WATTLE-BIRD. 
daylight it can be heard among the ti’ee tops. I have watched large flocks 
leavmg their feeding ground at dusk and moving further into the bush. It 
has a most remarkable voice winch, once heard, is not easily forgotten or mistaken 
for that of any other species. The cry is loud and harsh and is between a 
cough and a scolding voice suffering from a cold in the tliroat. When two 
birds are quarrelling their voices sound very harsh and discordant.” 
Miss J. A. Fletcher has sent me a note on this and the Brush Wattle-Bird 
in Tasmania, stating: “ It is perhaps worth notmg that these birds have a 
great hking for one locality and keep to it ten out of the twelve months. I find 
that in nesting they choose in many cases the same tree in wliich they nested 
the previous season, and if not the exact tree they stiU stick to the same patch 
of scrub. Generally the spot selected is where two or three banksia trees are 
gro\ving closely together, the nests bemg placed in forks of the banksia, from 
6 to 16 feet liigh. The Wattle-Bird generally fixed a lot of wool in the twigs 
and leaves of wliich its nest was made, but though I found several nests of the 
Brush Wattle-Bird I never fomid any wool in their nests. They used instead 
soft strips of bark to mix with the t\vigs. The eggs are laid daily. When the 
bird is sitting the male often betrays the situation of the nest by flying ahead 
of the intruder uttering a warning cry. He generally ahghts on a neighbourmg 
tree, occasionally on the tree itself in which the nest is built. The female wiU 
sometimes stay on the nest until a person is nearly up the tree, then she flies 
off and joms her mate in his alarm cries. The birds, both species, are very plenti¬ 
ful in the banksian forests around Cleveland, North Tasmania, and appear 
to be little distm’bed by shooters. The nesting is somewhat later here (north) 
than in other parts of the island (indeed, generally speaking, the birds appear 
a month later in nesting than the southern birds). On November 4th a nest 
was found partly built and on the 9th bird was sitting on two eggs ; then several 
fresh nests and eggs were found dming the month and on December 11th two 
young just getting their feathers. Next year the birds bred earlier, thi’ee 
nearly fledged young being foimd in a nest on November 15th.” 
Captain S. A. White has Avxitten me: “ This fine bird is quite numerous 
in pai’ts of Tasmania, and I found it feeding amongst the topmost branches 
of the liigh eucalypts which were in flower; it seems to get back to the high 
land in the summer, for when I paid a second visit to the same locality where 
I had previously foimd it plentiful none were to be seen. The settlers Idll these 
birds in numbers for food, and it is quite likely, if not afforded protection, it 
vviU be exterminated hke other game birds. Its flight is rather laboured, and it 
is quarrelsome and pugnacious ; the note is a strange muffled sound between 
a suppressed cough or bark. I found them very numerous on King Island, 
and stomach contents revealed insects, benies and honey.” 
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