20 SOME USEFUL AU ST RATA AX BIRDS. 



SECTION I. 



Birds of the Garden, Orchard and Field* 



The birds included ia this diasion may alsa be classed under the heading 

 " semi-domesticated " ; they come from the ranks of the second and some- 

 times oven the third section. This section includes not only the birds 

 of the the suburban gardens of .Sydney and the orchards of the County of 

 Cumberland, but those of gardens, orchards, and fields all over Australia. 

 The description of a number of birds such as the Cobler's-awl or Spine-bill 

 (Acanlhorhynchuus tenuirostris) and other honey-eaters that are garden 

 visitants, is prohibited by exigencies of space. 



The question of the value of the common introduced birds such as the 

 sparrow is an open one. Gurney, in his work on the common sparrow, 

 states that they destroy £770,000 worth of food annually in Great Britain, 

 while Captain White has recently stated that they do an immense amount 

 of good in devouring the seeds of weeds. The Sydney gardener certainly 

 finds them a very destructive pest amongst his fruit and vegetables, eating 

 far more than they save from the noxious insects they at other times devour. 

 The starling, another garden bird, chiefly lives at the expense of the fowls in 

 the suburban chicken yards ; and the claims made by landowners who have 

 been recklessly spreading them on the western sheep stations under the 

 impression that they catch blowflies, are only bringing another useless 

 omnivorous bird to compete for the food of our more useful native birds. 

 The dainty introduced doves do no harm at present ; but it would be quite 

 possible for them to increase in such numbers as to become a seed pest. The 

 common English Ring-dove is at times a very serious pest to the pea crops 

 in Great Britain. 



The birds dealt with under our first section are as follows : — 



Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena). Yellow-rumped Tit 

 Fairy Martin {Petrochelidon ariel). {Acanthiza chrysorrhoa). 



Willie-wagtail {Rhipadura tricolor). White-browed Wood-swallow 

 Jacky-winter {Microecafuscinana). {Artamus superciliosus). 



Grinder {Sisura inquieta). Masked Wood-swallow 

 Magpie-lark {GralUna picata). {Artamus peisonatus). 



Magpie {Gymnorhina tibicen). Red-capped 'Robin {Petroeca goodenovii) . 



Silver-eye {Zosterops ccerulescens). Scarlet-breasted Robin {Petroeca leggii). 



Ground Lark {Anthus australis). Flame- breasted Robin 

 'Bronze Cnckoo {Chalcococcyxplagosus). {Petroeca phoenicea). , 



Fan tailed Cuckoo Miner or Soldier-bird 



{Cacomantls flabelliformis). {Myzantha garrula). 



Blue Wren {Malurus cyamus). Laughing-jackass {Dacelo gigas). 



