STRIATED PARDALOTE. 
MtC«° 
of a creek making a nesting chamber at the end which they line well with 
fine dry grass. When breeding they have a curious habit of holding their 
wings at right angles to the body. Several pairs of birds will at times gather 
in the nesting tree, often near the entrance to the nesting hollow, and go 
through this strange performance, sometimes quivering their wings with a 
fanning motion. I have only taken their eggs during the months of October 
and November, but I have little doubt they often breed earlier.” 
Mr. L. G. Chandler has sent a long and complete account under the name 
of P. assimilis from which I quote : “ Is a numerous species in the Frankston 
district, Victoria; in open forest country you are certain to find it and often 
in the thickly timbered localities, but the birds show a preference for open 
gum country. One observer has recorded : ‘ The bird does not stay to winter 
in its breeding haunt, and is away long before sure signs of the coming fall 
are generally noticeable.’ My observations have been the reverse. During 
the winter months I have seen flocks of a dozen or more birds at various times, 
and these in different localities. Like many other so-called migratory birds, 
this species leads a nomadic existence, their movements after the termination 
of the breeding season depending entirely upon food supply. At Bayswater 
in March, 1909, I saw a flock numbering many dozens. Two specimens I 
secured were immature birds just assuming the mature plumage. They 
would probably be about five months old. They were noisy and were giving 
a tri-syllabic note that resembled ‘ wit-e-lu.’ I think it is the immature birds 
that give this call. In the month of April I have seen small companies at 
Frankston; in June at Olinda a noisy flock was seen traversing the tree- 
tops, but like many birds that are habitually noisy throughout the breeding 
season this species is remarkably quiet during the colder months of the year. 
This habit would make it easily overlooked by those who infer that the birds 
are migratory. In July and August I have not heard them give other than 
a sweet trill which, however, can be heard a fair distance away. This trill 
seems to be a call-note between the sexes. This species apparently congregate 
about February or March and in the months of July and August commence 
to pair off for the breeding season. Working actively from bough to bough 
in search of food they do not stop long in the one tree, but when two or three 
birds fly further afield the rest of the flock quickly follows. They appear 
to live on scale insects that frequent the gum leaves, and on a still calm day, 
if feeding in sapling growth, the tap, tap of their bills on the leaves can be 
plainly heard. The wing beats of this bird are rapid. At irregular intervals 
it describes a short quadrant in its flight. Sometimes this quadrant is a 
little more extended on a downward grade. This characteristic flight, together 
with certain notes that are uttered, render this species easily recognisable 
VOL. XI. 
201 
