﻿382 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  in 
  which 
  flowering 
  eucalyptus 
  is 
  plentiful, 
  the 
  birds 
  become 
  

   very 
  fat, 
  and 
  weigh 
  at 
  least 
  six 
  ounces. 
  In 
  the 
  winter 
  its 
  food 
  

   consists 
  of 
  rich 
  nectar 
  from 
  eucalyptus 
  blossoms 
  and 
  honey- 
  

   suckle 
  (banksia) 
  cones. 
  In 
  summer, 
  as 
  the 
  honeysuckle 
  alone 
  

   is 
  in 
  flower, 
  insects, 
  especially 
  beetles, 
  are 
  added 
  to 
  its 
  diet. 
  In 
  

   some 
  districts 
  the 
  eucalyptus 
  blossoms 
  one 
  year, 
  and 
  in 
  another 
  

   district 
  the 
  next 
  ; 
  the 
  consequence 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  Wattle 
  Bird 
  moves 
  

   from 
  one 
  district 
  to 
  another 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  food. 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  it 
  

   to 
  be 
  very 
  plentiful 
  one 
  season, 
  and 
  the 
  next 
  hardly 
  a 
  bird 
  was 
  

   to 
  be 
  seen 
  or 
  heard. 
  In 
  summer 
  it 
  resorts 
  to 
  the 
  mountain- 
  

   slopes, 
  returning 
  to 
  the 
  plains 
  as 
  winter 
  approaches 
  ; 
  the 
  

   harder 
  the 
  winter 
  frosts, 
  the 
  more 
  plentiful 
  is 
  the 
  bird 
  expected 
  

   to 
  be 
  ; 
  the 
  thickly-wooded 
  plains 
  are 
  warmer 
  than 
  the 
  moun- 
  

   tain-sides. 
  It 
  soon 
  becomes 
  very 
  wild 
  after 
  being 
  shot 
  at, 
  and 
  

   is 
  difficult 
  to 
  approach, 
  giving 
  the 
  alarm 
  and 
  taking 
  flight 
  at 
  the 
  

   least 
  sign 
  of 
  danger. 
  It 
  moves 
  in 
  flocks, 
  which 
  vary 
  greatly 
  in 
  

   number. 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  know 
  whether, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  the 
  Wattle 
  Bird 
  

   sleeps 
  at 
  its 
  feeding-ground, 
  but 
  at 
  the 
  first 
  glimmer 
  of 
  daylight 
  

   it 
  can 
  be 
  heard 
  among 
  the 
  tree-tops. 
  I 
  have 
  watched 
  large 
  

   flocks 
  leaving 
  their 
  feeding- 
  ground 
  at 
  dusk, 
  and 
  moving 
  further 
  

   into 
  the 
  bush. 
  The 
  voice 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  very 
  remarkable, 
  

   and, 
  once 
  heard, 
  is 
  not 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  easily 
  forgotten 
  or 
  mistaken 
  

   for 
  that 
  of 
  any 
  other 
  species. 
  The 
  cry 
  is 
  loud 
  and 
  harsh, 
  and 
  

   is 
  between 
  a 
  cough 
  and 
  a 
  scolding 
  voice 
  suffering 
  from 
  a 
  cold 
  in 
  

   the 
  throat. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  family 
  Diccddce, 
  the 
  Forty- 
  spotted 
  Pardalote 
  (Parda- 
  

   lotus 
  quadragintus) 
  is 
  peculiar 
  to 
  both 
  Tasmania 
  and 
  King 
  Island. 
  

   This 
  tiny 
  Pardalote 
  is 
  only 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  certain 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   island 
  ; 
  it 
  spends 
  most 
  of 
  its 
  time 
  among 
  the 
  tops 
  of 
  lofty 
  forest 
  

   trees, 
  principally 
  in 
  gullies. 
  The 
  colour 
  of 
  its 
  plumage 
  approxi- 
  

   mates 
  so 
  closely 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  foliage 
  among 
  which 
  it 
  spends 
  

   most 
  of 
  its 
  time, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  but 
  rarely 
  seen, 
  unless 
  specially 
  

   searched 
  for. 
  It 
  usually 
  moves 
  in 
  small 
  bands 
  of 
  from 
  four 
  to 
  

   a 
  dozen 
  individuals. 
  

  

  The 
  White-rumped 
  Swift 
  (Micropus 
  pacijicus), 
  family 
  Cypse- 
  

   lidce, 
  is 
  only 
  an 
  occasional 
  visitor, 
  sometimes 
  accompanying 
  

   bands 
  of 
  Spine-tailed 
  Swifts 
  {Chatura 
  caudacuta) 
  on 
  their 
  brief 
  

   visits 
  to 
  our 
  shores. 
  

  

  The 
  Black 
  Cockatoo 
  {Cahjptorlujncluis 
  funerem) 
  is 
  looked 
  

  

  