THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
spring and summer. The note of this bird resembles that of the mainland 
form, being a silvery ting, ting, ting, uttered while the bird flits from twig 
to twig, and also when taking a longer flight, as it is a restless little thing 
and ever on the move. I noted it fairly plentiful in the remote and quiet 
eucalyptus scrubs at the western end of the Island ; there happened to be 
a pool of water in the quiet scrub and I sat quietly down and watched these 
little birds darting down and washing themselves in the water until they 
appeared like little bits of a dirty rag, for the weather was very hot, but they 
soon plumed themselves and were as bright as ever.” 
Mr. Edwin Ashby has written : “ Common throughout the Mount Lofty 
Hills in South Australia and the hilly country in Victoria and Hew South 
Wales. In my own garden it is especially fond of gathering honey from the 
fuchsia, its long slender bill and tongue being specially adapted to gathering 
the nectar from such tubular flowers. Its favourite haunts are where various 
species of the beak-like Epacris grow.” 
Mr. E. J. Christian writes : “ Plentiful in the Blue Mountains in New 
South Wales. Often seen fluttering before a blossom, with its tiny curved 
bill stuck into the flower gathering honey. It is often called the Humming 
Bird of Australia. While thus engaged it often breaks out into a beautiful 
song. It seems to come to Melbourne for the winter months and then goes, 
like the Robin, away to the gullies to nest. I noticed it used to sing most 
on wet days, in fact oftentimes I only heard it on wet days. Every winter 
we had two pahs which frequented the garden, hi Melbourne, and used to 
feed on the heath and on the lime-tree blossoms.” 
Mr. F. E. Howe’s notes read: “ The call of tliis sprightly and beautiful 
creature (not unlike a certain song of Eopsaltria) is heard on every hand as 
they pursue one another from tree to tree. At the end of whiter when the 
heath is at its best great numbers congregate to feed on the honey, probing 
their long bills into the blossoms and hanging in every conceivable position, 
making it a nosegay indeed. During September and October their pretty 
nests are found placed in the Mimosa and Melaleuca and hi the Cherry-tree 
( Exocarpa ), and one was found at Ferntree Gully fairly high up in the Hazel. 
The clutch is usually two but three is not uncommon. The nest takes about 
twelve days to complete and incubation a little longer. One pair whose eggs 
had been taken on Oct. 17th had young about with them on Dec. 5tli, or forty- 
nine days after.” 
Mr. L. G. Chandler has sent me a note : “ This species feeds principally 
on the nectar extracted from flowers. Small flies and moths are added to 
their diet. One may be sitting on a branch engaged in preening its feathers, 
when an insect passing, it darts out to secure it. While the bird is flying the 
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