109 



being so shy they naturally retreat from the presence of man, and 

 anotlier cause is the rapid denudation of timber in this part of 

 the country consequent upon increased population. Tiudjer never 

 was plentiful here, being chiefly in the shape of small clumps of 

 a few acres in extent, dotted in long and irregular intervals (often 

 miles between) over the plains. These clumps were the places in 

 which their nests were constructed, and as a rule not more than 

 two or three of the trees in any of the clumps were suitable for 

 the construction of their large nests, the generality of the trees 

 being too small and their branches too weak to sustain tlie weight. 

 As a natural consequence these larger trees were the first to fall 

 before the selector's axe, as afibrding the larger quantity of timber 

 or firewood, and the birds had therefore another reason for 

 betaking themselves to more secluded localities, probably the yet 

 untrodden wilds of Western x\ustralia. The favourite resort of 

 this species is evidently open country such as above mentioned, for 

 some fifty or sixty miles to the northward heavily timbered country 

 commences, extending for over one hundred miles with thousands 

 of trees suitable for the construction of tiieir nests, yet it is only 

 a passing straggler that is ever seen there, and 1 have never known 

 or heard of an instance of their breeding in that locality. 



There are on the other hand three species of birds that liave 

 become much more numerous since we first occupied this country 

 in the year 1864, and the cause of their increase is by no means 

 obvious, it might be thought that the conservation of water in 

 what was in former years for six to seven months in each year a 

 waterless land, has something to do with it, but at least two out 

 of the three species are quite independent of water. The three 

 species are Gyinnorhiuia tibiceu^ MyzmUha Jiavigula, and Ephthi- 

 auura albijrons, the latter has however only appeared here during 

 the last six or seven years, and the increase of water may have 

 something to do with its advent as it drinks daily, but I have 

 never known G'l/iunur/i iita tibice'ii to drink, and Myzatdhia jiavujula 

 but seldom. 



