2 Mellor, a Visit to the Tuggerah Lakes {N.S.W.) \_^^^ 'j^,|y 



while here and there along the banks Blue Kingfishers {Alcyone 

 aztirca) would dart along like flashes of light in the rays of the 

 sun, or the more stately Sacred Kingfisher {Halcyon sanctus) could 

 be seen ])erched on a dry tree near the water. The Forest King- 

 fisher {H. macleayi) was only observed in the timbered country, 

 where it bores its nest-holes in the large white-ant heaps high up 

 on the trees. Breeding was being carried on by these birds. Far 

 aloft the Wedge-tailed Eagle {Aqiiila audax) soared in circles out 

 of harm's way, and further on a pair of White-bellied Sea-Eagles 

 {Haliaclits leucogaster) was seen. On our return to headquarters 

 one of the party bagged a Roller or Dollar-Bird {Eurystomus 

 aiistralis), which made a fine skin for museum purposes. 



Next day it was decided to make for the secluded gullies in the 

 back country, where the dense scrub still exists, with the various 

 soft-wooded and other trees towering 200 feet high, and where 

 beside the cabbage palm's fan-like leaves the bungalow or spear 

 palms raise their heads over 100 feet in the humid atmosphere — 

 a veritable paradise for bird-Hfe. The ornithologist could profitably 

 spend a month there, in lieu of a couple of days. To these fascinat- 

 ing regions we set sail with two days' provisions, securely packed 

 by Mrs. Legge, sen., and her daughter. With Mr. H. W. Legge 

 again at the helm we sped on our way for a couple of hours, landing 

 a short distance up a rivulet which took its source in the back hills. 

 After a couple of miles of walking and climbing, we arrived at our 

 camp, which wc christened " Lyre-Bird Retreat." It consisted of 

 two " humpies" roughly built by the Messrs. Legge on selections 

 taken up for sleeper-cutting. We soon made ourselves at home, and 

 after refreshing ourselves with some of the provender brought 

 from the boat, we set about investigating the scrub, which grew 

 at the very door— or would have done had there been a door, but 

 our " house " was primitive, inasmuch as no doors or windows 

 graced the structure ; in fact, a fireplace was in course of erection, 

 but it not being required, the builder had ceased its construction 

 and visitors were allowed to enter " Lyre-Bird Retreat " by way 

 of this chimney. 



Here is the home of the Lyre-Bird {Meniira siiperba), as the 

 name of our camp indicates, and we were able to see it on our 

 scrambles through the dense undergrowth, but, it being naturally 

 a timid bird, and our time short, we could not e?;tend our observa- 

 tions as closely as we should have wished. The Cat-Bird 

 {Aeliiroediis viridis) was seen amongst the leafy bowers, and a 

 specimen obtained. Along the watercourse, and in 'the dense 

 shade, the bulky nests of the Yellow-throated Scrub-Wren 

 (Sericornis citrcogulans) were observed, looking like bunches of 

 flood debris suspended from the overhanging trees. The smaller 

 nest, of like construction, of the Large-billed Scrub-W^ren (S. 

 muguiroslns) was found with young, and the \\'hite-browcd Scrub- 

 Wren (5. frontalis) also identified. 



Amongst the Tits, those seen were the Little {Acaii/hiza nana), 

 the Brown (.1. pnsilla), the Strijjed {A. lincata), and the Yellow- 



