ol. V, 



190S 



J Berney, Birds of the Richmond District, N.Q. yj 



uncertain visitor at any time, and then in small numbers. During the 

 past twelve months they have not showed up at all. 



Fairy Martin {Petrochelidon ariel). — Almost always with us, generally 

 in good numbers. A migratory bird, the place of those that leave being 

 taken by those that arrive ; both lots nest in- the district. (See Emu, 

 vol. iv., p. 45.) 



Ground-Lark (AntJms aitstralis). — My experience so far leads me 

 to look up(>n the Ground-Lark as a winter visitor, occurrences of the 

 bird during the summer being only occasional. 



White-rumped Wood-Swallow {Artamus leucogaster). — During the 

 summer the White-rumped Wood-Swallows are here in fair numbers, 

 but as the winter approaches they slip away, till in July they are repre- 

 sented by only occasional birds. Some winters they are entirely 

 absent. They come back to us in August, and commence nesting 

 without delay, as I have seen one sitting on its nest — it had made use 

 of a disused Magpie-Lark's (Grallina) — on 27th August. It is a smart 

 bird in appearance, and the most aerial of the Artami, except, perhaps, 

 A. minor. From my diary I take the following: — " Artamus leuco- 

 gaster are here now (2nd August) in some numbers ; I counted to-day 

 one little party of thirteen up in the topmost branches of a gum on 

 the river bank. They generally select the tops of the tallest trees, 

 and from this point of vantage watch for any insects on the wing, now 

 and again leaving their perch to sail round and round on easy wing. 

 Situated as they were high overhead, all I could see was their under 

 surface — an expanse of spotless white shirt-front, topped with a sooty- 

 grey head — reminding me of a gathering of negro minstrels. Nestling 

 together in a row, they were on the best of terms, this little party, and 

 as each returned after having a look round it shuffled along the limb 

 till it was tight up against the outside bird, when it settled down, and 

 called with contented chirps with a strong twang to a companion 

 still floating in the beams of the lowering sun." 



White-browed Wood-Swallow {Artamus superciliosus). — A winter 

 resident, when it may be seen in big flocks, in company of A . personatiis, 

 feeding and flying together and twittering like a lot of Sparrows. The 

 fact of these birds seeking honey from the flowers, which I reported in 

 The Emu (vol. ii., p. 217) was doubted by some readers, but as the 

 birds have brush tongues the habit should not have been unexpected. 

 However, one of our contributors (Miss Bowie), writing to The Emti 

 (vol. iii., p. 1 12) later, supported my statement from observations made 

 on these birds in confinement, and I am glad to notice in the same 

 journal (vol. ii., p. 59) Mr. R. Hall's correspondent, Mr. J. P. Rogers, 

 adds a note, with skins of these birds collected in N.W. Australia, that 

 " They are now feeding upon the honey-laden flowers, in company 

 of A. personaius, and this perhaps accounts for their brush-tongues." 



I never saw any sign of their nesting here, and during the months 

 October to February inclusive I have only one record — I saw two on 

 the 19th December, 1898. 



Masked Wood-Swallow (Artamus personatus). — There seems to be 

 a closer family tie between this Artamus and the preceding one than 

 between any of the other Artami in this district. The remarks on this 

 bird are practically a repetition of those given for A. superciliosus. 

 But in 1898 a few pairs remained through the summer to breed, as I 

 found a nest in November and two in December that year ; two eggs 



