34 ^"^i'-^y Feathers. [,,f"j;;,^. 



such as a Dig being killed, dog howling, child crying, flock of Parrots. 

 Jackass laughing, and many other imitations of calls of small 

 birds, &c. 



At the sight of a stranger the bird was very quiet, and would not 

 continue his antics for some considerable time. He had, however, 

 a great liking for following people like a dog, and on various occasions 

 has been found some distance from home ; in one instance he 

 wandered three miles away. 



The bird's answer to people saying " Poor Jack " was invariably 

 " Not poor Jack, fat Jack," which the men had taught him to 

 say. Jack succumbed to old age on Tuesday, i8th April last, 

 after a long life of notoriety, and to the great regret of his many 

 " admirers and friends." 



Mr. M'Neilly had a second bird, a hen, for about b years. She 

 took to roosting in a large gum tree in the middle of the road, 

 some distance from the house. She had many narrow escapes 

 from being shot, which was subsequently her fate. She was at 

 one time rescued from a box, about to be put on board a train, 

 bound for Melbourne. 



Lyre-Birds do not appear to thrive imless caught very young. 

 One bird (a hen) which was caught on the nest and kept in a wire- 

 netting enclosure, fretted away and died. — F. P. Godfrey. 



* * ^ 



Clarke Island (Bass Strait) Notes. — The season here, dating 

 from August, 1904, until March, has been remarkably dry and 

 cold, except for a severe heat wave in January, which lasted for a 

 week, with thermometer ranging from gj° to 95°. The birds which 

 usually visit us. such as the Wood-Swallow, Swift, &c., have been 

 conspicuous by their absence, or nearly so. The smaller birds, 

 also, are not nearly as numerous as when the seasons were regular. 

 The Wild Duck is only to be found on the sea-coast at Clarke 

 Island, as the lakelets are nearly all dry, and the water in the 

 remaining ones is too stagnant for their liking. On Flinders Island, 

 at the chain of lagoons at the south-eastern end of the island. Ducks 

 are to be found in great numbers. Swans, and also Wild Geese. Of 

 late years the Wild Goose has appeared to a great extent around 

 the coast of this island, especially on the south-western side at a 

 place locally known as White Mark, this place possessing chains 

 of lakes for miles, abounding with weeds and soft grass round the 

 edges, which seems to take their fancy. 



The Brown Quail is with us always, and the Painted variety is 

 also more in evidence than in former years. It is curious to note 

 how, as the Mutton-Bird becomes scarcer, the Little Penguin 

 takes its place. Indeed, in some rookeries, they are, I am told by 

 peojile who earn a living capturing the first-named, gradually 

 ousting them altogether. The Mutton-Birds are thought to be 

 more numerous this year, but still one cannot build on this until 

 the " season " is over and one notes results. The Brown Hawk, 

 which used to nest here largely, has almost deserted us, although 

 one sees the birds frequently. 



