402 A LIST OF THE BIRDS OF THE MUDGEE DISTRICT, 



a penchant for sitting on the telegraph wires ; otherwise they 

 rarely perch on anything but dead twigs in trees. 



29. Halcyon Macleayi, Jard. & Selh. 



A specimen shot by Mr. H. Thurston at Holyoak Bridge, 

 Mudgee, is in the Mechanics' Institute in that town ; but as Gould 

 states it extends from Moreton Bay to Coburg Peninsula, it must 

 be considered as an accidental visitor, or stray. 



30. Alcyone azurea, Lath. 



The eggs are laid on a pile of shrimp carapaces and small fish 

 bones, which smells just as vilely as the nest of its British 

 representative. 



31. Artamus sordidus. Lath. 



Some remain all the year round, but the majority come in 

 flocks, and then break up into pairs. These arrive about Sep- 

 tember 3rd. On one occasion we observed about 100 going into 

 a large hollow in a tree to roost, those for which there was no 

 room roosting on the edges outside. Eggs from October 26th to 

 January 26th. 



32. Artamus person atus, Gld. 



Vast flocks mingled about equally with the following species 

 arrive in September, and remain packed for a considerable time. 

 Eggs from October 24th to November 18th. 



33. Artamus superciliosus, Gld. 



For many years this species and the last came here in great 

 numbers in September, dispersed and built early in October, and 

 then after packing in latter part of December for a week or two, 

 departed in January, none being left by the 14th of that month. 

 In 1886, however, not a single bird came. In 1887 a flock of 

 A. personatus^ and none of species under notice, arrived on 

 September 11th. No birds, perhaps, are so careless in their 

 nidification as these two species. We have taken two eggs from a 



