192 Stray Feathers. L-t'^April 



from the effects of the poison laid for them upon the sheep 

 stations of the north-east coast of Tasmania, about 18 miles 

 away. I am told that they kill a great number of lambs, 

 and consequently get poisoned for so doing, but personally I 

 very much doubt their lamb-killing propensities, as I have never 

 known them to interfere with our flock, and when examining 

 the nests with fledglings have noted that the bones in and about 

 the nest are either fish or snake bones. I think they must 

 confound them with the Wedge-tailed Eagle {Uroactus audax). 

 We never shoot or destroy the Sea-Eagles — not only for the 

 above reasons, but also on account of their rarity — anyhow in 

 these parts. 



The Raven {Corone a?istralis) — the grazier's arch enemy — is, 

 like the poor, always with us, and a very wary fellow he is. He 

 seems to have his eye everywhere, and if fired at without 

 success is always on the qui vive. When the Mutton-Birds 

 {Puffinus tenuirostris) are about half-fledged, one will often see a 

 score of Ravens, in company with the Pacific Gulls {Gabianus 

 pacificus), amongst the rookeries, and if a young bird unwarily 

 approaches the mouth of the burrow, he is soon taken by these 

 depredators. 



The season throughout has been extremely dry, and, owing 

 to their chief nesting places being dry, very few Ducks are to be 

 seen — in fact, I have not, so far, seen a clutch of them this year, 

 although usually there are plenty. 



30th September, 1907. — Cape Barren Geese {Ccreopsis nov(E- 

 Jwllandice) are very much in evidence. On Passage Island, 

 however, the clutches are small ; the most seen were three, 

 but more often two, and sometimes one. I came suddenly over 

 a hillock, and surprised a dozen in one lot. Of course, they 

 were not all of one brood ; some could just fly, others were half- 

 fledged, and the rest quite small ; there were four old birds with 

 them. It is fortunate that their haunts are isolated, as I fear 

 that, as they are a fair table bird, if they were within easy access 

 very few would live to any age. I saw a very young gosling on 

 loth December, and, as the birds begin to nest in June, one can 

 imagine how erratic they are in laying, which, I consider, 

 protects them to a great extent, as, if they laid at one time, 

 people would most likely rob them, whereas, laying as stated, 

 they would not trouble to go to the islands on the chance of 

 only getting a dozen eggs. 



The little White-eye {Zosterops ccerulescens) nests considerably 

 with us, and their home is chiefly among the green twigs, which 

 harmonise so well with their colour, while their nest, which is 

 perfectly circular, lined with horse-hair and fastened on to the 

 twigs with moss and cobwebs, is a work of art. They usually 

 lay four light bluish-green eggs. 



The Dusky Robin {l^etrceca vittata), Elame-breasted Robin 



