G2 Mr. A. 11. Evans: with the [Ibis, 



playin;? about the roof of an outbuibling, and not very far 

 off were a couple of Restless Flycatchers {Sisura inquieta), 

 but neither species seemed to be breeding. In severe 

 weather Diamond-Birds roost under the verandah^ but they 

 had already left, and only Sparrows remained. 



The morning after my arrival (September 4) my host 

 and I started for the irrigation-lands, which were just in 

 sight of the house. Passing along the lagoon we disturbed 

 Moorhens, Coots, and Black Ducks, and (what was more to 

 the purpose) a small company of five Straw-necked Ibises 

 {Carphibis spinicollis}—a. good augury for the occurrence of 

 uncommon species. We first sighted them standing in the 

 shallows, but were able to approach near enough to examine 

 them with field-glasses. Then we walked down the banks 

 which controlled the irrigation to an enclosure with water 

 still lying on it, where we were at once attracted by a flock 

 of moderate-sized birds running in and out of the mud and 

 water among a number of Peewees and Crows. As they 

 always moved away from us it was some little time before 

 we obtained a really good view, when they proved to be 

 Black-fronted Dotterels [jEgialitis melanops). A hunt for 

 the nest of a Brown Tree-Creeper [Climacteris picumna) in 

 a rotten stump was unsuccessful, though a bird we saw 

 climbing about it caused us to suspect that its mate was 

 incubating; but we soon after had better luck in meeting 

 with the Orange-winged Nuthatch {Neosltta chrysoptera) . 

 There were plenty of '' Magpies^' (all, I believe, Gymnorhina 

 leuconota)^ and we w^ere shown an old nest, with fencing- 

 M'ire as its chief constituent. When the sun began to trouble 

 us we retired to the shade of a row of small gum-trees 

 and sat down to w'atch. Just as we were settling down a 

 Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike [Coracina robusta) flew past and 

 pitched on a tree not far off, so we were obliged to get up 

 again and steal within the range of our binoculars. Hardly 

 had we decided upon the species and resumed our seats 

 when a bird with a loud monotonous call perched right 

 above us, but was difficult to identify in the thick foliage. 



