THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. Ill 



This is the first instance known to me of a Heheloma being 

 parasitic. The orchid grew amongst decayed leaves and moss, 

 in sandy soil, under tall Tea.-tvees, Le23tosper'mu7n lcevigatujn,F.v.M. 

 It was in flower, as shown in the drawing, and the flower-stalk 

 attained a height oi 8^^ inches. The plant did not seem to suffer 

 much from the parasite, although it formed a dense felt at its base, 

 and was firmly attached. Only two were found, occurring on the 

 same plant and springing from a common dense mycelium. 



This species differs from H. petiginosum, Fr., already found on 

 the ground in Victoria, in the smaller pileus and shorter stem and 

 in the gills not being free but adnexed. 



NEST AND EGGS OF THE WATTLE-CHEEKED 



HONEY-EATER, PTILOTIS CRATITIA, Gould. 



By a. J. Campbell. 



The beautiful Wattle-cheeked Honey-eater has been chiefly 

 found in the southern parts of Australia, where it seems to love 

 the timber of the drier country, such as Mallee tracts. This 

 species may be distinguished from all its kind by the strips of 

 lovely lilac-coloured naked skin which stretch from the corner 

 of the mouth across the sides of the cheeks ; hence the vernacular 

 name, "Wattle-cheeked." The wattle, however, in the young or 

 immature bird is yellowish. 



Gould first found this honey-eater as a new bird on the 

 26th June, 1839, in the ranges near the Upper Torrens, in 

 South Australia j so 60 years have passed before an authenticated 

 nest with eggs was discovered and brought to scientific light 

 through this Club. 



During a search for Mallee Hen egg-mounds near Lawloit, 

 October, 1884, I flushed a Wattle-cheeked Honey-eater in the 

 act of constructing its nest, but I never passed that way again, 

 and had no further opportunity of exploring the haunts of the 

 honey-eater till September, 1899, when, with two companions, 

 I was investigating some Mallee scrub, locally known as Kemp's 

 Block, at Woorak West, about 10 miles to the north of the 

 flourishing township of Nhill. Finding the interesting birds 

 fairly numerous there, we secured three pairs of skins for museum 

 purposes, and on the 25th I discovered a nest containing a pair 

 of almost fresh eggs, procuring one of the parents for identifica- 

 tion. 



The nest was situated about 6 feet from the ground in a 

 parasitical creeper, Cassybha glabella, entwining a Mallee bush. 

 Eucalyptus oleosa. I saw another nest similarly situated, but 

 about 3 feet from the ground, which had been tenanted by young, 

 but whether the current season or the last I could not say. Other 



