24 Fi.KTCUF.K, BtrrJ Notes from Wilmot, Tasmania. [,st^'juiy 



frosty winters of Wilmot. I had much pleasure in watching 

 their tripping movements amongst the grass in the early 

 morning. 



Consequent on the yearly increase of the scrubbed area, the 

 Mountain or Ground-Thrushes {Geockhla inacror/iyncha) are 

 becoming very rare, and during this year I have not seen one, 

 though I have had several scrambles in their favourite gullies. 

 In previous years I have generally seen several, and found their 

 old nests. As the forest is being cleared they do not return to 

 their old nesting sites to build. 



In one of my former papers I remarked that I wondered for 

 what food the Spotted Ground-Bird {Cinclosovia punctatmn) was 

 hunting on the heathy ground. I have since discovered that it 

 is a certain chrysalis which buries itself just under the surface of 

 the ground. After a Ground-Bird has searched a piece of 

 ground, the latter has the appearance of being covered with the 

 broken shells of tiny brown eggs, the white inside lining adding 

 to the deception. 



Along the moss-grown banks of a now unused track cut in 

 the face of a hill I found several old nests of the Brown Scrub- 

 Wren {Sericornis Jnimilis), also a nest that had been built and 

 used this season. Very cunningly hidden are these nests. Often 

 the entrance alone betrays the situation. 



Above the same bank I watched a family of Black-headed 

 Honey-eaters {Melithrcptus viclanocepJiahis) being fed. They 

 were sitting on a branch, and, being rather weak, assumed such 

 grotesque attitudes that they would have made an excellent 

 photograph of baby bird life. 



The White-eyes {Zosterops avruhscens) were frequent visitors 

 to the fuchsias on the back verandah, despite the fact that the 

 verandah joined the school. 



Several members of the Hawk family were residents of the 

 district, much to the disgust of the farmers during the chicken 

 season. The Brown Hawk {Hieraddea orientalis) and Sparrow- 

 Hawk {Accipiter cirfJioccphalus) were frequently circling over- 

 head. They appeared to nest on the top of a high, scrub-covered 

 hill, the latter species being frequently seen flying in that 

 direction with something in its talons. I also found the situa- 

 tion of a nest of the Black-cheeked Falcon {Falco vielanogenys) in 

 the spout of a dead gum tree. The bird was sitting, and when 

 returning to her nest always described a circle, flying round 

 evidently for observation. If she observed me lying on the 

 grass below she would utter some warning cries and fly away 

 over the tree-tops. On the river levels and the lower lands I 

 have often watched the Swamp-Hawk {Circus gouldi) circling 

 above. Occasionally, a flutter in the Magpie world would betray 

 the presence of a Wedge-tailed Eagle {Uroaetus audaxX slowly 

 flying across to the west. 



