q8 Fletcher, Bird Notes from Boat Harbour District., [„f"oct. 



This nest was finished for nearly three weeks before the bird used 

 it. The clutch was safely hatched, and the parents kept the 

 little ones to the same locality — a muddy corner in a tea-tree 

 swamp. On subsequent visits I often heard the grunting and 

 purring sounds with which the family were united after my 

 intrusion. A previous nest of this pair had been covered by the 

 flooded creek, so their housekeeping cares commenced very early, 

 possibly July. Close to this home was the nest of a Lewin Rail, 

 whose prettily-spotted eggs had been devoured by a water-rat. 

 In another swamp a pair of these Crakes had a nest in some 

 blackberry sprays, but a Native-Hen [Trihonyx mortieri) took 

 possession of the ground story beneath them. By the time three 

 of her eggs had been laid the Crakes left in disgust. 



Associated with the water-birds in these morasses is tliat 

 dainty little creature the Emu- Wren {Stipitiirus malachurus), 

 and i was fortunate enough to locate four of their haunts, and 

 found they took on nesting cares very much earlier than in the 

 Springfield district. One couple, whose tiny nest was placed in 

 a tussock at the end of a log in a swamp, had hatched by the last 

 week of August. I made several attempts to procure photo- 

 graphs of the family, but September weather was all against 

 pictured records of feathered friends. The little ones of these 

 birds leave the old home very soon, often under a fortnight, which 

 practically leaves only one week-end to watch them. They are 

 taken to a thick tussock, where their mouse-like movements alone 

 betray them. When old enough to wander, "Bluebeard" takes 

 charge of the httle Bluebeard, and the mother has the rest of the 

 family. 



The Ewing Tit- Warbler {Acanthiza ewingii) is a merry little 

 inhabitant of our blackwood and tree-fern clothed gullies. It 

 can be distinguished from the Tasmanian Tit- Warbler {Acanthiza 

 diemenensis) hy its louder and more trilling little warble or song. 

 I found one nest last year built in the fronds of a cat-head fern ; 

 it afterwards held four eggs, but something frightened the bird 

 before the eggs were quite incubated, and she deserted her charge. 

 The Tasmanian Tit-Warblers are plentiful, and may be seen 

 hunting for their food in the orchards and gardens. Their nests 

 are easily found, built in any suitable bush or clump of reeds in 

 the swamp, but they cannot be compared for neatness with those 

 of their cousin, the Ewing Tit-Warbler. The Yellow-rumped Tit- 

 Warbler {Acanthiza chrysorrhoa) is not plentiful compared with 

 other parts of Tasmania, and is found chiefly on the fields facing 

 the sea. It prefers mimosa and blackwood in which to construct 

 its conspicuous nest. 



The Blue Wren-Warbler {Malunis loiigicaiidiis) is freely dis- 

 tributed, and various pairs have their selected corner, to which 

 they retire each nesting season. They are one of the latest 

 breeders in this district, rarely starting before the end of September. 

 The males this year lost their coats as usual in February, and were 

 particularly late in donning their blue and black livery, the 



