THE BIRDS OE AUSTRALIA. 
once learnt, could never be mistaken for that of any other Honey-eater, nor 
is it possible to render in words or music its wonderful versatility and variability 
of song. It is really thrilling to hear the notes of these birds ringing out from 
the topmost flowering branches of a lofty old gum-tree—a song indicative of 
a superabundance of vigour. This volume of sound, emanating from these 
virtual feathered mites, is a true manifestation that the vernal period has 
arrived, and an indication of an annual event of great moment to the species. 
At no other time of the year do they appear in such good song as that attained 
in early spring. As the spring months retreat one by one their notes become 
correspondingly subdued until autumn finds them almost without a note. 
From January to April they may be seen flying around in small flocks of from 
four to eight, which are probably made up of one or two families. During 
May they gradually disperse for mating, and by the time June arrives they 
have paired up, and during this month their notes begin to increase in extent 
and volume. July usually finds them busily engaged settling on a suitable 
breeding-haunt, and from then on to December their whole energies are utilised 
in, and concentrated upon, efforts to bring forth successfully one or more broods, 
according as to whether the season favours them or not. The male is pugnacious 
in the extreme, and nothing in the feathered tribe is too small or too large 
to mix himself up with. All and sundry are cleared from the precincts of his 
domain. As is noticeable among other Honey-eaters, its flight is undulatory, 
that is to say, a succession of beats raises the body, then the wings are momen¬ 
tarily held to the sides and the body drops, to be raised again by another succes¬ 
sion of beats, and so on. When approaching an alighting place they reach 
it with a sudden upward movement, -which makes it very difficult to follow 
them at nesting-tine. They are vigorous fliers, and when flying together in 
pairs or in flocks a softened ‘ Tsut-tsut ’ is emitted by one and answered by the 
other. Is mostly met with in open forest comprised of smooth-barked gums, 
stringy-barks, iron-barks, and tea-trees, interspersed with clumps of box-trees 
and saplings. It is in one of these box-tree clumps that they generally select 
a position to nest. The food covers a wide range in nectar and in insects. The 
former is sipped up from any blossom at hand, while the latter are chiefly 
comprised of saw-fly larvae ( Terithredividce ) and Paropsis grubs (Chrysomelidi e) 
which abound in the box saplings. Moths and small beetles are nipped up 
from the blossom, or whilst they are on the wing they swoop down or dart at 
any bisect that comes their way, securbig it with the greatest precision. These 
tactics are most noticeable when they are feeding fully-fledged young. It 
may here be said that the eating of bisects by this Honey-eater is of infinite 
advantage economically to man, for every now and then some insect forsakes 
the forest and the scrub to take up habitation on the farm or field.” 
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