THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 51 



lining is yearly placed on the top of the old. Thus, finally, the 

 structure will rise more than twelve inches above the first 

 foundation. " In a hollow trunk that has been used for fifteen 

 years," writes Mr. Graham, " I found the nest freshly lined with 

 feathers. Shortly afterwards I felt an egg in it, and on the 

 following day two additional, thus proving either carelessness in 

 my touch or that three eggs were laid in forty-eight hours. I 

 do not believe an error was made on my part. On the fifteenth 

 day all three eggs disappeared. About nine days later three 

 more eggs were found in the nest, and they are there now (weeks 

 later), probably infertile, as doubtless were the others. There 

 are no rats, cats, or bird-nesting boys in this neighbourhood, so I 

 venture to think the birds, finding no young came on the 

 appointed day (fifteenth), threw them out." 



Nesting Habits. — The species starts to nest in July if the 

 weather be favourable (27/7/96, Box Hill), though the month 

 will vary with the latitude. It is an early and late breeder — thus, 

 March, 1900, three clutches of fresh eggs in cave in Philip 

 Island by Mr. Wilson. The position chosen for the nest is a 

 very varied one, such as in caves, spouts of trees over water, 

 barns, under verandahs, and even in a dog-kennel, if the dog 

 has been absent some time ; in this latter position the bird has 

 been known to breed for five years (Mr. C. Gabriel). Even 

 the floating caisson of the Williamstown Graving Dock has its 

 nest, under one of the iron ledges. 



Whether or not the birds resort to the same nest annually I 

 cannot say, but since 1881 two nests in the same hollow of a 

 tree have been occupied each year during the whole sixteen or 

 seventeen years to 1898. One of these nests was pulled down 

 in the sixteenth year, prior to spring, and was not rebuilt. I 

 take it the birds were turned aside from the usual custom and 

 went elsewhere. It is not unlikely these nests passed from parent 

 to offspring. In the building of a nest the birds occasionally 

 make a mistake and persist in doing so. If the nest falls they 

 start again and a second time it may fall. On other occasions 

 nests are partially built and abandoned. A pair will start a 

 nest and by the time it is half done a number of Swallows 

 assemble, fly to and from the nest, twitter considerably, and work 

 is suspended apparently as a consequence. Such nests are not 

 again touched. 



Introduced Enemies. — The fox and cat from the mother country 

 cause considerable trouble among our birds. The cat at the 

 moment is raiding the dry parts of north-western Australia just 

 as the fox is doing in the south-eastern portion. Near Swan Hill 

 I know the hall of a country house that has a nest in it, and two 

 nails below upon which the two birds perch in the dusk. In the 

 six weeks previous to 1st October, 1898, seven birds were killed 



