°9o6 J Campbell, OologicaL Notes and New Fruit-Pigeon. [QQ 



Emu. Judging by appearance, I should say the bird submitted 

 by Mr. Coles has been skinned for several years — perhaps 

 five. 



The skin may be thus described : — Male. — General colour, 

 bronze or metallic green ; on hind-crown an irregular-edged 

 patch of violet or plum colour, and some of the feathers of the 

 mantle centred with peacock blue; wing coverts and secondaries 

 edged with yellow ; primaries dark grey edged with dull or 

 yellowish white; tail, greenish above, greyish underneath, and 

 tipped with dull white. Throat grey, and feathers of the 

 breast tipped or hackled with French grey ; greenish feathers 

 of the rest of the under surface slightly tipped with yellow ; 

 abdominal patch, which runs into the under tail coverts, 

 yellowish white, some of the tail coverts being edged with 

 green. The thighs are feathered, and the first primary of each 

 wing has a terminal notch or spatule as in the third primary 

 of the Alexandra Parrakeet {Polytelis alexandrcB). Feet 

 yellowish ; bill bluish-slate, with a lighter (creamy) tip. 



Dimensions in inches :— Length, 8.0; wing, 5.0; tail, 2.75; 

 bill, .49 ; tarsus, .7. 



It will be noticed that the male differs from the female by its 

 slightly larger dimensions, purple hind-cap, hackled breast, 

 abdominal patch more defined, and by the notched first 

 primary. 



A Psalm of Dawn. 



By a. G. Campbell. 



{Read before the Bird Observers' Cliib^ i^tli January., 1906.) 

 Away out at the base of the ranges lay a sleeping camp. It 

 nestled in a thick brake of scrub that clung to the track of a 

 small watercourse, still running. The night was clear and warm, 

 with hardly a breath of air to disturb the foliage or drive off the 

 mosquitoes, which were in hundreds. A Boobook Owl had 

 been heard some distance off ; the querulous cry of the Little 

 Nightjar had disturbed the silence ; now little was audible 

 save the dull gurgling of the creek as it made its tired way over 

 the stones. A solitary Brush Cuckoo whistled once on the 

 hillside. A few cicadas, as if restless in the warm air, sent forth 

 their strumming din into the in'ght with weird effect. 



The picture, indeed, was complete of which some poet has 

 sung — 



" The lone owl's hoot, 

 The waterfall's faint drip— or insect stir 

 Anion*,' the emerald leaves— or infant wind 

 Riflmg the dewy lips of sleeping flowers — 

 Alone disturbs the silence of the night " 



Towards morning the wind and the night voices became still. 



