86 Stray f cat hers. l-^nd'o'ct 



making preparations for nest-boring in the sandy soil of the Botanic 

 Garden. The Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike is to be seen feeding on 

 the fruit of the native iig-tree under the shadow of the post-office 

 tower in East-street. Bronze-wing Pigeons are alnnidant all round 

 the town — visitors from dry country. — A.O.U. 21/8/05. 



Re Fantail Cuckoo. — I notice Mr. Barrett, in The Emu,* 

 mentions finding addled eggs in nests. My experiences have been 

 the same, which can easily be accounted for, at least as far as 

 Tasmania is concerned. Cuckoos arrive here in August, the month 

 in which most of our small birds build (at least most foster birds to 

 the Cuckoo). Very likely this is so arranged in order for them to 

 be ready for the Cuckoos' eggs, which would then be ready for 

 placing in the nest. But down come a fall of snow and rough 

 weather, lasting some weeks, putting the builders off for at least 

 a month ; therefore the eggs of the Cuckoo are placed in the nest, 

 very, very often before the nests are completed, and if it should 

 happen to be put into a Sericornis' or Brown Acanthiza's the birds 

 will at once leave the nest. These little fellows seem to be able 

 to detect any little disturbance that may be caused by putting one's 

 finger in the nest before any eggs are laid, and therefore when doing 

 so one wants to be very careful. I once found a nest of the Brown 

 Acanthiza by seeing it chasing the Cuckoo away and fiying back 

 to the nest. I carefully felt one egg and left, thinking to go back 

 later and get the Cuckoo's egg. I returned three times, saw the 

 birds there, felt carefully — only one egg. I fancied the third time 

 something was amiss, so took out the egg, which proved to be the 

 egg of the Fantailed Cuckoo — this was my first experience. While 

 packing the egg away I noticed the Acanthizas darting about, so 

 sat and watched, to see if they went back to the nest, but to my 

 surprise I saw one with material, and discovered another nest only 

 two yards away, nearly built. After waiting a week I went to the 

 spot again and took another Cuckoo's egg (with two of the 

 Acanthiza), which proved to be exactly similar to the other. 

 (Query — Do Cuckoos lay more than one egg ? My answer 

 is decidedly yes.) While on the subject of Cuckoos, I might say 

 that my notes appearing in The Emu re the Pallid Cuckoo were 

 based on my own actual knowledge, obtained through constant 

 watching, but I have never seen them perform at the age of 30 

 or even 48 hours. It would be impossible for them to eject a young 

 bird from the nest of our Yellow-throated Honey-eater, or Black 

 Cap, at that age, on account of the depth of the nest. I have found 

 them in the nest of the Black Cap, and as soon as you touch them 

 they commence to jostle the other occupants and try to throw them 

 out. I have seen them do so at times, and have caught them in 

 my hand and placed them again in the nest, to see the same per- 

 formance go on. — Arthur E. Brent. South Bridgewater (Tas.), 

 21/7/05. 



* Vol. V , p. 21. 



