11 A Le Souef, Nesting Place of Australian Swifts. [ist Oct. 



the Japanese living at Nikko catch one of the birds, then choose 

 an open spot where two or three trees are growing not far apart, 

 and spread h"ght nets from tree to tree, and then, fastening a long 

 cord to the foot of the captive bird, allow it to fly about on 

 the inner side of the nets. Other Swifts, both the Spine-tailed 

 and White-rumped, are attracted by the captive, and, darting 

 down towards it, often strike the nets, then fall to the ground. 

 As their wings are so long, they cannot fly off the ground, and 

 are left for the time being where they fall, to be gathered when 

 the catching is over for the day. From sixty to one hundred 

 are often caught in this way in one day. The larger species are 

 used for eating, and are much appreciated by the Japanese, 

 while the primary feathers of the wings are used for various 

 purposes. The White-rumped Swift is too small for eating. 



When we passed Hongkong, about ist July, we saw both 

 Swifts there. It is probable that they have many nesting places 

 both in Japan and in China, but their choosing such steep, 

 overhanging cliffs makes them difficult to approach. I have 

 heard of three different such places in Japan. 



Field Notes on Birds from Talbragar River, New- 

 South Wales. 



By Thos. B, Austin, Cobbora. 



Part II. 



Pied Crow-Shrike (Strepera graculina). — Although this is a well- 

 known bird all through the district, and at times very plentiful, it is a 

 very rare thing to see them breeding here ; only once have I observed 

 them nesting. There were three young in the nest only a few days 

 old. The nest was built in a large ironbark tree about two miles from 

 the river. A few weeks later I took the young birds for pets, and, 

 although they became very docile, they never learned to talk. It was 

 simply marvellous the way they could catch anything (even stones) 

 thrown within reach of them. These pets had a very imfortunate 

 ending. When they were about twelve months old I noticed first thing 

 every morning that they went for a long fly, some miles away from 

 the house. It soon became very evident that they were trying to 

 induce their wild relations to return with them. This they eventually 

 succeeded in doing ; but the wild birds made themselves too much at 

 home in my fruit garden — the second morning after their arrival there 

 was not a fig left on the trees. The wild birds became so tame I 

 could not tell them from the pets, and they became so destructive I 

 had to shoot the lot — an act which I did very reluctantly. 



Blue Kingfisher {Alcyone azurea). — Although I have seen this 

 bird on the Castlereagh River, 30 miles to the north of here, also along 

 the Coodgebaong River, 30 miles to the south, I have no record of it 

 being seen on the Talbragar River. 



Sacred Kingfisher {Halcyon sanctus). — These birds arrive in 

 great numbers during the spring, when their loud, screeching cries may 



