ORNITHOLOGY 



IT9 



posing myself, I could see the bird 

 with the exception of its legs which the 

 grass concealed. 



The opening notes resembled the 

 sound made by striking a flat board or 

 paddle against the water. How this 

 was done I could not tell as the l)ir(l 

 held its head low in the grass. I sus- 

 pected that it might be done by snap- 

 ping the bill together. Then followed 

 the principal theme — ker-glug. ker- 

 glug, ker-glug — with the head thrown 

 up in the ker and bol^bed down on the 

 glug, accompanied by yarious contor- 

 tions of the neck. After repeating the 

 performance several times the bird flew 

 away. The entertainment though short 

 was highly interesting and I felt well 

 repaid for my preliminary efforts. 



The notes of the bittern are among 

 the most remarkable sounds in all ani- 

 mate nature in this part of the world. 

 It is eminently fitted to the muddy, 

 oozy surroundings in which the bird 

 dwells. In quality it has a peculiar 

 bungholey sound, suggestiye of the ex- 

 it of a thick liquid out of a hole of a 

 jug. with a muffled glug as the air 

 rushes in. I think that no bird with 

 the exception of the loon makes a 

 sound quite equial to it. The long 

 drawn out calls of the loons, their low 

 dismal moans and their demonical 

 laughter, all mingled together as I have 

 heard them in the evening on the lakes 

 of northern Maine, are the weirdest and 

 most unearthly of any sound that I e\'cr 

 heard. The notes of the American bit- 

 tern have been variously described. Like the 

 songs of many other birds, they may 

 not be always the same. The eventide 

 serenade of this particular bittern was 

 certainly unique in its way, grotesque 

 in its performance and singularly ap- 

 propriate to the place. I afterward of- 

 ten heard them at the same time of 

 day but whether it is their usual hour 

 for singing I cannot say. 



It is one of the most enjoyable fea- 

 tures of bird study, as in truth it is of 

 life in general, that so many of its pleas- 

 antest experiences have not to be 

 sought after, but befall us by the way ; 

 like rare and beautiful flowers, which 

 are never more welcome than when 

 they smile upon us unexpectedly from 

 the roadside. — Bradford Torrey, in "A 

 Rambler's Lease." 



The Scarlet-Breasted Robin of Aus- 

 tralia. 



]\\ U. SHART DOVE, WKST DE\0.\"PORT, 

 TASMANIA. 



A male scarlet-breasted robin, with 

 nest and young, is here shown, being 

 ]:)hotographed at East Gippsland, \'ic- 



SCARLET-CREASTED ROBIX AT XEST. 



toria, Australia, by Mr. T. H. Mac. 

 This is one of our most familiar species, 

 both in Victoria and Tasmania, and a 

 little gem. with his bright breast, black 

 throat and head and large white frontal 

 patch. The female has a patch of red 

 on the breast, a smaller frontal patch, 

 and general brown plumage. This bird 

 remains in pairs throughout the winter, 

 while its congener, the flame-breast, 

 flocks at that season. 



The nest is of fine bark, protectively 

 ornamented on the outside with moss- 

 es, lichens or coarse flakes of bark, and 

 is lined with dry grasses or feathers. 

 Three or four eggs are laid, and these 

 are either greenish or creamy white, 

 spotted with blue grey and brown. 



A writer has observed that the first 

 time the redbreast was seen in Austra- 

 lia by a naturalist it must have been on 

 a boulder in a field in the wintertime — 

 hence the name, Petraeca or "rock- 

 dweller." 



If you make a friend of Nature, 

 You will ever bless the day. 



When you put your trust in something 

 That will gladden all your way. 



— Emma Peirce. 



Give Nature kindly welcome, 



She does so much for you; 

 In all vicissitudes of life, 



Her friendship would ring true. 



— Emma Peirce. 



