Vo|-^J-] Stray Feathers. l6l 



Birds Observed and Bird-Skins Examined in 1905. — 

 Scarlet-breasted Robin [Petrcrca leggii) : Variation in Plumage. — 

 On the 13th of March my attention was arrested by the loud 

 and oft-repeated Calling of a small bird. The notes were those 

 of the Scarlet-breasted Robin, and were unusually loud. On 

 approaching the bird I observed that, although in other respects 

 it resembled a male Scarlet-breasted Robin, it had a pure white 

 breast. It thus resembled Petrcrca toitoi, but good reasons why 

 it could not have been that bird readily occur. The white 

 frontal spot was sufficient to distinguish it from the Hooded 

 Robin (P. bicolor), and I have no doubt that it was a white- 

 breasted variety of P. leggii. It returned on the following day. 



Flame-breasted Robin {Petrceca phcenicea). — One adult male 

 was seen on the 4th of July, near South Bridgewater, in the 

 company of a small flock of White-fronted Chats 



Satin Fly-catcher {Myiagra nitida). — The latest record in the 

 autumn of this year is 20th February, when three or four birds were 

 seen (Mr. W. Duffy). The bird utters a series of peculiar sibilant 

 notes when flying. When it perches the tail quivers rapidly. 



White-fronted Chat {Kphthianura aUrifrons). — A flock of eight 

 White-fronted Chats M'as observed on the 4th of July on Bridge- 

 water Causeway. They came from the east bank of the river, 

 and paused to feed amongst the drift-weed and debris on the 

 embankment. I have not observed these birds on the west bank 

 of the Derwent. 



Grey Butcher-Bird (Cracticits cinercits). — An adolescent male 

 had the marginal wing coverts tipped with bul^ and the median 

 wing coverts tipped with olive ; the feathers of the mantle had 

 brownish-olive tips. Iris light brown. Length, 10.5 inches : wing, 

 6 inches ; culmen, 1.56 inches ; tarsus, 1.53 inches. 



White-bearded Honey-eater {Meliornis novce-hollandicc). — In an 

 adolescent male and an adolescent female the malar tufts of the 

 adult were absent ; the small projecting white feathers on each 

 side of the base of the lower mandible of the adult were also 

 absent, but there were a few small buffy-white feathers which 

 extended from the base of the lower mandible to the ears ; the 

 hair-like feathers on the chin were darker in colour than the corre- 

 sponding feathers of the adult ; the heads were not black but 

 brownish-black, and the colours of the breast feathers were not 

 markedly contrasted. The feathers of the mantle of the adult are 

 black, with white edges ; those feathers of the adolescent birds 

 were uniformly dusky-brown ; the bills were brown, blended with 

 horn colour. 



Azure Kingfisher {Alcyone azurea). — The comparative scarcity of 

 this bird in the south of Tasmania must be my e.xcuse for mentioning 

 a well-nigh belated instance of its occurrence. In March, 1901, an 

 Azure Kingfisher (the stuffed skin of which I have seen) was shot 

 near Broad Marsh, in the county of Monmouth (Mr. T. Bowden). 



Pallid Cuckoo {Cnculus pallidus). — The latest date in autumn at 

 which I have a record of this Cuckoo in an adult state is 19th 



