266 THE USEFUL BIBD8 



On the 16th May, 1896, a spot immediately north of Bass 

 Strait was the scene of a gathering of the Red-wattle Bird 

 for migration into higher latitudes. Thousands of individuals 

 composed the flock, which flew overhead in groups, receiving 

 accessions to their numbers hourh'. A young friend saw these 

 birds return to this spot at 3 p.m., after an absence of six 

 hours. When all had assembled, they arose in a body, circled 

 round, returned, and finally, all arrangements presumably 

 being made, flew off, not to return for a season. However, 

 the whole body of birds in the district did not go off with this 

 force, for six weeks later I saw two on the same ground, 

 apparently in good health. 



In the same month, but a little west of this point, near the 

 town of Colac, in Victoria, an enormous flxock, estimated to 

 number a million individuals, gathered together in preparation 

 for the migration to warmer latitudes for the winter. It 

 seems as though the whole Tasmanian and Victorian forces 

 had collected their units for the journey through New South 

 Wales into Southern Queensland. It would be interesting to 

 discover the course followed by the South Australian birds in 

 their annual journey northwards. I commend this point to 

 the notice of the ornithologists of this State. 



Nest. — Open, loosely constructed of twigs, and lined 

 internally with hair, fur, &c. ; placed near the 'ground, and 

 generally in a fork. 



Eggs. — Three to a sitting ; ground colour salmon-buff, with 

 chestnut markings upon it ; slaty-grey markings below the 

 surface. Length, 1.25 inches ; breadth, 0.8 inches. 



