Vol. XX. 



1Q20 



] KowARDs, Some Bird Nolea from Bega. -ij 



spring- traps set by rabhitcrs seem to capture incidcntallv a good 

 niaii\- birds. I louiid a \\'liite-l)a(k(Yl Magpie caught' by the 

 leg, which was ahnost si'\rri'd. I completed the sex'crance 

 without prott'st from the bird, and it flew off ; but in another 

 instance I found one of these birds with its lieak cut (lean off, not 

 far from the root. It could not eat, and died a chiy or so after 

 discovery. In another instance a fairly large black snake, furious 

 at its detention, was found imprisoned in the jaws of a rabbit trap. 



The Soldic^-Bird. — Professor Newton, " Dictionary of Birds," 

 page 428, makes a curious misstatement regarding the Sanguineous 

 Honey-eater or " Blood-Bird " {Myzomela sangitineolenta), which, 

 he says, is " called ' Soldier-Bird ' by the colonists owing to the 

 co'om-ing of its plumage — crimson or scarlet." It is,' of course, 

 the Garrulous Honey-eater [Myzantha garrula) which is known as 

 " Soldier-Bird," from its pugnacious disposition. By the way, 

 at a time when the whey from cheese factories was allowed to 

 remain outside in open barrels, &c. (to be subsequently fed to 

 hand-reared calves), the " Soldier-Birds " in some South Coastal 

 (X.S.W.) districts manifested a strange fondness for this by- 

 product, and many of the birds fell into the receptacles and w^ere 

 drowned. This winter — a very dry one — these bold birds, with 

 Magpie-Larks, Common Magpies (Crow-Shrike), Black-and-Wliite 

 Fantails, &c., are drinking from my horse's water-tub. 



Stray Feathers. 



Migration of Crows. — Lately I have noticed an exceedingly 

 interesting migration of Crows. As many as 2,000 of these birds 

 were seen in (Jne flock, all flying in one direction. They all 

 seemed to be cawing at the same time, and made a noise like a 

 train going through timbered country in gloomy weather.- I 

 have never noticed such a large flock apparently migrating before. 

 It is probably due to the dry weather and the consequent lack of 

 water. — J. R. Chisholm. Prairie, North Queensland, 25/4/20. 

 ■M * * . 



Native Companions. — Probably owing to the severe drought 

 in New South Wales, two fine specimens of Native Companions 

 {Aniigone australasiana) visited Mr. R. Sammon's farm, Boor- 

 haman, during September, 1919. These two birds became very 

 tame, strutting about the homestead paddocks, and were a source 

 of pleasure to the Sammon family, who fed them with wheat. 

 Early in December one of the birds disappeared, probably being 

 shot. The remaining bird is still to be seen gracefully strolling 

 around. The writer, on 31st May, 1920, drove within 15 yards 

 of this lonely bird. The Native Companion w^as a common species 

 in this district years ago, Mr. Sammon informing the writer that 

 these two birds are the first he has seen for 16 years or so. What 



