GENUS DICEUM (Cuvier). 



ONLY one species has been found in Australia of this genus, which abounds in India and the [ndiai 

 Islands, and also in New Guinea. 



DICTUM HIRUNDINACEUM. 



SWALLOW DICsEUM. 



NOTWITHSTANDING the fact that this little bird is one of the most beautiful and at tin; same 

 time one of the commonest of all those which inhabit Australia, it is very little known. Without 

 doubt the reason of this is that it confines itself almost exclusively to the topmast branches of lofty trees, 

 particularly of the Casuarinse, among whose thick and dark foliage it can remain without fear of detection. 

 Almost the only way in which it can be discovered is by its song, which is very pretty and animated, 

 though it is almost necessary to stand beneath the tree and listen for the sound, so low is it uttered. 



The food chiefly consists of insects, but is occasionally varied with fruit and berries. 



The nest, which is found suspended from a small branch of a tree — generally a Casuarina — is 

 composed of the soft, white, cotton-like substance found in the seed-vessels of many plants. The eggs are 

 dull white, with numerous minute spots of brown scattered over the surface. They are nine lines Ion.; 

 by five and a half lines broad. 



The male has the head, all the upper surface, wings and tail, black, glossed with steel-blue ; 

 throat, breast and under tail-coverts, scarlet ; flanks, dusky ; abdomen, white, with a broad patch of black 

 down the centre ; irides, dark brown ; bill and feet, blackish-brown. 



The female is dull black above, glossed with steel-blue on the wings and tail ; throat and centre 

 of the abdomen, buff; flanks, light brown: under tail-coverts, pale scarlet. 



Habitat : All parts of Australia, interior as well as the coast. 



