INSESSORES. 629 



of the smaller kinds of insects eaten by the other members of 

 the family, and that it occasionally feeds upon fruits ; the 

 changes too which it undergoes from youth to maturity are 

 very similar. 



The Channel-Bill is a migratory bird in New South Wales, 

 arriving in October and departing again in January ; whither 

 it proceeds is not known. As I had but few opportunities of 

 observing it myself, I cannot do better than transcribe the parti- 

 culars recorded by Latham, who, in the second volume of his 

 ' General History of Birds,' says, " It is chiefly seen in the 

 morning and evening, sometimes in small parties of seven or 

 eight, but more often in pairs ; both on the wing and when 

 perched it makes a loud screaming noise when a hawk or 

 other bird of prey is in sight. In the crop and gizzard the 

 seeds of the red gum- and peppermint- trees have been found ; 

 it is supposed that they are swallowed whole, as the pericarp 

 or capsule has been found in the stomach ; exuviae of beetles 

 have also been seen, but not in any quantity. The tail, which 

 is nearly the length of the body, is occasionally displayed like 

 a fan, and gives the bird a majestic appearance. The natives 

 appear to know but little of its habits or haunts ; they con- 

 sider its appearance as an indication of blowing weather, and 

 that its frightful scream is through fear. It is not easily tamed, 

 for Mr. White observes, that he kept a wounded one alive 

 for two days, during which it would eat nothing, but bit 

 everything that approached it very severely." 



In some notes by the late Mr. Elsey on the birds observed 

 by him during Mr. Gregory's Expedition, and which were 

 kindly made for my use, he says, " This bird appeared on the 

 northern side of the ranges. It settled in a tree close to our 

 camp, and for five minutes at a time pumped out its awful notes. 

 Sometimes it was quite indifferent to our presence, but gene- 

 rally it was very shy. I have never seen it on the ground, 

 but always at the tops of large trees. One, shot by Mr. 

 Gregory and preserved, proved to be an incubating female ; 



