Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 4 (1846).djvu/260

1426 Society has requested him to furnish them with it, that they may analyze it. My specimen was a female, and wants the strong nail or spine on the hind legs. There are none to be found so low down on the Hunter's River, as I live, for the sea affects the river. It is rather difficult to procure a specimen ; when wounded it sinks : snares and nets are the best methods of procuring the animal.

The Wild Dog is the scourge of the flocks ; they are black or red, and do not bark, but howl in a most dismal manner, and ever shun the face of man, whose presence is alone sufficient to put them to flight, even though fastened on their prey. There is a great dislike to them by their domesticated brethren of the canine race.

The wild parts of the country are fast becoming tenanted by herds of wild cattle, originating from some few escaped from the herdsmen.

One of the few, if not the only bird, which is fond of the haunts of man, is a pretty little Swallow. Though many birds are to be seen close around our dwelling, this small bird is more bold than all others, exceeding its English relative in tameness ; it is not satisfied with the eaves of our houses, but brings its little pellets even into the houses themselves, and commences its nest upon some previously surveyed beam or rafter of our rooms, performing its task for a few hours in the morning. When the walls of its nest are completed, it warmly lines it with feathers, and during the whole time of its operations it displays an utter fearlessness of the tenants of the room it has chosen. It be- gins to build in the last week of July or beginning of August, by the end of which month the young ones appear. The eggs are white, spotted with red, and generally four in number. The female is scarcely different in plumage save being more dusky ; they are lively birds, and in habit strongly resemble the English house-swallow, which also it somewhat resembles in plumage. Its back and head are pur- ple, wings and tail black, front, throat, and breast reddish, belly and vent ash-colour, wings long, and strongly forked tail. In pursuit of its food, in flying high or low, in fine or bad weather, or before it, it also resembles the English species. Though the bird is more abun- dant in the warm months, it never altogether leaves us. The whole length is about five, or five and a half inches.

At this season (August) all our smaller birds are beginning to build their nests and may be seen hurrying to the favoured bough with stick, straw, or feather, as their wants require. The Magpies, of late so troublesome to our maize crops (their associates the cockatoos and king parrots have left us) are now making up for their misconduct, and