Vol. VI. 



] Berney, Birds of the Richmond District, N.Q. AH, 



KOEL {Eudynmnis cyanoccphala). — A strictly migratory species, and 

 spends the summer in this district, for which purpose it arrives in 

 November or December, leaving again in March. Like its relations, the 

 Koel is often heard at night — sometimes when the weather is clear and the 

 stars bright, and at others when the nights are dark and dirty. The cry of 

 the female is a monotonous, short, sharp, and high-pitched scream. 



Channelbill {Scythrops no'-ocr-JioUaudicc). — This is another summer 

 visitor only, and also a night-caller. 1 rather fancy the Crow is its favourite 

 victim as a foster-parent. 



COUCAL {Centropus phasianus). — This is one of the birds that the edge of 

 the basalt seems to block. I know of two instances of its being seen at the 

 heads of creeks heading from the ranges, but it never follows them down to 

 the river. 



Red-crowned Lorikeet {Ptilosclcra versicolor). — The appearance 

 here of these charming little Lorikeets is controlled by the flowering of 

 certain trees, from the blossoms of which they extract the nectar on which they 

 subsist. It is a pretty sight to watch a mob of them feeding on the tea-tree 

 ^Melaleuca Icitcadendro/i), which is a particular source of attraction to them, 

 as they climb and cling to the bending bottle-brush flowers, peering first 

 round one side and then the other in search of food, keeping up the while 

 an incessant squealing. Once on the wing they move very swiftly. They 

 are practically absent from December to April, as there are no flowering 

 trees at that time of year. So far as I know (see T/ic Emu, vol. iii., p. i88) 

 they nest in August. Average measurements of four females : — Total 

 length, 71 inches ; wing, 4JI inches ; tail 2if inches ; tarsus, is-inch. 



Banksian Cockatoo {CalyptorhyncJms banksi). — This bird is an un- 

 certain visitor, both as regards the season of appearance and the length of 

 its stay. Two youngsters taken from the nest were brought into Richmond 

 in July, 1902, but whether they were from one nest or two I am unaware. 

 They go out to feed a good deal on the open downs. Their slow, heavy 

 flight and complaining cry make them noticeable objects in a landscape. 

 One I shot had its crop full of the seeds of CJiionachnc barbala. 



White Cockatoo {Cacatua galcritd). — This species is always about in 

 the river gums, seldom going far from the timber to feed. They nest during 

 July and August ; one clutch of four eggs I found in a nest rather excep- 

 tionally situated, in the hollow butt of a gum, the entrance to which was only 

 3 feet 6 inches from the ground, the eggs resting on the vegetable mould 

 9 inches below the entrance hole ; on being blown, two of the eggs pioved to 

 be quite fresh, one was slightly incubated, and the other contained a well- 

 developed youngster. Youngsters in the nest are often of quite different 

 ages. The young of most animals are interestingly pretty, but this is not 

 so with the young Cockatoo at a week old. It is all beak, and is quite the 

 ugliest little beast imaginable. 



Bare-eyed Cockatoo [Caca/ua (^yin7topis). — The species is a permanent 

 resident, gathering up in the winter time into immense flocks. They are 

 then exceedingly noisy and most destructive to the timber in the immediate 

 vicinity of the waterhole at which they congregate to drink and roost ; 

 nipping off the foliage and young shoots and stripping the soft bark, they 

 quite destroy the shade trees. They nest at any time — good seasons and 

 bad are all the same to them. 



As regards the reputed two species- — sangninea and oynnwpis — it looks 

 very much as though there was, after all, only one, and if this should be so, 

 than I suppose oynwopis as a name will have to give way to sanguifiea, the 

 latter claiming priority. For purposes of examination in connection with 

 this matter 1 have at one time and another shot, after carefully selecting the 



