A'ESTS A.VD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. ygx 



biuiches exposed for sale in the Melbourne Market. They were supposed 

 to have been shot on the Gippslnnd Lakes, and were in splendid plumage. 

 I fancy these unfortunate birds were congregating prior to their intended 

 flight across the Tasnian Sea to New Zealand, to breed. 



About the middle of August this year Mr. C. F. Belcher, of 

 Geelong, procui'ed a pair of Double-banded Dottrels for my collection 

 from a flock at the Salt Pits, Stingaree Bay. When retm-ning home, 

 he observed another flock of about fifty birds feeding in a grassy 

 paddock near the road. At my request, he kindly visited the Salt Pits 

 a month later (middle of September), and found all the Double-banded 

 Dottrels had disappeared, their places apparently being taken by fresh 

 arrivals of migrants — Stints, &c., from the northern hemisphei'e. 



The late Mr. T. H. Potts, F.L.S., from whom I received my specimens, 

 when first describing the eggs of this very interesting species before the 

 Wellington Philosophical Society in 1869, remarked that "Our Banded 

 Dottrel is worthy of belonging to the family, of the Churadriidce, for it 

 is one of the most restless and wariest of birds during the breeding 

 season. On the approach of an intruder it files round and round, uttering 

 its note of warning ; then, alighting on some rising gi-ound, it steadily 

 keeps watch. During the time it remains on the, look-out it indidges 

 in a peculiar habit of jerking its head backwards and foi-wards, uttering 

 its monotonous ' twit-twit ' at intervals." It is an early breeder, as 

 would appear from Mr. Potts' notes : " August 2nd, 1856, saw a nest 

 with two eggs, Rakaia River ; September 1st, 1855, saw a nest vdth 

 three eggs, Rakaia River ; October 14th, 1857, young birds quite strong." 



The )-oung in down resemble little browniisli pufi^s, being of a bright 

 sandy-yellow, mottled with dark-brown on the upper suiface, changing 

 to yellowish-wliite on the under parts. They run as soon as. hatched, 

 and with great swiftness when alamied. 



Of this species Sir .Walter BuUer remarks : " In location of the nest 

 itself there is very little attempt at concealment, the bird apparently 

 trusting more for protection toi the assimilation of colouring, but after 

 the young are hatched out the old birds (and particulaily the female) 

 manifest considerable solicitude for the safety of theu- offspring, and 

 feign lameness or a damaged wing for alhmng intruders away, a device 

 which very often succeeds. The 5'oung bii'd rims the moment it quits 

 the shell, and is not slow to second its parent in the art of self-preservation. 

 Its sandy coloming makes it almost indistinguishable when squatting on 

 the ground, and it has the instinct to remain perfectly motionless the 

 moment it hears the note of alarm, even allowing itself to be handled 

 without betraying a sign of vitality." 



607. OCHTHODROMUS VEREDUS, Gould. (506) 



ORIENTAL DOTTREL. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi., pi. 14. 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxiv., p. 232. 



Geogrniiliicdl Dl.<trihuf(in. — AustraHa in general; also the Moluccas, 

 Java, &c., migrating to breed in Mongolia. 



