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THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 



often assumes a number of lively and beautiful positions, at one 

 moment mounting almost perpendicularly, constantly spreading 

 out its tail to the full extent, and frequently tumbling completely 

 over in the descent." (Gould). It literally hunts high and low 

 for the insects, the flies and gnats which form its food, in the 



Nest of White-shafted Fantail: Rhipidura albiscapa. 



D. Le Soiief. 



tops of forest trees, or flitting over your shoulder, or even 

 entering the bushman's hut in the pursuit. The song is a sweet 

 twittering. The nest is always a source of admiration ; it is 

 placed a few feet from the ground, fastened to a usually dead 

 branch, and shaped lil^e a wine-glass with the stem broken 

 across, and composed of small strips of bark outwardly matted 



