THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
They have a peculiar way of searching about the trunks of the rough-barked 
trees, in coming downwards around and around the stem, diligently spying 
beneath the loose pieces of bark and into the cracks and crevices for any spider 
or insect that may be secreted. They love the rough stony ridges of mountain 
ranges, especially where the she-oak ( Casuarina) grows, and it has been in 
these trees that I have always found their nests, which are extremely hard to 
locate. The nest is always placed in the upright fork of the tree, built of small 
strips of bark and fibre, firmly woven together with spider-web and cocoon, 
forming a neat little cup and w r ell shapen into the fork of the tree, so as to merely 
appear a thickened joint; then for the outside the buds select little pieces 
of elongated bark of the she-oak tree and sticks these firmly on to the nest, all 
in a longitudinal way, the same as the bark of the tree itself, so that when it is 
finished it is almost impossible to detect the nest, save when the bird is sitting; 
and it was in this -way I found those I have. Several of the covey assist in 
building the nest, but I think that only one hen lays in it, while both male and 
female sit on the eggs during incubation. I found a nest in course of construc¬ 
tion on the Coorong and marked the place very particularly, but upon revisiting 
the place the nest had been removed and I could not find the new place. They 
seem very wary birds in this respect and do not like their nesting-site to be 
discovered, hence their desire completely to hide its whereabouts by deceptive 
methods.” 
Mr. Sandland wrote me : “ Odd families seen. Have only found one nest 
at which four birds were busily engaged. On my return four days later there 
was no sign of the nest and, as it had not been stormy, I concluded they must 
have moved it after I looked into it.” 
Mr. Edwin Ashby’s notes read ; “ Not uncommon in the Mount Lofty 
Hills, South Australia. I also found it numerous near Perth, West Australia. 
The birds of this genus run about the boughs of a tree, especially she-oak 
( Casuarina ), like a mouse, being as much at home upside down on the underside 
of a bough as on the upper. The nest is a masterpiece, being made often to 
match exactly the broken end of a bough, being simply an extension of the 
broken end. It would be impossible to find but for the movements of the parent 
bird. Except during the period of incubation these birds go in flocks and usually 
only stay a short time in a clump of trees, soon passing on to the next clump.” 
Mr. F. E. Howe wrote : “ Met with this bird at Stawell, Garina and Ivow 
Plains. During our trip to the latter locality we were interested by the actions of 
a small family as they fed in the trees above the spot we had selected for lunch.” 
Mr. A. G. Campbell has noted that he “ took a nest at Nliill, Victoria, 
containing five eggs, which could be divided into tw r o sets of three and two, 
obviously laid by different females.” 
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