1917-] British Association in Australia. 63 



It proved to be a species that I had not seen before, the Blue- 

 faced Honey-eater [Entomyzon cyanutis), one of the prettiest 

 of a beautiful famiU'. After the lapse of a few minutes 

 Parrots also be,2;au to arrive, old friends for the most part, 

 but accompanied by the Alallee Parrot {Barnardius harnnrdi). 

 We quite expected the BUie-honnet {Psephotus xanlhon/ious) 

 also, but were never able to see it. An occasional Heron 

 was observed as we wended onv way back to the gardens, 

 Avliiie the report that two Wiiite Ibises had been seen on the 

 property made us again try the banks of the lagoon. And 

 there they were, two fine examples of Ibis molacca feeding 

 side by side in rather deep water. We purposely put them 

 np after a few minutes, and enjoyed the sight of their flight 

 as they passed very near to our shelter. 



In the afternoon the chief sight was a splendid flock of 

 Galahs {Cacatua roseicapilla) which lived on a paddock just 

 outside of the front gate. On this home-field they were 

 feeding like a flock of tame Pigeons, and resembled them 

 in the vvay they rose grudgingly and settled again almost 

 immediately. But there the likeness ended, for, as tliey 

 circled round us, their rose-coloured breasts showed to tlie 

 greatest advantage in contrast with their grey backs and 

 pink-white heads, while their screeching cries were as 

 characteristic as their wheeling flight and aerial evolutions 

 generally. On the next pasture we put up a Pipit {AntJius 

 aastralis) and several birds which at first puzzled us, but 

 proved to be Brown Song-Larks {Ciadorhamphus cruralis), 

 while we were accompanied for a considerable time by a 

 pair of Spur-wing Plovers [Labivanellus lobatus). They were 

 certainly on their breeding-grounds, but we could find no 

 eggs, and probably they begin their excited wheelings while 

 selecting their future nursery, just as their relatives the 

 Peewits do in Britain. 



The next day a Parliamentary Election took Cain to 

 a neighbouring school, but the drive enabled me to see 

 more of the country and also more of the familiar birds. 

 Returning in the evening Me stole quietly to the front of 



