124 Royal Australasian Ornitlwlogists' Union. \ J^'^^ 



vcstigating in this locality. It seems almost certain that the 

 Lcipoa living in this apparently isolated and certainly wet locality 

 will show some specialized differences ; one would expect that, at 

 least, it will prove to be a new sub-species. 



I met one resident living back from the coast in the forest who 

 evidently knew the Noisy Scrub-Bird. He described its loud 

 ascending whistle and its build and colour most accurately. He 

 said he had heard it occasionally in the big timber, close to the. 

 spot where we were talking, within the last i8 months. He said 

 it kept to the thick under-bushes in the karri country, and would 

 sometimes, when disturbed, fly up a few feet and cling to the rough 

 l)ark at the base of the tree-trunks, apparently to enable it to 

 take stock of the intruder, but otherwise it "kept close to the 

 ground or in the low bushes. I feel confident that this bird still 

 exists in these extensive untouched forests. Probably it should 

 be searched for at the pairing season, when it will be calling ; 

 otherwise the finding of it in these immense forests is next to 

 impossible. 



BIRDS OBSERVED DURING THE VISIT OF THE R.A.O.U. 

 TO THE SOUTH-WESTERN DISTRICT— OFFICIAL 

 REPORT. 



By S. a. White, C.M.B.O.U., C.F.A.O.U. 

 The period over which the following observations were made ran 

 into barely a week. The area worked extended from Cape 

 Naturahste in the north to the Margaret River (although observa- 

 tions were made down to Cape Leeuwin). Our field extended 

 from the sea on the west for some distance inland to the 

 east. The country varied much in character. First there were 

 sand dunes in places facing the ocean, and at other times 

 rugged rocky coast-Ur^e, at the back of which was invariably a 

 }iarrow belt of dwarf vegetation characteristic of such an exposed 

 situation. Further back, undulating country covered in forest 

 trees and undergrowth. In places deep ravines extended to the 

 very coast-hne, and here and there down these ravines small 

 streams found their way to the sea. The rainfall in the winter 

 months is very heavy, and during our stay the days were bright 

 and often warm ; yet there was not one night that rain did not 

 fall, but not a sign of water lying about could be seen next 

 morning. But this can easily be understood when it is seen that 

 the country consists mostly of a light sandy soil over a very porous 

 limestone, with in places a network of caves underneath. 



The vegetation was striking, for there were big forest trees 

 stretching over vast areas of country — ^first of all the jarrah 

 {Eucalyptus marginata), karri {E. diversicolor) ; but the most 

 widely distributed tree is tlie so-called " red gum " (£. calophylla), 

 the latter bearing a wealth of white blossoms. The undergrowth 

 consists of a wonderful growth of flowering shrubs and plants, 

 forming much food for bird-life. First of all the banksias play a 



