104 Stray Feathers. \^^ 



Emu 



Oct. 



in another instance a pair of these Hawks, though they made 

 continuous endeavours to rob a Great White Egret, feeding in 

 a mud-pool, of its prey (eel fry, chiefly), never attempted to injure 

 it. The Egret, not in the least alarmed, effectually kept the 

 bandits off with vigorous thrusts from its sharp beak. — H. V. 

 Edwards. Bega, N.S.W. 



* * * 



Some Vagaries of a Southern Stone-Curlew. — During a visit to 

 " The Homestead," Goorambat, Victoria, in 1918, I was interested 

 in seeing a tame Southern Stone-Curlew {Qidicnemus grallarius) 

 standing in daylight pose close to one of the wheels of a motor- 

 cycle upon the verandah. Drawing the attention of Lieut. Hall, 

 a scion of this pioneer family, he informed me that ever since 

 his sister reared this bird it took a fancy to, the motor-cycle. No 

 matter where the cycle was placed, this bird always slept during 

 the daytime close to one of the wheels. Lieut. Hall having occasion 

 to visit adjacent towns upon military duties at night-time, this 

 bird would accompany him and return with the cycle, flying close 

 to the motor the whole journey. During a visit to Goorambat 

 township one evening the bird failed to return home with the 

 cycle. A few days later, Lieut. Hall, being informed by Mr. 

 Mitchell, storekeeper of this town, that the bird was in his garden 

 along with a tame Stone-Plover he had, the sight of the cycle 

 failed to entice this bird home again, and up to the time of writing 

 it enjoys the company of one of its own kind. — C. F. Cole. 

 Wangaratta (Vic), 5/6/1920. 



* * * 



Spring Birds in Tasmania. — Spring in Southern Tasmania 

 opened definitely early this year. It is usual for her to make a 

 slender show, several feints, and dawdle for months — at least two.- 

 The birds do their best to impress the season, but low and many 

 changes of temperature are common. This 15th June was the 

 end of a mild winter. A Spotted Diamond-Bird {Pardalotus 

 pimdatus) flew to the edge of the cultivated ground on that date, 

 followed a few days later by the Dusky Fantail {Rhipidura 

 diemenensis). Early in July the Fire-tailed Finches {Zoncegintlms 

 hellns) had returned to their several gullies and to definite parts 

 of them. The Yellow-throated Honey-eater {PtiloHs flavigaster) 

 in the sunshine was filling the air with its hard, strong, single 

 note, which is double on close acquaintance. The silver wattle 

 has come into blossom three weeks before its usual time, and 

 almond bloom was well out in June. Invertebrate life is again 

 just beginning to move and offer itself as food for the birds, which 

 in June must be in other countries or starve. The bush then is 

 silent ; now it is relatively full of sounds. — Robert Hall. 

 Bellerive, Hobart, 17/7/20. 



* * * 



Notes from Karooka. — Many nests were noticed during last 

 spring when I was spending a fortnight at Karooka, 25 miles east. 

 This is a splendid place for studying bird-life. I watched a pair 



