Vol. xx.-i Rovii/ Australasian Omilhola^ists' Union. lAl 



iq2i J - '^ T 



clitluult\- ot siH'iui^- thrm uiiiouj^- llu- ilr;ul bi usliWDod, w.i.^ 

 astonishing. 



Black ("ornioiant [I'halacyccorax curho). At () a.m., at Ooldca, 

 1 saw a black objrcl approaching from tlic south-west : it tuiiK-tl 

 out to be a Bhick Sliag, Hying steadily about 50 feet up, and it 

 disappeared in the distance, traveUing in a direct line, evidently 

 making for one of the salt lakes in the North-West. 



Nankeen Kestrel {Cerchncis cenchroides).—Onv of these little 

 Hawks was found nesting on a ledge in a " blowhole " on the 

 XuUarbor Plain. In the same hole were a pair of Chestnut-faced 

 Owls, which roosted a few feet lower down. 



Chestnut-faced Owl {Strix castanops). — Thesis Owls were the 

 rather strange fellow-boarders with the Nankeen Kestrel in the 

 " l^lowholc " last mentioned ; they roosted a few feet below the 

 Hawk, and when disturbed flew to the bottom of the hole and 

 chsappeared in a further cave. 1 chmbed down, but could not 

 locate them, as the entrance to the continuation cave was only 

 a few inches. Numerous pellets collected showed that they were- 

 feeding on birds (35 per cent.), rodents (45 per cent.), small 

 marsupials (10 per cent.), and rabbits (ro per cent.) Included in 

 the marsupials taken were two moles, two Banded Ant-eaters, 

 and others not determined. 



Purple-crowned Loi;jkeet {Glossopsitta -porphyrocephala). —The^c 

 little Lorikeets were numerous in the south-west. They had a 

 favourite feeding-patch close to a wire-netting fence, and the 

 owner of the gardens told me that they frequently flew into the 

 wire, and were maimed or killed. A llock of about 20 did this 

 when I was there, and four were more or less injured. 



White-tailed Black Cockatoo [Calypiorhynchus baitdini). — These 

 line birds were, with the exception of the Tit-Warbler (probably 

 Acanthiza inornata), the commonest bird in the South-West. 

 Flocks up to 25 in number were seen feeding on the seed of the: 

 grass-tree and also on the seeds of the red-flowering gum 

 [Eucalyptus ficifolia). It was a marvel to me how the birds could 

 extract the black seed from the hard nut. They inserted the tip 

 of the upper bill into the top of the nut and pulled out the seed 

 from the narrow, circular top opening. I failed to do this trick 

 with a good penknife ; but the bird's bill must be specially con- 

 structed for the job, for these seeds seem to form their chief food. 

 Odd pairs were starting to nest. 



Yellow-cheeked Parrot {Platycercus iderotis). — I found many 

 of these handsome Parrots in the South-West. They were feeding 

 on the ground, and when disturbed flew up vertically to a low 

 tree, and were not at all sh}^ 



Short-winged Frogmouth {Podargus bracliy pterus).^ One of these 

 birds was noted on the Porongorup Mountains. 



Bee-eater {M crops ornatus). — Bee-eaters were numerous between 

 Perth and (jeraldton. According to Mv. M'Ken/,ie drant, Uuy 

 arrive every yeai- at about the same dale in his district (141)1 

 October). 



