Vol.XVIlI.-j siyay Feathers. I33 



a sanctuary. x\nd all animals soon discover such localities. The 

 park has only been proclaimed a few months, but already the 

 wallabies can be seen occasionally in localities near the entrance, 

 where they have not been seen for years. — Clive E. Lord (member 

 National Park Board). Hobart, 17/8/18. 



Swifts and Weather. — The summer just past has been remark- 

 able for its warmth and dryness. For practically six months we 

 have had sunny, genial weather, very little wind, and only a few 

 showers ; and even now, entering the second week of May, the 

 atmosphere is warm and the ground almost as dry as the pro- 

 verbial chip. The season has also been remarkable for the 

 absence of the Spine-tailed Swift {Chcetura caudacuta) from our 

 North-West Coast, in this forming a marked contrast with last 

 summer {1917 — see Einii, vol. xvii., p. 223), when the birds were 

 seen all through February and March until the third week of 

 April. During the present summer not one individual came 

 within ken of either my friend Mr. Will Buck or myself. We 

 both spend a great deal of time out of doors, and keep a constant 

 look-out. I heard of the Swifts being seen on two occasions — 

 once during first week of April between Don and Spreyton, and 

 once the week following between Mersey Heads and Bluff ; they 

 must then have been leaving for the Northern Hemisphere. — 

 H. Stuart Dove. West Devonport, Tasmania, 8/5/18. 



"Shamming Siek." — An interesting episode was witnessed by 

 a friend and self while driving through the Harford and New 

 Ground districts recently. One part of the road was bordered 

 by bush on one side and by a partly-cleared paddock on the other. 

 A Dusky Robin [Pdroica vittata) flew across from the bush, just 

 in front of us, alighted at a hollow in a dry tree within the paddock, 

 and instantly left, minus the grub which he had carried in his bill. 

 I jumped out of the trap, and on reaching the tree found the 

 female bird on the nest. Directly she caught sight of me she 

 tumbled from the nest to the ground, fluttered along with the 

 greatest difficulty, then on to a log, the length of which she pro- 

 gressed in the same painful fashion. On returning to the nest, 

 I found she had been brooding two greenish-blue eggs with an 

 orange tint at one end. The male bird, after feeding her on the 

 nest, had flown to the side of a tall stump, where he clung while 

 watching the farce of his mate leading away a " tenderfoot." 

 Our " Dusky " is quite as good at this acting business as is the 

 familiar little White-fronted Chat. — H. Stuart Dove. West 

 Devonport, Tas. 3/9/18. 



* * * 



The " Whisper Song." — Our trans-Pacific cousins have bestowed 

 a good deal of attention of late years on that low, sweet melody 

 uttered at certain seasons by certain species, and christened very 



