﻿BIBDS 
  OBSERVED 
  IN 
  VICINITY 
  OF 
  HOBABT. 
  309 
  

  

  began 
  to 
  fall 
  from 
  the 
  blue 
  gums, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  following 
  day 
  a 
  

   reconnoitring 
  party 
  of 
  Swift 
  Lorikeets 
  appeared, 
  but 
  only 
  re- 
  

   mained 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  minutes, 
  as 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  blossom 
  was 
  not 
  yet 
  

   sufficiently 
  advanced 
  to 
  yield 
  their 
  food. 
  We 
  saw 
  no 
  more 
  of 
  

   them 
  until 
  Sept. 
  14th 
  ; 
  from 
  that 
  day 
  until 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  November 
  

   they 
  visited 
  the 
  blue 
  gums 
  in 
  our 
  quarter 
  every 
  day. 
  The 
  latest 
  

   blossom 
  then 
  withered, 
  and 
  we 
  saw 
  no 
  more 
  of 
  the 
  Lorikeets. 
  

   During 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  their 
  visits 
  Crescent 
  Honey-eaters 
  were 
  also 
  

   plentiful, 
  and 
  the 
  two 
  species 
  were 
  often 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  

   tree. 
  The 
  flower-cups 
  of 
  the 
  blue 
  gum 
  (Eucalyptus 
  globulus) 
  are 
  

   infested 
  by 
  a 
  small 
  ant, 
  and 
  by 
  a 
  winged 
  insect 
  so 
  minute 
  that 
  it 
  

   appears 
  like 
  a 
  mere 
  mote 
  to 
  the 
  unaided 
  human 
  eye. 
  When 
  

   shaken 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  anthers 
  it 
  recurves 
  the 
  after 
  segments 
  of 
  its 
  

   body, 
  and 
  uses 
  these 
  to 
  disengage 
  its 
  wings, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  

   glued 
  to 
  its 
  body 
  by 
  the 
  sticky 
  juices 
  of 
  the 
  flower-cup 
  from 
  which 
  

   it 
  has 
  been 
  expelled. 
  When 
  it 
  has 
  accomplished 
  their 
  liberation 
  

   the 
  insect 
  flies 
  away. 
  I 
  doubt 
  if 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  flying 
  stage 
  of 
  its 
  

   existence 
  it 
  is 
  safe 
  from 
  pursuit 
  by 
  the 
  Crescent 
  Honey-eater, 
  

   for 
  this 
  bird 
  darts 
  upon 
  flying 
  insects 
  like 
  a 
  Flycatcher. 
  I 
  have 
  

   also 
  seen 
  them, 
  when 
  they 
  were 
  stationed 
  in 
  a 
  bush, 
  protrude 
  

   their 
  tongue 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  Lizards, 
  as 
  if 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  

   seizing 
  insects 
  with 
  that 
  member. 
  

  

  Swift 
  Lorikeets 
  visit 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  city 
  reserves 
  when 
  the 
  

   blue 
  gums 
  are 
  in 
  flower, 
  and 
  make 
  their 
  presence 
  known 
  chiefly 
  

   by 
  their 
  whispered 
  notes, 
  for 
  their 
  plumage 
  accords 
  well 
  with 
  the 
  

   colour 
  of 
  young 
  leaves 
  which 
  receive 
  unobstructed 
  light. 
  Swift 
  

   Lorikeets 
  therefore 
  generally 
  elude 
  observation, 
  except 
  when 
  they 
  

   are 
  flying 
  from 
  tree 
  to 
  tree 
  over 
  an 
  intervening 
  clear 
  space. 
  If 
  a 
  

   Butcher-bird 
  appears 
  within 
  their 
  range 
  of 
  vision, 
  the 
  whole 
  troupe 
  

   takes 
  flight 
  precipitately 
  with 
  loud 
  outcries. 
  

  

  I 
  conclude 
  with 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  which 
  I 
  observed, 
  or 
  of 
  

   which 
  I 
  obtained 
  skins, 
  during 
  the 
  time 
  spent 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  

   the 
  city. 
  The 
  list, 
  of 
  course, 
  is 
  not 
  exhaustive 
  even 
  of 
  the 
  

   common 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  district. 
  Several 
  of 
  those 
  which 
  are 
  

   included 
  in 
  the 
  list 
  do 
  not 
  nest 
  on 
  the 
  western 
  shore 
  of 
  the 
  

   Derwent, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  gullies 
  of 
  Mount 
  Wellington 
  and 
  other 
  

   eminences. 
  To 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  subspecies 
  or 
  insular 
  varieties 
  I 
  

   have 
  added, 
  in 
  brackets, 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  

   are 
  most 
  nearly 
  allied. 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  birds 
  enumerated, 
  an 
  

  

  