small colony iiere of fro:n twenty to forty nests, and a little further away, forty or fifty yards 

 perhaps, another colony, and many of these colonies existed. The rushes and reeds were high 

 over our heads, but we had no difficulty in going from one colony to another, as the birds 

 were continually dropping down with food, etc. ; some of the nests contained eggs and others 

 young ; four eggs were the most any nest contained, but were seldom seen, the usual number 

 for a sitting being three. The nests are placed on top of the rushes, which are broken down 

 into a platform, and are used as the foundation. Upon this is placed all kinds of aijuatic 

 herbage and plants, and some had gum stems and leaves for a lining. Some nests are quite 

 close together, and built side by side, about a foot or eighteen inches above water, the nests 

 containing eggs and young birds in all stages. The young ones make off as soon as they 

 see you. Having filled a tin with fresh eggs, all numbered, we started on our return. We 



NK.STS ANT) KGOS OF WHITF, IHIS. 



had hopes of finding the eggs of the Black-faced Spoonbill, but only one bird was seen, and we 

 failed to find its nest. 



Dr. \V. Macgillivray writes me from Broken Hill, South-western New South Wales: — 

 " Ibis we seldom see here, but after excessive heat on the 27th December, 1909, a fiock of 

 White Ibis fell exhausted in this town, and many were caught by different people. The birds 

 were quite done up; some settled in the central reserve, others in all sorts of places, on the 

 railway line near my surgery, on the roof of a large drapery establishment in the main street 

 and elsewhere. After a rest most of them resumed their flight. Less than a fortnight afterwards 

 a heavy downfall of rain occurred at liroken Hill, flooding some of the streets." 



From \'ictoria Mr. G. A. Keartland writes me : — " I have never seen the White Ibis near 

 Melbourne, but they are very numerous in the northern parts of this State. They also visit the 

 Western District, where they are held in high esteem by farmers and graziers on account of 

 their insectivorous habits." 



