THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 87 



duct of an Australian Pipit. This bird kept fluttering round the 

 party in a manner which convinced us that her eggs or young 

 were near. As we searched the grass a young bird, evidently out 

 for his first day, flew off, but was pursued and captured. The 

 mother now became bolder and perched on a stump close by, 

 showing evident alarm at our proceedings ; but as her offspring 

 was soon liberated, the pair went off rejoicing. Near a fence 

 which skirts the road a pair of Warbling Parrakeets were seen. In 

 a belt of box timber and scrub a hurried search was made for 

 nests, several of which were found in places that defied our 

 climbers. Here we met with many varieties of birds, the most 

 interesting being a Red-capped Robin. Whilst pursuing our 

 search for nests an unfortunate rabbit made his appearance and 

 fell a victim to one of the party. In a short time the nest of a 

 Butcher Bird was found, but the eggs were far advanced. Close 

 by another nest, which proved to be that of the Yellow-tailed 

 Geobasileus, was seen. As the eggs were quite cold they were taken. 

 A pleasant walk of rather more than a mile led to the farm of Mr. 

 Raleigh, a gentleman whose hospitality has been previously 

 enjoyed by several members of this Club. Here one gentleman 

 appointed to meet us later on ; but our number was not lessened, 

 as Mr. Charles Raleigh accompanied us into the forest and along 

 some of the dry creeks. Regret was now felt that our party 

 lacked a botanist, as wild flowers were numerous and beautiful, 

 many orchids and some nice ferns attracting attention. As time 

 was short, a circuit of two large paddocks was decided on, in the 

 course of which a young magpie's cries revealed a nest in a most 

 exposed situation, on a dead box tree, on the hill side. Whilst 

 some of us were expressing our wonder at the situation of the 

 nest, another found the eggs of a Wattle Bird in a heavily-foliaged 

 sapling close by. Here the Musk Parrakeet, Pomatorhinus, 

 Yellow-breasted Robin, White-eared Honey-eater, and Scarlet- 

 breasted Robin, among other birds, were noted. A hasty search 

 was now made where, three weeks ago, one of the party dis- 

 covered the nest of the Little Chthonicola, but without success. 

 The nest found on that occasion was a marvel of concealment, 

 and had the bird remained at home, her domicile would have 

 escaped notice. It was formed in a little hollow in the grass, the 

 live blades of which were worked in the structure, and to make 

 the concealment more complete, pieces of fresh gathered moss 

 were strewn on top. This called to mind Mr. Hutton's paper on 

 " Mimicry," for, although the nest was within two yards of where 

 the finders stood, it took some minutes to find it. I have thus 

 minutely described it, as I have not seen any mention of it 

 previously, and the eggs are not in many collections. A few 

 minutes' walk led to a large dead box tree,' on approaching 

 which a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo darted out of a hollow 



