110 Berney, Birds of the Richmond District, N.Q. [ ,sf"jan. 



in the course of a ride of eight miles over a piece of country that had been 

 swept the night before by a bush fire. 



Bush fires are a great attraction to "Turkeys." The birds may be noticed 

 coming up from different C|uarters as the rising smoke gives them the signal. 

 At night I have watched them following close behind the fire, darting in and 

 out amongst the flames and smoke, catching the grasshoppers and other 

 creatures driven out, more or less overcome by the heat. 



January to April are the nesting months. I have never found eggs in 

 December, and until this year I had no record for April. Very rarely do they 

 nest in the winter. I have only two notes in reference to their doing so 

 occasionally, both in 1901. (See Emu, vol. iii., p. 68.) 



As regards the number of eggs laid by the Bustard, of twelve nests that I 

 have found, five contained two eggs and seven one only ; it is possible that 

 some of these single-egg nests were incomplete at the time, and that a 

 second &'gg may have been subsequently added to some of them. Only in 

 one instance do I know for a fact that the single ^'g'S, was much incubated. 



There is a big difference in the size and weight of the two sexes ; eleven 

 birds, not picked but taken as they came, averaged 15 lbs. i oz., seven males 

 going from iij^lbs. to 19 lbs., and averaging 1634^ lbs.; and four females, all 

 apparently mature, weighed 8, 7^^, 6>^,and ylbs. respectively, averaging 7lbs. 

 I have measurements of two birds only, both of which I have noted were 

 adults : — 



Total 

 No. Date. Se.\. length. 



Inches. 

 91 ... Jan., 1905 ... Male 41)^ 



205 ... Aug., 1905 ... Female... 33 



The weight of No. 91 was 19 lbs., and spread of wings 6 feet 8 inches, and 

 No. 205 weighed 6 lbs., with a spread of wings of 5 feet 4X inches. In the 

 male the gular pouch was developed to its fullest e.\tent ; the ovaries of 

 the female contained eggs of the size of No. 6 shot. 



Stone-Plover {Burhijius grallartjts). — A scarce bird in the district, 

 confining its short and irregular visitations to the wettest half of the year, 

 January to June. During the past nine years I have only once met with the 

 miscalled "Curlew" during the period July to December. I flushed a 

 single individual in August, 1899. 



Pr.atinxOLE {SHltia isabelhi) — During the summer 5". isabclla is here in 

 large numbers, but in April a big exodus of the dainty courser takes place, 

 for which purpose the birds gather in large numbers ; thence throughout the 

 winter they are represented by the irregular visits of two or three individuals, 

 while now and again a small invasion takes place, forty or fifty suddenly 

 showing up, but they are birds of passage and only remain a few hours. The 

 date of their return to us varies one year with another. It usually takes 

 place in September or October. This year, for some reason forwhich I cannot 

 suggest any explanation, they are as I write (12th November) practically 

 total absentees, though the winter has been very mild and the season is one 

 of abundance. 



A few very early nests may be found in September, and these I have no 

 doubt belong to some of the old pairs of Pratincoles that have remained with 

 us through the winter. The main nesting season does not commence till 

 October or November, and lasts then till February. Chicks in the down 

 may be seen in March, but they will be hatched in the previous month. The 

 latest date on which I have actually found eggs is 8th ?"ebruary. They make 

 no nest, the eggs being laid on the bare ground without any excavation or 

 depression, but the sitting bird relieves the monotony of its task by getting 

 such fragments of dried vegetation as are within reach, and arranging them 

 round the eggs. The eggs are very hard to find, and the little chicks in the 

 down are still harder, for they not only ha\e their protective colouring, but 



