1^0 Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. [ist^'jan 



liic oldest timber-getters in the district heard an^'thing of it. 

 Birds generally, both for numbers and species, were remarkably 

 scarce. The reason was not far to seek. The forests bore ample 

 evidence of fire, both recent and remote. However, one interesting 

 sight was a flock of about 30 Black Cockatoos (the White-tailed 

 species, baudini) seen on the ground by the wayside. As the birds 

 rose and flew from tree to tree, dispersing, they uttered quaint 

 cries hke that of a captured domestic hen. Although the bush- 

 fires had played havoc with the fauna, the flora had been greatly 

 refreshed, as_evinced by the abundance and beauty of remarkable 

 flowers seen everywhere. 



On the return journey Mr. Dudley Le Souef and Mr. A. J. 

 Campbell together spent a week-end with Mr. Bruce W. Leake 

 and family at Woolundra, which is 140 miles inland from Perth. 

 The district was typical jam-wood (Acacia) and salmon gum 

 {Eucalyptus) country, and was brightened .by many flowering 

 bushes. One " Daisy of the Desert," by its elegance and keeping 

 qualities, threatens to rival the fame of the flannel-flower of New 

 South Wales. Specimens kept fresh, in. water, for a fortnight 

 after they were gathered. Birds were not numerous, but a few 

 were observed nesting about the homestead, notably Grallinas 

 or Magpie-Larks, which had a curious and very distinctive call 

 compared with that given by the same species in eastern parts. 

 The Black-tailed Parrot {Polytelis melanura) is reported as occasion- 

 ally seen in the district. One has since been obtained. 



NOTES ON BIRDS OBSERVED IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, 



FROM PERTH NORTHWARDS TO GERALDTON. 

 By Edwin Ashby, F.L.S., M.B.O.U., Wittunga, Blackwood, 



S.A. 

 Mr. J. W. Mellor and the writer visited Geraldton, 370 miles north 

 of Perth ; but, except for one day at Geraldton and part of a day 

 at Moora, our observations were made separately. By this means 

 we were able to cover more ground, each visiting different 

 locaUties. We beg to acknowledge the courtesy of the Western 

 Australian Government and the officials of the Midland Railway 

 Co. in granting us facihties without which it would have been 

 impossible to cover as much grounci in the Hmited time at our 

 disposal. 



The occurrence of two rare species of Sandpiper at Dongara is 

 interesting, and suggests that these may possibly be regular 

 visitors to the North- West coast of Australia, and only accidental 

 visitors on the eastern side of the continent. The replacement 

 of Barnardiiis semitorquatus by B. zonarius or its all}^ such a short 

 distance inland and northwards is remarkable : also, the fact that 

 the Purple-backed Wren-Warbler {Maliiriis assiniiiis) takes the 

 place of the Red-winged Wren- Warbler {M. elegans) at Dongara 

 and Geraldton suggests that the latter has a limited range. The 

 discovery of the Yellow-tinted Honey-eater [PHlotis flavescens) 



