THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Mr. F. E. Howe wrote : “ Have only met with this species once, and that 
was at Lower Beaconsfield, South Gippsland. We were working the Cardinia 
Creek when the beautiful bell-Hke note first caught our ear. Upon making 
the spot we noticed many of the birds and found one nest just building in 
August, 1906.” 
Mr. A. G. Campbell’s note reads: “ This species, irnfamiliar in the 
country near Melbourne, was identified on the fianks of the Dandenong 
Ranges, November, 1902. The clear beU-like notes of the male are frequently 
answered by a chuckling call from the female.” 
F. E, Wilson has published a good account from which I quote: “ The 
following notes were collected during the present year (1909) at Beaconsfield, 
which lies 29 miles east of Melbourne, amongst the hills which form a southerly 
spur of the Dandenong Ranges. The district is bounded by the Cardinia 
Creek on the west and the Tumuc Creek on the east. On the Cardinia Creek 
there are two fairly large colonies of these birds, and about five nfiles east on 
the Tumuc Creek is a third colony. Altogether there are, I think, at present 
about 50 pairs of birds. Bell Miners are extremely local, inhabitmg as they 
do a small stretch of fairly low timber and scrub bordering the banks of some 
creek, usually not more than 250 yards long by about 150 yards wide. They 
never venture outside the boundaries and resent intrusion by other birds. 
Bell hliners are seldom seen on the ground except when drinking, and seem 
to spend most of their time on the low trees and sapluigs. Some of the 
birds especially appear to be of a very inquisitive natm’e. When flying the 
Honey-eaters usually have their tail-feathers widely spread, and rarely proceed 
more than 50 yards at a stretch. The gum trees in the district mider notice 
are infested 'with a scale-like insect {Spondylapsis eucalypti). This, although 
by no means the only food of the Bell jVIiner, forms a large part of its diet. 
The birds also search very carefully aU loose bark and debris hanging to the 
trees in the vicinity, from which they get a supply of beetles, etc. From the 
crop of one I took a small yellow beetle resembling the common ladybird. 
The Bell Miner’s principal note is a beautiful beU-hke tinkle, which, when 
uttered in rapid succession, has a most pleasing eft’ect. This note has a 
marked resemblance to the distant jinghng of cow bells. A fairly good 
representation may be obtained by striking together two bars of m’ought 
iron, one of which is suspended. Another note frequently used is almost 
an exact copy of the alarm call of the Noisy Miner {Myzantha garrula). 
Still another note resembles the squeaking of a door with rusty hinges. 
Sometimes, although in the midst of birds, you \vill not hear a single tmkle, 
every bird using the note which resembles that of the Noisy IVIiner. The 
breeding-season seems to extend almost through the whole year, as I have 
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