94 Macgillivray, Drought Notes from Western N.S.W. [.^f''^"^^. 



the birds nor to rob their nests. When all surface water had 

 about disappeared, towards the end of last summer, many wild 

 birds, particularly grain-eaters, came to drink at a large camp-oven 

 which held water for the fowls, and many of the smaller ones 

 were being drowned in their eagerness to get at the water. 

 Stones were placed in the oven to prevent this, and very soon 

 the birds came in such numbers that three more receptacles for 

 water were put down, each holding three gallons, making four 

 in all, and yet all four had to be replenished two or three times 

 before mid-day every day. The Mulga trees about the house 

 were so crowded with birds, mostly Chestnut-eared Finches 

 {Tceniopygia castanotis) and Budgerigars {Melopsittacus undulatus), 

 waiting their turn to drink, that no part of the trees could be seen. 

 These two species and the Crested Bronzewing [Ocyphaps lophotes) 

 formed the greater number. But for Mr. Osman's humane con- 

 sideration for these creatures, great numbers must have perished. 



Mr. Chve Conrick, of Nappa Merrie station, tells me that four 

 of the extremely rare Spinifex or Night Parrots {Geopsittacus 

 occidentalis) were seen on the station early this year — the first 

 noted for many years. 



Although rain has fallen over most of this district since April, 

 only in places has it been sufficient to fill dams, and all lakes are 

 still dr^^ The Darling River is now in iiood, and it is expected 

 that the waters will almost reach the level of the last big flood, 

 in 1890, when Boolaboolka Lake, on Tolarno station, a favourite 

 nesting-place for Pehcans, was last filled. When filled this lake 

 holds water for about seven years, and the Pehcans resort to an 

 island in the lake to breed. Since they last nested there the fox 

 has invaded this district, and it remains to be seen whether he 

 win make a difference to the number that nest. 



It has been lately quite a usual thing to see numbers of Ravens 

 and Short-billed Crows waiting about the schools for the scraps 

 of food left from the 'children's lunches. 



The White-fronted Chat at Home. 



By Donald F. Thomson, R.A.O.U., Canterbury (Vic.) 



During the past season I spent a good deal of time in the haunts 

 of the White-fronted Chat {Ephthianiira albifrons) on the quiet, 

 grassy slopes which border the Yarra near Kew. Here the 

 extensive open paddocks, studded as they are with numerous 

 clumps of reeds, coarse grass, and dense thickets of gorse, form 

 an ideal home for this singular httle bird — at once interesting and 

 useful. Apparently the White-fronted Chat is especially partial 

 to that acchmatized pest, the gorse. 



Even before reaching the usual nesting-site — a bush in an 

 isolated clump of gorse — the birds would fly out into the open 

 paddocks, uttering their pecuhar wheezing note and circhng with 



