THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Diamond Bird —^the colonial name ; he met Avith it occasionally, but not in 
abundance. He is not aware of its habits.” 
Gordd’s field-notes read : “I found this species plentiful in South Australia 
and in every part of New South Wales that I visited; and it was equally 
numerous on the Liverpool Plaius, the sides of the River Mokai, Namoi, etc. 
It is a showy, attractive species and passes most of its time on the ground, where 
it procures its food, which consists of the seeds of various kinds of grasses, etc. 
The nest is frequently bmlt among the large sticks fornnng the under-surface 
of the nest of the smaller species of Eagles, and that too during the time the 
Eagle is incubating, both species hatclung and rearing their progeny in 
harmony.” 
Capt. S. A. White says : “ A fairly common bird in South Australia, 
frequenting plains and InUy country ahke. They take much of their food on 
the gromid, being grass and weed seeds. The nest is of dry grass and is a large 
and bulky construction. Nesting season, September to October and sometimes 
November. Call is a long-drawn note, very mournful. 
Air. Thos. P. Austni’s notes from Cobbora, New South Wales, read: 
‘“ During the spring and smnmer months it is rather a conunon species here, 
but a few are to be seen at any time of the year, and it is to be met with in all 
classes of coimtry. Excepting in the breeduig-season it goes about hi small 
flocks, from six to ten feeding upon the ground. It often breeds in small 
colonies, but places its nest in a great variety of situations, often favouring 
dwellings, at times in the topmost branches of large trees, such as red gums. 
I have often seen their nests here singly placed m the fruit trees of my orchard, 
also great numbers of them m a creeper growuig on a verandah, but whatapjiears 
to be their favourite nestmg-place is in the same tree as a nest of a Brown 
Hawk {H. orientaUs) and as many as possible build into the underneath part 
of the nest of the larger bird. I once chmbed to a Brown Haw'k’s nest containing 
tliree eggs, beneath which were three of these Fmches’ nests, and eighteen 
others hi the same tree, placed in the branches around the larger nest. It also 
does the same with Wliisthng Eagle’s nests. Another time I counted twenty- 
two of their nests in a shigle native apple-tree, some of which I could reach from 
the gromid. From the amomit of dirt often fomid m their old nests it would 
appear that they often use them for roosting in long after breeding is finished. 
They build the outer portion of their nests of long pieces of dry grass, and I 
have often wmtched them carryhig these to the topmost branches of long trees, 
sometimes they seem to have the greatest difficulty in doing so, more especially 
if there is any wind. Consideiing the length of the pieces of grass (often quite 
a foot long) they carry, it has always seemed wonderful how they manage to 
fiy with them ; they always seem to carry the material by one end hi their 
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