102 Ortox, a Trip in Search of the Spoiled Scruh-Wren. [^^f o"ct. 



Hooded Robins, Crested Bell-Birds, Wood-Swallows, and Fulvous- 

 fronted Honey-eaters only were noted. When about 20 miles 

 out the sand-plain changes slightly, and distinct flats, with a reed 

 growing amongst the scrub, occur. The flats are evidently the 

 home of the Sericornis. Mr. Sandland took the east side of the 

 track and I took the west when arriving at the Mithawandry Well. 

 I had not gone more than 200 yards when I detected a sharp note 

 of a bird new to me, and in attempting to get a look at the owner 

 two young birds just fledged hopped out from under my feet. 

 I stood still, ^^•hen immediately an adult Sericornis made its appear- 

 ance on a twig only 10 yards away, and gave me a good view of 

 its spotted throat and light-coloured breast. It gave a few sharp 

 notes, which at once drew the fledgelings to it, and then, just 

 behind me, the male bird broke into song, resembling very much 

 that of the Redthroat {Sericornis brunnea), only a little louder 

 and of shorter duration. After watching them for some time I 

 felt confident we were too late for their eggs ; although M'alking 

 about, I did not see any others. On reaching the buggy I found 

 that Mr. Sandland had also heard the male bird, but could not 

 get even a momentary glance at it ; it is evidently one of our 

 shyest scrub birds. As it was getting near sundown, and several 

 miles to where we wished to camp, we reluctantly pushed on. 



Our camp was situated on the edge of the sand-plain where the 

 coastal thicket and red gum country starts. At break of day 

 next morning one of the first birds to greet us with a gurgling 

 note was the Little Wattle-Bird. Two years previously I had 

 taken a nest within a stone's throw of our camp ; so we made an 

 early start, and had not gone far when we flushed a Little Wattle- 

 Bird from its nest. The nest, containing one young one, just 

 hatched, was situated about 7 feet from the ground in the centre 

 of a parasitical growth on a banksia. The two nests previously 

 found were also in parasitical growths in stinkwood trees. We 

 immediately searched through the thickets, but without success. 

 We noted the Banded Wren and Western Scarlet-breasted Robin, 

 but they had only just started to nest. 



The second day we made for Talala swamps, in the centre of 

 the sand-plain country, and searched for Sericornis, without 

 success, and on reaching Talala it was one sheet of shallow water, 

 and simply teeming with Teal and Black Duck : but we were 

 hoping to get the Parrots Barnardius semitorqiiatus and Psephofiis 

 multicolor in the flood gums surrounding the swamp. Although 

 we tapped practically every tree, the only timber growing of any 

 size, and Mr. Sandland climbed several trees which the Parrots 

 had bitten round the holes, we concluded we were a fortnight too 

 early, and we returned to camp wet through, having taken only 

 a Baudin's Black Cockatoo, a Teal, and a Black Duck's nest. 



Tlie third morning wc started for a point where I had seen a 

 Wedge-tailed Eagle's nest on two occasions previously. On tlie 

 way we searched for Anellobia, without success. On reaching the 

 red gum timber I heard Mr. Sandland " coo-ee." He saw the 



