PAPERS READ. 



A LIST OF THE BIRDS OF THE MUDGEE DISTRICT, 

 WITH NOTES ON THEIR HABITS, Etc. 



By J. D. Cox AND A. G. Hamilton. 



Having observed and collected the birds of the Mudgee District 

 for many years, we think it may be of interest to give a list of 

 them, adding notes, though by no means exhaustive, on their 

 habits, etc. 



A preliminary account of the geography of the district is neces- 

 sary to the full understanding of the list, as otherwise the fact of 

 such birds as Menura su2')erha and Sericornis frontalis appearing 

 in it would be inexplicable. 



The Mudgee District lies in the north of the South Table-land, 

 extending from the Dividing Range to the slope towards the 

 plains. It is separated from that part of the coast district occu- 

 pied by the upper valley of the Hunter River by the ridge of 

 the Blue Mountains, here narrow and low, the formation being 

 Hawkesbury sandstone. This situation renders it easy to under- 

 stand why we have an avi-fauna partaking of the characters of 

 both the plains and the coast district, as well as that proper to the 

 table-land. Towards the north-east, at no greater distance than 

 30 miles from our west boundary, the plains begin at Dubbo, and 

 an arm of the flat country runs up the valley of the Talbragar 

 River nearly to Cobbora, 50 miles from the town of Mudgee 

 (which lies south of the centre of the district). Again, on the 

 north-east the district is divided from the Liverpool Plains by 

 that spur of the Liverpool Range called the Warrumbungle Moun- 

 tains. Hence we see why such birds as Eupodotis, Dromaius 

 (once common in the district, but now, as far as breeding and 



