Page:The Emu volume 3.djvu/129



(Meliornis mystacalis).—A shy bird. Found only in the densest scrubs on the gravel ridges, where it is very abundant, and its cry is continually to be heard. Now and then one can be seen as it mounts to the top of a bush for a moment, but it instantly vanishes on perceiving the intruder, no matter how still he remains. The skin of a Moustached Honey-eater which I shot was loose, and could be taken up in the fingers like that of a pug dog.

(Acanthochcera carunculata).—Fairly plentiful and well distributed.

(Pardalotus ornatus).—Frequent, and indifferent as to locality.

(Hirundo neoxena).—In the opener parts.

(Anthus australis).—Near cultivated ground.

(Artamus sordidus).—Saw a good number of these near Brookton. Mr. Wellington, a selector near our camp, told me one day of a bird he called a "Buan," and said that at night a mob hung in a cluster on a tree, looking like a great knob, after the manner of a swarm of bees. On seeing a Sordid Wood-Swallow which I was skinning, he said that that was the "Buan." Turning up Gould's Handbook I find the following remarks:—Page 143: "Native name Be-wo-wen, Aborigines of Western Australia." Page 145: "But the greatest peculiarity in the habits of this bird is its manner of hanging together in clusters from the branch of a tree, like a swarm of bees." Mr. Wellington also stated that the bird was much commoner in winter than in summer. I saw another species of Wood-Swallow once or twice near Brookton, but which I do not know.

(Cacomantis flabelliformis).—Saw a single skin, which the boys brought me.

(Glossopsittacus porphryrocephalus).—On a number of occasions Lorikeets were about, but this was the only species I could identify.

(Calyptorhynchus, probably baudini).—Saw a single pair.

(Platycercus icterotis).—Known locally as "Rosella." Not infrequent in the opener country towards Brookton.

.—Saw a Parrot which the boys called a "King Parrot," but which was a stranger to me. I did not succeed in procuring a specimen. It was most likely the Red-capped Parrakeet (Porphyrocephalus spurius).

, "Twenty-eight" (Platycercus semitorquatus).—Plentiful. Somewhat difficult of approach. Its note, as remarked above, somewhat resembles that of Strepera plumbea.

.—Once or twice Bronze-winged Pigeons were reported. It was said that there were two kinds, one of which was only to be found in the box poison, patches of which occur all over the district.

(Burhinus grallarius).—Only saw a single bird, but they could be heard every night. One night while we were out after 'possums they would repeat their dismal cry after every gunshot.

.—On the same night we started a few Ducks from a small pool in the granite.

(Dromæus, sp.).—Saw two small mobs of Emus in the distance one day. They were said to be plentiful a few miles off.