76 Austin, Notes on Birds from Talhragar River, N .S.W . L ^^ 



Emu 

 Oct. 



hundred yards away, and walk down to drink, consequently they are 

 blocked by the netting, which they follow round until they come to 

 the poisoned water-holes, in the same way the rabbits do. 



Mallee-Fowl (^Lipoa ocellata). — A few years ago, I am informed, 

 this bird was fairly plentitul in this district ; now they are practically 

 unknown. 



Stubble-Quail (Coturnix pectoralis). — I have seen them here in 

 great numbers in the early part of the summer, but most of them 

 depart about January. Occasionally a great many breed in the crops, 

 but during the summer of 1 900-1 they were breeding all over the 

 river flats. 



Brown Quail {Synoecus australis). — -This (1907) is the first year I 

 have seen them near the river, although about five years ago they were 

 rather numerous in the scrubs and ironbark ridges. I have never 

 known them to breed here. 



Plain-Wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus). — An uncommon bird in 

 these parts, and I have no record of them breeding here. 



Pectoral Rail (Hypotcenidia philippinensis). — A few arrive nearly 

 every spring, but they are rather a rare bird, and I only have one 

 record of a nest. This was built by a dam within one hundred yards 

 of my house ; the young when only a few days old were most extra- 

 ordinary-looking little creatures, more like mice (with only two legs) 

 than birds, and they were great runners. 



Bald-Coot {Porphyria melanonotus). — -A very rare bird in these 

 parts. Last year I noticed a voung bird unable to fly, so one pair of 

 birds must have bred here, although I did not see them. 



Native Companion {Antigone australasiana). — Fairly large flocks of 

 them occasionally come here during May and June, and are generally 

 to be seen on the cultivation paddocks just after the wheat has been 

 sown. Naturally they are not very welcome visitors to the farmers, 

 and no wonder, because it must take a great many grains of wheat to 

 satisfy the appetite of so large a bird, consequently the amount of 

 wheat a flock of fifty of these birds would eat in one week would be 

 sufficient to sow a very fair area of ground. I have also known them 

 to be a great source of anxiety to squatters in times of drought, by 

 practically destroying the water in dams, through flocking into the 

 shallow water in hundreds, and making the water in such a filthv state 

 that stock would not drink it. But with all their destructive habits, 

 I must give them a word of praise. In good seasons they are a very 

 useful bird to the country, destroying millions of small insects, which 

 are a much greater pest to the land-holders than any bird. 



Wild Turkey {Eupodotis australis). — It is very sad to reflect that 

 this — one of our finest game birds, as well as one of the most useful — 

 is surely being wiped out. I feel sure it is only a matter of a few 

 years and it will be extinct. I have often wondered why nature did 

 not provide this noble bird with better breeding facilities, also better 

 means of protection against its enemies — it falls such an easy prey to 

 Hawks, tvc, in the day, and the dingoes at night. Even with its 

 unfortunate breeding habits I think it could have held its own against 

 the enemies just mentioned, but then the fox came to help towards its 

 destruction, and now the worst of all, the rabbit, or rather the means 

 which we have had to adopt to destroy the rabbit — the deadly poison 

 carts. I know of stations where the unfortunate Turkeys have been 



