TREE MARTIN 
219 
usually high up in the tree ; the eggs are laid on the 
dust, or on a few dry leaves placed at the bottom 
of the hollow. November seems to be the height of 
the breeding-season, but Mr. Mulder has given me 
a note of the arrival at Bambra in August, 1893, of 
a pair which immediately nested in a hole in a tree 
opposite his house. These birds were still about on 
March 4th, 1894. 
FAIRY MARTIN 
Lagenoplastes ariel ariel 
This is the species known in parts of Australia as the 
Bottle Swallow, because it builds a nest which is 
shaped rather like an old-fashioned handleless flagon 
with the neck directed forward. 
Odd birds may be seen in any month of the year, 
but the majority are true infra- Australian migrants, 
coming to us to breed in September, and returning 
to more northern parts of the country (just how far 
inland they go is not known) about April. 
The description of a bird obtained at Barrabool on 
December 8th, 191 2, is as follows : Forehead whitish- 
buff ; crown rufous, very faintly streaked with black ; 
occiput streaked rufous and black ; mantle and 
back glossy blue-black, with bases of feathers white ; 
wings and tail brown ; rump dead-white ; upper 
tail coverts brownish ; lores black ; chin and throat 
white streaked with black ; breast and all remainder of 
