THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
entrance of the hollow, and just sufficiently pop its head up to look about; in 
that position it will often remain for a few seconds, then suddenly turn round 
and go back into the hollow, and there will often remain until the nesting 
hollow has been chopped out, and the bird has to be pulled off the eggs. It 
is very seldom they will fly away from their nests simply from the sound of 
danger, and even if they do, will most probably return again within a few 
minutes, and go straight into the nesting hollow and then nothing will induce 
her to leave the hollow. They usually lay four eggs, occasionally five. They 
generally breed in August; in fact, out of the thirteen nests I have examined 
containing eggs, eleven were in August, the other two during October. Owing 
to the birds being such close sitters, their nests are very difficult to find.” 
Very little is on record concerning this bird’s habits, as they seem to differ 
but little from those of the preceding with which it associates. I here re- 
produce Caley’s notes given by Vigors and Horsfield about ninety years ago: 
“ The native name of this bird Jerryang. This, like Coolich , is seen in very 
large flocks in the Eucalypt trees when in blossom. The natives now and then 
bring in the young ones, but they seldom live long. I had three young ones 
for some time, which used to huddle together and give out a very pleasing 
note. They all died strongly convulsed, and nearly at the same time ; the 
limbs were as stiff, the moment life was extinct, as if the body had become 
cold. The natives tell me it builds on the hollow limbs of trees, making no 
other nest than of the decayed wood. It has four young ones. The eggs are 
white and without spots.” 
No subspecies are at present recognisable, though with longer series the 
northern bird, which I recently separated, may be determined. The 
migratory habits of the southern forms make it difficult to limit subspecies 
without long series accurately collected together with field notes. 
