BLACK-HEADED MINAH. 
flowers and insects, but at times they do much damage in orchards ; but 
here they are no trouble exccptmg while the grapes are ripe, when they 
become very fearless, even walking througii my house.” 
Captain S. A. White has mitten me : “ This bird is confined to the big 
gum country and it is not so many years ago that this bird was unknown on 
the western side of the Mount Lofty Ranges ; it seems to have w'orked in from 
the east tlu’ough the ranges and is now out on the plains beyond. It is a 
noisy, quarrelsome bird and when it is not fighting with members of its ow'n 
race is doing so with some other bkd. It lives almost c-ntmely upon insect 
diet and takes much of it upon the ground. 'I'hey ai'c numerous along the 
Minray River and many parts of the Mount Lofty Ranges ; they do not extend 
far north and when the drier area is reached M. flavujula takes tliis bird’s place. 
The nest is an open cup-shaped structure composed of twigs Imed with rootlets 
and sometimes mth fine grass and occasionally an iimcr lining of wool, soft 
flower heads or fm. The clutch is from two to foiu- and the eggs vary very 
remarkably in shape and coloui’, some being almost round while others are 
elongated and xiointed at one end, sometimes with minute spots and others 
with blotches, in other cases only a zone of colour round one end.” 
^Ir. J. W. Mellor has wTitten me ; “ This ]Minah is very common in South 
Australia and Victoria; they are x>lentiful along the Mount Lofty Ranges 
in South Australia, and also in the hilly country of Victoria ; in the latter place 
I saw plenty along the Werribee Gorge while visiting there, and they are also 
very common in the National Park at Belak, South AustraUa. They like to 
keep to the timbered country, and are exceeduigly noisy, continually calling 
to each other, and can often be seen chasing each other in little flocks of five 
or six ; they feed on honey and will also eat soft fruit, while insects form a 
certain amount of their diet. I’liey utter a gi'eat variety of calls and seem to 
imitate other bu-ds in then- endeavour to make themselves heard and attract 
their mates ; they ai-e exceedingly active birds, being ever on the move, 
hopping about amongst the fohage, and then fljdng from tree to tree and 
repeating the performance. Their nesting-months are generally September 
to November, but nests are sometimes fomid before tliis and when laying a 
second time, as they sometimes do, nests may be found into the early part 
of the year.” 
Mr. F. E. Howe’s notes read: “ On the flat and open countiy at Ferntree 
Gully, Victoria, this is a common resident, preferring the tall timber that 
is plentiful hereabout. It has been found at Bayswater also, and in this locality 
we found a nest with tw'o eggs accompanied by an egg of Cuculus inornatiis. 
The loud squeaking note of this bnd is very unpleasant, and keejiing up an 
incessant noise'they put everjdhing else on the qui vive.” 
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