Vol. 

 1905 



.^■] Stray Feathers. 8? 



Jottings from Tasmania. — 9/// Jinu\ 1905. — With regard to 

 the stay of the Flame-breasted Robin {Petra'ca pha-iiicea) in cold 

 latitudes during the winter months, the following observation was 

 recently made : — While walking with a friend up the hill leading to 

 the Don, we saw nearly thirty Robins grouped together on the 

 electric light wire and on the fence below. One pair belonged to 

 the Scarlet-breasted species (P. leggii) ; the others were all Flame- 

 breasts, only about 25 per cent., however, being in full plumage, 

 the grey tints of the remainder showing them to be either females 

 or immature males. The hen of P. leggii was easily distinguishable, 

 owing to the light red patch upon her breast, this being absent in 

 the others. It was very pretty to see how the males in full })lumage 

 of P. phivnicea shone out like small live flames in the long row 

 upon the fence, the females and younger individuals being all but 

 invisible on the grey timber under a grey sky. This took place on 

 5th June. 



Some Fan-tailed Cuckoos {Caconuiiitis flabellifoniiis) stayed with 

 us very late this autumn ; their rippling notes were heard upon 

 the Mersey banks during the sunny afternoons of the last three 

 weeks in April ; one in a blue gum in Devonport town on loth 

 May ; finally, one was seen at the Don River enjoying the genial 

 sunshine of 21st May. I have a record of this species having been 

 seen last winter at the Mersey Bluff on i6th July ! This hardy 

 bird was sustaining the assaults of a Shrike-Thrush with apparent 

 serenity. "Summer-Bird" {Graiicalus parvirostris). — Four of these 

 graceful birds flew over my cottage on 12th May, keeping fairly high, 

 and heading to the north-east. They uttered as they flew their 

 peculiar rapid wiry notes. Pipit {Anthiis cntstralis).^Cd.n members 

 shed any light on the movements of this bird ? They appear to 

 move hence early in April, and reappear during the first or second 

 week of September. Are they migratory or merely nomadic ? An 

 observer some time ago assured me he had seen them in the 

 midlands of Tasmania during the winter months. The winters are 

 more frosty and severe there than here on the coast, so one does 

 not see how they would benefit by the change, unless they obtain 

 insects in the neighbourhood of the sheep, of which large flocks are 

 kept in the midlands. 



12th June. — Three Swallows {Hinindo neoxena) were observed in 

 Charles-street, Launceston, by Mr. H. C. Thompson during the 

 first fortnight of June ; they appeared weak, and kept under 

 shelter of the shop verandahs. Mr. Thompson observed one taking 

 its food in a way that is uncommon among Swallows — viz., clinging 

 to the sash bar of a shop window and j)icking flies from the glass. 



i^th June. — A pair of fine Pelicans {Pelecanus conspicillattis) 

 was seen sitting upon a sandbank in the Mersey River, the 

 first I have ever seen upon this coast of Tasmania. What an ever- 

 lasting disgrace that these fine birds, and also the splendid Black 

 Swan, should not be protected throughout the year ; if that were 

 done we should be delighted with the spectacle of numbers of them 

 sailing continually on our waters, instead of, as now, an occasional 



