THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
of the natives, they could give me no information whatever respecting it or 
the period of incubation.” 
Mr. J. P. Rogers, at Melville Island, wrote: “Nov. 18th, 1911. — These 
birds are sparingly distributed and are more numerous in the mangroves than 
elsewhere. Jan. 14th, 1912.— 10 miles S.E. of Snake Bay. Here this species 
was fairly numerous both along Jessie Creek and in the paper-barks bordering 
the great swamp. To-day a nest was found ; both old birds were at it ; was 
built in a fork of a thin branch of a paper-bark tree leaning out over the water ; 
in size and type this nest resembled that of Microeca pallida .” 
Campbell and Barnard wrote : “ The Yellow-breasted Flycatcher is 
common about Cardwell, and a few seen about the Murray River. It is 
essentially a coastal bird, in the Rockingham Bay region, at all events. This 
bird must have increased since Ramsay’s day ; he only found it after diligent 
search. Regarding Mathews’s M. terrczregince , one would expect to find, in 
heavy forest country, this species greener above and brighter yellow on the 
under-surface than, say, the birds from the type locality — Northern Territory. 
It is a scientific fact that all life is affected by its environment.” 
MacgillivTay wrote : “ The Yellow-breasted Flycatcher is quite a common 
bird in open forest about our camp (at Claudie River) where on one occasion 
I watched one feeding a fully-fledged young bird. The parent captured a 
large caterpillar on the grass, flew up to a branch, beat it about, then to 
another branch, repeated the procedure, and finally flew to the young one 
and gave it the caterpillar. The young tried to swallow it, but dropped it ; 
the parent bird skilfully caught it before it reached the ground, subjected it 
to another knocking before again giving it to the young one, who this time 
managed with an effort to gulp it down. These birds are also common on 
the Archer and Watson Rivers.” 
Messrs. W. G. and R. C. Harvey, writing from Mackay, Queensland, state : 
“ Is fairly plentiful in open forest country, where it may be seen perched on 
some dry twig, and occasionally darting off in pursuit of an insect, which it 
generally secures with a loud snap of its bill. It has a delightful little song 
which may be heard at its best during the spring and early summer. The 
most remarkable feature in the life-history of this bird is its nest, which ranks 
as the smallest nest in Australia, if not in the whole world. The nest is so 
designed that it holds only one egg, which is almost as large as the egg cavity. 
When sitting the bird screens the entire nest from observation by spreading 
her breast feathers around it, a fact which has been revealed by the camera, 
but hitherto unnoticed by us. The young bird is a marvel of protective 
coloration. When danger threatens, it will sit quite still, with its beak pointing 
upwards, and so well does it blend with its surroundings that only the most 
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