66 



position of the air sacs, rendering equlibrium especially during volition more stable, and 

 by increasing the range and power of the voice. The air sacs or sinuses of the elephant's 

 cranium, and the air sacs or sinuses as well as the guttural pouches of the horse have 

 some points in common with the air sacs, etc., viz. by the rarefied air contained in them 

 lightening the bulk of the head. In addition these cells in these mammals aid audition 

 and olfaction. In proof of the air sacs and bones being organs of respiration, respiration 

 takes place through a broken leg bone after the wind pipe has been tied. H.G. 



Iftotes on tbe MUo Xife of the Buooeruiar. 



By W. H. Payne. 



This quaint, but handsome, little bird is one of the most 

 common of all Australian birds. We see it in ever}' part of 

 Australia, from Cape York to Cape Londonderry. Its fecundity 

 is astonishing, while its breeding habits are different to all other 

 birds that ever came under my notice; they will creep into any 

 hole they can find, where they will lay two eggs only at first, 

 then they commence to sit, both taking turns at incubation ; 

 when the two are hatched they will commence to feed the young. 

 This is but a light task, food being very plentiful, for they never 

 start breeding save where the grass is ripe. If you look into the 

 nest, as the writer has done, a week or so after the first two are 

 hatched, you will see one or two eggs with the two young: the 

 old ones sit on them at night ; by the time the first two hatched 

 are strong enough to get outside, the next two are hatched, 

 and so on, until they have as many as four, and sometimes five, 

 pairs ; so you will see by this that one thousand pairs will pro- 

 duce eight thousand young birds. They are so common, you 

 ma}' ride for weeks and drive them up in front of your horse 

 from sunrise until sunset. 



As already noted they build in holes of the limbs of the 

 white gums, — every one of these trees having all the limbs as 

 hollow as piping, with an outlet at some part or the other. They 

 are seed-eaters and must consume an enormous amount of grass 

 seed. 



This species is not of much account to the trappers, as 

 they are so low in price, and one of the largest eaters of any bird 

 I am acquainted with. Ceitainly the species could never be 



