Vol. XX. -| If, SouKf and Macphkrsox, TJie Birds of Sydney. QI 



19^0 J • ^ 



part of the year. One will at times see a single Yellow-tuft fly 

 into a tree and start calling, and as many as 20 or 30 of the same 

 species will flock round him and sit with expanded wings or flit 

 about uttering a short note, evidently holding a sort of council 

 meeting — a phase of action noted in many specie of this family. 



White-bearded Honey-eater {Meliornis novcB-hollandia) . — This 

 species is somewhat nomadic, and changes its habits according 

 to the flowering season of the eucalypts and banksias. It is 

 numerous in Centennial Park, and may be seen in dozens among 

 the low coastal scrubs at the Little Bay Hospitah 



The Diamond-Sparrow or Spotted-sided Finch {Stagonoplcura 

 guttata) is often numerous in the comparatively open country of 

 some of the outlying suburbs. 



Red-browed Finch {Mgintha temporalis). — The pretty little 

 " Red-head " is always present in Ashton and Taronga Parks 

 and other places, where it nests freely, often close to crowded 

 thoroughfares. It keeps to the timbered areas. 



Crow [Corvus coronoides). — A pair of Crows Hve in the suburb 

 of Mosman, and each year rear a family. They chiefly live in 

 Ashton Park, but are often seen over the harbour and city. 



Butcher-Bird {Cracticus destructor). — ^There are generally a few 

 of these caroUers about the parks and gardens, but they do not 

 seem to stay in one spot for very long. One year they reared two 

 yoimg ones in Double Bay. One day the beautiful song of a 

 Butcher-Bird was heard, and shortly afterwards the same t)ird's 

 voice was a fierce shriek of anger, and the bird was seen giving 

 battle to an Indian Turtle-Dove, which was trying to defend its 

 young. The Dove was soon vanquished, and fell limply to the 

 ground, where it crouched, dazed. The Butcher-Bird then took 

 each of the young Doves in turn from the nest, dashed them 

 against the branch of a tree, and threw their bodies to the ground. 



Food Pellets of Kingfishers. 



By Reg. Hays, R.A.O.U., Sentry Box, Bundarra, N.S.W. 



Amongst the many Austrahan birds that " void " their 

 " undigested food matter," none, perhaps, surpasses the Laughing 

 Kingfisher (Dacelo gigas), either in quantity or variety of the 

 contents. Having been particularly interested in this subject 

 lately, I find that the Laughing Kingfishers collect in companies 

 of 6, 8, 10, or more after sunset to have their last good old laugh 

 of the day, perched side by side on some horizontal branch of a 

 particular tree (generally the highest in the vicinity) ; there they 

 also sleep for the night. This selected site is used by the same 

 birds every night, and, as they void most of their undigested food 

 pellets at night (although I have seen them do it in the day time), 

 these pellets form quite a mound of the most varied accumulation 

 of bones, insect remains, &c. One of these mounds (photograph 



