ono Dove, A Bush Walk. f Em" 



ZkJ^ List Jan. 



teeth of the wind, as if propelled by invisible power, for the wings 

 were practically motionless. Perhaps the " flight-men " can 

 explain how it is done, for to an onlooker it is difficult to see whence 

 comes the motive power against a high wind. 



The delicate " Pick-it-up " call of the Tree Diamond-Bird or 

 Pardalote {Pardalotiis functatus) was another sound which greeted 

 the ear on this spring day. One of the smallest of our migrants, 

 its voice is usually first heard during the last week of August or 

 the first few days of September. The Pipit [Anthiis australis), 

 too, is an early September arrival, and this year a party of these 

 brown " Ground-Larks " was actually seen to arrive from over 

 the water at 7 o'clock on the morning of 8th September. They 

 were evidently much wearied, as the breeze was southerly, and 

 against them, and they flew as closely as possible to the surface 

 of the sea. It is interesting to have this piece of confirmatory 

 evidence as to the migration of the little Pipit, which appears so 

 averse, when here, to any but the very shortest flights. 



Forgotten Feathers, 



By H. Stuart Dove, West Devonport (Tas.) 



In looking through some old cuttings recently, I came across 

 extracts from a letter by Capt. Baudin, of the French expedition 

 sent out by Napoleon in 1800, with reference to his explorations 

 of Bruni Island, Frederick Henry Bay, Maria Island, and the 

 Schoutens. In this letter occur many notes on Tasmanian birds. 

 The Black Swan, Pelican, Albatross, and Cormorant were seen in 

 numbers ; the Sandpiper (" la Becassine ") was noted on the 

 seashore, also the Pied Oyster-catcher {"la pie de mer a pieds 

 et bee rouge "). We are in doubt as to what was meant by 

 " goneland gris," but probably the large Pacific Gull in immature 

 (grey) plumage, one of the most frequent birds on our beaches. 

 The sailors thought highly of the Black Swan for the cooking pot, 

 and took unfair advantage of that noble bird in the moulting 

 season, " when it can only fly with difficulty, and when it can be 

 captured while swimming, notwithstanding that it can acquit 

 itself well even then. The Duck and Teal are, after the Swan, 

 the birds whose flesh makes the best eating. The Cormorant and 

 the Albatross, although less good, are not for that reason to be 

 disregarded." (The French cooks must have exercised their 

 art to some purpose in making these two species palatable !) 

 " The Oyster-catcher, Boobie, and Gulls are scarcely worth 

 catching." 



Capt. Baudin also refers to some of tlie ]and-l)irds whicli lie saw 

 on the islands of D'Entrecasteaux Channel and upon the mainland 

 of our island. " The commonest species are the Parrots, blue- 

 breasted and yellow-breasted, and another kind with red wings 

 and green plumage. The latter is much smaller than the former, 

 which is as large as a Dove, and very beautiful." The voyagers 



