^"'.'v^^'] A'"Vr(/ Aits/iui/dsuiii Oi lu/l/nlnnis/s' I'ninit. 



171 



On my letiirn tn>iu the Dampiii Airliipclago, in October, U}iS 

 (see limu, vol. xviii., part 4), I called at Dirk Hartog and spcnl 

 three weeks Iheie, landing about the middle of October. The 

 bre(>ding season was over ; only one or two species of birds were 

 nesting. Nearly two years afterwards I arrived in Denham, 

 Shark Bay, nth June, and crossed over to the island four days 

 later, where I remained until i8th September following. 



In i()iS 1 worked on Peron, around the township of Denham, 

 during the month of November ; but in 1920 I examined a larger 

 area in the same locahty during the latter half of September and 

 the earher part of October, but on each occasion the l)reeding 

 season was practically over. 



The year ic)2() will be remembered in Western Australia fen- its 

 exceptionally cold and stormy winter — heavy falls of snow on 

 the Stirhng Ranges and surrounding country and also in the Poron- 

 gorup district, about 40 miles from the south coast. The 

 influence of this exceptional weather was felt as far nortli as 

 Shark Bay. On 5th August a fall of 112 points of rain was 

 recorded on Dirk Hartog, and for several days I waded through 

 water to reach my camp. On another occasion the vegetation at 

 daybreak was crisp with crystals of frost — almost an unprecedented 

 occurrence in these latitudes near the sea. 



If we eliminate casual visiting birds, neither Dirk Hartog nor 

 Peron is inhabited by a large number of species, but this is com- 

 pensated for by the abundance of individuals. Mr. Carter remarks 

 on the high percentage of Wrens inhabiting the island. If he 

 includes in the comprehensive term of " Wrens " Wren-Warblers 

 {M(iliirits), Field-Wrens {Calamanthus), Scrub-Wrens {Sericornis), 

 and Emu- Wrens [Stipiturus), I agree \\ath him ; but if he confines 

 the term to Malurus alone I think he over-estimates their numbers. 

 It must be remembered, however, that during his last visit to the 

 island the season's young birds were on the wing. The breeding 

 season must commence very early. By the middle of June the 

 Pipit {Anthiis), Field-Wren {Calamanthus), and White-eye 

 {Zosterops) had newly-fledged young m\ the wing. When the 

 local Scrub-Wren {Sericornis) breeds is still a puzzle. 



The special objects of the trip were to secure type nests and 

 eggs of the Black-and- White Wren-Warbler {Malurus Icucopterus), 

 Textile Grass- Wren {Amytornis textilis), Emu- Wren {Stipiturus 

 malachurus hariogi), and several other local forms, and also to 

 learn all I could of their habits in the field, and to obtain photo- 

 graphs of nests in situ. Mr. H. L. Wliite, of Belltrees, N.S.W.. 

 again financed the expi-dition in the interests of ornithological 

 research. 



My best thanks are due U> .Mr. J. Nicholas, the owner of Dirk 

 Hartog sheep station, and also oi Peron, for permission to collect 

 and camp on both runs : also t(^ Mr. and Mrs. G. C. Lloyd, of 

 Dirk Hartog, for hospitality and aid in transport from point to 

 point ; to Mr. Len. Bryant, for obtaining for me a type-clutch of 

 Wedge-tailed Eagle's eggs, and to :\rr. Berteux for advice and 



