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Vol. VI.

Part I,

THE

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN

ORNITHOLOGIST,

A Magazine of Ornithology.

1st JANUARY, 1921

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EDITORIAL COMMITTEE;

F. M. ANGEL, R.A.O.U.
A. G. EDQUIST
S. A. WHITE, C.M.B.O.U.
F. R. ZIETZ, R.A.O.U.,

!]

Price, 2/-

THE

South Australian

ORNITHOLOGIST.

■^jC

Editofiai CovDiiiltcc :

F. M. Angel, R.A.O.TJ.
A. (i. Hdotist
S. A. Whitk, C.M.BO.r
F. K. ZiKT/., R.A.O.U.

Secretary :

J. Nkil McGtlp,

"Origma, " Napier Terrace,
King's Pari' S.A.

^.^-^'[^bO-nfMvv

XT)

CONTENTS.

Pack
The South Anstvalian Oinitliological Association ... ... 5

Order Passeriforme.«, Family Meliphagidte, Genus Meliphaga... 9

Description of New Wren, liy J. W. Mellor, R.A.O. J. ... 10

Bird Notes from tlie Lake Frome District d South Au.stralia.

By J. Neil McGilp, K.A. U.U. 10

Notes on a Motor Trip from Adelaide to Western Queen.sland.

By F. E. Parson.s, R.A.O.U. 12

Bird Notes ... 23

The Editorial Committee accepts no responsibility for the
views or deductions expressed by any of its contributors.
The eTournal welcomes a free interchange of ideas with the
object of extending the knowledge of our avifauna, but the
author of each article is responsible for the opinions and
deductions recorded.

THE

South Australian Ornithologist.

Vol. VI.] 1st JANUARY, 1921. [Part 1.

The South Austrahan Ornitho logical
Association.

MONTHLY PROCEEDINC^S.

October 1st. Mr. P. M. Angel in the chair.

The alleged fruit-eating habit of the goldfinch was dis-
cussed. The member's considered that this bird is harmful
to the smaller fruits, such as cherries, strawberries and paper
shell almonds, but have no evidence of its being destructive
to the larger fruits.

Captain White called attention to the fact that the roos-
ting of the landrails in trees was reported by Mr. A. Cromp-
ton at a meeting held on the 31st August, 1918, so that a
record had already been made of this unusual habit.

Captain White reported that Mr. H. L. White, of Bell-
crees. New South Wales, had very generously given some sets
of eggs and promised to send on many more towards an egg
collection for this Association. A resolution was passed
heartily thanking Mr. White for his valuable gift, and sugges-
ted that with 'his permission the gift he called the "H. L.
White Collection."

By request of the Association, Captain White consented
to act as curator of the collection for the time being.

The question of securing a suitable cabinet for the collec-
tion was discussed, and it was decided to invite subscriptions
from the members towards this fund.

Mr. R. Beck reported having seen a crow at Seaton flying
very high and going towards the North, chased by magpies.
This bird is becoming very scarce near the city.

Mr. A. Crompton heard a Pallid Cuckoo calling on the
29th of August, and Captain White remarked that this Cuckoo

Ths South Aut^traliati Orvithnlogicai AmociaHoi).

i.^ very scarce for this time of tlic year, when usually it is very
plentiful.

Captain White stated that Screech Owls were nesting at
the Reedbeds and that the Blue Wrens had already brought
out a brood. He also tabled a fine specimen of Goracimi
roh'iista mentaUs, taken at the Reedbeds.

Although South Australia was quoted by Mathews as
the type locality very few South Australian specimens were
in collections, and this skin was secured for that purpose.

Birds for discussion for the evening were Bristle Birds,
specimens of wliich were tabled from the collections of the
S. A. Museum, Captain White and Mr. J. W. Mellor. Upon
comparison of the skins of Sphenura 'broadhenti it was noted
that the Coorong bird was lighter in colouration than that
from Robe, iwhich in turn was slightly lighter than the Vic-
torian form.

Dr. Morgan said the species was plentiful on the sand
dunes near the coastline from the Murray mouth to Geelong.
Victoria, and can often bo heard from the hotel at Beachport.

Captain White had seen one of these birds enter a bush,
but was unable to locate it until he noticed its tracks leading
into a rabbit warren under the bush. He closed tbe mouth
of t'hi' hole for the night, but the bird was still alive in the
morning, having made no attempt to scratch its way out.

Specimens of SpJirniira hrachyptera were also examined,
and it was pointed out that this species had only two bristles
on each side of the bill, whereas Sphenura broadbenti had
four or more.

Captain White considered that the bristles were used by
the bird to guide insects into its mouth.

October 29th. Mr. F. M. Ang^l in tlie chair.

A letter was received from the Secretaiy to the Minister
of Industry expressing the Minister's appreciation of the
valuable report furnished by the Association in reference to
the fruit-eating habits of the Goldfinch.

Dr. William Ray, of Angas Street, was nominated for
membershi]).

Dr. Morgan exhibited a photograph of a Coot nesting at
the Botanic Gardens, and tw^o photos of the nests of the
White-headed Stilt taken on the Adelaide Plains.

The South Auntralian Ornithological Association. 7

Mr. Parsons showed a photograpii of a cluster of forty-
two nests of the Fair}' Martin, built on the trunk of a gum tree,
i>outh Queensland.

He also reported having seen Bylacola cauta near Mount
Lofty. This bird was reported some years ajio by Mr. F. R.
Zietz from Black Hill at the entrance of the Fifth Creek Gully.

Professor J. B. Cleland commented on the increase of
Willie Wap:tails {Leiicocirca tricolor) in Adelaide and
suburbs of late years. In the nineties, these birds were
uncommon in the suburbs. Now many gardens have a pair,
and the birds may frequently be heard singing at night.

At about 10 p.m. on September 15th last, a clear star-
light night with no moon, no less than three were heard in the
distance of about two and a half miles, between Hindmarsh
Square, Adelaide (where the first was heard), and Fullarton.

Do both sexes sing at night? Is night singing only
associated with the nesting season? Do the birds rival each
other as roosters do?

He also exhibited a nest of Morgaitoriii.s su2)frciliosiis,
found at Clarendon on October 1,3. The interior, as well as the
entrance, had been lined with grass, and interwoven in the en-
trance were three Spider Orchids iCahidenia <Jilatata), a num-
ber of white Everlastings {Helichrysum Baxtcri), and two
flower heads of a brownish rush-like plant (Lifziihi c(i)npestris).
Marks of the bird's bill were recognisable on the
stems where these had been bruised in picking off
the flowers. There seems to be no doubt that the
flowers were used for decorative purposes. More-
over, tlie birds had exhibited undoubted predilection for
certain flowers; thie white Everlastings were numerous, but
the Spider Orchids (yellow to bi-ownish with a purple patch
on the labellum) were relatively few and scattered, and much
less numerous than a striking blue orchid which had not been
gathered. The rush also, was inconspicuous and not very
abundant. The birds seem to prefer yellowish brown and
white. The nest was untenanted, but the flowers were fresh,
having been probably gathered that morning or perhaps the
evening before. Professor Cleland acknowledged his indebted-
ness to Mr. J. M. Black and Dr. Rogers for identification of
plants.

Dr. Morgan suggested that an old Babbler's nest had been
taken i)ossession of by S])otted-sided Finches.

Mr. F. R. Zietz exhibited a number of bird skins from the
S.A. Museum collection, comprising Birds of Paradise and'

The South Australian Ornithological Association.

other bright plumaged birds from New Guinea, a series of
Sun Birds, including the only Australian species, and the skin
of an adult male of the Sonnerat's Jungle Fowl from Ceylon,
which is believed to be one of the ancestoi-s of the Domestic
Fowl.

November 29th. . Mr. Edwin Ashby presided.

Dr. William Ray, of Angas Street, was duly elected a mem-
ber, and Dr. Hubert Jay, of Kensington Park, was nominated
for membership.

Dr. Morgan exhibited a photograph of a nest of the Black
Throated Grebe, taken at Morphottville, on a small overflow
of the Sturt. The nest contained the *<econd brood for this
season. The Doctor related an amusing incident in connec-
tion with a previous attempt to photogra])li the same nest.
When focussing, with his head under the hood, a quantity of
half digested fish and other food landed on his neck, and on
looking about to ascertain the cause he discovered a nest with
three young herons immediately overhead. The food had been
vomited by these birds.

In the same tree a nest of the Murray Magpie was noted.

Dr. Morgan also stated that Moorhens {GaUinula bene-
brosa) were about in the same locality, and although no
nests were seen he felt sure that these birds were nesting
there.

Mr. K. Ashby reported a nest of the Mistletoe Bird in an
apple tree at Blackwood, in the same spot as last year.

The nest was composed very largely of the sawdust-like
material cast out by borers in the wattle trees. This same
habit had been previously noted by Mr. Ashby.

^Ir. Zietz stated that he had been informed that a pair
of Galaiis had been observed at Mylor during the last week
'In October

The main business of the evening was an account by
Mr. F. E. Parsons of a trip by motor car from Hergott through
to Queensland. The birds met with were described, and a
fine collection of skins was exhibited. \ full report of the
trip is publish<M] in this number.

Mr. PaiHons was congratulated upon his extremely valu-
able records and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded for the
very interesting evening.

In view of the Christmas holidays, it was decided to hold
the next me<^ting at the residence of the President, "Wit-
tunga" Blackwood, on December 18th.

Order Piisseriformis, Family Melipliagidce, Ginus Meliphaga. 9

Order Passeriformes, Family Meliphagidaej
Genus Neliphaga.

Meliphaga sonora (Singing Honey-eater) — Mr. Gregory M.
Mathews has divided this s})ecies into eight sub-species.

Description — All under surface, light grey, a light brown
stripe down the centre of each feather on the breast ; top of the
head and all the upper surface, greenish grey; a broad black
line passing from the base of the bill through the eye, on to the
neck, almost to the shoulder; ear-coverts and a line passing un-
der the eye, bright yellow ; wings, brown, external margins,
yellowish green ; tail, brown, each feather margined with green-
ish yellow; bill, black; feet, slatey grey to brown.

Distribution — Almost over the whole of Australia and ad-
jacent islands, the coastal belts of Queensland being the only
locality which it does not seem to favour.

Habitat — It seems to frequent all kinds of situations, the
low scrub along the seashore, the ranges with large timber, and
the mulga covered plains.of the interior.

Habits — Often a shy bird, keeping to the thick under-
growth, yet at times it will become quite inquisitive, and is very
pugnacious at nesting time, attacking any bird which
approaches its nest. It is often seen upon the ground in search
of insects, and it will also catch much of its insect diet upon the
wing.

Flight — Not long sustained, fitful, and at times, erratic.

Note— Although loud, very full and musical.

Food — Insects, honey, and at times, beiTies and seeds.

Nesting Season — Varies much according to locality; they
are very erratic breeders in the interior, but on the coastline
the breeding seasonis generally from August to^ November.

Nest sometimes placed in an upright fork, at others in an
overhanging branch composed of small twigs and rootlets, bound
together with cobwebs and spider cocoons; at times the wooly
flowerheads are used.

Clutch — One to three.

Average measurement of 10 epgs- 2.36 cm. x l.«>8 cm.;
lar,oest egg, 2.80 cm. x 1.70 cm.; smallest egg, 2.15 cm. x 1.65
cm.

10 iJELLOR — DeHCi^tivit <,j New Wre)

Description of New Wren.
By J. W. Mellor, R.A.O.U.

Eyre Peninsula Che.stnut-shonldered ^V^en (Ijrgfjeoruit
lamberii cyrci) Siib.-Sp. Nov. i Mellor).

Type locality — AVarunda Creek. Eyre Peninsula, S.A.
Uth October. 19(1!).

This recording of a new vvieii for Eyre Peninsula. S.A., is
but an illustration of the absolute necessity of securing speci-
tnens for compvarison from different districts, and not trusting
to ihe eyesight while the bird-; are "on the wing.'' Tli<' sueties
under considcialion bas been erroneously set down by Mr.
Robert Hall as .1/. Jnmhcrli a.sslmili.s in Ills list of birds ideal i-
fled on Eyie ] eninsula during the camp-out at Wai-uuda
Creek, in connection with the 9th Congress of the Koyai Austra-
lian Ornithologists' Union, October, 1909, the identiticatiou
having been hurriedly made from an immature male. L>ut in a
recent and more careful examination of two males secured by
me on that occasion, and on comparison with other members of
the .l/a/(rr/. 1 find that the Eyre Peninsula bird is (piite dilV
erent from othei* s})ecies, it appealing to be a connecting link
between Leggecniis laiiiherti assiiiiilis, of !-5outh Australia, and
Lcf/f/rornis clcf/fniH of Western Australia, inasmuch as th<^
up}>er surface corresponds exactly with the former, and the un
der surface with the latter species, the distingiiishing part being
the throat and chest, which, instead of being black as in Legge-
ornin hnuhrrfi assiwilis. has a decided dai-k blue tinge over the
feathers. This is seen to advantage wlien held in certain lights,
it being more nearly allied to lawhcrti. I propose the sub-spe
cific name of Lci/g'ornis hinihrrti rjjrei. It is a tine, robust bird,
the measurements in inches of the type s])ecimen, whicb is in niy
collection, being— Total length. 5.50; Tail, 2.73; Wing, 1.91:
Bill, 0.40; Tarsus, .85.

Bird Notes from the Lake Frome District
of South Austrah'a.

—By J. Neil McGilp, K.A.O.U.—
On the 24tb Jul v. 1920. I visited Moolawatana Stati<ni.
situated on the North-western shores of Lake Frome. This lake
is a lariT'e salt-basin, and only contains water after very heavy
rain, but at the tiitu* of my visit had been dry for three years,

McGlLF — Bird Notes from Lake Frovie. 11

A severe drought had raged over this district for almost
two years, aud many of our birds had sought new feeding
grounds, but after fairly good rains in June, quite a number of
our friends were linding "home the best place.'' Upon my
arrival, I found that several of the migratory species had al
read.y arrived. Of course, a stray bird or two of the species, is
often seen throughout the year, but about June and July they
coniQ along in numbers to pass southwards, after a short stay
with us. Tlu' Pallid Cuckoo, Narrow-billed Cuckoo, Hlack-faced
Graucalus, and White-shouldered Caterpillar Eater (in full
l)lumag('), seemed quite at home in the large gum creek in front
of our homestead — the first time I "worked" the creek.

On the 28th July, I noticed a small flock of Masked Wood
Swallows, but jilthnugh these increased in numbers daily, it was
not until the 14 th August that I saw some White-I?rowed Wood
Swallows in coiiuij'ny with newly arrived Masked s])ecies. This
year these splendid creatures came along from due north, where
as last year, they came from the North-east direction. Not a
single representative of the Sordid Wood Swallow was noted.
The Black Faced, and White Bumped species are with us all the
year, the latter being in very small numbers along the bore
streams.

On the 7th August, the first Red-backed Kingfisher was
noted, and several more had arrived by the 21th August — 'the
date of my departure from the district.

1 am sui-()i'ispd that the I>ee-eater had not i>u( in an ap
j;earance, for it is generally with us by the first week in July.
often remaining to breed in tunnels in the gently rising ground
alonu banks of the creek.

The Accii»iter family, is much later than usual in attending
to nesting, the only exception being the little Nankeen Kestrel.
This family is not nearly as well represented as in most years.

T found a beautifully constructed nest of the Lef/fjeor)ns
hniihrrti assiiiiilis ( Purple-backerl ^^'renl. It was made solely
of thf inner bark of the Titree. which lia.d been worked down
into soft long strirts, and woven together very strongly. This
was snuggly lined with rabbit fur. camel hair, and fine soft
feathers. The nest was unusually small, but compactly made,
measuring just less than 4J inches in height, and 2| inches in
width, the entrance measuring exactly one inch. It was placed
amid fallen brushwood (dry) only 9 inches clear of the ground,
and roni|;let('ly hidden from view. The mousp-like njovsMUfMits
of the female as she left the i»ile of brushwood, and the alarmed
actions and notes of the beautiful male bird, caused me to hunt
carefully for the nest. Tt contained four fresh eggs.

12 McGlLP — Birds Note* from LaJce Frame.

The following birds were noted breeding, or attending to
building operations, eggs, or young —

Ocyphaps lophotes.—Cvested Pigeon.

Peltohyas aii.Htralls. — Aust. Dotterel.

Cerchncis cenchroides. — Nankeen Kestrel.

Z)wco>7>(6- (7^/nMo/ji,s.— Bare-eyed Cockatoo.

Eolophus roseicapillus. — Rose-breasted Cockatoo (Galah).

Hirimdo neoxenu. — Welcome Swallow.

Hiilochelidoii nif/ricans (joletji — Tree Swallow.

Cheramoeca leucostcrnum stonei. — Sand Martin.

Whiteoni is (/<todeiiorii. — Red-capped Robin.

Smicrornis brevirosfris viridescens. — Greenish Tree Tit.

Lewinornis rufiventris maudeae. — Rufous-breasted Whist-

ler.

Chwlosonia oastanotiim. — Chestnut-backed Ground Bird.
t^diiiiielu ci)ntaiii())ii('(i. — Cinnamon Ground Bird.
Morgan'ornis siiperciliosws. — White-browed Babbler.
Pomatostom us riificcps. — Chestnut-crowned Babbler.
Aurepthian u ra a urifrons. — Orange-fronted Chat.
Ashhi/ui lovrusis. — Desert Chat.
Araiithi.ta piisilla JiauiUtoni.- — Red-rumped Tit.
Geohasileus chri/sorrhous addendus. — Yellow-rumped Tit.
Hallornis cjjanotus. — White-winged Wren.
Leggcorms laniherti assimilis. — Purple-backed Wren.
Colluricincla rufiventris. — Buff-bellied Shrike Thrush.
Gymnorhina fihiceti. — Black-backed Magpie.
Aphelocf'pJiala Icucopsis whitei. — Whiteface.
Parddloiiirus siriatus ornatns. — Red-tipped Pardalote.
Mjjzaniha flarigula. — Yellow-throated Minah.
Anfhus austrdlis adel(i}densis.-—I'iT>\t.
Corvus coronoides. — Australian Raven.
Corvus hennetti. — Bennett's Small-billed Crow.

Notes on a Motor Trip from Adelaide to
Western Queensland.

—By F. E. Parsons, R.A.O.U.—

I have always had a desire to traverse the country into the
central portion of our continent, so was very pleased when the
opportunity offered to accompany Mr. Stan Sinclair, of Sin-
clair, Scott & Co.. station owners, on a business trip which took
us well into Queensland. The, trip occupied just seven weeks,

PARSONS— A Motor Trip to Western Queensland. 13

and was at a time when the vast inland plains never looked bet-
ter, the country having been blessed with copious rains which
caused the herbage to quickly respond, and the whole country-
side was beautifully green with either waving fields of cane
grass or varying kinds of saltbush.

We left Adelaide b^;^ motor on August 21st. 1920, and
motored up the northern line to Hawker. Here we j)ut the car
on a truck and trucked it. to Hergott Springs, because the road
from Hawker to Hergott was badly cut about by washouts,
caused by the heavy rains. A day was spent at Hergott in get-
ting sup])lies and packing our load securely, and I managed to
get out for about twoihours for a walk in a direction due east
from the town. I had barely left the station yard before a
strange note arrested my attention. It was a low, swc^t mono-
tone whistle, repeated about eight or ten times in quick succes-
sion, and alhough tlie whistling continued close to me, yet I
could see no bird. 1 was on an almost bare, inhospitable, stony
plain, and it was quite five minutes before I was able to locate
the little bird, standing with its back to me, which
so well harmonised with the stones that but for its moving a
few feet, I should never have seen it. It was my first glimpse
of a living desert chat. These birds were afterwards constantly
met with on all the stony patches right from Hergott Springs
in South Australia, to well over the tropic in Queensland, but
always singly or in pairs. They do not group together in the
way that the Epthianura do. The desert chats were nesting.
Three nests were noticed, each containing three young birds.

I walked as far as the Frome River, which was quite dry,
but the bed of the river could be traced by the larger bushes
and scattered trees, llcve an Amytis was tluslied, probably Anii/-
tis goydrri. it being very plainly marked, and with a short, thick
bill. There were many nests of the short-billed crow, contain-
ing five, and in one case, six eggs. A Rrown Hawk flew from a
nest which was lined Avith green leaves, but contained no eggs.
The pale form of the (Ireenie {rtUotix penicillata leilaralnisis)
aiul the White-shouldered Caterpillar-eater were much in evi-
dence.

Next morning, August 27th, we started in earnest on our
long tour, taking the Rirdsville track, past the date plantation
at Lake Harry, which I was told was bearing good fruit, and
went on to Dulkaninna Station, which is owned by Sinclair,
Scott & Co.. and used as a depot for storing fat cattle prepara-
tory to trucking. Although it doesn't seem much to write that
we went from Hergott to Dulkaninna, yet the distance was not
so vpry easy to negotiate because the track in places was very

14 PAR^'^ON^S — A Motor Trip to Western QueenslLiad.

boggy, uecessitating the use of chains ou the wheels, and at
times tlie >sliovel had to be resorted to.

A wallv along the bore stream was full of interest, because
it was lined with timber, and as very few trees grew away from
the stream, the birds had congregated here for nesting. The
bare-eyed cockatoos and rose-breasted gallahs were nesting
freely. They didn't mind if the hollow was only a foot or 18
inches from the grimnd, so long as it was large enough to receive
their white eggs. The red-browed pardalot was seen entering a
spout, but had not completed its nest. Odd nests were noticed
of the fork-tailed kite, containing two eggs.

Tlie yellow minah had a nest with four eggs, and a pair of
pied Grallina were rearing five chicks. A patch of reeds har-
boured several reed warblei-s, which appeared to be each trying
to sing louder and sweeter than its neighbour, while white-
lieaded stilts, with their pretty pink legs were wading in the
shallows with a pair of black-fronted dotterel, darting after
insects on the edge of the water, and a little distant was a pair
of mountain duck. On returning to the homestead a little back
from the bore stream, the desert chat was again met with, and
a pair of Australian dotterel, while at any time a dozen fork-
tailod kites could be counted hovering just overhead.

We follow^ed the Birdsvillo track over the Cooper River,
and in trying to cross the bore stream we got hopelessly bogged,
the rear wheels and petrol tank coing clean under the mud and
slush. This meant three hours' liard work in building a small
coffer dam nnd baling out the slush before we were safely across
and on firm ground again. Cooper's Creek at this point, is
thickly timbered with Coolibah, and although a sharp lookout
was kept for the new sub-species of tree creeper that was col-
lected from Cooper's Creek by Capt. S. A. White, nothing was
seen or heard of it. Several red-backed grass imrrots and blue-
bonnets were noticed, and the bare-eyed cockatoos and rose
breasted cockatoos had taken possession of nearly
Jill the suitable nesting hollows. Soon after leaving
the Cooper's Creek wp came into country that was
flooded by the flood waters of the Diamantina,
which forced us to leave the regular track and rtick our
way. making a big detour around the margin of the flood.
While skirting this flooded country we came across a great
number of Ausfralian dotterel and Australian Pratincoles, and
several fine pairs of the native companions were passed wn'thin
about ."^0 yards of the <'ar. They were not at all alarmed by
the motor, and in most cases did not trouble to flv unless we

PABSUNS — A Motor Trip to Wentern Queensland. 15

went too close to them, when they would go bounding over the
ground with outstretched wings, bouncing like a rubber ball.
Several wild turkeys were also seen ; they likewise would not fly
away, but would run to the nearest bush and Sipiat under it. It
was in this part that we saw the first emu on the trip. It was
accompanied by seven or eight half-grown young birds. The
Queensland border was crossed about 50 miles east of Birdsville.
It was very noticeable that there were very many more kanga-
roos and emus on the Queensland side of the border fence. The
emu is very inquisitive, and we found that if we pulled up the
car they would run u]> to within a few yards of us and have a
good look, then leisurely run off. Although ducks had been plen
tiful in S.A., yet on the swamps in Queensland we found them
much more plentiful, and whereas those previously seen were
either black duck or teal, the predominating species were now
the plumed whistling duck. We passed throiigh Davenport
Down Station. It was from here that Mr. H. L. White secured
the eggs and skin of the letter-winged kites. We ascertained
that the letter-winged kites had been seen a few days previous to
our visit about 40 miles to the westwa,rd, but our time was limi-
ted, so we reluctantly had to pass on. At Diamantina Gates
Station, which is iust about on the tropic, we counted .'>0 kites,
and estiiiiated that they were about a third of the flock that were
hovering just over the station buildings. Our tour extended
closp on to Winton. and the return journey covered pretty much
the same route as the outward one, excepting that the country
that was previously flooded by the Diamantina flood waters had
quite dried up, so that after striking the main track at about
Clifton Hills, we were able to keep to the track all the way to
Hergott, where we left the motor and returned to Adelaide by
train. The spepdometer registered l.fin.5 miles on our trip.

So that the route might be readily followed on a map, the
stations passed thi-ough are given in their order —

South Australia.

Maree (Hergott) Mira Mitta

Lake Harry Mt. Gason

The Clayton Goyder's Lagoon

Dulkaninna Clifton Hills

Etadinna Anpernmanna

Kopperamanna Miranda

New Well Cadelga

Mulka Queensland ]?order

Oorawilauie

16 PARSOtfS—A Motor Trip to Western Qucenslavd.

Queensland.

Queensland Border Pal})arara

Mt. Leonard Davenport Downs

Daroo Diainentina Gates

Toorajumpa Mayne Hotel (at the Junction

Mooraberree of Diamentina and the Mayne

Cnrrawilla Rivers).

BIRDS SEEN DURING TRIP.

1. Emu {Dromiccius novaehollaiuliae) — Many birds seen,
mostly in pairs, also saw several broods of young with old bird.
They are very curious, and if the car is stopped will approach
to within 20 yards. Many more birds seen in Queensland than
in South Australia.

2. Little Quail (Aufitroturnix vclox) — Only two or three
birds seen.

3. Diamond Dove {l^tictOj)clei(( ciiiuatd ) — \'ery common
bird. Always present in low timber or bushes. Several nests
noted.

4. Crested Pif>eon (Ocyphaps lophotes) — Very common
bird. Several nests with eggs noted. A favourite position for
the nest is in a lignum.

5. Rock Pigeon {Petroplia^sa rnppennis) — Only one pair
seen. They were at Toura jumper, Queensland. Very quiet,
could get within five or six yards of them.

6. Black Moor Hen (Gallinula tenebrosa) — Common birds,
in flocks, over lignum and cane grass swamps.

7. Bald Coot XPorphyrio melanotus) — Very few birds seen.

8. Black-throated Grebe (TdrJit/hapl ii--< riiproni-'^) — Several
pairs seen on water holes.

9. Crested Tern (Thalasseus hcrgii) — One bird seen flying
at Miranda.

10. Red-kneed Dotterel (Eri/throgontfs cinctus) — -Often
met with on the cane grass swamps.

11. Spur-winged Plover (Lohihyo' novaeJiollandiae) —
About a dozen pairs noted. They frequent the bore drains.

12. Black-breasted Plover {Zonifer tricolor) — Only a few
pairs noted.

1.^. Red-capped Dotterel (LeucopoUuK nip'capillus) — These
birds were often met with on the bare gibber plains. The only
water for miles being a few shallow pools that formed after the
Inst rain, and would be quite dry again a week after.

1-4. Black-fro!>ted Dotterel (Elseyn melanops) — A very
common bird; several psiirs could be seen on every waterhole.

PARSUNS—A Motor Trip to Western Queensland. 17

15. Australian Dotterel {Peltohyas australis) — Very com-
uiou. Eggs were found. Several times while on the track W2
disturbed covies of perhaps 21) or 80 birds. They run very
quickly, aud one has to walk briskly to keep up to them.

16. White-headed Stilts {Himantopus leucocephalus) —
Often seen on swamps and bore drains.

17. Australian Pratincole {Stiltia Isabella) — Very com-
mon. These birds run very rapidly over the ground. Gene-
rally met with in lots of six to 20 birds. No eggs were seen,
although several times while motoring along birds would scatter
away as if they had broken wings. Once saw two very little
chicks.

18. Eastern Stone Curlew {Burhinus magnirostris) -Jio
birds were seen, but when camping, out at night time they could
often be heard.

10. Australian Bustard (Austrotis australifi — Wn.i Tur-
key)— Many birds were noted, especially in Queensland. On
seeing the motor they would not fly, but would run a few yards
and squat very low on the ground, allowing us lo get witliin a
few yards. Noticed that the great majority of birds were young,
about two thirds grown.

20. Native Companion [MatheiDsia ruhicunda)- These
birds were met with all along the track, mostly in pairs. On
approaching them in the motor they would spread their wings,
stretch tlie neck with head very high and bound over the ground,
resembling the bouncing of a rubber ball.

21. Straw-necked Ibis (Carphibis spinicoUis) — ^Common on
cane grass swamps.

22. Royal Spoonbill {Spatherodia r^^gia'^ — Many birds seen.
It was a pretty sight one morning on rising, just at daybreak,
to see about 30 of these snow-white birds perched on a dead tree
in the waterhole, about fiO yards away.

2?>. White-fronted Heron (Myola pacifica) — Seen on the
bore drains.

24. Nankeen Night Heron iXi/ciicorii.f caledoniciis) —
Often* disturbed during day from a thick tree on the waterhole.

25. Black Swan (Chenopis atrata) — A few birds jeen on
a lake.

26. Mountain Buck (Casarca tadornoides) — Often seen on
the bore drains in S.A, Always in pairs.

27. Mnned Goose ( CJienonefta jubata) — Only one pair seen
on a waterhole at Mt. Leonard Station, Queensland.

28. Plumed Whistling Duck (Leptotarsis eytoni) — This
was by far the commonest duck met with. The waterholes on

18 PARSONS— A Motor Trip to Western Queenstau cl .

Mt. l.eonaid Htatiou during the day time would be black with
whistlers, but just at dusk they would leave the holes aud scat-
ter over the flooded country to feed, returning again in hundreds
just at daybreak.

29. Whistling Duck (Deiidroajifjiia jaouiiica) — A few of
these birds were scattered amongst the plumed whistling ducks.

»>(). Black Duck { A lifts .siipcrciliosd ) — Common on swamjis.
Many broods of ducklings seen on the small waterholes.

ol. (Jrey Teal {Xcttiiini (/ilibcrifrons) — Common <in
swani]}S, several nests found. Favourite position is at base of
thick lignum bush. Great numbers of ducklings could be seen
on all the swamps.

82. Pink-eared Duck ( Malacorhynchus mem bran ace us) — A
few odd ])airs of bii-ds seen on quiet waterholes. The unani-
mous o])inion of the settlers is that this duck is the best of wild
ducks for table ])urposes.

30. Pied Cormorant (Hypoleuens variuH) — Only one pair
of birds seen.

34. Australian Darter {Anhincja novachollandiae) — A few
birds met with.

35. Pelican (Catoptropclirainis conspicillatKs) — Often
seen on the waterholes.

36. Wedge-tailed Eagle {JJroacfux (iiidax) — These birds
were scarce. Two or three of their large nests were seen. In
one of them were two eaglets almost ready to leave the nest.

37. Little Eagle (Hieraaein^ morphnoidcs) — Sparsely dis-
tributed. Always selected the highest trees in the vicinity for
nesting. Nest contained two eggs.

38. Whistling Eagle (Haliastur sphenvnts) — A common
bird, always about the station, but flies at a higher altitude than
tbe kites.

30. Fork-tailed Kite iMUriis korscJinn) — A -very common
bird. It would be very unusual not to be able to see one at any
time of the day. They congreaate about the station homesteads
or drovers' camT)s. I counted 37 kites flying about Mt. Leonard
Station homestead, and T know I missed some, and at Diamen-
tina Gates homestead I counted 30 birds, and estimate that they
were about one-third of the flock that were at that time flying
about the station yards. They nest in the Coolebah Trees on
the watercourses. Their nests are much larger than the Whist-
ling Eagles. The usual clutch was two, but in one case I found
three eggs.

40. Letter-Avinged Kite (Elanus scriptns) — On our way to
Diamontina Gates we passed through Davenport. It was here

FABSONS—A iUotor Trip to Westtrn Queendand. li-t

that Mr. Jackson secured the eggs of the letter-winged kite for
Mr. H. L. White. The storekeeper informed me that a fortnight
previously he had seen several birds about 45 miles west of the
station house, and that they were always about that particular
part, but our time was limited, and precluded us from going
after them.

41. Black-cheeked Falcon { Rhynchodon peregrinus) — A
few birds seen.

42. Little Falcon {Falco longipennis) — A few birds noted,
but is more common than 41.

4i]: Drown Hawk { Icracidvd l)<ri(/<)i-(i)—\ comnion bird;
several nests with three eggs noted.

44. Nankeen Kestrel (Cerchncis cencJiroides) — Many pairs
of Kestrel were seen, and two nests found, each containino- five
eggs. Both of these nests ap])eared to have been built by the
Kestrels. Previous to this I have always found that the bird
uses a deserted crow's nest or takes a hollow or ledge of rock.

45. Banksian Cockatoo (CaljjptorhyncJiiis hanJcsii) —
Flocks of 40 or 50 birds were at three large waterlioles on Mt.
Leonard Station. ,At Currawilla I found a nest about 20 yards
from the blacksm.ith's shop, containing one well-fledged young
bird.

46. Pink Cockatoo (TyOphorJiroa Icadbeateri) — A few odd
birds noted.

47. Rose-breasted Cockatoo (Eolophiis roseicapilh(s) —
These birds were about the watercourses in great numbers, and
many nesting hollows were inspected, but in no case was more
than three eggs found.

4S. Bare-eyed Cockatoo (Dt(corpsii(.9 qjfmnopis) — This bird
was as common as th^iDrevious one. The maioritv of nestino:
hollows could h<=' vpn^-h<^(\ from the ground, several contained
four eggs, but mostlv three.

40. Cockatoo Parrot (Lrptolordnis aiiriroiin>^) — A few
birds seen at Diamentina Gates (Queensland), and about 30
bird«! nt i^permRnner. S.A. I

50. Blue Bonnet (Norfhirlln hannaforiaste7') — The only
birds of th's species met with were among the trees grov.'ing in
the bed of Cooper's Cr^ ek.

51. Shell Parrot (Mrlnpfiitfarn.9 itndulntus) — The com-
monest bird met witb on the h^Sy^; flocks of them were nlways
flvinfr nbout. and scores of nesting places were seen. A favou-
rite v-^TiOP is in hollow fpure posts.

52. Bed-winged Pnrrot {Avrofimicfn^ eriifJiropfenifi) — Met
with among the gums lining the large waterhole at Currawilla,

20 PARSONS— A Motor Trip to Western Queensland.

5o. Owlet Nightjar (Aegotheles cristata) — A few birds
were flushed from hollow spouts. They are a very light grey
colour.

54. Red-backed Kingfisher {Cyanalcyon pijiThopuglus) —
Several solitary birds were seen, generally perched on the top
of a dry tree.

55. Australian Bee-eater {Cosmaerops ornatus) — Often
met with. These birds prefer perching on a dry tree to a bush
or green tree.

56. Pallid Cuckoo {Heteroscenes pallidus) — Only one or
two birds noted.

57. Narrow-billed Cuckoo {Neochalcites hasalis) — Several
birds seen and heard.

58. Welcome Swallow (Hiruudo neoxena) — Birds met with
occasionally along the route, and a few^ nests noted on rafters
of the station buildings.

."0. White-backed Swallow (Chcramoeca leiicostcrnnm) —
Not many birds noticed.

GO, Tree Martin (Hylochelklon nigricans) — A common
bird.

61. Fairy Martin (Lagenoplastes ariel) — In thousands.
Nests were built- in clusters under lowest limbs of the trees. As
niany as 40 nests clustered together under one limb.

62. Brown Flycatcher [Microeca fascinans) — Birds ob-
served wherever there was timber,

63. Red-capped Robin (WhitGornis goodenovii) — ^Very few
noted.

64. Short-billed Tree Tit {f^niwroniii^ hrevirostris) — Fairly
common in the timber. One nest found just ready for eggs.

65. Black-and-white Fautail { Lciicorirca tricolor) — Seve-
ral of their pretty nests found,

66. Ground Cuckoo Shrike (Pteropodoci/s maxima) — Two
or three pairs seen, nnd one nest found, containing large.younrj
birds.

67. Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike (Coracma noracJiollandme)
— Not common : very few birds seen.

6S. White-shouldered Caterpillar-eater (Lalage tricolor) —
A very common bird, met with wherever there was any timbo".
but no nests were found.

69. Cinnamon Ground Bird (Flam vela cinnamomea) —
Often met with among the bushes. It prefers spinifex, sandy
country,

70. Chestnut-backed Ground Bird (Cinclosomn castano-
tum)~A ground bird, evidently this species was often observed,

PARSONS — A Motor Trip to Western Queensland. 21

but no skin was collected. It appeared to be a very small sub-
species.

71. White-browed Babbler {Morganornis superciliosus) —
Very few of these birds were noticed.

72. Chestnut-crowned Babbler {Pomatostomus ruficeps) —
Seen at Cooper's Creek.

73. Desert Wren (Calamanthus campestris isahelUnus) —
Only saw a few birds in the bed of the Frome at Maree.

74. Brown Song Lark (Ciiiclorhajirphufi rriirdlis) — A few
birds noted on the plain.

75. Kufous Song Lark {Ptcnoedus matheiosi) — A common
bird among the grass in flooded country.

76. Tricolored Chat (Parcpthianura tricolor) — Only four
or five pairs seen.

77. Orange-fronted Chat {Aurepthianura aurifrons) — A
very common bird. All the way from Maree, S.A., to Mayne,
Queensland, many nests were found, some of them with four
eggs.

7<S. T)efieYt Chat (Ashhyia lovcnsis) — Met with on all the
open Gibber plains. It is a very quiet bird. One of its calls
is a low monotone, repeated about ten times in quick succession.
It is a hard bird to detect, its colour harmonising so well with
Its surroundings. Three nests were seen, each containing young
birds.

79. Eeed Warbler (Cniwpodera.s aiistraUs) — Always to be
heard whenever the bore drains were lined with reeds.

80. Thin-billed Tit (Acanthiza iredalei morqani) — Often
met with in the saltbush.

81. Yellow-rumped Tit (Geohasileus cJirysorrhous) — Very
few of these birds were noted. They were a very pale variety.

82. White-winged Wren (HalJornis cyanotus) — This little
gem was always present in the larger saltbushes, several nests
were found.

9?>. Purple-backed Wren {Legqeornis Imnberti) — I could
detect practically no difference in birds from Hergott Springs
and those from Mayne, in Queensland.

84. White-rumped Wood Swallow (Artamus leucorhi/n-
chus) — A few isolated pairs were observed at waterholes. One
nest was found, containing four eggs. The nest was constructed
of fine grass, similar to the other varieties of wood swallows, but
was built on ton of a deserted nest, resembling a thrush's.

85. Masked Wood Swallow (Camphellornis personatus) —
Were never seen in any numbers. Several nests were found on
top of fence posts.

22 PARSONS— A Motor Trip to Western Queensland.

80, Sordid Wood Swallow {Pseudurtamus cyanoleuca) —
Odd birds seen.

87. Magpie Lark {Grallina cyanoleuca) — A common bird
near water. Several of their mud nests were seen, in two eases
containing" five eggs each.

88. Black-backed Magpie ((ri/mwor/ima tifticen) — This was
the only variety of magpie seen. Many nests were found, and
as a rule contained either four eggs or four 3'oung.

89. Bell Bird [Orcoica crlHata )— Often noticed runniug
under the larger bushes.

90. Black-banded White-face {Aphelocephala mgricincta)
— A common bird in the larger bushes. Many nests were seen.

91. Brown Tree-creeper {Ncoclima picumna) — This was the
only species of tree-creeper observed.

92. Silver Eye (Zosterops lateralis) — No specimen was col-
lected, but the birds often met with.

93. Red-browed Pardalote {Pardalotus rubricatus) — These
birds were often noted from Hergott to IMayne. No eggs were
found, but several nests were being built.

94. Red-tipped Paralote (Pardalotinns striatus) — Only
seen close to Hergott ; their place was filled as we proceeded
north by No. 03.

95. Black Honey-eater (Cissomela nigra) — About half a
dozen birds were noted.

96. Wliite-plumed Honey-eater {PtiloUila penioillata leila^
valensis) — I was surprised at^ the paucity of Honey -eaters.
This particular species was common, but apart from this we saw
very few Honey-eaters.

97. Yellow-tlirontefl Minali ( M/izftiitha farifiiila) — Not a
great number were seen. Several nests found.

98. Spiny-cheeked Honey-eater (Aravthor/oii/.^ rnfognlarls)
- — A few birds seen or heard whistling.

99. Australian Pipit (Anthvs anstralis) — Always present
on the grassy plains.

100. Bush Lark (Mirafra jaraniva) — -A very common bird
on the grassy downs.

101. Chestnut-eared Fiiicli {TacniopyqUi (-(tatanoth) —
About the commonest bird met with ; they were all busy with
their nesting.

102. Short-billed Crow (Connor hennctti) — A very common
bird. Their nests Avere everywhere seen, and as often contained
six eggs as five. This bird mingled with No. 103 about the
homesteads, where you could a]>proach them very closely, pro-
vided Ton walked about as if vou were not heeding them.

Bird NoUs. 2.'>

103. Queensland Crow (Corvus ceciUae) — ^Verv common
about the homesteads, where they are always on the lookout for
scraps.

Bird Notes.

BIRD NOTES FOR AUGUST, 1920.

Mr. J. W. Mellor, Lockleys, states — August 2ud :
White-fronted Heron carrying nesting material to large
gumtrees where these birds had nested for some years past,
probably they carry the material to construct their nests from
the feeding swamp some miles distant.

A pair of Black-breasted Plovers, on the 2nd of August,
showed signs of having a nest, for they would swoop down close
to one's head : upon investigating, three young birds were found.
The Plover attacked magpies which came near their nesting
place.

A pair of Wagtails made up their minds to nest on a bough
close to the house, a site they had occupied several times pre-
viously. They kept about the spot from August 2nd till the 9th,
when they began to collect cobwebs and started their nest.
Stormy weather then set in, and they ceased building, and when
the weather became fine again the birds removed the nesting
material from the bough mentioned, and began to re-build on a
bough at the other side of the tree: rough wenther agnin set in
and building operations were suspended. When the fine weather
followed tlie birds changed their mind, and on August 20th re-
moved the foundations of their nest to the limb which they had
first selected, and went on with the nest, it being nearly com-
pleted on the 27th of August, the birds sitting in the nest to
give it its roundness.

August 7th: A Rufons-breasted Thickhead was searching
amongst the foliage of a blue gum for insect life; on the same
day was noted a Sti-iat(Hl diamond Bird in the gi'm trees — seve-
ral of these l)irds seen of late.

A White-backed Magy>ie has placed its nest on an arm-like
bough of a Norfolk Island pine, a most inaccessible place. A
pair of Noisy Minahs have a nest in a gum close by. and come
into conflict with the Magpies at times.

Chestnut-eared Finches are still about in the boxthorn, and
are occupying the old straw nosts as roosting ])laces during the
cold, wet and stormy nights.

Boobook Owls have been exceedingly noisy this month
(Augusts. One will start calling near the home, and will be
answered by another in the distant paddock.

24 Bird Notes.

The Screech, or Delicate Owl. is also present iu fair num-
he}ti. When fclliiiti' ;m old bine <;uni this inoiith, a larj^c hollow
was found, in wliicli many j>ellets were discoviM-cd : an owl had
ai)i»arentl_v lived in the liollow foi- years.

Frontal Shrike Tits have been very busy all the month mov-
ing about in the tree tops and calling loudly, apparently seeking
a nesting site, but no nest has yet come under noti((\

Mr. E, Ashby reports from Blackwood, August 9th — Four
Swift-flying Parrots resting in peppermint trees south of rail-
way line.

Agust 12th — At the same place, were seen lour feeding,
taking honey from bine-gum flowers and seed from pej)pei'mint
gums.

Tintac (Epthiauura alhifrona) sitting on three eggs. Pal-
lid Cuckoo calling continuously, and on the succeeding days
Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo also calling.

Capt. S. A. White, on the Adelaide plains at the Reedbeds,
records —

August 2nd — A specimen of the so-called Southern Cuckoo-
Shrike (Coracina mentalis) put in an appearance.

August 3rd — ^This bird was calling loudly and hunting
amongst the gum branches and foliage for food.

August 9th — This Cuckoo-Shrike observed hovering over
the flood-waters and picking up insects from the surface, also
from the top of [)artly submerged grass.

August 4th — White- fronted 'Hevonfi (Notophoi/x iiorarhol-
lanrh'ne) — Calling in their deep, harsh voice and flying about,
in what seems to us an aimless way, but no doubt they have a
reason for this strange flight.

August 11th — Great numbers of Silver Gulls round the
edge of the flood waters in the paddocks.

August 11th — First Pallid Cuckoo {Hcterosccnc.^ paUidus)
calling. Coracina mentalis hovering over grass from the tops
of which it was capturing insects ; this was in the paddocks
lately submerged by flood waters.

August 12 — Coracina mentalis in gum trees, searching
along the limbs and in the foliage for food. Having this bird
under observation for some tinae and not seeina: another bird,
took it as a record, this being necessary, as doubts have been ex-
pressed of its occurrence. As far as I know, this is the third
visit of this species to the Beedbeds.

Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo (Neorhalcites basalis) cal-
ling loudly. Microeca fascinans sinaring very much, and will
soon nest. Numbers of White-fron ted i Herons flying round and
making much noise.

Bird Notes. 25

August 13 — Palid Cuckoo heard calling; this was the last
occasion upon which it was heard, and seems to be the only one
to have visited the district this season.

Aug-iist 23 — Yellow-breasted Thickhead in the garden cal-
ling occasionally.

NOTES FOR: SEPTEMBER, 1920.

Captain S. A. White reports —

September 1 — Ringneck Parrot {Barnardius barnardi)
about for some time.

September 4th — Rosella [Platycercus eximius) in a small
party in the district for some time.

Two Spine-tailed Swifts {Chaetura caudacuta) seen travel-
ling south ; this is the first time these birds have been seen in
South Australia by the writer.

September 10th — Eight Swans on the swamps. Two Rose-
breasted Cockatoos {Eolophus roseicapillus) flying round
amongst the timber, looking for a nesting site.

September 20th — Wren's nest (Malurus cyaneiis), with
three young.

September 22nd — Wrens left nest. Nest of Mcliornis
novaeJwllandiae, in standard rosebush, three eggs. Rose-
breasted Cockatoos still about. Three of the Platycercus oxi-
rnius still remaining.

September 29th — Boys from Henley Beach took two young
Frogmouths {Podargus strigoides) for which they received a
flogging.

Mr. J. W. Mellor says — /

The W'agtails finished their nest, on August 29th laid first
egg, on 31st second egg, on September 1st the third, and then
began to sit closely, the male and female taking turn about,
one bird never leaving the nest till the other was ready to get on.

September 1.5th — The three young hatched out, great num-
bers of insects were brought to feed the young birds, showing the
great good these birds do. On September 30, in the morning,
the young left the nest. Another pair of these birds are sit-
ting on three eggs in another locality.

A clutch of two Welcome Swallows hatched out during the
first week of the month have flown. Immediately the young
left the nest, fresh feathers were added, and by September 24
two eggs were laid. On September 23. the young of the White-
backed Magpie came from the nest, and not being able to fly
well, perched in the boxthorn bushes.

26 Bird Notes.

A pair of Murray Magpies built their mud nest in a gum
near the house early in the month, and they have three young
now, which both birds help to feed. Both assisted in the incu-
bation of the eggs.

Noisy Minahs brought out young during the month, the
old birds are to be seen carrying insect food to the young.

The pair of Laughing Jacks which have been with us for so
long began to look out their nesting site; they again renewed
their efforts to make an entrance into the roof, through the
rough plaster at one of the gables, but the strong netting at tho
back of the plaster has prevented them ; they tried to make an
entrance into a gum tree at a growth crack, but, after vigorous
pecking with their strong bills, have given up the task. A Boo-
book Owl has been calling throughout the month at night time.
A pair of Frontal Shrike Tits have been much in evidence, but
do not seem to have settled upon their building site yet.

A pair of Harmonious Shrike Thrushes have been about for
some time, but there is only one now, and from his constant
whistling no doubt his mate is sitting, and I believe their nest
to be- in the dense, prickly pears.

NOTES FOR OCTOBER, 1920.

. Mr. J. Sutton, Netherby, states —

Willie Wagtail, with three young, seen for the first fort-
night in October in the garden, the young being fed by both
parent birds.

October 23 — In the rain about 5 p.m., a male and female
Scarlet-breasted Robin were seen, after a lapse of some months.

October 28th and 29th — Black-chinned Honey-eater heard
calling.

The Fairy Martins noted bnildina: in a small dry, water-
course, finally left on October 2nd, after the nests had been
broken down four times by boys between the 26th of September
and October 2nd.

Mr. R. C. Beck, of the Grange, says —

October 5th — Three young Willie Wagtails left the nest,
and Avithin three weeks the nest was cleaned out and re-lined
and the birds sitting again. The nest was most cunningly
})laced. being attached to the slender, weeping twigs of a pepper
tree auite out of harm from cats.

Two pairs of Swallows each brought out three young, and
have now hatched a second brood.

Bird Noteif. 27

October 16 — Quail heard calling. First Urowii Soiig-
Lark seen. Cuckoos very scarce this year ; only obsei-vod one.

Capt. S. A. White states that on October 2nd First Rufous
Song Lark (Petenoedus matheivsi) put in an appearance; it
only remained a few days, and disappeared. No others have
been seen.

Octobei lOth — A Little Falcon {Falco longipennis) put in
an appearance ; swallows with their young broods very excited.

NOTES FOR NOVEMBER, 1920.

Mr. J. W. Mellor writes —

November 22 — Three young White-backed Magpies just out
of nest and being fed by parent birds.

Numbers of Chestnut-eared Finches in the boxthorn, where
they are breeding.

Willie Wagtail sitting on three eggs ; this is the third
clutch this season. Other pairs of these birds have been breed-
ing in the district. Murray Magpies are also breeding.

Mr. R. C. Beck states that—

On November 3rd — Tree Swallows were in great numbers
at Fulham.

Saw Starlings feeding young in nest with boxthorn berries,
also at Fulham.

Small flock of Shell Parrots flying north.

Heard Quail calling several times at Seaton.

Wagtails have raised second brood of three.

Welcome Swallows second brood of four have flown.

W . K. llioiua? & Co., Printers, Adelai<ie.

"W. K. Thomas A Co.,

Printers,
QxtuttU St., Ad«lai<l«.

I. i,',ii'i; ' I'l-

LiiL,

FT?

nssi

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Vol. VI.

Part 2.

THE

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN

ORNITHOLOGIST.

A Magazine of Ornithology.

1st APRIL. 1921.

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE;
F. M. ANGEL, R.A.O.U.
A. G. EDQUIST
S. A. WHITE, C.M.B.O.U.
F. R. ZIETZ, R.A.O.U..

THE

outh Australian

ORNITHOLOGIST

-4?

* l^^"''

Edito}ial Coviinittec :

F. M. Angel, R.A.O.U.
A. G. EDQuis'r
S. A. White, C.M.BO.U
F. R. ZiKTz, R.A.O.U.

Secretary :

J. Neii. McGilp,

" Origma. " Napier Terrace,
King's ParV S.A.

CONTENTS.

Pack

The South Au(;tialian Ornithological Association S'i

Order Passeriformef!, Family Meliphagidfe, Genus Acanfchagenys

(OouldJ 36

Notes on Birds met with during' a Visit to South-West Queens-
land. By A. Chenery, M.K.C.S., L.K.C.P. ... ..,. 36

Furtlier Notes of Nestin<:j of Birds in Lake Frome District of

South Australia. By J. Neil McGilp, R.A.O.U 41

Emu Wrens breeding at Mount Compass, South Australia.

By J. Neil McGilp, R.A.O.U 41

A Rare Biid ... 42

New Scruh Wren. By J. W. Mellor, R. A.O. U 42

A New Scrub Wren from Houtman's Abrolhos, Western Aus-
tralia. By F. 11. Zietz, R.A.O.U 44

Bird \otes By J. W. MellOr. R..\.0. U ... ... 45

The Editorial Committee accepts no responsibility for the
views or deductions expressed by any of its contributors.
The Journal welcomes a free interchange of ideas with the
object of extending the knowledge of our avifauna, but the
author of each article is responsible for the opinions and
d(Mluctious recorded.

THE

South Australian Ornithologist.

Vol. VI.] 1st APRIL, 19i21. [Pakt 2.

The South Austrah'an Ornithological
Association.

MUNTHJA' PK( MJEi:i)I N(Tt-;.

— Decembei- 18tli, 1!)20.—

Ml'. Edwin Ashby in the ebaii-.

Dr. Hnbei't .fay, nominated a1 November meetin;;, was dnly
elected a member.

Mr. ^lellor repoi-ted tliat Bronzewing Pigeons were being
taken near Blackwood and sold in Adelaide. The vendor
claimed that these had been ])red in captivity. The Chairman
.said he did not know of anyone breeding these birds in numbers
near Blackwood and suggested that all ])ossible evidence be
secured so that steps could be taken (o j>revent this infringe-
ment of the Birds Protection Act.

By the kind invitation of the I'resident, members met at
his residence "Wittunga," Blackwood, to inspect his colle<*tiou
of Humming liirds from America, ^fembers spent an enjoyable
afternoon in examining the varied plumage of these beautiful
birds. Afternoon tea was kindly dispensed by Miss Ashby.

]\Ii'. ^Nlellor, on behalf of the Association, thanked ^Ir. and
Miss Ashby for their kindness in giving members an instructive
and pleasant outing.

—January 28th. 1!)21.—

Mr. Edwin Ashby in the chair.

Captain S. A. White mentioned that Mr. H. L. White had
sent along a second consignment of eggs. The Secretary was
instructed to write and thank Mr. H. L. White.

Mr. F. Parsons reported that he, in company with the
Secretary, had by kind invitation from Mrs. Angove seen the
Dr. Angove Egg Collection. The collection was a fine cue
and in excellent condition.

34 Th« South Au'traliav. OrvithniogicaL Atunciation.

Messrs. F. I'aisous and J. N. McGilp were elected a eoiu-
mittee to try and secure this collection for the Association.

Captain S. A. White said he thought the Association
should record the good work that Mounted Constable McDonald
had done in enforcing;- the Birds and Animal Act during- his
stay at Milang. .M.C. McDonald has shown ability and energy
in securing convictions against offenders of the law. The
Secretary was instructed to write M.C. McDonald thanking him
for his good work.

Captain S. A. White reported that he had just returned
from Ooldea on Nullabor Plains. He noticed that Mr. A. S.
LeSouef claims having observed the Chestnut-faced Owl, Black-
backed Wren aiid Red Throat there, but although Captain
White had visited the very blowhole that .Mr. A. S. LeSouef
had mentioned, he failed to secure the Chestnut-faced Owl. In
his opinion the three above-mentioned birds do not inhabit this
locality, and Mr. LeSouef was mistaken in his observations.

Mr. J. ^V. Mellor reported that the White-i)lumed Honey-
eater (the common Greenie) was nesting at liockleys.

Mr. E. Ashby re])orted a similar occurrence at Blackwood.

Mr. F. R. Zietz said that a dead cockatoo had been bi-ought
to the museum. It a])i»eared to be a <-ross between the Bare-
eyed Cockatoo and the Galah or Rose-breasted Cockatoo. The
skin is in the S.A. Museum collection.

Messrs. E. Ashby and J. W. Mellor gave an inieresting
lecture on the birds of the Ellenbrook, Geraldton, Dongara, and
Murchison districts of W^est Australia. The skins shown were
secured while the lecturers were over at the Royal Ornitholo-
gical Union Congress, held in Perth in October and November,
1920.

Many interesting comparisons were made with skins that
Mr. F. R. Zietz had l)rought along from the S.A. Museum.

Publications received — ''Birds of the Americas" from the
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, U.S.A.

—February 25th, 1021.—

Mr. Edwin Ashby in the chair.

Letters were received from the Institute of Science and
Industry re suspension of their journal ; from H. F. and G.
Witherljy re Manual of Australian Birds, by Mathews and
Iredale; from Mr. A. G. Edquist. asking contributors to use
italics for the Nomenclature of Birds in their M.S.S.

A number of coloured plates by Neville C^aley were handed
round for examination and admiration was generally expressed.
These plates will form portion of Caley's "Birds of Australia."

The South Australian Ornithological Association. 35>

The Forest League extended au invitation to members of
this Association to attend a meeting to be held on March 2nd^
1021.

Publications received — Report of the Governors of the
Public Library. Miiseum and Art Gallery of S.A.

Mr. Zietz mentioned that Dr. Pulleine had told hiin that
two Dollar Birds had been seen flying over Netherby.

Mr. S. Sanders reported Swifts flying rapidly on 12th
instant.

Dr. Jay mentioned that two or three Bronzewing Pigeons
liad been seen in his garden at Burnside.

Professor Cleland said that he had noticed a number of
<irass Parrots on Wright Island, at first fiance he thought they
were NeonomuJcK petrophilun. on account of their feeding on
seeds of the wild tobacco plant growing amongst the rocks on
(he island, but they were evidently Nrojia nodes vlrcmns, as birds
were seen to fly across from the mainland where the latter
species was plentiful.

Mr. K. Ashby reported that the Singing Honeyeater and
lilack-faced Cuckoo Shrike were now at Blackwood. The Black-
faced Cuckoo Shrike although destructive to the grape croj)
was doing much good by eating up the caterpillars and moths
that fed on the broom bush.

Messrs. J. W. Mellor, K. Ashby, and R. (h-ompton all
instanced the breeding of the White-plumed Honey-eater
( Greenie) at Lockleys, Blackwood, and Burnside respectively.

The rest of the evening was taken up by Messrs. Ashby and
Mellor. who c(mtinued their lecture on birds of West Australia.
A number of fine skins were handed round and comi>ared with
.skins from the S.A. Museum brought to the meeting by Mr.
F. R. Zietz.

Amongst llic skins was a fine s|)ecimen of the Alfred or
Inconspicuous Honey-eater that Mr. Mellor secured on the
trip. This was* the first opportunity that members had had
of seeing this rai-e Honey-eater and IMr. Mellor was congratu-
lated on his good woi*k in collecting it.

As time did not j)ermit a full report on Birds of West
Australia. Messrs. I*]. Asliby and Mellor were thanked for an
interesting evening jind asked to continue the lecture on some
future eveninir.

3f) Order Pa*i<riformi'^, Family Mflijihaijidn^ (lamLS Ai-init/,uijeni/$.

Order Passeriformes, Pamily Meliphagidae,
Genus Acanthagenys, Goidd.

.[(•(iiitli(uj('n!/s nifoguhtrix (Ooiild) Spiney-clieeked Houey
eater. Mv. (Ji-ejioi-y M. Mathews lias divided the species into
four suh-species. There is no doubt the inland form is lightet
ill colouration than those found near the coast.

I)escrii»tion — Feathers of the head short, very S(|iiare at
the ends, and of a light grey with a darl< stripe <lo\vn
the centre; back of neck, back and nianlh', dark brown, each
feather margined with light grey; ui)i)er tail coverts, almost
white with a dark brown stripe down the centre ; i)rimaries dark
brown, narrowly edged Avith yellowish grey; secondaries almost
black edged and ti])ped with white; a black line passing from
the bill throngh the eye to the ear coverts; bare space under the
eye, ]»inkish Hesh colour below which there is a tuft of white
spines, ])art of these strange s]>ines are tinged with 'bright
yellow; base of bill, soft and fleshy and of a bright i>ink cobmr;
tip of bill, black; throat, rufous, with a black line down each
side; breast, yelloAvish white, a broad strijje of dark
brown down each feather, giving it a mottled ap))earance; tail,
brown, tipped with white; under tail coveits, white with a long
narrow stri]) of dark brown down the ceiiire; iris, binish; feet,
greenish yellow.

Distribution — A wide distribution over the whoU' of the
interior and from New South Wales across to Western Austra-
lia. It is really a dry country bird, but at times it is found
right on the seacoast. where the rainfall is heavy.

Habitat — Frefpients all classes of country from the big
gum country to the low bush on the seashore.

Habits — A strange bird darting about in a most erratic
manner, and often seen hawking for insects in mid air.

Flight — Very erratic, flarting about from one side of a
feeding tree to the other, and returning from whence it started

Note — A very strange guttural, gurgling, broken sound,
with a short pause then continued.

Food — Consists of honey, insects, wild fruits. inclndiniT
berries, and at times seeds.

Nesting season — Varies according to locality. Near the
coastline they breed in October and November, in the interior
almost at any time the rain falls, generally from -Tnly to
I )ecember.

Nest — ^A dee]) snug structure attached generally to a hori-
zontal fork or at the end of a branch amongst a thick mas.<« of

CHENERY — Notes on Jh'rd.-< of ^'o?ti/(-H>.«/ (,)urr), slant/. l\7

leaves. A strouji," rim of green plant tendrils or i-ootlet.s is
tirst fastened to both sides of the fork, the next tendril or
rootlet is attached to both ends allowing it to droit
down in the shape of a loop giving the depth of the nest, the
same material is now worked in, crossing and recrossing till a
strimg framework is consti-ncted ; then a (piantity of wool and
cobwebs is worked in to the fonudation making a strong, deep
and snug nest.

A nest observed by Dr. A. M. Morgan at IJobe. S.A., on
October iMIth, ItllS, was bnilt of green grasses and lined witli
clematis down, dandelion seeds and horsehair. It measured —
Height overall. Go cm.; opening. 1)0 cm. x 70 cm.; depth of
cavity, 60 cm. It contained two partly incubated eggs.

Eggs — Two or three in clutch, ground colour cream, scan
tily s{)otted witli very dark brown, the s])ots being mostly
arrange<l at the larger end as an irregular ring.

]\Icasurement of I>ggs — Average, -.(>() cm. x l.S:i cm.;
largest egg, 2..S5 cm. x 1.1)0 cm. ; smallest egg, L*.4.~ cm. x
l.Sr; cm.

Notes on Birds met with during a Visit to
South-West Queensland.

— T5y A. rHENERY, M.R.r.S., L.H.C.IV—

No. I.

Leaving lii-oken Hill on Septemb(M- 14th. the writer, with
Dr. W. Macgillivray, and Dr.iH. Dobbyn. both from that town,
and the driver of the cai', had as their objective Nappa Merrie
cattle and sheej) station on Cooper's Creek. Co])ious i-ains
had fallen for the i)ast two months at intervals on the Coojter
watershed and we learned from the Messrs. Conrick, our
future hosts at Nappa ^Merrie. that the' Hood waters were well
down both in the C()0])(m- and the Wilson Rivers. The country
north of Ri'oken Hill through which oui- road lay was looking
wond(M-full\- well after having ]>assed through one of the worst
droughts on record. The same could not be said of the roads,
which in su(di hilly country, intersected with numerous ^mall
watercourses and larger gum creeks, had suffered severely from
the heavy downj»oui-s. At Iduna Park, ;i wayside hotel on
Morden Station, 120 miles north of the Hill. Ave were held uj*
by car troubles and rain for two days. To j)ut in the time
while awaiting the arrival of the Mil])arinka and Tibooburra
mail coach which was held \i\) further down the road over

38 GHEK KEY— Notes on Bir>h of South-West Qaeenslnmf.

I
which we had come, two small yum creeks were carefully

worked and many galahs, bare-eyed .cockatoos, yellow-throated
minahs, tree martins, whistling eagles, white-shouldered cater-
pillar eaters, warbling grass parrakeets. owlet night jars, all
nesting, were met with. One nest of the little eagle containing
one egg partly incubated was taken, and a second one ready
for eggs Avas found. This was my first .introduction to this
fine bird in its native haunts. T have never seen them on the
Darling or on the ^lurray. They are nowhere plentiful and sit
fairly closely when they have eggs. I believe either one or two
eggs is a full clutch for this species. T also met with the
Allied Kite at Tdune for the first time. This bird,Avas not
nesting there, but old nests were seen and the 1)iids visited the
hotel each day from the creeks. Their swallow tail renders
them easy of identification. Along the road we flushed one
pair of Australian dotti-ells and saw one ]>air of crested wedge-
bills, zebra finches, Avhite-winged Avrens, yelloAv-fronted chats,
and of course the ubiquitous ground lark, grallinas, black-
backed magpies, ravens, and an occasional Avedge-tail eagle
Avere seen. We met Avith one family of grey jum])ers {^truthi-
dUn at Iduna Creek, the only ones Ave saw during the trip, and
a solitary pair of (/It/ri/phild (nhifroris. Probably these last
tAvo sj)ecies were migrating because I have generally found
^striithidrd ])artial to pine country, and (ihjvjiphUd lo ti<>wery
scrub. Although our hosts i\i fduna, Mr. and Mrs. Bai-ra-
clougli, had made us most comfortable, we were not sorry to
board the coach when it did arrive, and continue our journey
on to Mil])arinka via ( 'obham Lake. Our car and driver Ave had
to leave behiiul. as we had broken our, only two back axles and
could see that it Avas not strong enough for the load ovim' such
roads as aac antici])ated having to negotiate.

After a , rather trying journey ]\rilparinka Avas reached at
midnight, and the journey continued next morning on from
there, some 25 miles to Tibooburra 220 miles north of .Broken
Hill. There is a fine growth of gidgea passed through after
leaving ^lil])ariuka, and there is also a. good gum creek well
lined Avith gum and box tind)er that would Avell re])ay working
lor the hawk family, as it seems to extend most of the AA'ay to
Cobhani Lake. Mount T'oole is seen on the left after leaving
.Milparitdca. This is named after a surveyor of Sturt's party,
who died there frcun scurvy after the party had been held up
by drought conditions in a camp on some permanent AA'ater
for over six months. The country in the neighbourhood of
Tibooburra is hilly with outcrops of granite boulders and low
ra.nges sparsely timbered, but now rendered most <'heerful by

CHE X KEY — X<des on llirds of ^ouUi-Wcst (IneKusland. 39

luimber.s of tioweviiifi; shrubs of the Cassia aud oilier botauical
sjxnies with the uaines of which I am uot familiar. A species
of Kncaly])t. known locally as the Bloodwood, was conspicuous
in iho hills with its large clusters of creamy blossoms. ~ There
was a wait of two more days for us here while we wired for
another car, and aAvaited the arrival of Messrs. Clive and
Joseph Conrick, ^\\\o were returning to Nappa Merrie and were
to act as our guides over the less frequented roads on to the
Cooper. We therefore worked the hills and creeks in tlie
vicinity thoroughly aud were rewarded by identifying a few
rarer species. Amongst these were the cinnamon-backed
ground thrush, red lored pardalote, ground cuckoo shrike, a
nest of which containing four heavily incubated eggs was taken
from the horizontal bough of a gum in the creek. The nest
was very similar to the ordinary black-faced variety, but of
more elaborate structure with a deeper egg cavity. T-he

markings and colouring of the eggs were also close in their
resemblance. A \yA\Y of spotted harriers was commencing a
nest. Kestrels were found with eggs, also a brown hawk. The
red-browecl babbler, brown song lark, tricoloured chat, black-
faced wood swallow, and many red-backed kingiishers Avere met
with. The scarcity of the falcons was marked, as in former
years. T)r. Macgillivray had taken many species on similar
creeks north of the Hill. Here again bare-eyed cockatoos,
galahs, and Avarbling grass parrakeets were nesting in numbers,
and the, owlet night jars were not uncomnmn. Many burrows
of the red-backed kingfisher were examined but we were just
a lirtle early for them. Honey-eaters, with the excei)tion of
minahs. ancl white-]»lu!iied and an odd jtair of black honey-
eaters, were conspicuous by their absence. Crested bronze-
wing pigeons were seen in fair numbers and their nests found.
The nest of the ground thrush was searched for most carefully
but without success. The protective colouring of these .birds
on the Gibber tablelands, covered as they are AVith reddish
coloured stones, is most effective. We ex]>ected to meet with the
bustard in our wanderings, as the conditions were ideal for
them, but we did not meet with one during the tri]). f^ollard
rabbit baits plus foxes have, I believe, had a great deal to do
Avith practically exterminating this fine bird. Bennett's croAV
Avas found nesting, but the young AA'ere ahvays ])resent in any
nests examined. Once one gets to knoAv their habits and their
cry it is not difficult to pick them out. They i>refer mulga
ridges in hilly countrv for breeding and nests may he taken in
(|uite loAV trees in such situations.

40 CIll'JNEBY — Notes on lllrd^ of Souih-Wf'st Queevshuul.

On the arrival of our convoy (the Messrs. Tonrick) and
(tur new car with driver — this time a six cylinder F>uick — we
bid farewell to onr kind hosts of Tiboobnrra where ajjain we
had fared most excellently. About thirty-six to forty miles
on, the Qneensland nettin<i' and allejied vermin proof fence was
]»asse(l thi'onjih. Shorlly aftei- leavin<i Tibooburi-a. two interes-
ting- sjtecies were noted, namely, the desert chat i As]ihi/i<i), and
the IM-atincole. These, like the dottrells. jjrefer o])en stoney
tablelands, and are only met with in such localities. Tliis should
be the tirst record for the chat beinu' found in New South Wales.
IVrsonally it struck me that their habits more nearly a]>]>roach
tijose of the pil)it than those of the chats. They never seem
to li<>ht on a bush as the chats do — beinji i>ni-ely a i>round bird.
When distnrbed they fly quite lonji' distances, unless near their
nest. Dr. Macji^illivray obtained a skin or two of this sjtecies.
Tlie ])ratincole is a most <>raceful little chap, and sits (|uite neai'
the track. Both this species and the Australian dottrell

appear to have a partiality for the bare surface, oenerally dusty
or sandy, of a. road. On our i-etuni journey we actually met
with the dead body of a dottrell, probably a younii, inexpe
i-ienced bird that had been run ovei- by the mail. The local name
for the ])ratincole — the swallow plover — is most a]»|»ro])riate.
^Ve did not have the j>ood fortune to find a nest, but we found
a nest or two of the desert chat later on at Nappa Merrie.
After ]iassin<;- throujih the Yal])ung"a .sate in the fence, we ran
nlonji' the Wari-i Warri Creek and heard the sweet notes of the
^^ed<i■ebill fre(piently. At a dam on the creek near Naryilco
cattle staticm homestead, a few water birds were flushed
including: white-eyed duck, grey teal, straAv-necked ibis, darter.
;ind black duck. This, our first nicht out. was s]»ent on the
i:Tound under the stars and one did not sleej) quite so soundly
as on a sprin^^;- matti-ess

We were no\A' in the cattle country and had to do as the
cattlemen do — a finei-, cheerier lot of men one would nevei-
wish to meet. Some strenuous times over washed-out creek
beds, obliterated crossiuiis, occu])ied us most of this day and
crave little time for bird observation. We did identifv a black
falcon, more Australian dottrells, and IMatincoles at Tna])erra.
We left the AVarri and soon struck the A\'ilson tloodwaters.
Here the black-tailed native hen, Australian cool, white-fr<mted
heron. Tacific hei-on, and many dncks were seen. Straw-necked
ibis were also seen fiyinji' over the *liu,nuiii swani]>s which here
sd-etch. not for acres, but for miles.

McGlLI' — Further Noti'f on hale i'roiiiH llirth. -il

Further fSotes of Nesting of Birds in Lake Frome
District of Soutli Australia. ■

.). Noil McGilp.

Followiiiji ni)()u luy notes in the January issue of llie
"S.A. Ornitholoyist,'' I have to report that when at Moolawa
tana at end of November, 1920, 1 found the masked wood
swallow (Artainns persoiiutus) the white eyebrowed wood
swallow (Artdinus sirixrciliosKs) and the white-shouldered
caterpillar eater nestinjr for the tirst time in this locality to the
writer's knowledge.

Many nests of the masked wood swallow wei'e noted and
every nest examined contained three eggs. The white eye-
browed wood swallows were building, a completed nest was not
found.

The white-shouldered caterjullar eater {Ldhif/c tricolor]
was nesting freely, its shallow saucer shaped nest of grass
rootlets and bark matted together with cobwebs and tendrils
of jtlants, was placed in a fork of a tree, at all heights from the
ground, nests being observed from 4 feet up to about 25 feet
iibove the gi'ound. In one large gumtree with widespreading
branches, four nests of Lnlage tricolor were examined, each
containing three eggs, also one nest with three young of the
black and white fantail.

Bee eaters, which h;i(l arrived in the district Inter than
usual were nesting in tunnels in creek banks. Lnrge clutches
were found of some species, the kestrel with six eggs and desert
chat (Ashhijia lorcnf^iio with four eggs to the set being the
largest sets the writer had observed. The good season with
prospects of a good food sui>])ly would reasonably account for
larger clutches than usual being laid. Many of the common
birds were nestincf.

Fmu- Wrens breeding at Mount Compass,
South Austrah'a.

J. Neil McCilp.

On the 2Sth December last Messrs. EdAvin Ashby, F. E.
Parsons and the writer visited Mount Compass swamps, with
a view to learning soniething of the breeding habits of the
little Emu Wren and other birds of that locality.

The Emu Wren's nest was found after a great deal of
hunting. It was not [)laced in Ihe clum])s of Cutting Grass

42 A Bare Bird-

jirowiuj;' in and ai-ound the swunijts as was expet-ted. bur in a
low stunted tea tree «»rowth on a flat between the swamps.

A male- bird was noticed skulkin<>; in a clump ot" dwarf
niallee about three feet hijih and was so reluctant to leave this
cover that a luinl was made for his mate. After a while the
female was observed on the top wire of the fence alonjj; the
road. Imt remain in<» onlv a second or so. \\y closely watching
it was noted that she worked hei- way by short low flights and
runs through the bushes towards a large clump some distance
away. After working on dozens of the small bushes in this
clnmp the nest was found. It contained two young ones and
one infertile egg. It was somewhat sur])rising to find that the
nest was so mm-h smaller than the Ulue Wren {Maluriifi
ci/<ni('iis\ and not as strongly built. It measured 2; inches
in diameter being globuhir in form and built outwardly of soft
dried dark grasses loosely woven together and inwardly was
lined with soft feathers at the bottom of the eo;g cavity only.
The entrance appeared unnecessarily large, but this no doubt
was enlarged by the birds Avhen feeding the young, which were
only a few days ohl. The nest was placed in the forks of a very
thick stunted tea tree growth at the height of nine inches from
the round, being completely hidden from view until the bush
was opened out.

To be certain of identity, this nest was visited later in the
evening, when the female sat on the nest until the bush was
opened u]).

Though a great man.\ of these birds were located, this was
the only nest found, which is not surprising as the nest is
cnnningly hidden.

A Rare Bird

The Alfred Honey Eater.

At the February meeting of th(^ S.A. Ornithological
Association, Mr. J. W. Mellor exhibited, auKUigst other birds
he had procured in the Murchison district during the R.A.O.U.
1020 Congress expedition to W. A., a specimen of the rare Alfred
honey eater (Certhioiiy.r wldtei) Mathews, 11)1 :;$. This was taken
in the dry scruT» country north of Ajana. W.A.. in November,
1<>20. This bird. .Mr. Mellor consid'ercd. was the best "find"
of the expedition, as it was the desideratum of so many collec-
tors. The species was first j)rocured by Mr. F. Lawsou
Wliitlock while collecting for Mr. 11. L. White, of Belltrees,
Scone, N.S.W.. at T/ake \\'a\- in the Fast Murchison district

MELLOH—New Scrub Wren. 48

W.A., l!)th Seiiteinbei-, 11(00, when a male was secured. From
the size, colour, and habits, IMr. Wliith^ck thou<i;ht it to be a
Ps('ii(J()(/<ri/!/<ni<- but Mr. A. J. North of the Sydney museum,
TO whom tlic skin was shown, i»ronounced it to l)e a honey-
eater and asked for more material. Several others were taken
by Mr. Whitlock in the same year, and Mr. North described it
as a new joenus and species viz. : — Lacustroica whitei, after
Mr. White's son Alfred. A full account ai)peared in the
•January issue of the Victorian Naturalist, vol. XX\'l., j) D'.S,
and in the lOmu. vol IX., a coloured plate foinied the frontis-
piece, but in the i)rocess of ])rintino; in more than one colour,
the birds hei-e de]»icted showed a slioht yellowish tiuije,
especially on the winj^s, which is not correct and somewhat
misleading. Tt is interestino- to note that the first bird shot
by Mr. ^^']litlo(•k was exhibited in Adelaide at a meeting' of the
'"R.A.O.T^. dui-iuii the ninth con,i>ress session on Se])tend>er oOth,
100!>, and that a second specimen had not been exhibited here
until Mr. Mellor's bird was sliown on February 25th, 11I21,
beinj; moi-e than eleven years later. The little bird is very sombre
in a]>i)eiirance for a honey eater, the predoniinatinji' coloui!
bein<i- that of a mouse sirey, and ligliter a;rev l>eneath.

Mew Scrub Wren.

(ivey Scrub NN'ren { Scriconii.s iiKiciilntd (fcrdldfoiiciiis ) .
Subsp. n. (J. W. ^tellor).

\>'liile investij»atin<2,- the bird life of Geraldton and the
s>iurroundin<>' districts in Novembei', 11)20, in connection with
the visit of the Royal Australasian ()rnitholoj;ists' Union, 11)20
Tonj^ress to Western Australia, I found that the spotted, scrub
wrens (Srricornis) were quite different from those of the south
western ])arts of Western Australia, where quite different condi-
tions f>revail. the habitat of the northern bird beinji, hot and dry,
while that of the south-western bird is tree covered and conse-
quently shady and moist. I am therefore separatin<»- the
northern bii-d and placinji' it in a sub-specific rank to be
known as the ixrey scrub wren i Scricoiiiis nutculuta. (jcr((l&
lotiriisis ) .

Locality — (iieialdton district, Western Australia.

Type Locality — -Sand dunes along the seacoast near (Jerald-
ton. Western Australia.

Differs from S. macvhitd of the southern forest country,
inasmuch as it is of a lijjhter colour throughout and j>reyer

44- 'AlETZ — -.I New Scnih Wic, from H(iuJnutn\< Jf/rol/io^, W.A.

hi appoiii-aut-e; also there is a total absence of any yellowisli
wash on the feathers. The bird may be described as fol lows-
All the njiper surface, w'inys and tail. broAvnish i;rey, the
tail bein^' crossed with a bi'oad band of blackish brown and
ti})ped with AAhite: a narrow line of white runs from the
base of the njiper mandible over the eye. forniin*;- a
white brow, while a broader line runs from the base
of the lower njandible down each side of (he throat.
Spurious winj> feathers, black-edj>ed and tipped with white.
Tnder surface jireyish white, conspicuously s])Otted on the
throat and chest with brownish black, the spots becominii;
less distinct on the sides of the chest and merininii; into brownish
grey on the flanks, leavin<>- the centre of the breast and abdomen
greyish white. Irides yellowish white; bill, very dark horn;
feet. \ery (hirk lioi-n.

The same descrii)tion a]»i)lies to botli sexes.
Total length. 120 m.m.; bill, 15 m.m.; wing. (iS m.m.; tail,
55 ui.m.; tai-sus, 22 m.m.

Type specimen in the "Melbtr Park" collection.

A New Scrub Wren from Houtrnan's Abrolhos,
Western y^ustralia.

— By F. R, ZIETZ. R.A.O.r.—

[Conti-ibution from the South Ausli-aiiau ^ruseum].

SERICOKXIS .AfArT'LATl S HOUTMAXEXSIS Sir.Sl?. N.
TUP] ABROLHOS SCRUB WREN.

Adult Male — Crown, cheeks, ne<k and u]njer surface, grey,
faintly washed Avith olive on the back ami upper tail coverts.
A white superciliary stripe extending from the frontal band to
a similar distance behind the eye; a white s]>ot below the eye.
A narrow frontal band and a triangular palch in front of the
eye, black. Feathers on the foi-ehead with a blackish margin;
(•bin and breast, white, breast feathers with a nart-ow blackish
shaft.-streak. Abdomen and under tail coverts dirty white,
sides of body and flanks, bulTy grey. Priuiaries sooty, the
first six nmrgined with white on their outer webs. Spurious
wing feathers, black, broadly margined with white. ITpper
wing-coverts grey, faintly washed with olive; under wing-
coverts, Avhite. Tail, brown Avith a broad black subterminal
band; all excepting the central feathers with a Avhite terminal
margin. Bill, bi-own. ])aler at the base and darker at the tip.

Bird Notes. 45

Legs and feet, blackish brown. Tris, pale yellow. Total
length of skin, 100 m.m. ; wing, 5:> ni.ni. ; tail, 4(5 ni.ni.; tarsus^
20 ni.m. ; cnlmen, 12 ni.ni.

Adnlt Female — The white superciliary stripe commences
at the base of the bill, the black frontal band being absent and
the triangnlar patch in front of the eye bnffy grey. The breast
feathers have a broader and more cmispicnons shaft streak.

(lonld slates — t""Specimens from the Hontnmn's Abrolhos
are of a snmller size and a mnch greyer tint on the back, and
have mnch darker colonred legs."

The grey upper surface and the almost white underside, as
well as the darker colouration of the bill, legs and feet, are
\ery cons]iicuous distinguishing features between this and the
mainland bird; but, according to measurements, there is very
little difference in size. Another sub-species ( *S'. nianildtiis
liitlsfoni) has been described by Grant''' from the Bernier
Islands, but as material and des(ri])tions are not available, 1
am unable to compare it \\'\fh this hir<l.

Bird Notes.

Bv J. W. :\Iell<)r.

l)ecend)er 2. — The Shepherds' Companion { Lcucocirca tri-
color) which started to sit on Novendier 19, for the third time
this season, in a lemon scented ])ine near my back door at "Mel-
lor Park," hatched out her young on December 2. and on Decem-
ber 1!) the four young birds left the nest and were fed by both
parent birds.

December 13. — Six black swan flew over Lockleys in the
evening, coming from the north and going south. Several
young white-backed mag|)ies hatched late in November, left
(he nest while yet quite young and barely able to Hy, but
happily they succeeded in growing u]).

A White-plumed H(»ney-eater ( !*fih>fuhi pciiU-Uhiht irJiifri]
nested at my bedroom window early in Decend^er and hatched
out two young which ai-e now only quai-ter grown, but. owing
to the cold wet weatliei- that has at times i»revailed, the bii-d
li;is had an extremely hard time In sitting. The two ]iarent birds
In-ing food for the little mites; ai)h!s, scale blight, and tlu^ like,
seem to be the chief food. The hen may l»e sitting to kee]> the

tGould'ii Handbook, Birds Auritr. i., 1865, p. .361.
*Bun. Rvit. Oni. Clu1>, xx'iiit, 19(>9, p. T2.

46 Bird Notes.

young; warm, but when the cock comes she hops off, and while
he is giving- his tit bit to the young she gets going and leturns
quickly with some food. When coming to the nest both birds
give a low soft call of ''chick chick," whereupon the wee mites
instinctively hold up their heads to be fed. Now and again
the old bird picks up a small bit of excreta from the bottom
of the nest, not to drop it just outside, but flies away with it
for some distance. On several occasions I have had to repair
the nest, by tying it to the bough with pieces of string to prevent
it coming away on one side.

January — Mr. J. W. Mellor reports — The month has seen
numbers of birds nesting, doubtless owing to the excessively dry
weather existing during the spring, followed by the bounteous
rains at Christmas, and again at the opening of the New Year.
On January 1, eleven rose-breasted cockatoos were seen
flying in a bevy amongst the red gums.

The Southern White-plumed Honey-eaters that had their

nest within several feet of my bedroom window on the slender

twigs of an Ailanthus tree, brought out their young during the

early part of the month, and on January 11, either the same

pair, or another of like size and colouration started to construct

their nest close by ; again on the leaves of a tree of heaven

(Ailanthus glandiilosiis), within three or four feet of my

museum window, and without ''fear or trembling" as it now

sits and watches me examining my stuffed birds. Even as

I write, the female is watching me at my work, knowing well

that she is safer by far in her present position than she would

be at a distance from my habitation. T noted the nesting

operations when the first little piece of cobweb was twined

around the stem of the leaf, and by the 18th, just seven days.

the nest had been completed, both birds sharing in the work

of building. Then followed several days of cessation, and on the

22nd the first egg was laid, and the second on the 24th. The

bird there began to sit and incubation has been going on slowly.

The l)irds are never idle, as ever and anon one or the otiier will

find the nest becoming thin, and will get beneath and sit upon

a twig and take observations, then getting a little cobweb or

cocoon silk will cling to the little cup shaped nest beneath, and

with its sharp bill poke the little bits of soft packing into

the small holes, and thus fill them up and make the home snug

and warm for the offspring which soon must aj)])ear.

A case of the advisability of leaving the old nests of birds
in sight came under my notice this month, when a i)air of bird*<
built tlieir cup shaped nest, suspending it from the ivy leaves on
an old building. The nes.t was completed in due course and

Bird Notes. 47

two eggs (the general clutch here) were laid. The eggs met
with inisfortiine early in the incubation period, and the nest
was left empty, but what was my surprise the other day when
examining it, to lind that the bird had laid in it again and
reared a pair of ttuft'y little nestlings.

Zebra finches are still breeding in the boxthorn bushes on
Mie sand dunes and young ones are coming out.

The Shepherds' Companions or "Willie Wagtails" as they
are familiarly known have ceased to breed, having brought out
rheir young early in the season, in si)ite of the drought.

The Boobook Owls have not ceased their mournful notes
at Lockleys, where at night they may be heai-d regularly calling
to one another.

February — Mr. J. ^^'. Mellor says — This month more birds
have been breeding, the operation having been delayed over the
spring on account of the drought.

Southern White-plumed Honey-eaters (Ptilotula penicillata
rvhitei) have been safely reared in the nest near my museum
Avindow, and are being fed by the parent birds.

The two young hatched out on (February 6, and left the
nest on February 20. Thus it took seven days to build the
nest, six days to complete laying, etc, thirteen days in incuba-
ting, and fourteen days rearing the young, the whole operation
from start to finish taking five weeks five days.

The Noisy Minahs have been extremely lively and garrulous,
especially during the hot spells of weather, and quite a number
come to drink at the water tap, and from a tin of cold water
which I always keep beneath a shady tree near the back door of
the house. It is surprising the number of birds of all
kinds, especially honey eaters, that come to drink from this
vessel, and the quantity of water supplied to them.

The More-porks or Boobook Owls have been somewhat quiet
at night during the month, but the delicate or screech owls of
which there are quite a number about, have continued to call
loudly. One bird roosts by day right at the back door in a large
lemon scented pine. Amongst the thick foliage it is hidden
from view from beneath. bu( not so from above, as the white-
plumed honey eaters and noisy miners soon found it out, and
all day long make a i)erfect babel of voices up among the
branclies of the pine. The owl seems to heed them but little,
and calmly sleeps on, now and again blinking its eyes, but
otherwise remaining motionless.

Numbers of i)urple crowned lorikeets have been about at
Lockleys all the month, fiying swiftly about or settling in the

4.8 Bird Notes.

cucal.vpts that are now .flowering, and getting- a good supply
of neciav from the flowers.

At Fnlhaiu a pair of wood sAvallows {I'xeiKldrftdnns
mjanoj)t<'nis) built their nest in some tea trees and laid four
eggs, and during the month the young left the
nest in safety, since when the,y have been perching in a row on
the branches of the trees, or sitting on the telephone or electric
light wires, receiving their food from the parent bii-ds. They
seem to have a tendency to ''cluster," for at night and often in
the day, when it became cold they would huddle together
with the i)arent Birds on some lindi of a tree, convenieni
fork or bough. Several young peaceful doves ( (IcopcViit
plarifht f]anquUhi) have also hatched out at Fulham.

•A :\IAXT AT. OX THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA."

Messrs. H. F. and G. Witherby will pul)lish in February
The first volume of above. The authors are Gregory M.
^latheAvs and Tom Iredale. The work is beautifully illustrated
with colour and monochrome plates, and will consist of four
volumes. Price £;^. ?■>/- per volume.

W. K. Thoma'? & Co., Pn;it"rs, Ad.-'laidic.

W. K. TLoiuas * Co.,

Printerg,
Oreiif«)l St., Adekid*.

g

•MMMMM

ML

Vol. VI.

THE

Part 3

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN

ORNITHOLOGIST,

A Magazine of Ornithology.

let JULY. 1921

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE;

F. M. ANGEL, R.A.O.U.
A. G. EDQUIST
S. A. WHITE, C.M.B.O.U.
F. R. ZIBTZ, R.A.O.U.,

Price, 2/.

«MHHkS«*

THE

South Australian

ORNITHOLOGIST.

'y|v-

Editor ial

Coviniiltec :

F.

M. Angel, R.A.O.U.

A.

G. Edquist

S.

A. White, C.M.BO.U

F.

R. ZiRTz, R.A.O.U.

Secretary

J.

Neil McGilp,

" Origma, " Napier Terrace

King's Part S.A.

CONTENTS.

Page
Tlie South Australian Ornibbologieal Association .... 53

Order Accipitriformes, Family Falconidae, (ienus lera-

cidia— leraeidea Berigora (Brown Hawkl 7>(i

Observations at Ooldea, by A. -S. Le Sonet liU

Notes •on Birds met with during a visit to South-West

Queensland, by A. Chenery, ,.M.K.C.S.. L.K.C.P (jl

Aplieloceitbala Nlgrieinta, by F. K. ,Zietz, K.A.O.U (Vi

Eagles and Hawks, by .1. Nell MrCiilp. R.A.O.I' Co

Bird Notes 70

The Editorial Committee accepts no responsibility for the
views or deductions expressed by any of its contributors.
The Journal welcomes a free interchange of ideas with the
object of extending the knowledge of our avifauna, but the
author of each article is responsible for the opinions and
deductions recorded.

THE

South Australian Ornithologist.

Vol. VL] 1st JULY, 1921. [Pakt 3.

The South Australian Ornithological
Association.

MONTHLY PROCEEDINGS.

—April 1st, 1921.—

Mr. Edwiu Asliby in the chair.

Dr. A. M. Morgan proposed that, as the cost of publishing
the "S.A. Ornithologist" appeared very heavy, the Editorial
Committee be asked to go into the cost and s«ii)ply of the
journal. Seconded by Mr. J. ^V. Mellor. ('arried.

This being rh(^ Annual Meeting, tlie ('hairimin opened the
nominations for the Officers of the Association.

There being only one nomination for President and Vice-
President, the Chairman declared Mr. F. M. Angel and Profes-
sor J. B. Cleland respectively elected, and asked Mr. F. M.
Angel to take the Chair. Mr. Angel thanked members for their
contidciice and the honour they had given him, and hoped that,
with the suj)port of members, he would be able to carry out the
duties.

There being no nomination for Secretary or for the Edito-
rial Committee, the Chairman considered that members were
satisfied with the services rendered by those responsible for
these duties, and declared those members re-elected.

The Secretary read a Statement of the Cash Accounts as
follows —

DR.

£ s. d.

lf»2(l. March 1.— To Balance :V2 10 2

June ;U).— To Interest 19 1

1021, March :U.— To Donations to

p:gg Cabinet 1 (I 0

M;ir(h :n.— To Entrance Fees

and Subscriptions 42 0 (5

£78 3 0

54 Thti South Auttraliij.ii, Ornithological AxHociation.

CR.

1921, March 31.— £ s. d.

By Postages (> 1!) 10

'' Rent to Royal Society .... 2 2 0

'' Lease of Cooronji- Islands . . 0 10

'• Stationei'v 0 10 0

" Priutino S.A.0 38 12 7

" Balance 34 18 4

£78

The Balance Sheet was adopted on the motion of Mr. E.
Ashby, seconded by Mr. T. G. Sonter.

It was resolved to secure a renewal of the Licence of the
Protected Islands in the Coorong.

Mr. J. W. Mellor exhibited a dainty nest and eggs of the
Short-billed Tree-tit, taken in the S.E. of the State.

Mr. F. E. Parsons exhibited a skin of the Mallee Emu Wren,
taken in South Australia, and was congratulated upon being
the first collector to secure a record of this bird in South Aus-
tralia.

Mr. Keith Ashby reported that the Blue Mountain Parrots
and Little Lorikeets were now plentiful in the Blackwood
district.

Mr. E. Ashby continued his lecture on the Birds of Wes-
tern Australia, and gave some very useful information for the
benefit of members present. A fine collection of skins was
handed round and compared with those from South Australia.

The Chairman congratulated Mr. E. Ashby on his fine lec-
ture, and for his hard work in securing so much valuable infor-
mation during his short holiday in West Australia.

—April 29th, 1921.—

Mr. F. M. Angel in the chair.

The Chairman read a quotation for an Egg Cabinet by
Messrs. Pengelley & Co. for £35. The price was considered, and
it was resolved to call for other quotations.

A specimen copy of "A Manual of the Birds of Australia,"
by Mathews & Iredale. was handed round for inspection.

Mr. AV. Weidenbach and Mr. J. W. Mellor reported having
observed the Golden-breasted Whistler at Glen Osmond and
Locklevs respectively.

Mr. J. W. Mellor, Dr. A. M. Morgan. Mr. E. Ashby, and
Capt. S. A. White reported having seen the Rosella Parrot close
to the city. Capt. S. A. White mentioned that a few of these
parrots appear every autumn. Mr. F. R. Zietz observed the
Singing Honey-eater at Kingswood for two or three weeks.

The Sduth Auxtralian Ornithological Asiociation. - ^S^

('apt. S. A. While li'ported thai he had visited the protected
islands on the ('(»()i<)ii.ii. Pelicans were rearing fron) seven to
eight hundred y(»nng on a new island, and were not being mo-
lested.

('a})t. S. A. White referi-ed to the results of the coui-t cases
against game-shooters at Meningie. and on his })roposition. a
letter was to be sent to ^Ir. -I. O. Hastings, thanking him for
his efforts to jfrotect the birds in the Meningie district.

Mr. F. E. I'arsons ])roi)Osed and Mr*. E. Ashbv seconded,
that a letter be sent to the Justices' Association, commenting'
u[>on the conduct of tlie justices at Meningie in the cases
against bird-shooters. Carried.

Mr. .]. W. Melhu- exhibited the sternum of the Alfred
Houev-eater.

Mr. E. Ashbv showed eggs of the Fantailed Cuckoo, Red
Throat and the Yellow-fronted Honey-eater, also skins of the
Carter Honey-eater and th(^ Honey-eater he had obtaineil
near Geraldtou. in Western Australia. Mr. A. J. Oampbell
had given the same name to both birds.

A motion was carried, showing that in the opinion of this
Association these two Honey-eaters are different, and worthy of
distinct names.

Ca]>t. S. A. White gave an account of a short visit to the
Lake Frome district ; many interesting observations were given^
and numerous photographs were handed round. A large num-
ber of Australian Dotterels and Pratincoles were seen, but on
the whole, birds were not numerous. A very valuable photo-
graph of the Australian Dotterel standing over its nest and
eggs, was secured, the photograph being taken at a distance of
six feet from the bird. Numerous Kangaroo remains were
noted round the waterholes.

Capt. S. A. White concluded* an interesting lecture by show-
ing a photogra])h of a young Bustard, that he had taken near
Ooldea. on the East-West Railway.

—May 27th, 1921.—

Mr. F. M. Angel in the chair.

It was resolved to purchase an Egg Cabinet at a cost of
£."i(t HI/-, to house the Association's Egg Collection, and that
subscriptions to meet this expense be called for.

The C^iairman introduced our new member. Dr. W. Ray, to
the members ])resent, and welcomed Mr. Lea, P^ntomologist from
the S.A. Museum.

A letter was received from Mr. A. S. LeSouef, of Sydney.

50 Order AccipitriformeK, Fa<niiy Fahinidae, Genus leracidea.

It' ohscivatioiis on East-\V(^st Kailwav liiu'. Ii was decid(^cl to
publisli this ill the S.A. ()i-iiitholo<;ist.

A letter was received from the j>iil»lislipr of i he "Scientitic
Australian," askin<>- that rei)orts of our meetings he sent on for
j)nbli('atioii ; the SiM-retaiT was directed to coniidv with this
request.

Tlie Chairman referred to the sad l)erea\"emeur that one of
onr members. Mr. T. (i. Sonter, had sustained, and requested
the Secretary to forward a letter of s_vm[)athv from the Asso-
ciation.

]Mr. F. K. Ziet/> mentioned that the S.A. Museum ha.d just
received a large collection of bird skins and eggs from Mr. ^Y.
White. It was a very generous gift, and would add many fine
sjjecimens to the Museum collection. Mr. Zietz invited members
to ins]>ect the new additions.

The rest of the evening w'as taken up by a discussion on
Eagles and Hawics, and skins of the Wedge-tailed Eagle. T.ittle
Eagle, Whistling Eagle, White-headed Sea Eagle, Osprey, Fork-
tailed Kite, Square-tailed Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, and Let-
ter-winged Kite were examined. Mr. Lea was able to give a
valuable report on the contents of the stomachs of some of the
birds.

Tlie skin of the Stpiare-tailed Kite was carefully examined.
These birds are rarely seen in South Australia, although this
jfarticular skin was obtained from a bird shot by ^Ir. E. Ashby
at Blackwood.

Order Accipitriformes, Family Falconidas, Genus
leracidia — leracidea Berigora (Brown Hawk)

—By S. A. White, C.M.B.O.U.. C.F.A.O.U.—

Description — All upper surface reddish brown, with
feather shafts dark ; upper tail coverts deep rufous brown, with
ashy white bars and tipped with white; wing coverts rusty
brown ; primaries and secondaries light brown on outer web,
inner web white, barred with buff; throat and side of head
white, divided by a brown line; lower throat li^ht, with dark
streaks; tianks dee]» rufous; under surface almost white in
plaices.

Distribution — Over the interior of Australia, but seldom
seen on the coastline.

Habitat — Frequents open plains, ranges, timbered and
■scrub countrv alike.

Older Aaiptriformes, Family Falconidae, Genus leraciJea. 57

Habits — During the summer months these birds are
mostly distributed over the country in pairs, but in the winter
it is not an uncommon sight to see eight or ten together.
Flight — Kai)i(l and powerful.

Call — Loud, harsh screech, very often utlered upon the
wing.

Food — Consists of small animals, such as mice and rats;
also beetles, gi-ass-hoppers. cater])illars, lizards, snakes, and at
times, small birds.

Nesting season — Varies very much, according to the season,
especially in the droughty districts. The season being good,
August. September ami October are the months during which
most of these birds n<'st.

Nest — More often than not the deserted nests of magpies
are used, but they will build a stick nest, and invariably line
both the old and the newly constructed nests with green eucalyp-
tus leaves. The position of the nests varies very much, some-
times being onlv a few feet above the ground, at others 50 or 60
feet.

Eggs — ^Two to four in number, more often three; coloura-
tion and shape vai-ies very much. Dr. A. M. Morgan gives the
■iverage sized egg as — 5.:)0 cm. x 4.00 cm.; largest egg, H.TO
cm. X 4.10 cm. ; smallest, 5.00 c.m. x 3.90 cm.

It is forced upon me to attach my name to these notes, be-
cause there is a very wide and diversified opinion in relation
to these birds; some holding that there is but one s])ecies. The
writer does not agree with this, and is of the opinion that
T. herhiovd is the interior form, while /• occidcntdlis keeps to
the coastal belt and islands. These deductions have been ;irri\-e<l
at after years of observation. Never once had flie writer taken
the dark fomu in mature state in the interior, and never once
has the rufous bird been observed near the coast; nestlings in
b;it;i cases are very dark, but this would i)rove little more
than that both forms may have had a common ancestry.
ffraciflcd berif/ora is one. of the most plentiful birds in the inte-
rior, and its shrill, harsh cry is a familiar sound in that country.
The darker form i Jcnuidcd occldeutalis) is not an uncommon
bird upon the coastline, and is to be found on most of the
larger islands. Mi-, (i. M. Mathews has made the bird a sub-
sjVv'cies of /. hcric/oni : they are so easily separated that it would
not be out of the way to give them specitic difference.

J. W. Mellor writes —

"Tliesi' JKiwks were once common at the Ueedbeds, but they
ore now oiiIn' occnsionallv seen, [ secured one some vears ;igo,

58 JitcoiJi- frovL Observations in Lake Fromt Dii^trlct, S,A.

and kept it in captivity for about five or six yoars. It was re-
mai'kably tame, and would take food out of my liaiid. mice and
lai-<4(' >ii-ubs. etc., bein«>- pi-eferred to larger* prey. 1 liave not
known these liawks to attack fowls and lai-jie .i>ame, and always
look ujjon them as beneficial to the fields, because they eat up
some of the i)ests. I have seen them tlyinji with a small snake
in their talons, apparently takiuij, it to their youn<>-. They have
n cui-ious habit of tiyinj^' and soarin<>' in the air, c-ircling round
and round at a ji,reat hei^jht, cliasinj>- one another, at times mak-
inp' a "nose-dive" and rightinji' themselves after ji'oing a short
distance, all the while utterin<> their well-known harsh, screech-
ing- notes, as if talkinj>; to one another. ^^'h'Ml »i]i<>hting- on a
tree they generally select the to])most dry bough, from whicli
point of vantage they scan the surrounding country, but on the
a])proach of an intruder they are (piickly on the wing iHgain.
The.se birds at times take j)os.sessl(m of some old stick nest, built-
by another species of bird. They lay rufous washed and red-
dish spotted eggs, two or three forming a clutch. 1 have known
them to lay in a hollow tree, just placing their eggs on the de-
< ayed wood, without any i)retence at making a nest, and, but
for the coloi' and more elongated sha])e, the eggs could be
ujislaken for those of the owl oi' laughing jackass.

J. Neil McCtII]) — Records from (Observations in T.ake
Frome Disti-ict, Far Northern South Australia —

The light-colored form of lirown Hawk is vei-y numerous;
some very dark forms are occasionally seen.

Its call is A harsh screech r;i]>idly rejicated, and can be
heard any time during the day. and often dui-ing the night, es-
p.'cially just before daylight.

^^'hen luocurable, large insects, smh as grass-ho})pers and
caterj)illars, foi-m its chief food. It secures these in its beak,
half Hying and half running to ca])ture them. At other times
it lives on mice, lizards, birds, small rabbits and carrion, but
usually prefers to kill its own food. I have never seen it catch
rabbits, although remains of very young ones are to be found
under and near its nest.

It rarely constructs its own nest, preferring to use the d<'-
•serted nest of a crow or hawk, which may be placed at all
heights from the ground. A few green leaves are added as a
lining to old nests, and the eggs, usually three, but sometimes
four, are to be found between 1st July and first week in October.

The female sits closely on the eggs or young. The nmle
bird carries most of the tood to the Aoung. and the female, hear-

Records from Obseroalioiis ia Lake Frome District. 59

m^ the in 1 1 of 1km- hoiue-coinino- mate, meets him while in the
air. and takes the food in her claws from his, and then tears
off pieces lo feed ihe vounj^. A\'ith the exception of Black Fal-
cons, leracidca is ilic noisiest feeder of the inland hawks.

W'luMi a ^('\^• days old the nestlings are clothed in rusty
colored down, bnt they closely resemble the adnlts when they
leave the nest, ])erhai»s a little more rnfons and with wider
rnfons tips to feathers.

Thonjih the lirown riaA\k lias not been known to molest
(diickcns. I have seen it catch a bird. Several Sticlopchia cifiic-
(ltd { DianioiKJ*! >o\('s ) were noted feeding on Ihe i;round when a
Brown Hawk suddenly swooped, canglit one before it conid rise,
and commenced to eat it on the gronnd. ^Vhen distnrbed, it
carried the i-eniains to a nei<;hbonring tree.

Mr. A. .M. Lea. lOntomolo^ist. S.A. Mnsenm. reports on sto-
mach contents of Brown Hawk.

Taken Ooldea. I'.MT. by ('a]M. S. A. White.

Stomach contents — Head of noctnrnal moth; jaw of a large
cricket; le,Lis of c(M-k-shafer beetles; lizard { A iiipIiiJtoliiriiK pir-
1iis\ ; winiis of ants; an antlion, and other fragments of in.sects.

.Mr. l'^h\in Asliby leporls — Although one of onr commonest
Innxics. 1 lia\e only collected two or three in my life. It has
always setMiied more numerous in the open country such as the
Lower Xoilli, lliaii is the case iu hills in the neighboui-hood of
Llackwood. Alrlion,L:!i we not infrecpiently see them Hying over-
head, onr allcntion is usually called to them by the notes of
warning nttei'ed by the suialler l)ii'ds, especially by onr com-
mcnier honey -eatei-s. This habit of the small birds is not i)ecii-
liar to 11h' occasion w hen the Brown Hawk is near, for the same
cries are lieai-d when any of the hawk family ai)pear.

.\t I'^ll<Misbrook. in Sonth-Western Anstralia, during Octo-
ber last. 1 noted several pairs of this hawk searching for prey on
the coastal hills, especially where the honeysuckles (Banksias)
were in full bloom. F think they were attracted to that particu-
lar sci'ub because it was alive with small birds, in addition to
Ihe itarrots and cockatoos that come after the honey in the
!>aidcsia llowers. 1 succeedeil in securing the male of one ]iair
of Brown Hawks in that scrub, and find that they differ from
any I ha\-e handled in the L^Iastern States.

It is unusually small, much pah'r in color, and showing far
less of the rich rufous coloration. The deep buff of the throat

60 OhservalloHs at Ooldea.

mthI tlic i-icli iiifoiis coloralion of the crown of the liend aro quite
absent. 1 jnd<;ed it to be a matnie bird, evidently breeding, so
the ditt'erences of coloration are interesting. [ do not think the
Brown Hawk is much trouble to those who keep fowls, for in my
more than 80 3'ears' exiH^rience 1 have never had a sj^e^imen of
I his hawk sent in as a "<-hicken stealer," ^^■hereas 1 have had
nnmbei-s of the Australian (loshawk sent to me, that have been
killed for this reason.

Observations at Ooldea.

To the Editor,

South Australian Ornithologist.
Dear Sir,

In the issue of the "S.A. Ornithologist," Ai)ril. 1921, Capt.
^Vhite doubts the existence oC the Ohestnut-faced r)wl. Black
backed Malurus, and Red-throat at Ooldea. and I would be glad
if you would give the members of youi' Association my reasons
for reporting them in that hn-ality.

r>lack-l)acked Wren ^^'arbler 1 .l/^////^/^s• mchntoi lift) . — Five
miles south-east of the railway station, in o|)en scrub country,
I met with two flocks of ^Yren War'blcis. one party of whicli
had young on the wing. These were of the cyaneus group but
darker in color, they were not in my oi)inion .]I<ili(nif< cjianvufi.
Ellis, and although I did not colled a si)ecimen, I put them
(b)wn as .1/. iiicJdiiotifs. from localily ami ti'/ld nhscvxal ion.

Red-throat — Although 1 had never seen a K<'(l-throat in the
flesh before, the male bird was unmislakaible, as one very tame
bird came within a few feet of me. as I sat under a snuill bush,
and as I have since examined skins of this species, I am fpiite
sure of the identification from field observations. Same class
of country as the Wren was in.

riiestnut-faced OavI— T was told that owls were to be found
in a blow-hole close to "Hughes Stone," and on going there the
position of the i»articular hole was located after a long and care
ful search, fully an hour being s[)ent in going over the ground
in the vicinity. On looking into tlie hole T was sur]»rised t<i
see two large dark owls and not the cave owl or light fcn-m of
the Masked T was expecting. The birds wei-e only in sight for
a few seconds, but they were dark brown, with absolutely no
white on them, certainly dai-ker than any ])hase of the Masked
that T had seen, and in my o]>inion larger, and they could only
have been the Chestnut-faced. T believe that Capt. White se-
cured an ordinary Masked Owl fi-oin this hole or one in the

CHENERY—Note.i on Birdf^ of South. Weal Queensland. 61

vicinity, and I liojte lo be able to see this skin when a.iii:ain in
Adelaide, i hope to be able to vis^t Ooldea in a few weeks, and
will endeavour to procure skins of all these birds, though I
make it a practice never to kill a wild bird unless it is absolutely
necessary.

Yours faithfully,
Sydney, 29/4/21. A. S. LeS()ri':i'\

Notes on Birds met with during a Visit to
South-West Queensland.

—By A. rhenery, M.R.C.S.. L.K.C.P.—

No. [1.

The next day's journey was over rough countrj' — as the
ordinary track, running in the valley oF the Wilson and skirting
the lignum was under water. Shortly after leaving camp, we
saw a i)air of IJrolgas. who indulged in a dance. i)e'rhai)s lui- our
beneflt. and look but little notice of the cars. Aftei' passing
the Nai>pa Merrie boundary, we came out on stony tableland
country, but no bird life of interest was noted. On arrival at
the Cooper, wliich was now a tine sheet of water at the home-
stead, but well within its banks, we left the cars and were fer-
ried across in boats, and received a hearty welcome from Mr.
lohii Conrick, jun., and his brother. Edwai'd.

1 hiring a visit to Fort Wells, up the creek some two miles,
on the next day. we met with the Brown Flycatcher, which 1
had not seen since leaving the Darling. From skins obtained
and comitared with Southern forms in IM-. Macgillivi-ay's collec-
lion. this one pi'obably belongs to the sub-species paUida. A
nest, with two fresii eggs in the usual situation, was taken on
the return journey. ^Ve also met \\\i\\ a ilrown Tree-creeper.
s]>ecimons of which wei'e obtained, which was probably Cliniac-
Icris iniilci, a sub-species lately described by S. A. W'liite. These
birds were only met with in small families in box timber in
immediate vicinity of the Cooper. Fort Wills is of
some historic interest in Australian exploration, as the
site of a depot from which Burke. Wills, Gray, and
King made their dash for the Gulf and. on their
return to this depot, found that the main party, which had
I'cmained behiml. had left for the South. The oval, bai-e space
on the box free, from which the bark had been reiiu)ved, still
bears the chiselled insci-iptiou of an arrow, and the words "DIG
— l.'i feet — ■" to indicate a cache of stores in case these members

65 CHENEBY — Notes un Vyuds of South-Wesi (.iucenslanil.

oJ' the i)arly did i-elui-n. Biiike and Wills both diwi on luua-
uiincka Slalion coiinti-y, dni-in" iheir efforts to reach Bhuiclu'-
water Slalion, (h>\vn the creek. Kin^ lived wilh Ihe blacks and
was treated well nntil i)icked ujt by llowitt. Tliere is a very
ancient nig<>er at Xap])a Meriic who icrkons he renienibei-s see
ing Kin<>-. This was in 1SC>L so iinich tor Ihe historical inter-
lude. We spent two iiiterestinj; days nl the head station,
including a boat excursion on the Coojier. durinii which we met
with a colony of Fairy Martins, with their bottle nests attached
to a mass of drift-wood cau*>ht in the overhan<iin«; boujihs of the
ti-lree, and suspended a few feet above the water, and a teal's
ne.st with nine e,t>-gs in a dense lipium bush. The P>lack Money-
eater was also noted here, and a frail nest, only three feet, from
the ground, containing one egg, was found. Iloth species of
Ground Dove Avere found nesting, also the Ked-backed King
fisher and the Ked-lored l*ardalote. Botli of these sj)ecies bur-
row into the bank for nearly two feet and the Pardalote's nest
is (piite a substantial one of gi'ass and rootlets.

A nest of the \\'hite-\\'inged Wren was found also, placed
in the fork of a stunted tree, five feet from the ground, a most
unusual sitimtion, but there was very little ground bush in the
paddock. Miihinix (issiniilis was also identified, and a nest of
Siiiicroniis with three incubated eggs in a needlewood found.
On the 2(;th SeptemlxM' we left in a Ford car, with Mr. Joe ("on-
rick, a keen natuic photograi)her, for Bamoulah Out Station.
*5 miles uj) the Cooper. A Black Falcon was seen early in the
joui'uey. On the tableland country the Mitchell gi-ass was
sprouting gi-cen. and docks of sheep enjoying it. AsJih/iia was
seen here and a nest found from which the bird was Hushed,
but })roved em])ty. Later, we saw fully Hedged young of this
species. St. Ann's she<>]) station, the residence of Mr. (Mive
Conrick, \\as reached at IS miles. From here the road was
rough, sandhills and jiorcuitino b<'its alternating with lignum
Hats and box tindter. A sharj) look out was ke])l for any signs
(»r Ihe Night Parrot in this country, whi(di I should say is ideal
for it, but noiH' were seen. Two Kites' nests were taken, each
containing eggs. Pacific Herons, a Little Ragle. Night -herons,
weie noted also. A noticeable absence of i)arrots in this dis-
trict. We saw one fiair of I'hn^ Ponnets this day and a few
King-necks. P.amoulah is 40 miles from head station, and is
silualed in park-like country on a i>ermanenl walerliole. In
its neighbourhood the (^oo])er is no longer a single* stream, but
s|>r<>ads ov<M' a tremendous area of lignum swamji country, inler-
s]>ersed with nan-ow channels. FTere, for two or three days,
we trani|»ed the swamjts and forded the channels most times

CHENERY — Nut(?>i on jlirds of SuutJiM'cst QueejisUaid. 6:5

only waist (leei». but some of the larger ones necessitating a
swim. Dntks of tive \arieties were met with, all breeding, but
we were too late 'by three we(%s for eggs. White-eyed Ducks
were the most numei-ous, and nests with fifteen eggs were found,
idaced in the tliickesi grass, which here grows feet high — a
coarsi' swamp variety. The nests were plentifully sup]>lied
with d(n\n and the i'ii^S' generally hidden by it. Identilication
of the ownei-s was not always easy, as they .sneak off while one
is some distance away, and then i-emain concealed as they travel
lo the nearest channel. A family of 23 young with the two
jtarent birds was counted, both by Dr. Macgillivray and myself,
at Itamoulah water-holes. Pink-eared Ducks and Grey Teal
\ver<' also \ery numerous. Next in order came the F)lack Ducks,
and finally, I\\t()n's Tice I Mick, tlu^ "(Queensland ^^'histler.'"
Only one n(\st of this species was found, containing nine eggs
and with no down in it. The bird was tiushed. Their rather
long, r(Ml(lish legs, which hang down for a time when they rise,
and thiMr soft whistling note renders tbis variety easily identi-
fied. A\'o()(l Ducks were only met with at Bilpa water-hole, later
on ihe ti-ij). and .Mountain Ducks were not seen. Swans were
not found bi-ceding eiiher, although a few' w'ere seen at Rilpa.
The other waders seen in the channel country were Australian
j('o()t. ill great numbers, odd pairs of Pori)hyrio, and the F'lack-
tailcd Native Hen. also in great numbers. I did not identify
the (Jallinula oi- Moor-hen. but it is ]»ro,hahly there also. Red-
kiu'cd Dolti-ells and the Black-fronted variety were occasion-
ally seen. The ^'(dlow■-legged Sj>oonl)ills were nesting" along
the ]arg(M- channels in small colonies and egg sets
(if I luce or four were noted, and also young birds
lately liatclied Herons were, strange to say. very
scarce, the NN'liite-fionted and Pacific being met with,
but no Kgi-ets were seen. On the Coojier. after our
return to the head station, we identified this si)ecies. also the
Royal S|')()(ud)ill. The Brown-winged Wren was the common
species seen in the lignum country and Wedge Bills were com-
num. Young bii-ds were everywhere under foot and in the
channels, and could be picked uj) without much difficulty. When
one considers the extent of this flooded country, the snmll por-
tion of it that could be examined at all closely by a i)arty of
four, ami the numbers seen, even in that small area, what an
immense number of these water-fowl must be hatched out dur-
ing each Hood! Dingo ti-acks were plentiful in the mud. and
an occasional fox's |»ad. but, even allowing for danuige done by
these mai-auders land we saw very few signs of their successful
hunlingi, there ai)pears l(» be little danger of these species be-
coming exterminaled.

'34 ZIETZ — Aphelocfiphida nigricintn.

\\ I>iiiiionl:ili, as elsewhere in the tri]). Honey-eaters were
\er_v scjiice. Willi Ihe exception of tlie nbiqnitous Yellow-
throah'd .Minali, Ihe (Jreenie. and an occasional Black and
Spincy-cliccked Honey-eater, Ihis family was \'ery poorly rej»re-
sented. The Spoonhills' nesis were lined with \x,\\\\\ leaves, the
Kites' nesls ajiiK'ared to have a layer of dried cow nnmnre, and
Whistliiifi' Eao'ies' always have s^nni leaves as a lininy. Other
birds note<l hei-e were Ked-crowned I'abhlers, Zebra Finches-
very ])lentifnl — Campephai-as — also ])lentiful — Galahs. Uare-
eyed Cockatoos, Ked-iored Pardalotes. Red-backed Kinf>tishers,
llee-eaiers and Narrow-billed lironze Cnckoos.

On Tnesday. 2Sih, we noted a nest of the Little Grass Tlird.
with fonr incnbated eiigs. Many Straw-neclced Ibis were seen,
bnt none were nestin«>' 'w^^vc A ])air of Broliias was met with
also. Next day We left Bamonlah for P»il]»a waterholes. and
after a tedious jonrney, reached onr camp beside a fine sheet of
watei' of consideiable de]»tli. On the way I noted a pair of
While rnmiHMl Wood Swallows :ii |)Ossession of a deserted Mag-
pie's nest.

Aphelocephala nigricinta.

— r.v F. R. Zietz, R.A.O.T ^ -

I Contribntion from the S.A. ^Nfnsenmi.

Abont the middle of last May, the ^fnsenm i-eceived from
Mr. .1. Neil McOil]) two nestlings of rhe above bird, which were
taken bv him ont of a nest at Moolawatana. It is interesting
to nolc 1liat. alihongh these birds had not yet left the nest,
their colonr and markings, inclnding the black ])ectoral band,
are similar to those of the adnlt.

The following are the measurements of one of the yonng
birds in Ihe llcsh, with those of the skin of an adnlt for coiniiari-
son —

Total length 7(» m.m. !)4 m.m.

Tail lf» ra.xn. P.8 m.m.

^Yiiio- 41..") m.m. 5.5 m.m.

'I'jii'sns IT 111111- IT vi\.m.

<^nlmen fi,."; m.m. 0 m.m.

MrGILF—E'igUs and Hrnvkn. 65

Eagles and Hawks.

— Bv .J. Neil Mi-(Jili), K.A.O.U.—

Much has been written in favor of givin*:; protection to the
Wedye tailed P]ay;le, commonly known as the "Eagle Hawk,"
but little has been done to pnt forward the claims of the Whist-
ling Kagle, Little Eagle. IJrown Hawk, Eork-tailed Kite, Kes-
trel, and (joshawk.

The writer, from observations gained through a life long
exjierience with Eagles and Hawks in the interior of South Aus-
tralia, ventures to give a few facts about them in the hope that
those peisons not as conversant with the habits of these birds
may be in a ]>osition to weigh their respective merits.

In using the word Eagle, it must be clearly understood that
it applies only to the AVedge-tailed Eagle.

The Eagle is a noble bird, and is recognised as the largest
true Eagle in the world.

In the interior it is very numerous, e.specially during the
lambing season, when it congregates in large numbers, and at
times, as many as forty are to be seen in the air within one's
vision.

Before the introduction of sheep and rabbits, the Eagl '
must have subsisted uj»on kangaroo, wallaby, other small mam-
mals, or birds. Even now, when the rabbit is a curse to the
country, it is not unusual to see a paii- of Eagles ca])tnie a
young kangaroo or wallaby.

Some jjeople, in advocating protection for this bird, claim
that it kills rabbits in such numbers that a great heap of bones,
etc.. is accumulated under its nest and feeding jdatform. It is
not advisable to accept this as a correct deduction. The Eagle
secures the greater i)ortion of these rabbits from dogs, foxes,
cats, and hawks.

All bushmen know that it wil follow a dog. fox, or cat some
distance to secure what it kills. When one of these animals
has made a capture, often a rabbit, the Eagle will swoop down,
causing it to clear off, leaving its intended food; this the Eagle
usually carries away. Many a wild-dog or dingo has been
caught by myself or employees, simply through the knowledge
of this habit. When Eagles are seen slowly flying along at a
little distance from the ground, it can be taken as a sure sign
that a dog. fox or cat is being followed. As a proof of this,
the following instances are given. When out hunting- for a
dingo that had caused considerable damage to the station flock,
five eagles were observed flying lazily, close to the ground. This

C6 McGIH' — Eagles and Hawki.

sii^rjjfested that it was possibly the do"- that rhey were following,
so wt? i-ode our hoi-ses c-arefully towards tlicin. AftiM- a tow
miiiures tlie Eagles were seen to circle i-oniid. .>^\ oo]) d'.twn. and
settle: we therefore galloi)ed towards them and had the satis
facti(»n of viewing the dog, which was eventnaliy run down and
killed. Out of c^riosit^•, we returned to the spot where the
Eagles had swooped, and on our approai h. three of them rose
from the ground, one cai-rying away the remains of ihp rabbit,
Avhich, judging by the tracks, Ayas certainly killed by the dog.

Often when out after dogs we have been misled by the ac-
tions of Eagles, for instead of a dog, we found that a fox or cat
was being followed. On one occasion we found an Eagle feast-
ing on the remains of an Australian Dotterel, which was, un-
doubtedly, killed by the fox, as the latter wa.s disturbed from
under a large cotton bush close by.

A domestic cat was noticed, carrying and dragging a half-
grown rabbit towards the homestead, when an Eagle sAvooped
at her; she dropped her burden and made for cover. The Eagle
landed, secured the I'abbit, and flew otf with it.

Many of the Hawks, such as the Whistling Eagle and Little
Eagle, kill many more rabbits than they are generally given cre-
dit for. These hawks, after killing, cannot carry a large raloDit
away, but eat it on the ground. The Eagle, ever on the watch,
notices the feast, conies to earth alongside the smaller birds,
drives them away and, usually, tlies off with the remains to its
nest or feeding platform.

It is .seldom that Eagles ha\e been seen to kill rabbits in
the interior, there are plenty of animals and hawks to do this
for them. To catch a rabbit, it would ap[(ear necessary for two
Eagles to hunt together. When the running rabbit is sighted,
one bird swoops at it, causing it to squat, the other bird immedi-
ately lands right on top of the rabbit and kills it with its claws.

It has often been stated that the Eagle takes up a rabbit in
the swoop, without coming to earth. Taking into consideration
the length of its wings, such a thing seems well nigh impossible;
this deduction is strengthened by the fact that the l<]agle cannot
rise directly from a standing position on tlip gi'ound. It is neces-
sary for it to make a few hops or strides with wings outstretched
before it can get up into the air. To carry away a rabbit or
the remains of a lamb, the Eagle holds it in one claw only, until
it is well away from the ground, then the other claw helps to
carry it. If the load was held in both claws on the ground, the
bird could not hop or stride sufficiently to enable it to rise.
Eagles, in fact, all hawks, never carry anv weight in their bills.

McGILP — Kagles and //a irks. 07

They do nol a I lack willi liu' l»ilK i)iii always sirikc with Ihe
talons.

Any sheejyowiiei', in Eagle-iufestetl disti-irrs. who personally
a I Tends to his sheep during lainl>in^ lime, knows from exjjp-
rience rhat the Ivigle does nnu'h destinrtion amongst lambs. In
many districts, where Eagles are nnmerons, a bonus is j»aid for
killing them. This jiaynient would n(}t be nnide without good
reason ; this has been the result of mneh observation. It might
be of interest to state that l^he jtastoralist does not encoui-age
the destruction of Hawks, and i-egret is frecpiently expressed
that so many of these useful birds meet their end by eating
poisoned baits laid for dogs, foxes and Eagles. In the "bush'"
one comes into close contact with natui'e and soon realizes the
"good" and the "bad/' or friend and foe.

1 have seen Eagles kill lambs that were in good, strong
condition, and attended by their niothei-s and on one occasion
I noted several Eagles swooping at a three months old lamb,
that they were driving out of a tlock, with its mother following
along bleating for its lamb. Hefore 1 could reach them, the
lamb fell, and two of the Eagles landed alongside. The lamb
however, struggled to its feet and staggered, on with the birds
still attacking. My arrival disturbed them from effecting a
kill. The land] when caught, was exhausted and so badly
mauled on neck and back that it had to be destroyed. The body,
which had many talon marks, two of which had penetrated into
the stomach cavity, was poisoned with strychnine, and three
hours later nine dead Eagles were found close at hand.

'[f is doubtful if a single Eagle can secure a healthy lamb
from its mother, but two or more certainly can. They worry
the ewe until it cannot j/rotect its lamb, in much the same way
that several wild dogs will worry a cow till it is too exhausted
to save its calf.

The remains of many birds have been found on and under
the Eagle's nest and feeding ]»latforms, but it is not advisable
to claim that they were killed by the Eagle; it is quite possible
that some of these were taken from hawks or animals. The
remains of lambs are often seen under and on the Eagle's nest,
but no one can. with certainty, say that they were killed by the
Eagle, as it is a great carrion feeder, and may have carried to
the nest something that it had found dead, though as a rule only
freshly killed food is brought to the young.

The Little Eagle is a very much smaller edition of the
Wedge-tailed Eagle, it has fpa<-hers right down to its claws, but
in its habits differs greatly from the former. It is the best bird
agent for killing rabbits in the interior, and so far as observa-

G?S McGILV — Edgles and Hawks.

tions iio. ]n-iiicipiilly snbsisls ui)()ii tlieiii. It is a most inorteii-
sive bird, does not at lack lambs, and lias never been seen to feed
on carrion. On acconnt of it beinj; despoiled of much of its kill
by the \\*edjj;e- tailed ICajile, it is not jjenerally jjfiven ci-edit for all
the "i'dod work it accomjdishes. It will watch a rabbit for a
considerable time, then suddenly descend right on top of it,
clutch it in its talons for a few seconds, let go and rise again,
only to land fairly on the rabbit and complete the killing. It
has been observed to attempt to carry off a fnll-grown ral)bit
that it had just caught, but in each instance was unsuccessful.
Lizards are also killed for food, for, on one occasion, when a
bird was disturbed, a half-dead "sleeping" lizard was left
behind. The ycmng are fed on pieces of rabbit, lizards and mice.
On one or two occasions remains of small birds were seen on
the nest with the young, though no record has been made of *
seeing the Little Eagle kill birds. It is to be regretted that this
bird is not more numerous, and that there is little likelihood of
is increasing, as the number of eggs laid for a sitting is never
more than two, and only one egg is found as often as the larger
sitting. From a pastoralist's ])oint of view, this is a })ity, for
nn(b)nbtedly the Little P'agle kills a great many ral»bits and has
no vices.

The ^^'histling Eagle is one of tln' most numerous of ilic in-
land Hawks, and is an inoffensive and useful bird. It kills a
considerable numbei* of rabbits, making the cai)ture in the same
way as the Little Eagle, but is often robbed of its food by the
"\"\>dge-tailed Eagle. In the interioi-. ])lagnes of grass-ho])pers
and caterpillars are frequent, and it is during such times that
the Whistling Eagle does a considerable amount of good, for
it prefers the open country where the pests are thick, and it is
then very unusual to see it hunting for other food. Tt is amus-
ing to watch it catching grass-ho])iiei-s. (^ne would exj»ect it to
catch such a small object in its bill ; not so, for only the clavrs
are used. It can often be seen half fiying, half leaping after
a grasshopper. It certainly uses the bill Avhen picking up grubs
or caterpillars from the ground. It does not attack sheep or
lambs, but lives a great deal on carrion. The young birds, which
nund)er two or three, are fed on mice, lizards, birds, and pieces
of rabbit and lamb. At times a few pieces of rabbit skin are
found on the ground under the nest, but it is seldom that any
bones or refuse are found there; the bird inust evidently carry
them away.

The Bi'own Hawks, Fork-tailed Kites, and Kestrels can be
dealt with together; they are quiet, harmless birds, do not
attack lambs and have not been observed to kill rabbits. The

McGI LP— Eagles and Uawks. 69

i!i-owii Hawk has been seen to (.•ah.h suiall birds by suddeuly
pouiiciiio- upon rliem, but the Foi'lc-tailed Kite and Kestrel have
not been seen to catch birds, though the writer has seen the
Fork-tailed Kite iiiake an attempt to catch shell parrots which
were in a large flock, but without success. All these Hawks are
very destructive to the caterpillar and grass-hopper" pests,
sjiending j)ractically all day chasing them on the Hats.
Jt is interesting to note that while the Hrowu Hawk
and Kestrel almost invariably catch the grass-hoppers
in , their bills, the Fork-tailed Kite does not do so to
any extent. It uses the claws. It is a common
thing to see these Kites accomjtanying a horseman as he
travels along. They catch the disturbed grass-hoppers in their
claws, eating them as they fly along, often coming almost with-
in reach of the man on horseback in their endeavour to capture
one of the insects. Whilst the Kite is very keen on offal, etc.,
the Brown Hawk and Kestrel prefer killing their own food.

The Kite is quite harmless to fowls and chickens and may
often be seen feeding amongst the fowls on scraps thrown from
the house, but should any other hawk appear the fowls instantly
seek shelter.

Though insects would appear to be the chief food of these
birds, they certainly feed their young on small lizards, mice,
birds, and pieces of meat from various animals; for remains of
this food have been found on the nests coiltaining young.

The (joshawk does much good work by killing rabbits. He
seems to realize that he cannot carry away a full-grown rabbit,
so invariably attacks the young only. He always captures his
victim in the swoop, without coming to earth, and flies straight
off with it. It is quite a common thing to see a Goshawk swoop
down to the top of a large warren and rise with a young rabbit,
still squealing, in its claws. He also eats a lot of grass-hop-
pers, catching them in tlie claws when on the wing. Its young
are fed on rabbits mice, lizards, and birds, judging by the refuse
thrown from the nests.

It is well-known that the (Joshawk destroys many birds
and takes chickens, but fi'om observations made, it does more
good than Iiann to the pastoralist and is considered of far
g^reater value than the A^'edge-tailed Eagle, for it does not
destroy any of his lambs but helps to check the increase of
rabbits, and destroys a large quantity of grass-bo'ppers.

The (roshawk, undoubtedly the most destructive of
hawks, is shot on sight if he ventures neai- a fowl-vard, yet
many of his destroyers advocate protection for the Eagle,
which troubles them not at all. for it has long ago been so
thinned out near towns that the few remaining birds are looked

70 J'iiid Sotrs.

«

on as "novelties/' It is all very well to ask the "back-
hlocker" to ])rotect a bird, iliat while doing him considerable
harm, in no way hurts the jieople of the settled areas, for they
liave already decided whether the Eagle is worthy of protec-
tion. The back-blocker would be equally justified in asking
for protection for Kosella Parrots ov Starlings, the latter
being an insect eater would be useful to him. whilst the
former does him little harm and would be nice to look at when
lie comes on a holiday.

There are other Hawks in the interior, such as Black
Falcon, flrey Falcon, Little Falcon, Black-breasted Buzzard,
Spotted Harrier, and Collared Sparrow Hawk; but these are
so rarely seen that it Avould be unwise to generalise from the
few observations that have been made of their habits.

Bird Notes.

MARCH, 1921.

Mr. L. K. McGilp, Moolawatana, Far North, South Aus-
tralia, reports — ^On the evening of February 14, a vei*y large
number of Swifts arrived here. A heavy downpour of rain
ceased falling about 5 o'clock, and shortly afterwards flock
after flock of Swifts congregated at a hut on the station where
I was camped. They circled round and round at a very low
elevation for about an hour, twittering all the while. They
appeared to arrive from a northerly direction and departed on
a south-westerly course, or towards Copley. The next day
on my returning to the station homestead, my brother and
I saw another large flock flying low and circling round; but
they did not remain long and T was not able to state the direc
tion in which they disa]ip»eared whilst I was indoors.

Mr. J. W. Mellor, Lockleys, reports — Numbers of Tacnio-
pygla castaitotis Chestnut-eared Finch have been about in the
boxthorn bushes on the red sand hills at Mellor Park. Quite
a number-' of their grass nests have been built. In some of
them the birds simjdy roosted, but in others young were
hatched. The young are now about in the cover, feeding with
the parent birds on the fine urass seeds that are now plentiful.

Coraciva ncvae-JwUandid'c mclanops. The Black-faced
Cuckoo-Shrike has been about for a long while, quietly feeding
and ever and anon sallying forth from a gum tree to capture
a grub or other titbit on the ground, but flying back to the
tree before eating ir.

Bird Notea. 7 1

Sjiiloi/Jdii.r hii()b(>()h- iiid iiiiord Id ( I'.oobook Owl) and Tijto
(ilhd (Iclicatiihi ( Scicet-h Owl i liMve been very noisy during the
month. os})t'fially the foniier. One of tlie Screecli Owls lias
taken np its abode ( as nsnal af'tei* nesting is over) in a lemon-
scented pine.

On the 20th inst. fJaliastur xphenunis (Whistling Eagle)
<'ame soaring overhead, followed by many Magjiies intent
on chasing the intruder away.

On tlie 21st a flock of MeVithreptus atricapillus (Brown-
headed Honey -eater) was noted.

A clutch of Colluricincla harmonica victoriae (Grey Shrike-
Thrush) hatched out during ttie early part of the month and
made their presence known by their continual wierd whistling
calls.

Mr. J. Sutton. Netherby, observed —

iNIarch 20. — One ('row came but was chased away by the
]\ragi)ies.

March 27. — Australian Brown Ply-catcher — the male bird
whistling beautifully to the female bird — e\ident]y mating.

March 28. — Noticed Welcome Swallows visiting the old
nest.

March .30. — Restless Fly-catcher seen — the first for two
years.

March 81. — Scarlet-'breasted Ro'bins — back from the
gullies in the hills after the rain. This seems a common prac-
tice if the weather is hot. After the rain they only stay two
or three days, leave, and do not return until the next fall of
rain.

Black-chinned Honey-eaters. Yellow-breasted Shrike-Tit,
and Lorikeets have been heard on a few occasions during the
month.

(Ireenlinches have left. ^Vattle Birds are now beginning
to call, and the Grey Shrike-Thrush's song is slightly longer
than that given in the summer time.

APRIL. 1921.
Mr. .1. \\'. Mellor. Lockleys, re]>orts — The birds seem to
have finished breeding now. During the month the Boobook
Owls have been very silent, only an occasional call being
beard at the beginning of the month. The Screech Owls have
also 'been less in evidence by their calls, but are often seen,
one bird roosting by day in a lemon-scented pine. I notice
that the pellets tin-own u]> by this owl are very much snuiller
than previously noted. Perhaps this is due to the dryness

I'l Bird Note>i.

of the season, and to the jireater difhcnlty of getting fooJ
supplies.

On April 1(5, 1 noticed two F(iJ<-o loin/ipeiinis (Little Falcon^
together, rtying swiftly. By the slaty ai)pearance of the ujjper
surface, I believed them to be young birds.

On the ]()th. a small Hock of f'hiti/cercuH eximiiis (Rosellu
l*arrot| made their a])pearan('e. Tw(» pairs were noted sitting
on a dead branch of a gum tree ajtparently quarrelling. They
were about for wonn* days feeding on the seeds of the thistles,
wire weeds, etc.; but unfortunately they betook themselves
to the late pears and apples and one was accideutly caught
in a gin trap. Its legs were so badly crushed that it had to
be killed, but the skin was i»reserved and proved to be that
of a female. The male bird still lingers, eating seed and
(humming up with other birds; but the other pair ha?
departed.

Parhi/cephola pectoral is fiiH</inos<i (South Australian
Yellow-breasted Thickhead I a female or young male of this
bird was noted.

April 23. — Saw two CacotiKiiilis riihrivafiis (Fantail
<''uckoos) in the gum trees.

(Utrachid novae holla iidiae melaitops- (Black-faced Cuckoo-
Shrike), not uncommon about the paddocks. They are now
tuining their attention to searching out insect food, such as
grass-ho]t])ers, snuill goat moths, and the like.

(irallina eyanoleuca (Murray Magpies) are now very tame,
and doing much good in eating insects.

MAY, 1921.

Mr. .1. \V. xMellor, reports — With the fine rain after rii?
long dry spell, the 'birds have been greatly benefited, especially
the ]\fagi)ies. Laughing .Jackasses, and others whose food con-
fiists of the largei- insect forms.

May 14th. — I was pleased to note Llfflera ehri/sopteni
pJioetiicea (Flame-bi-easted Robin) in open country, the first of
the season at the Beedbeds. It was a male bird searching
for insects. The day previous I saw Anfhoehaera chrifsoptera
intermerJia ('Brush Wattle Bird) at Lockleys; this I was pleased
to note, for although it is j>ermanently established at Fulham.
where it breeds freely, I seldom see it here.

On several occasions I have noted a ThicklK^ad in its dull
plumage at Lockleys, being either a female or immature nuile
of Faehj/eephala pectoralis fuUf/inosa (South Australian Yellow-
breasted Thickhead I was calling as it hopped about in tlie
frui't trees in search of insect food.

Bird Notes. 73

Spiloglaux boobook inarinorata (Boobook Owl ( has been
calling.

Tijto olba dclicatnla (Screech Owl) has been very noisy at
night time. One bird stilT continues to roost by day in a lemon
scented pine^i^ee. Its pellets are collected for examination, and
the amount of remains of injurious animals, birds, insects, etc.,
that are contained in them is truly wonderful.

On May 20 a few (iJosfiopsitta porphi/roeephala (Purple-
crowned Lorikeets) were flying about the trees.

On ^lay 21, noted several Lobibi/.r novae-holla ndiae (Spur-
wing Plovers) at Fulham, flying about the swamp land.

Seisnra inquicta (Restless Flycatcher) visited Lockleys on
May 24. A rare visitor here.

May 26, several Microeca fascinans (Brown Flycatcher) at
Lockleys, searching for insects amongst the fruit trees.

Quite a number of Grallhia ri/anolruca (Murray Magpies)
have been about during the month at Lockleys, and they have
been very active in searching out their insect food in the.
ploughed land between the rows of fruit trees ; also coming
right up to the house, and picking about on the kiwn and newly
dug flower beds.

Several Corvns coronoides perplexus (Ravens) have been
about.

W. K. Thomas & Co., Printers, Adelai<it.

W. JC. Thoirifts & Co.,

Printers,
Qrenfell St., Adelaide.

Vol. VI.

Part 4

THE

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN

ORNITHOLOGIST.

A Magazine of Ornithology.

Ist OCTOBER, 1921,

JUi

□

0

uuLJ

DTI

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE;

F. M. ANGEL, R.A.O.U.
A. G. EDQUIST
S. A. WHITE, C.M.B.O.U.
K. R. ZIETZ, R.A.O.U..

Price, 2/-

d

liiuL

m

^ M

VSk

THE

South Australian

ORNITHOLOGIST.

-KaW3a'5<5?pr-»«- ..^

-. -1' V!^

Editorial Committee :

F. M. Angel, R.A.O.U.
A. G. Edouist
S. A. White, C.M.BO.U
F. R. ZiETz, R.A.O.U.

Secretary :

J. Neil McGiLi',

" Origma, " Napier Terrace
King's Part S.A.

CONTENTS.

Page
T1h> South Aus>irali;iii Ofuirholojiik-al Assockvtioii .... 77

Order I*i:vsseriformes, FMinily ^Inscicapidae, Genus Pet-

roica — ^Petroiea ^Multk'olor (Scarlet-breasted Robini 7J>

Notes oil !Bir<ls met with diirin.u' a vis/it to SoutluWest

(^neeiislaiKl. By A. Clienery, iM.R.C.'S., I>.Il.iC'.P. . . 82

Soni.' Tasiuanii;Hi Hii'd Notes. Ky K<l\vin Asliby, F.L.S.,

:\i.H.f).r 80

OUservatious a>r Ooldea. By S.A. White. CJMjB.O.U..

■ C.F.A.O.r 88

Bh'd Notes 89

The Editorial Committee accepts no responsibility for the
views or deductions expressed by any of its contributors.
The Journal welcomes a free interchange of ideas with the
object of extending the knowledge of our avifauna, but the
author of each article is responsible for the opinions and
<leductions recorded.

THE

South Australian Ornithologist,

Vol. VI.] 1st OCTOBER, 1921. [Part -i.

The South Austrahan Ornithological
Association.

MONTHLY PKOCEEDINGS.
— Meeting held on the 24th Jnue, 1921. —

Mr. F. M. Angel in the Chair.

A letter was read from Mrs. 1^]. T. Angove donating the
late Dr. Angove's Egg Collection to the Association. The
Secretary was instructed to thank Mrs. Angove for the valuable
gift.

Mr. Geo. AVeideuhol'er was nominated for membership by
Mr. Edqnist and seconded by Mr. E. Ashby.

Mr. E. Ashby exhibited nest and eggs of the Yellow-rumped
Tit taken from an apple tree at Blackwood during the month,
also specimens of Melithreptiis chloropsis from Moora. West
Australia.

Captain White gave an interesting account of his trip to
Queensland on behalf of the Queensland Government; his
mission was to invesitigate bird-life in relation to forestry, but
more particularly in connection with the Cedar Twig-borer, an
insect causing much destruction to the valuable red cedar.
He found that several si)ecies of birds fed largely on this insect,
l>articularly the Crested Shrike-tit and Yellow-breasted Robin.
A number of skins of birds taken to secure a record of stomach
irontents was handed round and much admired.

—Meeting held on 29th July, 1921.—

Professor J. B. Cleland in the Chair.

Mr. Geo. Weidenhofer nominated at last meeting was duly
elected a member of the Associaition.

A letter was received from Miss N. E. Hawke thanking the
Association for the trophy which was given for competition
amongst schools. Uraidla had secured it for the current year.

A letter and circular from the National Parks and Fauna

78 The South Auntralian. Ornithological Association.

and Flora Keserves ('(niimittee \\ as read and rxplainod by the
Chairman. It was desired to liave a lar<>v publir meeting at
the Town Hall on An<;nst 1<5. It wjis decided that this Associa-
tion assist and also \n\\ its proportion of any <'X])ense incurred.

The Chairman suggested that a bird census be made. If
members when travelling about ithe country were to make a list
of all birds observed, a \i^vy reliable census of the birds inhabit-
ing these parts could be obtained and rthis would be a valuable
record. The Chairman mentioned that in l3,20() miles of
travelling he had seen one magpie for every three miles.

Mr. E. Ashby spoke on several birds from Tasmania and
showed specimens of the various I'ardalott^s, and a very
interesting com])arison was made in these very closely allied
forms. A series of Alyzuntha skins were shown and fully com-
mented upon. Mr. Ashby showed souh' liighly coloured
American birds which were much admired.

Mr. F. R. Zietz tabled some skins collected by Mr. A. S.
LeSouef at Ooldea on the East-West Railway. The Muliirns
was M. CdUdi lilts and not l/. nichtiioiix as Mr. LeSouef was
reported to have 'observed there last November.

— Meeting held on the 2(»th August, 1021. —

Mr. F. M. Angel in the Chair.

The Chairman pointed out that the egg cabinet had been
delivered, and considered it a good piece of work. The amount
of £34 lS/<> for cabinet and lock was passed Cor payment.

Captain White brought forward the matter of the Zoologi-
cal Gardens combining together to exploit (mr fauna. After
much discussion the following resolution was carried
unamimously — "That this Association discountenance the pro-
posal of our Zoological Societies, in association or otherwise,
engaging a general trading in our native animals.""

The Chairman regretted he had to announce the death of
Mr. A. Zietz, one of our fimndation members, and tendered the
sympathy of the Assocation to his son, Mr. F. K. Zietz. Cap-
tain White r-eferred to the well-known abilitv of the late
Mr. Zietz.

The Chairman mentioned that all were sori-y to hear of the
long illness of Dr. Morgan, but he was glad to hear that the
Doctor exj)ected to resume his ])rofessional duties in a week or
two. The Secretary was instructed tlo wri'te to the Doctoi-
expressing the regret at the Doctor's long illness.

Nomination for new iiieiuber. — Mr. C. E. Simson, Kose-
neath, Casterton, Victoria. Proposed by Mr. J. Neil McGilp
and seconded by C:iptain AVhitc.

The South Australian Ornithological Astociation.

Mr. A. Cioiuptoii repoiTed llia-t he Jiad lieaid the Pallid
Cuckoo calling at UiJpei- Kensington on 22nd August.

Captain White exhibited some very fine specimen plates of
birds and eggs from "Calej's 'Birds of Australia.' "

Captain ^^'^hite mentioned that during iShovv Week the
Society for I'levention of Cruelty to Animals intended holding
an "Animal Week," and he asked alT members to give all tlu'
assistance possible ro this deserving Society.

The birds for discussion for the evening were the Falcons.

Captain White tabled a skin of Falco lunulatus iiwlanotis,
the Flinder's Island Little Falcon. Mr. Zietz, on behalf,
exhibited skins of Falco lunulatus, Little Falcon; Falco Hypo-
leucus, Ore}' Falcon; Falco jiielanogcnijs, Black-cheeked Falcon
and Falco suhnigcr, P.lack Falcon. It was noticed that while
the adult Little Falcon was of a bluish shade of colour on the
hack, the young birds are of a brownish colour.

Much interesting information respecting the Falcons was
given.

Order Accipitriformes, Family Muscicapidae, Genus
Petroica— Petroica riulticolor (Scarlet-breasted

Robin).

—By S. A. Wliite, C.IM.B.O.C. C.F.A.O.T^—

Description — Male: All uj)per surface, black; forehead,
white; wings, blackish brown, the outer feathers dark brown,
secondaries marked with white; tail, dark brown, in some cases
almost black, the two outside feathers marked with white
obliquely, the remaining feathei-s are marked with white on the
outer webs; under wing coverts, white; breast, bright scarlet;
throat, hlack ; lower part of abdomen, white; eyes, brown; feet
and bill, black.

Female. — All uii])er surface, brown; wings, brown, quill
feathers marked on outer webs with Avhite; tail, brown, outer
feathers almost all white, the remainder edged with white;
white spot on forehead ; throat, greyish brown ; breast, tinged
with scarlet; under tail coverts and tibdomen, white; -eyes,
brown ; feet and legs, dark broAvn ; bill, dark brown.

Immature — The young birds have a inottled appearance
due to the general greyish brown colour with darker marking
down the centre of the feathers; the wing feathers are edged
with buff and the inner webs white; tail, dai-k brown; outer

80 Order Pasxeriformefi, Family M >.isciciipidae.

feathers, almost whito, others tipped with white; throat and
under surface, grey, sliading- into white on tlie abdomen.

Distribution. — ^Tlie greater part of Australia and Tasmania
and the type came from Norfolk Island and <lescri))ed by
Gosselin.

Habitat. — The birds are to be found in the open forest
country as well as in the fairly thick brush of the ranges and
they rather like the orchards of the settlers, where they do much
good in destroying many moths and grubs harmful to the fruit
culture. In the autumn these birds very often come out upon
the Adelaide plains and remain in the gardens for several
weeks, but seldom stay more than two or 'three months.

Habits. — If not molested become very confiding, watching
the gardener from a twig close by and darting almost under the
spade after grubs and worms. They sit upon a twig or bough
almost motionless (with wings drooping, a habit so comn-on to
the Genus) watching the ground intently, and upon the sight
of a. moving insect, they tiit to the ground, caphirc it. and back
to the perch again.

Flight. — Not long sustained, rather jerky, and in most
eases flitting from one tree to the other.

Call. — One can hardly say it possesses a song but it
twitters in a low soft way as if warbling to it.self. It ftossesses
quite a funny little call when alarmed or when one approaches
the nest. I have also heard it give this call when a snake or
cat has been near. Many of the notes given* in spring-time or
warm days in the winter are very sweet but low.

Food. — Purely in.sectivorous and will prey upon almost all
small moths, flies, beetles, bugs, etc.

Nesting Season. — Extendi from the latter end of July to
the end of November, this depends upon the season, if it be
early or late.

Nest. — Cup-shaped beautiful sti-ucture, composed of pieces
of 'dry grass, strips of bark, moss, lichens, and often flower
heads ; this is bound togetlier by means of cobwebs, the lining
is composed of hair, feathers, fur, and down, the nest is often
lined very neatly with rabbit fur. Nest is often jtlaced in a
horizontal fork and also in an upright one, sometimes in an old
stnmj» or l»ehind bark. They are fond of a fruit tree covei'ed with
lichens, and by attaching these to the outside of the nest it is
almost impossible to detect It.

Eggs. — Three or four in number, almost white, the ground
colour greenish with spotting of brown and greyish, purple
spots in some cases forming a zone at one end. Dr. Morgan
gives measurements as follows —

Onler Foasariforvie^, Family Muncicapidae. 81

— Measuienieiirs. —
Average diiueiisioiis of 1-eggs : l.S() cm. x l..")! cm. ; lai-gesl
egii. -.00 cm. X 1.55 cDi.; smallest egg, 1.80 cia. x 1.50 cm.

—By .1. W. Mellor. K.A.O.U.—

Tltis beauliful little bird 1 have I'oiind to be oue of the most
useful of our feathered friends, as it lives almost solely on
insect food. At Stirling West in the Mount Lofty Ranges this
pretty little bird is common, but nowhere will you find it in
greatei- numbers than a pair to each particular spot, unless there
may be a family of two or three young ones, but these are soon
made to "shift" after they ai-e old enough to take care of them-
selves, for they are so (juiet and confiding, and apparently
peaceful little creatures; the cock birds are ever on tlie alert if
an intruder comes along, especially anotlier male bird. The
owner of the spot will soon be seen Hying swiftly towards the
newcomer, uttering a sharp twitter, which api)arently means
mischief, and the intruder usually decamps and so saves a
conflict, although at times they meet and "have it out" for a
short turn only.

The Kobins become so tame that they will come right up to
the table where meals are being taken 'alfresco', and ]>ick up
the crumbs quite close to us.

During nesting season they build close by in a stringy-bark
eucalypt. and rear their family. These they generally bring
round the back door and under the verandah, where crumbs
;n-e j»lentiful and worms easily procurable from tlie wet ground
iK^arby. There is a plentiful su])])ly of Hies, gnats, and
mosquitoes, all of which form tit bits for the iJobin's menu.

The young are always dull coloured throughout, without
aispeck of red to adorn them, and might easily he mistaken for
females but for their squeaking notes as they wait for the
parent birds to bring them food, and when they espy the old
birds approaching they fly to meet them, fluttering their little
wings and still more earnestly beseeching for the food that has
been brought for them. I noted that the young get the red
(in the case of the male) during the flrst season even befoi'e the
parent birds have ceased Mttending to their wants. A

small red spot will apjiear on the ujiper chest, then a spot on
either side of the lower breast, and these three small red spots
seem to grow very rapidly, and without moulting a feather, the
red spreads all over the breast and the robin is in full livery, the
feathers of the back and wings also darken as time goes on.
This robin seems to like the solitude of the hills, the higher the
elevation the better, and will breed there in preference to the

82 CEElsERY—^otcs on Birds.

plniiis. Tlicii- iicsl is inj^enionslv conslructed of threaded
bark uiid libres, and lined with a little I'nr r soft material,
and covered with moss and lichen so as lo make it ajtpear
part of tlie fork of the ti-ee in which it is placed.

Notes on Birds met with during a Visit to
South'VVest Queensland.

From A. CHEiXEKV, M.K.C.S., I..K.(\P.. Wentworth.
No. 111.

\\"(> had a wet trip from ]^>ilpah water-hole in to St. Anu'«
on oni- return joiii-uey from Harrioulah out-station on Nappa
Merrie. On reaching tableland country out from the sand
hills and swamp country the wheels of the car sank to the rims
and low gear was ithe order of the day. We Avere all "proper
wet," as they say in Devonshire, before Ave reached our destina-
tion. Of course overcoats had been left at head station and
likewise the hood of the car. We wei-e glad to tind the three
jxiculiar peaks of llinnga lUinga Dilly, marking the situation of
St. Ann's homestead, growing nearer as Ave plugged along on
squelching boots Avith only one of our party riding. Dr. Mac-
Oillivray filled some of his numerous bottles with fine specimens
of centipedes and (other crawling insects which the rain seemed
to have brought to the surface in large numbers. A warm
welcome and change of clothes on ai-rival at St. Ann's late in
the afternoon soon made us forget our troubles. Nothing par-
ticularly interesting in the bird line was noted this day.
During the evening Mr. Clive Conrick gave us some interesting
reminiscences of his work in Palestine as .a pilot in the A.F.C.
and also showed us maps of country as photographed from the
air, as well as other interesting souvenirs of his part in the
*'<Trreat Adventure."

On the morrow we realised that further ]»rogress towards
head station was impossible for tAvo days at least on account
of the country to be crossed, so decided to ex[)lore the suround-
ing country under Mr. Clive's direction. With this object AA^e
made a pilgrimage on foot to the top of Bunga and were
rewarded by finding a pair of Black-cheeked Falcons in posses-
sion of a small ca\'e near its summit with a half -fledged young
one in residence. The side of this rather j)reciijitous hill shoAA'ed
signs of having been tised as a nati\'e ochre (piari'y. much of the
stone was stained red and fine seams of this niaterin! could

(JHENI':in—\(>i<s on iiirds. 83

jet be .seen in places between the .sandstone I'uyers. It was
probably worked out and abandoned, but an lmmen.se amount
of labour must have been necessary, with the primitive imple-
ments at their disjiosal, to make the excavation tliere today.
Singing Honey -eaters Avei-e plentiful on these sparsely timbered
uplands. These birds appear to me to prefer more open
country. A solitary pair of Hooded Robins had a nest with
two fledged young in a gidgea tree. The following day the
\Vhole party, including Mr. (Jlive and Mr.s. Courick, set out on
horseback for a more extended insj>ectioii of this interesting
country. No J)e.sert Cliats were seen, which rather surprised
us, as the country apj)eared ideal for them. A l^.ennett's
Crow's ne.st Avith young was examined, and the usual (ralahs
and Bare eyed Cockatoos Hew from nearly evei-y hollow when
we approached a gum creek. Thecountry traversed was rough
and hilly and the jtrevailing timber mulga. A peculiar rock
formation was examined on one ridge, hardened sandstone,
which had evidently with.stood the weathering effects of ages,
stood up in various curious formations, most of them hollow,
not unlike chimneys. Some were as liigh as four feet. Of
course I do not attempt to explain this formation geologically,
but the cause mentioned may hnve accounted for them. During
our ride we had evidence of some evidently contageous disease
that was playing havoc with the kangaroos. Four recently
<lead ones were seen and others, almost too weak to move out of
the way. They appeared to be in good condition and there
v/as abundance of feed and water. Mr. Conrick attributes this
sickness amongst the kangaroos, which he has only noticed in
good seasons when green feed is abundant, to the scourge of
sand flies which cause glandular swellings in the throat.
Tlnfoi'tunatelv, we did not have time 1o jierform a post-mortem
examination on any of the victims. A well-grown Joey — left
an orphan by its mother's death — was run down and captured
but died next morning at the homestead.

Amongst the birds seen during to day's ride were a i»air
of young Crow Shrikes (captured), a pair of Ground Cuckoo
Shrikes, and Orange-fronted Chats. On the jjrevious

evening, during a walk along St. Ann's Creek, we flushed
a delicate mv1. T believe the only one seen during the trij), and
also identified Collared Ci-ow Shrike, Ked-ra])]ie(l Kobin, Ulack-
throated Grebe, and Rufus breasted Thickhead. A Red-backed
Kingfisher's burrow was examined containing one fresh egg.
The aboriginal name for this bird is ''Chula" and for the Red-
lored Tardalote "Poopa tella lilla." both names apiK'aring to be
descriptive of the bird's note.

84 CIUJXERY— Notes ou Birds.

On the inoiuiuj; of Tiie.sda,y, Uclober ■'>\h, \vc louud ilie
road.s still unlit Tor travel as I he creeks were still i-unning, and
liad to ti-es])ass Cor another da\ on Mrs. ( Vnii-ick's hosjiitalilv.
Dnrin.i; a walk down St. Ann's Creek a nest of Ked-lored Pai-
(lalote. some lo inches in the bank, conslstin<; of (piite a thick
outside layer of dried grass lined Avitli a tew feathers was
found containing three incubated eggs — a complete set for this
sjjecies, also two nests of Black-browed Wood Swallow with
young-, Zebra Finch with live eggs, and a Kite's nest with two
eggs. 1 u (►ted the tirst Yellow-tail Tit seen on the trip during
this Avalk. A nest of the Little Falcon with the bird in jiosses-
sion was seen later. As usual this was situated on the to[) of
the tallest tree on the creek, and (juite inaccessible to any of our
party. On the following morning we said our farewells to Clive
and Mrs. Conrick, the kindest and chee^riest of liosts, and s.tarted
on the eighteen mile run into he^ad station. Out on the table-
lands a sjjecinien of the Desert Chat was obtained and nume-
rous I'ratincoles weie seen but they did not apear to l)e nesting.
Hearing a song like that of the English wSkylark, we j)ulled up
and after some time Dr. MacGillivray secured a s])ecinien of the
bird which proved to be a species of song lark, Mirafra sccutida.
I was very charmed with ihin bird's note, while soaring high
above the ground it pours out a Hood of soug, partly its own
and partly imitations ot other species, and I noted perfect
reproductions of the Orouud Lark. ^Vhite-Avinged Wren, White-
face, Jilack-browed \^ ood Swallow, and others. One could
have si)ent more time listening to this delightful little songster
who, in my opinion, (piite e(iuals the Fnglish Skylark, but we
had to jmsh on. A deserted nest of the Desert Chat containing
one egg was found before we left the tablelands, and when we
reached the box timber near the C(M>per. the Tree Creepers were
again in evidence. We found all well at the head station after
our foitnight's absence and returned the Ford car to its owner.
Mr. Jack Conrick. 1 lio])e none the worse for the rather
strenuous work we had given the engine.

Next morning was s|)ent along the Cooper by myself and
Dr. Mac<5illivray in securing some skins of the Tree Creeper.
We also found a i)air of Brown Fly-catchers commencing to
build, and some pairs of Black Honey -eaters. On the creek.
JVIicans. White Ibis. Uoyal and tlu' oi-dinary Spoon-bill. Coi--
morants, Teal. White-eyed and Pink-eared Ducks were identi-
fied. A nest of T^adbeater's Cockatoo containing three young-
was ;ilso found. In the evening, after a swim in the Cooper. Ave
had instructions fron) Mi-. Conrick as to our return journey
and drank success to tlu' venture.

CHEXEBY—Aotcs on Binls. x~)

On October 8th we fen-ied our goods over tlie river, packed
the car, aud started on the long run to Tibboobnrra. For the
first fifteen miles we had considerable difficulty in picking up
our land nmrks, but at last reached the crossing at Milther-
niernia C'reek and lunched thei-e. I was fortunate in securing
a fine set of Ked-backcd Kingfisher's eggs here, the first time in
many attempts. Tliese birds burrow quite a distance into the
bank before the egg chamber is hollowed out. After leaving
this creek we took a wrong turn which brought us down to the
Narnoo crossing on the Cooi>er. While waiting here we were
fortunate in securing a nest and i»air of eggs of the lUown Fly-
catcher, in the usual situation on the horizontal branch with
the usual inadequate nest of cobwebs, fine rootlets, and hair.

Things continued to go wrong this afternoon but I will
spare my readers a detailed account of them, merely recording
that we camped at a creek near Tookabarna Yards, and as it
was a still night, insects of all sorts, including mosquitoes, were
much in evidence. The gi-unting note of the Podargus and the
calling of the Curlew were heard. Dr. MacGillivray found that
by turning on the electric headlights of the car, he could catch
many motlis and beetles attracted by the light and I rather
fancy that I fell asleep on this occasion before he had flnished
his collecting. Next day we had an early start and struck
the Wilson floodwaters on our left. Lignum swam[»s with
scattered willow trees for miles and a line of box timber
marked the actual coursi' of the main creek. We were for-
tunate from now on in picking up our motor tracks of the out-
ward journey not yet wiped out by the rains that had fallen
since. The usual detours over sandhills and out into rough
gibber country had to be made to avoid water. We reached
Tenappera on the Wilson before midday and saw some White-
headed Stilts on the way.

During the halt for dinner this side of Tenai)pera we
stripped off and investigated a dam which had Hooded back
and in which many trees were growing. We secured a set of
four Pacific Heron's eggs on quite a low box tree. A good run
was made i)ast Bransby, P>ransby Downs, Mr. Chas. Dorrell's
home, and Dingera, where we had tea. on past Naryilco till we
ran down the Warri (3reek towards the boundary fence. Here
misfortune overtook the car in the shape of cylinder trouble
and we camjjed for the nighl. .M(>s(|uit(K^s were particularly
attentive. Our driver was busy until 11 a.m. the next day in re-
pairing the defect, and during the wait we were fortunate in
securing a WedgebilTs nest with two beautifully mark<'d <'ggs.
These birds were plentiful at Harrioulah and along most of the

86 ('Hh:\EliY—\(,t<H on llini^.

swamp country, but were not then neslini;. Tlie soii<> is a
very pleasant one, and the male bird sin<is aliiiost constantly.
A bunch of dry mistletoe in an acacia oi- in a iimlj^a seems their
favourite neslinji- site; four or five old nests were found in
this .situation. We also found nests of the Owlet Nightjar
and the Cockatoo Pari-aUeet ibotli with full Hedged young. The
young Owlets appeai-ed to have down, oi- white tiutf at any rate,
adhering to the ends of the feathers, otherwise the plumage ifs
similar to that of the adult. The young Parrots appear to
get their adult plunmge. crest and all, with their first dress.

We saw Desert ('hats and l*ratincoles again between the
Y'alpunga gate in the fence and Tibbooburra. ^Ve saw two
more Desert Chats next day between Tibbooburra and Mil-
parinka, also some Australian Dottrells; we also picked up the
fresh dead body of a full,y-fledged, probably young. Dottrel!,
that had apparently been run over by the mail car. An event-
ful run over bad roads landed us safely back in Broken Hill
on October 12th. We must have covered well over 1,000 miles
on this trip and I, personally, enjoyed every day of it. Hard-
ships are nothing, if the work is congenial.

Some Tasmanian Bird Notes.

Contributed by EDWIN ASHHY, P\L.S., M.B.O.U.

— lihipUhiid iiiofdcilloidcs y &. H Third Kecord for Tasmania. —

Mr. W. H. Vaughan of Lunawanna, South Bruny Islands,
Southern Tasmania, informed me that at the end of January or
beginning of February, 1019, a Black-and-white Fantail (Rhi pi-
dura inntarilloidcs) was flitting about his pigsty all one day,
catching flies. Sad to relate, tlipir cat brought it into
the house the next day. Not only is this the third record of
the occurrence of this bird in Tasmania, but it is the most
southerly one by a good denl, and it is to be greatly regretted
that the bird should have met with so untimely an end.

— Strange Nesting Place of Pctroica pliocitivcu. (iould. — ■

Tn 1017 a pair of Swallows built a nest under the frcmt
verandah of the house of Mrs. Drake, of Lunawanna. South
Bruny Island, Tasmania. The next yeai*, 191S, by the time
the Swallows (had retuined fo i-esume nesting ojterations a ])air
of Flame-breasted Robins {Pctroica pJiocniccu, Gould) had
taken possession and refused to give way to the original
owners.

ASHBY — Some Tasnianian Bird Notes.

The nest was jnsi outside the diuin<;- room window, thuH
Mrs. Drake was able lo watch them closely durino- the whole
process of incubation and raising of the yonn<;. Two chicks
wei-e successfnlly l)r(»n.i>ht np. The nest had noi been occupied
since, either by the original ownei-s or by the intruders. Mrs.
Drake S'tated that the Kobins had a good ideal of trouble at first
in keeping the Swallows out. There seems no doubt as to the
identity of the Kobin, for the pair were continually round the
house during my visit, and my informant pointed them out UvS
lieing the same species that had occu|»ipd the nest. 1 brought
the nest away with me; it is lined with fine grasses, some
fraved soft istring, jtieces of dai-ning cotton, and a small i)iece
of silk.

— Reasoning powers of the JJhie \Vren and its value to the-
Horticulturist. —

Mr. \A'. 11. Vaughcin, of Lunawanna, South Bruny Island,.
Tasmania, who is a bird lover, gave me a rather intei-esting
instance of the value of the Long-tailed Blue Wren (AlaluruH
longicaudns, Gould) to the farmer and its power of deduction
and learning by experience. He was digging in his garden
with a companion and turning up with the soil numbers of
short white grubs, pi-obal>ly bettle larvae, as it was a piece of
new ground. A cock Blue Wren flew (h)wn, picked w\\ three
grubs and flew off to his nest only a few yards away and
returned once or twice picking up a similar number.

It then tried four grubs at a time, but while it could ])ick
up the four, it could not carry the extra one off, it fell out of
its beak dii-ectly it attempted to fly. The bird was most per-
severing, picking it up again and again each time only to be
met with failure as soon as flight was (attempted, finally it
accepted the lesson and carried away the three grubs to its
hungry offspring. Throughout the long morning of fully four
hours this diligent little bird went back and forth between the
digger and the nest, but never once did it attemi>t again to
carry four grubs at a time, hut was content with the three it
could successfully handle. It was so tame that it often
perched on the moving fork as he dug and sometimes on his
boots. Mr. Vaughan thought that it could not have taken
much moie than two minutes to take up each triplet of grubs
and unload .same to its young, but if we double his e.stimate,
which will be a liberal allowance, we find that the single bird
had destroyed during the morning fully 150 of these injurious
larvae.

88 ASH BY — Some Tami'inian Bird Notts.

—Rapid Flight of the Falcon m Pursuit of a Homing Pigeon. —
Mr. Vaughan, who now lives at LunaAvanna, some years
ago lived at Newtown, one of the suburbs of Hobart, Tasninnia.
While in his g.'u-den he saw a P^ilcou. ])rol)ab]y the Little
Falcon (Falco lunalatus Latham) in pursuit of a Homing
Pigeon. The falcon caught up with the pigeon almost above
his liead, struck and missed, the pigeon turned back on its
course and tiew istraight for the distant church spire. The
falcon hovered for scmie time ever rising upwards, by the time
it had reached the desired altitude the pigeon appeared to be
fully half way to the distant church, the falcon .set after it and
caught it up clo.se to the church. It failed again, and the
pigeon turned back iigaiu on its i-eceut course; the falcon
rejieated i'ts previous methods, striking at the pigeon a third
time exactly ab<^ve Mr. \'aughan"s head and the pigeon then
fell at his feet.

He could see no wound when he picked up the bird but
noticed a small metal ring round its leg. It was alive though
much distressed. He took it to a. bird fancier friend of his who,
by means of the ring, was able to find the owner.

I regret to say that 1 omitted to ascertain I he distance
away tlie church was. but I was given to understand that it
was a long way, though not so far that he could not keep the
birds in sight all the time. The pace of the falcon's swoop
must have been nearly Iwice that of the i)igeon in full flight.
It is also remarkal>le that the falcon should have three failures
chalked up to him; possibly the last ^vas only a i)artial failure,
but owing to the good offices of my friend the ])igeon's life was
saved.

Observations at Ooldea.

To llie ICditorial ('ommirti'c,

Sttulli Austi-alian < )niiliiologisl.

Dear Kirs,

In the S.A. Ornithologist for July ist of this yeai- Mr.
A. S, LeSouef still holds that he was correct in his observation
of the Ooldea birds, but states that he is likely to visit the
locality again and will obtain specimens. What need was
there for (his when my work, extending over .several months,
has been published as far back as January, 1019. Four Orni-
thological trips to the Nullabor Plain. 1st in 1017. in The Emu,
Vol. XVIII. Part 3.

Will TE —Observations at Ootdea. 89

The specimens were taken and identiliecl by the writer, yet
Mr. LeHouef contradicts this. Mr. LeJ^^ouef says under
Maluriis nielanotiis. Black-baclied Wren — "I did not collect a
specimen, 1 pnt them down as M. mclanotus from locality and
tield observations." Now the lilack-backed Wren is not
found in any such locality for all Orniitholof»ists know this
species (il/. ntclaaofi(s) is contined to the mallee belts of the
Murray. Since Mr. Ix'Souef wrote the letter (pioted above, he
visited Ooldea and on his way through Adelaide left skins of
Mahn-us cakiinus with Mr. Zeitz, Ornithologist to the S.A.
Museum, evidently for identification, thus showing- he did not
know the bird when he handled it, for they are all M. calainus.
Speaking of the Owls, Mr. LeSouef says, "On looking into the
hole 1 was surprised to see two large dark owls and not the cave
or light form of the marked I was expecting. The birds were
only in sight for a few seconds, but they iwere dark brown with
absolutely no white on them, certainly darker than any phase
of the masked that T have ever seen." Now T to(^)k an owl from
the very hole that Mi'. LeSouef named and it is Tijto novuehol-
hirnlcac which is much whiter on the breast than tlie Marked or
I'arn Owl. The whole of the under-surface being white with
the absence of almost any markings.

S. A. WHITJ].

Bird Notes.

' .June, 1921.

By Edwin Ashby, lUackwood.

June 11. — Nest of .lr(/»^///.:o ut Wittunga. ."i feet high
in apple tree, 3 eggs partly set. Painted Quail at Eden Hills,
3 young, almost fledged, in nest.

June in.— Musky Parakeets in large flocks flying north-
wards and continued so-doing for the following week.

•June 23. — flcobiiftUruH rhrj/.^iorrlux'a. A nest commenced
10 days previously, now ready for eggs, birds lining with a few
final feathers. Situated S feet high in bunch of Loranthv-s
exocarpi. Greenfinches been calling for days, have not heard
them till quite recently. Little Brush Wattle birds have only
put in an appearance for a week or two and are now very
numerous.

Glydphila fulvifrons have recently commenced Iheir spring:
whistle.

90 Bird Notes.

By J. W. Mellor.

The White I'l'onted Herons that returned on the 20th Maj'
have been about ever since and in all probabilities will soon
be nesting- in their usual trees, as a great deal of hoarse croak-
ing is going on between the various pairs.

On May 31, saw a male Flame-breasted Robin at Lockleys,
an unusual occurrence.

May 31. — A Little Falcon was noted at Lockleys flying
swiftl}' after sparrows.

June 20. — Several Black-breasted Plovers in the open
fields where they bred last year.

June 20. — A restless Fly catcher flying and hovering
about, making its incessant sharp "scissor grinding" notes.
Also seen again several days later.

June 22. — Observed a number of Pxcudariamiifi ci/diiop-
terus, Wood Swallows, at Lockleys, eating the large "Night
Ants" that were being disturbed by some men levelling the sand.

Also noted on the same date and place a number of White-
browed Babblers hopping over the sand in their usual sprightly
fashion, one following the other in quick succession both on the
ground and in the boughs of the trees.

June 23. — Several Corvits coronoides perjjlexus. Southern
Ravens, came about the garden at Lockleys, calling loudly in
harsh loud notes, and settled in the fruit trees, bul: as no fruit
is on the trees at present it is presumed that they were seeking
insect food, which is plentiful in the soil.

—July, 1921.—
By A. G. Edquist.

During the Field Naturalists' visit to the Botanic Gardens
on 22nd July, 1921, the Harmonious Thrush was seen, an
unusual and early visit to the Adelaide Plains. The bird was
singing but had not attained its full spring song.

By J. Sutton, Netherby.

Pallid Cuckoo {Cuculus pallid us). — This bird was
observed for the first time this winter at Netherby on 16th July,
l)etween 1 and 2 p.m., but he did not call. On 17th inst. the
bird first called at 8.38 a.m., several times during the day, and
again at 10.25 p.m. He has called on five days since that date,
the greatest silence was for four days.

Fan-tailed Cuckoo i C a co mantis fahelliformis). — This
bird called for the first itime this season at 7.44 a.m. on 20th
Julv. and has been calling everv day since.

Bird Notes. 91

Ou Sunday ITtli July, a Magpie {Gymnorhina leiiconota),
•d Mopoke {^pilofjlmu hoohook), and a Narrow-billed Bronze
Cuckoo {Chalcitcs hasalis) wei-e heard calling at 5.39 a.m.
Tlie last-named bird has been here since 4th flune.

By J. \V. Mel lor.

On the ord July the Pallid Cuckoo {HetGrosvcnc8 pallidus)
was first seen at Fulham this year, and on the Sth it appeared
at Lockleys where both the notes, running up the scale and the
more discordant screeching calls, were frequently heard in the
open timbered country. On the 7th several pairs were noted
ehasing each other about, apparently mating, and all through
the month they have been more than usually j>lentiful, their
calls being heard every day. Their early arrival in such numbers
seems to point to an eai-ly s]»ring. with ])robably dry weather
in the summer mouths.

While patrolling my jiaddocks at night during the early
part of the month, especially while the moon was growing
towards full, I Avas pleased to liear the number of Screech Owls
(Tyfo alba dciicattila) that were tlying about in the old gum
trees calling loudly in all directions. This was very marked
on the 7th inst., when the calls of the Marble Boobook Owl
(Spiloglaux tnarmoruta) were also noted. Apparently both
these species are seeking out their respective hollows now.
hence their activity.

On July 7 I noted a female White-backed Magpie {Gymnor-
hina hi/polcaca Icucoiiota) with her beak full of hair ready to
fly to her nest w'hich was nearly finished, save the lining.
Several days later I noted three magpies ymlling out bits of
string from bags of chaff and all had their beaks full before
departing to their nests.

The [)air of Laughing Jackasses (Dacelo ffi(/a.s\ that breed
here each year, have been extremely tame and often come down
to examine the ground that is being dug, and fine feeds are
their reward.

(^uile a large numl)er <(f Murray Magpies (GraUina rijaiio-
letica) are about this year, and seem to be now uniting. They
are very early birds and are to be seen when it is hardly light

A solitary Rose-breasted Cockatoo ( FJolophfin roscicapilhis]
was noted at Lockleys on the 18th inst. flying over the large
gum trees, but it did not settle.

92 Bird Notes.

— Auuiisl. I'JiM.—

I'.y .1. W. .Mrlloi-.

^^'llOll laid uj) witli influenza, recently 1 was much interes-
ted in a Boobook Owl. wliicli perched near my -window each
night and uttered its wierd call for a considerable time. These
birds have been very noisy all the month, and also the Screech
Owls. One of the latter species roosting at my back door.

Magpies have been busy nesting, and the old bird in one
case could be seen sitting on the nest. During a recent storm
an old nest blew down from a Norfolk Island Pine, and the
quantity of wire that had been used in its construction was
remarkable. Pieces of iron, steel, galvanized iron, copper, net-
ting, binding, fencing, straw-bale, t<'legra])h, and tele]»hone wire
were noticed.

A })air of swallows, building their mud nest o\er my front
door, became a great nuisance owing to the quantity of mud
they drc(p]»ed (fully half of that carried in the building pro-
cess). Every etfort was made to dissuade the little builders
from occupying this prominent position, but without avail,
and it was decided eventually to allow the nest to be construc-
ted. The feathering operations have been com])leted, and the
nest made ready for laying in, when another pair of swallows
came on the scene and litei-ally turned the rightful owners out.
A free fight ensued, and 1 was attracted by the loud chittering
of many voices, and on going to the scene of action found that
one intruder was actually in the nest, and feathers were flying
in all directions. When the battle had ended, I noticed a
quantit\^ of feathers of all descrijttions lying about, and all
the swallows were gone.

A pair of Sh]-ike-tits (Falciinciiliis fro)itfitiis ffacif/Klus)
have been calling loudly in a tall gum tree near the house,
presumably they are selecting a site for building their nest, as
every year they build nearby.

Pallid Cuckoos have been about all the month, and seem
more plentiful this year than they have been for a long time
past, botli the '^running scale'' notes and the harsh grating-
calls have been uttered all the time.

Minahs (MyzanfJut inelanoccpliahi ivhitci) have been very
pugnacious to other birds smaller than themselves, which
points to their having started their breeding season.

\V. K. Tiiotna^ A; Co., Printeni, Adelaide.

W. K. Tlioinfts& Co.,

Printers,
GreiifeJl St., Adehid*.

'^

Vol. VI.

Part 5.

THE

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN

ORNITHOLOGIST,

A Magazine of Ornithology.

Ut JANUARY. 1922.

Jul

□

am

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:

F. M. ANGEL, R.A.O.U.
A. G. KDQUIST
S. A. WHITE, C.M.B.O.U.
1-. K. ZIKTZ, R.A.O.U..

Price, 2/.

THE

South Australian

ORNITHOLOGIST.

Editofial Coynviiitec :

F. M. Angel, R.A.O.U.
A. G. Kdouist
S. A. White, C.M.BO.U
F. R. ZiKTz, R.A.O.U.

Secretary :

J. NKir. McGii.p,

"Orio^nia. " Na])ier Terrace
King's ParV S.A.

CONTENTS.

Page
The South Austrnliaii Oi-iiithologiml ^Association 97

Ordor Passerifonnes. Family Sylviidae. (j^euus Acanthiza. Acan-

thiza rhryfiorrhou ( YelloAV-runiped Tit)' OU

A Trip to Noirth-West Australia. By A. M. Morgan, M.B., B.Ch. lOo

Notes, on Birds seen during a Recent Visit to the Western Darling,

N.S.W. By A. Cheuery 110

Notes by the late Dr. Angove. Tea-tree Gully, 'S.A. By J. Neil

MeGilp 114

Biii-d Notes 119

The Editorial Committee accepts no responsibility for the
views or deductions expressed by any of its contributors.
The Journal welcomes a free interchange of ideas with the
object of extending- the knowledge of our avifauna, but the
author of each article is responsible for the o[tinions and
deductions recorded.

THE

South Australian Ornithologist.

Vol. Vr.-] ist JANUARY, 1922. [P.u:t 5.

The South Australian Ornithological
Association.

MONTHLY PROCEEDINGS.

—Meeting held on notli Septeniber. 1!)21.—

Ml'. F. M. Angel in the chair.

Mr. J. J^nt ton read a cutting from The Argus, '2V>/U/2l, in
which particulars were given of a hirge .shipment of Austra-
lian animals and birds bv tlie Australian Zoological Control
Hoard.

Mr. C. E. Sinison. of Casterton, \Mctoria, nominated at
last meeting, was duly elected a member.

Mr. H. O. Love, of 24 Rose Terrace. \Vayville, was nonii-
uated as a new member.

The resignations of Messrs. R. C. and ^^'. (J. Thomas were
accepted wirli regret.

Mr. F. R. Zietz mentioned that ^h\ R. E. R. Osborne had
just returned from Kadina, and had told him he had observed
a great many Magjties, fully 1,500 being seen in a week's travel-
ling, i^eagulls wei'e noted well inland, and were following up
behind the ]>loughs after the insects unearthed.

Mr. >Y. \Yeidenbach reported having noted two Shell Par-
rots at Glen Osmond, and Mr. A. Cromjjton mentioned that
Red-backed Grass Parrots ^\■ere in fair numbers in National
Park, Belair.

Professor J. H. Cleland i-eported that at (ilea Osmond he
had noted a Crow being chased «uid mobbed by a tlock of Star-
lings. Mr. G. ^Veidenhofer said he had often seen the same
thing at Payiu'ham.

The rest of the evening was taken up in examination and
discussion of birds of the \Vm. \Mii1e Collection, that had been
presented to the S.A. IMuseum. Members are indebted to Mr.
F. R. Zietz for bringing along such a large selection fiom the
collection, aiid for describing manv of the habits of birds that,

98 The South Australian, Ornitholuyical As-iuciation.

though uow rarely sefu. were <it one tiiiu' iriiaerous close to
Adelaide.

— Meeting lield on 28th October. 1!»l*1.—

Mr. F. M. Angel in the chair.

Mr. H. O. Love, of Wayville. nominated at last nuMMing.
was duly elected a member of the Association.

Mr. F. R. Zietz exhibited a j>air of skins of tin- \\y>\x parrot,
the Naretha Parrot (Pscphotiis iiarctha) . TW^v skins had
been presented to the S.A. Museum by Mr. H. L. W'liire. of New
South Wales. This new parrot is the most notable find in
ornithology of Australia for a considerable time, and Mr. White
was congratulated ujion his good fortune, which he thoroughly
deserved.

Before asking I>r. ^lorgan lo give an address on his recent
trip to North-West Australia, the Chairman said he was
pleased to welcome Dr. Morgan after his long illness, and he
hoped he w(mld soon be in good health again.

Dr. Morgan gave a most interesting account of his trip
from Perth tO Derby, in North-West Australia, explained the
habits of many of the birds he had seen, tabled fine skins he
had taken for identification, and showed photograjdis de})icting
the country over which he had travelled. A very interesting
exhibit was a small collection of articles secured from the play-
ground bower of the Great Bower Bird. This bird was remark-
ably tame, and was common in the streets of Derby.

Dr. Morgan promised to Avrite uj) his notes on the trip so
that members who were not present could have the opjmrtu-
nity of reading them in our journal.

The Chairman thanked Dr. Morgan for his interesting lec-
ture, and regretted that the trip was the cause of the Doctor's
illnesis.

—Meeting held on 2r)th November. 1921.—

Mr. F. M. Angel in the chair.

Mr. J. Sutton gave an interesting account of \hv R.A.O.U.
Congress in Sydney, and described many observations made at
the camp out at Ellerslee. where about 1 U! different birds were
identified.

The main business of the evening was set down as Inspec-
tion of the Dr. Angove Egg Collection. The Secretary apologised
for the non-arrival of this collection. All arrangements had
been made to have the eggs ready for inspection, but at the
last moment these arrangements had been upset. The collec-
tion will be available to members bv the next meetinu.

Tlie South Australian Ornithological Association. 99

During the evening members viewed some of the egg>i
received from Mr. H. L. White.

Professor J. B. Cleland mentioned that Mr. A. M. I^ea,
Entomologist at the Museum, had made a study of the contents
of the stomachs of birds received at various times and liad
them all tal)ulated. The result was of great value, and it was
desirable that Mr. Lea's work should be published. It was
decided to bring this matter under the notice of tlie (lovernment
with a view of having it published.

As the next meeting would fall so close to the holidays,
it "was d(x-ided to meet on the ICth December next.

Order Passeriformes, Family Sylviidae, Genus Acan'
thiza, Acanthiza Chrysorrhoa (Yellovv'rnmped Tit).

—By S. A. White. (\M.B.().r.. (\F.A.O.U.—

In the original K.A.O.U. Check List this bird was listed
as above. Mr. (iregory M. Mathews, in his 191:* List, gave it
Cabanis's generic name of Geohdmleiis, but in the new K.A.O.U.
List this bird will be back under Acanthha. Mr. Mathews
made seven siih-sij.. taking Quoy and (raiuiaid's N.S.W. bird as
the dominant species. It may be dittirult to hold to so many
as seven sith-sp. Yet several of the forms differ remarkably
from each other. The interior birds, as would be expected,
are much lighter throughout and the yellow on the rum})
brighter. The Yellow-rumped Tit was once a very common
bird on the Adelaide plains, but is seldom seen now, due no
doubt to its quiet, confiding nature, making it an easy |)rey to
the domestic cat, gone wild or otherwise.

Description — Upper surface, greyish brown, with a shade of
olive all through it; wing coverts, same shade; primaries, dark
brown ; secondaries, dark brown, edged with olive brown ; fore-
head, from black to blackish brown, each feather having a white
spot at the extreme end, giving the forehead a spotted appear-
ance; feathers of the cheeks often edged with buff; throat and
under-surface, buffy white, becoming darker on the fianks;
under-tail coverts, yellow; line over the eye to the bill, white;
upper tail coverts, bright yellow; tail, dark, blackish brown,
narrow external margin of gr-ey, each feather tipped with grey-
ish wliite; face of feathers, whitish, tinged with yellow; bill,
black; feet, black; iris, dull white.

100 Order Passer if ormes, Family Sylviidae.

Measurements — Length. 110 ni.iii. ; spread of wings, 192
m.in. ; bill. 10 m.m. ; tarsus, 10 ni.iJi. Th;^ northern form is
lighter than the above. There is litilc or no ditt'erence in
<:olouratiou between the sexes.

Distribution — Over the greater part nf Australia, includ-
ing Tasmania and other islands. The wiitei- has recorded it
from Queensland, Tasnnmia, New South Wales. X'ictoria. South
Australia, and Western Australia.

Habitat— They are to be found in varied situations, for they
extend from the coastline right through the interior, inhabiting
open forest country, low scrub with prickly acacia, on the edge
of the mangro\es along tidal creeks, on the plains, and in
the rocky ranges, and in the interior they are often met with
amidst the dense niulga scrubs. The writer has often met with
this bird amidst the low vegetation along the coastline.

Habits — A lively little bird, moving about in small parties
from three or four to a dozen, and become very confiding. They
spend nuich of their time hopping about on the ground in
search of food, but they also search the twigs, leaves, and limbs
of trees and shrubs for insect life. This is a very familiar
bird to us grown-up Australians, for it was so common in our
childhood dayt^. and was commonly called the "Tom-Tit,"' and
there are few of us who have not seen their strange nests and
probably robbed them.

Flight — Not long or sustained, merely fiitting from bu.sh to
bush or to the ground, and when in flight they show the yellow
upper tail-coverts most conspicuously.

Call — It could almost be called a song, it is so sweetly
pretty, and when one or two are twittering at the same time it
is most pleasing. The notes are low, but very sweet.

Food — Consists almost entirely of insect life; stomach
contents reveal many coleopterous insects, a few winged flies,
many scale insects and plant bugs, and in one instance a few
small seeds.

Nesting Season — These birds are rather erratic breeders,
beginning as a rule early and keeping on till late in the season,
and an odd nest at times will be found quite out of season.
August to November seem about the general range of their
nesting season, and they very often bring out the third brood in
the season.

Nest — Ts one of the most cui-ions of Australian birds" nests,
being at times comparatively large and consisting of several
compartments, hardly ever less than two. The use of the extra
compartment, or com])artments. has been the subject of much
sj>eculation amongst field workei-s. The writer favoni-s the

Order Passerif or vies, Family Sylviiilae. 101

idea of it bein.i>- a i-estin<2; place and shelter for the male bird,
and ar times occiijtied by the female, for he has more than
once flushed a bird from thP ('om])artnient otluM* than the one
containing the eggs.

The nest is a large structure, conijxjsed of many materials,
such as dry grass, leaves, flower heads, wool, strips of bark,
and many other substances, and is i)la(ed as a rule in thick
foliage, the bough of a tree, thick shrn'b, hedge, or the like. Very
often the nest of this bird is found underneath and placed in
amongst the sticks of large birds, such as the Wedge-tailed
Eagles, Whistling Eagles. Mag[ties, f'rows, etc. The nest proper
is covered in and often has a s}»out-like enti-ance; the intei'ior is
warmly lined with featheis or fur. and sometimes with flower
heads, snch as thistle-down.

Eggs — Three to five in uuiiiImm-. usually ]»ur(' white, but
occasionally spotted faintly ai one end willi l>r(~>\\ii specks.

—By A. Neil McGilp.—

The most remarkable habit of this species is that of its
nest construction. It is really a two-storied nest. An open
cup-shape nest is first constructed, and then underneath this
the nest proper is attached. Why this method of niditication
is resorted to seems hard to solve, for the entrance to the lower
compartment, in which the female incubates the eggs, is so
cunningly concealed that further deception seems unnecessary.
That it is not used as a roosting place for the male bird I
proved to my satisfaction years ago, when living at Bungaree,
Clare. I visited the nest do/.ens of times just as darkness set
in and the birds had gone to roost, but failed to find the open
cup nest inhabited. The usual place for roosting was in the
lower nest with the female, but I found that a few times the
male had roosted in a thick clump of mivstletoe close to nest.
If the open nest is made to deceive cuckoos, it is not a success,
for though I iave often found eggs of the Bronze and the Nar-
row-bill Bronze Cuckoo with the Tits' eggs in lower com])art-
inent, T have not yet found them in the top lu'st. The only theory
r can advance is that it is built to accommodate the young birds
when they are at the early flying stage. The entrance to the
nest proper is diflicult to enter for the young birds, and I have
noted the young in tlie open nest during the mid-day hours. I
have previously pointed out that the Black-banded Whiteface
practically demolishes the long, narrow tunnel to its nest
when (he young are just at the flying stage. Is it not jiossible
that the YeHow-rumped Tit has this reason for the top nest?

102 Older Passer if ovmes, Fainily Si/lviidup.

The entrance to their nest proper is by far the hardest to find
of any species I know, and I would advance this theory in the
hope that observations may lead to a solution of the why and
wherefore of the upper nest.

Both birds share in the carrying of material to the nest
and, so far as my observations go, in the actual building of their
home. Both also assist in the feeding of their young. The
food is insect life, secured principally from the ground.

Though in form the nest found is typical oi' the species, a
great variation is noted in the materials used and in the site
chosen for the nest. Possibly slight preference is shown for
a drooping, leafy branch in which to hang the nest, but dense
hedges and parastic growths in prickly shrubs are as frecjuently
resorted to. I once observed an authentic nest, with upjfcr
nest also, bnilt in the crevice between a large piece of bark and
a gum-tree trunk, and have often noted the nest built under
the large stick nest of Hawks and Eagles; and once at least
found young of both species in such a position.

The usual clutch of eggs setnns to be three, though four eggs
are frequently found. The color of eggs is typically fmre white,
but occasional eggs in a set are Sfjotted with reddish brown at
larger end. T can recall to mind a full set of three eggs that
were all finely freckled, but this is of rare occurreruii.

The young have the adult plumage wh" i leaving the nest.

An average ncn-theni nest measures externally S inches
in depth by 4^ inches wide. The cup n<'st measures 2.', inches
in diameter by barely 1 J inches in depth. Externally it is
niiade of shoi't, small twigs, gi'ass. llower stems, I1o\v<m- jukIs and
heads, grass seeds, burrs, wool, and spiders' cocoons, the whole
of which are matted together with cob\v<'li. The cui* nest is
not lined, but the lower nest is snugly lined with grass, fur
and feathers. It is noticeable that liiglily colored feadiers
seem to be preferr-ed as lining.

These Tits often add a new nest to an old (»ne. hnl Iti I his
case no open nest is constructed, even should Hh' inevions c.ijt
nest be demolished by weather conditions and age. Ai Vallin-
gup. Western Austi-alia, members of the K. A. ().!'. (';iin|i(Mit
examined a wonderfnl rln'^t'^r of these nests; at least I'onr nests
had been added to the original.

MORCLL\—A Trip to Norih-Wcst Aasiraiia. 1U3

A Trip to Morth-West Australia.

—By A. M. .Aloi-au, 31.15., B.Ch.—

My wife and I k'l'l FreinaulU' on tlir nioi-niny oT -June oi'd,
10:21, on the s.s. .Mindei-oo. bound lor Doiby, in Uu' East Kini-
berley Distrit-t. The weatliei- was rougli and vainy, and
scarcely any birds were seen the tirst day out, but next morning
a few Mutton Birds, probably the Heshy-footed, were skimming
the waves about the ship, and in the distance numbers of a
small G]-ey-and-\\'hi1e Petrel, which, however, kept too far from
the ship to be identitied. On June 5th we landed at Carnar-
von, 487 miles north of Perth. The town is three miles from
the mile-long jetry, so we spent the time in looking for birds
in the sandhills. Very few were seen; a Silver-eye {Zosterops
gouldi), the Singing Honey-eater, and a Sericornis seemed to
be the only inhabitants. The extensive sand .and mud tlats were
also almost untenanted; a few Sea Curlews and Silver Gulls
only were seen. On June r»th the tirst flying fish were seen,
and on that day also we rounded the N.W. Cape, with the
wreck of the cattle steamer Mildnra standing up as though
at anchor. The Dampier archipelago begins at this cape, and
although many interesting looking islands were passed, the
only birds seen were a few Crested Tern in winter plumage.
Onslow was reached at night, so we saw nothing of the town
or country. On June 7th Point Sampson was reached. Here
a few Pelicans were seen on an island near the jetty. We
spent an hour or two walking about the rocky foreshore, again
nearly destitute of birds, the only (mes seen Iteing a })air of
Sooty Oyster-catchers and a fine pair of White-headed Ospreys,
which had their nest on a rocky pinnacle near the sea. The
rocks here are covered with beautiful oysters, but a» we had
nothing to get them off the rocks with we had to be content
with looking at them. Point Sampson is also famous for a
small, conical mollusc, with a tor<]uoise blue o])erculuni, much
in demand for necklaces, etc.

The next place of call was Point Hedland, -G2 miles dis-
tant. This is a tidal port, and we had to wait some time for
water enough to cross the bar. We had twelve hours here,
and spent the time in a walk round the town and along the
seashore. I'liJotis soiiora was very common here, feeding on the
bird flower, a leguminous jdant. with a greenish flower shaped
like a bird with half-raised wings. Under the stones on tln^
shore wer<' numbers of hermit crabs of a species new to me, and
in the sea there was a solifarv turtle, the oulv one seen on the

104 MORGAN— A Trip to y<ntli\V(sl Aih^iralia.

trip. The m;xt staj;e wjis t'l-om Port Bedlaiul to Broome. 202
miles. The whole of .lime 0th was sj^ent at sea with nothing
of interest to be seen. Jiroonu' was reached at 11 p.m., with a
hard bnmp on the jetty, i)art of which we carried away. liroome
is also a tidal port, and on getting n\) l)efore breakfast we
found our ship high and dry on the mud. We spent a few
hours ashore here, posting letters and making small purchases,
also keeping a h)ok-out for birds. Those we saw had a very
familiar apj^earance, such as the Pied Grallina, P>lack-faced
Woodswallow, and Black-faced ("nckoo-shrike. The inhabi
luuts of Broome arc a sarcastic coiunK'Ut on, the "White Anslra
lia'' policy; almost every colom- uiKh-r the sun is to be found
among them. Oui- last stage was from P»roomc tit Derby, 2 to
miles. Soon afU'i- leaving Broome a few Brown (Junnets
sailed past the ship, and soon afterwards we passed ft)r miles
through a shoal of large fish, which seemed to feed on some
small fry; the water for as far as one could see was broken at
intervals as they leapt from the surface. \\^e had to anchor otf
Cape Leveqne for some hours, waiting f«>r daylight before ent<'i--
ing King's Sound by the narrow and dangerous Ivsca]>e I'ass.
The scenery here is vei-y wild and rugged, but V(M-y desolate
looking from the sea. As we passed Sunday Ishmd five frigate
birds sailed majestically out and over the ship. \\> did not see
any Boatswain Birds, but Captain Courthope. of the Minderoo,
assured me that they were the white- tailed species, and that
he had caught one that came, aboard. This point is Morth fur-
ther investigation.

Derby was reached on the evening of .June Itlh. The
town is situated at the extremity of King's Sound, on the estu-
ary of the Filzroy Kiver, and is a tidal port, the maximum rise
and fall being 42 feel. From the sea the prospect is most
tininviting; first a belt (d' numgroves growing in soft mud and
then a dry mud fiat, knov.n as "The Marshes." about a mile
wide, crossed by a causeway for the train and cattle i-ace. The
town itself is pretty; the founders, witii mor{> foresight than
usual, have left the huge baobab trees in the streets, which
have been further imi)roved by ])lanting Poincinuv c.rrcJ>)is. At
Derby we spent three days, waiting for transport, at one of the
hotels, of which the le;ist .said the better. The first day was
spent in a ramble through the scrub, locally called "pindau."
at the back of the town. Birds were numerous, the most con-
spicuous Ijeing the Sordid Friar Bird i !*hileiii(>n sordklus),
whose j>eculiar, not unpleasant, notes were to be heaid from
morning till night. I believe this bird has be'cn united with
Philemon citrcotjiihiris, l)ut T think it is at least entitled to sub-

MORGAX—A Trip to y<>rth-Wcst Australia. lO:

speriflc rank. Another l)ird i-enuvi-kable for its bean Mini song
is the Black-throated Bntcher Bird {Cracticiis niyrigiilari.s, siih-
sp. picatus). This bird is quite common, even in tlie town-
ship; its tuneful notes are to be heard all day. but more com-
monly in the mornings and evenings. In the red-flowered Bohe-
mia trees, j)robably a corru])tion of hauhiiiia. were flocks of
Yellow-tinted Honey-eaters (McJiphaga fforesceiifi \, Black-
faced Woodswalknvs, and IMed Caterpillar-eaters. The two
latter birds seemed to have, become almost entirely honey-
eaters; a specimen of each, shot for museuTii ])nrposes, had the
forehead bright yellow from the pollen of the flowers. All
the cater])illar bird.s were in winter plumage, evidently being
here in their winter quarters. Small families of Babblers
( Potnatostoiniif^ nihcciiJiis) were noisily playing about in the
undergrowth. Brown Flycatchers (Microeca assiiuilis) were
singing in the scrub, and every now and then a "Kimberley
Kookaburra" iDavclo leaclii) would glide past, while overhead
small flocks of Red-winged Parrots {Ptistes crijthropterus)
passed or settled in a fresh feeding tree. On the telegraph
wires were occasional Red-backed Kingfishers and any number
of Gala'hs, and now and again, a Great Bower Bird (Chlamydera
niicJialis) would fly across the street from one garden to
another, and as evening came on a large flock of Bee-eaters
came into the town and .settled in the trees for the night.

On June 9th Mr. H. Monger, took us crabbing at the end of
the jetty. I cannot say too much of the kindness and help-
fulness of this gentleman, Avithout whose aid we would have
been like lost sheep. The tide was going out when we arrived
at the jetty, and the bare jnud was covered with walking fish,
small, slim fish from foui- to eight inches long, which crawl
about on the wet mud and hop when they are in a hurry, and
sometimes make short leaps into the air after flies. Here and
ther-e bright scarlet sj)ots showed up vividly ; these were scarlet-
and-black fighting crabs, which scurried into their holes at the
least alarm. Tlie walking fisb were, very inquisitive, and if
a piece of stick be thrown into the mud they will hop up and
form an admiring circle around it.

The mangroves near the jetty are snmll and thickly .set, the
mud is also soft and deep, and a crocodile track near the jetty
not being very reas.suring, I did not go into them. From the jetty
we saw the ^fnngrove Thickhead (Pacht/ccpJiala lanioidvs) .
a Fantail (Rliipidiira suhphastami), the Chestnut bellied Rail
(Eulahcornis cui^tanrovGntris), a INTangrove Bittern (Buto-
ridrs striata) y and an unidentified Grriif/on<\ Sacred King-
fishers along the edge of the mangroves were taking their toll

IOC. UOKGA\—A Trip to yorth-West Australia.

of the walking fish; a fine Sumatran Heron flapped lazily over
the jetty, and in the shallow creeks behind the hushes a few
large White Egrets were fishing. Many large crabs were
caught, as well as a number of large milk-whire prawns, botli
excellent foi- the pot.

On June loth Mr. G. .Millard, the manager of Meda Station,
30 miles east of Derby, kindly sent in a buckl)oard to take us
out to the station. The first part of the road is over the dry
marshes, where there is nothing of interest except an occa-
sional pipit. The road then runs through the "pindau," in
which bii-ds swarm. Black Cockatoos {Calijptorhijnchus
iKiiiksii ). (Jalahs, ("rimsou-winged Parrots, Black-throated
Butcher Birds, Sordid Friar Birds, Little Wood-swallows
(Aiia)iius minor). Black-headed Diamond Birds {Pardalotus
Hiclanocephdhis), and Cockatoo Parrots were seen in numbers.
At a watering place about half-way to the station rhere were
numbers of Long-tailed Finches (Pocphila actiticuttda ) and
Chestnut-eared Finches {Tdciiiopi/i/iii caatoHotus). In th"
pindau we also saw, for the first time, the huge white aut
heaps, of a reddish or gre.y-brown colour, and reaching a height
of as much as 12 feet. Near the station the road goes through
the open grass country — great, beautifully-grassed plains, the
grass being nearly dry at the time of our visit, as it was the
middle of the dry season, f(n- although the rainfall of the
district is from 25 to 30 inches, it all falls in the summer
months. On these grass plains are numbers of Native Com-
panions { Antigone rnhicundo) \ we never went for a drive
without seeing several pairs. They are fortunately not inter-
fered M'ith, and are in consequence very tame; not so the Wild
Turkeys { h'upoflotis ((Hsfrnli.s) which, though }>lentiful enough,
always rose well out of range of , the buggy. Meda Station is
a fine, comfortable homestead, built on a sandstone ridge to
be out of the reach of .floods; within a few hundred yards is
a fine, dee}) billabong, on which were feeding Wliite-ne;ked
Herons, White Egrets, and White and Straw-necked Ibis. The
gum-trees surrounding the billabong were the home of a big
flock of Bare-eyed C(»ckatoos. In the bushes near the water I
found a playground of the (Jreat Bower Bird. We found three
of these playgrounds; two of them were (•omi)letely .irched
over, and the third, jirobably a new one, was slightly ojjen at the
top. One which was measured Avas 43 cm. in height, 4:7 cm. in
length, and 44 cm. broad; almost a cube. The total length of
the bower with the platform was 130 cm. This platfo-rm is
built entirely of dull white objects, such as stones, bones, shells,
etc., at each end; on one side were pieces of dull green glass.

310RGAX—A Trip to Xorth-West Australia. 107

and on the other lumps of charcoal. These wei-e kept quite
distinct and the colours were never mixed. There were no other
colours, although the birds could have obtainei glass and other
objects of almost any colour from the station yards. Nor
were thei"© any glistening objects, though such were easily
obtainable ; even the pieces of glass were worn and lustreless.
and in each of the bowers examined it was of exactly the same
shade of green. The following collection of articles was found
in one of the bowers — (1) Rones, ('2) clear glass, (.'>) while
shells, (4) white stones, (5) leaden bottle capsules, ( t; i gal-
vanised nails, (7) tea lead, (8i green glass, (!)) charcoal.
All the ibowers were built among low, dark green bushes, with
a small green berry-like fruit, known locally as "kunkleberry
bush." More than one pair of birds nse each bower; on two
occasions I saw three birds at one of them, but never more than
that. When at the bower the birds make only a low, growling
sort of noise. I did not hear them do any mimicking, but
once at Derby, whilst sitting on a verandah, two birds came
into a shadehouse close by and gave a very fair imitation of
the Pied (Ji-allina and the Black-faced Grancuhis. These birds
were very plentiful about Meda homestead and very tame, com-
ing right on to the verandah after scraps. They are frugiferous
and consequently not welcome visitors to the gardens; they are
particularly fond of tomatoes. The stomach of one bird col-
lected contained only triturated vegetable mattei-. They are
much more numerous about the stations and stockyards than
in the open bush, perhaps on account of the ])ieces of glass
being more available there. Some of the pieces of glass are
of quite large sijce, one i»iece weighing 20 grammes.

Crows are very scarce in this district, their place as sca-
vengers being taken by the Allied Kites {MUcks migrans), a
flock of 100 or moi-e of which birds were constantly hovering
over Meda Station; with them were a few Whistling Eagles
(Ealiastur spheniiriis\. No Wedge-tailed Eagles or Magpies
were seen throughout the trip; the former are said to be very
rare and the latter are unknown. There is a great variation
in the colour of the Allied Kites, some being as light as Whist-
ling Eagles and others on the wing looked quite black. Other
Hawks seen during the trip were Kestrels, Grey Falcons, and
Goshawks {Astiir iioraehollandiae) and Brown Hawks (Hiera-
cidea herigora) , -.xW very dark in colour; I did not see any
striped birds.

On June l<Sth Mr. Millard got some of the blanks to make
spear-heads for us; two of them were made of stone, but nowa-
days bottle glass is moi'e commonly used, being easier to Avork.

108 MORaAN—A Trip to North-West Australia.

Also in f'oiiiuM' (lays they were shaped with a {»iece of kangaroo
lK)ne or hard wood, but no"\v a piece of fencing wire is used. In
the afternoon we went in search of native skeletons, which
were said to be in some large hollow baobab ti-ees. ^Ye found
two, and a[>propriated the skulls for the Adelaide University.
On the IDth we had an exhibition of spear and boomerang
throwing by the blacks; the boomerang throwing was very poor
(apparently this tribe did not use this Aveapou). but the spear
throwing was good.

About a mile from the station is the Lennard River, at the
time of our visit, a series of long, deep reaches, connected by a
small stream of running water. In flood time it is a huge
stream, sometimes vSpreading miles from its hanks. The pools
are said to lie occupied by crocodiles, but we had not the good
fortune to see any. but it was pointed out to me that there
were no water birds on the deep pools, they having long since
found out the danger of these reptiles. The river flats are
mor-e heavily timbered than the higher country ; many of the
trees were quite new to me. but eucalyptus predominates here
as elsew^hei-e. A species of paper bark (Melaleuca sp-) here
grows to a height of 40 feet or more. Birds aie very numerous
the most conspicnons being the White-gaped Honey-eiiter
{Meliphaga anicolor). Small flocks were always in evidence,
fighting and chattering among the trees of the river bank.
Another common Honey-eater was the Yellow-tinted {Meli-
phaga florescens), very similar in its habits to our common
"(Jreenie'' (Ptilottila peniciUatd ). 1 saw a pair of these
birds busily removing a nest from one tree and rebuilding it in
another, just as our "Greenie'' d(X3S. This and the Black-headed
Diamond Bird were the only ones we saw showing any signs of
breeding. Other Honey -eaters were the White-throated {Meli-
tJirepttis albof/nlaris) , the White-breasted Honey -eater {Glici-
philn faficiatus). and the Least Honey -eater i ^tif/niatopy iudis-
tlncta). Fly-catchers were not at all common; a few Leaden
Flycatchers (Microera assintilift) , and the Wagtail ( Leucocirca
irlcolor). These last were seldom seen about the station, per-
haps because the blacks dislike them, and kill them whenever
they get a chance. They say they listen about the camps and tell
secrets to the policeman. This superstition seems to be widely
spread throughout Western Australia, as a friend iiiforn)ed
me that in the early days of Coolgardie the blacks there believed
the same thing. On June 21 Mr. Millard got his fishing net out.
and set the blacks to drag the billabong. The.se billabongs
abound in fish and freshwater praAvn, the latter of enormous
size. The largest one I s'aw caught measured IS inches in

MORGAN— A 7'rip to Xorlh-West Australia. 109

leuglh aud weighed niue ouuce.s. They also caught a number
of tish locallx known as "mud cod," which were excellent for
the table. On June 23rd Mr. Chalmers, the manager of Kim-
berley Downs Station, kindly sent over for us, and we left for
that station, situated 30 miles east of Meda. On the road we
came across the Black-tailed Treecreei>er (('liiiKK-trris tncla-
iiuru), a bird very similar in habits and notes to oiir Brown
Treecreei)er. They are uncommon, only three birds being seen
during the trip. The only other Treecreeper seen was the
^^'hite-wing•ed Treerunner {Neofiifta Jcucoptcra i, which seems to
me to be a very distinct species. At Kimberley Downs is the
only hill we saw in the district. It is called Mt. Marmion,
and is only about 3(30 feet high. I climbed to the top and
found there a large ilock of Little Wood-swallows \Artamus
minor) in possession of one of the precipitous sides. We
spent most of our time at Kimberley Downs on the banks ol
the Lennard River, collectii>g birds and insects. Near the
river is a fine swamp, feeding upon which were hundreds ot
Magpie Geese (Ansd'anus semipahnatus \, besides Egrets,
Spoonbills, Ibises, and White-necked Herons. On another
smaller swamp T had the good fortune to see .. tine P'air of
Jabirus ( Xcnorhijnrhus asiaticus). I had a line view of them
from about 100 yards distance, and was so absorbed in ^^atch-
ing them Avith the field-glasses as they hunted frogs in the
shallow water that I quite forgot to take a ph(»to. of them.
Tliey aie not connuon on the Tx^nivard River. ])Ut 1 was told
are mucli more s<> on the Fltzroy. In s]»ite of their rather awk-
ward a])pearance they are nimble enough in the water, and
wrought great havoc amongst the frogs whilst 1 was watching
tlK'iii. On the grass tlats the l^ittle Orass ^^'arbler iCisticohi
c.vilis) is Ncry common. They rose like lion buttertlies on
either side of the track as we drove along, but we saw nothing
of the Grass Riids { McrjahiiKS) or of the Reed A\'arbler (Arro-
ccphaliis). On the creek near Kimberley Do\\us homestead
were some large i)ools. the trees about them being, as usual, in
possession of a huge flock of Bare-eyed Cockatoos, which regu-
lai-ly at 5.4.") a.m. ea<-h morning flew screaming over the home-
stead on their way to their feeding gi-ounds on the plains.
There was also a good-sized Hock of Xaidveen Herons (Xijcti-
corax calcdoiiiciis) at this ]iool and a few Darters (Aiihiiic/ii
norac-hollaiKliar). all of them with wliite breasts. Tender the
verandah of the homestead were the remains of some Fairy
^lartins' i fjif/mophisfrs ariel) nests, but we saw none of the
hirds. Swallows generally were quite rare. A few pairs ol'
Tr(H' Swallows { Jfj/loc1irlido)i iii(/ri<-(iiis) and a j»air of Welcome
Swallows (Hiru)ido iieoxcna) about the Derby jelty were all

110 CHENERY—Xotcs on Birds.

we saw tln-ouiihour the li-ip. Cuckoos also were nncominon —
in fact, the only one seen was an hnniatuve bird the sj>ecies
of which I could not determine — but T was told that both the
Channel Bill {t^cythrop!^ novtic-holhiiidUic) and the Keel
{Eudijnann/fi orieiitalis) visit Ihc district duriufi, the rainy
season. They are known here as elsewhere iu Australia as the
Biii and Little Storm Bird.

Notes on Birds seen durini^ a Recent Visit to the
Western Darling, N.S.W.

— By A. CiiKNKiiv. —

After j(tiiiiuii' '^r. .Mac;Lii]li\ lay and liis son Ian
on August 12th at Broken ilill. our party left
that town next day on the tirst statue to Mil])a-
rinka. We travelled in a Ford with light lorry body.
Mr. and Mrs. \^'. E. Heywood, of Broken Hill, were also of
the party, and used their own Dodge car. Their intentio'D w^as
to spend a holiday in the back country and to traverse portion
of the route covered by C'apt. Sturt in his expedition into the
interior in 1S44-45.

Our lime was therefore more given up to covering country
than to systematic ornithology, and the bird life met with pro-
bably did not inelude all the species that are to be found during
a good season such as the present one has been iu this portion
of our State.

The tirst stage to Fowler's (lap ( T."! miles) was completed
by sundown and, while having tea by a gum creek, many Bai-e-
eyed Cockatoos and (ialahs were flushed from nesting hollows.
Everywhere along the road, which for part of the way winds
through the Barrier Range and then over open tablelands, her-
bage and wild Howers were abundant. In the vicinity of
Broken Hill at this time the Sturt Pea was in flower, and the
sight of an acre or more covered with the brilliant crimson and
black bh)oms of this i>lant was one which will not readily be
forgotten. Ringneck Parrots were also found at their hollows,
and Bennett's Crows were circling amongst the mulga timber
on the hillsides. This biid apj)ears to have quite a fondness
for doing aerial gymnastics, and was often noted during the
trip in gatherings of perhajis thirty to fifty birds all iu the air
together, flying around ai»i)areutly aimlessly. A single Black
Falcon was also identitii'd not fai- Croin Fowler's <!ap.

CHENERY— Notes on Birds. Ill

An early start ou the inorniug of the 14th eual)k'd us to
reach our destination for that day — Mount ^?turt homestead,
about IG miles west of Mitparinlca. While having- breakfast
on the road, after leaving Fowler's <Jap, the first Crested
Wedgebills were heard singing. Bennett's Crows' nests were
seen between Cobham Lake and Milparinka, but those examined
were empty of eggs or young. After spending the night at
Mount Sturt. where we received the usual open-handed hospi-
tality from Mr. Arthur Bartlett and his family, we left for
Yandanna Station, which is owned by Sir S. Kidman and is
stocked with cattle. There is little doubt in my mind that
since this owner acquired so many of these West Darling runs
and stocked them with cattle in place of the sheep, the natural
herbage, especially saltbush, has revived to a marked extent,
and the country, at any rate in a good season, has lost the
barren asj)ect so often to be noticed where sheep are heavily
stocked. Two miles from Mt. Sturt h(uuestead. on open stony
tableland, we saw our tirst Australian Dottrell. It was only
a single bird, and we failed to Hush its mate, if it possessed
one. Later on we came on a family of five birds, evidently
parents and fledged young. AVhile making a short examination
.of a grove of gidgsa some miles further on many Bennett's
Crows' nests were seen and one set of six fresh eggs olitained.
A Treecreejiei' — which 1 believe was the ordinary brown
variety — was seen here, and Acanthhu uropjjfjialiH was found
nesting in its favourite situation — ^^between a loose j)iece of
bark and the trunk of the tree. This nest contained three eggs.
Numerous Zebra Finches were nesting, and eggs were in most
of the nests. A solitary — as they usually a^jpear to be — Little
Eagle was also noted, but no eggs were found, although one
nest was found prepared for eggs. There are generally a few
green gum leaves in the nests of both this species and those
of the Whistling Eagle. The Kite appears to prefer dried
cow manure, or some material which closely resembles it, for
a linina". In a needlewood, out in more open country, a second
set of six fresh Bennett's Crows' eggs were obtained. One may
as well remark here that this time, mid-August, appears to be
the laying time for these birds, and I am not exaggerating
when. I say that one could have filled a large billy-can with their
eggs during the three weeks we travelled round and then have
had some to sj»are. The same remarks a])ply to the nesting of
the Bare-eyed Cockatoo and the Galah. A solitary Little
Falcon was aeen hawking out on the tablelands, but where its
home was situated remains a mystery, as no second bird was
seen along the nearest creek, when we reached it, nor yet in the
OidA'ea,

112 CHEMJJx'Y— Notes on Birds.

After rnnnini' down n likoly l()(»kiTi*>' gTim creek for two or
thi-ee miles after leaving the high ground, we ciime to Yaudama
homestead, where Mr. and Mrs. Win ton made ns welcome. At
our late luncheon fresh tomatoes were on the bill of fare,
although this was only August. Mr. Wintou informed us that
they had them practically all the year. A fine excavated tank
of water supi)lies the garden and hou.sehold requirements.
Many fruit trees were lost in the recent drought of 1019-1920,
and white ants are a pest hard to combat when they take to
the roots, as they do very often in these latitudes. During a
walk with Dr. Macgillivray along the Yandama Creek after
dinner we flushed a Goshawk from an old engine shed. An
outcrop of rock here had evidently been used by the original
owners as a source from which to obtain their nuclei for
chipi)ing the flakes one j)icks up so often in the Darling country.
An old aboriginal named Joe, of whom more anon, told me that
this stone outcrop was Yandama in his tribe's lingo.

During our evening's discussion the further i-oute was now
decided upon. A bkickboy (aged about tin!) was to be our
guide and companion. The road to Callabonna Lake was pro-
nounced {jossible for car traffic, and the question of petrol
supply for the return journey ai-ranged with the kind assis-
tance of our host, Mr. Winton. He also told us that we could
get to Fort Grey in the Nor'- West corner, where there was a
lake that still held some water, should we decide to go there
on oui- return from Callabonna. Next morning, after loading
up the cars with some additional food for ourselves and the
engines and duly collecting our guide, we set out for Tilcha Out-
station, some 50 miles v.'est. Our guide — "'Sit-down Jimmy" —
was, we discovered, well-named and did his best to live up to
it. Even the opening of the infrequent gates ai)peared to be
almost too great a strain on his energy. At Yandama we
came into the kite country again, and nunrbers of these birds
were constantly to be seen hovering round. Their nests were
also not uncommon, but none were examined. The country
traversed now cliaiiged from stony tableland to sandy ridges,
covered with mulga and other species of the acacia family.
There was nothing of interest seen during the early part of
the journey, and we pa.ssed through a substantial wire-netted
vermin-proof fence into South Australia at a distance of some
37 miles from the homestead. 1 omitted to mention that there
is a. blacks' c^amp a couple of miles from Yandama. which was
visited 1)y some of onr party while Dr. Macgillivray and myself
explored the creek. Amongst the residents wa-^ an immigrant
ladv, Avho hailed fi-om Tx)ndon town — not the AAcst end - who is

Ctl ENER Y - Noiea on Birds. 1 1 3

married to a full-blooded aboi-ininnl named Witcliitie. Tbi.s
lady, I was told, did not appear to feel her position as an out-
cast in a blacks' camp, and referred to Iier husband as "Mr.
Foi^bes." There were also Wo copper-coloured young Forbes
as the result of the experiment. The diet of carpet snal^e,
lizard and rabbit, with an ocasiomil kangarw) or dingo pup as
a tit-bit. ay>]ieared to agree with fhe lady.

So much for this digression, but t.h<^ ca.se appeared to me
wortJiy of comment.

Slionly after }»assing into South Australia a \\'('<lg(^-taile(l
Eagle was flushed froni her nest in a low swamp gum-tree on
the right of the track. On climbing a limb on the far side one
could look doAvn on to the nest and two fine eggs were visible
but all one's eft'orts to climb over the edge of the nest from
below or to cross over to it from another limb proved futile.
and without a rope we were compelled to give it uj). A littie
later we reached Tilcha (Jut-station, near a creek of the same
name, and here we were provided with a late luncheon by ]Mr.
and 3Irs. -lackson. After a chat with the men we left on the
last stage of onr journey for Tilcha bore, 2b miles on, and
thence to Callabouna hut. The country around Tilcha is
more open again, but some sandy patches were met with I)efore
reaching the bore.

There was ])ractically no bird life of interest seen on the
way, although the country was in good heart everywhere —
shrubs in bloom and wild (lowers in abundance.

Tilcha bore water is hot and, after rising a foot above the
pipe discharges into the creek, which it kee])s i-unning foi- some
twenty miles through sandy country, and by this fact one can
realise that the tiow must be of considerable volume. The
trees in the immediate neighbourhood of the hot water ai-e dead,
but lower down, when the water has cooled, and by so doing
his deposited some of its ''salts in solution." the trees and
vegetation on its banks seem to thrive and the stock drink ir
freely. On humans, until they get nsed to it, it acts as most
mineralised wafers do, and has a tendency to reduce corpu-
lence. On crossing from one side of this creek to the othei',
while following an alleged track, one of the cars — the Dodge —
became bogged, and by the time we had it out of difficulties it
was time to canijj. The sandhills in this i^egion run in a generai
dii-ection east and west — the prevailing winds being nortli arid
south — and our road fortunately was almost due west. If it
had not been for this fact no car could have negotiatt'd the
sandhills, which were as steep as the side of a house and
threatened to obliterate the creek in places. Timber — mostiv

lU CHEiVEEY^r^oteson liirds.

needlc-wood and iiinl<;a — Blno-botiiH'ts, (ialahs. I>are-e.yed
Cockatoos, W'ai'blin*;- Grass Parakeets. Kites, Whistling
Eagles, and Bennett's Crows were jtlentifnl here, and Owlet
Mglitjars were heard during th* evening. In the nunning a
fine Black Falcon flew np the «-reek and a Little lOagh- was
seen. As we intended woi'king this ereek inor<> thoroughly on
our return, no time was s])ent on the outward journe\, and we
were soon on our way to Callabonna Our station. Tlii^ was
reached over a bad road at 2 p.m. The ereek runs out uiio
marshy land some eight miles before reaching the iioinesteaJ.
which is quite neai- the shores of the L.Ike. After a chat with
Mr. Bill Hayes, who is in charge, and a consultation in which
Bou'lka Fred, another smiling old fraud of a blackboy, and Sit-
down .rimmy took ]>art, we set off to search for the site of the
fossil remains situate somewhei-e on the lOo-mile cipcun^ference
of this Lake. I believe that this measurement is an exagge-
ration, but I am repeating it {Ls a, sample of the inforuiatioii
supplied locally, which is more than half hearsay.

It must be quite twenty years ago that the late ^Ir. Zietz
and party established a cani]» at this fossil dejxjsil, and on
behalf of the South Australian Museum obtained the r«Mnains
of the Diprotodon, a coauplete skeleton of which in the Museum
at present is a standing meuKu-ial to the patience and skill of
Mr. TiWt'A. The local aboriginals informed us that they knew
where this camp had been. Mr. Hayes could not give us any
definite information on the subject. He. however, .^tartsd
Boulka Fred and another ancient off in a buckboard and we
followed. There was no road, and the surface over wiiich we
had to ti'avel was typical of this wind-swept (tesert sali lake
country. Howeve", we managed to get some eighf^^ miles along
the lake to a ismall watercourse opposite an island out in the
lake, and there Ave decided to camp, still a good mile from the
margin of the lake pro])er — a glistening ex]tanse of salt.

Notes by the late Dr. Angove, Tea-Tree Gully, S.A.

—By J. Neu, McGir.i'.—

When taking delivery of the egg collection of the late Dr.
Angove, generously donated to the S.A. Oi-uithologlcal Associa-
tion by Mrs. Angove. jun., a few Tiotes taken by the late Dr.
Angove were found.

Thinking that these are worthy of piihiieation, the writer
takes the lihertv of ivwriting them.

McGTLP — Notes hy the (at'- Dr. Arigove. 115

Ac(iiif}ii:(i luiiKi (Litrlr Tit-W'nihlcr) — S'liot our al Blui-U
Hill. Rhine V^illa, October, ino.'. in a piue tree, also one on
September I'lifl, 19UG, at Mannum, at back of township. ()u
Octobei- 2n(l. 1!)(»7. E. Angove took nest and eggs about half a
mile back from Mannnm ; nest abont 12 feet from ground in a
mallee, much the same character as A. lincata — four inches long,
2^ X 2|, neatly and compactly made of fine grass, flower heads,
wool, spiders' webs, and lined with feathers. The eggs, two
in num'ber. slightly incubated, much like .1. llncdta, but slightly
smaller and rounder compai-ed with clutch taken at IVatree
Gully. Zone is well marked, but there the markings in most
of the eggs are much more distinct and numerous. ThivS bird
is very fond of pine trees, and is everywhere fonnd on the pine-
studded flats near Mannum.

Acanthiza pusilla (Brown Tit- Warbler) — Found com-
monly in samphire country on Torrens Island, where they nest
low down in the samphire bushes a foot or so from ground, and
the nest is rather difiScult to find. At Pt. Gawler, St. Kild;r, and
LeFevre's Peninsula also we have found th&m in same position.
They are early bi-eeders, nests being found in August.

MiizoincJu nitjrd ( P.iack tloney -eater ) — F. Hall obtained
the nest and eg-gs of this bird at Teatree Gully. October. 1009.
This is the only I'ecord of its nesting here for .some years.

GlycipMla albifrons (White-fronted Honey -eater)— This
bird is fairly numerous at Buckleys, near the Stone Wall,
Mannum. The bird nests low down on the top of a stump of
mallee cut off and just sprouting again, or in a low bush; we
took one set of two egg's at end of October,. 1007.

Alcjjone aziirea (Azure Kingfisher) — Just below Gumera-
cha Bridge and between the fords obtained a fine clutch on
November 4th, lOOG. The nest was in a bank alongside of a
dee|) [)Ool ; the tunnel was abont IS inches deep and about two
feet above water level, the soil being quite damp. The enlarged
chamber at end of tunnel, in which were the «gg"S, was a good
size, and the eggs, six in num'ber and fresh, w^ere lying on
pow^dered-up crayfish shells.

Oacomantis ftabellifonnis (Fantailed Cuckoo).
Sej)tember 2nd, 1907 — Numerous in scruT) at Rhine Villa.
April 2nd, 1909 — Seen at Highercombe.
October lOlh, 10(10 — Numerous at Wandilla Camp, Eyre's

Peninsula. Obtained mature and immature specimens.

Have not yet o.btained or heard of an egg of this Gnckoo
being found in South Australia.

i 1(> McGILV—Notes by ihe late Dr. Anpove.

Cinclosotiia custdnoiiotuni (Chestnut- backed Ground
Thi-uslij— September L'nd. 1907. Observed a good many paim
of this species in scrub about Rhine Villa, and obtained two
male specimens and found what we took to be a half-built
nest; it was a freshly duj; hole under a small bush, with a few
leaves as a commencement. They are numerous in thi.s part of
the scrub.

C'mclosoinn punctatum (Spotted Ground Thrush j— This
bird is fairly numerous through the Mt. Lofty Hills District.
Have taken ej>gs at Teatree Gullv and Chain of I*onds. A set
taken 30/11/1907 at Teatree (Tul'ly measured 1.3 x .98, 1.3 x .92,
of a rich stone coloi-, both <'.Ui;s ]iavin<>- very marked zone at
lar^e end, the spots being on and around the zone; small
blotclK's.

Cisticola exilis (Grass JS^'arbler) — Found the bird Urst at
Baker's Lagoon, near >\Iannum. and again in October, 1907, on
the swamp just above Mannum. [ also found the nest, which
was placed in some rushes about nine inches above giound. It
was partly built of spiders" webs and green leaves, domed, with
well-defined side entrance. We. unfoitunately, shot the bird
before finding the nest, and on looking at the nest again a fort-
night later it had been deserted. There seemed to be a good few
of these birds about.

Xcophcuia p'tiopJiiJd { liiH-k Parrot )— 10/10/190!), Kellidie
Bay, Coffin's Bay, Eyre's F'eninsula. Found this bird fairly
numerous near the water, and it was nesting on Goat Island.
Goat Island is of limestone formation, with a surface of shallow
soil covered with grass and scrubby stuff. There is an abrupt
cliff about six or eight feet all round the island, and the face is
weather worn and bioken. The 'birds were nesting in the hol-
lows and, holes in the cliffs and also on the surface, dee]) under
the scrubby brushes, and in the crevices of some heaps of rock
in the centre of the island, which is about 100 yards in length
by 50 yards in breadth. The full clurch seemed to be four egg = ",
nests were found with from one to four eggs or young. The
eggs rested on bare ground, and were of the usual i)arrot sha{)e.
and white color, and measured .9 x .7H incluis in average. Most
of fh^i rests coritain-pd young.

Tiichoqlo.'^sns iiora('-h()1J<nHli(ic (Blue ^lountain Parrot', —
Warunda Camp, Eyre's reninsula. 10/10/1900. This bird
was very numerous and was nesting freely in the s|)outs of the
sugar gums in the Forest Reserve, but were difficult to get at,
as they choose mostly end spouts of dead limbs, which wer-e too
rotten to take many risks with. The Purple-crowned Lorikeet
was also nesting in a small colony in sugar gums near the camp.

McGILF — Notes hy ike late Dr. Angove. 117

Colltjriocincki yupventrifi i Kutons-vented Shrike Tlu.jslj)
— Wamiula Caiii]). Eyre's reiiiiisnla, lO/lO/llX)!). This bird is
very numerous both at the oaiu}) and at Cotlin's l>ay and the
Marble Ranges, at each of which locality I obtained specimens.
The song of this bird and that of Harmonic Shrike Thrush are
not the same, though very much alike and the difference dilllicult
to explain, but to (uie accustomed to the latter bird the diffe-
rence is distinct.

Entomophllu Icncomclas ( I'ied Honey -eater i — December,

1909. Clutch of two eggs taken at Stone Wall near ^lani'um;
nest composed of grasses with a feather or two, and placed
in a low bush. The eggs measured A)- x .05 in., ami wove
elongated oval and. if anything, slightly constricted towards
smaller end, ground color yellowish white, ,with sub-color mark-
ings very d'stinct. The season lias been peculiar in V.vai birds
like Ephthianura tricolor, Hah-ijoii ])i/ropliijgi(i. and this species
were found nesting at ^lannuni. whereas in usual years none
of these T>nt in an appearance.

Xijcticorar calcdonlcufi (Night Heron i — February 1st,

1910. At Teatree Swamps at back of Loveday Bay, near the
Coorong, this bird was nesting. The young were almost ready
to fly, so that l)ecembe'r would be about the proper time to
secui-e eggs. There was a big colony of them nesting (piite
low down in the teatrees in the s^^■amp.

Eopfifiltria (/iihn-is (Grey-breasted Siiriki- Kobiii i —
Warunda Camjj, Eyre's I'eninsula, 10/10/19(19. We

found this species fairly common at foot of the
Marble Range. A nest was placed on a horizontal
limb of a sugar gum, in a fork about fifteen feet
from the ground. Externally it was comjiosed of grasses
held together with cobweb and lined with dead leaves of native
broom. It was loosely built, and outside of nest are some pen-
dant pieces of bark hung on by cobweb. The nest is two inches
in diameter inside and If in. in depth. There are no

feathers used in the nest. The clutch was two eggs, one of
which was incubated. They are light olive green in color, faintly
speckled at larger end with small ])inkish brown sivots. and
measured .85 in length by .05 in breadth.

^ittella chrysoptera (Orange-winged Tree-runner (—Octo-
ber. 1887. Not uncommon in district (Teatree Gully) ; flies in
mobs, iis very restless, not remaining long in one tree, has a
short, jerky flight, twittering Avhilst flying. P.uilds a beautiful
nest in the fork of a sheoak. Nest is about two inches in dia-
mete:'. cup-shaped, and rather dee]). It is made of hair, fur,
and feathers, matted with cobwebs and fluff from some of the

118 McGlLt — Notes by the late Dr. Angove.

native plants. The outside of nest is covered with little, nar-
row strips of bark, set on perpendicularly, with bits 3f lichen
stuck on here and there with some resinous substance. The
eggs are three to the clutch, and have the small end very
rounded; a greenish ground color blotched with faint black all
over, with another layer of much deeper black blotches all over,
but principally towards the larger end. Nests are usually
found from October to November.

Melithreptufi luniilatus (Black-Capped Honey-eater) —
August 16th, 1888. The nest was about six feet from ground,
suspended by the edges in the leafy part of an overhanging
gum branch. It was cup-shaped, two inches across by If in.
deep, closely made of fine inner bark, drj^ grasses, and some
cobwebs with no lining. The eggs, two in number, were flesh
colored, spotted with light and dark reddish brown, especially
at the larger end, forming a fairly well defined ring. These
birds are numerous all over the district.

Bird Notes.

SEPTEMBER. 1021.
—By J. W. Mel lor.—

This month has pioved highly productive in bird life, as
many young have been hatched out by a number of species
about Lockleys.

On September 1st a pair (►f Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoos
were sitting in a white cedar tree, uttering their dreary notes
and apparently meaning "mischief." as two male Blue Wrens
were in a boxthorn bush beneath, and were greatly agitated
at the presence of the Cuckoos above. Probably the Wrens
had a nest close by upon which the female Wren was sitting.

The White-backed Magpies Iiave been more than usually
active in bringing up their young; one pair hatched out three
which left the nest on September 22, while another pair reared
another lot of three early in September, and a third brood left
the nest on September 19. At Fulham during the first week
in September two broods of three each came out of their nests.
On September 22 I noted a Saci'ed Kingfisher at Lockleys and
a pair of Pied Grallina were actively engaged in building their
nests. On September 24 I noted the first Song Lark (Cinclo-
ramphns cniralis cantatoris). It was a male, and nmde an
effort to sing, as it mounted up from the ground, but did not
pour forth any continuous strain.

Jiird Notes. 119

I)iirin<i' llie niontli Koveral Htiiped Diamond Birds iParda-
lotux f^triatiis siiJxifpiiis) were seen on vai-ions occasions. In
the middle of Sejitember a pair of AMiite-fi-onted Herons
{Notophoy.T novachollandiae) bronght np a brood of three
Toung ones in the nest in a red giira, and at times the young
came quite close to the house, uttering- their hoarse, discordant
notes.

The pair of Wli ire-plumed Honeyeaters (Ptilotis penicil-
7fl/f/'ir7//fp/ K whicli last year built on the stems of the leaves
of a heaven tree, have again built their nest in the same spot,
but the heaven trees (Ailanthiis gland ulosus) being deciduous
and not having leaves at present, the birds have betaken them-
selves to a geranium plant just below the tree, the nest being
now ready for laying in.

OCTOBER. lf)21.
—By J. W. Mellor.—

Numbers of young birds of various species have been about
Lockleys during the month. Several young Screech Owls came
every evening for a week to an old one on a lemon-scented pine.
They would fly round and then jierch in the opening of an old,
hollow limb, calling for food. On the 11th I picked up one
young owl dead, fully fledged and peculiarly covered with
whitish down attached to the end of the fully formed feathers,
especially on the back; this bird I presented to the Museum.

On Octnlier 4th and 12th several Red-rumped Grass Par-
rots (PscpJiotus hdrmdfoiiotiis) were noted calling in their
])leasing little way to each other.

On October 4th Woodswallows (Pseudartainii!^ cyanoptc-
riis) were seen nesting in the small gumtrees, and a few days
after they were feeding large young out of the nest.

NOVEMBER, 1921.
—By J. W. Mellor.—

Quite a number of birds have brought out their young dur-
ing the uHmth. Showery conditions, preceded and followed
by short spells of heat, were beneficial to various grasses and
plants supplying food for the grain-eaters, whilst swarms of
insects sui>plied food to, and were kept in check by, the insecti-
vorous birds.

On Novem'ber 1st I noted the White-plumed Honey-eater
(Ptilotis penicillata ivhitei) pulling its nest in a geranium bush
to pieces and carrying the material to the topmost branches of
a More ton Bav fig tree near by.

120 Bird Notes.

On Xovember 4th a Minah {Myzantha melanoceplmla
irhite'n was carrvinfi- material to the branches of a red p:nm, and
on closer examination the nest was found to be well advanced.
These birds bnild hii»h in the trees, and always on a .slender
bouj;'h quite out of i^ach from beneath. A i)eculiarity aboul
rhe birds T have noticed this season is that Avhen thev are build-
ins; or have a nest they fly in a stranj>e manner, with the head
thrust back on to the back and the throat arched out, giving
them a more dumj>y appearance. Several birds that flew in
this manner were followed and found to be nesting.

On JS'ovember 0th a nest of the Peaceful Dove (Geopelia
placida tyduquUla ) was noticed on a ^loreton I>ay fig tree.
It resembled that of the terns, that build in like situations.
Large young were in the nest, and the parent birds were near
by.

On November 15th a Sacred Kingfisher {Sanropatis saiicta)
calling in a tree in the garden.

On November ] 7th I heard a pair of Bee-eaters ( CoHmurropfi
oritatii.s} calling, and four days later saw the birds in a sandy
locality. It is not often that these birds are seen so near the
city.

On Novembei- 22nd saw Brown Flycatcher {Microcca fas-
ciiians), with hirge young out of nest flying about the garden^
catching Hies and moths amongst the fruit trees. These ure
truly useful little birds. During the month quite a number
of Wood Swallows ( rsciKhirtamus ci/anopfcriis) have nested
and brought out their young.

Delicate Owls and Moobook Owls have been calling every
night. Both birds have bred here this season in the hollows
in the gum trees.

W. K, Tlioni.i^ k Co.. Printers. .Adelaide.

^_ ^

^ W. K. Thoji'.'.siCo., \,

tM Printers, ff

I GrftnWl at., Adeloido. 'j

Vol. VI.

Part 6

THE

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN

ORNITHOLOGIST,

A Magazine of Ornithology.

1st APRIL. 1922.

lui

□

~

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:

F. M. ANGEL, R.A.O.U.
A. G. EDQUIST
S. A. WHITE, C.M.B.O.U.
F. R. ZIETZ, R.A.O.U.

Price, 2/.

THE

South Australian

ORNITHOLOGIST

Editoj iai

Covuiiitlcc :

F.
A.

s.

F.

M. Angel, R.A.O.U.

G. P\DOUIST

A. White. C.M.BO.U
R. ZiETz, R.A.O.U.

Secretary
J.

SUTTOX,

Fnllarton Road,

Mitchfim, S A

C O N T E N T S.

Page

The South Australian Ornithological Association 125

Order Psittaciformes, Family Cacatoidae, Genus Psephotus . . . . 129

A Trip to Xorth-West Australia (Part II.). A. M. Morgan,

M.B., B.Ch 131

A \'isit to the Raudin Rocks. A. .M. [Morgan, ^I.B., B.Ch 133

Xotes on Birds seen din-ing a Recent \'isit to the Western Darling,

X.S.W. (Part II. I. A. Chenery 134

Bird Xotes 138

The Editorial Committee accepts no responsibility for the
views or deductions expressed by any of its contributors.
Tlio Journal wolconics a free interchange of ideas with the
object of extendinii; the knowlod^o of our avifauna, but the
author of each article is res[)onsible f(jr the opinions and
deductions recorded.

THE

South Australian Ornithologist.

Vol. VI.] 1st JANUARY, 1922. [Part 6.

The South Australian Ornithological
Association.

MONTHLY PKOCEEDINGS.

— Meeting- held on Kitli December, 1!)lM. —

Professor J. B. (Meland in the chair. Miss H. Lilias
Sanderson, of Killingworth. Stranoways Terrace, Xoi-th
Adelaide, wa.s nominated for membership. Tlie matter of
holding rile Egg Collection in trust for the S.A. Musenni was
discussed, and it was (h'cided to let the matter stand over until
the next meeting. .Mr. -1. Sutton handed in an inleresling note
i-ecording a Fan-tailed ("uckoo being fed by iUue Wrens in the
National I'ark. The icmainder of the evening was taken up
in inspecting the (I'ggs of the late Dr. Angove's collection.

— ^Meetingbcld on 2Tth danuary. 1922. —

Mr. F. M. Angel in the chair. Miss H. l.ilias Sanderson,
who was nominated at iIk^ last meeting, was duly elected as a
memb'cr. A clutch pf eggs of the White-eyed Duck (Nyroca
<iii.stnilis\ taken at Moorara Lake, 100 miles niuMh of Went-
woith, X.S.W.. on 2()(h Septend)er, 1021. by Dr. A. (Mienery Avas
presented by him to the Association jter Dr. Morgan. The
Hon. Secretai-y was re(|i]ested lo iliank the donor. .Vfter
some int'ormal discussion a r<'soluiioii was t-ari-ied "That,
should the Association iK'conie (h'tunct, the egg collection
and cabinet shall be Jiamled over lo and Ix'couie ihe [)roperty
of the South Austialian Museum. "' Mr. A. M. Lea. who was
jn-esent by invitation, infornu'd the .meeting of the situation
with regard to the ])ublishing of bis i-esearches into the con
tents of birds' st(mtaclis. He li;is already details of sonu'
1.000/1,200 sKuiiachs. with :*.0(i 400 still to examine. The
{>articulars will run into ilOd KM) pages an<l the summaries
a fui^ther 100 ])ages of a publicaiiou the size of the "Ornitho-
logist." Tlie jmblication may he doiu' by the Hoard of

1-26

The Suufh An^tyaliiih Ornitholoyical A'iHOciuHc/ii..

( iovi'i'iioi-s of ihr .Miisciiiii. .Mr. Lm rc.-id some of his intlcs
and apjKMlcMl lo inciiilirrs ios(;ii(l liini iiiroriiial ion witli rej;a)'(]
lo •• siiakc ■■ and "hiiil"" •t'alinm birds. lie nuMuioned thai
alth()n<;h the W'liiic Vac [Zo-^lcfops IdlcniJis) Avas known to ln'
v(n-_v partial ^lo tira|)('s. in :!.S sionuudis examined lie had t'oini.l
onlv one roiilaininii' ^rape seeds. lie also sialed ihai lie liad
n(»'t yet seciii-ed I he s|onia(di of a \\'edi;(^-taile(! V.w^U' \l i-ixit I us
<iii(J<i.n. ("aplain While and .Mi-. K. Ashhy con.ural nhited .Mr.
Lea on his \\-ork', and I lie Cliairiiian also coimuenTed on the
\aliie (d' tile wdik and fell sure our nieiul)ers would only he
too jtleased lo help him witlnnoles. infoi'mation, and siomade;
of birds. i >i-. A. .M. iMorj^an exhibited a skin of the l>ijsti<'
i'drd \Sj)]i(inti-i( Itrtxidbciiii) taken at Kobe, S.A.. in December,
I'.tl'l. The skin was that of a yonnji' bird. Mr. F. K. Parsons
exhibited ihe nest of a |i>laek and White l-'anlail \ I'lnjudiira
Iciicoplii i/si built at the base of the middle |tron>: of a broken
i'hree-i)ron,ued fork. The broken fork was stack into the facia
board in a verandah ait Findon. and when .Mi-. ['arsons saw
the nesi tirst it contained three yonny ones, so he waited foi-
a fortni<iht for the vonnj^- to leave and then secnred the exhibit.
Mr. i^alwin Ashby showed skins of fonr ,l)irds taken by himself
r<'c(Mitly at Kilsylli, near .Monni I )aiidenoii<i. Victoria — one
of a \'ellow' Ivobin { /'Jojt-salf ria (iiistrdJis ) [ a male Rnfons-
hi^'asted Whistler { /'(iclij/rcp/Kild nifin'iil ris \ iwith this bird
he broiiiiht for coni|iarisoii a speciiiK'n of similar birds from
the Northern Tenitory. N'ictoria. Soiiih Austi'alia, and
AN'eslern .\iistralia, ;and tlu^v showed marked ditfei-ence in
colouration) ; an Olive-backed Oriole (.!//>>/ rfr.s- sagiltida) ; JUkI
a S(piare-tail<'d Cuckoo {(Uico)iifnitisi pi/rrophdiiiix ) . ^Ir. Ashby
pointed out that this last-named bird was vvvy iik(^ a Fan-tailed
('uckoo (('(icoiiKiiil is jldhclJlfontiix] . but its call was more
like that <d' the Pallid (hickoo {Cnciiliis pdJIidiis). but ran
down, the scale, iwhereas the lal! of Ihe Pallid Cuckoo lains
iij» the scale. ^Mi-. A. .M. Lea also prodnced some p(dl(4s from
a bii'd for identiticaition, bnt the membei-s ])reseivt were not
ill aji'reeinent on Ihe point. Captain Whitc^ exhibited three
s|tecimens of the Anstralian Ham Owl (Ti/lo alba) — one from
Adelaide, the second fi-om Xnllabor riain. and the third from
Stni-t"s Creek. The thiid bird he thonuhl was belwe<ni the
Adelaide and Xnllarboi' birds, avid was a izood sub-species —
the coloni- on irhe bark was a nimh darker brown, and the
black markinii's wer(^ also darker. lie also sho'w<Ml a Red-
chested (}nail {Tin nil- I'l/rrollinrd.r \ which had been shot
recently al Yankalilla and handed to him by .Mr. I>. Marshall.
This was Ihouiihl to be the s<'con(l iioled instance of this ])ar-

The Sontli Au-'itridi'in Orjiitholngicid Asacriatimi.

127

tieiil.-ii- bird in S(Muh Ansi r;ili;i. ("niilain \\liire also siatod
t'hnl I Ik- injiidiiions (ipcnin.u- of Mic (jiiail sIkioi iii^' scasou
envlici' liiis ycai- iliau usual liad proxci] his own coulculiou
tliat llicrc would b(^ loo nuanv youiii;' birds about. Mr. U.
Marshall had lold him jtlrat rcccnlly ho had 'boon our aftiM-
quail, and afVor rlio tiftli shot ho had put his uuii back in itli'-
inotor, as ho round he had shot birds with many yoimjjj loft"
in the nest or '" rnnnini;' about like a lol^ of sj)iders."" Ar the
Captain's own jiiacc he had had a \\('aiisomo time in tryinji;
to stop illicii duck shootin.u'. Avhich shonliujj, he atlributo<i
to tlie annojincenient in the daily pai)er's. emanating, Ik' rhou«i'lir,
from the Fislieries I )e})artnu'nt, that tine b'a<;s of j^anie wert^
bein,:;' 'j;oi. These so-called spoi'tsmen had been shootini;
7>lo\'er and maypios as well. Captain White then liave a,
line lecture on the Vanco Settlement, X.S.W. (aided by a. ti'ooi
niai»). and of the birds there. Lasr year Iw had i>artly investi
ji'ated the (pieslion (d' tlu^ usefulness or otherwise of ihe bird;s
to he found there, and lie completed the euijuiry recently,
travelling!,- (i\-er 4(HI miles by motor. lie noticed a ji'i'eat altera-
tion in tln' number of birds to be seen, especially where the
tindMM- had been and was bein<i' destroyed. TluM-e were still
^•reat nund)ei-s of ""Starling" (the loeal name for ^^^lo(l Swat
lows). He had point<Ml ont what wonid he tlie final result
if this defoi-esitation was continued in such a whoh^sale
manner, and ha<l r(^'comnrended the establishmem of s(>v(M'i;!
sanctnaries and tin- • lencini;' of them in so as to uive tho
yonn<;' tiees la (diance to firow. He was informed that a
species of Lyre-bird w'as to be found in the ^IcPlieison Ranire.
H(^ Imd taken a laptid census of the number of birds seen to
the scjuar'o mnle on each of 'his trips and nHMili(tned the ditfcr
ent ti<>nres. Me exhibited Ihe skins of the followinu birds
taken by him for stonuudi investij»ation : — reaceful Dove
{Gcopcliii /tJdcida), Kose-breasted Coekatoo {('(tcdtini rosrica-
pilla), P>lne-faced Ilfmey-eater ( Eiifoini/.zon ri/<in<>lis) , Recent
Honey-eater {Zaiithomizn jtlirt/f/ia ) , 'While-face \ ApJirJoccphiila
IrHcopstis) . Caterpillar-eater {(Ut mpopJidf/d tricolor). I'i*<vwn
Trec^ Creepei- {fliiiKirtcrist picininid) . Rnfons Sonii' Lai-k
( Pfnnocdiis Hid Ihcirsi \ , Red-tip]ied Oianiond I>ii-d i I'lirfhilofiifi
.^fridfiis I .

Mr. Pdwin Ashby, in con_i;rat ulating Captain White on
his woi-k in ( ndea\-oui-in};', to j^'ot sanctuaries established, said
he t'houiihr that not mneh valne conid be placed on the census
of l)irdson fast nK»t(u- journeys, and instanced trips in V\>st(M'n
Anr-tralia on which no birds were seen, yet before dawn many
birds conld be heard sinn-in";-. The ('hairniari llianki'il Captain

128 The South Auatraliin Or)iiLholf>(/ical Assoclalion.

Wliitc U)V his very iiitei-cstinii: l(^cnii-(\ r.iid the iiioctiiifi' closed

H.t 10 |».7il.

Mcssi's. J. W. .Mcllor ;iii(l •). Suiroii hiiiujcd in bird iiort-s
for the moil til.

— -Mccliiiii held on li4lli Fclirujiiy. V.)'l'l. —

Mr. F. .M. Aii<i(d in ilic cliaif. Ii was ii-jtoricd ihal Mi-.
F. Ii. Zcirz was seriously ill. and a morion (^xjn-cssiiiji' syni]talhy
was passed, and the lion. SK'crctary 'was instrucied lo convey
that to him by lett<M-.

A letler was received I'roin ,Mr. A. < '. .Mincliin. hirecto--
S.A. Zoolo<;ieal and Aci limatizarion Sociely's (iiirdens, advisiujij
with I'ejiard t(^ the para^raijli in the " Oi-nitholoiiist " of
January. V.)'l'l. en the slii]iiiieiit (d' Ausiralian animals
and birds by the Ansrralian Z(»ol(^Jii(•al Control IJoard,
that tiier<' was no such Uoard in exislence. nor was
his Soci^'ty in any way " (•onnected with the slii]>nient
referred to." .Nrembers wwv jileased to haw this
C'onti-adietion. I>r. A. .AI. Morgan exhibited i»hoto<iraphs
of ('reste(] Teins iSlcfiKi hcr;/ii] and tlieii- nests taken at tlie
Kaudin Kocks, about six miles from Hobe. S.A. In two
instances two eii*>s w(M-e in a nest — a v(M-y unusual occun-ence.
Bird notes for the month were handed in by Messrs. K. (\
Be(d<, J. AV. Mellor, and J. Kut'tcui. faptain AVhite mentioned
bavin^^ seen at Fulliam during this month the Sordid AA'ood
P'wallows (ArfdiiiNs siordidiis) with youn^u'. Pi-ofessor J. j>.
Chdand then .uave a very interesting lecture on the subject of
the takinii, of a '' Hird Census." The nietliod lie adopts is to
note down, just as one scoi-es the runs at cricdvet. tln^ numbei^
of eacli kind of bird as one sees them whilst travelliiiiL>- along
li'V motor, coacli. or buiijjT or whilst walking. The ridiability
of the niellio;] depends on the ease with wliieli any species ran
be recognized. The distance on eatdi side of the track over
whiidi the birds can be identified will vary with the type of
country and the s})ecies of the birds. Xevertheless the results
may be taken as the riiiiiiiinnii iniinlxr of certain sjiecies over
certain ar<\is. The census taken in South Australia udnefly)
by the lectur(M' covers journeys fi-om Adcdaide to Mt. Compass
(via Willunga). Encounter Kay. Waitpinga. Strathalbyn, Well-
ington. Point McT.eay. Milang. Finniss. (xoolwa, Renmark.
Moj-uan to C(d)dogla, ^lonash. I>(M'ri. Barmei-a. Quorn to I'ichi
liichi Pass, Parachilna. IJlinman, Wirreali>a Station. Port
Augusta. Iron Knob. The joni-neys covered a distance of
about l.olS miles. The number of sjiecies of native birds

seen was 14(1. and the individuals more than 11.240. about nine

Order Paittaciformcx, Faiii/'/i/ Cdcaloidae. 129

per iiiil<'. Ill iidditioii Ihc iiii rniliici'd siK'cic^s. lotalliin;- l,T~)4

iii(li\ idiials. wimc ;ils(» noted. Tlic Ici-lm-i'i- Ii:ul lakcii <i \n-e-

\i()iis census (if l)ir(1s in Jouimums in Xew South Wales ( cliii'll y I

o\('i- a (lisianrc of 1.:!:'.!)', miles, an acconni of wliicli has al-

I'cady appealed ii: l hi' " I'linu." and a coniiiaiison of ihe nuin-

hers of some of the same sjiecies will jiroNc in I ercsl in;j,. Tli.'

li^ui-es in Inaekels ai-e foi- Xi'W South Wales; Die (iis| onev

in I'acdi instanro lepn-senl the i)irds seen in Soulli .\ustralia

i'eactd'nl DoN'e. L*.". illSj; Kestrel. Ki CiTi; total Hawks, <dc.,

i:'>S (!m;); K<;s(dla, !)1 (L';'>(i); K('(M)'aclc(M] l*an-ot. S4 (417); Lau<ili-

inii' Ivin.u'tislier: (i:! (liUp; Weh-ome Swallow. (;44 (o'.loi; T^iiry

and Ti-ee Mail in. 1 ,7l'l! ll!.!tll»); liiowii Flycatcher (.hud^y

Winicn. iTi (i':!7i: Willie Wagtail. 177 i;'.17i; Whit-e-fi-(»nled

Char. .VIA i I»i' i : .Magpie Lark, 17!) i7(;r)i; Noisy Miner, L's:!

i7!».".i; Cj-ound Lark il'ipit). 411) ( I'S.") i ; Crow. 1.12S (ICS);

.NFaiipie, !)L'0 (r)(ir)i. (^apiain Whii<'. Mr. J. ^^■. Mtdlor, and the

Chaii-inan ihaukiMJ !*r(d'essoi- Cleland for the leidureand ]H>inl('d

oui tin- lii-eal anionni of detail reipiired to compile the iij^nres

(pioted. and hoped that the address would he printed in exfcitso.

Order Psittaciformes, Family Cacatoidx,
Genus Psephotus

rsrji/iol IIS hiirniii loiidl lis I Ked-hacked or Crass l*ai-ro|).
lly S. A. White. C.M.Ii.O.F.. C.F.A.O.F.

There seems lo ha\e been no attempt to split this bird into
sub-s|!ecies, and as Far as the writer can see (hei-e is little or
ao \aria t ion ex'en in I he shade of cobairs bet ween llie NewSoutli
Wales. X'ictoriau, and South .Vuslralian birds.

The lied riimped (Jrass Farroi was once a very common
bird at the [{eeilbeds an<l they nested in Ihe lar^e jiuins on the
river bank wiiliin a \ery fi'W yai-ds of tlu' house. This was in
th:' days (d' iii\ boyhood. Suddenly ihe bii-ds bei>an to diminish
and many died of a skin disease wliicli caused their feathers
to drop oiii. ;iiid ol'len almost iiake<l li\'e birds were to bi>
seen lui the ui(mnd. There is little doubt that ihis state of
alfairs was brcaiiiht about by the iiii|ioi-ted Starlini; iSliiriii.s
riih/d ri.s \ . these ]iests ha\inii' taken the nesiinit hollows in
ihe irees and lea\'iu,ii' Iheiii in a lilth\- stale. I believe the
Crass Parrots June returned to the district (d" liOfkleys, Init
ihev have not been seen foi- iiianv vears at the lieedbedsj,

130 Order Psitlaciformes, Family Cacatoidae.

1 )('sci-i])ti()i).— Male — C'l-owii of iIk' licud. b;nk aiul si;li^s of
llie iRM-k. also cliest, emtM-ald gi-eeii ; forehead and cheeks,
«;i-i'eiiish bine; jircHMi of llie cliesf tin,<>ed wiiii yellow, the
t'eat'hei-s also miniiU'ly e(l!i;ed wilh hrowii. iii\ini; llieiii some
what of a scalelike appt^aranci' ; leathers of llie back, bluish,
will) a iiiiiinle edgiiiii (d' dark bi-o\\ ii ; rnni]», dee]) sc;irh't ;
slionlder and spni-ious wiui;', brijihr bliu'; sju)! of rich yellow
litdow llie slionlder ; \\\\\<j; coverts, blue with green tinge;
primaries, brown, wit h I w o-thirds of outer web dark blue ; np])er
tail coverts, rich green; lw(i central tail feathers hhiish gr<'eii,
remaining feathers blue tipped with white; under tail ciiwrls.
while; a1)domen, rich yellow, becoming lighter in the ciuitre;
bill, dark horn coloni-; fi-el. ashy grey; ii-is, brown. !'\'iiial<' —
All ujijK'r sm-race. greenish grey, each feather minutely
margined with dark brown; under snrfaci", grey willi a Ncllowish
tinge, each f<'atlier luiiintxdy edged \\'\\]\ dark brown, giving a
s<-ale-like appearance; wing coverts, bluish giey; ifrinnii'ies,
pah' blue on onter \\ebs, dai'k bro\\n inner webs, a conspicnons
white spot near the base of lite li\e inner feaihei-s; lumj) and
upper tail coNcrls. i-icli dark green, two ccnlral tail fea liners
bluish green, remainder light blue tipiH-d v.ilh white; undei-tail
co\'erts. bluish white; iris, brown; bill, bluish grey; feet, ashy
grey.

i)isti-ibnti(Ui. — Ovim- ilm greater i»ai't of New Sonth \\'ah^s.
\'ic(oria. and South \;!wralia. bnl does not inhabit thi- dry
interioi-.

Ilabiial. — l'r<'rers the ojk'Ii forest c(!niilry to either 0[)en
plains or bush. ^Vhere the large gnnis i /Jiicdli/jitHs rosi i-iita ]
tloni-ish. so will this bird invariably b- fonnd. be it ranges,
nndnlaling country, or low and s\^■ampy.

Habits. — At lU'sting time these bii-ds are met with in ])aij-s,
or wirh the ycuing broods. In llu' winter they congi-egate in
flocks, very ofl<'n n]» to a hundred or more. When feeding they
mo\'e o\er the gronnd \ery ra])idly, and spend much time on tlio
gronnd in seai'ch of food. They will often pei'cdi along the
(tead 'hram-hes (d' a tree toji in c<)mpact order chattering to one
another, and often s(pi;'.bbling between the niah' birds.

l-'light. — Strong and at times nndnlaling.

Call. — .\ remarkably sweet whistlinii' note resend)ling a
song, and when a nnniber are together it has a Xi'vy jileasing
elVect. It has a shrill whisiU' wlien alarmed and as a warning
note.

l^-'odd. — (Ji-ass seeds id' many kinds. Tliev ai-e very inotl'en
sive birds,

MORGAX—A Trip to Xortk-West Australia. 131

Xesiiii,ii Si'usoii. — I']xteii(ls in Sonili Aiisii-alia Troiii Scji-
tiMiibei' to Dcccinhcr.

Nest. — Xo in'^i is iiiiulc. TIkm-i^j^s aw laid on llir hai-c wood
oi' \\"o(k1 (lusi of a IkiIIow spout or limb.

IXU.ys. — \\"liili\ I'our to six in uuiiiIkm-. Di-. Moi-j^aii «ii\('s
Till' rollowiiiii' diineiisioiis for ;t clntidi of foni-, taken at \\'irra-
bai-a :— No. i, 2-(i0 (• 111. X I'.or) (• /ni. ; Xo. L'. L'-lid c/iii. x L'.O.")
(• ill.; Xo. :\. L*-(;o (• ni. x L'.d." c/ni.: Xo. L I'-.K) c/m. x 2.10

(• HI. -

A Trip to rSorth'West Australia.

WWiT 11.

r.v A. .M. .Mor-aii. M.i;.. I'.. (Mi.

On -I line L'tilh we droNc lo a walt'i- liojc where l*i<;'iiiy (Jeeso
\v<'re said I<)1)('. liiil on arri\'al llii'v ]n'o\-ed to be l->lack-lliroated
(ri-ebes. At ibis iijace we saw the only l>ron/>e-wiii,ti' Pi;;(M)n (d'
the ii-iji. TIh' only other piincoa seen was the Peaceful I )o\<', a
\eiy coiiiiiKni bird, whose mono'tonoiis notes wereheai'd fi-oiu
morn till nijihr in all rlasses of connfry. Owls also \v<'re rare.
^^'e heard none of their calls, and the (tnly one s<'en pro\(Ml lo
be SpiJ()</l(iii.r (iccJhihi. It seems to me to be (piite worthy of
specific distinct ion.

Finchi's, !^<'iu'rally. were faiily common, but owinji to the
oiianrity of standi 11:1; w ater they were much .scattered and not so
easily ob.ser\-ed as in a drier season. \Ve saw and collect-i^d the
J.,<>n<;-laile(l I-'inch, the Ulack banded I'^inch. the Ki'd-faced
I'^inch. and the Ohestnu t-e:ir<Ml Finch. Xeillier the paint<'<l
i:oi- the ('rimsoii I'^imli was seen, tliou;^li both are said to
be common enough in certain s<'asous. lM])its were fairly

iinniei<ms on tlr' jtlains. and a Mirafra Avas \ery common
ill the loiii;- i;rass; they were quite silent and kejd to
(he nras< iniiil disturbed by the ibuii\uy or some one <»n
foot. ()iily I wo ipiaillike birds \vere seen. 'IMiey wi're most
}>robably a sjiecies of Tiinti.r: but tiioufiii I carefully marked
the spots wlieie they settled I failed to'fiush them aji;ain. They
ai>|K'ared to 1h' about the size of T. rcjo.r. but much darker in
celoiir. ^^'e si'aiclied for a time for l^lie PlK^asanl Coiu-al
(('(•nh-fijiiis /i/idsld nils] . but failed to find it. These birds are
said to ha\(' been rpiite common in jmst times, but ar<' now very
rare; jirobably tiiey have been destroyed by the domeslic cat
^'(tiie wild. 'i'lie sam;' reason is ijiven for th<' disa|)pearance
of the local opossum. Kaiiii'ai-oos, or rather wallal)ies. are

132 MUK(JAX—A Trip to Xurtli-Wcsl AiistraUa.

still vcvy iniiiii'i'dus. Tlu'v ni-c of llic siiccirs Wnlhihiii injills
and Oiii/clio</(il( iiii</iiifcr(i . I lie hiilci- willi a cnriiins nail like
a]tl>eiHlaii(' lo llirciid of llic lail. ll also lias a jK'ciiliai- liahil
<)]■ hoi)i)iuji- with llie riiilil foi-c-lej;' held out ai iii;lii-aii,:;l(' lo llii'
body and .i-iviiig' a liltle sqnoak at <'iu-li jniiip. ICiims ar<' (|uil('
rare; \\v did inW iikh'1 with any iJjr-on.uhoni ilic iiiit. On

January L'ilth Mr. (Mialnu'is di-oxc iis to .Mrda on our way l»ack
to J)ei-by. IIcic I fonnd a cliifk of ihc IMack rronicd Doiicrrl
whicli had Ikhmi cau^lil on the haid^s of I lie hillaltonii. 'I'liis
was the only sjkm ics (.f hollcicl seen in (he disirici. NN'c also
saw here two yon iiii' r>in<' niouitlain Tarrois in (•apli\ily. They
proved to be Tricliof/lossn.s nihihn-tjtiix. and wci-c (airly conmion
in the iiuni- tree counli-y. W'v l-fl Mcda m ~^.\7^ next nmrnin.u
and l)reakfas1(Ml abonl iiini' miles out on ilu' Ih'i'by track at
]S'ative AVell, whcie inmiy i.oni;-! ailed I'inidies were di'inkin.u.
Further on. in the sandy conntry, scwral IMark-headed rar(hi-
lotes Avere flushed rnnn llwii- burrows in the bai-c sand. In
thesandy eonii'tiy i!,]o\vs a euealypius kin)w n locallx as "woolly
butt," some of wliicli were ablazi' with beauiirul r<'ddisli-oranii<'
bhissonis, anioni;' ^\■hildl the Soi-did I'riar birds were re\ elliiiu-.
J?lack-throated 'Ji.lcher birds wei'e also numerons. and their
beautiful son.u (indd b;- beard all alon.u llie track. At |)erby
Mr. Mon-ger kindly lent us liis ])artnei-"s Iiouse. wIkm-c wv
camped, having oui- nu'als at the luHel. The lu-xt two (hiys
were spent in jiackin^- up and saying Ljooil-bve to friends. On
duly -nd we left i >erby in the s.s. (!orij;(in, feeling that we had
bai-ely scratched the natural hisioi-y o|' the district ; indeed, six
nuuitlis, or <>\iMi a whole yeai'. conb! be sjieiit there willi pi-oht.
Between Derby and i*.i-o(nne many sea snakes wci-e seen; they
w<'re of two sjiec;.'-< one dull yellow, anil lie' othei- banded with
dull red. They ;:re \-ery cons}»icuous objeci.s in the water and
very slu<>.!.iisli in their nM>\<'inents. They ar<' said to be \eiH'
mous and I should think thai is so. othei-wise they would loni;
since have been exi erminali'd by the (lauiuMs. Aboni iwchc
hours after leaving' r>ioi)m<' the ship was found lo 1k' u\\ lii-e in
the after hold, and thecour.se wasalt<M-<'d t(» " back to 15roouie;"
but about midni.uht the fire was consi(h^red under control and
llu.^ captain decided to make straight for l''i-enmntle with<»ut
callin.ii" anywhere. ( "oiHiitions were \<'ry uni>leasaut, as the
fir<' had i-eacdied s(nne cyani(h' of |)otassium in the hold and the
whole of th<^ ship reek'ed in cyanide Cumes. .Many of ihi' cattle
whieh wer<> between decks wi're poisoned ami liad to be thi-(»wn
oviM-'board. On -inly .">1h we passed lhrou,i;h ."zreal tlocks of
r>ro\vn (Tannels and a few ^laskcMl CJanuets. W'v were at the
time nol far from IVedont Island, a liiHMt nestinu place of these

MORGAN— A Vrsit to the Baudin Rocks. 133

Iwo s|K'ci('s. ( )ii -lulv (illi I <1i'\('1(»ikmI malaria, and took Utile
fui-ther iiiUMi'sl in nalnral hisToi-y- indeed, beycnid a imnibev
(tl' whales olT hii-k liaiioi: island, not nnuii ol' inter<'st \\as
se<Mi nnlll we landed al I'^renian I U' on dnlv !)(li. where I was
onlv loo Lilad lo ^el oil' ihe ship and iulo bed at oni- lu)lel in
IN'HJi. ; I

A Trip to the Baudin Rocks.

Ity A. M. Moi'-an, .M.i?., 15. Ch.

The lUuuliii Ifoeks are silnaled abuiil six miles ironi Kobe
aud abom two miles Tiom the iioi-thwest end of (Tiiicheu Bay.
There are three islands^ one a bare roek and two partly covertMl
with a low scrnbby growth, [tartly o[)en ground with a carpet
of a short sami>hiiv like i»lant. The larger of these two is
divided into lhre<' jMnMions at high tide. Early in -January (d'
this year, through the kindiu'ss of .Mr. Keith IJownian, 1 was
abU^ to pay a \isit to these rocks. I wished [)arl iculai-ly to
see if any s|M'cies of Tetrel bi-ed there, but found none, nor do
1 think the soil isanywluu'e d(H'j) enough to allow of burrowiug.
As we cauK' u[» to a small beaeji ou the first island, a mnnber of
lllack-faced Corinoranls { I'lKihicrocord.r f/oiildi ) Hew from their
nests in the low buslies on a small (difl'. On binding we fouiul
about two do/,eii of theii- nests. n<'W, but mostly empty, one oul\
cimtaining a full clutch of Ihi-t'c eggs. Later on we saw a
Sihcr (lull eating one of the eggs, which may accoimt for |h<'
empliiH'ss of the iw'sts. At one <'nd of the island is a larg<i
rook<'ry of ('r<'st<'(] Terns iSicnut hcr(/ii). made up (►!' many
thousands of bii-ds. The eggs were so close together that care
had to 'be taken to a\(»id treading ou tlnun. On two occasions
nests wer<' found containing two <'ggs each, so alike in marking
that [ think they were ]u-obably In id by one birc]. Under the
buslH's Liith' Pempiins wei-<' breiMling in hundreds, the nesi
cont<'nts \arying from lw(» fi'csh <'ggs to full grown young still
in the down. ()iie of these latter was cajUuri'd and ]»ut into
the watei'. It swam and di\('d as well as an old bird, though
this was |M'obably its first introduction t(y the sea. .\fler its
swim it mad<' up the rocks to its home as ninddy as its |iar<'nts
could have done. On the secoml islam! was another

huge colony of Oiested Terns on (u\{' end. and al the other
three isolated eggs. j»r(diat)ly the start of a new cobuiy. On
this island were a inimbcu' of Xankeeu Night FTerous ( ^'//^^■'-
(■(ira.r cnJcdniiicHs \ . and I found ouv old ih'sI with a (k'ad young
bird in it. The nest was bnilt in the low bushes, nearly ou the

34 CllENIlRY— Birds ul Western iJarlvi;/.

.Ui'oniid. This was rather a surjn'iso to me, as my ])revi()us
('X|t(M'i('i!r(' of (lie iicsliiii;- of It'hesc birds was in lii^h j^iim-lrccs.
well (Mil (if luv reach. A !V\v behitcd Silver (lulls {linn-li'Hiitr'xt
iKjfdi -liolhiiididc) were ij('s1in<;- ai the edjies of the hushes, the
iieste conhiiiiiu^ only one or two e,u,us. The re.milar iiestiii;.'
season was louii ov<'r. Jii(li;in<i hy I he 'ninihcr of dead young'
iiulls lying- about. The only ot'her l)irds seen were the Sooty
Oyster-ratcluM- { H (k nid topifs luiicolor \ , a ])air of ^^■hi(•ll hiinir
abouil I he corner of the island as though br(nMling there. i
could noi lind either nest or young. The Little (Irass IVwd
\ Mri/dlnriis (fni iiiiii'iis ) . which was in lair iinnihei-s in the
l)ush<'s. was (|uile sih'nl and evidently not nesting. .\l>out
five o'clock in I he evening a stiff blow came u]» and we had !(►
leave Ihe island in a huii'y. I'orlions of llie huge island \\o,r
i)(}\ i)ro])erly <'\aniined. and lieing densely co\ered with low
bushes I think il likely ilial lliey may he llw main nesting-phov
of the Xaidu'en Herons, nianv of which were sei-n there.

Notes on Birds seen during a Recent Visit to the
Western Darling, N.S.W.

Fart II.

By A. (''h(Mi(M-y.

hea\ing our ii'a\('lling coni|>anions and the bhickixiys a1
the camp, JJr. .Macgilli\i-ay. Ian, and niyselt set olf on foot lor
llie i.^land in lln' lal^e \ isible iii ihe disiance. A few \\'lii).'
v\ inge<l \\'r<'ns, ( )rai!ge-fronied ('lials, aii<l a solilai-y lliowii
Hawk wei-e Hie only birds inhabiting this desolate waste of
powdery sand. co\eriiig wjml-swe])l liumuKH-ks more or less
encru^<led with sail. The isurface of ihe lake pi-oper was
danij) and co\ered willi a glistening crnsi of saline, into whicli
one's feel sank for a few inclus. Afler co\-ei-ing aboul l.Ontl
yards of I his hea\y going, \^■e reached the island, which A\a-;
duly e.\plor<Ml for f(»ssil remains, wilhoul success. A solitary
fox was started from the far side, and went away aci'oss the
lake surface for ihe far shore, and was still going until losf
sighi of. ilefoi-e lea ving cainp nexi morning a White l)reasled
Swallow's iH'st. conitaining four eggs, was dug out of a ban;<
and a relurn was made lo < 'allabonim Hul. 'picking U]) I >r.
.Macgilli\ ray's swag on ilu' way. This had been shaken out
of Ihe prolccling I'^trd bu(d<boai'd on the oulward journey on
the pre\ions e\-eniug. After I'uither discussion we lefl io

CHENEIiY—BirJs ol Wexln-u Darling. 135

wai'd.s tlK! iu)i-'-\\est to auotliei- itortion of tlio lako where,
with lioulka Fred as gnide-iu-chiel'. we had fresh hope of dis-
coveriiiiA- Ihe cliisiNc fossil de{)0'siis. There is a windmill and
\V(dl soiin^ eijihl miles along' Ihe .Mnrnpeowie load, which,
of couise, is oidv a paek 'traidc. This was lo be (»iir ram}»
for thai eveuinji. \\'e left tiiis Iraek after some ihi<H' miles
ami ciir across towardis the I'ake-shore again. When crossing
some Hats coNcred with old-man salthush and cane grass we
tinshed some Hocks of very timid Parakeets, wliicli were feeding
on ihe cane-grass seeds. After some dillicnlly a sjx'cimen
was obtained. whi(di turned out to be .\ (opJiciita clajdiis. The
lasi lime I had met wilh this preliy <irass Panol was on a
creek in ihe Flinders IJange. where I hey were m'sting and (piite
lame. The ones we met witli here wei'e in Hocks an<i had
evid(Milly linislied breeding as tlu' ones shol were in immature
j,lnmage. On apiiroacddug the lake again. afUM- leasing these
well coN'ered tlais, ihe connti-y l»ecam<' again almost impassaide
Ui\- anyliiing bnt a bullock dray or camels. The blackboys,
now ihal their joy-ride on the cars was assured, did not appear
lo lia\(' any i(h'a as to where to take the ])ar1y to jind thi' fossil
reserxc. Dr. .Macgi!li\ray, howe\ er. left the Hnd^r, which was
nn ahead, and. leaving !>oulka Fre<l wiili .Mr. and Mis. lieywood
in I lie car. joim'd Sit-down -J immy in the horse-drawn bnckb-:)ard,
which had caught Uji lo us, and weni on down *o Ihe lakeslnn-e
in a iinal efi'ort to sec if any trace could he seen of .Mr. Zeitz's
old camp. The ]''ord. with myself and lau, was some distance
U'liind at the tinu'. \\'hen Ave joined tlie Dodge car i)arty they
l(»ld MS that they had seen a ]»aii- of |tai-rots which had alighted
on an acacia ([uile near the <-ar. From their descri])tiou they
wei-e <piite jtrohably Ihe S]»leudid (Jrass I'arrakeet, but
unfortunately neither \>\-. .Macgillivray nor myself was there
to identify them. Ileing luetly ki'en lo gel a sight of these
birds, if jidssibU'. 1 left Ihe cars, which went on for another mile
Ol' s(». and spent the lunch houi- circling around for a few miles.
I saw a Calamanthus. but could not obtain a specimen, allh<uigh
i liad one snapsln)t at a bird running thrmigh Ihe saltbiish.
The evening or early morning is the best tiiiu' to capture these
shy little gentlemen, when they sing on the top of a low I)nsh.
In the miildle of the (hiy they are mostly silent and one would
ne\-er guess their existence. AnotlK'r bird I was keen to se(» was
the IJaiided White-face, but althougji this was similar countr.\-
to that in which McCJilj* fouiul them earli<M' in the year and not
far from it geographicail\'. we never sighted on<' tlie wliole tri]).
Nor was any fnrlher sign of the strange parrot seen.- I was
disappointed and pretty weary by the time 1 i-eturned to our

13G CHENERY— Birds of Western Dartin;,

car Iracksor ilic iiKH-iiin^u and was jctiiu'd \)\ tlie oihci- iiiiMiil)ers
of llie i)ai-tv. Tlicv ri'jjoiied t'ailiu-e lo tiiid any sign ol' I lie
lossil r<'s<'r\('. and hi-. .Macgilli\ ray's remarks on I he rcliabilily
ofanticnl alxniiiincs as liuides w cic, l(» pni ii mildly, noi llallcr-
ing, and wonld |>i-(tbaldy lia\<' lu-cn nniirinianh' iiad noi a lady
been jji-cscni. \\'(' iiiad<' «-ain[) lliai <'\('ning ;iL llic windmill
on a small cicek. now lo all apiteai-ance di-y. Some watei- was
drawn I'rom lli<' well in bnckets Tor the horses and we cai-ried
soin<' for our own use. As we nolic<'d a i)air of <ii-aHinas and
many 'rojj-knot J'igeons al)oul, we concluded That there must he
a soak (low II the creek somewiiei-e, as these birds cannot do
without water lor long. A Spotted Harrier"; nest containinj;
one egg was found during a walk uj) the ci-eek before tea. .\fter
tea. as it was fairly moonlight. Ian went u]) into the sandhill
count i-y on ilu' far side of the creek to sec if he could grnni)se
any small marsupials, but returned without any luck.
Thai country is stilhu'ss ]iersoni1ied ai niglii. Tlu're
was not a soum] to be lu'ard if one lenuiined sih'iu.
On this e\('ning, 1 remember. w<' remai-ked on it. 'i'liere
was no! a cricket or oIIum- small insect to break tlu' siU'Uc*'. a. id
in the absence of any bree/.e v\vi\ the leaves weic molionle^s.
\N"ildllowers t^vei-y wheie here as elsewhere, Scnccio frc<!Orii
l)eing specially al)un(hinl as well as numei-ous daisies. e\-erhist-
ings, and ollicrs which I cannol name.

On the morning of I'lst August we returned to ("allabonna
Hut. searciiing foi- Or.lamanlhus on the way. We Hushed a
pair of Cinnamon-backed ground bii-ds, bul faiU'd to rtnd a
Oahunanthus. An Owl was sliot out in the Old Man Saltbush,
far from any trees or creek, which ])ro^■e(l to be an ordinary
}5<)obook. A nest or two of tlie (hdightful little Crested \\'e<lge-
bill were also found, one containing an egg. .Vfter wishing
the genial r>ill Hayi's a fcmd farewell and gi\'.ng oui' blessing
to Houlka I'^red. we commenced lo ri'li-ace (uir tracks up Tiicha
Creek t(»wai-ds the bore. \\'e bad lUH gone more than eight
miles when we cami' upon a i»air of \'ery light-plunuiged hawks,
which were easily i(huitihed as soim as Ihey took lo tlighi as the
Leirer-wiuged Kite. Tht' l)lack nmrkings ui\der tlu^ wings are
\('ry distiiicl i\'e. Tht' tiiglil is l(M-n-like am] ili:'y are a most
giacefnl bird a 1 1 ogctlK-r. .V nesi nnoh' of slicks was noicd in
a lice neai- I hi' spot where we tii'sl saw lluun and was examini'd
for signs of habitalion. II did c(Mitain some <'jected furry
(telh'ts. Imt was otliei-wise emi)ty. Strange lo say. we nev<M'
noted tliesi' birds on oui- outward journey. \\'<' weic one and
all jdeased to ha\<' seen them, as I should say this was south of
their usual laliludt'. As a sequel I uuiy here state that Dr.

CIJENE/n'—JJirds o/ Wr.<;tent JJarii/i'/ l'6'i

.M;ic,uilli\ i;i V ;isc<'il;iiiie(I, in romei-satioii witli Mr. AusLiii (Mime
(HI 1)111- rvnini tn .Mil]i;u-iiik;i, llial lie iiilemliMl lioiiii; llii-oiiiili lo
Inuaiuiiu'ka a1 an carlv dale \>y lliis Tilrha loiiU'. lie was
asked to keep an eye Un tliese liiids, w liich In- did. They were
lliislied ti-om rlie tree, tiie nesi was elinibed i(». and. i thin);, ihree
ejig.s found. They were all smashed in I he descent I

After hineh on I his day, the two medicos sent I he cars on
ahead and walked llie creek for tlircje hours. A pair of \\'edj^e-
laikMl I"]a<i!es" e_t;iis were t'aken and a paii- of <"ir<\\ i-'alcons were
llnshed fi-om a tr<H' conlainin^ a likely nest. On (■iimhiii^ lo it
nothing' \N'as found. Some (Irey TeaJ were \\\v\ willi alon.i; the
creek and an Owlet 7\i<T;lit-jar was tiiished from a hollow contain-
ing' egiis. Bennett's Crows \-ery [dentifnl. iiesis everywhere
our in the niiilsia trees. On reaching the cars we learned that
.Mr. >Vinton had motored out 70 miles from Vandama and met
them witli a. sni>]>ly of j)etrol, of which we had run short owing
to the constant low-gear work on the shores of Callabonna.
This kind action, which is in keeping with the hospitality for
which jieople outback are so jnslly credited, made it possible for
ns lo cai-ry ont our intention of \isiting Fort (Irey in tin' nortli
w<'s't comer of the State, where we had heard there was still
about a foot of waler in IMnnaroo Lake.

The following morning, after seeing the cars start on their
journey, we continued to work the creek on foot. Shortly after
I(^a\"ing cam}) we saw a pair of Black Falc()ns, one of whom
swooped at a Raven that came chortling along down llu' creek.
\Mien the jiowerfitl Falcon came at him suddenly it was <inite
ludicrous to lieai' his self-satisfied note change to a shriek of
terror as he dashed into a dense gum-tree to escape^ his pui-suer.
I was foi'tunate enough to locale the I'^alcon's jiest a liitle
further on. but on climbing to it found two young covered with
(h>wn of a very light-gr<\v colour with grey beak and legs. The
nest was an old Kite's oi- ^AMlisrl(M•'s. These Falcons are shy
and liy s'traight away ii-om the nest out of sight, and do uot
soar around in the air like the (Irey Falcmi and most other
species do. Soon after this we found another ])air of Grey
Falcons near a nest, and aftei- a dillicult climb were rewarded
with a nice set of four fresh eggs. Further on a nest of the
Tattle Eagle was found with tw^) (\ggs, and another ]iaii- of
Black Falcons was seen, hut no nest located. Some (Ji-ey
'i'eal with young and a solitary Bink eyed Duck were noted
on the creek. During the early afternoon, after having joined
the cars and had lunch, we passed Tilcha bore and reacluMl the
out-station for tea. On our way we noted another Grey
Falcon's nest, this time quite inaecessible. also another Little
Eagle's nest. I\it<'s. Whistling Eagles. Zehra Finches, Red-

1:5^ Bird Notes.

idi-cd ;iih1 Slri;il(Mi 1 '.ii-(l;il<)t('s wciT :ilsii [ilt'ii I i I'll I. .Mr.
• lacksdii ;ii;;iiii kiiuily icpl^'iiislicd our liickcrliox willi iMvad
mid IxM'f. ;nid we wciil on lo ciiiii) some i'cw iiiilcs on 1 lie
V;nidaiii;i side. This <'\riiiii^ we sa\v qui ic a iiuiiiIxm- of ( 'iiiua
nioiidtackcd i;roiiiiil l»ii-dv. rciMlinM in lairlv oju-ii sallhnsli
(•(niiili-y. al(»n,u llic i-oad. While ai lliis canij) wv found a n<'si
oi" the ^'^'llo^\•-taik conlaininii t \V() o<i\us — ll\(' only tinu' we nnd
\x']\\\ I iivsc birds. Al'lcr jinssin^' i]irou_i;h Ihc tVncc inio
Xow South NN'aU's ai;ain wf cainr to Si. (icorjiv's Tank. an<l
(roin lli("r<' InriK'd dui- ncnili lowaids I'^ui (Ircv. W'c had
aj;ain lakcii Sit-down -Mniniy on lioai-d ai Tilch;' ( )Mr-sta I ion, lo
which lie had returned ahead of us. The resi of lliis da\ was
s|«'n( in ^'<)in,!L;' o\<'i- sandhills, wliicli now ran across oni- irack
inst^i'ad of i)arallt'l lo il, and those loo stei'|) lo ^o oNcr we had
to i*nn down until a crossin<;-plac<' was foun(L Our hea\ily-
ladeii cars wei-<' |iul lo considerabh' strain, hiii stood it well, ami
as <'\<'ninii fell \\<* reacln-d Fori ('ire\- Ilul on Tinnai-oo Lake

Bird Notes,

DKCE.Mr.i:!^ I'.ti'l.

— Hy .1. W. Melh.]-. Lock leys.—

Quite a numlxM- of Scr(H'ch ()wls i 7'///o dllxi dcJical iila )
have been ahoni durini; iIh' nn)nili. On nH)onli,iihl ni_nhts their
screechini:,' notes can be heard on every side. They are very
({iiiet and will allow one to stand beneath the bouuh and pize
at them. The faint low scree(dies of younu birds were Iveard
(■(sminj: from a hollow in an old ti-ee. lIooluMsk Owls
( SpiJof/ldil.t hoohool: iiKii'iiionild ) ha\<' also been callini;' loudly
and doubtless lia\(' their nests nea.r their more (hdicately
[,'!u mailed cousins.

()u Ih'cendier 1st a line old male of i lie Ked-rumjied Grass
I'airot { l'x(j)li()l IIS Jidi'iiKitonol IIS ) Hew ]msi: with its well-
known sharj) wliistlinjj;- call, and aij;ai.ii on the 7th I flushed two
that were feediuii' on ui-ass .seeds at Lockk'ys. Some tw<Mity or
thirty years ajL^o they w<'re one of the most comuKMi birds at the
IveedlK^ls. I also noted a \\'hite-cheek<'d liosella i /'hil i/ccrciisi
(uriniiiifi) on the same day at Lockk'ys.

On l)<'ceinber lllh a jtair of Meroi)s {(Utsmdrrops onidhis)
was s<Hm at Lockk'ys. !''.vidently they were on the lookiuij for

suitable nest inu' (|uarl<'rs.

Ih'nl .Vo/r.s-.

]-M)

Oil ! UmciuIkt ir)lli I iidliccd l!i;i| llic Slirii<(' Ti t,
[ FdU-miciiUis froiitdliis fhi rii/iilns ] . wliicli ncsled iH'ur I he
liousr. Ii;i(] yoniiii' ones oni of the iicsi ;ui(l wcih' IxH'diuii' tliiMn
with \\\{' scale l>iiulii wliicli infests llie acacias.

I-'oi- rill' |iasi roi-liiiiiht a \>li()\v-\\'iiiii,('(l 1 loiicx- cakT
I ]l(li<irnis iKiracliolhi iididc siihussi m His ] has Itccii hiisv in the
lii»\\('i' iiarilcn Tiicsr hirds Innc liccii ahsciil oi- Ncrx' scnicc I'<H'
soiiK' years, altlioniili at I-'nlliaiii 1 iiavc ii»)T(mI ii\oni IVcciniMi I ly.

Sc\t'i-al lti-()(uis oT Willii' W'a^^iails i L< iicocircn tricolor)
liavc lieeii iM'arcd al Lockk-ys diiriiiii Uic inonlli. wliilc a White-
hacked Mai>])ie { (I i/iii iiorliiiid Ii ij/ioiriicd l< iicoiiola ) has a hiood
»>r y(»nii<i' at tlie tlyinii staiic.

-ISyd. Sutlou, Xethcrby. —

(Ml I h'ceinhei- KMh, in 'he Xalional Tark, I saw a yuuiii;
I'anlai h'd Cnckoo hein^i; fed hy a niaU' and IVmaU' Blue Wren.
The ("uckod wasahonl hve limes hirj;ei- llian the rosliM-paiH'nt.s
and kej)! np a continndus ii.^iit sipieak. The feniak' Wieii
s-eenied to l)e w dilcinii' al lii^i! speed and rns-nislied nn)si of ihe
l'(K)d for the Nonnii ('nckoo.

dANrAli\'. 1!)-Jl'.
— IJy .1. W. .MeMor, I.ockh'y?;.—

l)ni-in,ij;- Ihi' hitt<'i- part of i>ecendi<'r ami well into •ianuai-y
(piiie a nnnd»er of yoiinm- hii-ds were ahoni Luckleys, and tiiese
i*<'main<'d nnlil well iirown, nmlonhiedly knowinii where liiey
w'ei-<' well off and }»rot<'cled.

On December ITtli the .Murray .Maiipi<'s {(irdJliiia
ci/dHolcddd ) Itrougiit out their brood.

On I)ecend)eT ISlh 1 noted a chil(di of Southern lllack-
chiniMMl Honey-earei's { Mcliilirci>l ii.s </dl(iris loflj/i).

On .January ."ird a pair of (twy Shrike-Thrushes [('ollnrir-
cidcld lidridodicd riclorido brouiihl out a family. The

plain! i\'e ami monotomms call of 1 liese youni;slers waitini;' to
l»e fed was proof of Iheii- presence. 'I'liey icept to I lu' bushes,
but at times lhe.\' came out, to be i'cd.

Several lOastei-n (Jround or Z<'bia i)(>\<'s ((liojulia phn-ida
I rddt/nilld i were about . ami oim ]iair was successful in Iniii^Liin*^
uji iheii- yonuLi'.

hurini: the tii-si week in -lannary I lie Willie Wa.^iails
[ Lcitcorircd tricolor] hal(duMi out their youn<.!,'. The nest
IxM-omini;' loo small, rlie litlh' (M-cupants were foiced to leave
on -lannary isih. ami they ar<' now lakinii ear" of lhems<dves.

140

Jiird Nuteti.

Oil .liiiniiwv iL'ili ;i small Hock of Hi-()\vii-lu>a(U'd Honey

•fillers { MclitJirc/il IIS a h Ici/tilliis; iitdllco ^\•;^s noted at Lockleys.

On -laiinaiy liUli and !>>ili a small Hock ol' IMii-jiU'-crowned
Loi-ikccfs I (1 l(iss(i/)sil Id j)ur/>h :ii()i-<pli(ihi i an-i\(Ml. and sinc<^
tluMi lia\(' l)ecome faiily inimri oiis.

On .Jannarv Uili I noii'd a Soiiilici-n I'ijiii or^ii-onnd Lark

{Atllllll.S (I IISI 1(1 lis (I'lclflidcllsis ] .

Tlie most iiiU'i-esl iniL;- note lliat I Innc IxH'ii able io record
for a loiiii, lime is thai of January I'JIIi. when I .'lushed a 'sN'hiTe-
tliroaled Xij;lil-jar { Hiiiostoixxl iis mifstacdlis) . li was in a
quiet s]»ol near Ihein^l sandhill, and was baskin^ in the warm
sunshine on llic uroiiiid. NNlr-n tlnsluMl ii setiled aiiaiii close
by on the sand, and I had a .ii(Hid look at ii before it. ajuain rose.
I5einii so iiuKdi iln' colour of 1 he sand it was diriicull Io see when
siitin<;' (dose. A\'hen Hushed the small birds were iireatly
perturbed and made a conslani noise until the Xiiihi-jar settled
down aiiaiu. T was extremely iiratitied at seeini>- the bird
about, as ii is \ears since I ha\'p s^hmi them on the Adelaide
I'lains.

On .January 21s[ a (Joshawk i ( rospiza fasciatd) came
about the fowls" yard.

On -iannary lI2nd a single sjtecinien (»f the l\iiiu' necked
Parrot [ lla nni fd'i iis ha riKin/i ) was obser\(Ml.

On .January L'411i s<'veral .Musk Lorikeets { (llosf^opsil In
(■(iiK-liniii I were in the red-<:ums callin<i' loudly. Purjile-
O'owned Lorikeets were also about, and screechin<i as they liew
in small lots, or s(|n(>tikin|H' io ea(di other as they crawled and
elunii- to the lea\'es or bramdilets of ih:' ;;ums searchiiii:' foi- their
food.

On •Iannary I'ilth a pair oT i\(isellas i Thit ijrrrcus criiiiiiis)
came about and w<M-e chased by the .Minahs { .]f//.:(iiil}i(i mchiito-
ccpJnild irhilei), so that they did not i>et nnndi peace. In s])ite
of this they are still about. The Minahs have bred late this
season, and there a quite a number of fully- Hedged younu' about
the "um-trees.

— By Mr. .J. Put ton. Xetherby. —

The following' birds with youno- were noticed on a visit to
the National I'ark. IJelair. durinm- tlie ])ast fortni.<>ht: — Grey
Shrike-Thrush (CoHiiriciiichi iKinnonicd ] . three l)irds, feedin?:
one younji' one ea(di ; Hoo(l(Hl-Kol)in d'clroicd h'lcolor) , two lots
of birds, feedinji' one younji" one each; Spotted-sided Finch
{i^fdfioiufplciini </utfdl(i) . (me male bird feeding two young
ones; IJlack-cliinned llcniey-ealer { Mclitlircpfiis (/iilfirii^) . two
birds feeding on<^ \oung (Hie: Oreeni1n(di. i /Jf/nriinis cJiloils).

Bird Notes^. i-tl

one bird feediuji' two .V(>un.ii' oik's; Vel low-breasted Shrike-Tit
{ Fdh-Hiiciiliis froiitdt IIS], one l)ird leedinj;- one vouiijj;- one.
Fom- Painled (inail ['I'nnii.r ntrhi ) were Hushed.

At Xetliei-b.v, on eacli (hiy li-um 2'Jiid instant to ihat date, 1
liave observed two Vellow-tailed Tit-WarbhM-s { Aca iilhisa
cJnijsoirJKxn feedinii' a vouni;- bronze Cnekoo, most ])robably a
Xarrow-billed ]>ronze Cuckoo {('jKilcococci/.r Ixisalisi. The
fnclvoo is alreadv more than twice the size of its fosler-jiarents.

— l\\ .1. W". -Mellor. I.ockleys.—
One o1' the main I'eatuies in ihi' bird life this iiionili is th«
large number of Common AA'attle Birds (Cohia (■(ininciilnlii
trcffclhisi \ that have be(Mi about Fockleys and the l\eedbe<Ls
generally. They have paid much attention to the Moweiing
encalyjdus, and their lond harsh calls have been heard on all
sides. They arrived at Lockleys during the last da\s of
• lanuary and during the first week in February. They then
increased considerai)ly and have kept with us siiu-e. Lorikeets,
both the ^[usk {(llossoitsiftd coHciinKi) and the l*ui-ple-crowned
{(,'. /xjrpJijjrocrplnilKs). are also ]tlentiful. the latter being
most ly young birds. I )uring some hot days they came (h)wn to a
l>oi of c<«(l watei- ]»laced for them near the house, where they
drank and bathed to their lu^arts" conrent. 1 also noteil a
W'liistling I^lagle { Halia-slHr splicniirKs) at Lnckk\\s.

February (>th. — There >vere numbers of M'hite-rumped
Swifts {Micropitii pacificnx) alxmt at Fulhani. They were
tlying low and ])assing on as they hawked after gnats and flies.
February 8th. — A j)air of Peaceful Doves {(Icopclia
jihic'uht fniiKiiiiJld ) brought out their young iiear the house.
Tliey came to the back door for a drink during the hot days, and
were (piite tame. \V]iite-])lumed Honey-eaters iPtiloinla

pcuicilhitd icliifci) had .\dung during the month, and brought
them to the birds' driidcing pot. It is sui'])rising to see the
number (d' birds that come during the hot spidls to driidv out
of the ]>ot, also the quantity of watsM- they constime is remark-
able. If people would only supply drinking water in their
gardens they would not only l)enetit the birds. l)ut would prevent
mtn-li ue])redatio]i amongst th.e soft fruits.

— F.y Mr. K. C. Beck.—

About l.jO Fairy Martins congreLialed (m a tree at I'^ulham,
and suddenly the whole flock made a rapid fliglit towards tlie
citv.

142 Bird Notts.

— liy Mv. J. Sutton. Xetlierby.—

Fi'binai-.v (itli. — Nino Wliitc-fi-ontod Herons tiew oversourli-
wostw.ii'ds.

February Stli. — A i)air of ( 'lies! nnt-oa red Finclies were
seen. They were ])eard callinp; on 11th and L*2nd instant. Six
Crimson Tarrots were noticed in ibe biij iiiims.

Fel)niarv iSth. — A yonnc' Srarlet-brensred Robin was seen.

February lilst. — A male White fronted Chat was peen at
noon on a telephone wire.

February 22nd and 2.^rd. — At midni.i;ht on 22nd and about
11 p.m. on 2.">rd inst. Swans were licai-d rallinu- ^^■hilst flyin;j;
overhead.

Dnriui; the month younii; birds of Sparrows. (Joldtinches,
Grey Shi-ike-Thrush, Yellow-tailed Tit-Warbler, and Green-
finches were noticed beini!; fed by j)arent birds.

W". K. Tlioiiia'5 k Co.. I'riiiters, Adelaide.

%

f^-'^ / W, K. ThO)n«s X (_u..

y\ r O-yenfuil '■ .

Vol. VI.

Part 7.

THE

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN

ORNITHOLOGIST,

A Magazine of Ornithology.

1st JULY, 1922.

JUJ

laMann

m

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE;

F. M. ANGEL, R.A.O.U.
A. G. EDQUIST
S. A. WHITE, C.M.B.O.U.
F. R. ZIETZ, R.A.O.U.

Price, 2/.

THE

South Australian

ORNITHOLOGIST.

Editorial Comviittee :

F.

M.

Angel, R.A.O.U.

A.

G.

Edquist

S.

A.

White, C.M.BO.U.

F.

R.

ZiRTz, R.A.O.U.

Secretary

J.

Sutton,

Fullarton Road,

Mitcham, S A

CONTENTS.

Page

The SoTitli Australian OrnitliDlo.tik-al Association ]4!>

■Order Passeriformes, Family Melipliagidae,

(Jemis .Melithreptns l">2

Notes 1)11 Hirds Seen during a liecent Visit to
the Western Darling, N.S.W. (Part III).
A. ('henery 153

The Drinking Habits of Peltohyas Australis

(Austr:ilian Dottrel). J. Neil McGilu 15^)

Breeding uiidcr Ditticulty. J. Neil MeGilii ir>(»

P»ird Notes loT

IJaliinee Sheet l'>3

The Editorial Coininittee accepts no responsibility for the
views or deductions expressed by any of its contributors.
The Journal welcomes a free interchange of ideas with the
object of extending the knowledge of our avifauna, but the
author of each article is responsible for the opinions and
deductions recorded.

THE

South Australian Ornithologist.

Vol. Vr.] 1st JULY, 1922. [Pakt 7.

The South Austrah'an Ornithological
Association.

M( VNTHLY rK( )CEEI )1N( JS.

ANXl'AJ. MEETING, HELD OX 31st MARCH, 11>22.

Mr. F. M. Angel in the c-haii-; later Professor J. B. Clelaud,
on his ai»i)(»intnient as President. The fonowing resignations
were ai-cepred with regret, the niend)ers having left l^onth
Australia tor N'ictoria, where they are now residing perma-
nently:— Mr. .1. 1). Connor and Mr. (i. Bruce Henderson. The
following officers were elected for the ensuing year: — Presi-
dent, Professoi- J. P>. Cleland; Vice-President, Mr. F. E. Par-
sons; and Hon. Secretary, Mr. J. Sutton. Mr. F. M. Angel,
retiring President, and Mr. J. Neil McGilp, retiring Hon.
Secretary, were thanked for their past services, and the incom-
ing officers thanked the membeis for the honour bestowed
upon them. The Hon. Secretary submitted the annual
statement of accounts, wliich was adopted. Mr. F. E. Par-
sons exhibited a male and female Ked-chested Quail {Titniix
pi/rrhofJionix], in which the male is a much smaller bird Ihan
the female. A Little (iuail [Tunii.r rclo.r) was also shown
for comparison. The Ked-chested Quail was obtained by Mr.
F. €. Morse near Moree, N.S.W., and he advised that those
birds were plentiful there. l>r. ^L>rgan then gave a descrip-
tion of a visit to the Baudin Hocks I vide \'ohimc \'l. part '!,
jtages l:i:'.-4. A]n-il numl»cr).

MEETiX(J IIICLI) ON 28th A1»BIL, 1!>22.
Professor J. JJ. Clelaud in the chair. The Ohairman
referred to the recent death of .Mr. F. K. Ziet/., who was an
old member of the Association. He referred lo the great
work tlu' laic Mr. F. K. Zietz had done for ornithology in this
State, and a \(»re of cniidolt'iici^ with his widow and relatives

150 The HoHth Australian Ornitholoyical Association.

was caiTied by the meiiibei'S jn-eseut. A vote of thanks was
j)a'ssed to Di-. W. Macdillivra.v for his leclniv on 27th inst.
Owinji. iiowevei', to the short notice, not many of <)ur members
were able to be present at that most interestinj;; and instruc
five lec-ture, mainly upon the Pelicans breeding at iLake Cowan-
dilla and adjoining- lagoons near Menindie. N.S.W. The
President expressed a wish that T)r. .MacGillivray would repeat
I he lecture here at some future opj)ortunity. Mr. .J. W. Mellor
then described the Robin family in Australia from his own
specimens of the birds, and aided by eggs exhibited by Mr. J.
Xeil McGilp. The Scarlet-breasted Robin { Pctroica tnalti-
rolor) — ^Si)ecimens taken at Flinders Island and Stirling
Ranges. W.A. The coloration of the Western species is a
deejter red and deejier black than the S.A. and E.A. birds.
Red-ca})ped Robin (I'ctroica f/oodcnorii ) — Si)ecimens from
l\vre's I'en insula, Pungondah, and Peterborough. The female
of this species is of a brown colour with a faint tinge of red
on the top of the head. Flame-breasted Robin ( Petroica
/jJioenicea) — Yorke I'euinsula is the furthest west that thi-i
bird is found. It breeds in the Bass Strait Islands, and in
Ta'smania. Specimens were shown from the Reedbeds, Flin-
ders Island, and 'Mount Arthur and Blount Harrow in Tas-
mania. The female is of a brown colour with no red at all
upon it. IMnk-breasted Robin {Eri/tlirodri/a!^ rodinof/aster) —
Specimens from Tasnumia. The female is brown with buff
marks on the wing, but shows no red colour at all. Rose-
breasted Robin { Eri/tJirodri/d.s i-oscu ] — Specimens from Vic-
toria and New South Wales. The fenuile is of a greyish-
brown colour. Large-headed Shrike-robin (Poceilodrifas
cnintd) — ^Specimen from Blackall Ranges, Q. This ibird has
a short, stumj^y tail. Yellow-breasted Shrike-robin (Eopsal-
frid (iiisti-(!li>t) — Sjieciniens from Eyre Peninsula, Blackall
Raiiges, Q., and X.S.W. The lecturer mentioned that on the
young of the Red Robins there first appeared a spot of 'red on
fme side, then one on the other side, and then one below those,
and gradually the colour spots coalesced. idaptain White
was wished a safe and suc<-essful journey by the President and
jneml)ers.

MEETING HELD ON 26th ^fAY, 1022.

Mr. F. E. Parsons ' (Vice-President) in the chair, in the
absence of the President (Professor J. B. Oleland) in New-
Zealand. The only business of the evening was a lecture by
the Vice-President on " Crakes and Rails." Crakes and Rails
are very quiet birds, and usually difficult to observe. Speci-

The i<()iith Ai(str<ili(iH OrttithoJoiiicul Axsocial ion. lol

mens of tlte IVcloi-al Hail { H i/ijotaciiidia philippcnsis) taken
Ht Paradise. lioth the female and the male birds have the
bnff band (»n the chest and white stripes over the eyes. The
yonnf; are black with red irides. Their nsnal food is tad-
l>oles, bnt tliey are also known to eat seeds and mice. The
owners of Wed;j,e Island state that these birds eat the domes-
ticated turkey's, e^'jjs. They can walk straight through two
inch wire-netting. The birds get very tame, and one year
there was a i)air in the Adelaide liotanic Garden. They nest
on dry ground near swamps, and also in crops. The Spotted
Cralce { I*(>r.:(iiia pinninea) is dark brown. sj)otted white on
the back, and leaden grey underneath. Si)ecimens were
shown taken at Paradise and Vorke Peninsula. These birds
may be seen at St. Kilda. The nest is of a neat cup shape,
made of rushes, and built over the M'ater. They are partial
to the sampliire. but are nevei* far from water. The Little
Crake ( J*orz(ina pdJut^trif^ ) is rusty-brown on the back, crown
blackish, and slaty-grey underneath. They live in fresh-water
.swamps, and, subsist on tadpoles and very small fish. Speci-
men shown was taken at Paradise. The Spotless ('rake ( For-
zana pluinhca) has salmon-coloured legs, is bright red
around the eyes, chocolate brown on back, and leaden grey
underneath. Tlie specimen was taken at Paradise. The Slate-
bi-^easted Rail (Ralhift prrtoralh) is also found in South Aus-
tralia. Di'. Morgan mentioned that he had seen sj)ecimens
of the above-mentioned live birds on . one swamj) near Kobe.
The other .«<j)ecies found in Australia are: — ^r'hestnut-bellied
Rail { Ei(J<thfornis (■(i^taneovenirii^] in Xorth-Western Austra-
lia, Northern Territory, and North Queensland ; Red necked
Rail {RiiUiiKi triroJor). in North Queensland; White-breasted
Crake ( PoJioVninuis cinerciifi) , in North- Western Australia
Northern Territory, and Queensland; Corncrake (Crrr crr.r),
one sfiecimen only has been seen in Australia, at Randwick,
N.S.W.. in ISO."), and it is almost certain to have been brought
out from England and liberated. Mr. Parsons also exhibited
s|>pcimens of the Prown Song-lark ( C/»r/o/7/r/ /?//>/»?/.<! crurdli.^),
known to boys as " cock-tu-eeler." from its song. Specimens
taken at P>righton and Outer Harbour; Rufous Song-lark {('in
clorhamphns riifc^ermi), specimen from Port Oermein ; Eng-
lish Skylark (AhnuUi (irrciisis), s]iecimen from Cilles Plains
(this bii-d is increasing around Adelaide) ; r^\ss<M' P>ush lark
(Mirafrn .^rrunda), S]»ecimens from St. Kilda and Gilles Plains:
(this bird soars high in the air and rivals the English Sky-
lark in it.s beautiful song) ; Horsfi<'ld's liush-lark iMirafra
horfificldi), specimen from Mount Compass. A Field Wren

152 Order Passerlfornics, Fainlli/ Meliphagidae.

{('(ildiiKiiiUdis (■(iHijifstris \ from I'ort Aujiiishi, and an Aus-
tralian rii»it {AnihuK .{iistnilis) from C}ill<'s Plains wore also
sliown. The m<'ml)ers thanked Mr. Parsons for liis interest-
in*; d('S(ri])lions.

Order Passeriformes, Family Meliphagidae,
Genus Melithreptus

M(]itlircj)fiis! (/iilaris — The l»lack-cliinned IToney-eater.
Hv A. y\. MoiujAX. M.r,., lI.Cii.

Description. — Tpjier surface of head Idack, bordered on
the oc('i])ut 1)Y a hand of white, startin.u on each side from the
hare skin behind the eye, followed by another band of bla<-k
startinji from the lores; back dull olive j^reen, becoming briiihter
yellowish green on the runij). Tnder surface, c-entre of chin
black, fading into grey on the chest and abdomen, the back chin
b(H-dered on eitliei- side by a baiul of white, flanks buttish grey,
■ear coverts black. ^\■ing. ujtper surface brown; under surface
lighter, each of the jtrimaries. exce])t the first, with the inner
webb dull white. Tail, dark brown, the outer webb of the six
central feathei-s faintly edged with olive green. Legs and
feet bro\>'n, bill black, iris hazel. F>are skin behind eye metal-
lic bluish grefMi. Length (of skin) 15 c.m., wing S.Db c.m.
Female resembles the male. The y<mng have the u])i)er sur-
face of the liead brown, the white neutral band less distin<-t,
the chin streak dark grey, the itill bro\^■n, and tlie bar<> skin of
a dark-greenish blue.

1 )isti-il)ution. — The greater jtart of South Australia where
large gum trees are to be found, but not in the dry country.
In similar situations in X'ictoria and New South Wales. Tt
is rej)resented in (^ueenshuuL the Northern Territory, and
NortIl-^^Vst Australia by closely allied sub-s])ecies.

Habitat. — (^])en tind)ered country. It is rarely found in
lliick, sci'ubby. or mallee lauds.

Habits. — This bird is one of a genus of short-billed Honey-
eaters, evidently ada])ted for feeding in the Eucalypt, where a
long bill is not a necessity. They are as much insect as honey
<'aters, and may often be seen clinging to the trunks of trees
like Tree-creejters, in search of insects under the bark. As a
rule they are found in ])airs or small Hocks of four or five.
They are liv<'ly and (|uarrelsome birds, and often hetray their
]iresence by their jienetrating note (U' by their fights with other
bii'ds. som<'times much larger than themselves.

VMBNEin—ninls of Wrstrni DarJhicj. 153

Flioht. — Quick and n!i(lnlatinj»-. Soineriiiics tliev take
•(jnite loTif>; liiglits in passiiiii' from one feediii^u' jii-oniid to anollier,
hut on tlu' whol*' arc local birds, and if a pair be located in a
|>articni,ir patch of timber one can dc^pend on tiiidinii- Iliem in
llie vicinity at all times of tlie year.

Call. — Lon<l and p<Mieti-atinii', and rallier hai'sh. A com-
mon call is like cliijt. chip, chip, clmr, chur. cliiii-. clnir, the
tir.'^t three notes (piickly repealed, the last four nuM-e drawn
out and lower in lone. Another call somiMvhai r<'semble's the
words shoo, shoo, shoo, L',et back, net back, ^ei back. In tliiiht
tlie <-all is a inonot(Uious chip, chip, chij*, etc.

Food. — Nectar and small insects from the I<'ucalyi>tuH
bl(«ssoms. and insects from the leaves and bark of the i^um trees.

Nesting' Season. — Aujiust, September. October, and Xoveiu-
her. The <ireater number I)uild in October.

Nest. — A beautiful cu])-sha])ed structure sluuii' ^'y *1'0 rim
to the outer leaves of a .uum tree branch, at a hei<»ht varyin,t>:
from ten to tifty feet from tlie .'j;i-ound. The nest is construc-
ted of white cow and horse hair, cobweb, ami tine ])ieces of lijflit-
cohiui'ed bai-k, so firmly wo\'en that a dam)» nest will hold
watei'. Captain ^^'hiie watcliiMl a ]taii- ])uildinm a nest in hi^
projKM-t.\ at the Ivcedbeds. and noted that in collecting- hair
from his cows ihey chose (uily that which was white. i'^veu
when robbinii ;i parti-coloured cow they always took their
spoil from the white ]iatches.

lOii'jis.- -Two or three in nundter. (Jrouml colour warm
reddish brown, pah'r at the pointed end ;ind deeiteninj; in sha(h'
towards tlu' tliick end, where there is an irre<iular /.one of dark
reddish-brown spots. A pair of e<i,os taken at Stone Hut in
Octoiber, 1SJ)7, measui-ed (It -.^7^ cm. x l.oo cm. and (2) 2.20
c.m. X 1.55 e.m.

They ar*' totally protected birds.

Notes on Birds seen during a Recent Visit to the
Western Darling, N.S.W.

PAKT III.
IJv A. <'iiKNi:iiV.
I do not knov, the exact distance, but I l)elieve the (iueens-
land feme to the tiorth and the S.A. fence to the west were less
than ten miles away. Tryiu'.;- to cross an apparently dry arm
of the Lake in the dusk, the I)od«>e car went down to the dif
fere.ntial. and it was two hours' hard work, with the help of the

1;j4 CHENERY-^Binis <,f Western Daiiiiiij.

Ford and a I'Ojje ou th<' l)ack axlo, before wc had it out again.
It was a weai-y i)ai-t.v of explorei-s who made camp iu the dark
and tni-ned in that night. No bii'ds of any intew^st were met
witli during this day's journey ex(e])t another pair or two of
<'innain<m-baeked Ground Birds.

Owing to threatening rain, of which a few dro})s fell, we
weiv up at daylight next morning to get our bedding rolled
up, and after breakfast moved back to a hut a mile away which
we had passed on the jirevions evening, thinking that there
was no water nearer than the well. Howe\er, a rain-water
lank was in evidence, as this hut is occupied al times by a
luan who rides the Queensland fence. Here we left Mr. and
Mrs. Heywood to rest, give the Dodge car a look over, and to
remove some of the black mud which had accumulated on the
wlKHds. The other three started to walk r(mnd the lake
called IMnnaroo on the majis. Bird life was not i)lentiful,
altluutgh the combination of water with timber and ti-tree
and much grass hearing seed apjteared to ]ii-ovide all necessary
foi- a large bird population. Amongst the bii'ds seen during
our walk were a Little Eagle. Podargus with two eggs in a
h(^x-tree. nmny Zebra Finches, Pacific Herons, White-fronted
Herons, a ]»air of Brolgas. Leadbeater's Cockatoo with two
<'ggs, Caterpillar eaters, a solitary Pelican, and the usual
Min.ihs, Cockiifjos. (lalahs, and Honey-eaters. On the far
side of the Lake we had the good fortune to Hush a Black Fal-
<-on from a tree, tlu' bird, as usual, fiying straight away, and
Jiot ascending to soar over the nest. This contained four
fre.sh eggs — now in Dr. McOillivray's collection. When
irearing the cam]* we flushed a Masked Owl from a large hol-
low in a green box-tree. This contained se\en eggs. T»artly
incubated — Hie first nest of this s])ecies the writer has met
with, and only the second bird \\-e had sc^n during our travels.
Captain Start «'stablished a l)as<' dei)()t at this sp(n in LS4r)
<in -Inly 2Sth. From here he made journeys to Lake Torrens —
isbout 11") miles fi'om the original depot near ^lilparinka —
and back to Forf C.r<^y ; then nor'-west for 4()() odd miles over
the Strzelecki Cre<'k and the Stony Desert to Eyre's Greek,
,'nid to within l.")!! mih's of the centre of the Conlinent, accord-
ing to his reckoning, and within one degree of latitude of the
Troijic. Drouglit conditions forced hin\ to return to the
dt'pol at Fort (Jicy. leaclied on Octobei- iMI. His third attem]»t
to rcacli his objeclivi' was made more due north and to the
i'asi of north nntil lie struck a fine creek, which he followed
f(u- some distance, and which he named Ooo}km-'s Creek, after
Judge CoopiM-. of Sonth .Xusfrnlia. He struggled back from

McGILP—HahitH of rntoJujas AnnimliH. 15;")

lit^i^ towards the end of November in ex(eedin<>-ly hot weather,
losino- two of his horses, and found that his party left in charge
had fallen back on the oi-i^inal depot near ^lili)arinka. Xt
('oo])er's Creek he found a " new^ and l)eautiful little INj^eon
with a loni>- crest, which never ])erched on trees, but on the
highest and most exposed rocks, a[)pearin2,' to like the intense
heat of sncli situations. Its tli_i»-ht was sliorl, like that of a
(^uail " [(Icophu !>!< plinnifci-d — (lould).

In our walks aiound Ihe Lake we found a marked l)ox-
tree with initials cut in it, but almost obliterated by ji'rowtli
(>f ibark. A (iOv<M'nment Surveyor had i-e-marked I he tree
i-ecently. There is no trace left of the stockade mack'- of slab.**
four and a half feet above the i;round which j^ave the name of
•• Fort" (irey to this dejiot. nanu'd after the then (Jovei-nor of
South Atistralia. There was a IMuebonnet's nest in the tree.
So much for this historical digression. After returning; to
the hut and lunchino-, we packed up and returned ten miles
(Ui our (mtward route and then camped. Xotliiui:; of interest
was noticed except a few ('innamon-l)acked (iround birds. The
next day we reached Vandama at 'i ]).m., after nei^ol iatin^'
those stee}) and numerous sandhills, which w<'re sn trying- to
the cars both i»oin<>- oul and coming- back. Wv lefl -limmy
Sit-down at the blacks' cam]), and \ fancy he was ulad to ,iivi
back. After tea and a, talk to ^fr. jind Mrs. A\'inton. who
had shown us such hospitality, we i-an on another L'l) iiiii(^s
in to Mount Sturt Station.

The remainder of the journey calls for liltle comment
fi'om an ornitholo,nical standi)oint. When we left the Hey-
wood's at .Arilj)ai'iidca. after "doinj;" Depot (Jlen atid Toole's
<Jrave, we went on to Tibboobui-ra, and th<Mi east to the T>ul-
loo floodwaters, but tlu'y had dried up and f>one back tlu'(>u<i:li
the fence into Queensland. <')ur ol>servations of bird life
were barren of interest exce])! I hat I struck an Amytis — vi'vy
shy — in a canejirass swamp, but had no |,nin a1 ihe fiiiu'. and
<(>uld not j:"et a specimen.

The Drinking Habits of Peltohyas Australis
(Australian Dottrel).

l>v .1. Xkii. .M(<iii.i'. Kiv(;'s I'.MtK.

Thon.ii,h 1 ha\<' Iiad a lonj;- acipniintance with this nscful
little bird, 1 ha\<' hitherto had no i-ecord of its wa1<M'in.ii at tlie
stock tanks and dams dnriim' lh<' heat of tlx' summer. I am

ir>(> U<(Jl/J' — linfiiniij iiiiilcr hifftciili t).

iilad to tiiid that it is not quite a total alistainer, as the follow-
inji' iineiestiii_i>' observation will prove. Dnrinj; December.
\\yi\. \n\ brotlier (Mi-. L. K. Medilpi had occasion to canijt for
several i\iylils in succession at a lar<>e stock tank on ^loola-
watana. On the second evenin<;\ jusr at dusk, he was sjir
pri>-ed to see tlock after Hock of these Dottrels arrivinii' from
the open, dry phiins in the vicinitv. After ali<ihtin<i' at the
water's edjjfe, the l)irds did not appear to be in an\- hurry to
drink, but for some time ran alon<«' the bank close lo the water,
ijjivinii: forth a barkinj>-like call, very similar to the bark of the
A\dret, I)ut hardly so shrill. The birds left sin.u'ly or in jtairs.
not in tlocks of twenty to thirty as tliey arrived at the water.
Thouiih my brother was at the tank for several evenin<i,s follow-
ing, no more Dottrels appeared.

From tiie foi-efi'oin<>- it would seem that the Dottrel needs
water occasionally during:,- the summer, but the reuuirkable
rhin^i: is that on a certain eveninjj;- hundreds of them tlock to
water, yet they do not seem to water at other times. The
writer has known these birds for many years, but has not seen
a [>ottrel at the tanks. They do drink at surface waters, such
ak-- crabholes and chiypans. when availabh'. rratincoles. a
common bird at times on ^Moolawatana, come in to tank waters
fr<'«iuently durinji, the day.

Breeding under Difficulty.

l>y .1. Xi:ii, .M('(tiLi>. KiN(;'s I'auk.

When at .Moolawatana (Lake Frome district) ivcently 1
was shown a nest u\ (rixicfiis aiidn.r ( l*'a,iile]ia wk ) . the owners
of which must have had i-ather an unpleasant (experience when
rearin«i' their younji.

The nest was ori<>inally built ujton the top of what is
locally known as a Tar IJusli, a fuchsia-like flowerinjjj bush.
It was not more than four feet U{» from the <::round.

Duriui; a heavy storm the supportinji" branchi's of the bush
.i:av<' way, and the nest was carried a distance of eii^ht feet,
landinjf on the uround the ris>ht way uj». Some days after-
wards one of my employees, \\hen ]>assinic the nest, was sur-
prised to find two youn«»- which were in the snow-white downy
sta.iie ('under a fortnif»ht old). These youn<; were successfully
leared in this nest.

It is not unconinum to see Eajjlehawks nesiinji: close to tli<*
irronnd. T knew of one built in the lowest forks of a Needle

Bird Xotcs. LIT

Hnsh, and the bottom of the nest was not more than eifihteen
inches from the ground. A hirge gum creek is within two
mih^s of til is nest.

Bird Notes.

MARCH, 1922.
I>v 'I. ^^^ .AIki.lok, Locki.kvs.

Tliis season lias been one of tlie busiest on I'ecord in tl<i*
bird worhl at J^oi-kU\vs and tlie Keedbcds geiu'rallv. thert' being
large nundiers of birds about, especially llonev-eaters and
I'arrakeets. The native blue gums { HiicdJt/ptiis hncoji/hm),
being in full tlower, attact many birds. A solitary (Jalali or
Kose-breasted Cockatoo ( /!/V>/o/>/n<.s rosccditillii.s ) made tlii' for
est trees ring with its loud, piercing sci-eeclics. and that it fouml
enough food was i)i-ovpd by the long stay it made. On .Mai-cli
IT) it departed, in coni]»any with five other (lalahs that ha[)pi'n('(l
to come this way. A Port Lincoln I'arrot { /idiiKirdiiis
zonariHs) jiut in an appearance at Lockleys the same day as
the first (lalaii, but did not stay. Large nund)ers of Vellow-
winged Llonev-eaters { }frli()rnis nordr-JioUdiKlidc subdssiiiii-
//.S' ) came and have been here e\'er since. These birds were ]>len
tiful years ago, Imt have gradually decreased in nund)ers. The
lilack-chinned Honey -eater { McliiJncptiis i/iiJaris loffu'i) has
been calling \'igorously. ]>lack-faced Cuckoo-shrikes {('(fniciiKi
iiordc-JioUdiididc iiichi iiops ) were to be seen in the red gums.
In March a 'Regent H(mey-eatei- { XdiitJioini.z'd phriifiid trcf/cl-
Jiisi) was seen, this being the second occasion on which these
birds have visit<Ml the distri<-t, the first time being on .Kpril 29.
1!)!!). Then they were extremely plentiful, but this yeai- they
came in ones and twos. T noted them e\"ery day until .March 9,
since when nothing has been seen of them.

March Tj. — A (Joshawk {[hospiza fdscidi iis ^ came worrying
the ]toultry in the yard, but soon disajiiteared on being dis-
turbed, and it was chased by flocks of the Eurojtean Starlings.

Another put in an appearance on .Mai'ch 10.

On .March 5 noted several lMi)its or (Jround Lai'ks {AiilhN-'<
dii.sfrdJis ddcJdidciisis] on the open gi-ass land.

^Lircli S. — A pail' of ("hestnut-eai-ed Finches (Tdciiiopiff/id
rdfttdii<)fis\ were in the |)onltry yard selecting feathers for
nest ing.

.Mai-ch '.(.-Noted the Little Falcon [lUilco loiKji p< n)ih\
unusually activi^ in the fields where timber is thick, and I have
■seen it about during' the month.

158 Bird Notes.

Maicli IS. — A j)air of Mistletoe IMi-ds i Aii.stnxiicacum
hirinKliiKicciini ) were about at J^ockleys. uttering their low.
sweet, wliistlinji' calls. A most unusual visitor was a fine
s[)eeinien of the Pale-heade*! Parrot ( I'hiti/ccrciis (idscitn.s palli-
ctps) of Queensland, presumably an esi-apee. which was still
ahout at the end of the month.

I>Y J. Srrrox. Nktukkbv.

February 2S. — A lilack-faced Cuckoo-shi-ike has been about
llie place this month.

March 1. — 1 cauj>;h1 a young- Stubble Quail in the hedge
lhre<^ days after the big grass tiiie near (ilen Osmond.

Alarch 10. — Saw a young (Toldfinch being fed hy a jtarenl.

March II. — Noticed about twenty ^^'hite-f routed Cliats in
South Park Lands.

March V.\. — Noticed about twenty White-fronted Chats in
a paddock near Miteham.

March 15. — A Grallina flew at a "Kitty ' whilst it was
rolling up to l>egin an end on the I'arkside Howling C'lnb given.

March 1(». — Hawk ((\C.| resting in a |)epj)ermint gum
annoyed by two Willie Wagtails, Avhich were only a few feet
away and attacked it frequently.

March 18. — Same Hawk attacked by a Magpie whilst on the
wing. Maggie was very discreet, and >\as feet behind at ea<'h
snap whicli I could hear.

March 19. — Pardalote calling " pe<^poh " or '' meat hook "'
heard for first time this year.

March 2:2. — A Spinebill seen in the garden.

APRIL, 1022.
P>v J. W. Mkli.ok. Locklkvs.

Some of the ^■isitors to this disti-ict ha\'e left us during tlie
month, notably t!ie large Wattle P>irds and the Musk and
Pui-ple-crowned Lorikeets.

The Stri]»ed Diamond Bird { /'(iitlalofiis .strintn.'^ /(ultaffi-
nisi has been about in the larg«> gum trees, and was noted
fiist on April (5.

A]»ril 7. — PVmale of the Ked-cai)ped liobin { W'hitconiis
'foodi'Horii) was noted at Lockleys, Init no male was present.

Ajiril 10. — Although the Murray Magpies [(iruUlnu-cjiuno-
httcd I are (piite common, and nest near the house, T have never
seen tluMii so (jdentiful as now. On the evening of the 10th
F flushed (piite a number from a small bushy tree where they

Bird Xotcs. 15!>

had conjirefiakMl to roost foi' the niiihl. In all tluMV were
about twenty.

April 11. — I was pleased to note sevei-al Ked hacked I'ar
rots ( I'scphotiifi harniatonotus) feedini*' on the ground amonj^st
rhe grass, showing that these old friends have come to stay.
The Tale-headed Kosella that arrived lasi month Avas associat-
ing with Ihem. This Hosella I'arrot has quite made his home
at Mellor Tark. and comes down to drink from the wild birds'
wnter-pot not far from the back door.

On the same day several Hr(>wn-headed Honey -eat ei's ( j/r/i
threpiii.^ ntricapilliifi inalhr) were tiying in a small tlock. A
small covey of White-browed HabbliM's [ .]for(/tin<))-iiiy siipcfciU-
o.^Uft) were very inipiisitive, and ho]»]»ed right u]) lo wh^re 1
stood.

April 14. — Although the Shiike-lil { FdlcinicKlus froiitd
fiis-fari(jiilufi) is not a conunon bird, no fewer than three came
to drink out of the water-pot, where next day 1 alsc* noted a
Hlack-chinned Honey-eater { }f('Iifhr('pti(s </iiliiyi.<i loftip).

April 22. — A ifemale Flame-breasted Kobin {Litllrra-
phocniccd (ilhicfuifO Hitting about in search of insect!^.

On April 25 quite an invasion of Welcome Swallows {Hir-
undo neoxina) was witnessed, tlie rain having brought out
many gnats and Hies, which attracted them in quite large nuni
Iters.

fiV d. SlTTOX. XlCTIlERHV.

The Ulack-chinned Honey -eaters { .Ucliihrrpfu.'^ //(//(/ri.< i,
I>lack-faced Cuckoo-shrikes ( (h'diicuJnx iionic-liolldiididc i .
>Vhite-naped Honey-eaters '{ McJitlircpti's liniiildl us) , Yellow
breasted Shrike-tit { FdJcUHcHlus fronididK), Musk Loi-ikeets
{(ilossopsiftd coiiciinid ), I'urplc-crowned Lorikeets (O'/o.v.so;;-
f<iftd porpliijroccpJKihi ). and Criiiisoii Pai'rots {fJalj/crrcus
rlr(idii.s) have been aboui the whole of tlu' month.

On April 7. after the rain, Scai-let-breasted Robins [ I'ct-
roicd unilticoJoi) and S})otted Diamond Birds { f'd)(ldIotu.^!
jtinn-tdtds) ])ut in an appearance.

The Nankeen Kestrel ( Ccrclnicix cotcln-oidv.s i has been seen
on many occasions, and on April !) one was attacked at the
height of aboul ino feet by four .Magjdes simultaneously, three
attacking from above, downwards, and one from beneath,
u]»wards. li was wonderful to s{'(' how the Hawk dodged the
attack, but (»n one occasion one of (he "downward" Magpies
knocked out a mouthful of feathers from the Hawk's back. The
nna]ti)ing of beaks could be distinctly heard, but the Hawk did

100 Bird l^'otes.

not ;iii]i(';ii- to li^lil, and after li\<' iiiintiti's tlx' .Ma^pit^s ceasfd
at tackiiiii-

On llic Hitli inst. a Xan-ow-liilh'd 15i-(»nzp ( 'ncUoo {('h(ilci1<s
hiisdiis) was Ix'ai'd. and was sfcn on ITtli inst. near some tliick
shi-nhbcrv. It lias nctt Ihmmi licard noi- seen since the last dat<'.
On L'.'>rd inst. a Uarn owl ( 7'///o ajlxi) was heard, and on 24tli
inst. a lioolioolc Owl {Miio.r hoohook) was noticed at Tt.nO jt.in.
on the l)oiii>h of a riinix insif/nis, six feet from the ground. On
22nd inst., on a visit to the National Park, lielair, I took a
<ensns of the birds seen and heai-d. I covered about a thirl
of the area, and saw 2SS and heard ninely-onc bii-ds of thirt.v-
nine different species. The ]>iedoininatin,ii birds were AVhite-
bearded Honey-eaters [ McliornU ii(ir(i(-h(t]J(iii(]i<ic) , \Vhite-
plnnied Honey-eaters ( MrUpliii<i(t jK-iiicilhitu i. Superb ^Varhlers
[Mdluiiis ci/diiciis) , ~^^'attle Hirds { A iitlioclKiciit ciiriniciiltitd ) ,
and Spotted Diamond Iiirds ( I'aidalnf ns /ninctaf ux ) .
*5ive birds.

\\\ \\. I»K('K. Tai'I-ky's Hii.i, Road.

.Vpril 2. — Three S]»iny-clieeked Honey-eaters {Acaii-
tJi(i(/(Hi/s! i-iifoffiihiri.s). It was the tirst ai»]iearance of these
birds in the district. They were shy and hard to observe for
aboni ten davs. They are now qnite tiime, and sj)end a lot of
lime ill a .Moretoii I>ay i\ix tree close to tlie liack door.

Ajiril !). — A Knfons-breasted Whistler {!'. rufircntris).
The tirst apearance here.

A])ril 11. — A T\ed-<'ai»])ed Kobin ( /*. f/oodcnorii ) .

A]»ril. — Several (Jronnd ('iickoo-shrikes i I'tcfo/xxJociis
]>]i(isi(in(]J(i ] .

.Mr. W. W'eideiibach re]»orted havinii' ^^WMi at Ohm Osmond
on April 27 and 2^ se\('ial K(\ii(Mit Honey -eaters.

.MAY, lil22.
]\\ -1. \\'. .Mkli.ou. Locki.kys.

Till' month lias liceii one of activity amongst (he Hawk
family at Lockleys, several s]»ecies havin<>' been observed.

On .Ma.\ .". I noted a AA'liistlini>- l\a<;re ( HdUdsttir spJiciiiirKs)
Hyinji round and ntterinii its well-known whistlin,ii' call. These
birds are somewhat ])artial to vonn<> rabbits when they come
flown here, but on I lie .Murray and ai'onnd Lakes Alexandrina
and Albt'rt and the Cooron.ii 1 liav<' noted that they are very
jiai'tial to tish diet, especially tlu' bodies of the " boney bream,"

Bird \otis. 1(11

when these fish are cast up on the shores. On this account
they are k)cally known as the ""Fish ICaj^le."

On May 4 the Hrown Hawk ( [na-Ulcu Ixriyora i, which was
at one time plentiful in the district, liut now scarce, was seen
flying overhead.

All the month the little Nankeen Kestrel {('ciclincis
<-(iichr()i(h's) has been busy cajituring mice. These are truly
useful birds in keeping down the mouse pest.

The Little Falcon [Fulco l(ni</iit(iiHis\ has also been dili-
gent in securing the common Sparrows for food, and in this
respect it also is a very useful bird. In dissecting the stomach
of one of these birds, shot in the country and forwarded to me
for identification, I found t!u' remains of no less than three
sj -arrows.

On May .") I noted (piite a nuwiber of Flame-breasted Kobius
{ LittJcni chrifsopfcni plKxiucrd) , Tor the most part in sombre
garb, probably females or young males, but here and lliere a
beautiful old cock bird would stand (Uit like a small ilame of
tire. These birds were, however, migrating, as by .May l")
none was about, nor lia\e they since been noted. They seldom
stay more than a few weeks at the most, and none stays to breed,
and r an.i of the opinion that these little bii-ds are one and the
same as the Tasnmnian birds, and that they migrate to the
Island State to breed.

On May IT several Southern Spiney-cheeked Honey-eaters
(AcdiifluH/ciii/s riipf/iildris <-!/<iiiiis\ were about, their loud and
beautifully li(piid calls being heard at (piite a distance away.

During the latter jiart of the month several Fantailed
Ouckoos {(Uicouutnth nihric(ifns\ have been about. They are
very (piiet indeed in themselves, but their presence is fully
heralded by all and snndry of tlie small birds that nudvc a
great commotion while the Cuckoo is altout.

The Red-backed or (Jiass Farrot { I'scpliofiis huciiidiouo-
liis) has a})i)arently come back to slay, as I saw several during
the last few days of the month.

F>v J. SiTTox. Xkthkkbv.

Flamim'.rk.vspei) KoBiN's. — First seen on May 7, and have
been about the gardens every day since then.

Hko-cai'I'KI) Rop.ix. — A fennile was seen on May 7 — the

first time I have noticed one here for four years. It has not
been observed since.

162 BinI \otes.

Fantailed K'uckoo. — One was seen on May 7 worried b.v
two Willie \^'a<^tail^^. It was not t-allinj;. and has not been seen
or heard since that date.

GoLDEN-BREASTEU Whistler — A female was seen about
Netherby on 12th inst. Male birds were heard singing in Lon^j
(JuUy on 24th inst.

Hue Mountain Lorikeet.— Appeared about 10th inst.,
but only remained a few days.

NVhite-siiafted Fantail. — One arrived at Xetherbj' on 2(Jtb
inst.

Mopoke. — At 10.35 p.m. on 24th iu.st. a niopoke tlew from
ii fence post by the footpath near I^rrbrae in Fullarton Road.
The post was six feet from the electric light.

At Mypouga on Sth inst. many Crimson Parrots were Been.
Crescent Honey-eaters were calling, and a fair number of
Willie Wagtails was noticed. '

At Aldgate on 20th inst. Tawny-crowned Honey-eaters
were about, also Crimson Parrots. Crescent Honey-eaters,
White-shafted Fantails, Sordid Wood Swallows. A Fantailed
Oiekoo was heard calling. No Wattle lairds nor ^Villie AVag-
tail's were seen or heard.

At Long dully on 24rh inst. the Prown and ^^■llite-throated
Tree-creepers were near the Jiailway Station, and Golden-
breasted ^^lIistlers were .seen. AVhite-naped and AN'hite-
bearded Honey -eaters were numerous.

On lUth inst. many Jilue Mountain Lorikeets were in the
National Park, but on the 24th inst. none was there.

Balance SJicct. lU

»statk:^ii:nt of rec^eipts and expenditure for

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Vol. VI.

Part 8.

THE

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN

ORNITHOLOGIST,

A Magazine of Ornithology.

1st OCTOBER. 1922.

Ln

■ ^s —

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE;

F. M. ANGEL, R.A.O.U.
A. G. EDQUIST
S. A. WHITE, C.M.B.O.U.
F. R. ZIETZ, R.A.O.U..

Price, 2/.

THE

South Australian

ORNITHOLOGIST

■ ,/
/

■-.^^

Editor ia I Comuiiltee :

F. M. Angel, R.A.O.U.
A, G. Edquist
S. A. White, C.M.BO.U.
F. R. ZiKTz, R.A.O.U.

Secretary :

J. Sutton,

Fullartoii Road,

Mitchrtra, S.A.

"SoTith AnstiaTiau Oniitliological Association Kio

Order I'asseril'oriiies, Fainilv Svlviidae. <Teiins Megaliinis 170

•Junior Ornirholoiivists, J^y A. <i. Kd(]nist 171

>>ome AYeijilits. Measurements, and Teni]»eratnres of

Birds, By A. M. Morgan, M.B., B.Cli 174

Bird Xotes 17G

I'nblicatioDs Keceived .. l''*^-»

Officers and 3Ienn)ers . . li**-i

The Editorial Committee accepts no responsibility for the
views or deductions expressed by any of its contributors.
The Journal welcomes a free interchange of ideas with the
object of extending the knowledge of our avifauna, but the
author of each article is responsible for the opinions and
deductions recorded.

THE

South Australian Ornithologist.

Vol. VI.] 1st OCTOBER, 1922. [Part S.

The South Austrah'an Ornithological
Association.

MONTHLY PROCEEDINGS.

—Meeting held on :JOrh June, 1922.—

The President (Professor J. B. Clelaud, M.D.) was in the
chair.

The following correspondence was dealt with: —

Erom the Hon. Secretary British Ornithological Union
and the Editor "The Aiik," advising, that they had given instruc-
tions to the publishers of their magazines ( "The Ibis" and "The
Auk" respectively) to forward iC0})ies as issued in exchange
for "The South Australian Ornithologist." A hearty vote of
thanks was accorded, to both authorities.

Australasian Association for the Advancement of
Science. — Letter from Professor J. R. Wilton, the local
State secretary, covering one from the local secretaries, Wel-
lington, N.Z., intimating that the next meeting is to be held at
Wellington, N.Z., on Tuesday, Oth January, 11)2:5, and Ave were
approached for the names of our delegates and reminded that
offers of papers to be read at the meeting should be sent to
the local State secretary as early as possible. Professor J. B.
Cleland and Captain S. A. White were appointed as delegates.

A letter was received from Mrs. P. R. Zietz and Mrs. A.
Zietz thanking the members for the letter of sympathy in their
bereavement. It was decided by this meeting to purchase the
complete set of "The Emu," ottVi-ed to us by Mrs. F. H. Zietz, at
the price of £4 10/-.

The following new members were proposed : — Messrs. H.
J. Brewster Jones and Eric S. Paterson.

Swallows. — The President drew the attention of members
to an article in the June number of the Medical Journal of
Australia bv John Dale, M.B.B.S., Medical Ollicer of Health,

KW; The t<outh Aiistniliati Oriiifholoyical Asi^ockitmii.

AV.A., entitled "Flies on a Sanitary Site and Typhoid in a Boys'"
Home:" — "On 9th March, 1920, at about 12 noon, a visit was-
paid to a municipal sanitary site where the contents of a
number of pans (about SOU) are buried each might. The soil
consists ,of pure sand. . . . On the occasion of the visit
there was a moderate breeze from the north, the sky was
occasionally overcast, and heavy showens were falling at inter-
vals. On arriviing at the site it was noticed that a quadri-
lateral patch of ground was literally black with Swallows. It
was found that this patch of ground corresponded to these
trenches the contents of which had been buried from eight to 12
days before. On examination of the surface from which the
Swallows were turned away, a large number of freshly-hatched
flies were seen crawling about. On closer examination nume-
rous small holes of a diameter of about two millimetres were
seen on the surface of the sand, and it was presumed that these
holes were made by the emerging flies. This was easily con-
firmed, and in certain situations it was possible to see flies
emerging at the rate of several per minute from a patch of
sand six inches square. The flies emerged very rapidly ; almost
as soon as the frontal sac on the top of tlie emerging fly's head
was recognized breaking through the surface, the fly hopped out.
The showers of Tain had caused the surface of the sand to
"set" tightly, otherwise the channels made by the emerging
flies would not have been preserved. The disturbed Swallows
returned almost immediately and settled within a few feet of
the observer, devouring the flies eagerly. Apparently no other
species of birds were availing themselves of the feast. . . .
The flies were nearly all house flies (Musca domestica). A
few larger "blow" flies were also seen emerging. . . . The
countless flies, which hatch out of the excreta trenches are
brought there, of course, as eggs or maggots in the pans from
the pwunses of the individual householder." It was decided
to write to Dr. Dale to ascertain which species of Swallow he
referred to.

The President also mentioned that during his recent trip
to New Zealand he had observed the flight of two kinds of
Albatrosses — the Wandering Albatross {Diotnedea exulans)
and the Black-browed Albatross (Diomedea mclanophryf^) .
In starting tlie first impetus Avas obtained by flapping the wings,
then the flight is affected by gravity in coming down rapidly
to the food in the water, and thirdly by the wind force. He
suggested that our next monthly meeting should be jointly
with the University Science Club on the subject of "The Flight
of Birds," and it was left to him to trv to arrange this meeting-

The t^Oitth Australian OniitJwlogical Association. 161

tliroiigh Professor Kerr Grant. He also thought that he might
get Professor A. G. Strong to inform us of the allusi'ons to
bird flight in poetry.

The birds discussed by the Vice-President, Mr. F. E. Par-
sons, were the Artamidae seen in South Australia. The speci-
mens exhibited were shown b}' Messrs. J. W. Mellor and F. E.
Parsons and the Museum, per Dr. A. M. Morgan. White-
breasted Wood Swallow {Artamus leucorhynchus — Breast,
jibdomen, and rum}), white;, dark slate head, back, throat,
and tail. Thiis bird is never far from water, and is
seen in the big timber on the Murray as far down as
WonrVs Point. Migratory. White-browed Wood Swal-
low (Artamus superciliosus)— Dark slate on back; white
eyebrow; abdomen, rich chestnut; tail, tipped white. These
birds are seen everywhere in South Australia. Migratory.
Masked Wood Swallow (ArtdDiiis pprsonatus) — Dark
slate back; black throat, with white edge, underneath
grey. Migratory, and comes south in the breeding season,
in eompany with the White-browed Wood 'Swallow, and both
those species consume great numbers of the young locusts.
P. lack-faced A'^'ood Swi'llow {Arfdiinis ciiicrciis) — A
smaller bird, black face; grey breast; abdomen, darker grey;
tail, tipped white. A Centra] Australian bird, but migratory,
and has been noted in this State as far down as Port Augusta
and Renmark. Wood Swallow (Artamus oiianoptcrus) —
Ohocolate-brown head; back and underneath and wings black,
with white outer edge, tail tipped white. A very Interesting
note on this particular species, which may b? seen about the
Adelaide Plains and the Hills at the present time, was handed
in by Mr. A. Grompton, of Tapper Kensington (vide notes').
All the voung of the Wood Swaliowis ai'e stri|»ed underneath
and on the back, but the wings are a blackish colour.

— Meeting held on the 25th August, 1922. —

Mr. F. M. Angel in the chair Cin the unavoidable absence
of the President and Vice-President) .

The new members pro|)Osed at the June meeting. Messrs.
H. J. Brewster Jones and Eric S. Paterson, were duly elected,
and Mr. J. W. Go'odale was duly propcsed and seconded for
membership.

The follov.-ing donations were notified and a vote of thanks
was passed to each of the donors : — Mr. H. L. White, of ''Bell-
trees," Scone, N.S.W., forwarded a copy of "Index to The Emu,"
volumes 1 to 20. and ^\v. Robert Hall, of BellcviU'. Tasmania,
presented a copy of his latest work, "Australian Bird Maps."

108 The tSoutJL Aualialian (JiJiUholoyicul Association.

Correspondence laid upon the table.

A letter dated 8tli July, Vd'l'l, was received from Dr. John
J)ale re "Swallows and Flies:"— "l was pleased to note that
jour members Avere interested to hear about the Swallows. The
'episode" took, place over two years ago, soon after 1 arriv^ed in
Australia, and the account was written and forwarded to the
Journal forthwith. As far as 1 remember — (1) Estimated size
of patch— 4U to 50 ft. x 20 to 30 ft. (2) Number of birds—
Several hundreds, say 300. The Chief Inspector, Mr. Green*
hill, who accompanied me, estimated the number at 500. (3)
Species of Swallows- — I have the impression that it was the
Red-throated bird (the Welcome Swallow), but 1 am
not certain. Mr. Greenhill tells me he has seen similar flocks
on the I*erth depot since we were together. I will keep your
letter and try to verify the species."

Letter from the Tresident and member of the Kangaroo
Flat Bird Club advising the S.A.O.A. that Thomas Mitchell,
aged 10 years 5 months, in 5th Grade at the school, was the
winner of the Bird and Tree Competition for 1922, and thus
his school is the holder of the S.A.O.A. trophy for that year.
The school thanks us. It was decided to ask Mr. P^dcpiist to let
the Association see each yeair the six essays from which the
prize-winner ,is selected.

Letter from the Field Museum of National History,
Chicago, informing us, in reply to our request, that the name
of our Association is on ,the Museum publication list to receive
all issues of the Ornithological and Report Series. It was
decided to send our thanks for this courtesy.

Exportation of Native Birds from Australia. — After some
discu-ssion it was proposed by Ca]»tain S. A. White, seconded
by Dr. A. ]M. Morgan, and carried unanimously, "that our
Association will support the R.A.O.U. in any action it may take
in this matter."

Ca])tain S. A. White then gave a description ,of some of
the birds seen by him on the recent trip, by motor to Darwin
and back, and , exhibited some of birds taken. Brown Hawks
( fcrdcidca hrri(/or(i ) , Desert Chats {AsJihi/ia lorriisis) . and
INIrs. ;M< rgan's Parrot { Baniardiiis ^o»i//'/n.s mi/rtdc) were seen
up to the MacDonnell Ranges. Above these Ranges, in the
grass-country, the birds changed. The country had deep creeks
and heavy timber. In the big waterholes Spoonbills. Egrets, and
White-fronted Herons were numerous. The birds were very
tame. Tlie Wild Turkeys walked into their camps. Many
Native Companions were seen. In one flock there were over
100 birds, and thev saw 20 to 30 dancing on one occasion. Emus

The ISouth Austmlian, Oniitholofjical Association. 169

rau aloug-side the motor cars, and kangaroos merely moved

out of their way. Right up to Darwin the Crimson-winged

l*arrots i I'scphotns pnlcherrinius) were plentiful. From

Sturt I'lain to Daly Waters Finches were very thick. At

Harrow's Creek he obtained the Long-tailed Finch (Poephila

acuticauda), Painted Finch {Emhlema pieta). Grey-headed

Honey-eater {Meliphaga kcartlandi ), Grass Wren [Amytornis

fcxtilis), and Whitp-f routed Honey -eater {Ghjeipliila albi-

frons) — its furthest north. The Banded Finch {Lonclmra

hicheiwrii ], at Daly Waters. The Redthroat ( PijrrJwIaenius

hn(niieus) and Horsfield's Bush Lark {Mirafra juvanica), in

the MacD'onnell Ranges. The Rufous-breasted W^histler

(Pacliyccphahi rufircntris) was found from Oodnadatta to

beyond l)aly Waters;, the Narirow-billed Bronze Cuckoo

{Chalcites basalis) near ])aly Waters, and also the Queensland

border; the Little Wood Swallow {Artamus minor) from

Oodnadntta to, Dan win. also the Yellow-throated Minah

{Mjjzantlia flarignla}. The Harmonious Shrike Thrush

{('olhiriciiwla JKinnoiird), and the Black Tree Creeper

idimacfeiis melaiiota) were also observed; the Red-breasted

Babbler { Pomatostomus ruheculus) from .Crown Point up to

Darwin. The Ap-ostle Bird {StrutJiidca cinerea) were very

common. The Pratincole (Stfiltia isfthclla) were in hundreds

en the grass jjlains from Newcastle Waters to the Queensland

border. Naked-eyed I'arti'idge Pigeons {(ieopJiapfi S)HitJn)

were very thick in the high grass in the Territory. The Flock

Pigeons (HisfriopJiapf^ histroiiica) wei-e found on the plain

between Newcastle '\^^aters and the Queensland border, and

came to drink at the water pools in the evening in flocks of

,500 to fiOO. Bronzewing Pigeons were numerous in the ranges.

The White-breasted Cuckoo Shrike (Graucnliift hi/poleueus)

and the Oriole (Orialiis sagitfatns) were seen right through to

Darwin and sitccimens of McGillivray's Parrot were

obtained in Queensland. A .Mo])okp {\ino.p hoohook)

was found on tlu» plains between Newcastle Waters

and Anthony's Laffoon. f'crmorants — the four species^ — were

in thousimds at Newcastle Waters, and Pelicans were also

very numerous there. White Egrets (Egrctta alba) were

plentiful there. Jnbirus ( Xcnorhniir-Jnis osiaticufi) were seen

in the tropics. Rails were noticed in Darwin and numbers

of quail were observed between each camo of the narty. He

had great difficulty in keeping any specimens taken because

of the destructive hordes of ants everywhere in the north.

The Chairman, on behalf of the meuibers, thanked the
lecturer for the interesting evening.

170 Order ra.sscrifonnes, FiunHij ^Syldidae,

Order Passeriformes, Family Sylviidae,
Genus Megalurus.

I'.y A. M. AloigaiK M.T.., I!. Ch.

Megalurus gramineus — The Little Grass-bird.

Description. — Upper surface, head, neck, upper back
brown, each feather with a broad stripe of dull black in the
centre; lower back and upper tail coverts, light yellowish-
brown; over the eye a line of dull white. Under surface, chin
white, with a few dark-brown spots; neck white, strongly
spotted with dull black; breast, dull white; abdomen, dull
yellc-wish-white in centre changing to butf on the tianks and
under tail coverts and thighs ; wing primaries, dull black ;
secondaries, dull black, edged with dull white; greater coverts,
dull black, edged with fawn; under wing coverts, dull white;
tail, dark brown, the shafts and a narrow line down the centre
of each feather, black; bill brown; legs and feet, pale brown;
iris dark brown. The sexes are alike in colour.

Total length of skin, 14 cm.; wing, 5.4 cm,; tail G.5 cm.

Distribution. — The whole of the southern part of Austra-
lia, including Tasmania and Kangaroo Island. It is a common
bird during the summer months on the islands of St. Vincent
and Spencer (lulfs, and they am still fairly numerous in the
City of Adelaide, on the banks of the Tori-ens and in the
Botanical Gardens.

Habitat. — Low-lying swampy country where there are
reedbeds or samphire flats. On the Murray and Darling Rivers
they are very numerous in the flooded country during high
rivers, and breed in the half-submerged polygoniTm bushes.

Habits. — In the southern parts of South Australia they are
migratory, arriving early in August and leaving some time
towards the end of February or early in March ; a few, however,
remain throughout the winter, perhaps more than is generally
supposed, as they are silent, at tliat season of the year and are
not conspicuous birds at any time. They live amongst the
reeds cr samj)hire, which they leave only to cross from one
patch to another. In the reeds they are lively a!id quick in
threading their way. . They are inquisitive and easily called
u]) by imitating their call. The tail is carried partly erect,
but not carried over the back as with the maluri.

Flight. — Fluttering, of short duration, rarely more than
a few yards from one clump of reeds to another.

'Call. — Two or three long-drawn-out mournful whistles
repeated at short intervals.

Food. — Small insects.

J'JDQL 1ST — /nil tor Oniitholoyi.si.s. 171

Nesting Seiiscm. — From the middle of August till the end
of November, September being the principal breeding month.

Nest. — An open cup-shaped structure, built externally of
dried grasses, strips of reeds or paper-bark, and mainly lined
with feathers. As a rule two large curved feathers are built
into the top of the nest in such a way as to ,eompletely cover
the opening. A nest found at the Grange, S.A., on September
15th measured. Iieight over all 9.5 cm., depth of cavity 5.0 cm.,
opening 40 x 50 cm.

Eggs. — Three or four in a ciiitch. I'lie nest mentioned
above contained five egg.s, but this is the only occasion on which
I have seen so many. The eggs are long and oval, surface dull,
ground colour white strongly speckled with dark red, some-
times so thickly as to almost conceal the ground colour.

Average measurement of nine eggs, 1.88 x 1.38 cm.
Largiest egg, 2.0 x 1.40 cm.
Smallest egg, 1.85 x 1,40 cm.

Junior Ornithologists.
By A. G. Edquist.

In lOlO School Bi'rd Protection Clubs were inaugurated
in the Public Schools of South Australia.

The idea was to secure a large number of children\s clubs
officered by the youngsters themselves, unless the scholars
wished the teacher to act as President.

During the course of Nature-study the teachers brought
under the notice of the children the importance of birds to
Australia, and urged them to band together and help theii*
elders in protecting our unique and wonderful avifauna.

As a result over 500 elubs have been formed and tens of
thousands of members hav6 been enrolled.

With so many sharp-eyed observers interested in the wel-
fare of the native birds, a better time is in store for our
feathered friends.

One result has been that native birds are more numerous
about the City environs to-day than was the case a few years
ago, when the shanghai was as much a part of the schoolboy's
outfit as was his pencil-case.

Scliools' roinpetitioii Cup,

])i't'sente(l liy The Sontli Aiisti-alian Oriiil holo^ical As^^ociatioii.
(Fi-oiii a block kindly lent by the Editor of "Th; Children's

Houi'."'i

EDQUIIST— Junior Orniiholoyists. 173

More than one ornithologist has remarked on the reappear-
ance of certain birds in our i)arlvS during the last few years,
and on the increased numbers of other species which were not
entirely driven away.

The movement has the full support of the South Australian
Ornithological Assc-ciation. To show their practical sympathy
with the movement the members have subscribed towards a
troj)liy, wliicli is offered for competition each year.

The winning club holds the cuj) at their school for twelve
months.

The winner receives a photograph of the trophy and book
prizes to the value of one guinea.

The second prize consists of one guinea's worth of books,
part of the collection going to the winner of second })riz'd and
part to his school library.

The purpose of dividing the prize between the prizewinner
and his school is to nuike him, understand that by helping him-
self he is helping to nii'ke tradition for his school, and also
that service for others 's a worthy idea\

The competition consists in essa;' writing and ia drawing
birds from .nature.

When essays are to be submitted for conqjetition. each
competitor is re(]uired to write two, one on a tree and one on
a .biird.

The essay which follows has been re]>ro(luced wilhout
alteration of detail. Sometimes the y(mng observers are at
fault, but usually their observations and deductions are very
accurate, es[)ecially for young children.

First Prize I^ssav.

IJy Thomas Mitchell, aged 10 year 5 months, of Kangaroo
Flat IM'imary School.

— The White-browed Babbler. —

This fussy and restless bird is found in our district as
well a3 on Eyre's Peninsula. It is known by the names of
"H(vi)])ing Dolly," "Kangaroo Bird," or "Cat Bird," and some-
time^ as "The White-eyed Chatterer." It lives on insects which
it finds under dead leaves, or dry bark.

As it hops along, taking bounds about four or five inches
in length, it overturns all kinds of leaves, twigs, and bark, and

174 MORGAN— WvUjh I H aiul Mcasiirnnoilx of liinh.

witli its sliiirp eyes and beak it is able to jtiek up and cut insects
which to us are almoist invisible without the aid of a niajinify-
ing glass.

Its nest is built of small dry twigs, and is made almost
waterproof by the old grass which the Babbler collects and
plaits together. She then lines her nest with soft feathers.
This nest is dome-shaped, about eighteen inches long and seven
Avide, with an opening.

The eggs have hair-like lines along the surface, and are
of a ereamish colour. It lays all the,year round, and generally
chooses a thick bushy tree in which to build its nest. It
generally lays,froni two to four eggs. Its young are the same
colour as the old birds, which are cautious and stealthy in their
movements if danger is near.

If a Babbler hears danger approaching it holds its Ivead
on one side for a moment ere it utters the shrill harsh and
warning cry which makes known the approaching peril to its
comrades.

A Babbler puts up a very plucky tight when defending its
young. It feeds them on moths, flies, and several other species
of insect life.

"I know the song the Babbler is singing,
Out in the pine tree where he is swinging.
Birave little fellow! The skies maybe dreary.
Nothing he cares while his heart is so cheerv.''

Sorne Weights, Measurements, and Temperatures

of Birds.

By A. M. Maiffiin, M.B., B.Oh.

The following weilghts, me.isureinjeiits. find toimperatures were 'taken
<^5nring a txip to 'tihe Lenaard River, in .North-West AavstiralLi, during
.Tune. 1021:—

MORGAX — Wvig]it(i and McdsKrciiicHts of Hi ids. 175

Name of Bird.

Weight

P.c. of Brain

to
Body Weight.

0)

g
S3

-(J

fee

J

IS
o
H

bo

•1-1

t

o

Sex.

Philemon citreogularis

74.00

1.10

1.48

109.4

26.00

40.00

2

Meliphaga sonora

12.00

0.70

5.83

108.6

18.00

24.50

S

Pachycephala

rufiventris

23.00

1.10

5.21

105.6

16.50

S

Microeca fasciuaiis ...

6.50

0.4

6.15

105.0

12.50

22.50

S

Pomatostomus

rubeculus...

64.00

2.00

3.12

109.0

23.00

31.00

$

Halcyon sanctu.s

44,00

0.75

1.70

—

23.00

31.00

t?

Aprosmictus

erj'thropterus

145.00

3.20

2.28

107.4

31.00

52.00

$

Aprosmictus

ervthropterus

125.00

2.50

2.00

108.0

29 50

53.50

(?

Aprosmictus

erythropterus

141.00

2.80

1.98

108.0

33.00

54.00

Juv

Dacelo leachi ...

269. 00'

3.00

1.11

102.0

Juv

Smicrornis flavescens .

5.00

0.25

5.00

104.0

8.00

—

$

Smicrornis flavescens...

5.50

—

—

7.50

13.50

Miagra rubecula

11.00

0.60

5.45

107.4

14.25

20.50

c?

vStizoptera 1;ichenovi ...

8.00

0.40

5.00

105.6

10.75

15.50

9

Merops ornatus

23.00

—

—

105.0

25.00

31.00

$

Siczura iiiquieta

13.50

0.70

5.18

105.0

18.00

27.00

c?

Chlamydera nuchalis...

197.70

4.20

2.12

109.8

36.00

50.00

9

Chlamydera nuchalis...

265.00

—

—

108.0

38.00

56.00

$

Geopelia tranqiiilla ...

38.00

0.60

1.57

108.0

18.00

29.00

9

Artamus minor

15.00

0.50

3.33

106.0

15.00

28.50

Campephaga tricolor...

24.00

0.55

2.29

—

19.00

29.50

Aitamus melanops

33.00

0.72

2.18

—

17.50

32.00

9
9
2

2

Sitella leucopte a

12.50

0.50

4.00

—

11.25

22.00

Taeniopygia castanotis

11.00

0.35

3.18

—

10.25

14.00

leracidea berigora

544.60

4.00

7.34

—

42.50

94.00

Mirafra javanica

20.00

0.50

2.50

—

14.50

21.50

Cacatua sanguinea

584.60

7.50

12.82

—

46.00

87.00

All weighte are in grammes, and all 'm'easurements in coinUmetires.

ITC. liini Xotcfi.

Bird Notes.

June, 1922.
By Alfred Croniptori.

Wood Swallows (Ar'tcmms s07-di(lus) have been clustering
round ,tlie stem of a Pine tree in Statenborough Street, Upper
Kensington, since June 3rd, the date on which they were first
noticed this season. Most evenings the stem was covered for
an estimated length of about 10 feet, and at a rough guess I
reckon that at least 1,000 birds assembled every evening until
the end of last week, when the number seems to have dwindled.
On cold stormy days they began to cluster about 3.30 {).m., but
on .bright warmer days not until 5 p.m. On the latter days
rhe birds began to arrive in the neighbouring trees about 3 p.m.,
and continued to do so until sundown.

The ,early birds settled on the tree stem some 30 odd feet
from the ground, and the later arrivals attached themselves to
the tree touching and above those already clustered.

On leaving the roost on ^fine mornings the top half of the
tier usually left some 10 to 15 minutes before the lower half,
and apparently swept right away to the feeding grounds in a
south-westerly direction. The lower half went north-easterly.
The tree was usually cleared a few minutes after 7 a.m., and
])y 7.30 a.m. none of the species could be seen.

Unfortunately T am not at home during the daytime, but I
understand that none of the birds was seen about during the
morning or ea;rly afternoon.

On Friday the 23rd June the birds were very restive,
leaving the tree three or four times after they had first clustered.
This was the first time they were noticed to do this.

I wais not at home en the following Saturday or Sunday, but
on Monday there seemed to he fewer birds than had been
observed previously, and mv family report there were fewer still
on Wednesday, 2Sth, and Thursday, 29th, although the weather
was so irough.

The birds were observed to cluster in the same tree for a
few nights in 1919 and 1920, but were not noticed to do vso in
1921.

By J. Sutton.
Netherby. — On 2nd inst. a Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo
was calling. On 19th inst. two Blue Mountain Lorikeets were
seen. On 23rd inst. a Crow was heard. The Flame-breasted
Robins have been here all this month, iind the Scarlet-breasted
Robin is occasionallv seen. Of the occasional visitors the fol-

Bird \otes. Ill

lowing- have been noted during the month: — Adelaide Roselias,
Red-backed Parrots. Musk and Puri)leH'rowned Lorikeets, Yel-
low-breasted Shrike Tits, Klack-chinned and White-naped
Honey-eateris, AVattle Birds, I'eaeeful Dove, Spotted Pardalotes,
Magpie Larks, Brown Tree-creeper, White-shafted Fan tail.
Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike, White Eyes, and Yellow- tailed Tit-
warblers.

Kinchina. — During the month I visited Ivinchina, a rail-
way station beyond ^lonarto South on tlie Mui'ray I^ridge line,
and in the mallee scrub I observed the following ii* species of
native birds — Australian Brown Flycatcher, Grey Shrike
Thrush, Wattle Birds, Honey-eatens — Singing, Spiny-cheeked,
Y^ellow-plumed, Brown-headed, White-eared, and Wattle-
cheeked; Robins — Redcapped, Scarlet-breasted, Hooded and
S'Cni/b; Magpies, AVhite-browed Babblers, Welcome Swallows,
White-shafted Fantails, Willie Wagtails, Restless Flycatchers,
Adelaide Roselias, Red-backed Parrots, Lorikeets, Peaceful
Doves, Bronzewing Pigeons, Spotted-sided Finches; Cuckoos —
Fantailed and Pallid; Spotted Pardalotes, Whistling Eagle,
Brown Hawk, Kestrels, Laughing Jacks; Whistlers — Golden
and Rufous Breasted; Sordid Wood Swallows, Butcher Birds,
Bell Birds. Tit-warblers — Yellow-tailed and Chestnut-rumped;
Whitefaces, and Black-breasted Plovers, Crows.

The area walked over may be described as a mile square,
and on each trip I took a census of the birds observed.

First tri]) — 20 .species of native birds, rU8 members: one
introduced species, 70 members.

Second trip — 33 species of native birds, 300 members ; one
introduced species, 106 members.

Third trip — 34 species r-f native birds, 333 members; two
introduced species, 28 members. The two species were Gold-
finches and Sparrows — the latter in the greater number.

By J. W. Mel lor.

The month has been cold and showery, and the birds have
been hard pressed to find sufficient food, consequently they have
become veiry tame, coming close to the house in search of some-
thing to eat. Laughing Jacks fly right up to where one is dig-
ging, in order to secure a worm, and then fly to a convenient
post to eat it. Early in the month scores of Murray Magpies
(GraWiia rj/dnolnira ) were to be seen at Lockleys in the open
fields, and the birds which usually nest each year above the
house were also present.

Several Cuckoos have been about, notably the Fantailed
Cuckoo {Caco)iianfis nihricatns), which sleeps all the winter

178 Bird Aotcii

and generally dejjai'ts in the sjtrinoj. Sc-nie Narrow-billed
Ciu-koos (XcocJialcites hasali.^ incUori) have been about also;
I noted them on June 6 and after.

On June 18 several White fronted Herons iXotophoyx-
iiordcliollaiidiac) were croaking and Hying- around in the trees,,
apparently i^eeking out tiieir nesting places.

On June 1-5 1 noted a large number of White-fronted Chats
{ /■JjilitJiiaiuird (dltifroiix) st^ar/iiing about amongst the small
plants for insect food.

P'lame-breasted Kobins (LittJera chrysoptera phoenieea)
are still here, a male being noted on June 22.

On June 24 I noted a White-backed Magpie (Gt/iiniorhina
Jii/p()Iriic(i leiiconota) starting to build. This is early and may
be the frrerunner of an early spring.

Quite a number of Sauthern Silver Gulls {BrKchigavia
novachoUandlac rtlirJae) visited Lockleys during the month.
They were following up the plough, which turned «]» a plentiful
supply of grubs and insects.

By A. Keith Ashby.

I saw seven or eight Swift Lorikeets {Lutluunus discolor
tn'fjrnasi] on 28th :May and two on KJtli June, 1022, at Black-
wood.

Kegent Honey -eaters. — Mr. W. Weidenbach reported that
these birds appear to have left (Jlen Osmond about 24th June,
and Mr. A. Keith Ashby says they have appeared at Blackwood
during June.

—July, 1922.—
By J. W. Mellor.

The Magpies have been extremely energetic with their
building operations, and in consequence have beco'.ne very
aggressive.

Red-backed Grass Parrots ( PsrpJwttis hacmatonotufi) have
remained with us, and from their manner seem to intend stay-
ing on indefinitely.

White-fronted Herons {Xotophojjx norarJiolhuididc) are'
now nesting in the red gums.

The Flame-breasted Robin {Littlcra chrysoptera pJioeni-
cea ) is still Avith us, and on July 4 T noted several in the open
}>addocks.

On July 0 I noted half a dozen Red-backed Grass Parrots
( J*spphotiis haeiiKit())ioti(s) on the boxthorn bushes feeding on
the berries and seeds of the African boxthrrn. This proves^

Hird \otes 179'

them to be a decided acquisition, as the Parrot does not s\viilU)\v
the berry whole, but breaks it to pieces with its bill, destioyiuj^
the seeds befcre swallowing, and thus peiventing the seed from
germinating when it has passed through its digestive organs.
In this i'esi)ect they ditfer from the European t^tarling, which
spreads, the boxthorn over the country more than all other
species of birds.

A very notable find this inontl) is the Southern Grass Bird
{Poodytes grammens duhius).

On July 0 I heard its well-kiKiwn rail ( f '"[lee-pee-e"' and
"pee-pee-pee-ee,'" for, T have always srated, ir luakps a three-note
call as well as a two-note. The little bird and its mate were
in the thick cover of the boxthorn, and all through the month
it has been heard within a hundred yards of the same spot. In
all probability it will stay to breed. These little friends we
used to call the little Keed-biid in the early days, as they were
as numerous as the ordinary Reed-bird (Conopoderas australis)'
and their nests were always found in similar situations amongst
the swamps and attached to the tall, reeds growing in the wator.
Their nests were well known, as they always placed feathers
in the rim and domed them above in the form of a little arch,
and blue Bald-Coot feathers with a curve in them were almost
always used, and the curved side placed inwards, as if the birds
knew something of architecture.

On July 13 a Hc-se-breasted Cockatoo (Eoloplius roscica-
pillus) was seen flying about in the big gums and making itself
quite at home.

On July , 15 noted sev^eral >^}»nr-wing Plovers {Lohiby.r
tiovarhollaudiar) near some swampy ground at Lockleys, and
next day a pair of Black-breasted Plovers [Zonifer trieolor)
flew over, uttering their loud sharj) calls, but did not settle
near at hand.

On July 10 found that a \Miite-backed Magpie {(ii/uniorJiiiia
hypoleiica Icticonota) had nearly finished building its nest (juite
close to the house and only about 10 or 12 feet from the, ground,
on the bough of a Norfolk Island jiine. One of the old birds was
just putting a beakful of hair into the bottom as a lining, and
a pair of Willy Wagtails were greatly purturbed, as it was
their usnal tree for nesting. They were trying to frighten
the Magpie away by pecking and flying at it incessantly, but
without avail. I exjtect the Wagtail will have to leave the
I)ine this year and nest elsewhere.

Another new find f( i- Mel lor T^irk on the lOth was the
Southern Hooded Kobin i Mela nod rj/as ciiciilafd rif/orsi i. It was
quietly sitting on a low twig of a bush near the garden, and

ISO Bird .\otcs.

from the way in which it was at times flitting to ,and fro I
sh(mld say that its mate was not far away in the bnshes. It
ivS, surprising the variety of birds one sees about where the
locality has been kept in its natural state and rigid protection
accorded to the birds that come along.

By J. Sutton, Xetherby.

July 4. — Black-breasted Plover heard, five of them seen on
28th inst.

July o. — Fi\!:' White-fronted Herons seen near tlie dam in
TJirrbrae.

July S. — Two Blue 3Ii untain Loi-ikeets and one Adelaide
Rose! la observed.

July 15. — At Kinchina the following ne\^' birds were noted :
— Bell Bird, Fantailed Cuckoo, Tawny-crowned Honey-eater,
White I'^ye, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, White-fronted Chat,
and White-fronted Heron. A census of the birds ol)served was
36 species of native birds with '-lOS individuals, and two intro-
duced species of two members.

July 1(). — Greenfinches calling for the first time this season.

July 18. — Pallid Cuckoo heard for the first time.

July 19. — Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo again calling.

July 25. — Two Magpie Larks api)eared at our birds' food
table. The male has his right leg injured and it hangs down
loosely with the claws turned u]»wards. The bird hops on its
good leg. Both birds come round for food a few times daily
since this date.

July 27. — Mopokes heard again. Those birds seem to fre-
quent Netherby for a time and then leave.

July 20. — At Kinchina, new birds noted there were—
Pallid Cuckoo, NarroAV-billed Bronze Cuckoo, Little Tit-warbler,
and the Short-billed Tree Tit. A Whiteface was lining its
nest, which was built inside a space between the i)lanks form-
ing the back of the railway station ])latf(n'm. Five Starlings
were seen here for the first time. A census gave 41 species
of native birds with 357 individuals and two introduced species
of 28 members.

—August, 1022.-

By J. W. Mel lor.

The warming up of the weather and the quick advance of
sp}ing has hastened mating and the seeking of nesting
quarters. The early birds have their nests well in advance.
The Cuckoos have instinctivelv known this, and nil fhrcugh the

Bird Notes. 181

month two species have been about Lockleys, much to the dis-
comforture of the various birds that are forced to become
foster-parents.

The Pallid Cuckoo {Hctciosccncs pallidus) 1 noted again
on August 1 calling loudly. The Honey-eaters were much
concerned and were chasing the Cuckoo. On various occasions
throughout the month I have noted different birds trying to
frighten the Cuckoos away, but without avail.

On the first of the month, at Lockleys, I also noted rhe
Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo {Xcochalcitcs basciUs mellori).
It was perched on the same tree that I noted it on last year,
a white cedar, growing on the red sand dimes, and surrounded
by thick boxthorn bushes, in which several Blue Wrens were
tiii"eading their way and twittering. I visited (vne of the
market gardens at Lockleys on the tirst day of the month, and
was pleased to see several pairs of Flame-breasted Kobins
(Littlera chrysoptcra pJioenicea \ Hying about amongst the
fruit trees, and at times settling en the grcnnd, picking np
some insect or worm, and Hying to an adjacent fiuit tree to eat
it. The owner of the garden, Mr. S. Lewis, I am glad to say,
takes a great interest in the birds, and will not allow them to
be disturbed. He stated that the Robins had been about for
a long time, and were in the habit of entering the glass houses
amongst the young tomato plants, where flies and gnats were
plentiful. The >Willy Wagtails, or Shepherd's Companions,
were also his friends in this respect, and one pair last year
actually built their nest on a post in the glass house,

Red-backed Grass Parrots i P.scphotiis haniKitoiiotiis) have
been in evidence amongst the old gums, and I am hopeful that
they will breed this season. In company with them has been
the Pale-headed Rosella {Plati/rrrcus adscHus paUiccps), which
has been about all the wintei", but having no mate of his kind
lam doubtful whether he will stay much longer.

On August 5 I had a gocd look at the Southern Grass Bird
(Poodijffs (/rcnnineiis duhius) recorded last month, and which
have been about ever since, and may stay to breed. They were
calling loudly in the thicket of boxthorn, and on my answering
them gradually came ri<?ht u]) to me at the edge of the bushes.
On the same day I noted a little South Australian Pantail
( Rhipidiira fahellifrra n'hitci) in the garden.

Tlie White-f rented Herons iXofophojj.r novaehollandiae)
have been coming into the large red gums right at the back
door.

On August 10 I noted a pair of Black and White Fantails
( Lruroriirn tricolor) carrving bits of bark and cobweb to make-

182 Bird Sotes.

their nest. On the 2()th inst. two jmii's were gathering material
to built with, both inaking their nests close to the house.

On August 10 a White-backed Magjtie {(hjmnorhUia hypo-
leucd h'ucoiiota ) was seen lining its nest. On the same date
a Pallid Cuckoo (Heterosr-cnes iMtUUlKs) was being chased by
several Southern Black-headed Minahs (Mf/zantha melano-
ccphala ichitci). The Minahs have started to nest, and no
doubt this was the reason for driving the Cuckoo away.

On August ir> a pair of Magpie Larks {GraUina cyanoleiica)
had finished building their neat mud nest high up on a red gum.

On August 23 several Southern Ravens (Corvus coronoides
perptexus) were flying over high in the air, and going in a
northerly direction and -calling loudly. On the same date I
noted a Southern White-plumed Honey -eater (Ptnotula petii-
cillata ichiici) carrying l)its of shreaded bark and cobweb to
build its nest. During the end of tlie month a pair of Welcome
Swallows {Hinoido noo.rnw) started to build their mud nest
right above the front door in the same s])ot as last year.

By F. E. Parsons.

Members may be interested to know that the Swift
Parrots (Latham us discolor) are fairly numerous in the gum
trees at Glen Osmond. I first noticed them about 10 days ago,
and have seen them very day since. They are not at all shy,
allowing one to get right under the tree while they are on the
lower branches.

One flock of birds I tried to count while on the wing. It
contained over 20.

Bv J. Sutton, Netherbv.

August 1. — Flame-breasted Robin noted for the last time.
They have been here since May 7.

August 4. — Regent Honey-eaters are still aibout. First
noted on 28th April.

August 5. — In the National Park, Belair, the new birds noted
were Regent Honey-eaters, Swift Parrots, two Mountain
Thrushes, Adelaide Rosellas, Tawney-crowned and Crescent
Honey-eaters, and Mistletoe Birds. Census taken gave 36 native
species with <'.13 individuals, and three introduced species with
22 individuals.

August 12. — Fantailed Cuckoo calling for the first time
this season.

August 20. — About 5.30 p.m. I saw one of the Falconidae —
probably the Little Falcon — soaring along about 30 feet from

Bird Notes. 1S:J

-i;he ground, when a smaller bird, either a Sparrow or a Greenie,
flew across the Falcon's track. That bird turned, got up full
speed instantly, and followed and captured the smaller bird
within 20 feet, and then soared down to the ground in the
■opposite direction and landed amongst some low bushes. The
light was too bad to identify the kind of Hawk.

August 23. — In the National Park, Belair, Regent Honey-
eaters and Swift Parrots were still there. New birds noted —
Wedge-tailed Eagle and Black-breasted Plover. I saw a Tree
Martin go to its nest in a hole in a stringybark gum. It was
evidently feeding its young. Just near to that a female Scarlet-
breasted Robin was building a nest in a fork of a limb in a
peppermint giim. The male bird was close handy, but was not
helping as far as I could see. About 50 yards away a male
Spinebill was gathering nesting material, and whilst I watched
him he twice pulled hair out of a small piece of rabbit skin.

August 19. — At Blackwood for 2| hours. A few nests were
found. One White-bearded Honey-eater's nest contained two
joung ones, and in another nest there were two eggs. The nests
were built in hakeas not Ave feet above the ground. Census
taken gave 24 native species witl) 144 individuals, and two intro-
duced species with seven individuals.

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

The Auk, Vol. 39, No. 1, January, 1922; No 2 April 1922;
No. 3, July, 1922.

The Condor, Vol. 24, No. 3, May-June, 1922; No. 4, Julv-
August, 1922.

The Ibis, 11th Series, Vol. 4, No. 1, January, 1922; No.
2, April, 1922; No. 3, July, 1922.

Le Gerfaut, Nos. 3 and 4, 1921; No. 1,,1922.

The South Australian Naturalist, Vol. 3, No. 4, August,
1922.

Victorian Naturalist, Vol. 29, No. 3, July, 1922; No. 4,
August, 1922; No. 5, September, 1922.

1<S4 ■ Officers and Mcnihers.

SOITII ArSTKAI.lAX ( )HMTH( )L( XJK 'Al. ASS( )('! ATIUN-

Ko-oins— Koyal Society's Kooins, The Institute, North Terrace,

Adehiide.

President — Professor J. R. Cleland.

Vice-President — Mr. F. E. Parsons.

Editorial Committee of "The South Australian Ornitholo£?ist"'

—Messrs. F. M. Ano^el, A. G. Edquist, and Captain S. A. White.

H( n. Secretary and Treasurer — Mr. J. Sutton, Fullartou Koad,

Mitcham.

Monthly meetings of the Association are held at the Rooms
on the last Friday of each month at 8 p.m.

Annual Subscription, due on 1st April, 15/, which includes a
copy of the "South Australian Ornithologist," post free. En-
trance Fee, 5/-.

"South Australian Ornitholc-gist" is published (piarterly, in

January, April, July, and October, and may be subscribed for at

8/- yearly, post free. Single copy 2/-.

List of the Members of the South Australian Oruitkological

Association.

1st October, 1922.
Angel, F. M., Fullarton Road, Pai-kside.
Ashby, Edwin, "Wittunga," Blackwood.
Ashby, Keith, '^Wittunga," Blackwood.
Barritt, E., Ruthven Mansions, Pulteney Street, Adelaide-
Beck, R. C, c/o Savings Bank, Currie Street, Adelaide.
Brooks, E. A., "Buckland Park," Two Wells.
Chenery, Dr. A., W%ntworth, N.S.W.
Cleland, Professor J. B., The University, Adelaide.
Crompton, A., Statenborough Street, Upper Kensington.
Crompton, R.. Gawler Place, Adelaide.
lUitton, H. H., "Anlaby," Kapunda.
Edquist. A. 0.. Second Avenue, Sefton Park.
Fisher, H., "Montefiore," North Adelaide.
Gcodale, J. W., c/o Cowell Bros. & Co., Ltd., Norwood.
Hastings, J. G., McGrath's Flat, via Meningie.
Hawker, M. S.. Adelaide Club, North Terrace, Adelaide.
Hawker, R. M., 8 Currie Chambers, Currie Street, Adelaide,
Hosking, J. W., 77 Sydenham Road, Norwood.

Officers and Members. 185

Hughes, Harold, c/o H. L. & A. E. .^yers, National Chambers,
King William Street, Adelaide.

IfouM, Percy, Waterfall Gully, Burnside.

Jay, Dr. H., Burnside.

Jones, H. J. Brewster, 53 Alexandra Avenue, Rose Park.

Laffer, H. E., c/o I'eufold Wines, Ltd., Queen Victoria Build-
ings, Sydney.

Le Souel, A. S., Zoological Garden, Toronga Park, Svdney,
N.S.W.

Lendc-n, Alan, North Terrace, Adelaide.

Leinau, Captain C. H. A., 23 Victoria Avenue, Unley Park.

Mellor, J. W., :Mellor Park, Lockleys.

Melrose, The Hon. R. T., "Rosebaiik," :Mount Pleasant.

Minchin, A. C, Zoological Gardens, Adelaide.

Morgan, Dr. A. M., Ne-rth Terrace, Adelaide.

Morgan, W. M., North Terrace, Adelaide.

Murray, The Hon. Sir George, Murrav l^ark, Magill,

MacGi'llivray, Dr. Wm., Broken Hill,'N.S.W^

McGilp, J. Neil, 184 Napier Terrace, King's Park.

McGilp, L. K., Moolawatana, via Copley, S.A.

Osborne, R. E. P., 16 Universal Buildings, Grenfell Street,
Adelaide.

Parsons, F. E., National Mutual Life Buildings, King William
Street, Adelaide.

Paterson, Eric S., 22 Currie Street, Adelaide.

Pulle'ine, Dr. R. H., ''Netherby," Mitcham.

Ray, Dr. Wm., 25 Angas Street, Adelaide.

Rischbeith, C. F., Glenelg.

Rymill, A. G.. Brougham Place, North Adelaide.

Sanderson, ^Vfiss H. Lilias, "Killingworlh," Strangways Terrace,
North Adelaide.

Shields, H. D., Melrose.

Sunson, C. E., *'Roseneath," Casterton, Victoria.

Souter, T. G., Box 103, Maitland, Y.P.

Sutton, J., Fullarton Road, Netherby, Mitcbam.

Weidenbach, W., Glen Osmond.

Weidenhofer, Geo., Gaza.

AVhite, H. L., "Belltrees," Scone, N.S.W.

Wbite, Captain S. A.. '^Wefunga," Fulham.

Register Print, Adelaide.

W. K. Thomas & Co.,

Printers,
Orenfell St., Adelaii

AMNH LIBRARY

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