Vol. 

 1905 



. 'J Stray Feathers. 85 



fancy at times 1 could see them taken in the claws — it may have 

 been when one was secured in the mouth first. I noticed also that 

 when the bird returned to the tree its head invariably went down 

 to its claws, as if it were feeding on them while holding them down. — 

 Arthur E. Brent. South Bridgewater (Tas.), 21/7/05. 



RocKHAMPTON (Q.) NoTES. — The winter in Queensland has been 

 long and trying. The cold has been intense for this part of the 

 country — below the freezing point on many nights in July. The 

 rainfall here has been — May, i.oi ; June, 0.56; July, 0.45. 

 Pastures have become burned up, and in the absence of blossoms 

 one wonders how honey-eating birds find food. Lagoons and 

 waterholes have not fallen so low as might have been expected, 

 and waterfowl have not been stinted for food. Still they have not 

 recovered so quickly from the effects of the prolonged drought as 

 some other kinds — Quail, for instance, appear to have been breeding 

 incessantly, and are numerous all over the country. Cranes and 

 Herons, too, are common again, and Ibises come into the precincts 

 of the municipality. Flocks of Finches of various kinds are to be 

 seen at times. There was an influx of strangers in the cold, dry 

 weather of July, driven hither probably by the cold, stormy weather 

 which then prevailed in the southern States. Cuckoos were notice- 

 able among them. One evening a cluster of little birds about the 

 size of Sparrows were observed going to roost on the lee side of a 

 scaly- bark araucaria tree in a garden on Athelstane Range, within 

 sound of the city clock bell. They crowded together like a hive of 

 bees. In the morning they were hopping about the adjacent 

 pasture, but soon disappeared and did not return. What were 

 they ? They were conirostres of some kind ; ash and white were 

 the predominating colours in their plumage, and the tail feathers 

 had lovely white scallops at the extremities. The Kestrel has been 

 coming and going ; Kites are not nearly so plentiful as they used 

 to be. The Pied Crow-Shrike, which was a common and agreeable 

 winter visitant before the great drought, has not been here for three 

 seasons now. The little grey Doves, which are always with us, 

 became very tame in the cold weather. They discovered where 

 Canary seed was to be obtained, and boldly lit on the verandah, 

 where the singing birds had scattered it from their cages. Becoming 

 familiar, four were seen at one time perched on a cage, and by turns 

 rol)bing the seed-box. Magpie-Larks are unusually plentiful. 

 During the day they forage about the lagoons on the west side of 

 the range, but are careful to seek shelter in the bamboos on the 

 east side from the cold westerly winds at night. Their home-coming 

 reminded your correspondent of the return of boats from mackerel 

 fishing in the Firth of Clyde. Bee-eaters are very troublesome. 

 They sit on the fence opposite hives, and, as the bees are not smart 

 in the cold weather, snaj) them up without difficulty. It is when 

 they are sitting on the fence, rapping the bee to kill it outright, that 

 the bee-man makes a stone whizz pass the offenders. They are 



