Official OrgaB of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. 



" Bir«Is of a feather.' 



Vol. XX.] ist JANUARY. 1921. [Part 3. 



The Coloured Plate. 



Members of the R.A.O.U. are again indebted to Mr. 11. L. 

 White, of Belltrees, for his goodness in wholly financing the 

 coloured plate in this issue of The Emu. It is from an original 

 drawing by Mr. Neville Cayley. 



For remarks on the Cuckoo (Cnciilits oplultis) reference ma\ 

 be made to the October Emu, p. 57. The figure given represents 

 one of the two immature females mentioned. There are hopes 

 that the egg (yet unknown) for this species may be soon found. 

 The other tigure in the plate represents the Allied Rufous Shrike- 

 Thrush {Colluricincla pravissima). For critical remarks see also 

 October Emu, p. 62. 



The tigures are taken from specimens collected bv Mr. \V. 

 M'Lennan on Moa Is., Torres St., and which are in tlie " H. L. 

 White Collection," National Museum, Melbourne. —A. J. C. 



In connectioa with the Perth session of the R.A.O.U., our 

 Western Austrahan friends will appreciate the accompanying 

 picture bearing on the great western territory's emblem — " Cygnis 

 insignis " {" remarkable for Swans"). The photograph was taken 

 some time ago for The Emu by Mr. W. M'Gowan, jun., of 

 Launceston, whose father at the time wTote : — " The Black Swan's 

 nest is elevated about a foot above the ground, and consists of a 

 miscellaneous collection of rough sticks, twigs, leaves, roots, and 

 long pieces of the New Zealand flax, which is growing near. The 

 inside of the nest is lined with the finer roots, leaves, &c., and is 

 basin-shaped, containing four eggs. The work of incubation 

 seems to be shared by both birds. The one depicted seems to be 

 the male, and, when disturbed, fights strenuously to protect the 

 nest, smart blows being dehvered by the secondary joint of the 

 wing. After a change of position the bird is very careful to pack 

 all the small leaves and roots about its body so as to fit into the 

 changed position — in fact, it seems to while away much time in 

 re-adjusting and gathering all the material within reach. It is 

 very interesting to watch the bird sitting half up and turning over 

 and adjusting the eggs into a more comfortalile position, the 

 sinuous, snake-like movement of the nerk performing ihe 

 necessary operations with infinite grace." 



