n um e ro u s d o ts a u d fr e c k le s o f y e llow ish b row n a n d ffiin t lila c s p r in k le d o v e r th e w h o le
su rf a c e , b u t m o re th i c k ly a t t h e l a r g e r en d . T h e n e s ts a r c 4 to G in c lic s w id e , b y 2-u
in c h e s d e e p .
“ S om e tim e s a h a n d o f th i s sp e c ie s a n d th e F a i r y M a r tin w ill t a k e p o s se ssio n o f th e
u p p e r s to iy o f som e d e s e rte d h o u s e , th e l a t t e r b u ild in g t h e i r lo n g fla sk -sh a p e d u e s ts in
c lu s te r s u n d e r t h e ea v e s, w h ile th e fo rm e r e n te r a t th e w in d ow s a n d t a k e po ssessio n o f
th e c ro ss b e am s a n d r a f te r s . I h a v e s e e n b o th sp e c ie s b re e d in g u n d e r th e s am e ro o f a t
th e G le b e , S y d n e y .
“ I n 1 8 5 8 , w h ile fish in g off a sm a ll s te am e r, w h ic h , h a v in g b e e n o u t o f u s e fo r some
m o n th s , w a s m o o re d a few h u n d r e d y a r d s from th e n o r th sh o re , in th e S y d n e y h a r b o u r,
I o b se rv e d a p a i r o f th e s e Sw a llow s ily ro u n d th e b o a t, a n d f r e q u e n t ly d iv e u n d e r n e a th
th e p a d d le -b o x . A f t e r a lo n g s e a rc h I d isc o v e re d t l ie i r n e s t, w h ic h w a s c om p o sed o f
b la c k p i t c h y m u d , lin e d w ith se aw e e d a n d f e a th e r s . I t w a s p la c e d u p o n o n e o f th e
h o r iz o n ta l b e am s o f th e ¡lad d le -h o x , a n d c o n ta in e d th r e e VQung o n e s , a b o u t b a lf-fled g e d .
T h e m a n in c h a rg e in fo rm e d m e t h a t th e n e s t h a d b e e n m a d e w h e n th e s te am e r was
ly in g low e r d ow n th e h a r b o u r , a u d u p o n i ts b e in g tu g g e d to w h e re i t th e n la y th e b ird s
flow r o u n d a n d ro u n d i t t h e w h o le tim e , e v id e n tly in a g r e a t s t a t e o f e x c item e n t.
“ S e v e r a l p a ir s h a v e fo r som e tim e p a s t t a k e n p o s se s s io n o f a n o ld b a th in g -h o u s e a t
D o b ro y d c , w h e re e v e ry y e a r th e y b u ild o n th e low e r b e am s, w i th in a few in c h e s o f h ig h -
w a te r m a r k : th e s e n e s ts a r e a lw a y s com p o sed o f b la c k p itc h y m u d , m ix e d w i th seaweed,
o b ta in e d , I h a v e n o d o u b t, fr om th e fla ts a t low t i d e ; t h e l in in g c o n s is ts o f s o f t d ry
p ie c e s o f b le a c h e d se aw e e d .”
T h e d e s c r ip tio n is from th e B r itis h M u s e um ‘ C a ta lo g u e ,’ a n d th e fig u re in th e P la t e
h a s b e e n d raw n fr om a s p e c im e n in M r. S e e b o lim ’s co lle c tio n .