i>«rwniH-r-j W.Krn.i.o, AV.v.-r hini i'uit.s t/Wom<n.r 117 



the houcr (nit of llit* roofs of the Xn\ Zealand Christmas tree, ami 

 decorated it round about with blue article*, flowers and cicada cases, 

 Xeus ftf tin latest visitor raine U) the writer in a letter fritltl 

 Stephen Kerrigan of the School uf Forestry. Crcswick. lie told u1 

 the arrival of an immature male Satin Hitwer-hird ill IftJ fainiK"- 

 hunifj m Kust Malvern ; nwd the- story went thu-: 



Ma.sbe he lound *ome resemblance in wilder haunts in our hiu bou I 

 Mahogany (ium and massed Nhrubbery. From the first he adorned the m11-> 

 uf ;i eouph* of upstairs windows, shrouded externalk h\ pilto>porunN I /'■ 

 'ituiufahtm). as the stage for hi«- vocal ami c*yuma%tic taleuK 1 siy "ItV 1 ivf 

 it hit* a few fiYik^ol' hlue on the rump. Ms bad Jir^t noticed ami recojjnitfed 

 him and a:- soon a> 1 learnt of it I absconded ami came down home to ^ee him 

 Tholi^h it way OfcQ- cold for Melbourne, I wa* out i i' bed lit vi nioiiuUtf at 

 *e*en hi lock to hear and see. 



lie is a fine hie bird about a foot long and, though not satin blue, is vti \ 

 beautifully coloured, the delicate greeti and white crcnuhmoo- across In- 

 broad chest particularly. Already up to hi-, trick--, In- cantered up and down 

 the narrow sill, Mo^vu'K to stare at the wmd"" where tin doubt he Kit? -t 

 ^Innpse of bmtsclt. all the time singing in great volume. 1 1 i ^ own "vuuf"! !• 

 resianWc* the whirring noise of a tractor's starlet motor Hut what a mioiir! 

 T heard the White-throated Treerreeper and the Kookaburra, although he 

 never broke into tile full cry of the latter 



He.Mdes givmu this rolling hushlaud repertoire, he vigorously cavotls 

 along the sill with his "toys" of which he has made a collection — pieces of 

 hlue paper, plastic and cloth — the most amusing heme a cap off a Hiro pen 

 which he sporN in bis beak like a cigar. Kver* go often he perks the window 

 IV I til his strong he;*k so hunt v\ e fi*ar be will soon hrr;tl« it. There';; |)n doubt, 

 we believe, ot bun notiemg his reflection, even to the point of vanity, for since 

 one ot the windows was washed to >ee turn hetier. be adopted it exclusive of 

 the other. 



Of course, this narrow window-sill is a poor place for a hotter — impossible ! 

 The wattle-birds make constant attacks Mil Turn and the wind and rain blow 

 his "toys" away. But he's there every morning still, from seven tilt ten, filling 

 the house with his thrilling mimicry Vou cannot approach the window 

 without frightening him, hur by watching through the crack or round the 

 door when il is ajar, you see it all. 



Dad leaves out pieces of fruit for him on the sill, and uf these sliced 

 banana is the favourite. Besides this though, his staple food is pwtosporum 

 berries The pittosporums are in full fruit now and I suppose this is the Ujs 

 ailriiitM-n We are all thrilled about bun and will lie sorry to see him go 



Cpon receipt uf thin interest inn news, contact was made with 

 "t'Sui* — Mr. (j. S. iSerrigan uf -II (riant Street, East Malvern — 

 who proven! to he as emhustaM.ie about the avian visuof as was his 

 son; and he promptly made his house available for photographic 

 and other operations, 



One Saturday morning an early excursion was nuide with snit- 

 ahle equipment and a ten-mtnutr tape recut'diup, was niadc of the 

 vocal performance of the hird on the window-sill. Conditions were 

 perfect for tin's o]>cration, Willi an electric power-point in the room 

 concerned, a corner tn which one could sit ont ot sight, and even 

 a window -catch npon which to harm; the microphone. 



The result was illuminating. Most of the bird's rHVtl notes Wert 

 short, loud and very harsh, sonic even icseiviblin^ the .-.uddi'ii 

 screeching of u White Cockatoo. The main "performing ' call was 



