BELL MINAH. 
cause and evince the utmost curiosity. Its flight is of the same skimming 
motionless character as that of the Garrulous Honey-eater; and upon some 
given signal the whole flock, or the greater poi’tion of it, fly off simultaneously 
and collect on some neighbouring branch in a cluster. The sexes are precisely 
alike in plumage, and the yoimg soon attain the colouring of the adult.” 
Captain S. A. White has written: “ This bird is restricted to certain 
heavily timbered locahties in New South Wales and Victoria, where they 
mostly keep to the tops of the trees, whence their beautiful, musical, ringing 
notes echo over the forest land. They seem to like companj'- and move about 
hi fairly large colonies. Stomach contents revealed insects, a few seeds and 
nectar from eucalypts.” 
]Mr. J. W. Mellor’s notes read: “ The Bell-bu’d, as it is called, is tolerably 
numerous in certain parts of Victoria and New South Wales. Its note is a 
pleasant Uttle ‘ ting, ting, ting,’ Avliich reminds one very much of the tinkhng 
of a httle silver bell, and when beneath the tree where the bird is caUing it is 
often hard to detect as the colour of the bird so harmonizes vdth the foliage, 
and the call is somewhat ventriloquial, that the observer is puzzled to know 
just where the bird is located; however, they keep up the notes with only a 
mhiute or so between so that it is eventually discovered, often quite close to 
the observer. They hve mostly about the rivers and swampy flats near by, 
and when a number of these birds are all ‘ ting-tinging ’ in a small patch 
of trees, the effect is very peculiar mdeed.” 
Dr. Cleland lias ivritten me; “I was lucky enough to be directed to a 
groove on the Kurrajong Heights, New South Wales, where this bird was 
common. They were flying amongst the leaves and branches of some tall 
gums, thikhng their monosyllabic cliimes, which are indeed most pretty to 
hear wLen many birds are gathered together. It is hke being in a fauy wood, 
where, instead of the forests clapping their hands, green-hued fays amongst 
the leaves ring the chimes of the elfin world. Each note is simple, but there 
are occasional notes of a higher or deeper pitch that piovcnt the ordinary 
tone from becoming monotonous. Moreover, may occasionally be heard, 
a sound not unlike that uttered by the Plalycerci just before taking flight. 
I had been watcliing these birds for a few minutes w'^hen it struck me how 
closely they resembled in their flight and actions the soldier bird, Myzantha 
garrula. They have the same jerky movement on flying ; the restlessness and 
the habit of several of them getting in a row on the branches and of soaring 
dmvn from a higher to a lower branch. On obtauiing a specimen the 
resemblance appealed stUl closer, for both have yellow legs and beak and a 
patch of bare skhi round the eye ; in the case of M. garrula yellow; this 
bird red.” 
35 
