Fie asters see See REF GRAM sesscccsssaaeuvaausaewewes geneeel flazems lly E hibeazy, i.Z. Mase: PAL LAT poe _LL 932 aaa aa saan aaa alata‘ aa aaa a ata a Ayala ooeooresponeopnoosossonsposona ns LSTSOSTTSSSSSS SSS SSS TESS SCVOETS STi CORNELL LAB of ORNITHOLOGY LIBRARY AT SAPSUCKER WOODS Illustration of Snowy Owl by Louis Agassiz Fuertes Gunnece UNIVERSITY LIBRARY iii 1 All books are subject to recall after two weeks DATE DUE Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924090287081 Be PARROTS. Bourke Grass-Parrakeet: Neophema bourkei. The Smutty Parrakeet: Platycercus browni. Red-collared Lorikeet : Trichoglossus rubritorques. Golden-shouldered Parrakeet: Psephotus chrysopterygius. [See page 198 et saq.] Vv}! The Birds of Australia BY A. H. S. LUCAS, M.A. (Oxon. and Melb.), B.Se. (Lond.) Ea-President of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, of the Field Naturalists’ Club of Victoria, and of the Naturalists’ Club of New South Wales, AND W. H. DUDLEY Le SOUEF, 6.M.Z8., M.B.O.U., &., Director Zoological Gardens, Melbourne ; Author of “ Wild Life in Australia.” JOINT AUTHORS OF “THE ANIMALS OF AUSTRALIA.” LITTLE COLLINS STREET, MELBOURNE ; CHRISTCHURCH, WELLINGTON AND DUNEDIN, N.Z.; ADDLE HILL, CARTER LANE, LONDON: WHITCOMBE AND TOMBS LIMITED. 1911. PREFACE. This book is the complementary volume to ‘‘The Animals of Australia, Mammals, Reptiles, and Amphibians,’’ of the same authors and publishers. As it was impossible to give a reasonable account of all the Air-breathing Vertebrates of Australia in one volume, the account of the Birds was reserved for the present work. The object and plan of this, as of the former, book are to serve the needs of the naturalist and to provide matter of interest for the general reader, by giving accurate descriptions and illustrations, and adding as much popular information as is available concerning habits and habitats. In order to avoid rendering the volume too bulky and too heterogeneous in character, we have refrained from specula- tions and general disquisitions. It seemed wiser to present the facts in an ordered manner, and to leave for other publications the more general features of our Avi-fauna, relationships, and origins. As in the case of ‘‘The Animals,’’ while advantage has been taken of personal knowledge, we have drawn largely on other publications on Australian Birds. The classification is that of Dr. Bowdler Sharpe’s ‘‘Hand-list of Birds,’’ made more readily available by the publication of Mr. Gregory M. Mathew’s ‘‘Hand-list of Australian Birds,’’ in ‘‘The Emu,’’ 1908. We gladly acknowledge our deep indebtedness to the various authors of the magnificent series of Descriptive Catalogues published by the authorities of the British Museum. We have included as nearly a complete account as possible of species described in Australia by Mr. A. J. North, of the Australian Museum, Sydney, and by Messrs. A. J. Campbell, Robert Hall, and others referred to in the text. We have drawn largely for accounts of habits on “‘The Emu,’’ and ‘‘The Victorian Naturalist,’’ and occasionally quote other periodical publications. The illustrations have been collected with a considerable amount of labour, and have been derived from a variety of b PREFACE iv. sources. By the generous permission of the Trustees and the Curator, a large series of photographs was made by one of the authors of birds in the Australian Museum, and our thanks are again due to them and to the officers and assistants for the ready facilities afforded for the purpose. A few others were obtained of birds in the collections of the Macleay Museum and the Sydney Technological Museum. Photographs from well- stuffed and set-up Museum specimens, obtained under controlled conditions of light, undoubtedly present the pattern of the plumage in a more perfect and recognisable form than do those, except the very happiest, taken from life. On the other hand those taken from life show the live bird in actual surroundings. Hence we have obtained as many photographs from life as possible. For some of these we are indebted to Messrs. A. E. H. Mattingley, A. J. Campbell, H. Nielson, A. T. Dennis, J. B. Lane, Mrs. Ward of Mapoon, T. G. Campbell, Tom Iredale, H. P. C. Ashworth, A. F. Basset Hull, C. G. Gibson, H. Burrell, C. L. Barrett, W. 8. Kent, F. George, C. P. Kinane, A, E. Kitson, and others. The Royal Australasian Ornithologists’ Union have generously allowed us to make use of several of the blocks of life pictures published in their very fine magazine, ‘‘The Emu.”’ The New South Wales Bird Protection Society also kindly loaned us their blocks of the Egrets, and the Canterbury Philosophical Institute the block of Megalestris. The highly artistic coloured illustrations are from paintings by Mrs. Ellis Rowan. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Preface i List of Illustrations Emu Australian Cassowary Serub Fowl .. Mallee Fowl Brush Turkey Serub Turkey Quail Plain Wanderer Pigeons and Doves Rails Crakes Native Hens Moor Hens Coots Grebes Penguins Storm Petrels Shearwater Petrels Cape Pigeon Dove Petrels Albatrosses Terns Ternlets Noddies Gulls Turnstone Oyster-catchers Dottrel Plover Stilts Avocet Curlew Whimbrel Godwits Greenshank Sandpipers Sanderling Stints Knot Snipe Jacana Pratincole Stone Plovers ap Bustard i “a Crane or Native Companion Ibises Spoonbills Storks (Jabiru) Herons Kgrets Bitterns Black Swan Geese Ducks Teal Shovellers Cormorants Darter Gannets Frigate-birds Tropic-birds Pelican Harriers Goshawks Sparrow Hawk Buzzard Eagles Kites Hawks Falcons Kestrel Osprey 5 Owls ae ‘a Parrots and Cockatoos Lorikeets Lorilets Cockatoos Parrakeets Parrots Frogmouths Owlet Nightjar Vi. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAGE Roller or Dollar-bird .. .. 233 Kingfishers... $6 .. 234 Bee-eater fs eh .. 242 Nightjars oe os .. 248 Swiftlets is ee .. 244 Swifts es a .. 245 Cuckoos ae is .. 247 Koel 8 a .. 254 Channel-bill .. iy ue BOS Coueal a 5 ia (25: Lyre-birds .. a .. 256 Pittas B08 Grass- Warblers 4% .. 310 Grass-birds .. fs .. 310 Desert-bird .. ae we DLL Rock- Warbler fits .. dll Field Lark .. — .. 313 Tits a me .. 313 Serub- Wrens ah .. 319 Wrens 2 ae e» B22 Introduced Birds Systematic Table of Australian mais Addenda Index to Vernacular esies Index to Scientific Names Emu Wren Bristle-birds .. Grass- Wrens Wood-Swallows Shrike-Thrushes Magpie Lark Magpies Butcher-birds Shrike-Tits Bell-bird Thickheads Shrike-Robins White-faces Wedgebill Tree-runners Tree-creepers White-eyes Mistletoe-bird Pardalotes Sun-bird Honey-eaters Spine-bills Minahs Wattle-birds Friar-birds Gieatierhesia) Wagtail Pipit Bush-Larks Finches (Weaver Birds) Orioles Fig-birds Drongo i¢ Shining Starling Bower-birds Cat-birds Regent-bird Rifle-birds Manucode Crows ‘ Crow-Shrikes Grey Jumper Chough PAGE .. 328 .. 829 cy me .» B82 .. 838 .. 839 .. 841 .. 848 .. 350 .. 852 gs: 352 .. 354 .. 856 25 B58 .» $58 .. 361 .. 864 va! B66 wn BOT . 368 . 369, 378, 394 .. 376 .. 391 . 393 . 396 .. 398 .. 399 .. 400 - AOL .- 408 -. 409 .. 410 » ALL, . 412, 417, 422 .. 417 .. 421 2. 404 | .. 428 .. 429 .. 432 .. 484 . 434 .. 436 .. 467 «. 447 .. 443 . 453 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Coloured. PAGE 1. Parrots .. ie oe i ae .. Frontispiece 2. Superb Warblers 321 3. Honey-eaters 336 4 Finches 401 5. Tooth-billed Bower- bird 417 6. -Golden Bower-bird 432 Diagram of a bird, showing chief external characters Xi Emu: Dromeus nove-hollandie 2 Young Emus 3 Emu nine months old ; 4 Australian Cassowary: Casuarius austranis : Ba £4 6 Deserted Nesting Mound of Scrub Hen: Megapodius (tumulus) duperreyti ; 8 Mallee Fowl and Seung: ‘pon avétidite. 24 10 Nesting Mound of Mallee Fowl: Lipoa ocellata .. 11 Yellow-wattled Brush Turkey: Tallegallus lathami (Catheturus) 12 Scrub Turkey: Catheturus lathami 13 Scrub Turkey’s Nest be 2s 2 14 Purple-breasted Fruit Pigeon: Megaloprepia magnifica 24 Little Dove: Geopelia cuneata 27 Peaceful Dove: G. tranquwilla 27 Bronzewing: Phaps chalcoptera 29 Crested Bronzewing: Ocyphaps lishohes 29 White-bellied Plumed Pigeon: Lophophaps iegtousies 33 Wonga-Wonga Pigeon: Leucosarcia picata 34 Lewin’s or Slate-breasted Rail: Hypotenidia brachypus 36 ‘Bald Coot: Porphyrio melanotus 41 Coot: Fulica australis 42 Hoary-headed Grebe: Podicipes aieabae 43 ‘Tippet Grebe: Podicipes cristata 45 Crested Penguin: Catarrhactes sorysctatnn 46 Little Penguin: Hudyptula minor 47 Fairy Penguin and Young: Hudyptula ‘indi 48 Little Blue Penguin: HLudyptula undina F 49 Yellow-webbed Storm Petrel: Oceanites oceanicus 51 Allied Shearwater: Puffinus assimilis 54 Brown Petrel: Priofinus cinereus 55 Great-winged Petrel: Oestrelata abaenier 57 viii. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Schlegel’s Petrel: Oestrelata neglecta Cook Petrel: Oestrelata cooki Giant Petrel: Macronectes gigantea Cape Pigeon: Daption capensis Dove-like Prion and Young: Prion desctivus Wandering Albatross: Diomedea exulans .. Black-browed Albatross: Diomedea melanophrys .. White-capped Albatross: Thalassogeron cautus 3 ” on egg “ and young Sooty Atbateoaes Phabetria fuliginosa Caspian Tern: Hydroprogne caspia Marsh Tern: Hydrochelidon hybrida Crested Tern: Sterna bergii Crested Terns Nesting ” ” ” bes White-fronted Tern: Sterna frontalis Noddy Terns: Anous stolidus Group of Nesting Noddies Lesser Noddy: Micranous tenuirostris 5 » nesting in Mangrove Gulls: Gabianus pacificus and Larus nove- digllandice Richardson Skua: Stercorarius crepidatus Skua Gulls: Megalestris antarctica Turnstone: Arenaria interpres ot Pied Oyster-catcher: Hematopus longirostris Black Oyster-catecher: Hematopus fuliginosus Red-kneed Dottrel: Erythrogonys cinctus Nest of Spur-winged Plover: Lobivanellus Laneies Golden Plover: Charadrius (fulvus) dominicus Lesser Golden Plover: Charadrius dominicus White-headed Stilt: Himantopus lewcocephalus Avocet: Recurvirostra nove-hollandie White-headed Stilt: Himantopus leucocephalus Avocet: Recurvirostra nove-hollandie Barred-rumped Godwit: Limosa nove-zealandie Sharp-tailed Stint: Heteropygia aurita Knot: Tringa canutus Comb-crested Jacana: Hy yaiscteator (Parra) livactis Stone Plover and Young: Burhinus grallarius Australian Bustard: Eupodotis australis Jabiru: Xenorhynchus asiaticus : Australian Crane: Antigone ae ee Straw-necked Ibis: Carphibis spinicollis Young Jabirus on Nest Nest and Young of Great-billed Heron: Apibe Siutanant Egrets on Nest PAGE 63 102 . 103 103 104. 106 113 114 117 Tig 121 122 122: 125 127 129: 13] LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Starved Egrets a7 Reef Heron: Deniegretta sacra , White-fronted Heron: Notophoyx nove- hotlandian Nests of Night Heron: Nycticorax caledonicus Bittern: Botaurus paciloptilus % in attitude of defence Maned Goose: Chenonetta jubata Chestnut Sheldrake: Casarca tadornoides Black Duck: Anas superciliosa we Chestnut-breasted Teal: Nettion castaneum Australian Shoveller: Spatula rhynchotis White-eyed Duck: Aytha (Nyroca) australis Musk Duck: Biziura lobata Black Cormorant: Phalacrocorax carbo A White-breasted Cormorants: Phalacrocorax ee ” ” ” ” Gannetry on Cat Island, Bass Strait Gannets 5 = er 5 Gannets: Sula serrator Gannets Nesting Halt-fledged Masked Coanvtst’ Sula cyanops : Red-tailed Tropic-bird on Egg: Phaéthon erubescens Young Pelicans: Pelecanus conspicillatus Spotted Harrier: Circus assimilis White Goshawk: Astur nove-hollandic Goshawk Young White- bellied fies Bagios ‘Ualietus nsanashen Black-cheeked Faleon: Falco melanogenys Little Faleon: Fatco lunulatus Kestrel Hawk: Cerchneis cenchroides Osprey’s Nest = ce Boobook Owl: Ninox boobook Chestnut-faced Owl: Strix ‘sete Hegllviatiee Delicate Owl: Stria delicatula Masked Owl: Strix castanops Chestnut-faced Owl: Strix nove- etiwidin Black Cockatoo: Calyptorhynchus funereus ” ” ” ” Sulphur-erested Cockatoo: Cacatua galerita Pink or Leadbeater’s Cockatoo: Cacatua leadbeateri Long-billed Cockatoo: Licmetis nasica Green Leek Parrakeet: Polytelis barrabandi Rosella: Platycercus eximius Yellow-banded Parrakeet: Barnardius zonarius Red-vented Parrakeet: Psephotus hematorrhous Nest of Rock Parrakeet: Neophema petrophila Ground Parrakeet: Pezoporus formosus x. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Nest of Ground Parrakeet Tawny Frogmouth: Podargus striveiiee Freckled Frogmouth: Podargus phalenoides Kookaburras: Dacelo gigas an The Wandering Kingfisher: Halcyon vagans - Pallid Cuckoo: Cuculus pallidus i Fan-tailed Cuckoo: Cacomantis flabelliformis Young Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcococcyx fieantie) éttadines Young Blue Wren (Malurus cyaneus) Bronze Cuckoo: Chalcococcysz plagosus Bronze Cuckoo being fed by foster parent Bronze Cuckoo: Chalcococcyx plagosus .. Pheasant Coucal: Centropus phasianus Lyre-bird: Menura superba Nest of Lyre-bird Victoria Lyre-bird: Menura aiearts oy ” (female) Noisy Pitta: Pitta strepitans Nests of Colony of Fairy Martins (Peirocheltion areal) Flame-breasted Robin: Petroeca phenicea ‘ Hooded Robin: Petreca bicolor White-shafted Fantail feeding young: Biioidane eileen Nest of White-shafted Fantail Black and White Fantail: Rhipidura ican Nest of Kaup’s Frilled Fly-catcher: Arses Kaupi Pilot-bird: Pycnoptilus floccosus * and Nest Serat -Robin, Nest and Young: siaieietine ities pulang Bristle-birds: Sphenura brachyptera Coach-whip Bird: Psophodes crepitans ie 235 a5 and Nest Ground-Thrush: Oreocichla lunulata Nest of Rock-Warbler: Origma rubricata Nest of Brown Tit: Acanthiza pusilla Little Tit: Acanthiza nana Yellow-rumped Tit: Acanthiza cheyearitou Double Nest of Yellow-rumped Tit Nest of Yellow- throated Serub-Wren: Sericornis citedidutarté Collared Serub-Wren: Oreoscopus gutturalis Blue Wren (male): Malurus cyaneus ” » (female) ” ” ae ot may Black-headed Superb Warbler: Malurus melanocephalus Superb Warbler: Malurus cyaneus ‘ Nest of Rufous Bristle-bird: Sphenura ieondibanei White-browed Wood-Swallow: Artamus superciliosus Masked Wood-Swallow: Artamus personatus Wood-Swallow (Artamus sordidus) Nesting Site LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xi. PAGE Grey Shrike-Thrush: Collyriocichla harmonica ee S43 .. 3837 Magpie Larks (with albino): Grallina picata a .. 3840 Nest of Yellow-breasted Shrike-Robin: Hopsaltria anctane .. 855 Orange-winged Tree-runner: Neositta chrysoptera 6 .. 859 Honey-eaters Feeding, Melbourne Zoo... oY a sa 370 Crescent Honey-eater: Meliornis australasiana .. oe .. 389 Noisy Minah (with albino): Myzantha garrula .. a .. 392 Blue-faced Honey-eater: Entomyza cyanotis nC ih .. 395 Friar-bird or Leatherhead: Philemon corniculatus $e .. 3897 Scarlet-headed Finch: Pephila mirabilis ad a4 .. 407 Masked Finch: P. personata .. a a a .. 407 Drongo Shrike: Chibia bracteata oe ed .. 410 Nest and Eggs of Tooth- billed Bower- find oP ae -. 414 Cat-bird: Aeluredus viridis ie ap va .. 416 Spotted Bower-bird: Chlamydodera jiweabacin — oa .. 418 Bower of Queensland Bower-bird: C. orientalis .. or .. 420 Nest and Eggs of Newton’s Bower-bird 22 +4 .. 423 Rifle-bird: Ptilorhis paradisea aa is bd 2. 425 Nest of Victoria Rifle-bird: Ptilorhis elas 2d oy .. 426 Crow: Corvus coronoides a ie a4 = ie #20 Pied Crow-Shrike: Strepera graculina .. bas i .. 431 Nest of Grey Jumper: Struthidea cinerea on .. 433 Nest of White-winged Chough: Corcorax msdleononticnshius .. 433 Rectrices. (Tail Quills, Upper Tail Coverts. Crown. ape. Rump. UpperBack. _ \ORper nt. faveheai, LowerBack. Hind Neck. ‘Ear Coverts. “culmen. Nostril. Undertail Covers. Remiges Sivtale +) (Primaries.) nattdk. Diagram of a bird, showing its chief external characters. The Birds of Australia AVES Warm-blooded animals breathing air direct by means of lungs: skin usually covered with feathers: skull jointed to the backbone by a single condyle: the voung hatched out from eggs, usually fed by the parents. SUB-CLASS PALAEOGNATHAE. Sternum without keel. ORDER CASUARIIFORMES. Hallux absent. Feathers with a large after-shaft. Three front toes with claws. Family Dromeide. No casque on the head: bill broad. Dromeus. Family Casuariide. A casque on the head: bill narrow. Casuwarius. The Emu. Dromeus nove-hollandic. These interesting birds are typical of Australia, and fossil remains have been found, which show that they have been here for a great length of time, long before Tasmania was separated from Australia. In 1859, Mr. Bartlett described a form of these birds as the Spotted Emu, D. irroratus, but young specimens received from all parts of Australia at the Melbourne Zoological Gardens show A 2 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA that the so-called Spotted Emu is only an immature phase of the ordinary bird. The spots or bars are found on some birds of a clutch and not on others, and on birds from Victoria and New South Wales quite as often as on those from West Australia. When the birds are fully adult, all the bars disappear, and they are practically all alike in markings, from whatever part of Australia they may come. Another form, D. parvulus (Gld), formerly lived on Kangaroo Island, but From life. A. T q Emu: Dromaeus novae-hollandiae. res eee, was ruthlessly destroyed by the early settlers. Of this bird fortunately both skin and skeleton are in existence. This does not seem, however, to have been the only Emu on the island for many bones of birds received from it by the South Australian Museum are apparently identical with those of the existing species. Professor Spencer has recognised another smaller species, D. minor, determined on bones obtained from King Island in Bass Strait. In the typical Emu the adults are grey, many of the feathers having a blackish tip, and there is little difference THE EMU 3 between the plumage of the male and of the female. The upper part of the neck is almost bare of, the short hair-like feathers, and the purplish skin is plainly visible. The early observers were much struck by the presence of the after-shaft to each feather, though this occurs equally in the Cassowary. The chicks, when first hatched, have two black longitudinal bands on the back, and two more on each side, separated by a greyish-white stripe, but these mostly disappear by the end of the first year. They then have a dark-grey or brownish coat, occasionally with many of the feathers barred, but these markings usually only persist to the end of the second year, D. Le Souéf. Young Emus—fortnight old in Melbourne Zoo. sometimes to the third year, after which the birds attain to their adult plumage. Total length over 6 feet. Albino varieties are met with now and then. There is one at present in the Sydney Zoo. Nest usually near some cover, or under a tree with a little grass or other vegetation placed about the eggs, which the birds add to as they sit. They will also lightly cover the eggs, when they leave them before the full clutch is laid. The male bird usually sits during the day and the hen at night. On one occasion in the Melbourne Zoo a hen bird was accidentally killed after she had laid eight eggs. The male bird was equal to the occasion, sat on the eggs, and hatched and reared the 4 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA chickens single-handed. The unoccupied bird usually oh close at hand, and will drive intruding kangaroos and stoc away from the nest. From life. Melbourne Zoo. Emu nine months old: Dromaeus novae-hollandiae. The eggs are dark-green, coarsely granulated, and number from six to twenty-one. They measure from 5.15 x 3.64 inches to 5.63 x 3.65 inches, and weigh from 16 to 24 ounces. The period of incubation is three months. The name Emu, of Portuguese origin, was formerly applied to the Cassowary of Ceram, and also to the South American THE AUSTRALIAN CASSOWARY 5 Ostrich, and was adopted for the Australian bird by the officers who examined the first bird shot, within half a mile of the present Sydney Railway Station. The name caught the popular ear, and has held its own ever since. The Tasmanian bird D. diemenensis became extinct about 1860. There are two skins in the British Museum, collected in 1845, by Ronald Gunn. Its breast is much lighter in colour than the mainland species. The Australian Cassowary. Casuarius australis. A shy bird, living in the dense brush-covered coastal districts of North Queensland. Adult plumage black and lustrous, the feathers being unusually stiff. The sides of the head and the upper part of the back of the neck are bare, and of a light greenish blue; the lower part of the back of the neck, also bare, is bright scarlet; the chin and the front of the neck are deep blue; the sides of the neck below have intermingled blue and red. The two large wattles on the fore-neck are mottled with pinkish-red. The bare skin of the neck bears some short stiff hairs. The helmet or casque grows to a considerable size, and in old birds is very large. It serves to protect the head of the bird when, with body depressed and neck bent forwards, it dashes through the thick under- growth in the jungle which forms its home. The sexes are very similar in plumage when adult. The young are of a yellowish-buff colour, with three broad black stripes down the back, and three other irregular black stripes on each side. These markings do not survive beyond the first year. In the second and third years the plumage is yellowish brown; and it is only after the third year that the black colour gradually appears. The eggs, from three to six in the clutch, are of a delicate pale green colour, which easily fades. They measure on the average about 5.55 x 3.70 inches. They are granulated like those of the Emu. The Cassowary is too expensive and too uncertain in temper to be frequently kept as a pet. Mr. C. H. Hodges, when headmaster of the Townsville Grammar School, however, kept one for two years. Black Prince, as he was called, had been caught young, and, though he grew to stand over five feet without his stockings, he did not show any malice in his disposition, even to strangers. He would stroll about the grounds with his master’s arm around his neck, and merely take the opportunity to poke his head into his master’s pocket where he expected, not without warrant, to find something to his advantage. For sleeping-place a cage was provided in a 6 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA corner of the shrubbery, but he was allowed to ramble about at his own free will. The house was raised some three feet above the ground, and his delight was to creep under it, and to watch From life. J. B. Lane. Australian Cassowary: Casuarius australis. a hen which resorted to the same quarters, and, as soon as she had laid an egg, he would take and eat it. His appetite was a healthy one. At first he would only eat bananas, of which he consumed some ten shillings’ worth in a week. The feeding operation resembled nothing so much as the posting of letters THE SCRUB FOWL 7 in a pillar-box, unlimited bananas disappearing one by one into the dark cavity without producing any apparent effect. Later on he learned to feed on potatoes and bread. Hunger was in fact a constant trait, and he was ever on the look-out for something tasty. One lady had skinned a bird; he approached, saw, seized and promptly swallowed the skin. Another lady’s bonnet attracted him; with a dart he pecked it off, but this, dainty as it was, proved too difficult an object for the pillar-box. This Cassowary drew the line at missionaries; he never attempted to swallow one. Black Prince made great friends with a cockatoo. In their game Cocky soon discovered the weakness of Achilles. A timely nip in the heel was always sufficient to make his large and otherwise invulnerable, friend leap high into the air as a first step in his retreat. The Cassowary was not so friendly with some tame kangaroos which shared the shrubbery with him. He would kick them from him, with the force of a horse, always kicking forwards. This power, alas, proved to be too dangerous as the bird increased in size and strength, and, in order to prevent accidents, it became necessary to remove him, greatly to the sorrow of his master. The lordly form of Black Prince still stands in the hall of the Townsville Grammar School. Sus-cuass NEOGNATHAE. Sternum with keel. ORDER GALLIFORMES. Game Birds. Bill short and stout, the culmen arched and overhanging the mandible. After-shafts to the feathers of the body. Legs strong, sometimes armed with a spur. Hind toe (hallux) more or less developed. Nestlings precocious. Family Megapodiide. Hallux on the same level as the other toes. Oil-gland naked. Genus Megapodius. Upper tail coverts do not extend to the end of the tail. Head with a crest of feathers. 8 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Scrub Fowl. Megapodius duperreyt. The Scrub Fowl extends from North Australia through New Guinea and the chain of Malayan Islands as far as Wallace’s Line. The birds inhabit the densest scrub, near the coast or jin the low-lying country on each side of many of the tidal rivers. They are also found in some of the small secrub-covered islands off the coast, where the want of water does not seem to cause them any inconvenience. They are shy and solitary. If alarmed, they run off at a great rate, take refuge in thick Mrs. Ward, Mapoon, Northern Territory. Deserted Nesting Mound of Scrub Hen: Megapodius (tumulus) duperreyi. cover, or fly on to a low branch of a tree. If compelled, they fly heavily away. They roost at night near the tops of the trees, and then frequently utter their double call. They feed on a varied diet of snails, insects, and berries. , : Top of head crested with brown feathers; back of neck and mantle grey, shading into rufescent olive-brown on the middle of the back and the wings; lower back and upper tail-coverts dark chestnut; the tail with twelve feathers, blackish-chestnut. Throat and under-parts smoky-grey; sides and under tail-coverts dull chestnut Bill reddish-brown with yellow edges; iris, dark brown; legs and Hast bright orange, toes dark reddish brown. Total length 14 inches wing 8.8 tail 3.6, tarsus 2.55. ; a THE MALLEE FOWL 9 Nesting mound usually in thick scrub, and frequently just above high water-mark on the beach. It is then mostly composed of sand, mixed with stones, roots and sticks, while further inland earth takes the place of sand. There is just sufficient vegetation included to provide in the processes of decay the heat requisite for incubation. The birds add to the mound every year; consequently old mounds attain a very considerable size, being about 10 feet high and 25 feet in circumference at the base. After a time they become so filled with roots of the aggressive vegetation that the birds can no longer work the soil, and are in consequence deserted. The temperature of the part of the mound where the eggs are placed is usually 95° F. Each egg is placed by the hen in a separate hole, which she scratches out, at a depth of from 6 inches to 5 feet. The various holes are not placed in any particular order, nor are they all of one depth. The white shell of the ege is covered with a pink substance which easily flakes off when the egg becomes dry. The young when hatched make their own way out of the mounds, which they are able to do, since the parent birds by frequent scratching prevent the soil from becoming caked. Only one egg is laid in each excavation. The young when first hatched are well feathered and can fly, roosting in trees the first night. They lead at once an independent existence and do not stay with their parents. The clutch of eggs is about nine; they are elongated, with the ends nearly alike, and measure about 3.61 x 1.97 inches. Genus Lipoa. Upper tail coverts extend to the end of the tail. Head with a short crest of feathers. The Mallee Fowl. Inpoa ocellata. Southern and Western Australia. Top of head covered with dark brown feathers, forming a short, thick crest; mantle grey, the lower feathers tipped with rufous-brown; back, scapulars and wing-coverts grey, with wide sub-terminal brown band; lower back and upper tail-coverts grey washed with brown, the latter barred with black, primaries pale brown, tipped with white, mottled with black; breast grey, with band of black 10 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA and white feathers down the centre, lighter underneath. Bill, legs ie feet dark brown; iris light hazel. Total length 24 inches, wing 14.9, tail 9, tarsus 3.1. Nesting mound and eggs generally situated close to some tree or thick scrub, the same site being used year after year. In making the mound, they first scrape out a slight hollow in the ground, then collect into it leaves, bark, twigs and other matter, Mounted. D. Le Souéf. Mallee Fowl and Young: Lipoa ocellata. making a small heap. They then make a hollow in the centre, about a foot wide and six inches or more deep, this being the egg chamber. They then scrape a ridge of sand all round the mound, and leave it until rain falls. When all is wet, they spread the sand of the surrounding ridge over the central heap to a depth of from 6 inches to one foot, and leave it until the vegetable matter below becomes heated. The mound is then ready for the eggs. Both birds assist in the construction. The THE MALLEE FOWL 11 mounds are usually from two to four feet high and about twelve feet in diameter. Before laying, the bird scrapes out most of the sand from the egg cavity; and, the egg being laid, leaning well back she holds it upright with the smaller end down with one foot, while with the other she scrapes sand around it until it can stand alone. She then covers the whole over with sand. Every time an egg is laid the same process has to be gone through. The first circle of eggs is covered with about two inches of sand, and then a second tier is commenced, each egg In situ. . D. Le Souéf. Nesting Mound Mallee Fowl: Lipoa ocellata. of which is laid opposite an interspace of the lower tier. There are often three tiers, each of from three to five eggs, the full clutch being about fourteen. The temperature of the egg chamber is from 95° to 96° F. The eggs are laid at daybreak on every third day. Incubation commences as soon as the egg is laid, and consequently the young hatch out at different times. The parent birds keep the mound well worked, usually opening it up at daybreak, so that the young which are ready to hatch out from the eggs of the lower tier are able to liberate themselves at that time. Those of the upper tier can make their way out through the supervening loose sand without assistance. 12 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The fledglings can fly as soon as hatched, and they lead an independent existence until mated. The birds can run well, but fly heavily, and do not use their wings unless compelled. The eggs are usually of a delicate pink colour, but the colouring matter easily flakes off, showing the white shell underneath. Sometimes the pink colouring matter is altogether absent. The shell of the eggs is very fragile, and they measure about 3.71 x 2.34 inches. D. Le Souéf. Yellow-wattled Brush Turkey: Talegallus lathami (Catheturus). Genus Catheturus. Head and neck almost bare, thinly covered with hair-like feathers; a large vascular wattle at the base of the neck, tail long, composed of 18 feathers. The Yellow-wattled Brush Turkey. Catheturus lathami. North-east and East Australia. Upper parts brownish-black, lighter on the lower back and upper tail-coverts; the under parts dark brownish-grey, edged with white; tail black. Skin of head and neck pink-red, with a few hair-like dark brown feathers. Wattle bright yellow, tinged with red where it unites with the red of the neck. Bill black, iris and feet brown. Total length 25.5 inches, wing 12, tail 9.8 to 10.2, tarsus about 4. THE YELLOW-WATTLED BRUSH TURKEY 13 The female has no wattle, but only a small patch of yellow skin, and when the nesting season is over the wattle of the male, too, is reduced. When the male utters his single note, he bends his body well forward, arches his neck, and distends his wattle. The habits are very similar to those of the Megapode. The surface leaves and other materials are scraped together to form the nesting mound, with comparatively little soil. The male bird does practically all the work, and when the mound is finished he is always at hand, BEBE DD el DRI BAS. pn a ne EE rt ce ae From life. Melbourne Zoo. Scrub Turkey: Catheturus lathami. tending it or watching to drive off intruders. He apparently resents the presence even of his mate, for while the hen is scraping out a hole in which to lay her egg, he buffets her with his wings most of the time, so severely that frequently many of the feathers of her wings are knocked out by the blows. Naturally as soon as the egg is laid the hen bird decamps. The mounds average about 314 feet in height and ten feet in the diameter of the base. They are freshly made up each year, generally in September, and the bird commences to lay in October. The temperature is maintained at about 95° F. An 14 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA egg is laid every third day, the full clutch being about fourteen eggs. These are pure white, much granulated and rather fragile, and measure about 3.56 x 2.34 inches. They are usually placed irregularly round. the top of the mound, at a depth of a foot or more below the surface. The young, when hatched, make their own way out, can fly at once, and lead an independent existence. In situ. D. Le Souéf. Scrub-Turkey’s Nest: Catheturus lathami. The Bush Turkeys are hardy birds, and easily kept in confinement. Young are reared every year in a nesting mound in the Melbourne Zoological Gardens. Barnard’s Scrub Turkey. Catheturus purpureicollis. North-east Queensland—Cape York. Head and upper portion of the neck red; lower neck, with wattle, purplish white. Iris very light brown, almost white; bill black; legs and feet dark brown. Upper surface blackish-brown, tail almost black: feathers of under-surface greyish-black tipped with light grey. The female is slightly smaller than the male. The THE STUBBLE QUAIL 15 coloration of the head and neck is not so bright, and she has no wattle. During the breeding szason the wattle of the male is 1% inches long. Total length of adult male 29 inches, wing 16, leg 11 inches. Nesting mound and eggs similar to that of C. latham, and the habits of the birds are almost identical. The eggs are slightly smaller at one end, pure white, finely granulated and measure 3.61 x 2.36 inches Family Phasianide. Hallux above the level of the front toes. Nostril never hidden by feathers. Genus Coturnia. Tail with 10-12 feathers. Axillaries long and pure white. The Stubble Quail. Coturniz pectoralis. *, Australia and Tasmania. The birds are usually found in the open country, where the coarse grass gives them sufficient shelter. In a good season they even come into the gardens of the suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney. They generally nest each year in the hay-crop of the Melbourne Zoo. They breed two or three times a year when the seasons are favourable, and will commence to lay when six months old. The adult male has the top of the head and back of the neck dark brown, the sides of the head, throat and forepart of neck reddish-buff, a black mark in the middle of the chest, the feathers of the chest and belly white with a black stripe down the shaft. Over each eye two parallel lines of yellowish-white. Bill black. Length 7 inches, wing 4.1, tail 1.5, tarsus 9. The female very similar, but with no black mark on the chest. Nest and eggs usually in a crop, or amongst coarse herbage, the nest being lined with grass or straw. The clutch is from six to twelve, the eggs are strong, rather glassy in appearance of a dark yellowish colour, heavily blotched and flecked with dark greenish-brown. They measure from 1.17 x .86 to 1.28 x .92 inch. 16 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Synecus. Tail with 10-12 feathers. Axillaries short and grey. The Brown Quail. Synecus australis. Australia, Tasmania, South-eastern New Guinea. Feathers of male, upper portions reddish brown on sides, dull grey down middle, with a few fine mottlings of black; on underparts the buff feathers are grey down the centre. The V-shaped black bars nearly obsolete, sides of throat and head dull grey, tail feathers uniform grey. In younger specimens, upper parts are mottled with black and barred with rufous, and tail feathers black, barred with buff. Tail has 10 (rarely 12) feathers, outer ones shorter than middle pair, tarsus without spurs. Adult female has the black markings and patches on the upper and underparts much coarser, and the shaft-stripes, which are much wider than in the male, are pale buff. Nest and eggs generally among rank vegetation and lined with grass or similar herbage and usually in a slight hollow. The eggs are from seven to twelve, strong and coarse, one end being much larger than the other. The colour varies; in a dry season in Northern Australia they are sometimes pure white, but generally finely freckled with light-brown; those laid in Tasmania and Southern Australia usually have the markings bolder and darker; they measure from 1.12 x .87 to 1.18 x .97 inch. The Brown Quail, or Swamp-Quail, as Gould called them, though much smaller birds, strongly resemble the true Partridges in habits and economy. They move about in small coveys, and when flushed fly a short distance and alight again. They are genuine game birds, perhaps the most tempting to the sportsman of all Australian birds. Pointers will easily locate and stand to them. The flesh is excellent. Like the Partridge, the bird sits exceedingly close. You must nearly step upon it before it will rise from the nest. The plumage is exceedingly variable, and the question of division into sub-species or races is an open one. Gould described three other species, but most Australian ornithologists include all thé varieties under the same name. Gould’s species were S. diemenensis from Tasmania (also in the islands of Bass Strait), larger and more varied in the markings of the upper THE CHESTNUT-BELLIED QUAIL 17 surface, and laying greener eggs; 8S. sordidus from W. Australia, in which all the feathers of the upper surface have a broad bluish stripe down the middle; and 8S. cervinus from Port Essington, one of the smallest forms, with a delicate sandy buff colouring. Mr. G. A. Keartland placed a pair of these birds in an aviary, covering half of the floor with tufts of grass in the sod. For the first fortnight they kept out of sight, but by the end of a month they began to show themselves. Six weeks later seven eggs were laid, on which the hen sat. ‘‘A glance at her while sitting showed how these birds manage to cover such large clutches of eggs in a state of nature. The long feathers on the sides of the breast spread out at right angles from the body uutil the bird could hide an ordinary tea saucer.’’ When the young were hatched, the male bird, who had taken no part in the incubation, was in constant attendance on them, and when finely chopped meat or green vegetables were thrown to them he would pick up pieces and hold them in his bill until the young ones took them from him. They all scratched like common fowls, and were fed principally on canary seed. When on one occasion Mr. Kearstland removed two of the eggs with a spoon tied to a stick, the hen bird charged at it with her wings all distended like a bantam fowl would at a strange dog. Genus Excalfactoria. Tail with eight feathers. The Chestnut-bellied Quail. Excalfactoria lineata. Sub-species of E. chinensis. Philippines, Palawan-Sulu Islands, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Australia. Adult Male: Upper portions brown, forehead, sides of head and neck and upper tail coverts dark slate-blue; « white band from nostril to eye; chin and throat black, a white band edged with black on either side, and forepart of neck white, upper part of chest, sides of breast and flanks slate-blue, rest of underpart rich chestnut. Adult Female: Upper portions brown, with black markings and most of the feathers with a pale buff shaft-stripe; chin, throat and forepart of neck white, shading into rufous buff towards the sides, rest of underparts buff, paler in centre, chest, sides and flanks barred with black. Total length 5.3 inches, wing 2.9, tail 1.1., tarsus .9. 18 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest in fairly thick herbage and usually in a slight hollow and lined with grass. The clutch is from four to six, and the eggs are of a light olive-green, thickly freckled with darker markings and measure about 1.05 x .79 inch. OrvDER TURNICIFORMES. Feet generally with three toes only, the hallux being absent, except in Podionomus. Oil-gland tufted. Eggs double-spotted, three to five in number; nest none. The female is always larger, and the plumage more handsome than in the male. The male mostly ineubates the eggs and tends the young. Family Turnicide. Genera. Hind toe absent. Turma. Hind toe present. Pedionomus. The Red-backed Quail. Turniz maculosa. North and East Australia, Southern New Guinea, South-east Celebes. Adult Female: Throat and breast pale rufous, belly whitish buff; feathers on top of head black margined with dark grey, a buff line down the middle of head, a rufous nuchal collar; scapulars edged with straw colour. Bill slender. Length 5.8 inches, wing 3.2, tail 1.8, tarsus .85. Adult Male: Resembles the female, but shows no trace of the uuchal collar. Length 5.1 inches, wing 2.8, tail 1.2, tarsus .8. The Black-breasted Quail. Turmax melanogaster. Eastern New South Wales and Queensland. Female: Chest black, many of the feathers having terminal bars of white; upper surface umber-brown, with irregular marks of black rufous and white; forehead, sides of face, chin, and throat black. Under: parts dark grey, marbled with buff and black; tail brown with wavy transverse bars of black and lateral buff spots. Total length 7.5 inches wing 4.4, tail 1.7, tarsus 1. , : Male: Top of head umber-brown, like back; lores and si white tipped with black; chin and throat white; chest hie es irregularly marked with black; underparts white. Total length 6.3 i he : wing 4.1, tail 1.6, tarsus 0.95. Ne OLIVE’S QUAIL 19 The nest is a slight depression in the ground. Eggs three to four, whitish, finely freckled all over with light brown and also a few bold blotches of very dark brown, as well as some purplish-grey markings. The eggs measure 1.1 x .85 inch. The Painted Quail. Turnix varia. Australia and Tasmania. Female: Chest grey, each feather with a whitish shaft-streak, feathers surrounding the eye black spotted with white; a rufous nuchal collar; back black, barred with rufous; centre of top of head dark grey; sides black, edged with rufous; sides of face and throat white, tipped with black, chin and centre of throat white; underparts pale buff. Total length 7.6 inches, wing 4.2, tail 1.9, tarsus 0.9. Male bird has no defined nuchal collar; chest mostly pale buff. Total length 6.4 inches, wing 3.7, tail 1.7, tarsus 0.8. The nest is a slight depression, occasionally lined with a little grass; four eggs form a full clutch. They are whitish in colour, minutely freckled with light-brown, and interspersed with larger markings of dark bluish-grey; their measurements are about 1.17 x .88 inch. The Chestnut-backed Quail. Turmax castanonota. Northern Australia. Upper surface light red, one or two of the feathers of the middle of the back mixed with black, dark grey band down middle of head; nape spotted with white, sides of face white tipped with black; chin and throat white; middle of breast greyish-buff; sides light red; underparts whitish buff. Total length of female 6 inches, wing 3.6, tail 1.5, tarsus 0.9. The male is slightly smaller than the female. The nest is a slight depression, rarely lined; clutch four; the eggs white, sparingly marked with blotches of umber and purplish-grey. The eggs measure .98 x .84 inch. Olive’s Quail. Turma olivet. Queensland. Adult Female: Most nearly allied to T. castanonota—resembling it in general coloration, but differing in its much larger size, in having the forehead grey without white tips to the frontal feathers, and with the superciliaries and sides of the face not conspicuously marked with 20 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA white. The feathers of the lower neck and breast with a decided wash of greyish-green, and with slightly indicated bars of dull greyish, without white centres; iris and feet yellow; bill brown. Total length 7.3 inches, wing 4.2, tail 2, tarsus 1. This bird was named from a single female obtained at Cooktown, Queensland, in 1899, and at the time of writing nothing more is known about it or whether it will prove to be a good species or not. The Red-chested Quail. Turnia pyrrhothorac. Australia except West. ; Female: Chest rufous, feathers round the eye black spotted with white; upper surface grey, most of the feathers of the back with narrow transverse bars of rufous and black; feathers on top of head black with rufous margins, a whitish-buff stripe down centre of head; wing coverts marbled with black, buff and dull red, margined with pale buff; middle of chin and throat and underparts whitish. Total length 6 inches, wing 3.3, tail 1.4, tarsus 0.8. Male: Like female, only smaller and rust-coloured chest not so bright. Length 5.2 inches, wing 2.9, tail 1.3, tarsus 0.75. The nest is a slight depression, usually lined with a little grass. Four eggs are usually laid, much smaller at one end and are yellowish-white, thickly blotched with umber, reddish and purplish-brown markings, some having finer markings than others. They measure .95 x .73 inch. The Little Quail. Turnix velox. Australia generally. Chest dull light red, darker at the sides; feathers surrounding the eye light red; colour above reddish chestnut, shading into light red on nape and top of head; the chin, throat, breast and underparts white. Total length of female, 5.5 inches, wing 3.3, tail 1.2, tarsus 0.7; male 5.5 inches, wing 2.9, tail 1.2, tarsus 0.6. Nest usually lmed with a little grass; eggs four, yellowish-white and thickly marked with blotches of umber, reddish and purplish-brown; in some clutches the markings are finer than in others. Dimensions .96 x .71 inch. THE PIGEONS 21 The Plain Wanderer. Pedionomus torquatus. Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia. Female: General colour above brown, finely barred with plack; a black and white collar surrounds the neck; upper parts of chest rust- colour; chin and centre of throat white, gides of face and throat whitish, spotted with black; underparts whitish buff. Total length 6.3 inches, wing 4, tail 1.6, tarsus 1. Male has no rust colour in nape; the collar is buff and brownish, and the upper chest tinted with bright buff. Total length 5.8 inches, wing 3.4, tail 1.2, tarsus 0.9. Nest generally on open plains, and as a rule with little shelter, practically with no nest. The four eggs, much smaller at one end than at the other, greenish-white, thickly spotted with olive and purplish-grey markings. Slightly granulated, 1.3 x .96 inch. ORDER COLUMBIFORMES. Pigeons and Doves. Rostrum swollen at the hard and convex tip, the basal portion covered by a soft skin, in which are the openings of the nostrils, overhung by a valve. Feet with four toes on the same level. Tarsi covered on the sides and behind with hexagonal scales. Feathers without aftershaft. The Pigeons build a very simple nest mostly of twigs and placed in a tree or on the ground. The eggs are one or two, and always white. The young nestlings are naked and helpless. Family Treromde. Tarsus shorter than the middle toe, feathered for more than half its length. Soles very broad, each toe with the skin expanded on the sides. Tail with fourteen feathers. Tree-Pigeons. Genus Ptilopus—Bill thin and short. Size small, not larger than the domestic pigeon. Plumage mostly green, but much variegated with patches of bright colours. Genus Myristicivora.—Bill thin and long, distensible at the base. Size large, not less than the domestic pigeon. General plumage white or light. Genus Lopholeemus——Head crested. e 22 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Black-banded Fruit Pigeon. Ptilopus (Leucotreron) alligator. Northern Territory of Australia. Head and upper neck white, lower neck and chest whitish-cinnamon; rump and tail eoverts grey, broad whitish tips to tail feathers, lower breast and underparts grey, separated from the chest by a broad black band on the lower breast; wings and tail slate-black. Female, a little duller in colour. The Red-crowned Fruit Pigeon. Ptilopus swatnsont. North-east Australia to New South Wales, Torres Strait Islands, South-east New Guinea. Male: Green; forehead and crown rose-lilac, margined at the back with a narrow ring of yellow; chin and upper throat pale yellow; breast green, each feather forked at the end, which is silvery grey; a lilac transverse band between the breast and abdomen; underparts green, under tail coverts yellow, tinged with orange; tail green above, under- neath grey, with a yellow band at tip; irides reddish orange. Total length 8.5 inches, wing 5.25, tail 3, bill 0.48, tarsus 0.84. Female: Smaller, brighter green and with the yellow under tail coverts less stained with orange. Nest a very frail platform of twigs, which can be easily seen through. One pure white egg is laid, which measures 1.15 x .80 inch. The Rose-crowned Fruit Pigeon. Ptilopus ewingt. Northern Australia. Male: Green; forehead and crown rose-purple, margined behind with yellow; scapulars and tertials deep blue towards the tips and broadly edged with golden green; throat yellow, chest feathers tipped with grey, breast feathers tipped with yellow, abdomen orange, with a pale lilac band across the upper part; tail grey underneath, with broad terminal yellowish-white band; irides orange. Total length 8 inches, wing 4.6, tail 2.8, bill 0.55, tarsus 0.6. Female: Duller in plumage. Nest a very light platform of sticks, about 234 inches across and easily seen through; in fact it is a puzzle to see how the bird can fly off and on the frail nest without displacing the egg. One we saw was composed of only seven twigs. One egg is laid, pure white and slightly pointed at one end, some more so than others. They measure 1.10 x .86 inch. THE LESSER PURPLE-BREASTED FRUIT PIGEON 23 The Purple-crowned Fruit Pigeon. Ptilopus (Lamprotreron) superbus. Moluceas, Northern Australia, New Guinea, Batchian, Bismarck Archipelago, Ceram, Amboina. Male: Brown-purple-violet, sides of head olive-green; upper parts green; scapulars, inner greater wing coverts and inner secondaries with deep blue spots near tip; sides and back of neck bright rufous; chin grey, breast grey with base of feathers purple; below the breast a broad black band, tinged with blue or green; abdomen white; flanks green, with two white bands; tail above green, underneath dark grey, with whitish band at tip. Total length 10.22 to 8.45 inches, wing 5.38 to 4.91, tail 3.22 to 2.63, bill 0.62 to 0.55, tarsus 0.74 to 0.66. Female: No blue patch on the smaller wing coverts near the bend of the wing; breast grey and green; no transverse black band below the breast. Nest a slight, flat platform, and like the foregoing, built in thick scrub near the end of a branch where the green back of the bird harmonises with the leaves. As there is practically no wind in the scrub, the birds are enabled to build on very thin boughs. They lay one egg, which is a very faint cream tint, almost white, and measures 1.20 x .87 inch. The Purple-breasted Fruit Pigeon. Ptilopus (Megaloprepia) magnificus. Queensland and North-eastern New South Wales. Male: Head and neck pale greenish grey; all the upper surface and wings golden green; irregular oblique band of ‘yellow across wings; under surface of wings brown; line down centre of throat; middle of breast and abdomen deep purple; sides green; tail green above, dark grey below. Total length about 16 inches, wing 9, tail 7.5; bill 0.8, tarsus 1.12. Female: Like the male, but smaller. Nest composed of twigs and tendrils and _ fairly substantial; built usually near the end of a bough; about seven inches across. One egg only is laid, which is pure white and usually pointed at one end, and measures 1.76 x 1.04 inch. The Lesser Purple-breasted Fruit Pigeon. Ptilopus (Megaloprepia) assimilis. North-east Queensland. Similar to M. magnifica, but smaller. Total length about 14 inches, wing 7.5. 24 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest a frail structure of twigs, often built at the end of a branch over a watercourse in the scrub. The one ees is white, sometimes slightly elongated, and measures 1.43 x .95 inch. i at pet Lag ey vas e y 4 nf t fa ° = Australian Museum. Purple-breasted Fruit Pigeon: Megaloprepia magnijica. The Nutmeg Pigeon. Myristicivora spilorrhoa. Northern Australia, New Guinea, Aru Islands. Creamy white; winglet, primary coverts, primaries and secondaries black; tertiaries white, terminal portion of tail black, longer in the centre; under tail coverts, vent and flanks white with regular sub-apical black spots; legs and feet blue. Length 16 inches, wing 9, tail 5, bill 0.8, tarsus 1.2. Nest occasionally frail, but usually substantially built, often composed of green twigs with the leaves on; built at varying heights from the ground. They lay one egg, which is white and measures 1.75 x 1.22 inch. THE TOP-KNOT PIGEON 25 These birds come down the coast in countless thousands early in November, apparently from New Guinea and adjacent islands, and mostly nest on the scrub-covered islands of the Great Barrier Reef, but a few also on the mainland. On the Barnard Islands, for instance, we watched them returning from the mainland, where they had been feeding, to roost. There was a continuous flight of birds for about one hour and a half. When the steamer’s whistle was blown, the birds rose into the air off the island like a white cloud. When they settled again, the trees seemed covered with large white flowers. The island was full of pigeons. The cooing of so many birds was as one continuous sound. They built anywhere, high up in the trees, low down on the vines, and occasionally on the rocks or birds- nest ferns on the ground. The Top-knot Pigeon. Lopholemus antarcticus. Eastern Australia coastal districts, from Cape York to Victoria. General plumage grey, darker above than below; greyish-brown crest; from the eye to the occiput a black line meeting its fellow behind, and continued for a short distance down back of neck; feathers of neck and preast hackled; tail black, with grey base and crossed by band of grey near the end. Bill rose-red; feet purplish red; iris orange. Length 15 inches, wing 10.4, tail 6, bill 0.6, tarsus 1.25. These birds live mostly in the thick scrub-covered country. Nest a platform of twigs usually built high up in a forest tree or at the top of a tall tree-fern, growing well up on the ridges of the hills. The single egg is white and measures 1.70 x 1.18 inch. Family Columbide. Tarsus shorter than the middle toe. Soles not very broad, hind toe with the skin prominently expanded on the sides. Tail with twelve feathers. Tree Pigeons. Genus Columba.—tTail not longer than the wings. Tarsus only feathered in the upper part. Genus Macropygia.—Tail broad, longer than the wings. 26 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The White-headed Fruit Pigeon. Columba leucometa. Eastern Queensland and New South Wales. : Male: Head, neck, breast and abdomen white, washed with buff; upper surface, wings and tail slate-black; all the feathers of the back and lower wing coverts edged with purple; flanks slate-coloured; irides large, yellowish-hazel; naked skin of orbits pink-red. Total length 16 inches, wing 9.3, tail 6, bill 0.8, tarsus 0.95. Nest a frail structure, about four inches across, placed near the end of a bough; one egg is laid, white in colour, ‘and measures 1.41 x .97 inch. The Pheasant Pigeon. Macropygia phasianella. Eastern New South Wales, Queensland, and Northern Territory. General colour chestnut-brown, below cinnamon-rufous; occiput and hind neck metallic amethyst; narrow dark bars on breast; tail rufous- brown; iris blue with an outer edge of scarlet; feet red. Total length about 17 inches, wing 7.7, tail 8.7, bill 0.68, tarsus 1. Nest a fairly strong structure of twigs, built either on branches or on birds’-nest ferns. The two eggs are of a very faint cream colour, and measure 1.37 x .96 inch. Family Peristeride. Tarsus not shorter than the middle toe. Tail with 12-20 feathers. Ground Pigeons. Sub-family Geopeliine. No metallic spots on the wings. Size small. Tail rather long, of 12 or 14 feathers. Genus Geopelia. Tail of 14 feathers. First primary attenuated at the tip. The Barred-shouldered Dove. Geopelia humeralis. Southern New Guinea and Australia, except south-west. Head, neck, and upper breast grey; occiput, back, wing-coverts, and upper tail-coverts pale brown; back of neck rufous; every feather of upper surface edged at the end with black; lower PERSE pale vinous THE PEACEFUL DOVE 27 centre of abdomen white; central tail feathers greyish-brown, the remainder chestnut tipped with white; irides yellow; naked skin round the eye purple; feet pink. Total length 11 inches, wing 5.5, tail 5.5, pill 0.7, tarsus 1. Nest a frail structure of twigs, not usually high up, on which two white eggs are laid. They measure 1.12 x .89 ineh. Australian Museum. Little Dove: Geopelia cuneata. Peaceful Dove: G. tranquilla. The Peaceful Dove. Geopelia tranquilla. Australia. Forehead, cheeks and throat grey; occiput, back and wings ashy- brown; each feather black at the end; neck with numerous narrow black and white bands; breast and sides pale vinous; abdomen and under tail- coverts white; four central tail feathers ashy-brown, the rest black, tipped with white; irides light grey. Total length 8.75 inches, wing 4, tail 4.75, bill 0.62, tarsus 0.62. When uttering their sustained coo, these birds use an elaborate ceremonial, bowing low with the head and elevating the tail. In their excess of politeness, some we have in captivity occasionally lose their balance and actually tumble off the perch. Nest a very small frail platform, composed of twigs, rootlets or grass. The two eggs are pure white, and measure .86 x .60 inch. 28 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Little Dove. Geopelia cuneata. Australia. : Head, neck and breast grey; abdomen and under tail coverts white; nape, back and scapulars pale brown; wing-coverts dark grey, each feather with two white spots encircled with black; four central tail feathers grey, the others greyish-black at the base and white for the remainder of their length, Total length 7.5 inches, wing 3.7, tail 4, ‘pill 0.42, tarsus 0.5. Nest very small, frail, built of grass or fine twigs. ‘The two eggs are white and measure .77 x .60 inch. An intermediate form between G. tranquilla and G. cuneata thas been described from Carnarvon, W. Australia, under the name of G. shortridgei. It has transverse blackish lines on the foreneck and chest, a pinkish wash on the breast, and ‘measures 8 inches, tail 4.1, tarsus 0.6. Sub-family Phabine. Metallic blue or green patches on the wings. Size moderate. Key to the Genera. A.—RuMP wiItH Two Darxk Cross Banps. Upper wing coverts entirely metallic golden green. Chalcophaps. -B.—Rump WitTHouT Dark Cross BANDS. A. Head not crested. Secondaries an inch or more shorter than the primaries. General plumage not uniform. Tail of 16 feathers. Phaps. Tail of 14 feathers. Histriophaps. General plumage almost uniform dark brown. Petrophassa. Secondaries rather less than an inch shorter than primaries. Geophaps. B. Head crested. Tail short, nearly even. Lophophaps. Tail long and very much rounded. Ocyphaps. The Little Green Pigeon. Chalcophaps chrysochlora. New Caledonia, Lord Howe Island, New Hebrides, South-east New “Guinea, Moluccas, Lesser Sunda Island, Australia, and Timor Group. Male: Head, neck, upper back, breast, and abdomen vinous; back and wings green; lower back and upper tail-coverts blackish; on the lower back two greyish bars, and between them a band of bronze; throat, THE BRONZE-WING PIGEON 29 sides of neck vinous purple; smaller wing coverts on the shoulders vinous grey, tipped with white, producing a white bar. Total length 9.5 inches, wing 6, tail 3.5, bill 0.62, tarsus 1. Female duller than male, head, neck, upper back, breast and abdomen rufous brown. Nest a very frail structure of twigs, usually situated in a low bush. Two eggs are laid, white with creamy tinge, and measure 1.11 x .86 inch. Macleay Museum. Bronzewing: Phaps chalcoptera. Crested Bronzewing: Ocyphaps lophotes. The Lilac-Mantled Pigeon. Chalcophaps occidentalis. Described by Mr. North from North-west Australia. It differs from the preceding in the lilac-mauve colour of the head, hind neck and upper back, the more pronounced bronze colour of the wings, and the larger white shoulder patch. Total length 10.5 inches, bill .7, wing 6.2, tail 3.8, tarsus 1, The Bronze-wing Pigeon. Phaps chalcoptera. Australia and Tasmania. Male: Front white, tinged with fulvous, a dull purple band across the crown; occiput, hind neck, wings, upper part and sides brownish-grey; feathers on back, rump and upper tail coverts with lighter edges; lores black; a white subocular line; sides of neck grey, throat white; wing coverts with broad spot on outer web of golden bronze-green; tail grey, crossed by band of black near tip. Total length 13.5 inches, wing 7, tail 5.5, bill 0.66, tarsus 0.95. 30 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Female and Young: Duller than male. Forehead grey, no purple band on the crown, no vinous colour on breast, which is greyish, with edge of feathers brownish. Nest the usual platform of twigs, generally built at a fork of a horizontal limb. The two eggs are pure white, and measure 1.28 x .97 inch. The Brush Bronze-wing Pigeon. Phaps elegans. Australia and Tasmania. Forehead light yellow, crown grey, broad chestnut band behind eye; hind neck and upper back chestnut; lower back and upper wing-coverts olive grey; a black line on the lores; triangular chestnut spot on throat; greater wing-coverts metallic green on outer webs, with tips broadly grey; centre tail feathers olive grey; next two pairs brown towards the base; others grey; irides dark brown. Total length about 13 inches, wing 6.5, tail 4.5, bill 0.62, tarsus 0.95. Nest built of twigs, about five inches across, generally in a bush. Two white eggs are laid, and they measure 1.30 x .97 inch. The Flock Pigeon. Histriophaps histrionica. Northern and Central Australia. Adult Male: Forehead white, a white stripe from behind the eye forming a circle round the ear coverts and gorget; remainder of head, throat and ear-coverts jet black; all the upper surface, wing-coverts, flanks and two centre tail-feathers cinnamon-brown; breast and abdomen bluish grey; edge of wing white, inner secondaries with a patch of metallic purple on the outer webs; lateral tail-feathers bluish grey at the base, passing into black towards the extremity, which is white. Total length about 11 inches, wing 8, tail 3.75, bill 0.75, tarsus 1. Female: No white on forehead, which is sandy rufous like the other parts, and duller than male. As this bird is terrestrial, it lays on the bare ground, although generally by some shelter. Two eggs are laid, frequently pointed at one end; they are white, with a faint creamy tone, and measure 1.30 x .98 inch. The White-quilled Rock Pigeon. Petrophassa albipennis. North-west Australia. Crown of head and neck greyish-brown, each feather margined with sandy-brown; all the upper surface and chest rufous-brown; the centre of each feather lighter; lores black; throat black, with the feathers THE NAKED-EYED PARTRIDGE PIGEON 31 tipped with white; abdomen chocolate-brown; some of the inner upper wing coverts have on outer web a metallic coppery-violet spot, almost concealed; tail rufous-brown. Total length 10.5 inches, wing 5.2, tail 4.5, bill 0.6, tarsus 0.8. The Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon. Petrophassa rufipenms. North-west Australia. Similar to P. albipennis, but primaries chestnut, black margins; the centre of the feathers of the head and neck grey, throat whitish. The Partridge Pigeon. Geophaps scripta. North-western and Eastern Australia to New South Wales. Head, all upper surface and chest light brown, the tips of the wing- coverts much paler; throat and cheeks white; lores black, a band from over the eyes to the sides of the occiput and another under the eyes, black; a third band from the middle of the cheeks and passing under the white ear-coverts joins another black band which surrounds the throat underneath; forehead tinged with grey, lower breast grey, sides of breast white; abdomen and flanks fawn-colour; outer webs of inner greater wing-coverts with a spot of metallic greenish-purple, barred with darker tint; tail reddish-brown, the lateral feathers with broad apical black band. Total length 12 inches, wing 6, tail 4.5, bill 0.57, tarsus 1.05. Nest a very slight hollow in the ground, usually lined with a little grass; the two eggs are white, with slight creamy tone, and measure 1.21 x .95 inch. The Naked-eyed Partridge Pigeon. Geophaps smithi. North-west Australia and Northern Territory. Head and all upper surface brown; throat white, surrounded with a narrow grey band; a white line from the nostrils over the eyes, and a similar one from the base of the lower mandible under the large naked space of a bright reddish-orange colour which surrounds the eyes; chest brown, in centre of breast a patch of grey feathers, edged at the tip with black, feathers of lower breast grey, sides of breast white; flanks dark grey, outer webs of the inner greater wing-coverts purple; tail wing 5.3, tail 3.75, bill 0.58, tarsus 1.12. Nest a slight hollow in the ground, lined with grass. Two eggs are laid, white, with faint creamy tinge, measuring 1.23 x .94 inch. 32 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Plumed Pigeon. Lophophaps plumifera. Northern and Central Australia. General plumage pale cinnamon; forehead and a line on the sides of the crown, grey; bare lores and naked skin round the eyes bounded above and below with a narrow band of black; the lengthened crest- plumes cinnamon; throat and cheeks white, chin black, on chest a band of grey, margined below with a narrower one of black; back of neck and mantle with obsolete brown bars; upper wing-coverts and scapulars rayed with cinnamon at tip of feathers, with brown in the middle part and grey at base; an oblong bronze-purple spot on the outer webs of three of the inner secondaries; central tail feathers brown. Total length 8 inches, wing 4.2, tail 2.6, bill 2.65, tarsus 0.8. Nest a slight depression in the ground, usually near some. shelter. These are strictly terrestrial birds. The two eggs are of a very light cream colour, and measure .99 x .78 inch. The Red-plumed Pigeon. Lophophaps ferruginea. Interior of South, West, and North-west Australia. Similar to L. plumifera, but no grey band on the chest, and breast and abdomen uniformly cinnamon coloured. Nest a slight depression in the ground, usually near some shelter, such as a Spinifex tussock. The two eggs are of a creamy-white colour, and measure 1.01 x .74 inch. The White-bellied Plumed Pigeon. Lophophaps leucogaster. Northern Territory and interior of South Australia. Similar to L. plumifera and L. ferruginea, but of a much paler and duller cinnamon colour, and with a distinct whitish band in front of the pectoral grey one; the central part of the lower breast is whitish, and the abdomen buff. Nest similar to that of the other two species. The two eges are also creamy white, and measure 1.04 x .80 inch. THE CRESTED PIGEON 33 The Crested Pigeon. Ocyphaps lophotes. Australia in general. Head, face, throat, breast and abdomen grey; lengthened crest plumes black, with the base grey; back and rump olive grey; upper tail-coverts greyish-brown tipped with white, sides of neck and breast salmon-colour; Melbourne Zoo. From life. White-bellied Plumed Pigeon: Lophophaps leucogaster. feathers of wing-coverts crossed with narrow black band, greater wing- coverts bronze-green, margined with white, secondaries margined with white, the inner ones metallic purple on outer webs; tail blavkish-brown. Iris orange, a ring of red naked skin around the eye. Easily tamed. Total length 12.5 inches, wing 6.8, tail 6, bill 0.55, tarsus 0.9. For figure see p. 29. Nest a flat structure of twigs, usually placed in a bush. The two eggs are pure white, and measure 1.31 x .92 inch. Cc 34 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Sub-family Geotrygonine. No metallic spots on wings. Form robust, Partridge-like. Legs stout. Wings short. Australian Museum. Wonga-Wonga Pigeon: Leucosarcia picata. The Wonga-wonga Pigeon. Leucosarcia picata. Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Upper parts, wings and tail lead-grey; forehead and chin white; lores black, a whitish line under the eyes and on the upper ear-coverts; cheeks light grey, gradually passing into the dark grey lead-eolour of the breast; the latter interrupted by a broad semi-circular white band. which encircles the middle part of the breast; middle of lower breast, white; feathers of sides and abdomen with black spots and edged with white. Total length 15 inches, wing 8.4, tail 5.75, bill 0.75, tarsus 1.6. Nest a frail structure of sticks, usually placed in a tree. Two white eggs are laid. They measure 1.50 x 1.1 inch. THE SLATE-BREASTED RAIL 35 OrDER RALLIFORMES. Schizognathous birds (the maxillo-palatine process of the maxillary bones quite distinct from one another and from the vomer). Legs comparatively long. Wings very short and feeble. Fanily Ralliida. Toes long and slender, the hind toes at a higher level. After-shaft to the feathers. Eggs numerous, cream-coloured with dark spots. Young precocious. Key to the Genera. A.—CULMEN LONGER THAN MIDDLE TOE AND CLAW. Tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw. Hypoteenidia. Tarsus longer than middle toe and claw. Eulabeornis. B.—CULMEN SHORTER THAN MIDDLE TOE AND CLAW. A. With no evident frontal shield. 1. Tarsus about equal to middle toe and claw. Under wing coverts and axillaries distinctly spotted or barred with white. Rallina. Under wing coverts and axillaries uniform. Plumage striped above. Tail pointed. Cres 2. Tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw. Secondaries considerably shorter than primarics. Porzana. Secondaries about equal to primaries. Culmen not swollen at the base. Poliolimnas. Secondaries rather shorter than primaries. Culmen swollen at the base. Amaurornis. B. With frontal shield. 1. Toes short. Size 18 inches. Tribonyx. Size 12 inches. Microtribonyx. 2. Toes long. Not lobed laterally. Nostrils oval. Sombre plumage. Gallinula. Nostrils rounded. Blue plumage. Porphyrio. Lobed laterally. Fulica. The Slate-breasted Rail. Hypotenidia brachypus. Australia, Tasmania and Auckland Islands. Dark olive-brown above, streaked with black; tail black with brown edges; broad eyebrows of chestnut, extending to hind neck; throat white, breast slate colour. Total length 7.5 inches, eulmen 1.2, wing 3.85, tail 1.7, tarsus 1. Nest built in large tussocks of grass or rush in a swamp, and composed of fine grass with usually a staging leading to the nest, which lies from six inches to three feet from the water. The number of eggs is generally five, in colour pinkish-white, and blotched with light red and purple markings; they measure about 1.40 x 1.02 inch. 36 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Pectoral Rail. Hypotenidia philippinensis. Australia, Malayan Archipelago, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, and Moluceas. General colour above reddish-brown, all the feathers dark, with reddish edgings and spangled with white spots on the mantle, back, and wing coverts; lower back no white spots; tail feathers, reddish brown centred with black; crown of head brown, with black longitudinal spots, broad band through eye dusky brown, over the lores a white band extending above the eye; throat white, under surface white, with black bars; under tail coverts black, with white bars. Total length 11.5 inches, culmen 1.25, wing 5.7, tail 2.65, tarsus 1.55, middle toe and claw 1.85, White spots increase with age. Australian Museum. Lewin’s or Slate-breasted Rail: Hypotaenidia brachypus. Nest a little herbage trodden down in some short thick vegetation, usually near the water’s edge. Eggs from five to ten, pinkish-white, with a few roundish markings of reddish- brown, those beneath the surface being purplish-erey. They measure about 1.46 x 1.09 inch. The Chestnut-bellied Rail. Eulabeornts castaneiventris. North Australia and Aru Islands. General colour above dark reddish-brown, tail feathers the same, but more chestnut below; head slaty grey; chin whitish; under surface chestnut; bill yellow at the base, rest horn colour. Total length 17 inches, culmen 2.2, wing 8.5, tail 4.7, tarsus 2.75, middle toe and claw 2.7. THE LITTLE CRAKE 37 Nest a loose structure on the ground, composed of grass, generally in thick herbage. Clutch from four to six, in colour creamy-white, rather lightly, evenly distributed dark-brown spots, those beneath the surface being purplish-grey. They measure about 1.90 x 1.38 inch. The Red-necked Rail. Rallina tricolor, Aru Islands, Waigiou, Mysol, New Guinea, Duke of York Island, and North-east Australia. General colour above dark slaty brown, the quills with whitish bars on inner web; tail feathers blackish brown; head and breast vinous chestnut, throat lighter, under surface dark slaty grey, with few bars of sandy buff; under wing-coverts and axillaries black, with white bands. Total length 11.5 inches, culmen 1.35, wing 5.7, tail 2.5, tarsus 1.85, middle toe 1.9. Nest made of grass and leaves at the base of a tree in thick scrub. The eggs number from four to seven, of a creamy-white colour, spotted with irregular reddish-brown markings, but occasionally pure white. They measure about 1.50 x 1.10 inch. The Spotted Crake. Porzana fluminea. Australia. General colour above olive brown, dotted all over with white spots and small streaks, the feathers centred with black; white margins to bastard-wing feathers and first primary; throat and breast dark slaty grey, abdomen white; sides black, barred with white. Total length 7 inches, culmen 0.8, wing 4.1, tail 2.2, tarsus 1.2, middle toe and claw 1.5. Nest made of green weeds and lined with grass, situated in a tussock or thick herbage in a swamp, with a track leading to the nest. The eggs are usually five, olive in colour, marked with purplish-brown blotches, and measure about 1.25 x .80 inch. The Little Crake. Porzana palustris. Australia and Tasmania. General colour above brown, with black centres to nearly all the feathers, which are marked with white spots freckled with black; upper tail coverts brown with black centres; throat and breast pale ashy grey, centre of abdomen white. Total length 6 inches, culmen 0.65, wing 3.2, tail 1.6, tarsus 0.95, middle toe and claw 1.4. 38 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest generally in the thick herbage growing in a swamp, built of aquatic plants and well hidden in the rushes; the clutch of eges is from five to eight. They are brownish-olive, faintly mottled over with markings of a darker hue. The eggs measure about 1.11 x .77 inch. The Spotless Crake. Porzana plumbea (tabuensis). Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Chatham Islands, New Caledonia, New Hebrides, Samoa, Fiji, and Philippine Islands. General colour above chocolate brown; first primary whitish on outer edge; sides of face and under surface slaty grey; under tail coverts black, with white bars; iris bright red. Total length 6.3 inches, culmen 0.5, wing 3, tail 1.7, tarsus 1.05, middle toe and claw 1.27. Length of female 6.7 inches. Nest of fine grass on the ground among thick short vegeta- tion near water. From four to six eggs are laid, greyish-white, lightly mottled with reddish-brown, measuring 1.16 x .9 inch. The White-browed Crake. Poliolimnas cinereus. Malayan Peninsula, Oceania, Buru, Greater and Lesser Sunda, and Northern Australia. General colour above olive-brown, with darker centres to the feathers on the back; the first primary white along the outer web; head dark ashy grey, with band of white passing below the eye to above the ear coverts; throat and abdomen pure white; breast and sides of body ashy grey. Total length 7.5 inches, culmen 0.9, wing 3.9, tail 1.85, tarsus 1.5, middle toe and claw 2.1. Female, length 6.8 inches. Nest on the ground in thick short vegetation about a swamp, and made of grass and rushes; five eggs are generally laid, ground colour cream, closely mottled and blotched all over with brownish markings, much lighter in some clutches than in others, and measure about 1.15 x .89 inch. The Rufous-tailed Crake. Amaurornis moluccana. Moluccas, New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, and Northern Australia. General colour above and sides dark olive-brown; sides of head and under surface of body slaty grey; lower abdomen buff. Total length 10.8 inches, culmen 1.4, wing 5.75, tail 2.2, tarsus 2.2, the middle toe and claw 2.35, THE BLACK-TAILED NATIVE HEN 39 Nest built of coarse grass on the ground in damp situations. The clutch of eggs is from three to five; they are very similar to those of the Pectoral Rail. Three eggs obtained at Port Darwin are cream with irregular markings of dark-brown, especially towards the larger end, and measure 1.38 x 1.6 inch. The Native Hen. Tribonyx mortiert, Tasmania. General colour above ruddy brown, lower back with a few brownish spots at the ends of the feathers; wing-coverts greyish olive, with longitudinal white spots near the end of the feathers in the median series; tail brown, black at the ends, under surface greenish grey; on sides of body a patch of white; the outer under tail-coverts varied with white. Total length 14 inches, culmen 1.55, wing 7.8, tail 3.4, tarsus 3.25, middle toe and claw 3.1. Nest of coarse herbage in thick vegetation by water, generally on the ground. The eggs number from six to eight, and are of a light stone colour, with a few blotches of brown, those beneath the surface being purplish-grey: the eggs are also minutely freckled all over with light-brown. They measure about 2.13 x 1.50 inch. The Black-tailed Native Hen. Microtribonyx ventralis. Australia. General colour above olive-brown, wings browner than the back; the first primary edged with white; sides of face and throat dusky slate colour, remainder of under surface dark slaty blue; abdomen blackish, sides of body brown; long feathers of lower breast with large ovate spots at the ends. Total length 10.5 inches, culmen 1.25, wing 8.7, tail 3.4, tarsus 2.4, middle toe and claw 2.5. These birds sometimes appear in immense flocks. Nest made of grass, generally situated on the ground, but sometimes in a low thick bush near water. Clutch of eges from five to eight, dark-green in colour, with reddish-brown markings and minutely freckled all over with the same colour; they measure about 1.80 x 1.26 inch. 40 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Black Moor Hen. Gallinula tenebrosa. Australia and New Guinea. Colour above dusky olive-brown, tail black; head, neck and under surface of the body dark slaty grey; under tail coverts white, long centre ones black. Frontal plate of bill orange; above the knee a.band of yellow and scarlet. Total length 14.5 inches, culmen with frontal shield 1.8, wing 8, tail 2.8, tarsus 2.3, middle toe and claw 3.6. Nest made of coarse herbage and lined with fine bark or grass, and situated among the thick rushes over water, or at base of tree in a swamp, or on a log. The eggs number from seven to eleven, ground colour stone, blotched with reddish- brown markings. They measure about 1.96 x 1.34 inch. The Dark-grey Moor Hen. Gallinula frontata. New Guinea, Moluccas, Celebes, South-east Borneo, and North Australia. Similar to G. tenebrosa, but darker grey above and below, and distinguished by the red colour of the toes resembling that of the tarsi; bill and frontal shield red, excepting the terminal third, which is yellow; feet red and joints greenish, bare part of tibia olive-green behind; iris black. Total length 14 inches, culmen and frontal shield 1.75, wing 7, tail 2.5, tarsus 2.15, middle toe and claw 3.4. Fhe Blue Bald Coot. Porphyrio bellus. Western Australia. Back black, shade of greenish-blue on throat and foreneck; thighs purplish like the flanks; bill red; knees, lower part of tarsi greenish grey, remainder of feet and legs dark green. Total length 17.5 inches, culmen with shield 3, wing 10.6, tail 3.6, tarsus 3.6, middle toe and claw 4.6. Nest made of rushes and water plants, leaves, &¢., and situated over or near water. The eggs are from four to six and are stone colour, blotched with brownish markings of varying shades; they measure 2.24 x 1.60 inch. The Bald Coot. Porphyrio melanonotus. Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island, and New Guinea. THE COOT 41 Colour above black, lesser coverts purplish blue, first primary greyish blue; tail black; neck and under surface of body purplish blue; lower abdomen and thighs black; under tail coverts white, frontal plate, bill legs and feet red. Total length 16 inches, culmen and frontal shield 3, wing 10.5, tail 3.9, tarsus 3.7, middle toe and claw 4.5. Nest usually built of aquatic plants, leaves, &c., in swamps, generally close to the water, either on rushes or brushwood. Buller. Bald Coot: Porphyrio melanonotus. They lay from four to seven eggs, which are of a greenish stone colour with brown markings of different shades; these measure about 1.95 x 1.43 inch. The Coot. Fulica australis. Australia and Tasmania. Colour above grey with olive shade; under tail coverts black, with a line of white feathers round the bend of the wing; bill bluish grey; iris red. Total length 14 inches, culmen from base of shield 1.2, wing 7.2, tail 1.8, tarsus 2.1, middle toe and claw 3.4. 42 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest built in swamps, in or close to water, usually of rushes, aquatic weeds, &c. Clutch of eggs from six to nine, of a stone colour and thickly freckled with small purplish-brown markings. The eggs measure about 1.96 x 1.29 inch. Australian Museum. Coot: Fulica australis. ORDER Pop1 CIPEDIDIFORMES. Palate schizognathous. Wing feathers developed into remiges as in aerial birds. Nestlings precocious. Family Podicipedide. Hallux above level of other toes. Toes with wide lateral lobes united at the base. Tail vestigial. No right carotid artery. Genus Podicipes. Bill pointed. Neck long. Plumage close and glossy. Feathers of the forehead normal. THE BLACK-THROATED GREBE 43 The Black-throated Grebe. Podicipes nove-hollandie. Australia, Java, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Tasmania. Colour above black, washed with grey on the back and wing-coverts; dark chestnut band on each side of neck; sides of lower back and rump white, tinged with rufous; upper part of chest, sides, and flanks mixed with black; rest of underparts and portion of wing white. Total length 9.5 inches, culmen from feathers on forehead 0.8-0.9, wing 4.2-4.5, tarsus 1.4, outer toe and claw 1.85. In moulting season the chin, throat, cheeks, sides and forepart of neck white like rest of underparts. From life. D. Le Souéf. Hoary-headed Grebe: Podicipes nestor. Nest floating low in water and built of water-weeds, usually near some shelter, such as rushes. The eggs are from four to six and covered with a thin coating of white lime, which soon becomes stained and shiny. They measure about 1.45 x 1.02 inch. The bird does not as a rule sit on her eggs during the heat of the day, but leaves them covered over with weeds so as to prevent them from being scorched by the sun. She covers the eggs when leaving the nest. 44 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Hoary-headed Grebe. Podicipes polio-cephalus. Australia and Tasmania. Colour above ash brown; sides of lower back white; crown blackish, shading into deep black on occiput and nape, which is elongated and forms a kind of hood; sides of head brownish white, the feathers with Australian Museum. Hoary-headed Grebe: Podicipes nestor. hair-like extremities; chest whitish, abdomen dusky, rest of underparts white. Total length about 9.5 inches, culmen from feathers on forehead 0.6-0.8, wing 4.3-4.4, tarsus 1.5, outer toe and claw 1.9. When not breeding hair-like filaments almost absent. Flat floating nest of water weeds, the eggs always wet. Eggs four to six, with glossy surface, white when first laid, but soon stained brown, measuring about 1.58 x 1.13 inch. THE TIPPET GREBE 45 The Tippet Grebe. Podicipes (Lophethyia) cristatus. Europe to North Asia, Japan, Indian Peninsula, Africa, New Guinea, Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Colour above dark ash-brown, crown black; feathers on each side of crown elongate and forming a long double crest; throat white tinged with rufous, shading into chestnut at the back of the head; upper neck with long black plumes, forming a ruff, only worn during breeding season; underparts silvery white; sides rufous chestnut; lesser wing coverts white. Total length about 20 inches, culmen from feathers on forehead 1.6-2.1, wing 6.7-8.1, tarsus 2.5-2.6, outer toe and claw 2.9-3.1. Meyer. Tippet Grebe: Podicipes cristata. Floating flat nest, made of green water-weeds and well down in the water, usually placed among rushes. From four to six eggs are laid, white but soon stained from the wet water-weeds, of which the nest is composed. They measure about 2.04 x 1.44 inch. ORDER SPHENISCIFORMES. Palate schizognathous. Beak never hooked. Wing feathers small and stiff, not produced into remiges. Wings short, used as swimming organs. Tail of narrow rigid feathers. Tarsi very short, the front toes united by a web; the hind toe very small, united to the tarsus. Penguins. 46 THE BIRDS OF.AUSTRALIA Genus Aptenodytes—Tail rather short of 20 feathers, almost hidden by the upper tail coverts. Lower mandible curved downward. “Challenger” Report. Crested Penguin (old and young): Catarrhactes chrysocome. Genus Catarrhactes.—Tail relatively long, of 12, 14 or 16 feathers. Upper tail coverts short. A superciliary band of golden feathers. Deep grooves on the bill. Lower mandible straight. Genus Eudyptula.—Tail very short, of 16, 18 or 20 feathers, concealed by the longer upper tail ecoverts. Grooves on the bill inconspicuous. Lower mandible straight. THE CRESTED PENGUIN 47 King Penguin. Aptenodytes forsteri. Eastern portions of Straits of Magellan, Kerguelen and other Islands in the Southern Ocean, and occasionally to Southern New Zealand and Tasmania, but not in the Antarctic circle. Head and throat black, with golden yellow band on each side, nar- rowing towards the neck; the gape of the bill is also of an orange colour; the breast white, and the back bluish grey. ~s bee. em ad From life. ‘ D. Le Souéf. Little Penguin: Eudyptula minor. The King Penguins form large rookeries at Macquarie Island, but do not breed on any other of the New Zealand group. They make no nest, and lay only one egg, which the female holds in a fold of the skin between the legs until it is hatched. The Crested Penguin. Catarrhactes chrysocome. Falkland and Kerguelen Islands, Cape Seas, South Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Colour above dark slate, each pointed feather black, edged with bluish slate, top of head black; feathers of crown lengthened and forming a long crest; yellow eyebrow stripe; sides of the head black; ~ 48 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA underparts pure white. Flipper above like the back, edged behind with white, white below. Tail with 16 feathers. Total length about 25 inches, nasal feathers to tip 1.30-1.55, gape to tip 2.1-2.3, flipper 6.8-7, tail 4.3-4.4., middle toe and claw 2.50-2.85. Nest generally on the bare ground. Two greenish-white eggs are laid, which measure about 2.50 x 1.90 inch. These birds often congregate together in immense numbers, especially on the Macquarie Islands. “Victorian Naturalist.” A. H. £. Mattingley. Fairy Penguin and Young: Fudyptula undina. The Blue Penguin. Eudyptula manor. New Zealand, Tasmania, Southern Australia. Above greyish-blue, below white. Both outer and inner margins of flippers widely bordered with white; upper tail coverts and tail sometimes white, sometimes blue. Tail with 16 feathers. Total length 18 inches, nasal opening to tip 1.3, gape to tip 2.15, flipper 5.6, tail 1.2, middle toe and claw 2.1. Nest generally with a little dry vegetation and usually in deserted Petrel burrows under rocks, or under matted vegetation. Two white eggs are laid, which measure 2.30 x 1.66 inch; as a rule one egg is larger than the other. 49 THE LITTLE BLUE PENGUIN “9Q@duny “DE “SUNOX YA YSoN Ul (DULpUN DINIdApNg”) UINSsUEeg eN[_ 2I}!T «MU IUD,, 50 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Little Blue Penguin. Eudyptula undina. Tasmania, New Zealand, Chatham Islands and Southern Australia. Above slate-blue, each feather with a brownish grey base and black shaft; throat and underparts white; flippers greyish black, narrowly edged with white on the inner margin, below white. Total length 14-15 inches, nasal opening to tip 1.2, gape to tip 1.75, flipper 4.7, tail 1.35, ‘middle toe and claw 1.9. These birds are easily distinguished from the Blue Penguin, being considerably darker in colour and smaller, besides having the under surface of the flipper white. d Nest either in a hollow under matted vegetation or under rocks or in burrows. Two white eggs are laid, which measure 1.98 x 1.54 inch. ORDER TUBINARES. Oceanic birds with schizognathous palate; the external nostrils produced into tubes; hind toe absent or reduced to one joint, fore toe strongly webbed; oil-gland tufted; bill covered by several horny pieces, separated by deep grooves. Young helpless. Family Procellariide. Nostrils united externally above the culmen; second primary the longest. Sub-family Oceanitine. Leg-bones longer than the wing-bones; tarsus twice as long as femur; secondaries 10. Key to the Genera. A. Basal phalanx of mid toe not much flattened. Claws sharp. Shield scales on front of tarsus obsolete. Oceanites. Shield scales on front of tarsus distinct. Garrodia. Claws flattened and wide. Pelagodroma. B. Basal phalanx of mid toe much flattened. Fregetta (Cymodroma). Yellow-webbed Storm Petrel. Oceanites oceanicus. Southern oceans and Atlantic ocean as far north as Labrador. Sooty-black, forehead and under surface paler, greater wing coverts greyish, upper tail coverts white, under wing coverts and tail black. Total length about 6.8 inches, wing 6.1, tail, central rectrices 2.45, bill 0.7, tarsus 1.37, middle toe 1.1. THE WHITE-FACED STORM PETREL 51 Nest a slight hollow under rocks or other cover. One egg is laid; colour white, with some very small faint brownish spots on the larger end; it measures about 1.27 x .87 inch. Yellow-webbed Storm Petrel: Oceanites oceanicus. The Grey-backed Storm Petrel. Garrodia nerets. Southern Ocean. Greyish black, darkest on head, becoming greyer towards rump; wings black; median and tail coverts and tail have narrow edge of white; under surface white, sides streaked with grey; tail grey, tipped with black. Total length about 6.7 inches, wing 5.2, tail 2.7, bill 0.65, tarsus 1.25, middle toe 1.2. Nest either in a burrow about 15 inches in depth, or under matted vegetation. One egg is laid, white, with finely freckled brownish markings on the larger end; it measures about 1.40 x 1.06 inch. The White-faced Storm Petrel. Pelagodroma marina. Southern seas. Upper surface slaty-brown, back paler and greyer, the feathers narrowly edged with white; upper tail coverts crimson, edged with white, with a dark line on each feather; median wing coverts tipped with white. 02 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Forehead, a stripe over the eye and entire under surface white; bill black. Total length about 8 inches, wing 5.8, tail central 2.75, lateral 3.15, bill 0.9, tarsus 1.9, middle toe 1.35. Nest: If in hard ground, a short burrow about 18 inches long is made; but often under thick matted herbage. One white egg is laid, but many have fine reddish freckles in the apex; it measures about 1.41 x 1.06 inch. These little birds nest on Mud Island, in Port Phillip, as well as on many of the islands in Bass Strait. They leave their young during the day and return to them during the night to feed them. The Black-bellied Storm Petrel. Fregetia melanogaster. Southern Ocean, northward to Bay of Bengal, and in Atlantic to Tropic of Cancer. Sooty black, greater wing coverts paler; base of feathers of throat and under tail-coverts, flanks, upper tail-coverts and under wing-coverts white; rest of plumage black. Total length about 8 inches, wing 7, tail 3.2, bill 0.9, tarsus 1.6, middle toe 1.03. Amount of white on throat varies. Nest usually in crevices or under rocks. One white egg is laid, with minute purplish-brown freckles, which are very numerous on the larger end. It measures 1.30 x .98 inch. The White-bellied Storm Petrel. Fregetta grallaria. Seas of Southern Hemisphere, north to coast of Florida. Sooty-black; back and scapulars greyish, each feather edged with white; rump, upper and inner under wing-coverts white. Family Puffinide. Nostrils united externally, or nearly so, above the culmen ; second primary not longer than the first. Sub-family Puffinine. Sides of the palate without lamelle. y THE ALLIED SHEARWATER 53 Key to the Genera. A. Tarsi distinctly compressed, with sharp front edge. Nostrils separate. Puffinus. Nostrils united into a single opening. ‘ail Quills 12. Priofinus. Tail Quills 14. Priocella. B. Tarsi not compressed, with rounded front edge. Bills more or less yellow. Majaqueus. Bill black. Cistrelata. The White-fronted Shearwater. Puffinus leucomelas. Japan and southwards to North coast of Australia. Upper surface brown; anterior of crown, forehead, sides of head and neck white, each feather with a narrow dark disc; under surface and under wing-coverts white. Total length about 19 inches, wing 13, tail, outer feathers 4, central 5.6. The Wedge-tailed Shearwater. Puffinus sphenurus. Indian and Australian Seas to Central Pacific Islands. Sooty-brown, crown, hind neck and wings darker, forehead and throat greyer, entire under plumage paler sooty-brown. (See Addendum.) Total length about 17 inches, wing 11.6, tail, central feathers 5, lateral 3.35, tarsus 1.8. Nest generally in a burrow about three feet long. The single egg is white, and measures about 2.40 x 1.65 inch. The Forster Shearwater. Puffinus gavia. Australian and New Zealand seas. Upper surface slaty-brown; under surface, including under tail-coverts white; sides of head and neck mottled with grey, below the eye dark; under wing-coverts white to the edge of wing. Total length 12 inches, wing 8, tail central 2.4, lateral 2.3, bill 1.9, tarsus 1.7. Nest in burrows or under a rock. The egg is pure white, and measures from 2.45 x 1.45 to 2.20 x 1.45 inches (Buller.) The Allied Shearwater. Puffinus assimilis. Australian seas, Atlantic north to Madeira. Upper surface slaty-black; all under surfaces white. Total length about 10.5 inches, wing 7.4, tail central 2.65, lateral 2.6, bill 1.4, tarsus 1.5. Nest in a burrow about three feet in length, or under a rock. One egg is laid, pure white in colour, and measures about 1.95 x 1.43 inch. 54. THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Fleshy-footed Shearwater. Puffinus carneipes. Australian and New Zealand seas, north to Japan. Dark sooty-brown, slightly paler beneath, and greyer on throat. Total length 19.5 inches, wing 12.5, tail central feathers 4.3, lateral 3.65, tarsus 2.25. Nest usually in a burrow about four feet in length; the one white egg measures about 2.64 x 1.75 inch. Allied Shearwater: Pufinus assinmilis. The Sombre Shearwater. Puffinus griseus. Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, south to Australia and Straits of Magellan. Sooty-brown, darker on head, lower back, wings and tail; greater wing coverts and under surface a little greyer, throat and breast paler, under wing-coverts greyish white. Total length about 18 inches, wing 12, tail central 3.5, lateral 2.7, bill 2.1, tarsus 2.4. Nest usually in a burrow, sometimes under matted vegetation. One egg is laid, white in colour, and measures about 2.60 x 1.97 inch. The Short-tailed Shearwater (Mutton Bird). Puffinus tenwirostris. Australian and New Zealand seas, east to Samoa, north to Japan. Sooty-brown; under surface paler and greyer, lighter on throat and breast, darker on flanks and under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts paler THE BROWN PETREL 55 grey. Total length about 13 inches, wing 10.4, bill 1.8, tarsus 2.05, middle toe 2.3. Nest usually in a burrow extending to four feet. They lay one white egg, which measures about 2.90 x 1.93 inch. The young of these birds are taken in immense numbers from the islands in Bass Strait, about 600,000 being taken yearly at the Furneaux Group of Islands alone. They are killed just as they are leaving for the sea, and are preserved in casks of brine for food. After Gould. Brown Petrel: Priofinus cinereus, The Brown Petrel. Priofinus cinereus. Southern Ocean. . Upper surface brownish, grey, darker on crown, wings and tail; under surface white; under wing-coverts and tail-coverts grey; bill with yellow stripe. Total length about 19 inches, wing 13, tail, central 4.4, lateral 3.5, bill 2.4, tarsus 2.3. Nest in a burrow some distance from the. water. The one egg is white, and measures 2.77 x 1.97 inch. 56 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Antarctic Petrel. Thalasseca antarctica. Antarctic seas. Upper surface dull brownish black, on sides of neck gradually merging into white, under parts white; broad slaty-brown band along edge of the wings; the primaries are white on their inner webs, except at the tips; the secondaries and their coverts are white; tail-feathers white, with broad terminal band of brownish black. Total length 19.5 inches, wing from flexure 12, tail 5, tarsus 1.75. This bird is only a rare visitor to the Southern New Zealand and Tasmanian Seas, its true home being the Antarctic. The Silvery-Grey Petrel. Priocella glacialoides. Southern oceans, in Pacific reaches California. Upper surface pale grey, lighter on head and back of neck; dark spot in front of the eye; forehead, cheeks and under surface white; flanks and tail pale grey; bill yellow. Total length about 18 inches, wing 12.6, tail central 5.1, lateral 4.15, bill 2.1, tarsus 1.8. The Spectacled Petrel. Majaqueus equinoctialis. Southern Ocean, north to South Latitude 30°. Sooty-black; chin white, which varies, some have irregular white stripe under the eye almost to the nape and a transverse band across the forehead; shafts of primaries white. Nest in a long burrow, generally on a hillside. The nest near the end of a burrow is made of vegetation and mud mixed, about four inches high and slightly hollowed. Other petrels usually make no nest in their burrow. The single egg is white, and measures about 3.40 x 2.10 inch; it has a stronger musky perfume than most other Petrels’ eggs. The Black Petrel. Majaqueus parkinsoni. New Zealand seas, Very similar to the preceding species, but smaller and entire plumage sooty-black. Total length about 18 inches, wing 13.2, tarsus 2.2. Nest the usual Petrel burrow. The single white egg measures 2.80 x 1.96 inch. THE WHITE-HEADED PETREL 57 The Great-winged Petrel. Gstrelata macroptera. Southern oceans. Dark sooty-brown, under surface paler, forehead and throat greyer. Total length about 16.5 inches, wing 12 to 13, tail central 4.5, lateral 4, bill 1.7, tarsus 1.65. Nest a burrow about three feet in length, with larger chamber at end than usual; the single white egg measures 2.6 x 1.91 inch. After Smith. Great-winged Petrel: Oecestrelata macroptera. The White-headed Petrel. CGistrelata lessoni. South Indian Ocean, Australian and New Zealand seas. Upper surface grey, lighter towards the crown, which is nearly white; feathers of back edged with paler grey; sides of neck mottled with bars of grey and white; wings nearly black, tail grey; forehead and under surface white; just below and in front of the eye black. Total length about 18 inches, wing 12.2, tail, central 5, lateral 3.7, bill 1.9, tarsus 1.8. Nest rather a short tunnel with a large chamber at the end. The single egg is white, and measures about 2.78 x 1.88 inch. a8 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Soft-plumaged Petrel. Gstrelata mollis. Southern Ocean, north in Atlantic Ocean to Madeira. Upper surface slate grey, feathers of forehead edged with white; wings dark brown; black in front of and beneath the eye; sides of neck freckled with grey; tail grey; under surface white. Total length about 14 inches, wing 10.3, tail 4.4, bill 1.4, tarsus 1.4. Nest at the end of a burrow. The egg is white, and measures about 2.40 x 1.69 inch, The White-throated Petrel. Cstrelata brevipes. Australian seas, Antarctica and Pacific Ocean. Above dark ashy-grey, the feathers with broad grey margins; on the wings a patch of black feathers; wing coverts black, the greater series ashy-grey, with white fringes; crown of head and nape darker than the back; forehead white, with a few small black spots; lores and cheeks white; feathers below and round the eye and ear-coverts, black; throat and under surface of body white; centre of fore-neck and breast minutely freckled with grey. Total length about 10.5 inches; culmen 0.9; wing 8.5; tail 3.8; tarsus 0.95. Sometimes these birds have a dark phase. The Brown-headed Petrel. Gstrelata solandert. Australian seas. Dark grey, head dark brown, face and under surface greyish brown, base of feathers white. Total length 18 inches, wing 12, tail, central 5, lateral 3.8, bill 1.8, tarsus 1.7. The Mottled Petrel. ; Gstrelata gularis. New Zealand seas principally. All upper surface dark ashy grey, the feathers of the back being margined with greyish black; primary quills marked with white on their inner web; the secondaries are margined with white and wholly white towards their base; forehead slightly mottled with white; lores and throat white, and a spot of dark grey under each eye; upper part of breast washed with grey, middle part and abdomen dark cinereous; sides freckled with grey. Total length 13 inches, wing 10.5, tail 4, tarsus 1.2. These birds breed in Southern New Zealand, in very deep burrows on the hillside. : SCHLEGEL’S PETREL 59 Schlegel’s Petrel. Gstrelata neglecta. New Zealand seas principally. Crown of the head and hind neck sooty brown, mixed on the latter with white, the rest of the upper surface brownish black; around the eyes is a faint mark of brown which fades away on the face; all the under surface white; quills with white shafts and white on the inner webs; tail feathers white at the base. Total length 15.5 inches, wing 12, tail 4, tarsus 1.5. “The Emu.” Tom Iredale. Schlegel’s Petrel: Oestrelata neglecta. It would be well to quote from Tom Iredale’s account of birds found on the Kermadeec Islands in the ‘‘Emu,’’ vol. x, July, 1910, p. 14:— ‘“‘During winter, however, Meyer Island is covered with birds, while none are found on Sunday Island. The darkest birds have the whole of the plumage of a dark black-grey— these are the birds Hutton called philippi, gray; the lightest have the head and all the under parts pure white—Hutton separated this as leucophrys. Between these two extremes every phase of plumage exists; the dark birds bred with the light 60 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA ones, as well as with the dark birds. They breed on the high parts of the Island as well as the low parts. Though tested in every manner that could be thought of, nothing that could be used as a separating test could be found.’’ These petrels build their nests on the surface, and do not lay in burrows. Mr. Iredale states in the same article that ‘‘The manner of making these nests is identical, the site is chosen apparently without reference to its nest-building suitability. The bird sits on its nest and picks up all the straws it fancies, and gravely Voy. “Erebus” and “Terror.” The Cook Petrel: Oestrelata cooki. throws them behind it, first on one side, then on the other. Having selected all suitable, it moves forward, repeating the process and straying as far as a yard from its nesting-place.’’ The White-winged Petrel. Gistrelata leucoptera. Australian seas. Upper surface dark slaty-black, centre of back and tail coverts dark grey; face and under surface white; forehead and sides of neck spotted with slaty-black. Total length about 12 inches, wing 8.5, tail, central 3.8, lateral 3.1, bill 1.25, tarsus 1.2. THE GIANT PETREL 61 The Cook Petrel. Gstrelata cook. New Zealand seas principally, also eastern coast of Australia. Upper surface dark grey, face and under surface white, sides of neck slightly mottled. A more slender bill than White-winged Petrel. Nest the usual burrow. The egg measures 1.94 x 1.48 inch. Sub-family Fulmarine. Sides of the palate with more or less distinctly developed lamellee. After Gould. Giant Petrel: Macronectes gigantea. Key to the Genera. Size very large, 34 inches. Tail quills 16. Macronectes (Ossifraga). Size smaller, 16 inches. Tail quills 14. Daption. Size smallest, 11 or 12 inches. Tail quills 12. First and second primaries sub-equal. Halobena. First primary longest. Prion. The Giant Petrel. Macronectes (Ossifraga) gigantea. Southern seas; north to about latitude 30° 8. Uniform dark brown, edges of feathers paler, bill yellow, legs black; total length about 34 inches, wing 20.5, tail, central 7, lateral 5.8, bill 4.2, tarsus 3.6. 62 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest a slight hole scraped in the ground and lined with a little vegetation. The single white egg measures 4.01 x 2.58 inch. Often called ‘‘Nelly’’ or ‘‘Stinkpot’’ by seamen: occasionally white phases of this bird are seen. The Cape Pigeon. Daption capensis. Southern oceans, north to Ceylon and Peru. Upper surface white, each feather broadly edged with black; head and back of neck black; median wing coverts with white margin on 4 es After Gould. Capé Pigeon: Daption capensis. outer web; under surface white; tail white, tipped with dusky. Total length about 16 inches, wing 10.5, tail 3.9, bill 1.7, tarsus 1.9. Nest on the bare ground under rocks or in crevices or at lower edge of cliffs. The one white egg measures 2.12 x 1.75 inch. (British Museum Collection). The Blue Petrel. Halobena cerulea. Southern oceans. Upper surface pale ashy-blue, darker on the crown, nape, lesser wing- coverts, outer webs of outer primaries and the scapulars, the latter tipped with white; feathers of forehead and back of crown also tipped BANKS DOVE PETREL 63 with white; whole under surface white; sides of breast ashy-blue; bill black. Total length about 11 inches, wing 8.5, tail 3.6, bill 1.4, tarsus 1.3. Nest an unusually long burrow; the white egg measures about 1.98 x 1.44 inch. The Broad-billed Dove Petrel. Prion vittatus. Southern Ocean between lat. 40° and 60° S. Upper surface ashy-blue, darker on head and below eye; small wing- coverts, band across back, and outer primaries black, under surface white. “Victorian Naturalist.” A. H. E. Mattingley. Dove-like Prion and Young: Prion desolatus. Nest either a burrow or under rocks or in crevices; the single white egg measures about 1.88 x 1.41 inch. Banks Dove Petrel. Prion banksv. . Southern ocean, usually between lat. 35° and 60° S. Very similar to P. vittatus, but bill not so wide (0.5in.); the lamella of the maxilla just visible near the rictus when the bill is closed. Nest a burrow, usually on declivities; the white egg measures about 1.99 x 1.46 inch. 64 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Dove Petrel. Prion desolatus. Southern oceans, usually between lat. 35° and 60° S., but even south to Ice Barrier. Similar to P. vittatus and P. banksi, but with a still smaller bill than the latter; the sides of the maxilla are nearly straight, not convex, and the lamella are not visible near the rictus when the bill is closed. Nest in a burrow, or under rocks or vegetation, or in crevices, usually lined with a little vegetation. The single white egg measures about 1.94 x 1.33 inch. The Fairy Dove Petrel. Prion ariel. Southern Ocean, usually between lat. 35° and 60° 8. Similar in colour to other Prions, but with paler crown, hardly differing from the tint on the back; spot below eye also lighter; terminal dark band of tail wider, bill much narrower, lamella invisible when bill is closed. Nest either in burrows, under rocks or vegetation or in crevices. The single white egg measures about 1.76 x 1.21 inch. Family Pelecanoidide. Nostrils separate; second primary slightly longest. The Diving Petrel. Pelecanoides urinatria. Australian and New Zealand seas, also Cape Horn end Falkland Islands. Upper surface shining black; inner scapulars grey in the inner webs and edged with white; under surface white, sides of neck greyish. Total length about 8 inches, wing 4.7, tail 1.4, bill 0.9, tarsus 1. Nest either in a crevice or under a rock or in a short burrow. The single white egg measures 1.60 x 1.21 inch. THE WANDERING ALBATROSS 65 Family Diomedcide. Nostrils lateral separated by the wide culmen; first primary longest. Key to the Genera. a. Tail short, rounded. Mandible plain. Base of ridge shield of beak (culminicorn) broad and joined to side shield (latericorn). Diomedea Base of culminicorn narrow separated by mem- brane from the latericorn. Thalassogeron. b. Tail long, cuncate. Mandible grooved. Phoebetria. After Gould. Wandering Albatross, Young and Old: Diomedea exulans. The Wandering Albatross. Diomedea exulans. Southern ocean generally. White; back from the base of the neck banded with narrow trans- verse undulating dark lines; wings slaty-black; lesser wing-coverts more or less white in inner webs, middle and greater coverts edged with white, primaries black; tail white, with dark marks near the tip. Total length 42 inches, wing 25.5, tail 8.3, bill from gape 7, tarsus 4.8. Nest open cireular structures made of soil, grass &., varying in height from a few inches to about two feet, with a shallow egg cavity, about a foot in diameter. The single ege is dull white, with brownish markings on the larger end, and has a slightly granular shell; it measures about 4.90 x 3.05 inch. 66 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The White-winged Albatross. Diomedea chionoptera. Southern Indian Ocean, Marion and Kerguelen Islands. Similar to D. exulans, but no transverse lines on the upper surface, the scapulars almost white, the upper surface of the wings are much whiter than in the allied forms. Total length about 50 inches, wing 25.5, tail 8.8, bill from gape 7.3, tarsus 5. : Nest similar to that of D. exulans; the single egg is dull white, with brownish clots on the larger end, and measures about 5 x 3 inch. This magnificent bird is the largest of the Albatrosses, its outstretched wings measure up to 1314 feet from tip to tip. After Gould. The Black-browed Albatross: Diomedea melanophrys. The Royal Albatross. Diomedea regia. Southern ocean generally, especially round the southern coasts of Australia and Tasmania, where it is plentiful. General plumage pure white; upper surface of the wings dark brown, varied with pale brown and white along the edges, and a large patch of white on the humeral flexure; tail feathers largely marked with black in their apical part, and the outer ones marbled with brown. Total length about 48 inches, tail 10; tarsus 5, extent of wings 124 inches. The single egg is dull white, and measures about 4.85 x 2.95 inches. THE BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS 67 Short-tailed Albatross. Diomedea albatrus. Northern Australian seas and North Pacific Ocean. Very similar to D. exulans, but with shorter tail and with truncated form of the base of the bill; general colour white, tinted with buff on the head and neck; the centre and edge of the wing white, the remainder and the tips of the tail dark brown. Total length 37 inches, wing 22. PON From life. H. P. C. Ashworth. White-capped Albatross: Thalassogeron cautus. The Black-browed Albatross. Diomedea melanophrys. Southern Ocean to North Atlantic. White, a short slaty-black band on either side of the eye; back and wings brownish black; white at the base of the neck; tail slate-grey; under wing-coverts white, with dark border on edges of wing. Total length about 30 inches, wing 20, tail 7.3, bill 5.2, tarsus 3.3. Nest inverted cone shape, and similar to those of other Albatrosses, and made of soil and vegetation well mixed. The single dull white egg has brownish markings on the larger end, and measures about 4. x 2.71 inches. 68 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The White-capped Albatross. Thalassogeron cautus. Southern Australian and Tasmanian seas. Head, neck, lower back, upper tail coverts, under surface, white; a greyish black mark in front of the eye and extending over it and passing into pale grey, which spreads over the face; back, wings, and tail greyish brown. Total length 35 inches, wing 22, tail 9, bill from gape 6, tarsus 3.7. From life. D. Le Souéf. White-capped Albatross on Egg: Thalassogeron cautus. Nest a conical structure made of earth, grass, roots, &¢., about six inches high and fourteen inches in diameter at the top. The single egg is dull white, marked at the larger end with brownish freckles, which can be washed off; the eggs measure about 4.25 x 2.73 inches. They nest on Albatross Island, Bass Strait. THE YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS 69 The Flat-billed Albatross. Thalassogeron culminatus. Southern Ocean to Pacific coasts of Central America. Upper surface dark sooty brown, paler on interscapular area; under surface white; head and neck whitish grey, dark patch in front of and above eye; tail dark greyish brown. Total length about 36 inches, wing 20, tail 7.7, bill 5.2, tarsus 3.25. ; Nest similar to those of the other species; the single ege is dull white, with the usual brownish freckles on the apex, and it measures about 4.21 x 2.72 inches. From life. H. P. C. Ashworth. White-capped Albatross and Young: Thalassogeron cautus. The Yellow-nosed Albatross. Thalassogeron chlororhynchus. Southern Oceans. Upper surface dark sooty-brown, wings darker; middle of back tinged with grey; under surface white; head and neck white, slightly tinged with grey, an indistinct dark grey mark in front of eye; tail dark grey; bill black on sides; culmen of adult bright yellow. Total length about 33 inches, wing 18.8, tail 7.7, bill 5.2, tarsus 3.1. Nest same as in other Albatrosses. Egg dull white, with a few light markings on apex; it measures 4.02 x 2.29 inches. 70 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Carter Albatross. Thalassogeron carteri. This albatross was described from a male bird which was captured alive at Port Cloaks, North-west Australia, by Mr. Tom Carter; the bird had an injured wing. It is very similar to 7. chlororhynchus, but differs in having the bill, including the culmen, black; the face and sides of the head white, without the grey tinge, and the feet yellowish-white in life, without any blackish colour on the digits and tarsi. The bill and irides are black. Nothing is practically known of this bird beyond the type skin at present, although it, or a closely allied form, breeds at Gough Island. After Gould. Sooty Albatross: Phoebetria fuliginosa. The Sooty Albatross. Phebetria fuliginosa. Southern oceans. Plumage generally sooty; a white ring, broken in front, round the eye. Total length about 36 inches, wing 19.5, tail, central 10.5, lateral 7, bill 4.5, tarsus 3. Nest similar to those of other Albatrosses; the egg is dull white, with brownish markings on the larger end and sometimes minute markings over the egg. It measures 4.18 x 2.5 inch. THE WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN 71 OrpvER LARIFORMES. Palate schizognathous. Front toes fully connected by webs. Bill simple. Primaries 10 large and visible, one minute, concealed. Aftershaft to contour feathers. Oil-gland tufted. Rectrices 12. Nestlings covered with down when hatched, soon able to run. Eggs not more than three; spotted or scrolled with dark on a lighter ground. Coastal or marine aquatic birds. Family Laride. Bill without a cere. Sternum with two notches on each side behind. Claws feeble or moderate. Sub-family Sternine. Bill straight, rather slender; both mandibles of about equal length. Tail, slightly or distinctly forked. Key to the Genera. A. Tail from nearly square to distinctly forked. uw. Tail feathers rounded. Tail short. Bill small: webs indented. Hydrochelidon. b. Outer tail feathers longest, pointed. Tarsus very long, longer than mid-toe and claw. Bill robust. Gelochelidon. Tarsus short. Tail very short, less than one-third wine. Bill exceptionally stout and deep. Hydroprogne. Tail at least half wing, usually longer. Bill compressed and slender. Sterna. B. Tail graduated, feathers pointed, outer pair of rectrices shorter than next pair. w. Middle toe and claw longer than exposed culmen. Colour grey. Procelsterna. b. Middle toe and claw shorter than exposed culmen. Bill strong, decurved. Anous. Bill slender and long. Micranous. Bill stout at the base, pointed. Gygis. The White-winged Black Tern. Hydrochelidon leucoptera. Central Europe to Central Asia and China in summer, and in winter to Australia, New Zealand, and Africa. Head, neck and upper parts glossy black; coverts on carpal joint white, wing-coverts and primaries dark grey; tail white; underparts black, under wing-coverts black. Total length 9.3 inches, culmen 1.1., wing 8.2, tail 3.1, tarsus 0.75. When moulting the bird is parti-coloured. Nest made of reeds and water-plants on floating vegetation in swamps. The clutch is three; the eggs vary in colour, but are 72 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA usually of some shade of buff, boldly blotched and finely marked with dark-brown, the under markings being grey. The eggs measure about 1.38 x 1.03 inch. The Marsh or Whiskered Tern. Hydrochelidon hybrida. Europe to China in summer, northwards in winter to Malayan Archipelago, Africa aud Australia. Breeding plumage: Forehead, crown and nape black, from gape to nape a white streak; upper parts slate grey; greater part of inner webs r Meyer. Caspian Tern: Hydroprogne caspia. e of primaries, white; tail grey, throat grey, breast dark grey, abdomen black, under wing-coverts white. Total length 11 inches, culmen 1.4, wing 9.25, tail 3.8, tarsus 0.9. In moulting season underparts white. Nest generally built of water-weeds or rushes on floating vegetation in a swamp. The clutch is three, in colour greyish- green, blotched with brownish markings of varying density. The eggs measure about 1.44 x 1.12 inch. Gull-billed Tern. Gelochelidon anglica. Australia generally; Europe, Asia, North and East America. Crown of the head and back of the neck are black; all the upper surface and primaries are light silvery grey; the remainder of the MARSH TERN 73 Australian Museum. Uydrochelidon hybrida. Marsh Tern: 74 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA plumage is white, the bill and feet black. Total length 17 inches, wing 13%, tail 6, tarsi 15. Three or four eggs are laid, of a yellowish-stone eolour, blotched with dark brown and grey markings, dimensions 2.10 x 1.47 inch. The Caspian Tern. Hydroprogne caspia. Cosmopolitan. In breeding plumage, forehead, crown, and nape greenish-black; mantle light grey, tail greyish white; underparts white; bill red. In moulting season crown and nape streaked with white and black. Total length about 20 inches, culmen 3.3, wing 16.5, tail 6, depth of fork 1.25: the dimensions of these birds vary considerably. “The Emu.” A. J. Campbell. Crested Tern: Sterna bergii. Nest a slight depression in the ground, either well above the sea on small islands or on the sand spits. Two eggs form the usual clutch, and are brownish stone colour, blotched all over with irregular dark brown markings, those under the surface being the usual grey. They measure about 2.43 x 1.63 inch. The Roseate Tern. Sterna gracilis. Coasts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Northern Australia. Forehead, crown, and nape black, neck white, mantle light grey, primaries darker, the inner margins of their webs with white borders, tail light grey to white, outer webs of the long streamers quite white; THE LESSER CRESTED TERN 75 underparts white with a pink tinge. During the moulting season the forehead is spotted with white. Total length 15.5 inches, culmen 1.9, wing 9.25, tail 7.5 to 8, depth of fork 5, tarsus 0.85. Nest a slight depression, usually on low islands or coral ridges. They nest in companies. The colour is stone, blotched with dark umber markings and under markings of grey; they measure about 1.50 x 1.16 inch; two form the clutch. “The Emu.” A. J. Campbell. Crested Terns Nesting: Sterna bergii. The Lesser Crested Tern. Sterna media. Mediterranean, African and Indian seas to Celebes and Northern Australia. Forehead, crown and nape black, the feathers of the last prolonged; neck white, mantle grey, tail grey, a little lighter on the streamers; tarsi and toes black; underparts white; a white line along carpal joint. Total length 17 inches, culmen 2.4, wing 12, tail. 6.75, depth of fork 3, tarsus 1. Nest a shallow depression on broken coral reefs or sand ridges. They nest in companies and close together. The one egg is pinkish-white, with a few bold brownish markings, often lighter at their edges, those under the surface pale-grey. The egg measures about 2.16 x 1.53 inch. 76 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Crested Tern. Sterna bergu. Red Sea, African and Indian Oceans to China, Pacific Islands and Australia. . Broad white band at base of bill, mantle and tail dark grey; crown and nape black, forming a crest, neck white; underparts white; tarsi and toes black with reddish tinge, soles mottled with yellow. In the moulting season the crown is mottled with white. Total length 20 to 21 inches, culmen 2.5, wing 14.25, tail 7.5, depth of fork 3.5, tarsus 1.3. A. F. Basset Hull. Crested Terns: Sterna bergii. Nests in companies; a slight depression is made, either on sandy ground or on broken coral ridges, &e. The one egg varies much in colour, far more so than probably in any other bird, and it is difficult to describe the various tints. Ground colour either cream, buff, reddish, light-green, yellow, light-blue or pink; the markings are usually dark-brown of varying shades and bold, and vary much in size and shape, sometimes having blotches, smudges or hieroglyphic-like lines over the surface; the under markings are purple. The eggs measure about 2.40 x 1.61 inch. THE WHITE-FRONTED TERN 77 The White-fronted Tern. Sterna frontalis. New Zealand and Australian coasts. White at base of bill, crown and nape black, the feathers filamentous; upper surface pale grey; outer web of first primary black, other primaries edged with white to the tips of the inner webs; underparts white, sometimes with pink tinge; bill black. Total length 16 to 17 inches, according to development of tail-streamers, culmen 2.2, wing 11,25, tail 7, depth of fork 4, tarsus 0.85. In moulting plumage the crown and forehead are mottled with white. : Voy. Erebus” and “Terror.” White-fronted Tern: Sterna frontalis. Breed in companies, the nest a slight depression in the ground among short vegetation near the water. Two eggs are usually laid, but sometimes three; they are greyish in colour and strongly blotched with brown markings, those beneath the surface being purplish-grey. They measure about 1.80 x 1.28 inch. 78 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Brown-winged Tern. Sterna anestheta. West Indies, African and Indian Seas to Japan and Northern Australia. Centre of forehead and superciliary line, thence to behind the eye white; loral stripe, crown and nape black; hind neck grey, mantle dark slate-grey; primaries smoke-grey with white wedges to the centre of inner web; tail dark grey, outer feathers white on outside web to within 2 inches of the tip; underparts white; bill black. Total length 15 inches, culmen 1.9, wing 10.5, tail 6.75, tarsus 0.8, depth of fork 2.7. Lay in companies in the same neighbourhood; the single egg is deposited either under a bush, roots of Pandanus Palm or sheltering rock; it is of a pinkish-white colour, spotted with dark reddish-brown markings, usually nine, plentiful on the larger end; the spots are not nearly so plentiful as on 8. bergii. The eggs measure about 1.78 x 1.34 inch. The Sooty Tern. Sterna fuliginosa. Tropical and juxta-tropical seas of the world. Very similar to Brown-winged Tern, but larger, the white frontal band and superciliary stripe broader, the latter not reaching beyond the eye, upper surface sooty black, streamers dull white on outer webs and grey on end half of inner webs, other tail feathers black, abdomen greyish white, breast white. Total length about 17 inches, culmen 2.1, wing 11.75, tail 7.5, depth of fork 4, tarsus 0.9. The birds nest on the bare ground in companies. One egg is laid, which is pinkish white, blotched with reddish-brown markings, especially on the larger end; the eggs vary in colour. They measure about 2.01 x 1.40 inch. They nest in immense numbers on the Houtman’s Abrolhos Islands. The White-faced Ternlet. Sterna nerets. Australian and New Zealand seas, including New Caledonia. Forehead white, a black spot in front of eye, and narrow ring of black round eye, crown and nape black, mantle light grey; edge of primaries white; tail and underparts white; bill yellow. Total length 10 inches, culmen 1.5, wing 7.25, tail 4, depth of fork 2, tarsus 0.6. This bird is the palest member of the group of Little Terns. THE GREY NODDY 79 Nest a slight depression in the ground; they often nest in small companies. Two eggs are laid, and are of buff or cream colour, and marked with spots of various shades of brown, the under markings being -purplish-grey. Dimensions 1.4 x 1 inch. The White-shafted Ternlet. Sterna sinensis. China and Indian seas to Australia. Lores black from the base of the bill to the eye, forehead white, crown and nape black, mantle grey; outer web of outer primaries and broad line next the shaft on its inner web dark grey; upper portions and edges of inner webs, tail and underparts white. Total length 11 inches when streamers are fully developed, culmen 1.4, wing 7.4, tail 5.7, depth of fork 3.4, tarsus 0.65. Nest a slight depression on the ground. Two to three eggs are laid, greyish in colour, and marked with small blotches of reddish-brown, the underneath markings being grey. The measurements are about 1.29 x .98 inch. The Black-naped Tern. Sterna melanauchen. The seas of Northern Australia, Pacific Islands, Malay Peninsvla, and China. Forehead and crown white, black patch in front of eye; behind the eye on each side and enclosing the nape a black band; neck white, mantle light grey; the outer primary with the outer web blackish, the inner margins of the primaries, white; tail long and forked, the middle feathers being light grey, the rest white; underparts white with rosy tint; bill black. Total length, 13.5 inches, culmen 1.6, wing 8.5, tail 6, depth of fork 3, tarsus 0.7. Nest a slight depression on the sand, generally on coral islands. The two eggs are greyish or light stone, marked with bold blotches of reddish-brown, the underneath markings being purplish-grey. They measure about 1.59 x 1.11 inch. The Grey Noddy. Procelsterna cinerea. Australian and New Zealand seas, Norfolk and neighbouring islands, Kermadee Group, and western coast of South America. Similar to, but larger than, the preceding species, much paler on the upper surface, well defined greyish-white ‘‘wedges’’ to the inner webs of the three outer primaries, underparts greyish-white, under wing-coverts white, bill black. Total length 11 inches, culmen 1.25, wing 8.5, tail 4.5, depth of fork 2, tarsus 1. 80 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA They lay on the ground with practically no nest, usually on ledges of cliffs. Only one egg is laid. It is cream colour, sparingly marked with spots and lines of yellowish and reddish- brown, the under markings of pale purple and faint. They measure about 1.65 x 1.28 inch. Noddy Terns: Anous stolidus. Houtman’s Abrolhos, W.A. : The Noddy Tern. Anous stolidus. Tropical and juxta-tropical seas. Forehead nearly white at base of bill, passing on crown into grey, which darkens on the neck to lead-colour, lores black, upper parts dark brown; primaries and tail-feathers black; underparts dark brown passing to lead colour on throat. Total length about 16 inches, culmen 2.1, wing 10.25 to 11, tail 6 to 7, tarsus 1. They nest in large companies, either on low bushes or the ground, the nest being composed of seaweed or land vegetation. 81 THE NODDY TERN “uosgry) ‘DO ‘SOIPPON SuysoN jo dnoaty oe NUT 82 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The single egg is usually pinkish-white and marked with reddish- brown blotches often blurred at their margins, and sometimes most numerous at the larger end. The eggs measure about - 2x 1.50 inch. ' These birds nest in immense numbers on the Houtman’s Abrolhos. Gilbert, who was the first to describe the rookeries on these islands, says that there the nest is constructed of seaweed, about six inches in diameter and four to eight inches high. The top is nearly flat, there being but a very slight hollow to prevent the single egg from rolling off. The nests are so completely A. J. Campbell. Lesser Noddy: Micranous tenuirostris. plastered with the excrement of the bird, that at first sight they seem to be entirely formed of that material. They are placed either on the ground in a clear open space, or on the tops of the thick scrub, over those of the Sooty Tern, the two species incubating together in perfect harmony. The male Sooty Tern sits quite close to the nest of the Noddy, while its mate is sitting below on her own nest. The birds kept their posts with great tenacity. They would not stir off the egg or young, but allowed themselves to be trodden upon or taken off by the hand. The young of both Terns are largely destroyed by a lizard which is very abundant about the breeding places. In Torres Strait the nests are made of small twigs, over which are strewn fragments THE LESSER NODDY 83 of coral and shells, and usually upon tufts of grass, about a foot from the ground. The American Noddy lays two eggs. The Lesser Noddy. Micranous tenwirostris. Mascarene Island to Torres Strait and Australia. Forehead and crown greyish-white, above and in front of the eye a black half cirelet, followed by a minute white eyelid streak and then a small black spot, below the eye white; cheeks grey; nape pale grey, Dobe ty oF P 5 Bae From life. A. J. Campbell. Lesser Noddy Nesting in Mangrove (Houtman's Abrolhos): Micranous tenuirostris. darkening on sides of neck; throat nearly black, mantle and tail brownish grey; primaries blackish; underparts sooty brown; bill black. Total length 12 inches, culmen 1.8, wing 8.3, tail 4.7, tarsus 0.9. They build in colonies. The nest is usually made of seaweed, sometimes of land vegetation, situated on mangrove and other bushes or on ledges of rocks; loose masses of weed often hang down from the nest. The single egg is pale-cream colour, with a few reddish-brown markings, mostly on the larger end, those beneath the surface being purplish-grey. They measure about 1.80 x 1.22 inch. These birds nest in vast companies on the Houtman’s Abrolhos. 84 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The White-capped Noddy. Micranous leucocapillus. Caribbean Sea, intertropical Atlantic, both sides of South Africa, Indian Ocean, Northern Australia, and most of the islands of the South Pacific as far as the Society Group. Similar to preceding species, but forehead and crown whiter, and the rest of the body much darker, lores jet black, upper and underparts nearly black. Total length 13 inches, culmen 2, wing 8.9 to 9.1, tail 4.8 to 5, tarsus 0.9. Breed in colonies. The nest is built of seaweed and placed on shrubs or on projecting rocks. The single egg is cream colour to white, and the markings reddish-brown; these vary from large blotches to small spots and lines, and are usually much more plentiful on the larger end; the undersurface markings are purplish. The eggs measure about 1.75 x 1.25 inch. The White Tern. Gygis alba. Indian Ocean to Australia, the Pacific Islands and Islands of South Atlantic. Above and below white, except a narrow black ring round the eye; bill black; irides blue. Total length from 12 to 13 inches, culmen 1.8, wing 9.5, tail 4.25 to 5, tarsus 0.6. The single egg is laid on the bare horizontal branch of a tree; it varies in colour from a dull white to pale buff; it is curiously and thickly marked and streaked with lines, large and small spots, blotches and scrolls, &c., their colour being brown of varying shades, those under the surface purple. The eggs measure from 1.51 to 1.81 in length and from 1.18 to 1.30 in breadth. Sub-family Larine. Bill with upper mandible longer and bent over tip of lower. Tail square (Australian). Genus Larus.—Nostrils linear. Genus Gabianus.—Nostrils ovate, very small. THE SILVER GULL 85 The Silver Gull. Larus nove-hollandice. Tasmania, Australia to New Caledonia. Head, neck, tail and under surface white; mantle and secondaries light grey, first and second primaries black at the tip and over the larger portions, third quill with white tip, followed by black bar, fourth and fifth quills white to grey, with black bars, under wing-coverts grey; bill crimson-lake. Total length about 15 inches, culmen 1.8, wing 11.5 to 12, tail 5 to 5.5, tarsus 1.9 to 2. Usually breed in small colonies, but occasionally a single pair by themselves. The nests are situated on some rocky headland and usually among the grass. The nest is composed of grass, seaweed, &. The eggs are two or three and are greyish-green to olive. The markings vary from black to yellowish-brown, the underlying markings being purple. The eggs measure about 2.19 x 1.56 inch. The Silver Gull is a_ beautiful little bird, abundantly dispersed over our sea-shores, and giving the first welcome to Australia to the incoming vessels in our harbours. It also frequents the rivers and inland lakes of any extent. It frequently congregates in immense flocks. Its flight is light and buoyant, and it runs over the sands or adjacent grassy flats with great facility. In maritime townships, where not disturbed, the birds will come about the cottages and take their share with the domestic poultry; and, before protection, gulls were often allowed to run free over the gardens and lawns of our city houses, as they are useful in the destruction of slugs. The gulls are closely protected in the different states, for they are excellent scavengers. Like so many of the sea-birds, however, they are astonishingly vicious to one another, and any weakly or injured birds are quickly destroyed and eaten by the rest. At a meeting of the Linnean Society of New South Wales Mr. A. Basset Hull exhibited some extraordinary mutations in the eggs, which he had obtained at the rookery at Montague Island. Instead of the ordinary olive-green or olive-brown egos streaked and blotched with blackish-brown markings, some of the eggs were of a beautiful uniform pale-blue with no markings whatever, while others were glossy white, faintly blotched with pale-red and a few dull red spots. There was in one case a full clutch of three blue eggs. Were these reversions? 86 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Pacific Gull. Gabianus pacificus. Australia and Tasmania. Head, neck and under surface white; mantle and surface of wings black; secondaries with broad white tips; tail coverts white; bill orange. They obtain their adult plumage in the third year, and in the young stage the head and hind neck are brown, mantle and tail coverts paler brown, primaries and under surface brown, bill nearly black. The total length is 25 inches, culmen 2.8, wing 17.5 to 18, tail 8, tarsus 2.9. Nest made of grass or other vegetation, and usually built on small islands or outlying reefs among the Mesembryanthemums or the tussock grass. Clutch from two to three eggs, olive-brown marked with dark-brown blotches, those underlying purplish- grey. They measure about 3.01 x 2.01 inch. Family Stercorarude. Bill with a cere; tip of mandible hooked. Sternum with only one notch on each side behind. Toes with strong, hooked sharp claws. Genus Megalestris—Form robust. Tail short, the central pair of quills projecting about half an inch. Genus Stercorarius——Form more slender. Tail with central pair of quills projecting 3 inches at least. The Southern Skua. Megalestris antarctica. Southern Ocean generally, north to Madagascar and Comoro Islands. Upper parts dark brown; under wing-coverts dark brown; bill and tarsi black. Total length 23 to 24 inches, culmen 2.5, and depth 1; wing 15.5 to 16.5, tail 6.5 to 7, tarsus 3 to 3.25. Nest usually among and lined with grass. Two eggs are laid and are greyish buff to olive-brown; the markings are brown of various shades, sometimes more numerous at the larger end. The eggs measure about 2.94 x 2.10 inch. The Southern Skua is often called Sea Hawk by sailors because of its powerful beak and claws. The claws have a curious appearance, projecting beyond the web which unites the 87 GULLS ‘mnasnyy Avan ‘ADLPUDNYOY-avaow sniwT pue snoyrovd snumgny : snp 88 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA toes. The bird is a great traveller, being a regular visitant to the Antarctic Continent. Gould noticed the Skuas at a great distance from land, resting themselves on masses of floating seaweed. They feed on young and sick birds, which they kill without remorse, but are easily daunted and driven off by adult Gulls. They do not skim over the water, like the Petrels, but fly low, with a heavy slow flapping of the roundish wings. The white mark on the wing is conspicuous when seen from below. In the breeding season the old birds are very fierce, flying round ; Meyer. Richardson Skua: Stereorarius crepidatus. the head of an intruder, dashing every now and again at him, and making at the same time a curious croaking noise in their throats. The Pomarine Skua. Stercorarius pomatorhinus. Arctic regions north of 70°, when nesting; in winter southward as far as Northern Australia, South Africa, and Peru. Forehead, cheeks and crown sooty black; acuminate feathers of the neck white, edged with yellow, lower neck blackish; feathers of upper breast white barred with black, which forms a dark collar; mantle, upper tail-coverts and primaries dark brown; breast dull white; abdomen, flanks and under wing-coverts umber. Total length 21 inches, culmen 1.7. wing 14.25, tail about 5.25, tarsus 2.1. 89 SKUA GULLS AENANISUT TMILYTONOLLYT MANGE “VIYIDIUY SUysapMAaTL IS[[VH wayg 90 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Breeds on the Tundras, making a depression in the mossy vegetation for its nest. Two eggs are laid, of a dark greyish- olive colour, marked with brownish spots of varying shades, mostly at the larger end; they measure 2.27 x 1.8 inch. The Richardson Skua. Stercorarius crepidatus. Cireumpolar and sub-Arctie regions. Dull white at base of bill; forehead ash-brown, crown darker brown; hind neck dull white, shading into ash-brown on the shoulders and thickly streaked with straw-colour; mantle, wing and tail-coverts darker brown; under wing and abdomen ash-brown; breast and chin dull white. Some forms are darker throughout, the underparts being nearly as dark as the mantle. Total length 20 inches; culmen 1.5, wing 13, tail 5 without the central pair, tarsus 1.75. Builds a slight nest of moss, &c., on the Tundras in Siberia, although fairly plentiful in Port Phillip and round the Tasmanian and Australian coasts. It lays two eggs, which are dark olive, blotched with umber, especially on the larger end. They measure about 2.30 x 1.58 inch. ORDER CHARADRIIFORMES. Family Charadriide. Nostrils schizorhinal: tarsus usually reticulated, sometimes scutellated. Key to Sub-families. Nasal grooves not extending beyond half length of the bill. Bill not swollen at the tip. Bill moderate about as long as the toes. Toes without web. Arenariing. Outer toe connected by web. Hematopodine. Bill much longer than toes. Himantopodineg. Bill with marked swelling at the tip. Tarsus reticulated behind, scaly in front. Lobivanellina. Tarsus reticulated, or with hexagonal scales both in front and behind. Charadriine. Tarsus transversely scaled both in front and behind, Peltohyatine. Nasal grooves extending along the greater part of the Dill. Toes webbed. Totanineg. Toes not webbed. Scolopacinzg. Sub-family Arenariine. Genus Arenaria. Toes unwebbed, hind toe present. All parts of the world. THE PIED OYSTER-CATCHER 91 The Turnstone. Arenaria interpres. Only seen with us in its winter plumage. Above, blackish-brown; throat and abdomen white; breast brownish-black; tail white, with a broad blackish band near the tip. In summer in Europe and Asia, the head and breast are white mottled with black. Bill black, legs red, eye dark brown; wing 6 inches, tarsus 1. The Turnstones breed in high northern latitudes, migrating southwards in the early autumn. One contingent travelling down through the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea comes to us in Australia and Tasmania for the summer. Some reach New Zealand in November, and a few appear in Fiji. Meyer. Turnstone (breeding plumage): Arenaria interpres. Sub-family Hematopodine. Genus Hematopus. Bill longer than the head, strong, compressed. Hind toe wanting. Almost cosmopolitan. The White-breasted or Pied Oyster-catcher. Hematopus longirostris. Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Chatham Islands, New Guinea, and Moluccas. Back and head glossy black, edge of wing black, lower back and tail- coverts white, latter broadly tipped with black; inner secondaries edged with white; under surface white. Total length 17 inches, culmen 3.4. wing 10.1, tail 4, tarsus 1.95. THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest a depression in the sand; the two eggs are light greyish-stone in colour, with numerous markings of dark-brown fairly distributed ; the measurements are about 2.38 x 1.56 inch. bg se, ae Meyer. Pied Oyster-catcher: Haematopus longirostris. The Black Oyster-catcher. A. fulsginosus. Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. All black. Total length 18 inches, culmen 3.3, wing 11.5, tail 4.4, tarsus 2.1. Toy. “Erebus” and “Terror.” Black Oyster-catcher: Haematopus fuliginosus. THE RED-KNEED DOTTREL 93 Nest usually a depression in seaweed or other dead vegeta- tion on the rocks. The two eggs are greyish-stone, marked with numerous dark-brown blotches, very similar to those of the preceding species, and measure about 2.70 x 1.71 inch. Sub-family Lobivanelline. Genus Erythrogonys. Tip of bill only slightly swollen. No spur on wing. Australian Museum. Red-kneed Dottrel: Erythrogonys cinctus. The Red-kneed Dottrel. Erythrogonys cinctus. Australia. Colour above bronzy brown; greater series of wing-coverts fringed with white at ends; inner primaries and secondaries broadly tipped with white; sides of back and rump white; centre tail feathers brown, rest white; small patch below eye, cheeks, throat and sides of neck white; head and sides of face black; broad band of black on chest; underparts white. Total length 7.5 inches, culmen 0.85, wing 4.3, tail 1.85, tarsus 16. This bird is found in the interior and away from the sea coasts, usually on the banks of swamps or lagoons. 94 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest on the bare ground, usually by the edge of a swamp; four eggs are laid, of a dark stone colour, thickly marked with blackish wavy lines and spots, the lines interlacing. The eggs, measure about 1.23 x .87 inch. Genus Lobivanellus. Facial Wattle. Spur on wing. “The Emu.” H. Burrell. Nest of Spur-winged Plover: Lobivanellus lobatus. The Spur-winged Plover. Lobiwanellus lobatus. Australia and Tasmania, accidental in New Zealand. Above light brown, with small fringe of white at the ends of the greater wing-coverts. Tail and upper tail-coverts white, the former having a black band at the end; crown of head black, extending back- wards and joining a black patch on the sides of the breast; base of forehead, sides of face and under surface white, including under wing- coverts. Total length 14 inches, culmen 1.4, wing 9.6, tail 4.2, tarsus 3. THE BLACK-BREASTED PLOVER 95 Nest on damp bare ground, usually slightly hollowed, and situated near a swamp, the four eggs are the same tone as the soil, and, as is usual with eggs laid on the ground, are much larger at one end than the other, the smaller end always being inwards, which enables the bird to sit on the eggs without pushing them from her. They are of a dark-greenish colour, marked with bold olive blotches, and measure about 1.94 x 1.40 inch. The Masked Plover. Lobivanellus miles. Australia, New Guinea, Aru and Moluccas Islands, Similar to L. lobatus, but distinguished by its larger and differently shaped lappet, and having the black on the head confined to the cap, being separated from the brown of the back by a white collar. Total length 12.5 inches, culmen 1.5, wing 8.9, tail 3.7, tarsus 3. Nest a slight hollow on the bare damp soil near some swamp. The four eggs are greenish-olive, occasionally lighter, and spotted with dark-brown of varying shades. They measure about 1.76 x 1.25 inch. Sub-family Charadriune. Genus Zonifer. Facial wattle. No spur on wing. The Black-breasted Plover. Zonifer tricolor. Australia and Tasmania. Brown above; median series of wing-coverts tipped with white; the greater coverts white; secondaries black; upper tail-coverts white; basal half of tail white; the terminal half black with a white tip; crown of head and nape black; a white streak behind the eye; throat white, encircled by a band of black, which forms a broad pectoral band; remainder of under surface white. Total length 10.5 inches, eulmen 1.05, wing 7.4, tail 3.2, tarsus 1.9. Nest a slight hollow in the ground, usually scantily lined with grass or other material. The four eggs are greyish-olive, well marked all over with small brown spots. These birds are often noticed on the plains well away from water, especially in Riverina. The eggs measure about 1.80 x 1.25 inch. 96 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Squatarola. No facial wattle. No spur on wing. Hind toe present. The Grey Plover. Squatarola helvetica. Sub-Arctie regions south to Australia and Tasmania; South Africa and South America in winter. General colour above mottled with bars of black and ashy white; lower back dusky brown, with white spots and fringes to the feathers; upper tail coverts and tail feathers white, barred with blackish brown; crown of head more minutely mottled than the back; forehead and eyebrow white, extending down the sides of the neck and forming a Australian Museum. Golden Plover: Charadrius (fulvus) dominicus. patch on side of breast; under surface of body black; abdomen white. The winter plumage has not the black on the face or breast, and the upper surface is ashy brown with narrow whitish edgings to the feathers; base of forehead like the crown; throat and underparts white, and the ‘axillaries black. Total es 10. 5 inches, culmen 1.3, wing 8.1, tail 2.9, tarsus 1.8. Nest a shallow depression in the moss with a little lining. They nest in the Tundra country in Northern Siberia, and lay four eggs which are of varying shades of stone colour, marked with blackish-brown blotches, mostly on the larger end, those on the pointed end being smaller. The eggs measure about 2.10 x 1.40 inch. THE LESSER GOLDEN PLOVER 97 Genus Charadrius. No facial wattle. No spur on wing. No hind toe. The Lesser Golden Plover. Charadrius dominicus. Sub-Arctie regions south in winter to Australia, New Zealand, Africa and South America. General colour above mottled with black, golden-buff and ashy- whitish markings; tail feathers brown, barred with golden, outer feathers notched with white; a frontal band, extending down the sides of the ] Meyer. Lesser Golden Plover: Charadrius dominicus. neck and joining the white along the sides of the body; sides of face and throat smoky-black; breast and abdomen black; axillaries smoky- brown. Total length 9 inches, culmen 0.95, wing 6.5, tail 2.4, tarsus 1.65. Nest a slight depression on the moss-covered ground of the Tundra, in Siberia, and Northern America. Four eggs are laid, which are of a pale buff colour, boldly marked with blotches of dark reddish-brown. The eggs measure about 1.90 x 1.30 inch. Genus Ochthodromus. Bill equal in length to middle toe. 98 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Double-banded Dottrel. Ochthodromus bicinctus. Australia, Tasmania, Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands. General colour above greenish brown; the greater and primary- coverts with « narrow white tip; tail feathers brown tipped with white; forehead and throat white, separated from the brown face by a line of black, which runs along the throat and joins a broad band across the fore-neck; across the chest a broad white band followed by another of deep chestnut; rest of under surface white. Total length 7.5 inches, culmen 0.8, wing 4.95, tail 2.15, tarsus 1.25. In moulting plumage the bands of black and chestnut on the under surface are absent, and no black band on head. Nest a depression in the loose soil, usually near the coast. The three eggs are greenish-stone, streaked and spotted with blackish-brown. They measure about 1.39 x .99 inch. The Greater Sand Dottrel. Ochthodromus geoffroyi. Eastern Asia to Africa, India, and Australia in winter. General colour above light brown; the greater series of wing-coverts tipped with white; tail brown, with a broad white tip; on the forepart of the crown a band of cinnamon-rufous, which extends down the side of the neck round the hinder neck, where it forms a broad collar; base of forehead white, followed by a narrow black band; sides of face and under surface of body white, with a broad band of chestnut across the breast; in winter the rufous chest and facial markings are absent. Total length 8.5 inches, culmen 1, wing 5.5, tail 2, tarsus 1.45. They breed in Formosa and China, and probably in Japan, making a slight depression in the soil. The eggs are buff, thickly marked with almost black blotches, some being very large and confluent, others smaller and well over the egg. An example in the collection of the author from Formosa measures 1.36 x .95 inch. The Mongolian Sand Dottrel. Ochthodromus mongolus. North-east Asia, Alaska, and China to Australia in winter. Similar to O. geoffroyi, but smaller, a broader black band along the side of the face and the ear-coverts being entirely black; the white throat separated from the rufous chest band by a narrow line of black. In winter plumage the facial markings and rufous chest are absent. Total length 7.5 inches, culmen 0.75, wing 5.2, tail 2.1, tarsus 1.2. Breeds in Eastern Siberia, The Commander Islands and Tibet. THE RED-CAPPED DOTTREL 99 The Oriental Dottrel. Ochthodromus veredus. Mongolia and China to Moluccas and Australia in the winter. Similar to O. geoffroyi, but with longer and more slender bill, and with smoky-brown axillaries, under wing-coverts and quill linings; upper parts uniform brown, with white tip to tail; chest, chestnut followed by horseshoe mark of black; breast and abdomen white. In winter plumage has no rufous chest-band. Total length 8.5 inches, culmen 1, wing 6.5, tail 2.4, tarsus 1.75. Breeds in Mongolia. Genus Af gialitis. Bill shorter than the middle toe. Ringed Plover. Aigialitis hiaticola. Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia; accidentally Europe, North Asia, and Africa. The winter distribution. Whole of the underparts white, with the exception of the lores and a single broad breast-band, both of which are black in the adult male, brown in the female and young; nearly the central half of the outer webs of the innermost primaries is white, and the web between the outer and middle toes reaches only to the first joint. Breeds in Greenland, Iceland, Spitzbergen and Novaya Zemlya. The Red-capped Dottrel. Agialitis ruficapilla. Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, north to China. General colour above brown; the primary coverts fringed with white at the ends; the greater coverts also tipped with white; four central tail feathers brown, the next pair white, with some brown on the inner web, the remainder white; crown of head and hind-neck rufous; frontal band white, extending above the eye, and narrow band of black adjoining, sides of face and under surface white; a black mark on each side of neck. Total length 6 inches, culmen 0.6, wing 4.1, tail 1.55, tarsus 1.1. Nest a slight hollow in the sand just above high-water mark, usually with some shells or seaweed about it. Two stone- coloured eges are laid, with dark-brown markings, some being large, others very small. The eggs measure about 1.26 x .87 inch. 100 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Black-fronted Dottrel. Aigialhitis melanops. Australia. Above dark sandy-brown, with darker bases to the feathers; the greater coverts with white tips; scapulars deep chestnut, forming a patch down each side of the back; primaries black; secondaries white on inner web, dark brown on outer; centre tail feathers blackish, the next tipped with white, the outermost being white; forehead black, and a black patch on the hind neck; a white band encircles the sides of the crown and meets on the nape; throat and underparts white, with broad black collar on fore-neck. Total length 6 inches, culmen 0.65, wing 4.4, tail 2.1, tarsus 0.9. Nest a very slight depression on the margins of inland lagoons, rivers, &c. The three eggs are light-buff, thickly marked with minute dots and lines of brown or umber, and being so like the ground on which they are laid, are very difficult to detect; they measure about 1.16 x .86 inch. These birds are not found on the seashore; only inland. The Hooded Dottrel. Aigialitis cucullata. Australia and Tasmania. Above pale ashy-grey; greater wing-coverts broadly tipped with white; primary coverts slightly fringed with white at the tips; centre tail feathers brown, the others white for the most part, and tipped with white; head, neck and throat black, enclosing white collar round the hind neck; a whitish spot below eye; remainder of under surface white, with black patch on sides of the chest. Total length 8.3 inches, culmen 0.7, wing 5.4, tail 2.6, tarsus 1.05. Nest a slight hollow in the sand well above high-water mark; three eggs are generally laid, but occasionally only two, of a light stone colour, with blotches and irregular dark-brown markings, of various sizes. The eggs measure about 1.38 x .01 inch. Sub-family Peltohyatine. Genus Peltohyas. Characters of the sub-family. Confined to Australia. THE BANDED STILT 101 The Australian Dottrel. Peltohyas australis. Australia. Above sandy buff, streaked with dark brown centres to the feathers; lower back ashy-brown; tail dark brown, edged with buff; crown of head spotted with blackish and separated from forehead by band of black; a black patch below the eye; a black collar round the hind-neck, descending to the chest; under surface sandy buff; lower abdomen, thighs and under tail-coverts white. Total length 8 inches, culmen 0.75, wing 5.35, tail 2.3, tarsus 1.35. Nest a slight depression in the soil, usually on raised ground; from three to five eggs are laid, buff in colour, sparingly marked with dark-brown blotches, larger on some eges than on others. They measure about 1.44 x 1.02 inch. These birds inhabit the inland districts. Sub-family Himantopodine. Bill much longer than head, slender, straight. Legs very long and slender. Toes with scarcely any web. No hind toe. The White-headed Stilt. Himantopus leucocephalus. Australia, New Guinea, Moluccas, and Greater Sunda Island. Above black; lower back and tail white, the latter tinged with brown on centre feathers; head white; hind neck to the white collar black; under-surface white. Total length 14.5 inches, culmen 2.5, wing 9.4, tail 2.3, tarsus 4.5. Nest sometimes a slight hollow in the damp ground, but if in a very wet situation, a nest is built of vegetation. Four eggs are laid, of a greenish stone-colour, with large dark-brown blotches or streaks; they measure about 1.80 x 1.25 inch. Genus Cladorhynchus. Like Himantopus, but the toes are webbed. The Banded Stilt. Cladorhynchus leucocephalus. Australia and Tasmania. Above white; wing-coverts and primaries black; outer secondaries white, innermost black; tail white; head and neck white; line of black 102 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA on fore-neck; breast chestnut; black line down centre of abdomen and sides of body white. Total length 13.5 inches, culmen 2.8, wing 7.7, tail 3.1, tarsus 3.05. Australian Museum. White-headed Stilt: Himantopus leucocephalus. Nest a very slight depression, sometimes none, with very little lining. The four eggs are greenish-stone, with dark-brown blotches or streaks, almost identical with those of the preceding species. They measure about 1.79 x 1.21 inch. THE RED-NECKED AVOCET 103 Genus Recurvirostra. Bill long and slender, much curved upwards. Legs long and slender. Toes webbed. Short hind toe. Avocet: Recurvirostra White-headed Stilt: Himantopus novae-hollandiae. . leucocephalus. The Red-necked Avocet. Recurvirostra nove-hollandie. Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Above white, with black line down sides of the back, formed by the scapulars; outer scapulars white; small wing-coverts white on the edge; the greater series white with black on outer webs; tail ashy grey; head and throat chestnut; under surface white. Total length 15.5 inches, culmen 3.6, wing 8.9, tail 3.1, tarsus 3.35. 104 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest on the bare damp soil, usually lined with a little vegetation. The four eggs are olive-stone, with dark-brown Australian Museum. Avocet: Recurvirostra novae-hollandiae. markings, almost exactly as in the preceding species. They measure about 2.01 x 1.1 inch. THE LITTLE WHIMBREL 105 Sub-family Totanine. Genus Numenwus. Bill strong and long, arched downwards. Legs stout. Tarsus transversely scaled in front, reticulate behind. The Curlew. Numenius cyanopus. East Siberia and Japan to Australia and Tasmania in winter. General colour fulvous brown, with longitudinal black centres tu the feathers; lower back darker and the axillaries and under wing- coverts and upper tail-coverts barred. Under surface tinged with buff. The bill is curved, and measures seven inches long. Total length 24 inches, culmen 7.2, wing 12.5, tail 4.6, tarsus 3.46. Nest and eggs undescribed. They breed in Siberia, usually leaving here in the latter end of April. This bird is only found on the sea coasts, and must not be confused with the Stone Plover, also commonly called Curlew in Australia. The Whimbrel. Numenius variegatus. East Siberia to Australia and Tasmania in winter. Above nearly uniform dark brown; lower back thickly mottled with bars and spots of brown, and the axillaries with broad bands of brown; tail tipped with white and barred; centre of crown whitish and streaked; breast and sides of body pale buff, with longitudinal streaks; abdomen white. Total length 15 inches, culmen 3, wing 8.8, tail 3.8, tarsus 2.15. They nest in Siberia. Genus Mesoscolopax. Bill arched downwards. Tarsus with transverse scales before and behind. The Little Whimbrel. Mesoscolopax minutus. Eastern Siberia to Australia in winter. Above blackish, mottled with sandy-buff spots and margins of the feathers; upper tail-coverts barred; tail ashy grey and barred; fore-neck buff and streaked; centre of breast whitish. Total length 13 inches, eulmen 1.75, wing 7.1, tail 2.85, tarsus 1.8. Nest in Siberia, leaving Australia about April. 106 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Inmosa. Bill very long, slightly inclined upwards. Hind toe rather long. ; Meyer. Barred-rumped Godwit: Limosa novae-zealandiae. The Barred-rumped Godwit. Limosa nove-zealandia. Eastern Siberia and Alaska to Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand in winter. Above blackish, mottled with chestnut; lower back dusky, the feathers having white edgings; under wing-coverts mcttled and axillaries barred; tail brown, tipped and barred with white; crown of head chestnut and streaked; under surface chestnut and streaked on upper breast. Total length 14.5 inches, culmen 3.4, wing 8.9, tail 2.9, tarsus 2.2. Nests in Siberia. GREEN SANDPIPER 107 The Black-tailed Godwit. Timosa limosa. Eastern Siberia to Australia in winter. Above ashy brown, with slightly paler edges to feathers; lower back blackish and brown; upper tail-coverts white, long ones tipped with black; greater wing-coverts broadly tipped with white; tail white at the base, with broad black terminal band; upper throat and underparts white. Total length 16.5 inches, culmen 4.4, wing 8.8, tail 3, tarsus 3.2. Nest made of vegetation in marshy situations. The four eges are greenish-buff and marked with blotches of olive-brown. They measure from 2.05 to 2.27 inches in length to 1.42 to 1.55 inches in breadth. Nests in the Northern Hemisphere. Genus Totanus. Bill straight, not longer than tail. Tarsus longer than middle toe. The Little Greenshank. Totanus stagnatihs, South-east Europe to North-east Asia and wintering in Africa, India, Malay Archipelago, Moluccas, and Australia. : Above nearly uniform ashy brown, some feathers margined with white; lower back white; upper tail-coverts white and barred with black; centre tail feathers ashy and barred with black, the remainder white, freckled and barred; forehead white and sides of face white and streaked with brown; under surface white. Total length 9.5 inches, culmen 1.6, wing 5.2, tail 2.1, tarsus 2.1, A slight depression in the ground and the clutch usually four. They are stone colour, boldly marked with dark-brown blotches, and measure about 1.50 x 1.05 inch. These birds nest in the Northern Hemisphere. The Green Sandpiper. Helodromas ochropus. North-west Australia and Queensland (winter), Europe, North Asia, Africa, India. Dark olive-brown, with a few very small white spots; the rump is like the back, but the upper tail-coverts are white, as are the tail feathers, the latter having blackish bars; the under surface is white, with brown streaks on the lower throat and fore-neck. + 108 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA It nests in Northern Europe and Siberia, building in trees, usually selecting old nests of other birds. The clutch is four, about 114 inch in length, and colour greenish-white with reddish- brown markings. Genus Heteractitis. Bill straight. Tarsus of same length as middle toe and claw. Secondaries shorter than primaries. The Grey-rumped Sandpiper. Heteractitis brevipes. Eastern Siberia to Australia in winter. Above uniform ashy grey, with very slight lighter margins to feathers; lower back more grey with whitish edges; tail ashy, with narrow whitish margins; sides of face and under surface white, with shade of grey on chest; sides of breast ashy grey. In the breeding plumage the cheeks are spotted and the breast and sides of body barred. Total length 8.8 inches, wing 6.4, culmen 1.5, tail 2.6, tarsus 1.15. Breeds in Siberia. The American Grey-rumped Sandpiper. Heteractitis incanus. Northern Australia, (Oceania north to Alaska). The flanks, axillaries and breast are greyish brown, a little paler on the upper parts, the rest of the underparts are white, no white on the quills. Total length 9 inches, culmen 1.5, wing 6.1, tail 2.8, tarsus 1.2 inch. They nest in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, and passing along the coast of California and the Galapagos Islands winter in the Polynesian Islands. Genus Tringoides. As in preceding, but secondaries about equal in length to primaries. The Common Sandpiper. Tringoides hypoleucus. Europe and Northern Asia to Africa, India, Australia (winter). Above bronzy brown, the feathers with arrow-shared central markings of black; wing-coverts barred with blackish; greater coverts tipped with white; tail irregularly barred and tipped with white, outer feathers . THE GREENSHANK 109 mostly white; under parts white. Total length 8 inches, culmen 1.1, wing 4.1, tail 2, tarsus 0.96. Nest a depression in the ground, sometimes lined. Four eggs are laid and are stone colour, with blotches and _ finer marking of brown of varying shades. They measure about 1.40 x 1.01 inch. These birds nest in the Northern Hemisphere. Genus Terekia, Bill with upward curve. Webs to both inner and outer toes. The Terek Sandpiper. Terekia cinerea. North-east Europe, North Siberia to Africa, India to Australia (winter). Above light ashy grey, with whitish edges to the scapulars and wing- coverts; in breeding plumage there are black centres to the upper surface. Secondaries tipped with white; upper tail-coverts freckled; forehead white; sides of face whitish streaked with ashy grey; underparts white. Total length 8.5 inches, culmen 2, wing 5.35, tail 2.2, tarsus 1.15. Nest a depression in the ground, usually lined. The eggs are olive-buff, marked with blotches and streaks of dark-brown, especially on the larger end. They measure about 1.5 x .96 inch. These birds breed in Northern Europe and Siberia. Genus Glottis. Bill with upward curve. No web to outer toe. The Greenshank. Glottis nebularius. North Asia and North Europe to Africa, Indian Peninsula and Australia in winter. In winter plumage the colour above is ashy-brown, mottled with whitish edges to the feathers, which are freckled with darker brown; lower back and tail white, the centre feathers of the tail barred with brown, the others spotted on outer web; forehead and sides of face white; 110 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA sides of neck streaked; under surface white. The breeding plumage is more ruddy brown with black centres to the feathers on the uppér surface. Total length 13 inches, culmen 2.2, wing 7.2, tail 2.85, tarsus 2.15. Nest a depression in grass, moss, &c. Four cream-coloured eggs are laid, marked with blotches and lines of brown, and generally most numerous at the larger end, where they are confiuent. They measure about 1.95 x 1.30 inch. Breeds in Northern Hemisphere. Genus Rhyacophilus. The Wood Sandpiper. Rhyacophilus glareola. Europe and North Asia to Africa, Indian Peninsula, and Australia in winter. In winter the colour above is bronzy-brown, with light margins to the feathers, which are slightly spotted with white on both edges; feathers on rump edged with white; upper tail coverts white, the lateral ones with blackish markings; centre tail feathers ashy brown barred with darker brown and notched with white; the lateral feathers white, barred with blackish; sides of face white lightly streaked; throat white; chest ashy; remainder of under surface white. Total length 8.5 inches, culmen 1.15, wing 4.6, tail 1.85, tarsus 1.4. In summer the plumage is more variegated than in winter. Nest the usual depression in the grassy and heathy ground and lined with similar material. The four eggs are greenish- white or buff and marked with blotches and spots of reddish- brown, especially at the larger end. These birds nest in the Northern Hemisphere. Genus Bartramia. Bill thickened at tip, shorter than tail. Tail long, outer feathers shorter than middle ones. The Bartram Sandpiper. Bartramia longicauda. North America, ranging to South America in winter, accidental in Europe and Australia. Above mottled, the feathers being black, with whitish edges; lower back black; centre tail-feathers ashy brown, barred with black, remainder THE LITTLE STINT 111 buff, tipped with whitish; throat white; chest buff, feathers centred with triangular black spots; rest of underparts creamy white. Total length 11 inches, culmen 1.15, wing 6.5, tail 3.3, tarsus 1.75. Nest a depression in the ground among short vegetation; four eggs form the clutch, and are of a greyish-stone colour, covered with spots and blotches of brown, rather more numerous at the larger end. They measure about 1.80 x 1.30 inch. They nest in North America. Sub-family Scolopacine. Genus Calidris. No hind toe. Bill and tarsus equal in length. The Sanderling. Calidris arenaria. Aretie regions to South America, Africa, Indian Peninsula, and Australia in winter. In winter the general colour above is light ashy grey, with whitish edgings to feathers; in summer the feathers are more mottled; medium wing-coverts ashy, broadly tipped with white; centre tail-feathers ashy grey, blackish towards the tips, remainder dusky brown; a broad frontal band; sides of face and under surface white. Total length 7 inches, culmen 1.05, wing 4.75, tail 1.8, tarsus 0.9. Nest a depression on the ground lined with grass. The clutch is four, and they are olive-buff in colour, with numerous markings of olive-brown, generally most plentiful at the larger end. They nest in the Arctic regions. Genus Pisobia. Hind toe present. Bill as long as tarsus. Tarsus as long as mid toe with claw. The Little Stint. Pisobia (Limonites) ruficollis. Eastern Siberia to Australia in winter. In winter plumage the general colour above is ashy brown, slightly darker along the shafts; lower back blackish brown; foreneck and chest white or slightly ashy; sides of lower back and lateral upper tail-coverts white; tail light smoky brown, the long central feathers dark brown, 112 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA with a narrow whitish fringe; a white wing-band on the greater-coverts; throat and under surface of body white. In summer much more mottled on the upper surface. Total length 5.3 inches, culmen 0.7, wing 3.85, tail 1.7, tarsus 0.75. They nest in Eastern Siberia. Eggs so far undescribed. The Middendorff Stint. Pisobia damacensis. Eastern Siberia to Australia in winter. Similar in winter plumage to L. ruficollis, but darker, with the head and back much more thickly spotted with black, and the lower throat and foreneck very distinctly streaked or mottled with brown. The species can also be distinguished from the above by its long toes. Total length 5.2 inches, culmen 0.7, wing 3.4, tail 1.4, tarsus 0.8, middle toe and claw 0.9. They breed in Northern Siberia, but eggs not described. Birds very plentiful on Rottnest Island, W.A., locally called Little Snipe. Genus Heteropygia. Hind toe is present. Bill as long as tarsus. Tarsus longer than hind toe. The Sharp-tailed Stint. Heteropygia aurita (acuminata). Eastern Siberia to Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania in winter. In winter are coloured brown above, streaked with black down the centre of the feathers; lower back dusky black; under surface of body white; lower throat and chest ashy fulvous with a few narrow streaks; tail feathers ashy brown fringed with white round the ends. Total length 7 inches, culmen 1.1, wing 5.4, tail 2.1, tarsus 1.2. They breed in Siberia. Eggs not described. Genus Ancylochilus. Ilind toe present. Bill longer than tarsus. Tarsus longer than mid toe. Tip of bill decurved. THE KNOT 113 The Curlew Stint. Ancylochilus subarquatus. North Siberia to Africa, Indian Peninsula and Australia in winter. In winter the plumage is ashy brown above, slightly mottled with darker centres to the feathers; rump and upper tail-coverts white; tail feathers ashy brown, fringed with white, and a sub-terminal dusky bar; under surface white, with fine lines of dusky brown on the sides of the face, neck, lower throat, and fore-neck. Total length 7.4 inches, eulmen 1.35, wing 5.3, tail 1.9, tarsus 1.15, middle toe and claw 1. Breeds in Siberia. Meyer. Sharp-tailed Stint: Heteropygia awrita. Genus Tringa. Hind toe present. Bill longer than tarsus. Tarsus longer than hind toe. Tip of bill straight. Tail square. The Knot. Tringa canutus. Arctic regions to Africa, Indian Peninsula, Australia, and New Zealand. In winter the plumage above is ashy grey, with a few dusky bars on the rump; upper tail-coverts white, barred with black; the inner primary- coverts black broadly tipped with white; tail ashy grey; sides of face white, with dusky streaks; under surface of body white; the throat streaked, and the chest mottled. Total length 9 inches, culmen 1.3, wing 6.1, tail 2.3, tarsus 1.2. H 114 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The single egg in the British Museum from the Seebohm collection is a greyish cream colour, boldly marked over the larger half with coarse blotches of chestnut-brown and pale underlying purple, with lines of black; the smaller end has a few rufous spots on. It measures 1.61 x 148 inch. Meyer. Knot: Tringa canutus. The Great Sandpiper. Tringa crassirostris. Eastern Siberia to Australia and Western India. The winter plumage is similar to 7. canutus, being ashy grey above and white below, but easily distinguished by the longer bill and pure white upper tail-coverts; the dusky spots on the chest and sides of the body smaller and much more distinct. Total length 10.5 inches, culmen 1.6, wing 6.9, tail 2.5, tarsus 1.3. Nests in Siberia. Not described. Genus Gallinago. Hind toe present. Bill longer than tarsus. Tarsus shorter than mid toe. The Snipe. Gallinago australis. Nesting in Japan and passing in winter by Formosa to Australia and Tasmania. The general colour above black and the stripes and markings of the upper surface are a dark sandy isabelline, especially on hinder neck, and the paler colour on the scapulars causes the black to stand out conspicuously THE PAINTED SNIPE 115 and imparts a strongly mottled appearance to the upper surface. The tail feathers number 18, and are tawny rufous, black at the base, and tipped with white; outer feathers regularly barred; crown of head with black band on each side; chin white; chest mottled sandy brown; breast and abdomen white. Total length 11.5 inches, culmen 2.7, wing 6.5 tail 2.6, tarsus 1.85. ; Nest a very slight depression in marshy uplands. Four eggs are laid, light-stone in colour and boldly marked with brown blotches, especially on the larger end; some look as if they had been smudged. The eges measure about 1.74 x 1.20 inch. The clutch in the author’s collection was found on the upland marshes of Mount Fujiyama. Strictly speaking, this bird should be called the Japanese Snipe. They usually arrive in Victoria about the latter part of August, leaving again about the latter end of March. Genus Rostratula. Hind toe present. Bill longer than tarsus. Tarsus as long as mid toe. The Painted Snipe. Rostratula australis. Australia. The general colour above of the hen bird is ashy brown, glossed with olive-green, the upper surface freckled all over with transverse blackish lines and a few broader bars and a reddish streak down each side of back; primary-coverts grey, freckled with irregular wavy lines of black; lower back pearl grey, with black cross-lines; tail barred with ochre; the sides of the face and throat sooty black; under surface white; on each side of the upper breast is a black patch. The male is easily distinguished from the female by the absence of chestnut on the throat and neck, and by the wing-coverts being bronzy and olive, with numerous spots of yellow-ochre. Total length 9.5 inches, culmen 1.7, wing 5.9, tail 1.8, tarsus 1.7, Nest a slight depression in the ground lined with grass and usually near a swamp, the four eggs are light-stone, boldly marked with large blotches of very dark sepia and streaks. They measure about 1.39 x 1.01 inch. These birds are rare and usually found in pairs, and resort to dryer situations than the before-mentioned species. 116 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Family Parride. Toes enormously long. Genus Hydralector. Rail-like in form. The great length of the toes and claws enables the bird to run with great facility over floating aquatic plants in lakes or swamps. Weak in powers of flight, they can dive well and remain submerged for a long time. The Comb-crested Jacana. Hydralector gallinaceus. Australia, Celebes, and South Borneo. Above bronzy brown; upper tail-coverts and tail black, the centre tail feathers white at base; forehead, sides of neck and face straw- colour; throat white; breast and under wing-coverts black; abdomen white. Total length 9 inches, culmen with frontal lappet 1.8, wing 5.6, tail 1.6, tarsus 2.4, middle toe and claw 3.6. Usually a floating nest of green vegetation or built on water- lilies and similar plants in a swamp. The four eggs are very striking, being exceedingly glossy and interlaced all round with almost black lines on an olive-stone background. They measure about 1.19 x .83 inch. Family Glareolide. Nostrils schizorhinal. Tarsus transversely scaled in front. Genus Stiltia. Tarsus very long, the outstretched feet far exceeding the tail. The Pratincole. Stiltia isabella. Australia to Celebes, and Greater Sunda Island. Above brown, all the feathers more or less washed with a sandy rufous; coverts and primaries black; upper tail-coverts white; tail black, white at base, increasing towards the outermost, which is almost white; chest sandy rufous; abdomen white. Total length 9 inches, culmen 0.65, wing 8.3, tail 2.4, tarsus 1.85. Eggs laid in a very slight depression on the bare ground. They are usually two, and are stone-colour, covered with light THE PRATINCOLE 117 markings and blotches of umber. They measure about 1.24 x .96 inch. Macleay Museum. Comb-crested Jacana: Hydralector (Parra) gallinaceus. This bird is very similar in appearance to a swallow, having long pointed wings, and can run fast on the ground. 118 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Glareola. Tarsus rather short, the outstretched feet not reaching beyond the tail. Tail strongly forked. The Oriental Pratincole. Glareola orientalis. Eastern Siberia to Australia in winter. Above olive-brown with greenish gloss; upper tail-coverts white; tail forked and blackish, the base white, cheeks and throat buff, sur- rounded with a white line; chest rufous; underparts white. Total length 10 inches, culmen 0.65, wing 7.3, tail 3.15, tarsus 1.2. Nest on the bare ground. Two eggs are usually laid, of a yellowish-stone colour, boldly marked with blotches of very dark brown. They measure about 1.19 x .94 inch. These birds apparently do not breed in Australia, but are often found in immense flocks in N.W. Australia. Family Oedicnemide. Nostrils holorhinal. Tarsus entirely reticulated. No hind toe. Genus Burhinus. Bill shorter than head. The Stone Plover. Burhinus grallarius. Australia. Above ashy-grey, the crown, neck and mantle streaked with blackish stripes; lower back with blackish shaft-stripes; tail barred; a band of white on the first four primaries; under surface white, tinged with tawny ou breast and sides and streaked. Total length 20.5 inches, culmen 1.9, wing 10.5, tail 6, tarsus 4.6. The two eggs are laid on the bare ground; usually the same tint as the eggs. Those laid on decomposed basalt, which is chocolate, have markings of that colour, and others in a similar manner, the ground colour being usually light-stone or buff. The eggs measure about 2.33 x 1.59 inch. Those in W. Australia are slightly smaller. ‘ THE LONG-BILLED STUNE PLOVER 119 Genus Orthorhamphus. Bill as long as head. Australian Museum. Stone Plover and Young: Burhinus grallarius. The Long-billed Stone Plover. Orthorhamphus magnirostris. Shores of Northern Australia and throughout the Malayan Archipelago to Borneo and the Andamans. 120 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Above ashy brown, with dusky shaft-lines to the feathers; upper tail-coverts freckled; a broad dark band across the wing, followed by one of white; tail ashy brown, with a black band at the end, before which is a white band; face white; throat white; breast ashy; remainder of under surface white with tawny tinge. Total length 19 inches, culmen 3, wing 10.8, tail 4.3, tarsus 3.3. Nest a depression usually scraped out under a bush and close to the shore. Usually only one egg is laid, of a grey colour, blotched and marked with dark olive. It measures about 2.55 x 1.76 inch. Family Otidide. Large land birds with turkey-like form, flattened, blunt bill, stout legs and claws. Tail quills 16 to 20. Genus Eupodotis. Feathers of neck elongated. Wing three times longer than tarsus. The Australian Bustard. i Eupodotis australis. Australia. Above dull sandy buff, everywhere finely lined with blackish and shaded with slaty grey; greater coverts black with white tips, inner ones mottled; primaries slaty grey; tail like back, but banded and mottled; crown of head and nuchal crest black; under surface white. Total length about 48 inches, wing 26, tarsus 7.2, culmen 3, tail 10.5; weight up to 18lbs. Lays either one or two eggs on the bare ground in open country. They are olive in colour, sometimes with a bluish tint obscurely smeared, generally in a longitudinal direction, with olive-brown. They measure about 3.23 x 2.28 inch. These splendid birds live almost entirely on the ground; consequently their young are often destroyed by foxes. They are now seare in Southern Australia, what with rabbit poison, foxes and the undiscriminating gun. ‘At times when crammed with grasshoppers, which they are doing their best to destroy, they fall victims to the stick of the ungrateful but hungry settler. THE AUSTRALIAN CRANE OR NATIVE COMPANION 121 ORDER GRUIFORMES. Family Gruide. True Cranes. Palate schizognathous. Tall birds with long necks and legs. Tail quills 12. Genus Antigone. Skin bare round a clear patch of ear-coverts. From life. ° D. Le Souéf. Australian Bustard: Eupodotis australis, The Australian Crane or Native Companion. Antigone australasiana, Australia. Above grey, the margins of the feathers being paler; primaries black; tail feathers slaty grey, blackish towards the tips; crown bare and olive-green, the hinder crown with coarse papille; chin and upper throat bare; raised fleshy papilla at back of head red; the pendulous gular pouch olive-green. Total length about 42 inches, culmen 6, wing 20.5, tail 7.5, tarsus 10.2. 122 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest usually made of vegetation in swampy situations, sometimes raised above the shallow water and at other times on a small knoll, with very little nest. The two eggs are usually drab, but sometimes white, and are marked with brownish blotches, mostly on the larger end. They measure about 3.50 x 2.33 inch. The light-coloured eggs are generally found in Northern Australia. When the nesting season is over, these birds often jae ~: ’ t * * Macleay Museum. Jabiru: Xenorhynchus asiaticus. Australian Crane: Antigone australasiana. congregate in considerable flocks. Like all the Cranes, the Native Companions are birds of stately form, and, under ordinary conditions, of dignified demeanour, recalling the elegant manners of the eighteenth century. Perhaps the bow is a little overdone, and certainly the steps of the dance which they much affect do not rival the grace of the minuet. In captivity they are fairly easily tamed, but are not very trust- worthy, and the dart of the long powerful bill is dangerous. They live on lizards and insects, and will tear up the ground with the beak in search of edible roots and bulbs. These birds THE WHITE IBIS 123 soar at a great height in a series of easy circles, and then often give forth a hoarse croaking ery. They probably reach to a ereater elevation than any other of our birds, even soaring to greater heights than the Swifts. ORDER ARDEIFORMES. Sub-order Plataleew. Ibis and Spoonhills. Nostrils schizognathous. Sternum with four posterior notches. Family Tbidide. Bill much recurved; nasal groove linear, produced nearly to tip of bill. Genus Ibvs. Tarsus reticulated in front with many hexagonal scales. Plumes of inner secondaries with disconnected webs, highly ornamental. The White Ibis. Ibis molucca. Australia, New Guinea, Ceram, Waigiou, Salawati. White; inner secondaries mottled with black; primaries tipped with black; on the fore-neck drooping narrow plumes; head and upper half of neck bare and with the bill slaty black; in young birds the head and neck are covered with feathers until the third year, when they are shed; back of the head and neck crossed by ten narrow bands of pink; on crown of head some oval spots of the same colour. Total length 30 inches, culmen 7.5, wing 14.5, tail 5.1, tarsus 4.3. Nest an almost flat structure composed of green twigs, rushes or flags, made by treading down the vegetation in the swamps on which their nests are placed. They usually build in companies; sometimes many thousands together. The clutch, generally three, is white in colour, the inside lining being lght- green. They measure about 2.55 x 1.68 inch. The White Ibis is an invaluable protector of crops and wholesale destroyer of insects, and it is folly not to protect the bird to the uttermost. We gladly quote in this connection from an article in the ‘‘Victorian Naturalist,’? by a practical Victorian politician, Mr. Frank Madden. After pointing out 124 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA that the ancient Egyptians, recognising the enormous value to agriculturists of the species which frequented the Nile Valley, proclaimed the bird as sacred, and made it a crime punishable by law to injure or destroy an Ibis, Mr. Madden goes on to describe the thoroughness with which the Australian Ibis clears a district of locust and cricket, the take-all and the harvest caterpillar, and other dire enemies of the farmer. “Watch a flock of Ibis on an autumn day on ground which is cracked by the heat of the previous summer, and where the crickets have effected a lodgment. Before the birds come the land is alive with these ravenous insects. When a flock of Ibis arrive they settle on one spot and pick, and pick, and pick by the hour. Then the crickets which have so far escaped become frightened, and disappear into the cracks in the ground, and the Ibis rise and seek a fresh place and commence operations there. When the crickets left in the first patch find that the birds are gone, they come out to graze, as they are as ravenous for grass as the Ibis are for crickets; and this the birds well know, and when they have reduced the second point of attack to the same condition as the first was in when they left it, they return to the first, and remain while a single cricket remains above ground, and so from place to place. Examine a place where locusts have deposited their eggs after it has been visited by a flock of Ibis, and you will find the ground as full of holes as a cullender. These holes are made by the powerful beak of the Ibis being driven into the ground to reach the eggs or newly- hatched insects, and the millions of the pest they thus destroy can only be imagined.’’ ‘*T remember a most lovely crop of malting barley, which was erown close to the railway station at Camperdown. I saw it just as it was becoming fit to cut, and admired it greatly. Three days afterwards there was hardly a grain of corn to be seen of it. The caterpillars had cut off all the heads, and the farmer had to turn his stock in to eat the fallen grain. That autumn the Ibis came, not in battalions or regiments, but in whole army corps, and stayed during the winter, and for three years after- wards hardly a single harvest caterpillar was to be seen.’’ And many farmers haven’t the common sense to protect these useful and energetic friends! THE STRAW-NECKED IBIS 125 Genus Carphibis. Head and throat bare. Hind neck feathered to nape. Long stiff yellow shafts on the foreneck. The Straw-necked Ibis. Carphibis spinicollis. Australia. Above glossy bluish black or steel-green; purplish on the wings, and the whole of the upper parts barred across with black; lower back black; D. Le Souéf. Melbourne Zoo. Straw-necked Ibis, Adult and Young: Carphibis spinicollis. long upper tail-coverts and tail feathers white; crown of head and fore part of throat bare, surrounded by white ruff; centre of fore neck white, with long straw-coloured plumes on each side; underparts white. Total length 29 inches, culmen 8, wing 14.7, tail 5.4, tarsus 3.3. Nest and egg similar to those of the White Ibis; also nest in companies, sometimes to the number of three hundred thousand on one swamp. Eggs measure about the same. 126 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Plegadis. Chin only bare, rest of throat feathered. Lores bare. Cheeks partly bare. The Glossy Ibis. Plegadis falcinellus. South Europe to India, China, Australia, Africa, Eastern United States to Florida. Above black, with bronzy sheen of purple; upper mantle deep chestnut; head, neck and under surface deep maroon-chestuut, lighter on breast. Total length 22 inches, culmen 5.2, wing 11.2, tail 3.9, tarsus 4.2. In winter plumage head and neck streaked with whitish. Nest constructed of sticks in forked branches, usually in trees near or over water, well lined with leaves, frequently in bunches. The four eggs are a beautiful dark bluish-green colour, and measure about 2.8 x 1.43 inch. These birds are not nearly as plentiful as the other two species, and do not associate in the same large flocks. Family Plataleide. Bill flattened, narrow in middle, widening out into a spoon- shaped end. Genus Platalea. Head partly bare, plumes around auricular orifice. Nostrils in a shallow depression. The Black-billed Spoonbill. Platalea regia. Australia to the Moluccas. Plumage white, with full crest on the head; forehead, fore part of cheeks, and upper throat black; bill, legs, face and feet black. Total length 34 inches, culmen 8, wing 15, tail 4.6, tarsus 5.5. Hither a flat stick nest in a tree near or over water, or of rushes or reeds trodden down in a swamp and some other material added. Four eggs are usually laid. They are white, usually sparingly marked with brown blotches, most numerous near the larger end. Some eggs have no markings on. They measure about 2.57 x 1.71 inch. THE YELLOW-LEGGED SPOONBILL 127 Genus Platibis. Nostrils in a deep depression. Inner secondaries with Ibis- like plumes. The Yellow-legged Spoonbill. Platibis flavipes. Australia. : White, with a tuft of elongated feathers on the fore-neck of light straw-colour; forehead and upper throat yellow; bill, legs and feet yellow. Total length 38 inches, culmen 9, wing 16.5, tail 6.8, tarsus 5.5. H. Nielson. Young Jabirus (Xenorhynchus asiaticus) on Nest. Nest a flat structure of sticks, lined with leaves, usually on a horizontal branch, over or near water. The four eggs are white and measure about 2.80 x 1.88 inch. Sub-order Ciconie. Family Ciconiine. Storks. Genus Nenorhynchus. Hind toe above level of rest. Lower jaw accurved at tip. Bill very long, as long as tarsus. 128 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Jabiru’ (Black-necked Stork). Xenorhynchus asiaticus. India, Burmah, Malay Peninsula, New Guinea to North Australia. Above white from the hind-neck to the upper tail-coverts; the lesser wing-coverts white, forming a large wing-patch; the rest of the wing mostly black, glossed with metallic green and purple, the tail being the same; head and neck metallic bluish green, with patch of purplish bronze on the nape; under surface white. Total length 48 inches, culmen 12, wing 22.5, tail 8.5, tarsus 12. Nest, a bulky structure made of sticks and lined with softer material; it usually builds on trees growing in swamps. Four eges form a full clutch; they are white, and the surface pitted; they measure about 2.90 x 2.10 inch. These birds are not plentiful in Australia. Sub-order Ardew. Herons and Bitterns. Nostrils holorhinal. Family Ardeide. Hind toe large, resting on the ground like the others, and furnished with a big nail. Middle claw with crust-like edge on its inner margin. Bill notched. Wings large, flight slow. Lores and eye bare. ‘Tail short. Genus Ardea. Edges of mandibles distinctly serrated. Head crested, nape feathers form long ornamental plumes. No dorsal train. The Great-billed Heron. Ardea sumatrana. Northern Australia, Celebes, Sunda, Malay Peninsula, Aracan, and Tenasserim. Above dull grey, the lower back paler; the seapulars have elongated plumes, white at the ends; tail dark slate, slightly glossed with green; crown of head crested; upper throat white; neck slaty brown, and feathers elongated; under surface grey, with white centres to the feathers. Total length 45 inches, culmen 6.8, wing 18.3, tail 6.1, tarsus 6.7. Nest made of sticks and lined with softer material, and usually built in trees growing in a swamp. The eggs are pale- bluish green and measure about 2.70 x 1.9 inch. These birds are not numerous, and appear to be solitary in their habits. 129 THE GREAT-BILLED HERON Wwos]aiN “HT “(DunLQoUNs DaPLP) UWOLOFT popiq-yvory JO SunoK pur yson NUT 24D, 130 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Grey or Common Heron. Ardea cinerea. Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Above light grey, the scapular feathers elongated to narrow drooping plumes of pale grey or white; primary wing-coverts purplish black; tail grey; a crest on the head, white in centre, with band of purplish black on each side, and having two long nuchal plumes; neck, sides of face and under surface white; drooping plumes on side of fore-neck and chest; lower throat has elongated black stripes on each side of the feathers. Total length 30 inches, culmen 5.1, wing 18, tail 7.2, tarsus 6.8. Nest the usual nearly flat structure of sticks built in trees by this class of birds. The ordinary clutch of eggs is four. They are light bluish green, and measure about 2.30 x 1.75 inch. Genus Mesophoyz. Edge of mandible distinctly serrated. Head crested. Fore- neck with plumes. An immense dorsal train of fine plumes. The Plumed Egret. Mesophoyx plumifera. Australia, New Guinea, Moluccas, Celebes. White above and below; the head crested; the long ornamental plumes of the back 17 inches long. These are sold for the purposes of fashion under the name of ‘‘Osprey’’ plumes, the parent birds being killed at nesting time. Feathers of fore-neck 8 inches long and webs broken up; bill yellow; feet black. Total length 25 inches, culmen 3.1, wing 11, tail 5.4, tarsus 4.05. A nearly flat stick nest on a tree, usually over water. The full clutch is four eggs. They are bluish-green, and measure about 1.81 x 1.387 inch. Genus Herodias. Bill not serrated. No crest but a well-developed dorsal train. Tail quills 12. The Egret. Herodias timoriensis. North China and Japan to Australia. White with a bunch of elongated plumes on the back; the feathers of the fore-neck and sides of upper breast forming a shield on the sides EGRETS 131 Protection of Birds Society. Egrets on Nest. 132 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA of the latter; bill yellow; naked space before and behind the eye greenish yellow. Total length 30 inches, culmen 4.4, wing 15, tail 6.3, tarsus 5.2 to 6.4. Nest a slightly hollow platform of sticks on a tree, usually over or very near water. They generally build in colonies, frequently accompanied by Cormorants, Nankeen Herons, &c. From three to four eggs are laid, of a pale bluish-green colour. They measure about 2.21 x 1.51 inch. Genus Notophoysz.. A full crest but no nape plumes. Dorsal train not extending beyond tail. Tail quills 12. The White-fronted Heron (Blue Crane). Notophoyx nove-hollandie. Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, New Caledonia, New Guinea, and the Moluceas. Above dark bluish grey, with long lanceolate plumes on the back and scapulars; lower back lighter; primary coverts blackish; crown very dark grey, the nape-feathers forming a crest; forehead, behind the eye, cheeks and throat white; the long feathers at the sides of the upper breast grey. Total length 26 inches, culmen 3.15, wing 12.5, tail 5.2, tarsus 3.75. The amount of white on the face varies. A stick nest usually built on a horizontal branch, frequently over water. Five eggs is the full clutch. They are a delicate bluish-green colour. They measure about 2. x 1.38 inch. These birds do not nest in rookeries. The White-necked Heron. Notophoyx pacifica. Australia and Tasmania. Above glossy olive-green, the long feathers slaty grey; the scapular plumes maroon; lower back slaty grey; wing coverts glossy green; the tip and edge of the wing white; tail dark slate-colour; head and neck vinous isabelline; throat white in centre, with a few black spots; feathers of fore-neck elongated with white at ends; under parts blackish, with longitudinal streaks of white. The neck is occasionally mostly white. Total length about 30 inches. A nearly flat stick nest, usually in trees over water. They generally build in small companies. Four pale bluish-green eggs are laid, and they measure about 2.12 x 1.60 inch. EGRETS 133 of Birds Socicty. Protect plumes, which are sold to adorn the hats of fashionable ladies! Starved Egrets, whose parents have been destroyed for the sake of the 134 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Pied Egret. Notophoyx flavirostris. Northern Australia, New Guinea, Aru, Tenimber, Amboina, and Celebes Islands. Above slaty black, with long plumes on the back and scapulars; collar round the hind-neck, the throat and fore-neck, white; feathers of fore-neck elongated and are parti-coloured on the sides of the neck, being white in the centre; under surface blackish slate-colour. Total length 19 inches, culmen 2.55, wing 8.7, tail 3, tarsus 2.8. “Nest the usual nearly flat stick structure on trees growing near or in water. Only one egg is so far described, that in the British Museum collection from the Gould collection from N. Australia; it is pale bluish-green, and measures 1.60 x 1.21 inch. The White-headed Egret. Notophoyx aruensis. Northern Australia to the Aru Islands. Above dingy slate-colour; tail black; head, crest, neck, and under surface white; sides of body slate-colour; edge of wing white. Total length 18.5 inches, culmen 2.4, wing 8.8, tail 3.2, tarsus 2.85. This is a rare bird, and eggs so far not described. Genus Garzetta. No crest but drooping head plumes. Plumes on back and breast. The Lesser Egret. Garzetta mgripes. Java, Malay Archipelago, and Australia. White with two elongated plumes from the nape, and similar plumes on the back and breast; bill, feet, and toes black. Total length 22 inches, culmen 3.4, wing 10.7, tail 3.5, tarsus 3.7. Nest a platform of sticks in trees near or over water. The four eggs are pale bluish-green, and measure about 1.80 x 1.40 inch. Genus Demiegretta. Bill not serrated, longer than tarsus. Tarsus longer than mid toe. Tail quills 12. THE REEF HERON 135 The Reef Heron. Demiegretta sacra. From the islands of the Bay of Bengal to Australia and north to Japan and Corea. Reef Heron: Demiegretta sacra. White-fronted Heron: Notophoyx novae-hollandiae. Above and below blackish slate-colour; feathers of upper breast elongated like those of the middle of the back; elongated feathers paler, those on the back reaching to the end of the tail; head crested; a white streak down the centre of the throat. Total length 23 inches, culmen 2.8, wing 10, tail 3.10, tarsus 3.9. 136 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA There are three forms of this bird in Australia; on the Southern coasts both the white and the grey, which interbreed, and in the Northern portion a darker variety. is also found, as well as the other two forms. Nest built of twigs or other material on the ground, frequently under a shelving rock and generally on small islands or reefs. Four eggs are laid, of a delicate bluish colour, and they measure about 1.82 x 1.31 inch. Genus Nycticorax. Tarsus as long as mid toe. Bill higher than broad. Two or three long nuchal plumes. The Nankeen Night-heron. Nycticorax caledonmcus. Australia, Celebes, Admiralty, and Pelew Islands. Above cinnamon, including tail; crown of head black and crested on the nape, and with two long white plumes; eyebrows white; under surface white. The young are everywhere thickly streaked and spotted with buffy white; under surface white, streaked with blackish; they attain their adult plumage in the third year. Total length 19.5 inches, culmen 3, wing 11.6, tail 3.6, tarsus 3.25. When nesting inland they build substantial stick nests on tall trees, usually in companies, but when nesting on the islands off the coast, especially in Western Australia, they build slight structures in sheltered places among the rocks. The four eggs are light bluish-green, and measure about 2 x 1.40 inch. Genus Butorides. Bill longer than tarsus. Ornamental nape and dorsal plumes. The Thick-billed Green Bittern. Butorides stagnatilis. Northern Australia, New Guinea, Solomons, Moluccas, Lesser Sunda, Timor, Flores, New Caledonia, Fiji, Society and Friendly Islands. Above slaty grey; cheeks and throat brown; long scapular feathers green; lower back greyish green; tail dull green; crown of head dark glossy green; hind neck grey; under surface rusty-brown. Total length 17 inches, culmen 2.8, wing 7.7, tail 2.6, tarsus 1.9. E. Mattingley. A. H. ggs and Young: Nycticorax caledonicus. Emu.” “The E Nests of Night Heron, 138 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest a fragile structure of sticks, usually built on mangroves or similar trees near or over water. The three eggs are a pale bluish-green colour, and measure about 1.60 x 1.21 inch. Genus Ardetta. Bill serrated. Legs feathered down to tarsal joint. Tarsus as long as mid toe. Tail quills 10. The Little Yellow Bittern. Ardetta sinensis. Japan and China to Northern Australia. Above brown; edge of wing white; lower back ashy grey; tail and crown of head and nape black; throat white, streaked with yellowish buff, like the rest of the under surface; lower abdomen white; on each side of upper breast a patch of .dependent feathers, blackish with yellowish margins. Total length 15.5 inches, culmen 2, wing 4.9, tail 1.5, tarsus 1.75. Nest formed by treading down thick growing rushes or reeds in swamps. Four eggs are usually laid, of a very pale bluish colour; they measure about 1.24 x .94 inch. The Minute Bittern. Ardetta pusilla. Australia and New Zealand. : Back, scapulars, and tail glossy greenish black; wing-coverts light brown, tinted with yellow; throat and under surface white, tinged with yellow; bill yellow. Total length 10 inches, culmen 1.8, wing 5.2, tail 2, tarsus 1.6. Nest of reeds or rushes trodden down into a slight platform. The four eggs are white, and measure about 1.20 x .99 inch. These little birds, unless they are disturbed, are rarely seen, remaining very close among the reeds. Genus Dupetor. Bill short and thick, longer than tarsus. Tarsus as long as mid toe. THE YELLOW-NECKED BITTERN 139 The Yellow-necked Bittern. Dupetor gouldi. Australia (except Southern) and New Guinea. Above dark greyish brown; tail blackish; crest plumes on head; a band of golden straw-colour runs down the sides of the neck, the lower Meyer. Bittern: Botaurus poeciloptilus. feathers being elongated; brown on under surface; a central row of spots down the throat black. Total length 24 inches, culmen 3.35, wing 8.9, tail 3.4, tarsus 2.65. Nest a slight structure of sticks placed generally in a horizontal branch on a tree over or near water. Four white eggs are usually laid. They measure about 1.74 x 1.34 inch. 140 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Botaurus. Bill serrated, about as long as inner toe and claw. Hind claw very long, nearly as long as its toe. The Bittern. Botaurus peciloptilus. Australia, Tasmania, New Caledonia, and New Zealand. Above mottled with tawny yellow and black; nearly uniform black mantle and scapulars; a ruff of smoky brown on the sides of the neck; From life. D. Le Souéf. Bittern in Attitude of Defence: Botaurus poeciloptilus. crown of head black, with a crest of mottled feathers on the nape; under surface reddish brown; reddish bands on fore-neck, and black-centred feathers on the sides of the chest. Total length 24 inches, culmen 2.8, wing 12.5, tail 4.5, tarsus 3.9. Nest usually a trodden-down platform in a thick growth of rushes in a swamp. Five eggs form the full clutch. They are of a light olive-green colour, and measure about 2.01 x 1.46 inch. THE PIED GOOSE 141 OrDER ANSERIFORMES. Aquatic birds. Young covered with down, and able to run or swim a few hours after hatching. Palate desmognathous, the maxillo-palatine processes uniting to form a long roof to the palate. Family Anatide. Margins of bill laminated. Sub-family Cygnine. Swans. Hind toe lobed. Neck very long, as long as, or even longer than, the body. Genus Chenopsis. Predominant colour black. The Black Swan. Chenopsis atrata. Australia and Tasmania. Brownish black, under surface paler; primaries and secondaries white; tertiaries and scapulars crisp. Total length 40 inches, wing 19, tail 4.6, culmen 2.8, tarsus 3.7. Nest a large bulky structure, usually built in swamps, either of sticks and bark or of rushes, reeds, &c.; occasionally fieating. From four to six eggs are laid, five being perhaps the most usual. They are greenish-white or greyish-green, and measure about 4.18 x 2.62 inch. Sub-family Anseranatine. Hind toe not lobed. Feet half webbed. Genus Anseranas. Plumage black and white. The Pied Goose. Anseranas semrpalmata. Australia and Tasmania. Head, neck, mantle, wings, tail and thighs black; back, breast, abdomen, tail-coverts, seapulars and smaller upper wing-coverts white. Total length 35 inches, wing 18.5, tail 8, bill 3.25, tarsus 3.62. 142 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA A bulky nest usually made of reeds, rushes, &¢., and generally placed on a thick growth of those plants in swamps. The number of eggs varies from eight to fourteen. They are yellowish-white and pitted, and measure about 3.02 x 2.31 inch. These birds are now scarce in Southern Australia. Sub-family Plectropterine. Hind toe not lobed, long. Feet fully webbed. Tail feathers rather long, broad, rounded at tip. Upper parts glossy. Genus Nettopus. Length of bill less than double its depth. The Green Dwarf Goose. Nettopus pulchellus. Australia, New Guinea, Moluccas, Celebes and Tenimber Islands. Sides of the head, throat, breast, and abdomen white; top of head brown, banded with dark green and pale brown; neck, back, scapulars and upper wing-coverts dark glossy green; lower part of neck and sides with crescent white and green bands; upper tail-coverts banded; white band across the wing; tail and under tail-coverts glossy black. Total length about 13.5 inches, wing 6.9, tail 3, culmen 0.98, tarsus 0.98. Female has top of head uniform brown-black, sides of head and neck speckled with black. Nest occasionally made of grass or similar vegetation among the thick growth of the swamps and lined with feathers, but usually in hollows in trees. Clutch about nine, of a light-cream colour. They measure about 1.70 x 1.28 inch. These beautiful little geese are not found in Southern Australia, but only in the northern districts. The White-quilled Dwarf Goose. Nettopus albipennis. Queensland and New South Wales. Crown brown; remainder of head, neck, and lower plumage white; a broad collar round the neck, black in front and green behind; the white of the breast going round the neck and forming another collar below the black one; back and wing-coverts glossy green; white band on wing; the female has the breast mottled with brown, and lower plumage barred with brown. Total length 13 inches, wing 6.5, tail 3, culmen 0.92, tarsus 1. Nest generally in a hollow in a tree. About nine form a clutch, and they are a light-cream, and measure about 1.90 x 1.45 inch. THE CAPE BARREN GOOSE 143 Sub-family Cercopsine. Cere of bill much developed. Genus Cereopsis. Face wax-like. The Cape Barren Goose. Cereopsis nove-hollandie. Southern Australia and Tasmania. Crown of head whitish, rest of plumage brownish grey; some of the wing-coverts and scapulars with a spot of brownish black near the tip; Australian Museum. Maned Goose: Chenonetta jubata. feathers of back margined with pale brownish grey; tail blackish brown; bill black and cere yellow; feet black. Total length 34 inches, wing 20, tail 8, tarsus 3.6. Nest made of grass and lined with down, generally on the ground among the tussocky grass on the islands in Bass Strait and off the coast of South and West Australia. They do not nest inland or go far from the coast. From four to six eggs are laid, of a creamy-white colour. They measure about 2.94 x 2.10 inch. 144 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Sub-family Chenonettine. Hind toe very narrowly lobed. Bill rather short and goose- like. Genus Chenonetta. Upper wing coverts grey. The Maned Goose (Wood Duck). Chenonetta jubata. Australia and Tasmania. Head and neck brown; lengthened plumes down the back of the neck brown-black; back and lesser wing-coverts grey; lower back black; breast grey, each feather tipped with greyish white and spotted with black on each side; sides and flanks pencilled; abdomen black; glossy green band on the secondaries, which are tipped with white, as well as the greater wing-coverts. Total length 20 inches, wing 11, tail 4, culmen 1.15, tarsus 1.42. Nest in a hollow spout of a tree and well lined with down, usually near water. From eight to twelve cream-coloured eggs are laid. They measure about 2.24 x 1.59 inch. Sub-family Anatine. Hind toe very narrowly lobed. Bill rather flat and lobed. Genus Dendrocycna. Front of lower tarsus reticulate. The Whistling Duck. Dendrocycna arcuata. Australia, Oceania, New Guinea, Celebes, Moluccas, and Indo- Malayan Islands. Upper part of the head and line down the back of the neck brown- black; sides of head and neck pale fulvous; throat almost white; back and scapulars black, with edges chestnut, and on the upper back the black part of the feathers with rufous spots; breast rufous, each feather with black spot in centre; lighter on abdomen; tail and rump black, the feathers of the flanks elongated with buffy white streaks, edged with black. Total length about 17 inches, wing 8.5, tail 2.8, culmen 1.7, tarsus 1.85. Nest generally on the ground in thick long grass, and well lined with down. From eight to twelve light cream-coloured eges are laid, and they measure 2.10 x 1.41 inch. THE CHESTNUT-COLOURED SHELDRAKE 145 The Plumed Whistling Duck. Dendrocycna eytoni. Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand (accidental). Upper part of head, hind-neck, and breast pale brown; sides of head and neck grey, fading into white on throat; back of wings greyish brown, with paler edges; sides and lower breast reddish and barred with black; feathers of the flanks very long, of a buff colour and margined with black; abdomen buffy white; bill has a mottled patch in the centre. Total length 16 inches, wing 9.5, tail 3, culmen 1.6, tarsus 2. Nest a scraped out depression in long grass on the plains, and well lined with down. From eight to twelve cream-coloured eggs are laid, and they measure about 1.94 x 1.54 inch. Genus Tadorna. Front of lower tarsus with transverse scales. Sexes alike in plumage. The White-headed Sheldrake. Tadorna rufitergum (radjah). Northern Australia, Moluccas and New Guinea. Head, neck, breast and abdomen white; back, scapulars, rump and upper tail-coverts black; the mantle has narrow chestnut lines; a chestnut pectoral band, with narrow black lines; upper wing-coverts white; primaries and coverts black; a glossy green speculum on the secondaries; tail black; bill and feet white. Total length about 19 inches, wing 11, tail 5, culmen 1.75, tarsus 2.12. Nest generally in a hollow in a tree. From eight to ten eggs are laid, of a very pale whitish-cream colour. They measure about 2.36 x 1.72 inch. Genus Casarca. Lamelle on edge of lower mandible projecting outwards. Sexes differing in plumage. The Chestnut-Coloured Sheldrake (Mountain Duck). Casarca tadornoides. Australia (not north) and Tasmania. Head and upper part of the neck glossy dark green; a white ring round the middle of the neck; below the ring and the upper part of the back and breast are red; back, scapulars and lower parts black, finely Kk 146 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA freckled with fulvous; tail and coverts black; wing-coverts white; primaries and coverts black; a glossy green speculum. Total length 24 inches, wing 14, tail 6, culmen 1.8, tarsus 2.25. The female has a mottled white ring round the base of the bill. Australian Museum. Chestnut Sheldrake: Casarca tadornoides. Nest sometimes in hollows in trees and sometimes on the ground in long grass near a log or fallen branch, well lined with down and grass. From eight to thirteen cream-coloured eggs are laid, and they measure about 2.78 x 1.98 inch. These birds are often seen in pairs on the plains and frequent the salt lakes. Their call is a deep toned ‘‘honch.’’ THE BLACK DUCK 147 Genus Anas. Bill broad, about as long as head. Black Duck: Anas superciliosa. The Black Duck. Anas superciliosa. Greater and Lesser Sunda, New Guinea, Polynesia and Pelew Islands, Australia and New Zealand. General plumage above and below brown, the feathers edged with buff; upper part of the head and a band on each side brown-black; a whitish stripe over the eye; a band of pale buff through the cheeks, chin and throat; a pale band on the nape; a glossy green speculum, bordered on both sides with black; upper wing-coverts white. Total length about 24 inches, wing 10.75, tail 4.4, culmen 2.25, tarsus 1.65, 148 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest either on the ground in long grass or under a thick bush or in a hollow in a tree or in the deserted nest of a crow or hawk; usually well lined with down and a little grass. The elutch is from eight to thirteen, usually of a greenish-cream colour, and they measure about 2.32 x 1.65 inch. This bird is by far the most common duck in Australia; it can be crossed with the domesticated varieties. Genus Nettion. Bill not very broad, compressed, shorter than head. Pro. Zool. Society. Chestnut-breasted Teal: Nettion castaneum. The Chestnut-breasted Teal. Nettion castaneuwm. Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Head and neck dark glossy green; mantle and back black, each feather edged with chestnut; rump and tail-coverts glossy black; breast and abdomen chestnut, with round black spots; scapulars and wings olive- brown; wing-speculum velvety black, with 4 metallic green band on the upper half; bill bluish lead-colour. Total length about 18.5 inches, wing 9, tail 4.5, culmen 1.5, tarsus 1.4. The female is brown, with greyish edgings to the feathers, lower back almost uniform brown; lighter on the underparts; speculum tipped with white band. THE GARGANEY TEAL 149 Nest sometimes on the ground in lone grass and lined with down and a little grass, but they generally lay in a hollow in a tree. From eight to ten cream-coloured eggs are laid, and they measure about 2.06 x 1.46 inch. This bird is most plentiful near the southern coasts of Australia, as well as on the islands in Bass Strait and in Tasmania, where it is often locally called the King Teal. The Grey Teal. Nettion gibberifrons. Celebes, Greater and Lesser Sunda, New Guinea, New Caledonia, New Zealand and Australia. Upper part of the head dark brown, with the edges of the feathers greyish; sides of the head paler and streaked with dark brown; chin and throat white; upper parts brown, edges of feathers lighter; lower back almost uniform; underparts light fulvous, and with brown spots in the centre; each feather having a broad central mark of dark brown; white band on wing; wing-speculum metallic green, and velvety black, tipped with a white band. Total length 17 inches, wing 8, tail 4, bill 1.5, tarsus 1.25. Female almost the same, but smaller. Nest occasionally on the ground, but generally in a hollow in a tree, lined with down. Clutch eight to thirteen, creamy- white in colour, and measure about 1.92 x 1.03 inch. This teal is not so large as the preceding species. Genus Querquedula. Bill a third longer than tarsus. The Garganey Teal. Querquedula querquedula. From Europe and Asia to Africa and Austro-Malayan regions in winter, accidental in Australia. Crown brown-black; whitish band above the eyes; sides of head and upper neck brown, streaked with white; back blackish, edges of feathers lighter; scapulars elongated, black with central white stripe; breast with brown and black crescent bands; lower breast white; narrow black lines on abdomen and sides; long feathers on flank with bluish grey ends; upper wing-coverts bluish grey; speculum green with a white band each side. Total length 16 inches, wing 7.75, tail 2.75, culmen 1.62, tarsus 1.2. Female has the chin and throat white, as well as the abdomen and breast. Nest on the ground in long grass, lined with down. The clutch from eight to twelve cream coloured eggs, which measure about 1.78 x 1.31 inch. 150 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Spatula. Bill spoon-shaped, no soft membranes on the sides towards the tip. The Common Shoveller. Spatula clypeata. Nesting in Northern Hemisphere and in winter to Africa, India, China, and in America to Colombia and West Indies, accidental in Australia. Australian Museum. The Australian Shoveller: Spatula rhynchotis. Adult male: Head and upper part of neck glossy green; lower neck, breast, and anterior scapulars white; middle of back dark brown, feathers with pale edges; rump greenish black; lower breast chestnut; flanks freckled with brown; upper wing-coverts and portions of scapulars pale blue; rest of scapulars black, with a white stripe along the middle; white band on the wings, and joining the speculum; tail white and freckled. Total length 20 inches, wing 10.25, tail 3.75, culmen 2.75, tarsus 1.4. Nest a depression in the ground among short vegetation and lined with down. Clutch from eight to thirteen, greenish-buff in colour, and they measure about 2.15 x 1.50 inch. These birds are very rare in Australia. THE FRECKLED DUCK 151 The Australian Shoveller (Blue-wing). Spatula rhynchotis. Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Crown of head and chin brownish black; a white band between the bill and the eyes; rest of head and neck bluish grey; back brownish black, edges of feathers reddish; rump greenish black; lower neck and upper breast white, with dark crescent bands; lower breast rufous chestnut with black bands; shorter scapulars brown, with white crescent bars; upper wing-coverts light blue, tipped with white; speculum glossy green; tail black. Total length 22 inches, wing 9.75, tail 4, culmen 2.55, tarsus 1.3. Female, brown-spotted on the underparts, and tail brown with reddish bars. Nest, usually a depression among thick vegetation, &., and lined with a little grass and down, occasionally in a hollow in a tree. The clutch is from seven to nine, of a pale-cream colour, and they measure about 2.10 x 1.52 inch. Genus Malacorhynchus. Bill spoon-shaped, with soft membranes on sides towards tip. The Pink-eared Duck (Widgeon). Malacorhynchus membranaceus. Australia and Tasmania. Crown greyish brown; sides of the head greyish white; a patch on the sides of the head and passing down to the back of the neck, dark brown; an oblong mark of pink just behind the dark patch surrounding the eye; neck, breast and underparts greyish white, crossed by numerous brown bars; upper parts greyish brown, minutely dusted with lighter points; a white band on wing; tail brown, tipped with white. Total length 17 inches, wing 7.15, tail 2.5, culmen 2.5 to 2.65, tarsus 1.25. Nest, generally in the deserted nest of another bird, such as a Coot, Heron, &e., and thickly lined with down, in which the eggs are embedded. From seven to nine creamy-white eggs are laid, which measure about 1.88 x 1.36 inch. Genus Stictonetta. Plumage uniform without bright speculum on the wing. The Freckled Duck. Stictonetta nevosa. Southern and Western Australia and Tasmania. All dark brown minutely freckled with irregular oblong bars of white; under surface lighter; wings without speculum; primaries plain brown. 152 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest, a depression in the ground, among thick vegetation, and lined with down. From eight to ten greenish-white eggs are laid, and they measure about 2.32 x 1.68 inch. This bird is comparatively rare. Genus Aythya. Hind toe broadly lobed. Bill smooth not swollen at base. Tail feathers not particularly stiff. From u Drawing in the Christchurch Museum. White-eyed Duck: Aythya (Nyroca) australis. The White-eyed Duck (Hardhead). Aythya australis. Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, New Guinea, and Waigiou. Head, neck and breast dark brown chestnut; back and scapulars dark brown, each feather with olive-brown edges; abdomen white, but lower part brown; sides brown, paler edges to feathers; wing-speculum white, also white on the primaries; tail brown; skin round eyes white. Total length 20 inches, wing 8.75, tail 2.5, culmen 1.9, tarsus 1.6. Nest on the ground among herbage or in hollows in trees, and, as usual, lined with down. From eight to twelve creamy- white eggs are laid, and they measure about 2.26 x 1.63 inch. THE BLUE-BILLED DUCK 153 Sub-family Erismaturinae. Hind toe broadly lobed. Tail feathers narrow and very stiff. Genus Evismatura. Tail quills 18. Technological Museum, Sydney. Musk Duck: Biziura lobata. The Blue-billed Duck. Erismatura australis. : Southern Australia and Tasmania. Head, throat and neck black; breast, back and flanks chestnut; rump blackish, freckled with reddish lines; underparts brown, feathers tipped with rufous-white; wings and tail dark brown; bill light blue. Total length 16 inches, wing 6.2, tail 2.6, culmen 1.6, tarsus 1.25. Female brown, upper parts freckled. 154 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest on the ground in thick herbage and lined with grass and down. From four to five greenish-white eggs are laid, and they measure about 2.70 x 2.04 inch. This bird, like the musk duck, dives well and rarely flies. It is comparatively scarce. Genus Biziura. Bill shorter than head, very high at base. A pendent lobe on the chin. Tail quills 24. The Musk Duck. Biziura lobata. Australia and Tasmania. Upper part of the head and nape brownish black, finely freckled; upper surface, chest, and flanks blackish brown, thickly freckled with buffy white bars; under parts buffy white at tip of feathers; bill and large lobe beneath the chin greenish black. Total length about 26 inches, wing 9.25, tail 6, culmen 1.7, tarsus 1.55. Nest, either in a thick patch of rushes in a swamp, which they bend over, and make the nest just above the water, or in a hollow log or in thick herbage near water, lined with down. Clutch from two to three coarse greenish-white eggs, the surface often being scratched. They measure about 3.14 x 2.12 inches. These birds take refuge by diving, and rarely fly. They are often seen in small companies in the harbours and estuaries not far from shore. The scent of musk in the old males is strong. ORDER PELECANIFORMES. The most extensively webbed of all the aquatic birds, the hallux being united with the rest by a complete web. Nasal bone unsplit. Family Phalacrocoracide. Bill sub-cylindriecal, strongly hooked at the tip, cutting edges of mandibles entire. Genus Phalacrocorax. Throat furnished with a pouch. Neck long and sinuous. Tail rounded or wedge-shaped. Claw of mid toe pectinate. THE BLACK CORMORANT 155 The Black Cormorant. Phalacrocorax carbo. Cosmopolitan, from New Zealand to Iceland. General colour glossy greenish black; top of head and part of neck covered with long narrow white feathers; a crest of bluish black feathers; a white border on the throat next to the bare gular pouch; a patch of white feathers on each flank. Total length about 36 inches, culmen 2.3 to 3.2, wing 12.5 to 14, tail 6.8 to 7.2, tarsus 2.3 to 2.85. Nest built of various material, according to locality, but usually of sticks, either high up in a lofty eucalyptus or on lower shrubs growing in swamps, and sometimes on ledges of Wood’s Nat. His. Black Cormorant: Phalacrocorax carbo. rocks, reefs or islands. Four eggs is the full clutch, but some- times not more than two or three are laid. They are a delicate greenish-blue colour, covered with a white chalky substance, laid on unevenly and easily removed. They measure about 2.86 x 1.48 inch. The birds nest in the inland districts, as well as near the sea, usually in company with other Cormorants. Cormorants, of course, feed on fish, and so unfortunately come into competition with the fishermen. In New South Wales a price is placed on their heads, and fairly large numbers are shot. Under ordinary circumstances the destruction of fish by the birds is perhaps not very serious. There are many fish in the sea, and the Cormorant is not so particular as man in his 156 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA choice. Exceptionally, however, the birds may collect, where the fish are naturally or by the action of the fishermen confined in a small area, and then do very complete damage. Thus Mr. E. J. Paton, Inspector of Fisheries at Port Stephens, writes of a raid made by the Cormorants in Smith’s Lake, a small lake to the north of the Myall Lakes of the district:—‘‘I found great numbers of Cormorants on the lake, chiefly the big black shag, and, although I have studied the habits of this pest for many years, their method of working in Smith’s Lake was new to me. They work in flocks of from a hundred up to thousands. Storehouse Island, Bass Strait. A. J. Campbell. White-breasted Cormorant: Phalacrocorax gouldi. I observed one flock numbering approximately 2,000 working a school of small fish from the weedy bottom of the lake into shallow clear water by united and simultaneous action. The birds closely packed dived together until the water for many yards was in a boil with the diving birds. When the fish are drawn clear from the weeds, the birds surround them, working them inshore, and pen them in as securely as if in a net, until they gorge themselves.’’ In such a case the Cormorants may be really as wastefully destructive of the fish supply as unrestricted netting. THE WHITE-BREASTED CORMORANT 157 The Little Black Cormorant. Phalacrocoras sulcirostris. Australia, New Zealand, Austro-Malayan Islands to South Borneo. General colour brownish black, with a greenish gloss; some white plumules on each side of the head and about the neck. Total length about 25 inches, culmen 1.7, wing 9.5 to 10.4, tail 4.7, tarsus 1.7. Build generally in rookeries, the nests usually being made of sticks in trees or shrubs in swamps, over water; occasionally From life. A. J. Campbell. White-breasted Cormorant: Phalacrocorax gouldi. they build on rocks. Four eggs are laid, exactly like the other Cormorants. They measure about 2. x 1.40 inch. These birds are very plentiful on many of the inland waters, and frequently nest in company with the Little Black and White Cormorant. The White-breasted Cormorant. Phalacrocorax gouldi. Tasmania, South and East Australia and Louisiade Archipelago. Above black, glossed with steel-blue; sides of the head, throat and underparts white; in nesting season back of neck has numerous white plumules; the feathering is continued along the lower mandible for some 158 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA distance beyond the gape of the bill. Total length about 24 inches, culmen 1.85, wing 9.5, tail 3.7, tarsus 2.15. Nest usually made of sticks and seaweed. They build in companies on the bare rocks of small islands. The three eggs measure about 2.35 x 1.40 inch. The Pied Cormorant. Phalacrocorax hypoleucus. West Australia. Very similar to P. gouldi, but has much longer bill and distinguished by the feathering on the throat, which is not continued along the lower mandible beyond the gape; naked skin beneath the eye blue. Total length about 27 inches, culmen 2.7, wing 10.8, tail 4.7, tarsus 2.35. Nest usually a structure of sticks, &c., and built on rocks or trees, either on small islands or on the sea coast. The four eggs measure about 2.35 x 1.4 inch. The Little Black and White Cormorant. Phalacrocorax melanoleucus. Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, Moluccas, and Lesser Sunda Islands. Above glossy greenish black; throat and underparts white; under tail coverts black; the white feathers on the sides of the head and neck lengthened; narrow white plumes on top of head and neck. Total length 23 inches, culmen 1.2, wing 8.8, tail 5.8, tarsus 1.45. Nest a good sized structure built usually of sticks, either in trees or shrubs, and generally over or near water. They nest in companies, and the four eggs measure about 1.85 x 1.33 inch. These birds are found well inland up the rivers or on swamps, as well as on the sea-coast. Family Plotide. Bill long, pointed. Bill serrated. Body nearly uniformly clothed with small soft contour feathers. Genus Plotus. Bill compressed. Terminal half of mandible serrated. THE GANNET (BOOBY) 159 The Darter. Plotus nova-hollandie. Australia, New Zealand, and South-east New Guinea. Above glossy black; a white stripe below the eye and extending four inches down the neck; a white band bordering the bare throat; patch of chestnut on front of neck; underparts white; these birds have a very long snake-like neck. Total length 31 inches, culmen 2.8, wing 13.2, tail 8.4, tarsus 1.9. Nest, a structure of twigs, placed in trees near or over water. The four eggs are very similar to those of the Cormorant, but more elongated, being chalky-white on the surface with a greenish shell beneath. They measure about 2.28 x 1.46 inch. These birds usually nest in companies, and are found on the rivers and swamps; especially plentiful in Northern Australia, but not nearly as numerous as the Cormorants. Family Sulide. Tail wedge-shaped. Bill sub-cylindrical, pointed. No external nostrils. Genus Sula. Bill stout, straight, pointed. Wings long. Nostrils closed externally. Throat pouch. The Gannet (Booby). Sula serrator. Coasts of Australia and New Zealand. General colour pure white; back and sides of the head and neck tinted with buff; primaries black; bare band about two inches long down the centre of the throat; two middle pairs of tail-feathers brownish black. Total length 36 inches, culmen 3.4, wing 18, tail 8.1, tarsus 2.2. These birds nest in large companies, making their nest of seaweed, and feed their young on partially digested fish. They do not leave their nest on man’s approach. The single egg is chalky-white, and on being scraped off shows a bluish-white shell beneath. They measure about 3.08 x 1.89 inch. We take the following vivid description of the diving skill of the Gannet from a notice in the ‘‘Emu,’’ by Mr. H. Stuart Dove, of West Devonport, Tasmania:—‘‘I never remember 160 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA seeing them in such numbers as here just now. When over a good shoal of fish they literally tumble by dozens and scores into the water, reminding the watcher of a shower of huge snow- flakes melting into the waves; it is marvellous how they avoid sinking each other when descending in such numbers, and with such velocity into a small patch of water, each apparently oblivious of everything except that one little object it has sighted beneath the surface. The dive into deep water is usually made from a height of 18 to 30 feet, and is a literal ‘‘header,’’ the “Vietorian Naturalist.” H. P. C. Ashworth. Gannetry on Cat Island, Bass Strait. bird usually entering the waves nearly vertically, and with a splash; a perceptible interval elapses before it reappears some little distance away, giving its yellowish beak a swish backwards and forwards after swallowing its prey. It usually sits a few seconds upon the water before going aloft again, thus differing from the Tern, which takes to its wings the moment it reaches the surface. When diving in shallow water close to the rocks, the Gannet begins the descent from a height of 4 or 5 feet only. The wings are not closed, as is usually supposed, at the beginning of the descent, but remain expanded until the bird is close to the surface, and apparently assist in guiding it to THE GANNET (BOOBY) 161 the exact spot which it desires to reach; it then flaps them suddenly to the side of the body, and the admirable adaptability . of its shape to its aquatic life may be well seen just as it enters the water, the long beak, head, neck and body stretched out rigidly in one straight line, the legs and wings tucked closely in, everything arranged so as to offer as little resistance as possible to the water.’’ The nickname of ‘‘Booby’’ attaches to the Gannets, and alludes to the calm imperturbability with which the bird sits on From life. D. Le Souéf. Australian Gannets, Cat Island, Bass Strait. its nest, and seems to be absolutely indifferent to the approach or presence of danger. Thus Mr. O. Salvin writes of 8. piscator, “The word Booby is most appropriate; I never saw a bird with less idea of getting out of one’s way, or caring less for what one did. Walking about under the trees was nothing; they hardly condescended to look down; nor when we stirred them up while taking a ‘siesta,’ pulled their tails, poked them off their nests, and fought with them for their eggs, and bullied them in every way, did we succeed in getting up any sort of excitement in the L 162 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA eolony.’’ Gould says of the Australian Gannet that it appears to be the ‘‘Booby’’ par excellence. ‘‘Observing about fifty fine adult birds reposing on the flat top of a low rock, I directed my boatmen to row cautiously that I might endeavour to get a shot. at them. I was soon not only within range, but too near to use my large duck gun, loaded as it was with large shot. I determined therefore to shoot them on the wing as they flew from their resting-place. Judge of my surprise when I found that neither the near approach of the boat, nor our speaking to From life. Gannets: Sula serrator, Dr. C. S. Ryan. each other startled them in the least. Taking one of the men with me, I stepped on shore and approached the motley assembly, which was still sitting in close array on the rock, and which did at length exhibit some degree of surprise and uneasiness at the intrusion, but were then so little disturbed that we succeeded in capturing five fine birds with the hand before the remainder had shuffled off to the ledge of the rock and taken wing. Had this occurred at a breeding-place it would not have excited any astonishment, but I did not expect that the birds would admit of being captured while merely at rest.’’ THE GANNET (BOOBY) 163 Mr. J. Gabriel thus describes the rookery in the Furneaux Group :—‘‘We found between 2,400 and 2,600 birds (roughly estimated by measurement) seated in the locality on their nests. The birds were in no wise put out by our presence, and we photographed to our hearts’ content. The nests were built on slightly raised mounds of clay and a good admixture of guano, of which the place smelt strongly, and were composed of twigs, alge and’ polyzoa. Each nest contained one egg only. Hovering over the rookery, and coming and going from seaward, “The Emu.” Gannets (Sula serrator) Nesting. D. Le Souéf. were the mates of the sitting birds. It was the prettiest of sights to see these birds alight alongside their mates, kissing and caressing them in a most loving and affectionate way. Occasionally one of the new comers would eject from its throat a fish which it had brought in from the sea. It is really wonderful the size of fish they carry—15 inches was the measurement of a pike which we found lying near one of the nests, and we saw the remains of others which must have measured still more. Frequently we could see a handsome Gannet rise on its feet off its egg and flap its wings to stretch its feathered limbs; should the bird be so unfortunate as to 164 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA lose its balance it soon regained its position, hastened, however, by its neighbours, who viciously pecked at it, as much as to say, ‘Keep your own ground.’ The nests, as far as the inequality of the ground would allow, were arranged, in symmetrical rows, and were about 30 inches apart. The diameter of the rookery was about 50 yards, and it was circular in shape. The old birds seemed to protect the eggs more fiercely than they did the young, and I had to approach them with considerable respect, requiring the aid of a bucket and fishing basket for them to peck at while I was securing their eggs. Promenading around the rookery and sometimes through the rows were to be seen those impudent scavengers, the Silver and Pacific Gulls, waiting their chance (a very poor one) of taking the eggs and pieces of fish lying about.’’ The Masked Gannet. Sula cyanops. Tropical seas throughout the world. White, except the primaries, secondaries and their coverts, as well as the tail-feathers, which are brownish black; chin and upper throat bare. Total length 36 inches, culmen from feathers on forehead 4.3, wing 17.6, tail 7.3, tarsus 2.3. Very little lining is used for the nest on the ground, often none; they usually breed on the coral reefs and small islands. The two eggs are similar to the preceding species, and measure about 2.70 x 1.75 inch. These birds nest in large numbers on Raine Island in Torres Strait. The Red-legged Gannet. Sula piscatria. Tropical and Sub-tropical Seas throughout the world, except the Pacific coast of America. White, but primaries and their coverts grey, chin and upper part of throat bare; bill greyish blue. Total length about 29.5 inches, culmen 3.5, wing 15.5, tail 8.6, tarsus 1.4. Young birds brown. A flat nest of sticks or seaweed, placed either on the ground or on thick herbage. The single egg is similar to that of the preceding species and measures about 2.35 x 1.57 inch. These birds also nest on Raine Island in great numbers. THE BROWN GANNET 165 The Brown Gannet. Sula leucogaster. Tropical and Sub-tropical seas throughout the world, except the Pacific coast of America. Head, neck, chest, upper parts, wings, and tail dark sooty-brown; rest of underparts white. Total length 28 inches, culmen 3.90, wing 14.5, tail 7.6, tarsus 1.6. Young, light brown. “The Emu.” Tom Iredale. Half-fledged Young Masked Gannet: Sula cyanops. Nest, a scanty structure, usually on the ground, on small islands or reefs. The usual clutch is two, but sometimes three are laid. White in colour, and measure from 2.3 to 2.6 in leneth and from 1.55 to 1.75 in breadth. This bird is commonly called the Booby by sailors. Family Fregatide. Tail deeply forked. Webs between toes deeply emarginated. Genus Fregata. Bill long, hooked at tip. Large throat pouch. Wings long and pointed. 166 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Great Frigate-bird. .Fregata aquila. Tropical and Sub-tropical oceans of both Hemispheres. General colour black; feathers of the head, upper back, and scapulars elongate and pointed, with a greenish gloss; the female has the back of the neck dark brown and underparts white; bill purplish blue, white in the middle; gular pouch orange. Total length 40 inches, culmen 3.8, wing 20.5 to 25.8, tail 14, tarsus 0.7. Nest, a considerable structure of twigs, &c., built either on the ground or on shrubs, ledges of rock, &c., and usually on islands. One egg is laid, chalky-white in colour, and measures about 2.75 x 1.82 inch. This bird is sometimes called the Man-of-war bird. It secures its prey from what other birds have secured, by making them drop their fish in mid air, when it catches it before reaching the water. They have long wings and long slender bills, as well as a kind of pouch hanging down in front. The Lesser Frigate-bird. Fregata ariel. Tropical parts of Indian and Pacific Oceans. Very similar to preceding species but smaller; has a large white patch on each flank; female has a wide white collar round the neck. Total length 30 inches, culmen 2.6, wing 19.2-21, tail 11-13.3, tarsus 0.75. Nest composed of twigs, seaweed, &c., and placed either on the ground or on vegetation, usually on islands. The single egg is white, and measures from 2.63 to 2.26 in length, and from 1.75 to 1.50 in breadth. . This bird has the same plundering habit as the preceding species and the same great powers of flight. Family Phaethonide. Webs slightly emarginate. Mid tail feathers greatly produced. Bill compressed, pointed. Genus Phaethon. The Red-tailed Tropic-bird. Phaethon rubricauda. Tropical Indian and Pacifie Oceans. General colour white, with a pink tinge; a black band on the sides of the head; short black band on the wing; middle tail-feathers very THE WHITE-TAILED TROPIC BIRD 167 long, the shafts and parts of the web next to them being black; the remainder of the webs scarlet. Total length about 36 inches, culmen 2.55- 2.65, wing 12.6, tail 17-18.5, tarsus 1.2. Lays on the ground or rock-ledges without any nest, usually on an island. The egg is pinkish-cream, marked with various shades of reddish-brown, and thickly covered with minute reddish-brown dots; it measures about 2.88 x 1.95 inch. Often called by sailors the Boatswain bird. “The Emu.” Tom Iredale. Red-tailed Tropic-Bird (Phdethon erubescens) on Egg in Nesting-place, Sunday Island. The White-tailed Tropic-bird. Phaethon lepturus. Tropical Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. General colour white, very similar to P. rubricauda; bill yellow; four outermost primaries with the outer web black to within an inch and a half of the extremity. Nest on the bare ground, usually in hollows or under rocks on islands. The single egg is greyish-pink, thickly freckled with reddish-brown dots; it measures about 2.06 x 1.51 inch. 168 THE, BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Family Pelecanide. Bill long and flattened, with external nostrils. Genus Pelecanus. Bill very long, broad and flat, a median bar all along. A ‘very large distensible gular pouch. Wings large. Tail small. From life. 7 H. P. C. Ashworth. Young Pelicans: Pelecanus conspicillatus. The Pelican. Pelecanus conspicillatus. Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. General colour white; scapulars, shorter upper tail-coverts, and tail black; gular pouch and mandibles yellowish white. Total length about 60 inches, culmen 17, wing 24, tail 7.5, tarsus 5. In breeding plumage there is a crest on the back of the head and neck. An untidy nest on the ground with very little lining, what there is being composed of twigs and herbage. Usually on an island or narrow spit of land, either inland or on the coast. EAGLES AND HAWKS 169 From two to three eggs are laid, chalky-white in colour, and they measure about 3.62 x 2.31 inch. The Pelican is a mighty fisherman; living only on fish. With his long boat-shaped furrowed bill he catches the fish in plenty, stowing them away in his basket, an enormous pouch in the lower jaw, which is drawn up when the bird is at rest, but is capable of enormous distension so as to carry a big catch. The feet are widely webbed, all the toes being connected, as in the Cormorants, to form a powerful paddle. The wings are large and strong, so that the birds are able to travel great distances and to reach the lakes of the interior. The ‘‘Pelican of the Wilderness’’ occurs in Australia as in Syria. In the early days they were so plentiful in the interior that Captain Sturt recorded that he found the channel of a river from 70 to 80 yards broad literally covered with Pelicans, and that they were in such numbers on the Darling as to be quite dazzling to the eye. OrpER ACCIPITRIFORMES. Eagles and Hawks. Bill strong, stout at the base, the tip bent at right angles. Feet strong, armed with powerful talons. With no facial disc. Plumage compact. There are no Australian Vultures, and Eagles and Hawks are rather poorly represented. Kites, Harriers and Goshawks are more abundant. The females are larger birds than the males. Sub-order Accipitres. Outer toe not reversible. Family Falconide. The head is covered with feathers, true feathers being always present on the crown. Key to Sub-families. Tibia and tarsus equal. Accipitrina. Tibia longer than tarsus. a. Hinder aspect of- tarsus plated. Buteonine. b. Hinder aspect of tarsus with reticulate scales. Aquilinz. 170 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Sub-family Accipitrine. Long-legged Hawks. Key to the Genera. Hinder aspect of tarsus reticulated; ruff of plumes around the face. Circus: Harriers. Hinder aspect of tarsus plated; no ruff or disc. Bill strong; legs and toes short. Astur: Goshawks. Bill small; legs and toes slender. Accipiter: Sparrow Hawks. Sub-family Buteonine. Buzzards. Genus Erythrotriorchis (Urospizias). See p. 175. Sub-family Aquiline. See p. 176. Key to the Genera. A. Bill not toothed. Eagles and Kites. 1. Tarsus clothed with feathers all round to base of toes. Tail wedge-shaped when closed. Uroaétus. Tail nearly square. Eutolmaétus (Nisaétus).” 2. Tarsus bare on lower portion. Nostrils oval vertical with bony margins. ‘Haliaétus. Nostrils circular with bony margins. Haliastur. Nostrils oblique: Kites. Tail forked. Milvus. Tail nearly square. Lophoictinia. Tail rounded. Tarsus mostly bare in front. Gypoictinia. Tarsus mostly feathered in front. Elanus. B. Bill toothed: Falcons. Nostrils obliqual ovals; head crested behind. Baza. Nostrils circular. Outer toe longer than ‘inner (measured without claws). Falco: Falcons proper. Outer and inner toes equal. Distance between tips of primaries and tips of secondaries not more than half length of tail. Hieracidea. Same distance greater than half length of tail. Cerchneis: Kestrels. The Spotted Harrier. Circus assimilis. Eastern Australia from New South Wales to Cape York; Celebes. Crown of head, cheeks and ear-coverts bright brick-red; facial ruff pale bluish grey; back grey; primaries with brown tips, secondaries barred with brown; tail ashy, tipped with white, and crossed with bars of black; under surface rufous, sprinkled all over with rounded white spots, the under wing-coverts and axillaries similarly coloured. Legs and iris yellow; bill blue at base, black on culmen and at tip. Total length of male 22 inches, of female 24.5. This beautiful Harrier is abundant over the plains, and on the flats between the hills in mountainous districts. Gould describes it as flying ‘‘lazily over the surface of the plains, intently seeking for lizards, snakes, small quadrupeds and birds; THE SPOTTED HARRIER 171 and, when not pressed by hunger, reposing on some dried stick, elevated knoll or stone, from which it can survey all round.’’ Australian Museum. Spotted Harrier: Circus assimilis. Nest open, constructed of dried sticks and twigs, and placed on the ground on the scrubby crowns of low hills. Eggs pure white, 2 inches by 114. 172 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Harrier. Circus gouldi., South and Eastern Australia to 20° N. lat., New Zealand, New Caledonia and Fiji. Head and all upper surface rich dark brown; facial ruff rufous buff streaked with dark brown; tail ashy grey tipped with white, not barred; under surface creamy white, with pale rufous streaks; legs greenish white, feet yellowish buff; iris yellow; bill dark brown, bluish at base. Not quite as large a bird as the preceding. Frequents lagoons, backwaters, swamps and marshes feeding on the smaller mammals, birds and reptiles. Flies with the typical Harvrier flight, slowly and heavily, and near the ground. Nest and eggs as in preceding. Genus Astur. Goshawks. Key to the Species. Adult Plumage. No red nape-band. Thighs uniform white. Upper surface and tail ashy grey. A. cinereus. Whole plumage pure white. A. nove hollandie. Sides of neck rufous, forming an indistinct and partial nape-band. Under surface and thighs barred with white and rufous. Back dull ashy brown. A. approximans. Back bluish ashy grey. A. cruentus. The Grey Goshawk. Astur clarus (cinereus). Australia and Tasmania. The breast is white, with numerous, but indistinct dull ashy bars, which disappear altogether on the abdomen. Length of male 16.5, of female 20 inches. The White Goshawk. Astur nove-hollandie. Australia, south and east, Tasmania. For years the White Goshawk was a puzzle to naturalists. It seems extraordinary that a diurnal bird of prey, whose allies are all of varied plumage, should be of so pure a white, the beak only black and the legs and cere yellow. Was it an albino variety of the Grey Goshawk, which has much the same dimensions? The irides are of a pale carmine. But the bird was THE GOSHAWK 173 found to breed true. Cuvier hazarded the view that it is an albino race which has become permanent. To this we have at least a parallel in the White Fantail Pigeon. But what. were the causes of the permanence? See Addenda. The Lesser White Goshawk, A. leucosomus, is a northern bird with similar white plumage. It is much smaller, the male measuring only 12.3 inches. It is found in the Cape York area, and in New Guinea and adjacent islands. Australian Museum. White Goshawk: Astur novae-hollandiae. The Goshawk. Astur fasciatus (approximans). Australia and Tasmania, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island. One of the commonest and most widespread of our birds of prey. Male 15 inches, female 20. It is a bold, powerful and rapacious bird, feeding on small and young birds, small mammals and reptiles, and a terror to young poultry. Mr. Keartland found Goshawks several times in Central Australia, especially where there was any permanent water with vegetation around the margin. Such places not only afford shelter to the frogs on which the bird delights to feed, but also prevent the young waterfowl seeing its approach until 174 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA it swoops amongst them, and seizes a victim from the surface of the water. Gould says that the nest is usually built on a large swamp-oak (Casuarina) growing on the side of the creek, but & From life. Goshawk. D. Le Souéf. occasionally in a Eucalypt and away from water. It is of large size in proportion to the birds. It is built of sticks and lined with gum leaves. The eggs, generally 3, bluish-white smeared over with occasional buff stains as though soiled with weak THE RED GOSHAWK OR BUZZARD 175 coffee; 1.8 by 1.5 inches. The male Goshawk is very nearly of the same size and colouring as the female Sparrow Hawk, but, as Mr. R. B. Sharpe has pointed out, may be distinguished from it by the longer tail, 8 inches or over, while that of the Sparrow Hawk is a little over 7 inches. The Western Goshawk. Astur cruentus. Confined to Western Australia. Very near to the preceding, but with bluer back, and with the rufous cross-bars on the breast narrower, so that the white appears the ground colour. It is a somewhat larger bird. It builds a large nest of sticks placed on the horizontal limb of a gum-tree. The Sparrow Hawk. Accipiter cirrhocephalus. Australia and Tasmania. Male, 12.3, female 14.5 inches. In the young the plumage is striated, the longitudinal spots widening out into bars in the adult. Handsome, bold and aggressive birds, extremely rapid and graceful in flight, skimming over the surface of the ground, circling in the air or dashing between the branches of the forest trees, wonderfully sure in aim, whether the quarry be the quail or lizard on the ground or the birds in the trees. The female is much the more powerful, but is not more active or swift than her mate. Even larger birds than itself fall before it. Mr. Keartland heard of.one which decapitated a wild duck at a blow, and of another which actually killed a Bustard. The nest is large, of dried stick lined with fibres and leaves and placed on the fork of a tree, usually near a river or creek. The eggs, 3 in number, are bluish or greenish-white with some- times spots or smears of buff. They measure 1.5 by 1.2 inches. The Red Goshawk or Buzzard. Erythrotriorchis (Urospizias) radiatus. Eastern and Central Australia. : Both male and female 20 inches, the latter a little the larger. Above bright rufous, each feather with black centre and rufous margins; below deep rufous; under surface of base of wing ashy white; tail ashy brown above, ashy white below, crossed above and below with blackish-brown bars; iris wood-brown; feet white tinged with lilac; beak purple, flesh- eoloured at base, black at tip. 176 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA A dweller in the interior, this sole Australian representative of the Buzzards, generally flies high in the air, soaring in large circles after the manner of the Eagle, the dark breast and large white mark at the base of the wing conspicuous from below. Its sight is keen, and it will be drawn from great distances by a freshly-killed wallaby or kangaroo-rat. The eggs white with irregular blotches of brown or lilac, 2.5 by 1.8 inches. The Wedge-tailed Eagle. Uroaetus (Aquila) audaz. Australia and Tasmania. General colour of adult black, of the young rufous; bill yellowish with black tip; feet light yellow; iris hazel. Length 38 inches, wing 24 inches. Mr. Gould killed an Eagle which weighed nine pounds, and had a spread of wings of six feet eight inches, and saw far larger individuals. This is by far the largest and most powerful of our Raptores, and though, perhaps with a democratic contempt for noble freebooters, it is known in most parts of Australia as merely the Eagle Hawk, it is in sober truth one of the very largest and finest of the Eagles of the world. It is equal in size to the North American White Headed Eagle, and larger than the famous Golden Eagle of Europe. Gould, who was familiar with both birds, writes: ‘‘ All that has been said concerning the courage, power and rapacity of the Golden Eagle applies with equal force to Aquila audax; but the lengthened and wedge-shaped form of its tail gives to the Australian bird a far more pleasing and elegant contour.’’ The spread of the wings has been known to reach ten feet. The Eagle is a wide ranger, easily covering long distances. His centre of observation is aloft, and here his movements are free and elegant. He sails easily from mountain ridge to mountain ridge high over the deep intervening valley, or circles and soars over the wide plains, with keen eye eager to discern any live quarry or dead carcass which may be in the neighbourhood. The large Bustard or the Wallaby, lambs or young goats, are the game he prefers. Mr. Keartland on one occasion witnessed a pair of Eagles hunting a young wallaby from rock to rock on: the side of a range, until at last it was secured and carried off. But the THE LITTLE EAGLE 177 Eagle condescends to the habits of a Vulture when a dead carcass presents itself, even if in a state of putridity, numbers collecting from afar as do the Vultures. Mr. Gould saw no less than thirty or forty assembled together around the carcass of a dead bullock, some gorged to the full, perched upon the neighbouring trees, the rest still in the enjoyment of the feast. Advantage of this habit is taken by sheep owners who wish to destroy the marauders. 203 The Banksian Cockatoo. Calyptorhynchus banks. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. The red band across all but the two central tail feathers. Total length 24 inches, wing 17, tail 13.5, bill 1.7, tarsus 0.8. Egg (1) mensures 2.12 x 1.43 inch. They commence nesting in July. Australian Museum. Black Cockatoo: Calyptorhynchus funereus. 204 ° THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Great-billed Cockatoo. Calyptorhynchus macrorhynchus. Northern Australia. . Very similar to C. banksi, the female has the coloured part of the tail mingled with yellow and scarlet. Egg measures 1.86 x 1.33 inch. Often only one is laid; some eggs are longer than others. The Red-tailed Cockatoo. Calyptorhynchus stellatus. Central, West, and North-west Australia. ; Very similar to C. macrorhynchus, but has smaller bill and more rounded crest. Bill in height 2.75, wing 14, tail 10.5, tarsus 0.7. Egg (one generally) measures 2.10 x 1.46 inch. These birds are fairly plentiful in parts of Central Australia. Glossy Cockatoo. C. viridis. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. The red band on the tail not across the two centre feathers. Total length 19.5 inches, wing 14, tail 10, bill 1.9, tarsus 7.5. Egg (usually one) measures 1.60 x 1.26 inch. This is the smallest of the Black Cockatoos. Genus Callocephalum. The Gang-gang Cockatoo. Callocephalum galeatwm. South Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and King Island. All the feathers, except the primaries, secondaries and tail, narrowly margined with greyish-white. Total length 13.6 inches, wing 4.6, tail 5, bill 1.25, tarsus 0.7. The female has the crest grey. The eggs (4 or 5) measure 1.30 x 1.03 inch. They usually feed on Eucalyptus and other seeds and usually go in pairs, and are not noisy birds; inhabit forest country and nest in holes very high up. THE BARE-EYED COCKATOO 205 Genus Cacatua. Key to the Species. 1. Feathers of the crest narrow, with the slender point recurved at the end. (a) Crest sulphur-yellow; feathers white; wing from 13 to 15 inches; bare skin round eyes white. C. galerita. (b) Crest vermilion at base; yellow band in middle and white at the tip; cere feathered.” C. leadbeateri. II. Feathers of crest broadened and not recurved at the end. (c) Total length 16 to 12% inches; feathers of erest moderate; cere feathered; under surface white; lores stained with red; bare skin round eyes largely extended into the bare blue open space below. C. gymnopsis. (d) Bare skin round the eyes nearly circular. C. sanguinea. (e) Under surface rose-colour, upper surface grey. C. roseicapilla. The White Cockatoo. Cacatua galerita. Australia, Tasmania, King Island. Bare skin round the eyes white. Total length 18-20 inches, wing 13-15, 744-814, bill 114-2, tarsus 1-1.15. The eggs (2 or 3) measure 2 x 1.30 inch. The birds in Northern Australia are usually smaller than those in the South. They are noisy birds, and sometimes destructive to newly-sown crops. They always have a sentinel when feeding on the ground. The Pink Cockatoo. Cacatua leadbeatert. Interior of Australia. Forehead, sides of neck, head, breast and abdomen tinged with rose colour, very bright under the wings. Total length 16 inches, wing 11, tail 6.3, bill 1.3, tarsus 0.95. Eggs (2 to 4) measure 1.50 x 1.07 inch. This beautiful bird is sometimes called the Major Mitchell Cockatoo or ‘‘ Weejugegler,’’ and generally goes in pairs. The Bare-eyed Cockatoo. Cacatua gymnopis. Interior of Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia. Forehead stained with red, the feathers of the head, hind neck and abdomen stained with red at the base, quills of tail feathers pale yellow. Total length 16 inches, wing 11, tail 5, bill 1.26, tarsus 0.9. Eggs (4) measure 1.48 x 1.14 inch. 206 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Blood-stained Cockatoo. Cacatua sanguinea. North-west and Northern Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia. : Australian Museum. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo: Cacatua galerita. Base of the lores and sides of face stained with red; bare skin round eyes white. Total length 14 inches, wing 10, tail 5, bill 1.2, tarsus 0.95. The eggs (2—4) measure 1.45 x 1.08 inch. These birds are closely allied to the foregoing species, and are generally found in the interior. During dry seasons when THE ROSE-BREASTED COCKATOO (GALAH) 207 surface-water is scarce, they assemble in flocks numbering many thousands at available water-holes. The noise at such places is deafening when they come to drink in the evening. Australian Museum. Pink or Leadbeater’s Cockatoo: Cacatua leadbeateri. The Rose-breasted Cockatoo (Galah). Cacatua roseicapilla. Australia generally. Crown rosy white, upper surface grey, under deep rose colour. Total length 14 inches, wing 10.4-9.7, tail 5.2, bill 1.05 tarsus 0.85. Eggs (5 to 7) measure 1.37 x 1.08 inch. 208 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA These birds usually feed in flocks on the ground, eating succulent plants, roots and seeds. They generally peel the bark off the branch just round their nesting-hole, which makes the site conspicuous. oe ie Australian Museum. Long-billed Cockatoo: Liemetis nasica. Genus Licmetis. Key to the Species. Smaller; bare skin round the eyes smaller, light blue. I. nasica. Larger; bare skin round the eyes broader and darker; of a blue-lead colour. LL. pastinator. THE COCKATOO PARRAKEET 209 The Long-billed Cockatoo (Corella). Licmetis nasica. Northern Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. White, lores and a narrow frontal band red, the feathers of the head, neck and breast red at the base, under surface of wing pale yellow, bare skin round the eye ight blue. Total Jength 15 inches, wing 11, tail 5, bill 1.95, tarsus 0.95. Egg 1.4 x 1 inch. Like the other white Cockatoos they feed on the ground, generally on the thickened roots of plants, such as the native yam, and also dig up with their long bill and devour many thousands of the eggs of the grasshopper. The Dampier Cockatoo. Licmetis pastinatar. West and North-west Australia. Very similar to the foregoing species, but the bare spaces round the eyes are larger and darker, being blue-lead colour. Their eggs (4) measure 1.60 x 1.15 inch. Sub-family Calopsittacine. Genus Calopsittacus. The Cockatoo Parrakeet. Calopsittacus nove-hollandie. Australia generally. Dark grey, forehead and cheeks yellow, crest grey with base of the feathers yellow, ear-coverts orange, a white patch on the wing coverts. Total length 12.5 inches, wing 6.5, tail 6.6, bill 0.65, tarsus 0.6. The female is paler than the male. The eggs (5 to 7) measure 1.06 x .76 inch. These birds are more plentiful in the inland districts than near the coast, and are to a limited extent migratory. Sub-family Palworuithine. Key to the Genera. Bill weaker, with upper mandible not notched. Polytelis. Tail feathers very broad, and almost equally long. Ptistes. Tail much graduated, bill upper mandible notched and red, especially at base. Aprosmictus. 210 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Polytelis. Key to the Species. General colour green, male with forehead, cheeks and throat yellow, female with forehead and _ cheeks tinged with bluish and the inner webs of the lateral tail-feathers margined with red. P. barrabandi. General colour green, forehead and rump bluish, lower part of cheeks and throat pale rose-colour, inner web of lateral tail-feathers margined with red. P. alexandre. A red patch towards the tips of the innermost great wing-coverts and innermost secondaries; general colour of male jonquil-yellow, female duller and with inner webs of the lateral tail-feathers edged with red. P. melanura. The Green-leek Parrakeet. Polytelis barrabandi. South Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Just beneath the yellow of the throat is a crescent of scarlet, quills underneath black, tail black underneath, bill red. Total length 16 inches, wing 7.2, tail 9, bill 0.7, tarsus 0.57. The eggs (4 or 5) measure 1.16 x .89 inch. : These beautiful birds are nowhere plentiful, but are easily distinguished, and are usually in open forest country. The Black-tailed Parrakeet (Rock Pebbler). Polytelis melanura. New South Wales, Victoria, South and Western Australia. Head, nape and upper tail-coverts tinged with olive, quills black, tail feathers deep purple-blue, black underneath. The female has the tail feathers bluish-green. The eggs (4 to 6) measure 1.21 x .96 inch. Like the preceding species, this bird is not plentiful, and is generally found near water, nesting in holes in large Eucalyptus trees. The Alexandra Parrakeet. Spathopterus (Polytelts) alexandre. Central Australia. Forehead delicate light blue, lower parts of cheeks, chin and throat rose-pink; head, mantle, back olive-green; lower part of back blue; shoulders and wing-coverts yellowish-green, external webs of the primaries dull blue; breast grey, upper tail-coverts bluish-olive, bill red. Total length 14 inches, bill %4, wing 7, tail 9, tarsus %. The eggs (4 or 5) measure 1.06 x .92 inch. THE ALEXANDRA PARRAKEET 211 This is one of the most graceful and delicately coloured of Australian Parrots, although found in the dry, dreary districts Australian Museum. Green Leek Parrakeet: Polytelis barrabandi. of the interior, and is comparatively rare. When resting on the thick branch of a tree, they often crouch lengthways on the bough, making them very difficult to detect. 212 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Ptistes. The Red-winged Parrakeet. Ptistes erythropterus. Queensland, New South Wales, and Northern Territory. Green, underneath yellowish-green, interscapular region and scapulars black; lower back and rump deep blue; upper wing-coverts rich crimson- red, with base of feathers yellow, and a few black feathers below the bend of the wing, tail above dark green, beneath dark brown. Total length 13.5 inches, wing 8, tail 5.6, bill 0.75, tarsus 0.68. The eggs (3 or 4) measure 1.31 x 1.04 inch. This handsome bird is found principally in Queensland, and its beautiful plumage is easily recognised; their eggs are laid usually well down in a hollow tree. The Crimson-winged Parrakeet. Ptistes coccineopterus. North and North-west Australia. These birds are very similar to the preceding species, but are considerably smaller, except the bill, which is slightly larger, but the birds are also more richly coloured and the red on the wing more extensive in proportion, and of a more crimson hue. Although not generally found in the same country, they occasionally overlap. Total length 12.3 inches, wing 7.4, tail 5.2, bill 0.76, tarsus 0.67. Their eggs (4) measure 1.24 x 1.03 inch. Genus Aprosmictus. The King Parrot. Aprosmictus cyanopygius. Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. Adult male: Head, neck and under surface scarlet, back and wings green, a line bounding the scarlet at the back of the neck, also the rump deep blue; under tail-coverts scarlet, but the base of the feathers dark blue; tail black above, underneath black. Total length 17 inches, wing 8.7, tail 8.5, bill 0.95, tarsus 0.7. The female has the head, nape, back and wings green, chest dull green tinged with red, and abdomen scarlet, tail green. The eggs (4 to 6) measure 1.28 x 1.11 inch. The surface of the egg is slightly roughened. These splendid and showy birds range from Victoria to Queensland. Their eggs are difficult to procure, being in holes high up in large trees and in thick forest country. The Northern birds, as in most other cases, are smaller than those found in the South. THE CRIMSON PARROT Sub-family Platycercine. Key to the Genera. Tail not banded across from the base to the tip. Tail feathers rather broad, never acuminate at the ends. Back not uniform, but with the feathers black, broadly bordered, and having a_ scale-like appearance, pill notched. Back uniform, bill longer than deep, upper mandible notched, with the hook much lengthened. Bill deeper than long, upper mandible not notched, a yellow collar round the hind neck. No yellow collar round the hind neck, bill uniform with base of upper mandible not lighter, two central tail- feathers longer than the following pair. Four central tail-feathers about the same length. Tuil-feathers narrow and _ acuminate, upper mandible notched, orbital ring complete. Upper mandible not notched. Tail with band across from the base to the tip, tail long, longer than the wing, nails long and straight. Tail short, shorter than the wing, nails short and curved. Genus Platycercus. Key to the Species. Cheeks blue, underparts crimson. Underparts pale red, each feather slightly fringed with yellow. Underparts yellow, red band on forehead, middle tail- feathers dull blue. Underparts jonquil-yellow, middle tail-feathers dark olive- green. Cheeks white and blue, under tail-coverts red, head pale yellow, underparts blue, edges of feathers on the back bright yellow. Edges of the feathers of the back straw-yellow, cheeks almost blue, only white on the upper part. Head black, cheeks white, bordered with blue below. Head red. Cheeks white, head red, upper tail-coverts green, edges of the feathers on the back yellowish-green. Edges of the feathers of the back gamboge-yellow. Cheeks yellow, head and underparts red, smaller, rump and tail-coverts green, central tail-feathers green. Larger, rump and upper tail-coverts olive-grey, central tail-feathers dull blue. The Crimson Parrot. Platycercus elegaus. 213 Platycercus. Porphyrocephalus. Barnardius. Psephotus. Neophema. Euphema. Melopsittacus. Pezoporus. Geopsittacus. P. elegans. P. adelaide. P. flaveolus. P. flaviventris. . pallidiceps. . amathusia. . browni. . erythropeplus. . eximius. . splendidus. HW yh W . icterotis. P. xanthogenys. South Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. The adult male has the feathers of the back and scapulars black, broadly edged with crimson, a broad black patch on the wing coverts, the bend of the wing violet-blue, four middle tail feathers deep blue, the others deep blue at the base and lighter towards the end. The eggs (4 to 8) measure 1.16 x .92 inch. . 214 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA This beautiful bird is very plentiful in Victoria, parts of South Australia and Kangaroo Island. In a flock of these birds is usually a good proportion of females and young males, both of which are mostly green, with blue cheeks and anterior wing- coverts. The Campbell Parrakeet. Platycercus nigrescens. North Queensland. The hind-neck and back are mostly black and the head dark red, uniform in colour with the lower surface, otherwise very similar to the P. elegans, but smaller. The feet are black and iris brown. The eggs (4 to 8) measure 1.09 x .88 inch. Total length 12 inches, tail 7, wing 6.3. These birds have a different note to P. elegans. The Adelaide Rosella. Platycercus adelaide. South Australia. Very similar to P. elegans, the only difference is in the red colour, which is much paler and mixed with yellowish, feathers of underparts have narrow yellowish edges, the black feathers of the back have broad yellowish-red edges. Total length 14 inches, wing 7, tail 7.2, bill 0.75. The eggs measure 1.12 x .92 inch. These birds are sometimes called the Pheasant Parrakeet. The Yellow Parrakeet. Platycercus flaveolus. New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. Head, rump and upper tail-coverts pale yellowish; cheeks blue, back and scapulars black, margined with pale yellowish, wings blue with black patch on the cubital wing-coverts; the inner wing-coverts and inner secondaries black and edged with yellowish. Total length 14 inches, wing 6.4, tail 7, bill 0.75, tarsus 0.75. Young more greenish. The eggs (3 to 5) measure 1.13 x .91 inch. This bird is sometimes called the Swamp Lory, and is chiefly found inland, and rarely near the coast. The Green Parrakeet. Platycercus flaviventris. Tasmania and Islands of Bass Strait. Head yellow, forehead and lores crimson, region round the eye stained with red, cheeks blue, back and scapulars and wing-coverts olive- black, edged with green, primary-coverts blue. Total length 14.5 inches, wing 7 to 7.4, tail 7, bill 0.75. The eggs measure 1.17 x .89 inch. These birds are rarely found on the mainland of Australia. THE SMUTTY PARRAKEET 215 The Pale-headed Parrakeet. Platycercus pallidiceps. Queensland and New South Wales. Feathers on the nape, back and scapulars black, margined with yellow; upper tail-coverts pale greenish; wings blue, with black patch on cubital wing-coverts; quills underneath black, central tail-feathers deep blue. Total length 13 inches, wing 6.2 to 6.5, tail 6.4, bill 0.68, tarsus 0.7. The eggs (3 to 5) measure 1.02 x .86 inch. There is a good deal of variation in individual specimens, some having no blue on the cheeks, others have scattered red feathers on the head and the upper breast fringed with yellow. This bird is often called Moreton Bay Rosella. It is a bright- coloured bird and very conspicuous and usually found in open forest country. The Blue-cheeked Parrakeet. Platycercus amathusia. Northern Territory, North Queensland. Very similar to P. pallidiceps, but differs in the cheeks, being almost entirely blue, in the more yellowish tinge of the bluish feathers of the rump and upper tail-coverts, in the yellow tinge of the upper breast, in the greenish tinge of the blue colour of the lower breast and abdomen. Total length 12.5 inches, wing 6, tail 5.8, bill 7, tarsus 0.65. The eggs (4) measure 1 x .79 inch. This bird is seldom seen in captivity, being a comparatively rare bird. Two or three are usually seen on the ground together feeding. The Smutty Parrakeet. F Platycercus brown. Northern Territory and North-west Australia. Feathers of the back and scapulars black, bordered with broad band of yellow; rump, upper tail-coverts, breast and abdomen pale yellow, fringed with black; under tail-coverts scarlet, a black patch on the wing- coverts, from the bend of the wing downwards the anterior wing-coverts and outer webs of the secondaries and base of the primaries blue; under wing-coverts blue, central tail feathers blue, the remaining feathers tipped with white. Total length 11 inches, wing 6, tail 6, bill 0.65, tarsus 0.62. The eggs (4) measure .99 x .82 inch. This beautiful bird is fairly plentiful in some parts of Northern Australia, going in small flocks, although it is not a common bird in captivity. 216 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Red-backed Rosella. Platycercus erythropeplus. Australia. Head, neck, and lower parts red, cheeks blue, feathers of upper part of the back black, with dark red edges, as in P. elegans; scapulars black, edged with pale yellow and tipped with red; lower back greenish yellow, each feather edged with red; the red feathers of the breast have yellow bases, wings as in P. eximius. It is not known from what part of Australia the type skin of this bird came, and many consider it as a hybrid between P. elegans and P. eximius. The original label from the type skin was lost. The Rosella. Platycercus eximius. Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and South Queensland. Head, sides of neck, breast, and under tail-coverts scarlet, feathers of the back black, edged with greenish-yellow, lower breast yellow, with a scarlet band down the middle, a black patch on the wing-coverts. Total length 13.5 inches, wing 6.1-6.5, tail 6.5, bill 0.7. The female is not so bright in colour. The eggs (5 to 9) measure 1.03 x .81 inch. This is probably one of the most plentiful of Australian Parrots, and its bright plumage makes it a favourite cage bird. It can also be taught to whistle simple tunes. One in the Zoological Gardens at Melbourne at the time of writing has been 24 years in captivity. The Yellow-mantled Parrakeet. Platycercus splendidus. South Queensland, New South Wales, and interior of South Australia. Very similar to P. eximius, but has no yellow spot on the nape, the edges of the black feathers of the back are gamboge-yellow, with no greenish tinge; the rump, upper tail-coverts, and lower abdomen pale greenish. Total length 12.5 inches, wing 6.1, tail 6.2, bill 0.7, tarsus 0.7. This bird was first procured by Gilbert near Brisbane in 1844; it is a comparatively rare bird. The Masters Parrakeet. Platycercus mastersianus. New South Wales. This bird is very similar to P. splendidus. The front, top of the head, nape and ear-coverts crimson, mottled with yellow on the sides of the head, ear-coverts and nape; feathers of the neck washed with red; rump and upper tail-coverts crimson; scapulars black, broadly margined with THE MASTERS PARRAKEET 217 yellowish, mingled with red and blue; shoulders deep blue; under side of the wings black with irregular white band; cheeks blue; under tail- coverts crimson; tail black below. Total length 11 inches, wing 5.8, tail 6.3, tarsus 0.8, bill 0.7 inch. Australian Museum. Rosella: Platycercus eximius. Dr. Ramsay, who originally described this bird, thought it might prove to be a hybrid, and it is quite possible it is, as little, if anything is known of it, beyond the type skins. 218 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Red-mantled Parrakeet. Platycercus xanthogenys. North-east Australia. Head, sides of the neck and all under surface scarlet; the feathers of the breast and abdomen with narrow pale yellow edges; cheeks yellow; feathers of nape and back black bordered with red; black patch on upper wing-coverts, the anterior ones from the bend of the wing down to the primary-coverts, and also the base of the outer webs of the primaries, blue; under wing-coverts blue; quills underneath black. Total length 12.5 inches, wing 5.45, tail 6, bill 0.56, tarsus 0.63. Nothing is known of this bird except the type skin, and even its precise habitat is unknown. It was in Gould’s original collection. The Yellow-cheeked Parrakeet. Platycercus icterotis. Western Australia. Feathers of the back black, bordered with green, stained with red; a black patch on the upper wing-coverts; blue on the bend of the wing and down. Total length 10.5 inches, wing 5.3, tail 5, bill 0.61, tarsus 0.6. Female duller in colour, and young mostly green. The eggs (4 to 6) measure 1.04 x .84 inch. This bird is very similar to the foregoing, except that it has a mottled-green mantle instead of a red one. It is frequently called the ‘‘Rosella’’ in Western Australia, and lives well in captivity. : Genus Porphyrocephalus. The Red-capped Parrakeet. Porphyrocephalus spurius. West and North-west Australia. The cap is deep red; lores dusky red; cheeks yellowish-green; back and scapulars green; rump and upper tail-coverts greenish yellow; breast and abdomen blue; under tail-coverts red; wing-coverts green; primary coverts and under wing-coverts blue; central tail-feathers green, blue towards tips. Total length 15 inches, wing 6.3, tail 7.5, bill 0.98, tarsus 0.76. The female is duller and smaller. The eggs (6 to 8) measure 1.14 x .89 inch. This bird is often called the King Parrot in Western Aus- tralia, and it certainly is a splendid bird and very conspicuous. when feeding on the seeds of various trees. THE YELLOW-BANDED PARRAKEET 219 Genus Barnardius. Key to the Species. A yellow collar on the nape. a. Head verditer-green, with a broad brown-green crescent from the occiput to the eyes; forehead red. B. barnardi. b. Head brown-black. a’. Frontal band red; abdomen green, larger. B. semitorquatus. b’. No frontal red band, sometimes slight indication; abdomen pale yellow-green; smaller. B. zonarius. c. Light-blue cheeks, greater extent of lemon-yellow on the lower portion of the breast and abdomen. B. occidentalis. The Mallee Parrakeet. Barnardius barnardt. South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and South Queensland. Chest, abdomen, central portion of the wing, and rump verditer-green; lower part of the cheeks bluish; back dark bluish-grey; centre of abdomen crossed by broad yellow band; primaries black, with outer webs deep blue; under wing-coverts blue; two central tail-feathers deep green, passing into deep blue at the base. Total length 14 inches, wing 6.5, tail 7.2, bill 0.8, tarsus 0.8. Female smaller and duller, and back more green The eggs (4 or 5) measure 1.21 x .94 inch. This beautiful bird is usually found in pairs or small flocks and, in Victoria, mostly in the Wimmera district. The Yellow-collared Parrakeet. Barnardius semitorquatus. Western Australia. Green; cheek feathers and ear-coverts tipped with blue, broad yellow collar on the lower nape; upper breast dark green with a bluish tinge; primary-coverts and base of outer webs of the primaries deep blue, quills black underneath; two central tail-feathers deep green. Total length 17 inches, wing 8, tail 8.5, bill 1.06, tarsus 0.92. The female is duller and smaller than the male. The eggs (6 to 9) measure 1.23 x 1.0 inch. This bird is commonly called the ‘‘Twenty-eight’’ parrot, as its call during its flight is something like those words. It is mostly found in the Southern districts. The Yellow-banded Parrakeet. Barnardius zonarius. Interior of South Australia, South-west and Western Australia. Very like P. semitorquatus, but smaller. Total length 15 inches, wing 6.9, tail 8, bill 0.83, tarsus 0.77. The eggs (4 to 8) measure 1.21 x .92 inch. This bird is locally called the Port Lincoln Parrot, and is generally found inland. 2 0 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Australian Museum. Yellow-banded Parrakeet: Barnardius zonarius. MACGILLIVRAY’S COLLARED PARRAKEET 221 The Western Collared Parrakeet. Barnardius occidentalis. West and North-west Australia. Very similar to B. zonarius, but with light blue cheeks instead of dark, the greater extent of the lemon-yellow of the lower portion of the breast, and the whole of the abdomen as far as the vent, the chest, back, wings and scapulars verditer-green instead of dark green, and no narrow black band below the collar. Macgillivray’s Collared Parrakeet. Barnardius macgillivrayt. Northern Australia, south of Gulf of Carpentaria. Very similar to B. occidentalis, but has the head almost uniform in colour with the upper parts, instead of blackish-brown as in that species. Verditer-green above, the feathers of the occiput, hind neck, and back broadly edged with green, and the centre of those on the lower back shaded with yellow; primaries and their coverts black; outer webs blue; two central tail feathers green; cheeks and a ring of feathers round the eye blue; the collar on the nape and a broad band on the lower breast yellow. Total length of skin 13.5 inches, wing 6.4, tail 7.2, bill from forehead 0.8, tarsus 0.8. These birds are fairly plentiful in the district named, and are often seen near Cloncurry. Genus Psephotus. Key to the Species. a. Abdomen red. a’. Forehead and cheeks blue. a”, Median wing-coverts red; smaller wing-coverts verditer-green; under tail-coverts red. P. hematorrhous. b”. Median wing-coverts brown-olive; smaller wing- coverts blue; under tail-coverts yellow, sometimes tinged with red. P. xanthorrhous. b’. Forehead and cheeks not blue. ce”, Rump blue. a”’. Median wing-coverts with a red _ patch, frontal band red. P. pulcherrimus. b””. Median wing-coverts with a yellow patch, frontal band pale yellow. P. chrysopterygius. dad”. Rump green, with a pale green cross-band, frontal band bright yellow, a spot in the occiput and another on the middle of the upper tail- coverts brown-red. P. multicolor. b Abdomen yellow, rump red. P. hematonotus. O99, THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Red-vented Parrakeet. Psephotus hematorrhous. New South Wales and South Queensland. Anterior part of head, neck, breast, back, and scapulars pale brown- grey; lower part of breast and flank yellow, patch of chestnut on the be ae Seem Australian Museum. Red-vented Parrakeet: Psephotus haematorrhous. median and inner greater wing-coverts; primaries and under wing-coverts blue; two centre tail feathers olive-green at base, passing into deep blue towards the tip, the remainder tipped with white. Total length 12 inches, wing 5.4, tail 6.3, bill 0.65, tarsus 0.7. The eggs (4 to 8) measure .95 x «84 inch. THE CHESTNUT-CROWNED PARRAKEET atts) Gould obtained his first specimens of this bird in 1839 on the Lower Namoi River. The Yellow-vented Parrakeet. Psephotus canthorrhous. Western and South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. Very similar to P. hematorrhous, but the patch on the wing-coverts instead of being chestnut is olive-yellow, the lesser wing-coverts are not verditer-green, but uniform deep blue, the under tail-coverts are yellow instead of red, the breast is more or less distinctly mottled. Total length 12 to 13 inches, wing 4.3 to 5.5, tail 6.5 to 7, bill 0.65, tarsus 0.73. The eggs (5 to 8) measure .94 x .81 inch. There is much individual variation in this species, both in size and coloration. It is often called ‘‘Blue Bonnet,’’ and is plentiful in the Riverina district of New South Wales. The Pale Parrakeet. Psephotus pallescens. South Australia. This bird is a variety of P. xanthorrhous, but has the upper surface and breast much paler, and the olive patch on the median wing-coverts yellower. The Beautiful Parrakeet. Psephotus pulcherrimus. New South Wales and Queensland. Crown and nape brown-black, sides of the head and neck bluish- green; hind neck, back, scapulars, and inner secondaries greyish brown; upper tail-coverts blue; above the rump a black cross band; breast green passing into blue below; sides blue; abdomen red; under wing-coverts blue; two central tail-feathers olive-brown at the base, passing into blue towards the tip, which is black. Total length 12 inches, wing 5, tail 6.7, bill 0.58, tarsus 0.59. The eggs (3 to 5) measure .86 x .69 inch. This beautiful bird makes a hole in a Termites’ mound and lays its eggs there, making a considerable cavity, and it seems to cause the Termites to desert the mound. The Chestnut-crowned Parrakeet. Psephotus dissimilis, Northern Territory. This bird is very similar to P. chrysopterygius, but has not the yellow band across the forehead; the lower parts are verditer-blue in the male; rump bluish-green, under tail-coverts orange. The female has the crown and forehead greyish olive-green, Lo bo nw THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Golden-shouldered Parrakeet. Psephotus chrysopterygius. Northern Australia. Centre of the crown black; sides of the head, neck, throat, breast, upper part of abdomen, rump, and upper tail-coverts turquoise-blue; back of the neck, back, scapulars, inner wing-coverts, and inner secondaries light greyish-brown; under wing-coverts blue; two central tail feathers olive-green at the base, passing into deep blue, and tipped with black. Total length 9.5 inches, wing 4.3, tail 5.6, bill 0.6, tarsus 0.55. The Many-coloured Parrakeet. Psephotus multicolor. New South Wales, Victoria, South, West, and North-west Australia. Bluish green, back and scapulars darker; lower back and rump with three cross bars, two blackish with the feathers edged with blue and one light blue between the two black; abdomen orange-red; blue by the bend of the wing and under wing-coverts; middle tail feathers blue, black at the tip, greenish-brown at the base, the remaining feathers have white tips; all the tail feathers, except the four middle ones, crossed by a band of black near the base. Total length 12 inches, wing 5.4, tail 6.7, bill 0.58, tarsus 0.59. The eggs (4 to 6) measure .89 x .76 inch. These birds are found in Central Australia, and have a wide range across from East to West. The Red-backed Parrakeet. Psephotus hematonotus. South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and South Queensland. Head emerald green; forehead and cheeks bluish-green; back and scapulars greyish-green; upper tail-coverts and breast yellowish-green; bastard-wing, primary coverts, base of outer webs of primaries, bend of wing, and under wing-coverts deep blue; central tail-feathers green, passing into blue towards the tip, which is blackish, the remainder of the feathers have white tips. Total length 11 inches, wing 5.1, tail 5.7, bill 0.55, tarsus 0.51. The eggs (6 to 8) measure .96 x .76 inch. This bird is often called the ‘‘Grass Parrakeet,’’ as they usually feed on the ground and their prevailing colour is green. When the nesting season is over they often congregate in large flocks. It is common in the inland districts and often seen in captivity. N ROCK-PARRAKEET *0LU0g *T °O ‘(paresoounh) ‘(opydoujad vwmaydoany) yooxBiivg-yooy JO 4saN a NUM AYT,, 226 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Neophema. Grass Parrakeets. Key to the Species. A. Upper surface brown; abdomen rosy; under tail- : coverts light blue. The Bourke Grass-Parrakeet. N. bourkei. B. Upper surface green; abdomen and under tail-coverts yellow. a. Frontal band blue. : x. Lores greenish yellow, abdomen yellow. 1. No orange spot on abdomen. Frontal blue band not reaching beyond the eyes. All the upper wing-coverts deep blue. Female like male. The Blue-winged Grass-Parrakeet, N. venusta. Frontal blue band continued over and behind the eyes. Outer upper wing- coverts blue, inner olive-green like the back; between the blue outer and olive inner is a row of blue-green (verditer) coverts. Female duller and smaller. The Grass-Parrakeet, N. elegans. 2. An orange spot on the abdomen, brighter in the male. Upper wing-coverts, inner green, outer blue. The Orange-bellied Grass-Parrakeet N. chrysogaster. y. Lores and circle round the eyes verditer-blue. The Rock Parrakeet, N. petrophila. b. Face blue. Chest yellow, # chestnut-red spot on the inner upper wing-coverts. Female duller, with the lores yellowish, and without the chestnut spot. The Red-shouldered Grass-Parrakeet, N. pulchella. Chest scarlet, no chestnut spot on the wing-coverts. Wing coverts blue. Female paler and duller, chest olive-green, and lores bluish. The Scarlet-throated Grass-Parrakeet, N. splendida. Genus Euphema. The Swift Lorikeet. Euphema discolor. South Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania. General colour green; forehead and chin red, with yellow spot at gape; crown of head deep greenish blue; tips of shoulders and under tail- coverts deep red. Egg, .96 x .83 inch. THE GROUND PARRAKEET 227 Genus Melopsittacus. The Warbling Grass-Parrakeet. Melopsittacus undulatus. Australia generally. General colour straw-yellow to grass-green, with wavy black cross bands; on the cheeks an oblique band of rich blue, and below it two or three circular black spots. Egg .7 x .56 inch. Ground Parrakeet: Pezoporus formosus. Australian Museum. Genus Pezoporus. The Ground Parrakeet. Pezoporus terrestris (formosus). Tasmania and all the southern half of Australia. Above dark grass-green, the feathers crossed with bands of black and yellow; feathers of crown and nape with a streak of black down the centre; feathers of breast, abdomen, and tail lighter with more yellow, barred alternately with black and yellow; an orange spot on the forehead. Total length 12.5 inches, wing 5.25, tail 7.75. 228 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA It usually frequents heaths or swampy flats with tussocks of rushes. It is emphatically a ground bird, keeping among the grasses and bushes unless flushed, when it rises with a whirr like Les LEE Australian Museum. Nest of Ground-Parrakeet: Pezoporus formosus. a partridge. It takes then a short but rapid flight with many zigzags. It is a game bird which dogs soon detect by the strong scent, and its flesh is excellent in flavour. Eggs five or six, deposited on the bare ground. : THE FROGMOUTHS 229 Genus Geopsittacus. The Night Parrakeet. Geopsittacus occidentalis. Victoria, South and Central Australia, West and North-west Australia. Above olive-green; head and nape with black streak down the centre of the feathers; feathers of upper back black with a yellow spot; throat and breast yellowish-green, passing into sulphur yellow in the abdomen and under tail-coverts. Total length 10 inches, wing 5.5, tail 5. ORDER CORACIIFORMES. Sub-order Podargt. Family Podargide. Gape very wide; palate desmognathous (as in Duck). Sub-family Podargine. Nostrils a narrow slit near the base of bill, hidden by plumes of feathers. Genus Podargus. Tail quills pointed, the central pair much longest. Key to the Species. Tail more than 10 inches long. Mottled grey and brown above; lower parts lighter, with white spots. Female rustier. Total length 22 inches, wing 12.1, tail 11, bill 1.4. New South Wales, Queensland, New Guinea. The Plumed Frogmouth, P. papuensis. Tail redder, three semi-circular bars of conspicuous large round white spots on the wing. Female rustier. Queensland. The Marbled Frogmouth, P. marmoratus. Tail less than 10 inches long. General plumage tawny. Total length 18% _ inches, tail 9.1, wing 11. Southern Australia and Tasmania. Tawny Frogmouth, P. strigoides. General plumage freckled. Wing less than 9 inches long. Australia except Victoria and New South Wales. The Freckled Frogmouth, P. phalenoides. General plumage freckled, smaller than P. strigoides, but has a larger and longer Dill, and also has shorter wings. Total length 14.3 inches, wing 9.2, tail 7.6, bill 1. P. brachypterus. 230 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Frogmouths are beautifully soft-plumaged birds, with a motley of grey, brown, black and white markings. In the RARE tgs Ze Z Zz Mounted. D. Le Souéf. Tawny Frogmouth: Podargus strigoides. coloration then they resemble the dead bark of the bough on which they sit. To render it still more difficult of detection, the bird does not sit across the bough, but along it, assuming the THE FROGMOUTHS 231 stiff attitude of a rugged branch broken off short. The eves are large and adapted to the diminished light of night, the brighter light of day seemingly making them dazed and inert. In both these characters they resemble the Owls. Their disposition is, Freckled Frogmouth: Podargus phalaenoides. Ww. S. Kent. however, much milder, and they can be handled by day without attempting to offer any resistance. They are invaluable insect- feeders, and capture their food, Cicadas, Phasmids and Beetles, &e., on the branches of the trees. After swallowing an insect they bring their mandibles together with a loud snap, as if in 232 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA satisfaction over the tit-bit. The nests are placed on horizontal boughs, and consist of small sticks carelessly interwoven into a loose fiat structure. Eggs 2, white; dimensions about 1.75 x 1.25. Sub-family Avgotheline. Nostrils near tip of bill; third and fourth quills longest. Pale nuchal collar. Genus Egotheles. Owlet Nightjar. Aigotheles nove-hollandie. These delicate little birds are found all over Australia and Tasmania. Their head is black; a lunar-shaped mark at the back of the head and a collar surrounding the back of the neck freckled with grey; back freckled black and white; wings brown, -erossed by numerous bands of lighter brown freckled with dark- brown; tail dark-brown, crossed by numerous broad irregular bands of reddish freckled with dark-brown; chin, abdomen and under tail-coverts white; breast usually lighter than back, some- times almost white and crossed by numerous freckled bars, the whole bird having a dark-grey freckled appearance, like that of the Podargus. These birds sometimes are of a reddish hue. Total length 9 inches, wing 5, tail 5, tarsus 1. The sexes are alike in plumage. Four white rounded eggs are laid on the decomposed wood in a hollow branch. They are very rough in texture, and have a strong shell, and measure about 1.14 x .86 inches. The birds live in hollow branches during the day, issuing only at night, and utter a hissing sound when disturbed. Sub-order Coraciee. Family Coracide. Bill corvine in shape, culmen rounded. Nostrils basal, hidden by bristly feathers. No powder down patches. Oil gland nude. Tail feathers twelve. Old world. Rollers. THE ROLLER OR DOLLAR-BIRD 233 Genus Eurystomus. Tarsus less than half length of middle toe. Bill short, depressed, slightly hooked, as broad at base as it is long. Habits arboreal. Tropical Africa, South-east Asia to Australia. The Roller or Dollar-bird. Eurystomus pacificus (australis). Australia, except South and West, Lord Howe Island, New Zealand, Moluccas to Celebes. Head and neck sooty brown; mantle and back brownish washed with green; bastard wing and parts of true wing light blue; tail green at base black at tip, under parts green; bill and feet red; inside of mouth yellow; iris dark brown. Total length 10.5 inches, culmen 1.1, wing 7.85, tail 3.6, tarsus .6. The Dollar-bird gets this name from the silvery-white spot in the centre of each wing. This is seen very distinctly during flight. Like so many birds it feeds chiefly in the early morning and again near sunset. In sultry weather it perches motionless on some dead branch. It is a very bold bird at all times, but particularly so in the breeding season, when it attacks with the utmost fury any intruder that may venture to approach the hole in the tree in which its eggs are deposited. It plays the game with anyone seeking to find the nest. It will dart into any hole around, except the true one, leading you to believe that you have located the nest for a certainty. When you have laboriously gained the spot, out flies the Dollar-bird, and you find nothing, but can watch the bird fly fifty yards off to another hole, to which you make your way, only to be again bamboozled. The flight is unlike that of any other bird. It does not fly straight, but dives down and rises again with many turns, as if delighting in the easy control of difficult wing movements. It is a very noisy bird, uttering a peculiar chattering note. The eggs, three or four, are laid without a nest in a hole in a tree, and are pearly white, pointed at the smaller end; dimensions 1.4 x 1.17 inch. Sub-order Halcyones. Spinal feather tract well defined on neck and not forked on the back; vertical feather tract split in the centre, and also on each side of the breast by bare tracts. Oil-gland tufted. No 234 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA after-shaft to contour feathers of body. Tail feathers generally 12. Egg white, young hatched naked and helpless. Cosmo- politan. Kingfishers. Family Alcedinide. Soles of toes much flattened. Sternum with two notches. Sub-family Alcedinine. Bill long and slender, compressed and perceptibly keeled. Mostly feeding on fish. East and West Hemisphere. Genus Alcyone. Bill longer than tail, which is conspicuously shortened. Toes three. Australia, the Papuan Islands and the Moluccas. Key to the Species. Abdomen rufous. Over 6 inches in total length. Sides of body rufous, or slightly washed with lilac. A. azurea. Sides of body bright ultramarine. A. pulchra. Abdomen white. Length 4.8 inches. A. pusilla. The Blue Kingfisher. A, azurea. Queensland to Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Above bright ultramarine, wing coverts blackish edged with ultra- marine; tail deep ultramarine above, black beneath; a loral spot pale rufous; throat and a patch along the sides of the neck white tinged with orange; cheeks, ear-coverts and sides of upper breast ultramarine; rest of under surface cinnamon, with a lilac lustre on the flanks and under tail- coverts. Total length 6.5 inches, culmen 1.8, wing 2.9, tail 1.35, tarsus .3. Sexes alike. The Purple Kingfisher. A. pulchra. Similar to preceding but richer in colour, more purplish blue above, brighter cinnamon rufous or deep bay below; brilliant purplish blue from the cheeks to the sides of the breast and down the flanks. Replaces the preceding in all the northern parts of Australia. The Little Kingfisher. A. pusilla. Northern Territory, North Queensland, New Guinea to Moluccas. Upper surface rich ultramarine; tail blue above, black beneath; a loral spot and a patch along the sides of the neck white; under surfaces white. Total length 4.8 inches, culmen 1.15, wing 2, tail .85, tarsus .25. THE YELLOW-BILLED KINGFISHER 935 The Kingfishers are met with along the rivers and creeks. They will sit on a bare branch overhanging the stream, and suddenly dart down into the water, plunging beneath the sur- face to seize a fish or some smaller aquatic creature, and return to their point of vantage to kill and devour the prey. A single bird, or a pair, seem to confine themselves to a particular stretch of the stream which they make their beat, and at some spot in which you may generally be able to observe them, as they speed up and down the water-course with arrow-like quick- ness. As the sun catches the plumage the glittering blue makes the bird a most beautiful object. The eggs are laid at the extremity of a hole drilled in the vertical or shelving bank of the stream, without any nest. They are rounder than those of most birds, pearly white, five to seven in the clutch. Dimensions of those of A. azwrea, .86 x .75 inch. Sub-family Dacelonine. Bill usually more or less depressed, compressed and laterally grooved in Halcyon. lostly feeding on insects or reptiles. In our genera the tail longer than the bill, in Tanysiptera exceeding the length of the wing. Southern Asia with Malaysia and Polynesia. Key to the Genera. Tail feathers 12. Tail rounded or graduated. Bill depressed. Smaller, total length 7 inches. Syma. Larger, total length 15-17 inches. Dacelo. Bill compressed and laterally grooved. Halcyon. Tail feathers 10, the central ones extraordinarily elongated. Tanysiptera. Genus Syma. Confined to Papuan Islands and Northern Australia. The Yellow-billed Kingfisher. Syma flavirostris. Northern Territory and North Queensland. Head and hind neck bright cinnamon rufous; mantle and upper back dull green; lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts greenish-blue, tail feathers dark blue; under surfaces bright cinnamon rufous; throat and abdomen paler, a black half collar on the hind neck; bill yellow; culmen black; feet orange; iris blackish. Total length 7 inches, culmen 1.5, wing 3.05, tail 2.3, tarsus .55. The female has a large black patch on the centre of the crown. 236 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Dacelo. Confined to Australia and Southern New Guinea. Key to the Species. Tail alike in both sexes, rufous barred with black. D. gigas. Tail of male blue, of female cinnamon rufous barred with blue Total length 17 inches D. leachii. Total length 15 inches. D. cervina. The Laughing Kingfisher (Kookaburra). Dacelo gigas. Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. Crown of head brown, freckled with rufous on the forehead, the feathers forming a crest, the long crest feathers edged with white margins; Sydney Zoo. F. George, Photographer. Kookaburras: Dacelo gigas. a very broad whitish band over the eye and encircling the neck, followed by a band of dark brown, and this by a broad white collar round the sides of the neck and hind neck; above generally brown, the upper back white with dusky brown cross bars, the lower back and rump greenish- blue; tail rufous barred with black, the under surfaces dingy white freckled with brown. Total length 17 inches, culmen 2.5, wing 8.55, tail 6.3, tarsus 1. Leach’s Kingfisher. Dacelo leachi. Queensland and Northern Territory. Head white, streaked with brown; a silvery blue patch on the wing, scarcely evident in D. gigas. The male has a blue tail, the female a red one, barred with blue and with white tips to the feathers. Otherwise, and in dimensions, very like D. gigas. THE FAWN-BREASTED KINGFISHER 237 The Fawn-breasted Kingfisher. Dacelo cervina. Western and North-west Australia, Northern Territory and North Queensland. Very like the preceding but smaller. Total length 15 inches, culmen 2.95, wing 7.5, tail 4.75, tarsus 1. The genus Dacelo comprises the Kookaburras or ‘‘Laughing Jackasses,’’ the best known of our birds. The habits and voice of all the three species are very much the same. They are met with in most situations, but are commonest in the open forests. They seem to be inquisitive birds, and frequently come and perch on a branch of a tree near your camp in the bush, watching your operations with much curiosity. They feed on lizards, snakes, larger insects (On dit that the Jackass has been heard to laugh while a Cicada has been skirring inside him) and small mammals and birds. The snake is seized as the bird makes a sudden dash down, taken up quickly to a height and dropped on the ground, the operation being repeated until the snake is killed or so stunned that the bird can swallow it, head first, with safety. Gould shot a Jackass in South Australia in order to secure a fine rat he saw hanging from its mouth, and the rat proved to be a new species. The laugh is like nothing else in nature, the wildest human ecachinnation falling short of its glory. At the dawn when he wakes up to the exhilaration of renewed activity, and at even when a number of birds sit together on a branch to bid farewell to the sun, or to chuckle over the happy hunting of the past day, the Jackass is heard at his best. Then the bush resounds with the Ha Ha Huh Huh Ho Ho Ha Huh in deafening chorus, ‘‘a chorus of wild spirits’? as Sturt called it. The sun goes down and the strange serenade ceases. The eggs, four or five, are laid in a hole in a gum-tree or in one of the great masses built by the white ants (termites) on the trees. There is no addition made by way of nest. The eggs are smooth, glossy and pearly white, measuring 1.8 by 1.4 inch. Those of D. leachwi are a little larger. The Kookaburra does well in captivity, becomes very friendly and submits to handling. It is an unfailing source of amuse- ment and pleasure in its infinite variety of attitudes, of the humour of which it appears to be by no means unconscious. 238 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Halcyon. All Africa; from Palestine to Manchuria and South Japan, Indian and Australian Regions. A very large genus. Key to the Species. Head black, crown deep ultramarine blue. H. macleayi. Head green, streaked with white. H. pyrrhopygius. Head greenish blue. Length 8 inches. Australia. H. sanctus. Length 8.5 inches. Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands. H. vagans. Head dusky olive-green. Length 8.5, bill 1.6, wing 3.7, tail 2.4. H. sordidus. Nuchal band and all under surface white. H. westralasianus. The Forest Kingfisher. Halcyon macleayi. North-west Australia, Northern Territory, South-east New Guinea, through Queensland to New South Wales. The upper surface of different shades of blue; sides of face and ear- coverts black; a large white supra-loral spot, and a broad white collar in the male only round the hind neck; cheeks and under surfaces white. Total length 7 inches, culmen 1.7, wing 3.7, tail 2.3, tarsus .45. The Red-backed Kingfisher. Halcyon pyrrhopygws. Australia generally. The upper surfaces of shades of green; head and scapulars streaked with white; back from mantle downwards orange-rufous; a streak of white over the eye, widening out to encircle the back of the occiput; ear-coverts black, and a black collar round the hind neck followed by a broad white one; under surfaces white. Total length 8.5 inches, culmen 1.7, wing 3.85, tail 2.7, tarsus .6. The Sacred Kingfisher. Halcyon sanctus. Australia and Tasmania, New Hebrides, through New Guinea to Sumatra. Head greenish blue; mantle green; back and tail blue; lores, sides of face and ear-coverts black, with a black band round the nape; a broad buff collar round the hind neck; under surfaces ochreous buff. Total length 7.5 inches, culmen 1.6, wing 3.75, tail 2.4, tarsus .45. H. vagans, Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands and New Zealand, is like H. sanctus but larger, 8.5 inches, duller above and brighter below. : THE SACRED KINGFISHER 239 The Sacred Kingfisher appears all over Australia, coming to the South and to Tasmania in the summer, when it breeds. BW oes Australian Museum. The Wandering Kingfisher: Halcyon vagans. It is by no means confined to the neighbourhood of water. From its plumage it is a very attractive-looking bird, and its note is very striking, a shrill ‘‘pee-pee.’’ It sits very upright, choosing 240 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA a point of vantage on a small dead branch, from which it flies down to capture its prey. It readily devours grasshoppers and caterpillars, and other insects and their larve, and small lizards and little snakes, which it kills by beating the head against a stone. ‘‘Specimens killed in the neighbourhood of salt marshes had their stomachs literally crammed with crabs and other crustaceous animals, while intent on the capture of which it may be observed silently sitting on the low mangrove bushes skirting the pools which every receding tide leaves either dry or with a surface of wet mud, upon which crabs are to be found in abundance. I have never seen it plunge into the water after fish like the true kingfisher, and I believe it never resorts to that mode of obtaining its prey. On the banks of the Hunter its most favourite food is the larve of a species of ant (termites) which it procures by excavating holes in the nests of this insect which are constructed around the holes and dead branches of the Eucalypti, and which resemble excrescences of the tree itself.’’ (Gould). The nesting takes place from October till December, the eggs being laid in hollows of the gum-trees. The eggs are four or five in number, pinky-white, and measure 1.1 x .83 inch. The Mangrove Kingfisher, Halcyon sordidus. North Queensland, Northern Territory, and Aru Islands. Head, mantle, and back dusky olive green; lower back, rump and tail blue; ear-coverts black, a small white loral spot and one below the eye; « broad white collar round the hind neck, separated by a line of black from the crown; under surfaces white, buffish in parts. Total length 10 inches, culmen 2.4, wing 4.4., tail 3, tarsus .6. West Australian Sacred Kingfisher. A. westralasianus. Very similar to H. sanctus, nuchal band and under parts white and not buff coloured as in H. sanctus. Genus Tanysiptera. Moluccas, Papuan Islands and one species in North Queens- land. THE WHITE-TAILED KINGFISHER 241 The White-tailed Kingfisher. Tanysiptera sylvia. North Queensland. A strikingly handsome bird with long central tail feathers like those of a Bird of Paradise; crown of head ultramarine blue, encircled by a band of brighter blue, which forms an eyebrow and band over the nape; lores, sides of face and neck, mantle and upper back black, the latter with a patch of white; lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts white; the two central tail feathers white, the others blue; wing-coverts ultra- marine blue; under surfaces rich cinnamon; bill and feet sealing-wax red. Total length 13 inches, culmen 1.3, wing 3.8, tail 2.9, the central feathers 9, tarsus .5. “This pretty bird is rather plentiful in the neighbourhood of Cape York, where it frequents the dense brushes, and is especially fond of resorting to the small sunny openings in the woods, attracted probably by the greater abundance of insect life. I never saw it on the ground, and usually was first made aware of its presence by the glancing of its bright colours as it darted past with a rapid, arrow-like flight, and disappeared in an instant among the dense foliage. Its cry, which may be represented by ‘Whee-whee-whee’ and ‘Wheet-wheet-wheet,’ is usually uttered while the bird is perched on a bare transverse branch or woody rope-like climber, which it uses as a look-out station, and whence it makes short dashes at any passing insect or small lizard, generally returning to the same spot. It lays three white eggs in a hole dug by itself in one of the large ant- hills of red clay which form so remarkable a feature in the neighbourhood, some of them being as much as 10 feet in height, with numerous buttresses and pinnacles.’’ (Macegillivray). Also in the smaller cireular Termites’ mounds about two feet in height found in the dense scrub-covered hills near the coast of Northern Queensland. The Termites usually fill up the holes when the young birds have left. Family Meropide. Bill long and gently curved, culmen with a sharply-defined ridge. Oil-gland nude. Feet partially syndactyle. Tail feathers ten. Temperate and tropical parts of the Old World. One genus with one species only in Australia. Bee-eaters. 242 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Merops. The breast plumes ordinary, not elongated and pendent. The centre tail feathers elongated. Nearly the whole of the Old World. The Bee-eater. Merops ornatus. Australia generally to Moluccas and Celebes. Head yellowish-green; nape orange-rufous; mantle yellowish-green; lower back and rump light cobalt blue; upper tail coverts dark blue, tail black; throat yellow with a broad band of black behind; rest of under surface of body yellowish-green; under wing-coverts fawn colour; under tail-ecoverts blue; bill black; feet greenish-grey; iris light red. Total length 9.5 inches, culmen 1.5, wing 4.55, tail 3.15, centre feathers 4.85, tarsus .4. This bird is remarkable for its many coloured plumage, and for the extreme length of the two central tail feathers. In the day it frequents the open forest, in the evening the banks and sides of rivers. Like the Halcyon, it selects a dead butt of a branch which serves as a look-out, and from thence it darts forth to capture the passing insects. It is unfortunately not welcome on the bee farms, but, apart from these, it is a most useful destroyer of insect vermin. They arrive from New Guinea about August, flying against the south-east trades, usually in small parties of from ten to fifty birds, and fly with an undu- lating flight. The eggs are deposited in a hole made in a sandy slope. The entrance is very small, ‘‘secarcely larger than a mouse- hole,’’ and the hole runs in for perhaps a yard. In a sort of chamber at the extremity are laid the eggs, four or five in number, pinky-white in colour. Dimensions .85 x .76 inch. As the bird commences sitting when the first egg is laid, the young hatch out in the order the eggs are laid.. Sub-order Caprimulgt. Family Caprimulgide. Gape carried very far back. Night-flying insectivorous birds, catching their prey on the wing. Soft mottled plumage, the colours varying with the soil. THE LARGE-TAILED NIGHTJAR 243 Sub-family Caprimulgine. Ten primaries and ten tail quills. Genus Eurostopus. Gape with short inconspicuous bristles. The White-throated Nightjar. Eurostopus albigularis. ‘From New Guinea to Victoria and South Australia. Freckled brown and grey; a large white spot on each side of the throat; a patch of black on the back of the head; breast dark brown spotted with dull buff and grey, abdomen and under tail-coverts redder with bands of dark brown; the eyes large, dark, and lustrous, adapted to restricted light. The bird possesses powers of rapid flight, and captures its insect prey in the dusk while on the wing. During the day they rest on the ground. Wing about 10 inches, tail 6.2. It lays a single egg on the ground, usually near a stone or log or mound of gravel. The egg is of a cream colour, sparingly spotted with blackish-brown, 1.5 inch x 1.1. The Spotted Nightjar. Eurostopus argus. Australia generally, New Ireland, Aru Islands. Resembles preceding in form and habits. The abdomen and under tail-coverts of a uniform rusty-brown. Wing under 9 inches, tail 6.4. Egg greenish-white or olive stone colour with a few purplish- black spots, 1.38 x 1 inch. Genus Caprimulgus. The gape armed with long stiff bristles. The Large-tailed Nightjar. Caprimulgus MACTULUS. Philippines, Malay Archipelago, Papuan Islands, North-west and North Australia, Queensland to New South Wales. Plumage generally brown, mottled and freckled with grey, buff, black and white; across the throat a band of white bounded below by black; spots of white on the outer primaries; under parts deep buff; breast freckled; abdomen and under tail-coverts banded. Total length 11.5 inches, wing 7.5, tail to 6.3, tarsus .7, feathered in front for nearly whole length. 244 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA This Nightjar usually frequents scrub-covered country, and is strictly nocturnal in its activities. It is frequently called the “‘chop-chop’’ bird, from the peculiar call the bird makes; like the other Nightjars, it is most difficult to detect when on the ground. By day it rests on the ground in some shady recess, and hawks for its insect prey in the dusk of evening or early dawn. Two eggs are laid on the bare ground, pinkish-cream in colour, and faintly blotched with purplish markings. They measure about 1.23 x .86 inch. Sub-order Cypseli. Family Cypselide. Swifts. Swallow-like birds with short legs, forked tails and extremely long wings and extraordinary powers of sustained flight. Very wide gape in association with the capture of insects while on the wing. Tail quills 10. The arrangement of the feather-tracts on the body connects them with the Humming-birds, and separates them widely from the Swallows and Martins. Sub-family Chaeturine. Wing always reaching far beyond the end of the tail. Genus Salangana. Shafts of tail quills without spinous points. The Edible-nest Swiftlet. Salangana esculenta. China and Japan to North Queensland. Black above, especially the crown of the head; grey below. These birds nest in caves or recesses of cliffs. ‘‘The nest, when pure and of the first make, is composed entirely of inspissated mucus from the salivary glands of the bird. It is very small, bluntly triangular in form, and slightly concave within; of a semitransparent, fibrous sort of texture, bluish- white in colour, and with the fibres, as it were, crossed and interlaced. When the nests of the first make are taken away, THE SPINE-TAILED SWIFT 245 the second nests are mixed with feathers, and occasionally other foreign substances. The eggs are two in number and pure white.’’ (Jerdon). The birds breed in China and Japan, and the nests are highly prized as an article of food. The Grey-rumped Swiftlet. Salangana francica. Mauritius, Ternate, North Queensland, Oceania. Crown, nape, and back dark smoky-brown; rump brownish-grey, with dark shaft lines; lower surface dusky brownish-grey, feathers with dark shaft-lines; chin and throat a little darker. Total length over 4 inches, wing 4.4, tail 2. This interesting Swiftlet has been found nesting in a cave on Dunk Island, off the coast of Queensland, by Mr. E. J. Banfield. The nest is like a basket and composed of fine grass and fibre, all cemented together and adhering to the walls of the cave. One pure white egg is laid, measuring about .80 x .51 inch. Genus Chetura. Shafts of tail quills with spinous points. The Spine-tailed Swift. Chetura caudacuta. North Siberia, China, and Japan, migrating for the (southern) summer to Australia and Tasmania. Crown of head, back of neck and ear-coverts deep shining green, slightly tinged with brown; a small space before the eye deep velvety black; a band across the forehead, chin and throat, and a patch on the upper tail-coverts white; wings and tail deep shining green with purple reflections; centre of back brown; chest and abdomen clove brown; bill black; feet brown. One of the largest of the Swifts, seen flying in flocks in the hottest months of the year, and always attracting attention by its magnificent powers of flight. Gould says, ‘‘So exclusively is this bird a tenant of the air, that I never, in any instance, saw it perch. With the exception of the Crane, it is certainly the most lofty as well as the most vigorous flier of the Australian birds. I have frequently observed in the middle of the hottest days, while lying prostrate on the ground with my eyes directed 246 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA upwards, the cloudless blue sky peopled at an immense elevation by hundreds of these birds performing extensive curves and sweeping flights, doubtless attracted thither by the insects that soar aloft during serene weather.’’ It is fortunately frequently out of reach of the most skilful ‘‘sportsman.’’ These birds being migrants from the Northern Hemisphere, arrive about September and leave again in February. They breed in China and Japan. Their nest is built of mud on the side of some cleft on the face of a rocky cliff and under cover, for instance near the Kegon Waterfalls in Japan, where we saw many nesting in company with Cypselus pactficus. These birds having such short legs and long wings cannot rise off the ground; they therefore roost on the face of a cliff or rough bark of a tree, but their home is the air, and they may some- times be seen flying about on moonlight nights. Two elongated white eggs are laid. Genus Cypselus. Hind toe directed more or less forwards. The White-rumped Swift. Cypselus pacificus. Nesting in Siberia, China, and Japan, migrates to Australia and Tasmania in our summer. Brown above and below; back with bronzy lustre. Throat and rump white. Feathers of under surface edged with white. Wings and tail dark brown. Iris, bill and feet black. Wing to 7.3 inches. : These birds usually both migrate and nest in company with the Spine-tailed Swift. ORDER COCCYGES. Feet zygodactyle or semi-zygodactyle. Family Cuculide. Feet zygodactyle, two toes in front and two behind, as in the Parrots. Oil gland nude. Tail feathers ten. Dorsal feather tract fureate between the shoulders. Cosmopolitan. THE CUCKOOS 247 Sub-family Cuculine. Wing long and flat, not fitting to the body. Key to the Genera. I. Bill moderate, never longer than the head or the tarsus. 1. Bill slenderer. Plumage variegated. a. No metallic colours in the plumage. Sexes similar in plumage. Tail fan-shaped. Wings longer, reaching beyond tail-coverts. Under surface of quills barred. Cuculus. Wings shorter, not reaching to ends of tail- coverts. Under surface of wing with a single oblique bar. Cacomantis. Tail square. Mesocalius. b. The plumage brilliantly metallic. Sexes often different in plumage. Chaleococcyx. 2. Bill stouter. Plumage nearly uniformly black with greenish-blue gloss. Eudynamis. II. Bill very large and robust, more than twice the length of the tarsus, and with a lateral groove on each side. Scythrops. Cuckoos are infamous the wide world over, on account of their habit of depositing the egg in the nests of other birds, the young when about one day old and sufficiently strong, proceeding to turn its foster brothers and sisters out of the nest to perish miserably. Australia possesses a remarkable number, no less than thirteen, of these unprincipled parasites, all alike, from the great Channel-Bill to the little Bronze Cuckoo, pursuing the same vicious tactics. The Pheasant Coueal, belonging to another sub-family, alone preserves the dignity of a self-denying conscientious parent, and tends her own young. None utter quite so dominant a note as the European male Cuckoo, but both the Pallid and the Fan-tailed give forth loud ringing notes. The ringing whistle of the Pallid Cuckoo con- sists of a succession of running notes, the last and highest of which are several times rapidly repeated. The aborigines represented the note of the Fan-tail by the syllables Du-laar. The egg is transposed by the female, probably in all cases by the mouth, to the nest of almost always an insectivorous bird. If, as occasionally happens. that of a grain eating bird, as a Finch, is selected, the young Cuckoo of course, and we feel deservedly, perishes, for all the Cuckoos are distinctively insect-eating birds. Long lists of foster parents have been recorded by different observers for the various species, and in all cases the remarkable 248 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA instinct which enables the Cuckoos almost invariably to choose the nests of insect-feeding birds is manifested. No particular care is apparently taken to match the eggs of Cuckoo and foster bird, either in size or colour. The young Cuckoo, even while still blind, as soon as it is strong enough, works the fledglings of the foster bird over the edge of the nest, and remains to be the Australian Museum. Pallid Cuckoo: Cuculus pallidus. Fan-tailed Cuckoo: Cacomantis flabelliformis. sole care and charge of the defrauded parents, who never appear to discover or to resent the supplanting of their own offspring by an alien. It is indeed pathetic to watch tiny birds like the Acanthizas in a state of wild agitation endeavour to render succour to a young Cuckoo, many sizes larger than themselves, if mischance has ejected it from the nest. THE FAN-TAILED CUCKOO 249 Genus Cuculus. The whole of the Old World, except Polynesia. The British Cuckoo belongs to this genus. The Oriental Cuckoo. Cuculus saturatus (intermedius). Queensland, and accidentally in New South Wales. From Siberia and India to New Guinea. Head, throat and back blue grey; tail slaty black with white spots; under parts whitish with black bars. Total length 12.8 inches, culmen .9, wing 7.4, tail 6.3, tarsus .7. The Pallid Cuckoo. Cuculus inornatus (pallidus). Australia generally and Tasmania. Generally grey, the tail barred with white; under surfaces nearly uniform, only the under tail-coverts with dusky bars. Total length 12 inches. Egg uniform pale fiesh colour, with a darker wash of the same tint at the larger end; sometimes a few chestnut spots appear here and there over the shell. About .9 x .7 inch. Genus Cacomantis. Indian Peninsula and Ceylon, China, the Philippines, to Australia, New Caledonia and Fiji. Fan-tailed Cuckoos. The Fan-tailed Cuckoo. Cacomantis rufulus (flabelliformis). Australia, Tasmania, the Aru Islands. Above blue-grey; tail blue-black with white notches sometimes almost forming bars; under surfaces isabelline, not barred. Total length 10.2 inches. Egg fleshy-white, sprinkled all over with fine pinkish-red spots, which are blended about the upper quarter so as to form a narrow belt. .86 x .6 inch. 250 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA The Brush Cuckoo. Cacomantis flabelliformis (variolosus). Australia generally, New Guinea, Timor, the Moluccas. Above brown, the tail with an olive gloss and no white notches; under surfaces buff, not barred. Total length 8.5 inches. Egg dull white, with a band round the larger end of purplish- grey markings. They measure .73 x 67 inch. The Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo. Cacomantis castaneiventris. North Queensland, New Guinea, Aru Islands. Above deep’ slaty-blue; tail feathers all tipped and notched with white; under surfaces bright chestnut, with the chin grey, without bars. Total length 9 inches. Eggs very similar to those of C. flabelliformis. This bird has the habit of frequently uttering its monotonous running note throughout the night. Genus Misocalius. Australia generally, Aru Islands, Moluccas. The one species. The Black-eared Cuckoo. Mesocalius palliolatus. Ashy brown above, quills dark brown; all the tail feathers with broad whitish ends and five other distinct bars on the inner webs of the outer pair; on the side of the head a broad white eyebrow, and a black band through the eye over the ear-coverts; under parts buff, white behind. Total length 7.6 inches. The eggs are of a uniform reddish-chocolate, darker than the egg of the Bronze Cuckoo. They measure about .85 x .59 inch. Genus Chalcococcyx. Indian Peninsula, Ceylon, Burmah through Malaysia to Australia and New Zealand. Bronze Cuckoos. The Bronze Cuckoos have a very general resemblance in the pattern of the plumage; the upper surfaces dark with brilliant THE BRONZE CUCKOO 951 metallic green or purple or bronze, the tail feathers with rows of white spots or bars, and the under surfaces white with metallic cross bands. \ “The Emu.” C. P. Kinane. Young Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcococcyx basalis) ousting young Blue Wren (Malurus cyaneus). 252 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Key to the Species. I Basal two-thirds of tail rufous, except inner and outer feathers. IT. Basal half of tail never uniform rufous. 1. With no rufous edges to the quills. a. Larger, wing not less than 4 inches. Breast bands bright green, crown green like back, forehead freckled with white. Breast bands coppery bronze, crown and back of neck purplish bronze contrasting with green back, forehead less freckled with white. b. Smaller. Wing not more than 3.8 inches. Breast bands coppery bronze, back green, fore- head strongly freckled with white. 2. With narrow rufous edges to the quills. Like C. malayanus, but with no white on the forehead. C. basalis. C. lucidus. C. plagosus. C. malayanus. C. pocilurus. Bronze Cuckoo: Chalcococcyx plagosus. Australian Museum. THE BRONZE CUCKOO 253 The Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo, C. basalis—Australia, Tasmania, Aru Islands to South Celebes, Java and Malay Peninsula. Total length 6.3 inches. Egg, fleshy white, speckled all over with fine pinkish red spots, which become darker by age; .7 x .5 inch. The Broad-billed Bronze Cuckoo, C. lucidus.—East Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand. Total length 6.5 inches. Eggs very pale olive, often stained with brownish-grey, and measures .81 x .52 inch. “Victorian Naturalist.” Cc. P. Kinane. Bronze Cuckoo (16 days old) to the right, being fed by foster parent (the Brown Tit). The Bronze Cuckoo, C. plagosus—Australia generally, Tasmania, New Caledonia, South New Guinea. Total length 6.2 inches. Egg, clear olive-brown, slightly paler at the smaller end; the olive brown can easily be removed by wetting, leaving a uniform light bluish shell, .7 x .5 inch. The Little Bronze Cuckoo, C. malayanus—Al]l the Northern parts of Australia, New Guinea, and Malay Peninsula. Total length 5.8 inches. Egg slightly darker than C. plagosus, and measures .74 x .54 inch. The Rufous-throated Bronze Cuckoo, C. peciluwrus.—All the northern parts of Australia, New Guinea to Timor and Moluccas. Total length 5.8 inch. 254 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Eudynamis. India to Australia. The Koel. Eudynamis cyanocephalus. North-west Australia, Northern Territory, Timor, New South Wales, Queensland, New Guinea. “The Emu.” : z 2 C. P. Kinane. Bronze Cuckoo (Chaleococcyx plagosus) about three weeks old. Male: Black, with a bright greenish-blue gloss. Total length 16 inches. Female: Upper half of head and back of the neck glossy greenish- black; rest of upper surface dark olive-brown; back and wing-coverts thickly spotted with white; quills of wing and tail with white bars; chin and upper throat black, with white spots; rest of under parts white washed with buff and barred with black. Usually deposits its eggs in the nests of Orioles, Friar birds and Miners. The egg is pinkish-buff with slight markings of chestnut, especially on the larger end, and measures about 1.37 x 1.03 inch. THE COUCAL 255 Genus Scythrops. _ Celebes, Flores, Moluccas, Papua, Australia. The one species. The Channel-bill, Scythrops nove-hollandie. Distribution above. Head and neck pearl grey; rest of upper parts olive-grey with broad blackish ends to all the feathers of the back and wings; tail with broad subterminal blackish bar and a white end; under surfaces greyish-white with pale wavy markings; bill yellowish; feet olive-brown; iris red; orbits and lores scarlet. Total length 25 inches, culmen 4, wing 14, tail 11, tarsus 1.7. Female similar. Egg light stone-colour, marked all over, but particularly at larger end, with irregular blotches of reddish-brown, many darker and as below surface of shell. 1.7 x 1.25 inch. Usually laid in the nests of Crows or Magpies, and occasionally small Hawks. Seen at the feeding times, morning and evening, in pairs or less often in small companies. The food is the capsule of the gum-trees. The note is a loud scream. It is often called the Rain bird, as it is supposed to be unusually noisy just before rain and so foretell its coming. The same name was given to it for similar reasons among the natives of the Celebes. Sub-family Centropodine. Wing shorter than in Cuculine and curved to fit the body. Genus Centropus. All Tropical Africa, Madagascar, Indian Peninsula and Ceylon, South China, Malay Archipelago to Papua and Australia. A large genus with but one Australian species. The Coucal. Centropus phasianus. North-west Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, and New South Wales. The male assumes a special plumage in the breeding season. In both seasons the rump, upper tail-coverts and tail are glossy greenish-black with numerous rufous, buff or white bars. When not in the breeding season, the upper half of the head and back of the neck chestnut with buff shaft stripes, mottled near the mantle with wavy black bars; the 256 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA wings when closed buff crossed by rufous bars with black margins; the back dusky brown; the under parts buff. In the breeding season the head, neck, and entire under parts are black glossed with green and with glossy shaft stripes; the wings chestnut barred with black and buff; the back brownish-black glossed with green; bill horny black; feet slate colour; iris golden yellow. Total length 23.3 inches, culmen 1.6, wing 10.4, tail 14.5, tarsus 2. Inhabits swampy places abounding in tall grasses and reeds, amongst which the bird runs with great facility. The nest is usually placed in the midst of a tuft of grass, sometimes on a Pandanus; is large and composed of dried grasses, of a dome- shaped form with two openings, through one of which the head of the sitting bird protrudes and the long tail through the other. Eggs three to five, nearly round, of a dirty white, stained some- times with brown, and rather rough on the surface. They measure 1.3 x 1.2 inch. These birds have a curious note, like coop-coop-coop, &c., in a descending scale, and quickly repeated. Order Menuriformes. Furcula complete, sternum with rounded posterior margin. Tail feathers produced to.an extraordinary length, and many of them devoid of hooklets. Comprises only the single family Menuride, Lyre-birds, which is developed only in South-east Australia. Key to the Species. 1. Outer tail feather white or ashy white on the inner web, with rufous notches and tipped with black; under tail-coverts ashy; back ashy-brown. a. Outer tail-feather ashy white below, the bars being reddish-brown. New South Wales. 38 inches. The Lyre-bird, M. superba. b. Outer tail-feather white below, the bars being chestnut. Victoria. 36 inches. The Victoria Lyre-bird, M. victoriz. 2. Outer tail feather not barred; under tail-coverts chestnut; upper surface also rufous brown or dull chestnut. Southern Queensland and Northern Rivers of New South Wales. 31 inches. The Albert Lyre-bird, M. alberti. The Lyre-bird. Menura superba. Male: Head and neck dark slaty-brown, as also the sides of the face, ear-coverts and cheeks; mantle slaty-brown; rump washed with grey, upper tail-coverts reddish-brown; wings dark slaty-brown. ‘‘The two 207 PIEASANT COUCAL Sydney Zoo. Pheasant Coucal: Centropus phasianus. From life. 258 THE. BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA centre tail feathers with brown webs along the outer edge, but with only a few radii on the inner edge; remainder of tail feathers having only long lateral filaments, only the bare portion being webbed; the outer Australian Museum. Lyre-bird: Menura superba. feathers curving gracefully outwards at the ends, the outer web being smoky-brown and the tip black, the inner web ashy-grey with triangular notches of tawny buff, these notches heing transparent by the absence of the radioli of the feather, the inner edge of the outer tail feather 209 THE LYRE-BIRD ‘fanog at ‘a ‘pqwadns vinuayy :palq-atsry Jo 4seN 260 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA recurved on itself and edged with black.’’ (R. Bowdler Sharpe.) The under surface ashy-brown; bill and nostrils black; bare space round eye lead-colour; legs and feet black, the scales mealy; iris blackish-brown. Total length 38 inches, culmen 1.65, wing 11, tail 24, tarsus 4.4. The female lacks the beautiful lyre-shaped tail, and is smaller, 33 inches. The other species are similarly plumaged, the slight differences being indicated in the key to the species. Lyre-birds are confined to the Eastern strip of Australia. It has been suggested that they would flourish in Tasmania, and it is to be hoped that the suggestion will be acted on, and that birds will be introduced into that island in which the Fox is not likely to get a footing. Where properly protected, as in the National Park of New South Wales, they do well, and it is to be hoped that, as their natural haunts are invaded by the Fox and the illicit sportsman and collector, fresh harbours will be found for these beautiful and musical denizens of the forest. They frequent retired and shady gullies from sea level to the tops of the ranges. Gould met with the bird in abundance at Western Port and Illawarra, and it is not unknown even now- adays at the head of Sydnev Middle Harbour and in the Port Hacking district. But it is chiefly in the gullies of the ranges that the birds are now met with, and where their habits may be studied. The best spots are where the bird still survives in scrubs adjacent to clearings. The birds and eggs are closely protected by law. Naturally shy birds, they require careful approach. When you have discovered their haunts by waiting patiently in con- cealment and quiet, you may secure good views, and be able to watch them building or playing on their mounds, or be favoured by one of their marvellous musical recitals. The birds rarely fly, and to no great height, and then mostly when disturbed, or betaking themselves to a lower branch of a tree. They run rapidly along the roughnesses of the rocky gullies, tangled with brush and creepers, and beset with rotten logs and boughs, the legs being long and strong and the thigh muscles powerful, and they have extraordinary powers of springing up the sides of the precipitous ravines, so that pursuit is hopeless. Morning and evening are the times of activity, when the birds are most seen and heard. They move about rapidly, scratching up the dead leaves and bark to obtain the centipedes, THE LYRE-BIRD 261 crustaceans, beetles, and snails on which they feed. The Lyre- bird is our most wonderful songster. Its own notes are peculiarly liquid and melodious, but not content with these it delights to reproduce the notes and calls of its neighbours and to mimic any sounds it may hear in the bush. When singing the bird can be approached with more ease, as it becomes less on the alert as it pours forth its soul in song. Then you may listen to a pro- gramme of many items, and did you not know that the solitary performer was before you, you would marvel at the number of , From. life. D. Le Souéf. Victoria Lyre-bird: Menura victoriae. different birds taking part in the concert. The laugh of the Great Brown Kingfisher, the Kookaburra, is imitated to perfec- tion; then may follow the feeding call or the scream of a Parrot; then the full rich notes of the Thrush; and so on one after another you will hear all the local birds. Thrown in, perhaps as comic items, the bird will give vou the rap of the hammer as the settler is driving in his nails, or the hum and buzz of a circular saw, or the steam whistle for knocking off work; or even the bark of a dog, the howl of the Dingo and the crow of a cock. 262 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Among its many curious habits is the building of small banks or mound hillocks. These are formed of light sand and built on ledges, and are a few inches in height. The birds visit “The Emu.” Lyre-bird (Female): M. Victoriae. A. E. Kitson. these during the day in the times of courtship, and the male bird struts about on them, erecting and spreading his handsome tail for the admiration of the female. The Lyre-birds breed in the late winter or early spring, from the latter part of June in early seasons, usually in July or . THE LYRE-BIRD 263 August, according to the latitude. The nest is a large one, and is placed on the ground at the base of a stump or the buttress of a tree, on the ledge of a projecting rock or in the head of a tree-fern or against the trunk, but usually near the ground, and among the recesses of the deep gullies. On one occasion we found one about 80 feet from the ground in the fork of a tall Eucalyptus tree. The bird hopped from branch to branch in the thick adjacent smaller trees to get to it. The nest proper is dome-shaped with a _ side entrance, and is constructed of fine strong roots, narrow strips of bark, leaves and ferns, and is lined with the softer feathers of the bird. There is a foundation of coarse sticks, and the nest is protected from the rain-drip by a rough covering composed of sticks and bits of wood, grass, moss and leaves, which projects over the nest proper. Care is always taken to build the nest in a situation in which it avoids the natural drainage, and is protected from the wind, and the home is made as snug as can be, notwith- standing the dark and damp surroundings. The bird enters by the side opening, going in backwards with tail reversed over the back, and there is sufficient room for it to turn round in the nest. Once inside, the bird is entirely hidden from view, and the outside of the nest closely resembles its environment, so that it is not easily detected. One egg is usually laid, (occasionally two) which is about 2.5 inches long and 1.62 inches broad. It is somewhat rough, depressed all over with pin-point like indents, and with, sometimes, little ridges like the veins of a leaf. The colour is dark purplish-grey, with numerous spots of umber or chocolate, others of dark violet, both sets of markings thicker about the top of the egg where they tend to form a belt. The period of incubation is a long one, apparently extending in some cases to seven weeks. The habits of the three species are very similar. ORDER PASSERIFORMES. Sub-order Mesomyodi. Intrinsic muscles of the voice organ affixed at or near the middle of the bronchial semi-rings. 264 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Family Pittidw. Ant-thrushes. Manubrium of sternum forked. Tail quills 12. Genus Pitta. Tail short, more or less squared. Birds of varied and brilliant plumage. The young assuming the adult plumage on leaving the nest. Australian Museum. Noisy Pitta: Pitta strepitans. The Noisy Pitta. Pitta strepitans. South New Guinea, Queensland and New South Wales. General colour of back and wings deep green; crown of head ferruginous with a narrow black vertical stripe; sides of head, nape and back of neck black; lesser wing-coverts metallic blue, primaries black with white speculum; chin with black spot, breast buff or fawn colour, abdomen with a black patch, vent and under tail-coverts scarlet; upper tail-coverts and tail black, the latter tipped with green. Total length 8.5 inch, wing 5, tail 2. The Noisy Pitta keeps much to the ground, but takes to the branches of the trees if alarmed. Its food consists of insects, THE NOISY SCRUB-BIRD 265 fruits and snails. The call is something like ‘‘Want-a-watch.”’ The nests are placed on or near the ground, often on the spurs of fig-tree roots. They are made of sticks and lined with moss, leaves and soft bark. The eggs, four, pale creamy-white, marked all over with blotches of brown and deep grey, and measure 1.25 x .87 inch. The Lesser Pitta. Pitta stmillima. The northern form of P. strepitans, being smaller in size, but not otherwise distinguishable. The Blue-breasted Pitta. Pitta macklotr. Malay Peninsula, Java, Aru, Australia and Tasmania. Differs from P. strepitans in having the rump, upper tail-coverts as well as the wing-coverts blue; breast with a broad greyish-blue band, bordered behind a wide black margin. Total length 7 inch, wing 4, tail 1.6. The Rainbow Pitta. Pitta iris. North-west Australia and Northern Territory. Upper surface and wings golden green; head, neck, breast, abdomen, flanks and thighs deep velvety-black; on the eye a chestnut band joining its fellow on the nape; shoulders bright metallic-blue; primaries black with white speculum; tail black at base, green at tip; vent and under tail coverts bright scarlet. Total length 6 inches, wing 4, tail 1.4. PASSERES ABNORMALES. Family Atrichornthide. Furcula rudimentary. Sternum with a single deep indenta- tion on its hinder margin. Wing tiny, powers of flight rudimentary. Back of the tarsus more scutellated than in any Lark. The one genus, confined to Australia. The Noisy Scrub-bird. Atrichoriis clamosa. West and South-western Australia. Above dark chocolate-brown, waved with circular black markings, the brown and black alternating; tail feathers black, varied with alternate wavy markings of black and brown on the margins; throat and breast white, with a blackish patch on the lower throat, Total length 8.5 inches, culmen .75, wing 3.1, tail 4.1, tarsus 1.05. 266 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Nest usually placed on the ground near a stump or log, and is dome-shaped and made of grass and rootlets. The two eggs are reddish-white, with purplish-brown markings, which are confluent on the larger end. They measure .91 x .69 inch. The Rufous Scrub-bird. A. rufescens. The Richmond and Clarence River Districts of New South Wales. More rufous than preceding, and having upper tail-coverts and tail- feathers regularly barred across with black; the throat is whitish, the centre of the breast black, the abdomen orange rufous. Total length 6.8 inches, culmen .65, wing 2.45, tail 2.85, tarsus .85. Nest and egg very similar to A. clamosa. The eggs measure .89 x .68 inch. Family Hirundinde. Broad-billed, Passeres with nine primaries. Cosmopolitan. Swallows and Martins. All our Australian birds belong to the sub-family Hirundinine, True Swallows, and all possess bare toes. Feed on insects, which they capture on the wing. Key to the Genera. Tail strongly forked, the outer feather indented on the inner web and elongated. Nostrils, the nasal apertures longitudinal or oval. A distinct superior membrane. Hirundo. Scarcely any superior membrane. Cherameca. Tail square. Nostrils rounded and exposed, without any superior membrane. Petrochelidon. Genus Hirundo. Cosmopolitan. H. gutturalis extends over a wide area from Northern Asia through the Malay Archipelago to New Guinea and Northern Australia; H. javanica from Southern India through the Malay Archipelago to the islands of Torres Strait; H. neoxena replaces H. javanica in Australia and Tasmania. The Chimney Swallow. Hirundo gutturalis. Above glossy purplish-blue, streaked with the white bases to the feathers of the mantle, tail feathers, except central, with a large oval white spot on the inner web; forehead, cheeks and throat dark-chestnut. THE AUSTRALIAN SWALLOW 267 with an incomplete purplish-blue collar on the foreneck, rest of under- surface white; bill black, feet brown, iris black. Total length 6.7 inches, culmen .35, wing 4.6, tail 3.4, tarsus .5. The Eastern Swallow. Hirundo javanica. Above dull steel blue, mottled with white bases to the plumes of the hind neck; wing-coverts, quills of wing and tail black; tail-feathers, except central, with an oval white spot on the inner web; a broad frontal band, cheeks, throat, foreneck and most of the ear-coverts brick red, rest of under-surface ashy brown. Total length 5.1 inches, culmen .4, wing 4.15, tail 2.15, tarsus .35. The Australian Swallow. Hirundo neoxena. Resembles preceding generally, but the ear-coverts are glossy blue like the back, and the breast and especially the abdomen are lighter in colour, the latter being inclined to ashy white. Total length 5.8 inches. The Swallow performs a general migration avoiding the extremes of heat and cold. Thus it appears in Tasmania in September and leaves in March. A few will pass the whole winter about Sydney, but the majority go north for a couple of the coldest months. In the summer they appear in great numbers, and are active for the greater part of the day, hawking insects in graceful curves, skimming close to the ground in duller days, and more aloft on bright. They are indifferent to the proximity of man, circling round a cricket ground for instance, while a match is being played, so that often on a late afternoon when the light is weak a bird has been mistaken for the ball by the field, and has confused the batsmen. The nests are placed in deep clefts of rocks or in dark caverns in country unoccupied by the white man, but since his advent the bird has chosen sites similar to those selected by the European Swallow, building under verandahs or eaves, in barns and outhouses, less frequently in the chimney. The well-known nest is made of mud or clay, intermingled with straw or grass to bind it; is open at the top, and lined first with a layer of fine grass and then with feathers. The shape varies according as the nest is built in a corner, or against a wall, but is always rounded on the free rim. The eggs, usually four, are rather long, pinky- white with many fine spots of purplish-brown, .75 x .5 inch, The note is a pleasant twittering. 268 THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA Genus Cherameca. Comprises but one species, which is confined to the Australian Continent. The Black and White Swallow. Cheramaca leucosternum. Upper surface parti-coloured; crown of head white with brown centres to the feathers, nape and hind neck and sides of neck brown; mantle and upper back white, lower back, rump and tail-coverts and most of the wing blue-black; ear-coverts brown; cheeks, throat, foreneck, and breast, white; abdomen and under tail-coverts blue-black; bill blackish- brown; feet greenish-grey; iris dark reddish-brown. Total length 5.5 inches, culmen .25, wing 4.95, tail 3, tarsus .5. The Black and White Swallow is a very wandering species, seen in small flocks of ten to twenty in number. It usually flies very high, more like the Swifts. It more closely resembles the European Sand Martin in its nidification than do any of our other Swallows. It builds sometimes in a deserted burrow of some Bandicoot or Rat Kangaroo, but more generally drills for itself a hole in the side of a bank. The hole is perfectly round, and the passage runs in horizontally for about a yard, and then expands into the nesting chamber. The nest is composed of dry grasses and leaves. Eggs about .67 x .48, pure white, elongated. Genus Petrochelidon. Both hemispheres. Martins. Head steel-blue with a frontal band of sandy-buff or rufous. P. nigricans. Head all rufous. P. ariel. The Tree Martin. Petrochelidon nigricans. Australia generally and Tasmania, visiting New Zealand, the Papuan Islands and even the Moluccas, migrating north for the winter. Above deep steel-blue, lower back and rump whity-brown, upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers dusky-brown: a frontal band of pale brick- red extending backwards to the corner of the eye; lores, feathers round eye, and ear-cuverts sooty-blackish; cheeks and throat dull whitish, with blackish streaks, rest of under-surface whitish with a sandy tinge, a patch of blue-black on the sides of the upper breast. Bill and toes light-brown, iris black. Total length 5.2 inches, culmen .3, wing 4.2, tail 2.1, tarsus .5. 269 THE FAIRY MARTIN ‘pupusvg “PV “0 “(jad uopysyootjag) Suyaeyy