Voi.xviii-I Morse, Nesting Notes from Moree. yi 



15 acres, 3 miles from the mainland. There are no trees, but 

 the surface is fairly flat and covered with coarse grass and reeds. 

 Every square foot is utihzed by Mutton-Birds. We also flushed 

 a number of Brown Quail. The only other land-bird was the 

 Australian Pipit {Anthits australis). There does not appear to 

 be much animal life, but we noticed many small brown lizards. 



3rd April. — Returned home, and on 5th noticed a flight of 

 Bee-eaters making north. 



I2th April. — -Zosterops. — Numbers of Silver-eyes have come 

 about ; never saw these little chaps so far inland before. 



20th April. — Artamus siiperciliosus. — -Large flight of White- 

 browed Wood-Swallows passed over to-day, apparently going 

 south-west. 



25th April. — Heard an unusual disturbance among the birds 

 in a sandal- wood- tree. On investigating found a brown snake's 

 skin hanging from the branches ; evidently it was carried there 

 by a whirlwind. Round it, in great consternation, were " Jacky 

 Winters " (Australian Brown Flycatcher), Rufous Whistlers, 

 Yehow-tailed Tit-Warblers, Little Tit- Warblers, some " Soldier- 

 Birds " (Noisy Miner), and "Razor-grinders" (Restless Fly- 

 catchers). 



4th May.— Emus are now in pairs every\vhere in these parts ; 

 we are always on the look-out for fresh eggs this month. 

 Listening to one of Mr. Le Souef's interesting lectures reminded 

 me of an old male Emu. Living by himself in the hills, far 

 removed from any of his kind, he has each year, for many years, 

 gone to the rubbish heap and got together about a dozen bottles, 

 on which he used to sit for some weeks. This happened every 

 year for eight years to my knowledge, and I don't know how long after. 



6th May. — ^Was witness of a funny incident yesterday. Great 

 Brown Kingfishers come every morning for the mice thrown out 

 of the traps. One got his mouse and flew with it to the limb of 

 a tall, dead gum-tree. Another laid claim to the same mouse, 

 and flew up and grabbed the other end. They both sat back and 

 pulled. We watched them for a few minutes, then went in to 

 our own breakfast, leaving them still steadily pulling. Fifteen 

 minutes later they were still in the same position, but had been 

 joined by five others, which were watching the contest with 

 apparently much interest. No. i then made a mighty effort to 

 get the mouse, overbalanced, and fell off the limb ; but in spite of 

 this he still hung on, and spun slowly round and round under the 

 limb with wings tightly closed. The strain was too great, and he 

 had to let go, at which the five spectators threw up their heads 

 and laughed heartily. However, the defeated one bore no 

 malice ; he joined the others on the limb and joined in the 

 merriment. 



The mice do not only provide food for " Jackasses." Two 

 very large green frogs live in our back skillion. Hearing an 

 unusual scuffling in the onion-box the other night, we went out 

 with a light, just in time to witness the larger frog getting a mouse 

 down its throat. 



