest of a Brown Hawk ( Hieracidea orientalis). We got it down, 

 with the branch it was on, but found we were too early for the 

 eggs. The picture shows how the twigs of which the nest was 

 built were interlaced, the lining being fine strips of bark only. 



Some thick Melaleuca bushes grew on the banks of a small 

 creek, and in one of them I was fortunate in finding the nest (23) 

 and eggs of the Spiny-cheeked Honey-eater ( Acanthogenys 

 rvfogularis). The two eggs seem large for the size and strength 

 of the nest, which was built of grass, very like that of the White- 

 plumed Honey-eater, and was hung on a branch instead of being 

 built in a fork. 



On the other side of the bank of the same creek I found the 

 nest (24) of the White-plumed Honey-eater (Ptilotis penicillata), 

 popularly known as the Greenie. It was about three feet from 

 the ground, and built on the dead hanging branch of a bush — a 

 very uncommon position. The two pink-coloured eggs looked 

 very pretty against the light-coloured material of which the nest 

 was composed. 



The Miners, or Garrulous Honey-eaters (Myzantha garrula), 

 were numerous, and a nest (25) with two eggs was found built on 

 the slender bough of a Murray Pine. It was very prettily 

 situated, although the picture hardly does it justice. These 

 noisy birds are well known to everyone in the bush, and by 

 following you with their continual chatter, give warning to other 

 birds of your whereabouts, to which a collector rather objects. 

 The bird is, as a rule, only found in lightly timbered country, 

 and is just as numerous in New South Wales and Queensland as 

 it is here. 



