this reason only pevforniod at night. The large flocks of sheep 

 constantly roaming over the plains during the day -time, compelled 

 it to take wing and as was always the case, these moving flocks 

 of sheep were attended by numerous i-aptoi-ial birds, ever on the 

 watch for any quarry that may be flushed, P. iorquatus, falling 

 an easy victim, whilst the domestic cat wrought havoc amongst 

 those on the the ground, with the much to be regretted result 

 that in this part of the country at any rate, this beautiful and 

 interesting bird is now nearly extinct, and I think the time is 

 not far distant when it will be completely so. 



The disappearance of Oreoica cristata is however not so easily 

 accounted for, as this bird feeds on insects and its habitats wei'e 

 exclusively the belts and clumps of timber and scrub dotted over 

 the plains, into which stock seldom went. Yet this species has 

 entirely disappeared for many years, whilst in the timbered and 

 scrubl)y country bordering the plains, some flf ty or sixty miles to 

 tlie northward they are quite numerous, and always have been. 

 If this bird had been only an occasional visitant its disappearance 

 would not be so strange, but it was numerous when the country 

 was occupied and remained so for some eight or nine years after, 

 and in fact would have been regarded as a stationary species ; yet 

 they have entirely vanished from the plain country as completely 

 as if they had never existed. Another bird that has also departed 

 for many years past is the Pied robin, Melauodryas bicalur, which 

 formerly and for several years was very numerous here. The 

 disappearance of this bird is also impossible to account for, as the 

 conditions suitable for its existence remain apparently unchanged. 

 A few stragglers of Pliaps liistriotiica were here in the year 1880, 

 but none have been seen since, and I have not seen an example of 

 Geophaj^s scripta for over twenty years. 



The disappearance of Falco suhniger is probably due to the 

 absenceof birds of the quail family, which constituted its chief prey, 

 but in the case of MUvuh ajfiiiis, one of those mysterious influences 

 seems to prevail, which guides the actions of many Australian 

 animals, for its food (cliiefly oft'al) is as abundant as in bygone 

 years, whilst "grass-hoppers," another of its favourite articles of 

 diet, have on many occasions been here in countless swarms, l)ut 

 unattended by the Kites. 



That fine raptorial bird Oypoicthiia melnuosferuon is now 

 becoming rare in this district, where formerly it was tolerably 

 aljundant. In former years examples could have been seen on 

 any day, and the nests were to be frequently found. Now months 

 may elapse without a solitary individual being seen ; whilst for a 

 radius of fifty miles I do not know of an occupied nest. I am of 

 opinion that their decrease is due to increase of population in this 

 part of the country, not that the birds liave been destroyed, for 

 they are exceeding shy and wary, and most difficult to shoot, but 



