278 Ci.v.i.K'HD, Birds 0} the Pilliga Scrub, N.S.W. [,,f April 



the deserted homestead at Cubbo Station, in the centre of the Pilliga 

 Scrub. They settled on small planted trees round the water-trough. 

 Specimens shot had the crop full of manna scale (identified by Mr. 

 W. W. Froggatt as the manna lerp, Spondyliaspis encalypii). The 

 note uttered by these Parrots is remarkable, resembling the tinkling 

 of dolls' bells. Iris orange ; bill reddish-orange, yellower near tip ; 

 legs dark greyish-black. No entozoa. 



311. Platycercus eximius (P. e. eximiiis). Rosella. — Thirteen birds 

 seen on the journey, scattered mostly throughout. On the basis of 

 enumeration suggested under Geopelia tfanquilla. the minimum 

 population for the Pilliga Scrub would be about 858. 



315. Barnardius barnardi {B. b. bavnardi). Ring-necked Parrot. — 

 " BuUen-buUens " were met with almost throughout the journey, 

 38 being counted, giving a population of 2,508. Iris dark brown ; 

 bill pale horn ; legs dark grey. No entozoa. 



324. Psephotus haematonotus (P. hcsmatonotus). Red-backed Parrot. 

 — Eighteen birds were seen, mostly near Narrabri or ]Merebene — i.e., 

 near cleared or cultivated or open country. 



333. Melopsittacus undulatus (M. u. undulatus). Warbling Grass- 

 Parrot. — A flock of eight seen at Old Cubbo Station. 



341. Eurystomus paciflcus {E. orientalis pacificus). Australian 

 Roller. — Mr. Taylor informed me he had seen a Dollar-Bird near 

 Wangan, but it was too much hidden for me to diagnose it. 



345. Dacelo gigas (D. g. gigas). Laughing Jackass. — Occasional 

 birds (seven in all) seen throughout the journey, giving an estimated 

 minimum population of 462 for the Scrub. One, in very poor con- 

 dition, was found drowned in a deep soak at Cumbil, on Etoo Creek ; 

 it had a large nematode like an Ascaris in the intestine. Iris greyish. 



349. Halcyon sanctus (Sauropatis s. sancta). Sacred Kingfisher. — 

 One noticed near Baradine. 



352. Merops ornatus {Cosmcgrops 0. ornatus). Australian Bee-eater. 

 — A few birds, 12 in all, were seen throughout the area traversed. 

 Estimated minimum population, 792. 



Chalcococcyx, sp. — A Bronze-Cuckoo was heard at Merebene. 



372. Scythrops novae-hollandise (5. n. novcehollandicB). Channelbill. 

 • — The weird notes of these birds were heard at Top Well, on Coghill 

 Creek, and at Old Cubbo Station, in the early morning. On the 

 return journey, near Goona Creek, one flew across our track and 

 uttered its peculiar note after being chased. 



384. Hirundo neoxena {H. n. neoxena). Welcome Swallow. — A few 

 were seen at Narrabri, Baradine, and Merebene, near towns or home- 

 steads. They were not noticed in the scrub itself, where human 

 habitations are almost non-existent. 



385. Cheramoeca leucosternura (C. /. stonei). White-backed 

 Swallow.— A pair of these birds was seen on the sandy banks of 

 Baradine Creek, near Wangan. 



386. Petrochelidon nigricans {Hylochelidon nigricans caleyi). Tree- 

 Martin. — It is hard to distinguish these birds from the Fairy Martins 

 on the wing. Amongst the numbers included under the latter, 

 probably some Tree-Martins are included. 



