^O Stray Feathers. ^ ^'"" 



July 



and shot the bird as it was caUing, and it proved to be a splendid 

 specimen of the Boobook Owl {Ninox boobook). — F. E. Howe. 

 Albert Park (Vic), 5/5/o5- 



Pied Mutton-Birds. — This season I received two black and 

 white Mutton-Birds {Piiffimis tenuirostris) from Phillip Island, 

 Western Port. One collected by Mr. A. P. Smith, Cowes, instead 

 of the usual uniform dusky plumage, has its cap and throat white ; 

 abdomen and under tail coverts, excepting here and there a dusky 

 feather, also white. The wings are white with a few dark patches. 

 The bill is the usual dark colour, but the feet are parti-coloured. 

 The second example was forwarded by Mr. Tom Bergin, San Remo, 

 and may be generally described as having head and neck white 

 and the rest of the plumage mottled sooty-brown and white. — A. J. 

 Campbell. 



Early Moult of Blue Wrens {Mai urns). — At the present time 

 this neighbourhood offers ample ocular demonstration of Blue 

 Wrens discarding their gay summer livery for the winter greys. I 

 have never before known them to moult so early in the year. All 

 the males one sees are half-way or even further through their moult. 

 This means that sometime about midwinter they will regain their 

 full plumage. A casual observer seeing the gaily attired birds at 

 that time is apt to conclude that they had not lost their blue 

 feathers at all during the winter, whereas their appearance in full 

 plumage is accounted for by the moult having taken place 

 very early in the year.* — Geo. Grahaisl Scott's Creek (Vic), 

 3/3/05- 



" Why Does the Young Cuckoo Eject its Foster-Brethren ? " 

 In reply to Mr. Mattingley's query {Emu, vol. iv., p. 172), how does 

 he draw the line between reason and instinct, and how know what 

 are the bounds of either ? Is it not more than probable that phy- 

 sical discomfort on the part of the " intruder " is the only reason 

 for the efforts which cause the removal of other birds ? Does either 

 reason or instinct come into play here ? Judging from human 

 analogy, it is possible, certainly, that the movements spoken of are 

 involuntary ; but where the parent birds have gone so far along 

 their particular line of development as to make a constant practice 

 of fostering the rearing of their young on birds of other species, it 

 is more than likely that instinct has its say. As to whether birds 

 reason is too open a question to be discussed ; but who can say 

 they do not ?— H. K. 



* Mr. Graliam's note is valuable, as it confirms the experiences of other observers 

 of this bird. — Eds. 



