16 I'LATALVAUX. 



together, and in these instances it was amusing,' to watch the conduct of the parent birds, as one 

 or other of them returned with food to its insatiable projeny, for in its hurry, and through the 

 close proximity of the nests, it would alight on the wrong one, an intrusion the others would 

 fiercely resent, and a battle would occur, accompanied by loud angry croakings, which on one 

 occasion resulted in a young one being knoclced out of the nest during the struggle. At other 

 times a ravenous youngster, in its eagerness to obtain the coveted morsel brought by his 

 unwearying parent, would overstretch himself and topple out of the nest, his descent being 

 sometimes stopped by head or wing being caught in some forked branch, where he would hang 

 feebly fluttering until death ended his sufferings. I saw many dead ones suspended in this way ; 

 in other cases the young one, falling on the soft ground or in the water, quickly became the 

 prey of Crows or Hawks, which now and again, apparently preferring game of their own capture, 

 would swoop down on a nest and clutching a struggling croaking victim, bear it off to some 

 adjacent tree, there to be devoured at leisure. Meanwhile the flapping noise of the bird's wings 

 as they flew to and fro, the hoarse croaking sounds emitted by botli adults and young, the cries 

 of the Herons, the cawing of innumerable Crows, and the shrill whistle of the Eagle (Haliastiii' 

 spJiauirns), made up a babel of sound not soon forgotten, and altogether formed one of the most 

 animated scenes in nature that it has been my fortune to witness. 1 took- a couple of the 

 young Spoonbills home, and although not confined they became thoroui;hly domesticated. 



" Having occasion about two years subsequently to revisit my father's station, ' Vandembah,' 

 from which this swamp is distant only a few miles, I availed myself of the opportunity to pay 

 another visit to the breeding place of the Spoonbills, and as I felt sure in the event of the 

 heronery still being occupied I should this time be successful in obtaining ei,'gs, t took a small 

 bag in which to stow my spoil. On arrival at the place f found that owing to the recent heavy 

 rains the whole swamp was converted into a lake, but to my great satisfaction I saw that the 

 clump of trees was still tenanted by the Spoonbills. To tie up my horse and strip off my clothes 

 was but the work of a tew minutes, and taking my bag I started. For some distance the water 

 was shallow, reaching to my waist, but this was among tne worst of the trip, for the ground was 

 covered with a dense growth of the terrible thorny plant known in the district as ' Roley Foley' 

 bushes, which it was impossible to avoid, and of which I still retain a lively recollection. .\s the 

 water deepened I took to swimming, and thus got clear of the ' Roley Foley,' and with the 

 exception of encountering a few snags and stumps made a rapid and uneventful voyage to 

 within a shoit distance of my destination. . . . Each of the three Spoonbills' nests examined 

 contained four eggs, and from where I stood I could see into several other nests, none of which 

 contained more than four. The Herons I noticed were also breeding, their nests containing the 

 same number of eggs. Having any quantity to choose from, I contented myself with some half 

 dozen of the best looking eggs of the White Heron and Spoonl)ill, taken from various nests. 

 Whilst taking these eggs I discovered the nest of a Whistling Eagle in a tree a short distance 

 away, on which the female bird was sitting, doubtless with the idea of reaping a rich harvest for 

 herself and young in the not far distant future." 



Mr. Bennett also wrote me as follows while resident at Vandembah Station, Lachlan 

 District, New South Wales: — " On the 22nd October, 1889, I visited the extensive breeding 

 grounds of Ardea pacijica and Plataka Jlavipcs, a few miles from Vandembah Homestead, on 

 an adjoining station. Owing to the abnormally wet season I found on arrival at the place 

 that it was a perfect lake, the water in some places being some eight or ten feet deep, in fact 

 completely covering the trunks of most of the trees, and being up to their lower branches. I 

 saw it was impossible to visit the part in which the breeding-place was situated without swimming 

 nearly a quarter of a mile, and even when I reached there I should have to swim from tree to 

 tree. As I had come intent on obtaining the eggs of the above mentioned birds, I determined 

 to examine the heronry, and accordingly swam out ; when I reached the place I was surprised 



