Garterornis leucotis. 
No. 101. 
WHITE-EARED FLY-CATCHER. 
Mathews, Birds Austr., Yol. IX., pt. n., p. 90, pi. 410, April 15th, 1921. 
Iisr the January number of the Emu, Vol. XXX., p. 161 et seq., Favaloro has 
a very interesting article on this bird and Monarcha melanopsis. 
He admits the genus Garterornis, and says that the bird is a lover of coastal 
country. Its range extends from Cape York in the north to Southern Queensland 
where Stradbrook Island appears to be its most southerly limit. He lists 
one skin from Cape York, one from the Claudie River and one from the Pascoe. 
Seven records of this species have appeared in the Emu. 
On October 16th, 1923, a nest was discovered. And on Fraser Island, 
in October, 1930, a foundation of a second nest v r as observed. At this stage 
the amount of material placed in the fork was no larger than the top of a man’s 
thumb, and it was obvious that the nest had just been commenced that morning. 
During the next three days the building operations were only carried on between 
the hours of about 9.30 and noon ; and then again from 2.15 p.m. to 5 p.m. The 
early hours of the morning and the mid-day session wore devoted mainly to 
feeding, whilst each evening, from about 5 p.m. till dusk, the birds chased each 
other, with amazing speed and grace, from tree to tree, and were finally lost to 
sight amongst the topmost branches of a large tree on the bank of the creek, about 
300 yards from their nesting site, and where they apparently spent the night. 
Frequently both birds were heard calling just at nightfall, and again very early 
in the morning, just at daybreak. 
Their food consists of very small insects which are caught on the wing 
near tree tops. These insects are disturbed by the birds themselves as they hover 
among the leaves, in much the same manner as the Spinebill Honeyeater. 
They are by no means shy birds, but were very noisy in their way, and would 
readily reply when their notes were imitated. They would come close up in a 
very inquisitive manner, looking at me first with one eye and then the other. 
When flying to and from the nest, they both called freely and chattered in¬ 
cessantly to each other whenever they happened to meet there with 
nesting material. 
The nest was constructed with remarkable rapidity, for by the end of the 
first day an inch had been added, and at the close of the following day another 
inch and a half had been built up, and the egg cavity was in course of 
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