66 Morse, Nesting Notes from Moyee. [.^^"juiy 



there. The drain itself runs into a large tank about 60 yards 

 square, and the sides are now overgrown with flags, in which the 

 Reed-Warblers and Grass-Birds congregate. I was successful in 

 getting six couple of Snipe, but the prize of the day w^as a Painted 

 Snipe's nest, with four eggs. We also found one Pectoral Rail's, 

 with seven eggs, and two Reed- Warblers' ; also a Square-tailed 

 Kite's, with two heavily-incubated eggs. During the week, while 

 driving a mob of sheep, I noticed a Magpie-Lark fly from a 

 Magpie's nest. Passing the same spot a week later, I saw the 

 same thing occur. Curiosity got the better of me, and, although 

 the nest was on the thin branches of a white-wood tree, I took 

 the risk, and to my surprise found the bird, which builds a mud 

 nest, was sitting on four eggs of her own. She did not seem to 

 have re-lined or made any alteration in the Magpie's nest. As 

 I was coming down the tree again I found a Spiny-cheeked Honey- 

 eater's nest with two eggs. 



20th October. — Found a Bell-Bird's nest with two eggs ; nest 

 was lined with sheep's wool and a few hairy caterpillars, and the 

 rim was finished off with a beautiful lining of sheep's wool. A 

 sheep had died a few yards away, from where, no doubt, the birds 

 got the material. 



27th October. — Paid another visit to the swamp. Succeeded 

 in finding- — or, rather, my dog did — three young Painted Snipe, 

 unable to fly, close to where I had found the eggs a week before ; 

 also shot five more of the " Long-bills." The Painted Snipe 

 must lie very quiet while breeding. As a rule they are not hard 

 to flush ; but in my two visits to this swamp I only saw one bird, 

 while, on the evidence of nest and young, there must have been 

 two pairs, unless the birds nest again as soon as the first brood 

 is fledged. We also found three Pectoral Rails' nests and one 

 egg of a Spotted Crake. 



25th October. — ^Took a Narrow-billed Bronze-Cuckoo's egg from 

 a Tit's nest. The birds had not finished building, and the 

 Cuckoo's egg was slightly incubated. I make special note of 

 this, as a Narrow-bill's egg previously taken from a Tit's nest 

 was far further incubated than the Tit's eggs. A Pallid Cuckoo's 

 egg, taken from a White-plumed Honey-eater's nest in the garden, 

 which we were watching carefully (having seen a Cuckoo hanging 

 round), was laid four days before the owners laid their first egg. 



5th November. — Paid a third visit to the swamp, and found 

 one Little Crake's nest with two eggs, also several nests of the 

 Grass-Bird, all in polygonum bushes over the water. One had 

 two large young ; the other two were not quite built. 



5th Novenil)er. — Found the first Pied Caterpillar-eater's nest, 

 also Sacred Kingfisher's ; latter had five fresh eggs. Found several 

 Pectoral Rails' nests ; eggs scattered about, with small holes 

 pecked in them, as if by some bird. Noticed a large flock of 

 Starlings about. I wonder if they were the culprits ? They 

 have only recently appeared in these parts, and have not estab- 

 lished themselves yet. 



