Vol. VI. 

 1907 



J Stray Feathers. 1 95 



back, and it was fairly alive with Brown Quail, but noticeably 

 smaller than on Clarke Island. I have not seen any specimens 

 of the spotted variety (Painted) this season, but they lie much 

 closer than the Brown Quail, and may so be missed. 



The rarest bird here is the White-bellied Sea-Eagle. I saw 

 one the other day — a magnificent specimen. I am told they 

 are destructive to lambs, but we do not find them so to our 

 flock ; the Wedge-tailed Eagle is, as we know to our cost. Cape 

 Barren Geese have nested fairly well this season, but not to the 

 extent of last year. Teal have laid here in numbers, and 

 flappers are plentiful in the small lakes on the various islands. 

 Their nests are hard to locate, as they often lay a considerable 

 distance from water. I noticed a clutch of the Spur- winged 

 Plover's eggs in November ; the eggs were, as usual, laid on the 

 bare ground among short green grass, and very difficult to 

 locate. Silver Gulls have a rookery on a precipitous rock near 

 here, which is so steep as to be difficult to climb. It was quite 

 surrounded at low water ; we had to jump from rock to rock to 

 get to it. On examination I found that the young were mostly 

 hatched, but for some reason they were nearly all dead. On 

 looking over the rookery I soon found the apparent cause, in 

 the shape of two large black snakes ; these savage reptiles were 

 soon killed. It is difficult to say how they got there, as in the 

 first instance they must have swum in the salt water, and, 

 secondly, must have climbed up an almost bare face of rock. 



Oyster-catchers do not seem as plentiful as last year, the Pied 

 variety being the most numerous. The Pacific Gull is scarce 

 here, although laying on the surrounding reefs. I only saw two 

 Wood- Swallows {Arlanms) last season. They do not remain 

 long with us. 



The Mutton-Birds seem to hold their own, in spite of the 

 annual drain on them, and they are now to be seen flying about 

 in flocks of many thousands. Black Swans have been remark- 

 ably late nesting this year; I noticed last week a clutch of 

 young ones only a few weeks old. — J. D. Maclaine. Clarke 



Island, 6/2/07. 



* * * 



Australian Birds in London. — The following Australian 

 birds may now be seen alive in the London Zoological 

 Gardens : — 



Wedge-tailed Eagle . . Uroaetus audax 



White-headed Sea-Eagle 



Winking Owl 



Crow 



Pied Crow-Shrike 



Grey Jumper 



Satin Bower-Bird 



Cat-Bird 



Regent-Bird 



Haliasiur girrenera 

 Ninox connivens 

 Corvus coronoides 

 Sire per a graculina 

 Struthidea cinerea 

 Ptilonorhynchus violaceus 

 Aelurosdus viridis 

 Sericulus melinus 



