64 Mr. A. H. Evans : with the [Ibis, 



the house just before it became dark, as several species- 

 were accustomed to resort to a little fountain near our bed- 

 rooms to drink. We were precisely at the right time, for 

 a lovely male Mistletoe-Bird [Dicceum hirundlnaceum) was 

 sitting on the rim and displaying his brilliant scarlet breast^ 

 while a pair of Ground Doves [Geopelia placida) were making 

 for the water. The former of these species is not easy to- 

 approach so closely, as it loves the very tops of the trees r 

 tiie latter is distinctly rare. 



On Sunday afternoon we took a drive over the bare flat* 

 beyond the irrigation-fields in search of Stone-Curlews 

 (^Burkinus grallarius), which we heard from the verandah 

 every evening, simultaneously with Boobook Owls. The 

 notes and habits of the former, so far as I could judge, 

 were similar to those of our British bird, and the spots 

 frequented were like our East Anglian warrens, though 

 nearly bare of herbage and without flints. We flushed a 

 single example in a narrow belt of scattered gum-trees 

 and a pair on tiie open ground beyond, where I hunted for 

 an hour or so for the eggs without success. They kept 

 returning to the same place, but I do not think that the 

 eggs had been laid. On the Murray banks I had my first 

 sight of Wood-Swallows [Artamus ienebiosuf), and was 

 informed that the White browed and Masked species 

 occurred there, but arrived somewhat later. Before we 

 drove back we had a splendid sight of a very large company 

 of White Cockatoos {Cacutua (jakrita) which were feeding 

 iu a paddock. When disturbed they all flew up uttering 

 appalling screeches, and settled on the low tiees around, 

 but soon took to the ground again, with a sentinel left on 

 guard. In some ways they reminded me of a flojk of 

 Hooks, in others of Gulls feeding on ploughed land. 

 A striking feature of the landscape at this point was a 

 kn(dl covered with old Casuarinas (" she-oaks ") shewing in 

 strong contrast to the ubiquitous gum-trees. 



The previous evening at dusk we had shot a specimen 

 of a Parrot for determination — one of a small party that 



