I<2 Legge, Location of Birds. [,^, ")"„ 



along the ground with extraordinarily agile hops, so that, how- 

 ever quickly one may rush up to its supposed position it is 

 never to be found anywhere near it, and is flushed again with 

 difficulty. It is in such localities much shier than among its 

 aforementioned exotic shelters. 



Cracticus CINEREUS (Grey Butcher-Bird). 



This Butcher-Bird, which is a common species in the bush 

 and along the east coast, has been mentioned above as fre- 

 quenting the plantations here. Its spring visits are fairly 

 repular, but occasionally it is absent. It is one of the earliest 

 birds to call in the morning, and is more noisy than the Shrike- 

 Thrush. Its cruel habit, similar to that of the true Butcher- 

 Bird {Laniiis collario, Linn.), of " spitting " little birds on thorns, 

 has been recorded in TJie Emu by the writer some years ago. 

 It is an arrant robber, plundering Goldfinches' and other small 

 birds' nests and killing the young. It nests with us in September 

 and October, building in cypress and pine trees, sometimes in 

 lofty situations in the latter tree. In the bush its nest may be 

 found in the banksia or in the fork of a sapling gum. The nest, 

 though loosely made externally, is cleverly put together, and 

 neatly lined with fine rootlets, dry grass bents, and other similar 

 material. The cup measures 4 inches in diameter, and the whole 

 structure from 10 inches to a foot; clutch, three to four, the 

 eggs olivaceous or greenish-grey, with softened down blotches 

 and spots of brownish-red encircling the large end, which some- 

 times form an ill-defined band round it, while the smaller end is 

 almost free from markings ; dimensions, 1.3 inch x 0.9 inch. 



Some years since a nest of this species was blown out of the 

 fork of a lofty Pinns ijisignis with two young. It was found by 

 my late daughter, the young lying near it, and placed by her in 

 the fork of a small willow, where it was soon found by the 

 parents, who fed the young in their new surroundings ; but the 

 following day the nest was found again on the ground, devoid 

 of its tenants, which probably a marauding cat had disposed of 



It may be mentioned, as an instance of its predatory disposi- 

 tion, that my son not long ago observed one of these Butcher- 

 Birds persistently pursuing an unfortunate Pardalote from tree 

 to tree among the fir trees and clumps close to the homestead, 

 and then across the fields to some distant fir clumps, with 

 downright intent on securing it. 



More About Herons. 



Bv A. H. E. Mattingley, Melbourne. 



With reluctance we once more packed up our baggage and started 

 homewards. Paddling our heavily laden craft against a swiftly- 

 flowing current, wc at last reached home, thoroughly exhausted 



