An Australian Bird Book Part 43

It is a rule recognized by collectors that conspicuous animals have generally some effective means of protection, and they are best left alone, or at least taken with caution. This is readily understood when it is considered that a young, inexperienced chicken will rush at a brightly-colored caterpillar. He then retires, endeavoring to get rid of the objectionable taste. For the future, he avoids brightly-colored animals. Thus the bright color is an obvious advantage to its possessor, as it saves a dangerous peck. It is also an advantage to its enemies, for it saves them an unpleasant experience. We are told the Parrot is the only bird with a sense of taste, but it seems that the chicken possesses one also.

Still another phase of color is shown by Diamond-Birds, where three species have a yellow spot, a red spot, or an orange spot respectively on the wing. It is also shown by the Red-breasted Robins. One has a white forehead, one a white cap, and the third a red cap. These colored patches are considered to be recognition marks, so that a bird can recognize its mate, or a bird of its own kind, readily and with certainty.

That rarely-seen, but beautiful, bird, the Mistletoe-Swallow, is fairly common. From several points of view, it is of great interest.

Ranging from India, through Malaysia, to Australia, it did not reach Tasmania. Possibly Ba.s.s Strait was formed before this bird reached Southern Victoria. Interesting, also, is the fact that no mistletoe is found in Tasmania. This bird is closely a.s.sociated with the mistletoe, for, wherever you find it, you find the mistletoe. It furnishes another example of those interesting partnerships between animals and plants. It is not related to Swallows, but while it sits on a bough, its external form somewhat resembles that of a Swallow. Its nest is one of the most beautiful of all nests--a finely-felted, domed structure, often suspended in a clump of mistletoe. This bird has a long-continued, pretty, animated song, which is seldom heard, for it is low, and, as the bird is high in the tree-tops, it might be inaudible; but the main reason is probably that our ears are not attuned to pick out these fine songs. It is said that Tyndall found the insects on the Alps almost deafening, while his companions heard nothing. So it is with the high-pitched call of a Bat. Have you heard one? Few have.

The Mistletoe-Swallow should be called the Australian Flower-p.e.c.k.e.r, for it is our one representative of a large genus, best developed in the Indian Region.

Placed at present in Family 141 with the little Mistletoe-Bird are the Diamond-Birds of Australia, the plumage of our common kind of which is "so variegated and beautiful as to render description impossible."

The Diamond-Birds are restricted to Australia. Though they are found mainly in high tree-tops, whence they prettily and continuously call "wit-e-chu" and "wit-loo," some usually nest in a bank of earth. The bank of a dam, the side of a creek, and the earth suspended on the roots of a fallen tree are favorite places. Some people find the continuous, musical note annoying, and have named the Diamond-Bird the Headache-Bird. Others find it entertaining, and syllabize it as "Sweet d.i.c.k," or "Sleep, Baby."

Three of these birds are recognized by a small, bright spot on the side of the wing. In one this spot is said to be red, in another it is orange, and in the third yellow. However, Gould said the young of the Red-tipped had the orange tip, and later investigation seems to be supporting his view, for the Orange-tipped is possibly not a different species, but only a phase of the Red-tipped. One of our bird observers, Mr. F. Wilson, has lately recorded finding the nest of a pair of Pardalotes, of which one was red-tipped and the other orange-tipped. The Yellow-tipped is said to be the commonest bird in Tasmania. These birds are plentifully spotted, "spotted like the pard," hence the name Pardalote, Panther-Bird, or Diamond-Bird.

(continued below)

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F. 135. PARIDAE (5), t.i.tMICE, t.i.ts, 206 sp.--5(5)A., 55(48)O., 88(78)P., 32(32)E., 34(28)Nc., 8(5)Nl.

4 4

=327* Whiteface=, White-faced t.i.tmouse (Squeaker), _Aphelocephala (Xerophila) leucopsis_, S.Q., N.S.W., V., S.A., C.A., W.A. (interior).

Stat. small flocks, c. _plains_ 4

Upper olive-brown; forehead, face white; under pale-buff; tail tipped white; f., sim. Small seeds. Sweet chirping notes.

F. 136. _Chamaeidae_, Wren-t.i.ts, 3 sp. Nc. (W.U.S.). The only family of birds restricted to the Nearctic Region.

F. 137. _Regulidae_, Gold-crested Wren, Fire-crested Wren, Kinglet, 20 sp.--6(5)O., 9(7)P., 1(0)E., 4(2)Nc. 4(2)Nl.

F. 138. SITTIDAE (8), NUTHATCHES, 60 sp.--12(11)A., 21(18)O., 18(16)P., 1(1)E., 10(7)Nc., 3(1)Nl.

8 10

=328* Orange-winged Nuthatch= (Tree-runner, Bark-p.e.c.k.e.r), Woodp.e.c.k.e.r (e), _Neositta (Sittella) chrysoptera_, E.A., S.A.

Stat. r. _open forest_ 4.5

Head brown; upper gray streaked black; wing dark-brown with rich rufous band; upper base tail white; tail black tipped white; under gray; under base tail white barred brown; bill sharp slightly upturned; f., head darker. Insects.

"Chip-chip."

=329 Black-capped Nuthatch= (Tree-runner, Bark-p.e.c.k.e.r), Woodp.e.c.k.e.r (e), _N. pileata_, N.S.W., V., S.A., C.A., W.A., N.W.A.

Stat. r. _open timber_ 4.7

Grayish-brown; upper base tail white; cap black; quills blackish-brown with rich rufous band; tail black tipped white; forehead, stripe over eye, under white; thighs blackish-brown; f., head, face, hind-neck black. Insects.

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[Ill.u.s.tration: [330] [331] [332] [333] [334] [335]]

F. 139. CERTHIIDAE (8), CREEPERS, 39 sp.--10(10)A., 13(12)O., 9(8)P., 1(1)E., 5(4)Nc., 3(2)Nl.

9 10

=330* Brown Tree-Creeper=, Woodp.e.c.k.e.r (e), _Climacteris pic.u.mna_, E.A., S.A. =vt. Eur. Creeper.

Stat. c. _open timber_ 7.2

Crown blackish-brown; line over eye buff; throat buff with few blackish spots; upper brown; wings banded buff; under grayish-brown; flanks striped white; f., throat chestnut spots. Insects. Sharp piercing cry. Creep _up_ a tree.

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=331* White-throated Tree-Creeper=, Woodp.e.c.k.e.r (e), _C.

scandens_, S.Q., N.S.W., V., S.A., T.

Stat. c. _forest_ 6.5

Crown sooty-black; back olive-brown; buff band on wing; throat, centre-abdomen white; flanks brownish-black striped white; f., orange spot below ear. Insects. Shrill piping cry.

Creeps _up_.

=332 Red-browed Tree-Creeper=, _C. erythrops_, S.Q., N.S.W., V., W.A.

Stat. v.r. _rough barked trees_ 6

Back brown; head blackish-brown; forehead marked dusky-gray; rump, tail gray; buff band on wing; face, stripe above eye rust-red; throat white; under grayish-brown striped white; f., face brighter; throat rust-red, striped white. Insects. Creeps up.

=333 White-browed Tree-Creeper=, _C. superciliosa_, Q., N.S.W., V., S.A., C.A., W.A.

Stat. v.r. _timber_ 5.7

Upper brown; wings rich fawn band; broad white stripe over eye; under grayish-brown; abdomen striped white; f., narrow line rust-red above the white eyebrow; tail washed with gray.

Insects. Creeps up.

F. 140. ZOSTEROPIDAE (14), WHITE-EYES, Silver-eyes, 171 sp.--83(80)A., 38(34)O., 4(3)P., 50(50)E.

13 157

=334* White-eye= (Silver, Ring, Gla.s.s-), Blight-Bird (Spectacled-), Grape-eater, Silve, Tauhou, _Zosterops coerulescens_, E.A., S.A., T., N.Z., Chatham Is.

Stat. v.c. _open gardens_ 4.5

Crown, wings, tail olive; back dark-gray; white ring round eye; throat, centre-abdomen, under base tail whitish; flanks chestnut-brown; sometimes throat, side-head yellow; f., sim.

Insects, fruit. Pretty lively song.