v°';_^,^^] Stray Feathers. 53 



and Lang Lang stations, I was surprised and delighted to find 

 some Satin Bower-Birds [Ptilonorhynchus holosericeus) in the river- 

 bank scrub. This is the first occasion I have ever known these 

 birds to visit the locality, where it would be safe for them to nest, 

 and suitable, too. — L. C. Cook. Poowong (Vic), 13/5/15. 



Calls of the Tawny Frogmouth and Boobook Owl. — I was 



pleased and interested with tlie notes on birds of the Wangaratta 

 district, Victoria, by Miss (i. M. Cheney, wliich aj^pcared in The 

 Emu* and I am glad to know that another enthusiastic observer 

 is in the field. There cannot be too many observers. On one 

 point — namely, the call of the Podargus — I must beg to differ from 

 Miss Cheney. I am familiar with the Southern Frogmouth 

 (Podargus strigoides rossi), as there are specimens on our property 

 at the Reedbeds, near Adelaide, that are quite tame both by day 

 and night, and I am also familiar with the Boobook Owl [Ninox 

 boobook marmorata). Specimens of the latter species perch on 

 clothes-line posts and other points of vantage at night, where 

 they can watch for the mice that come to eat the seed given to 

 the birds in our large aviaries. I have spent much time in 

 studying the habits and listening to the calls of both species. 

 I am still of opinion that the " More-pork " notes are uttered by 

 the Boobook Owl, and that the Frogmouth does not use this call, 

 but utters notes which sound like " Boo, boo, boo, boo," con- 

 tinually repeated, and resemble somewhat the notes of the 

 Bronze-winged Pigeon {Phaps chalcoptera), only given in a softer 

 and more dreamy way. I have often stood beneath a tree from 

 which a Frogmouth was calling. I have, also, scores of times 

 been within a few yards of a Boobook Owl and " seen " it calling. 

 One night, while I was watching, motionless, a bird settled on my 

 head, and on another occasion, while I was waiting to get a shot 

 at some Ducks at the edge of swamps at the Reedbeds, a Boobook 

 Owl settled on my gun-barrel. I mention these facts to show 

 that I am as familiar with the birds in question as I am with 

 barn-door fowls in the yard. I am of the opinion that Miss 

 Cheney heard the call of the Owl and mistook it for that of the 

 Frogmouth. — J. W. Mellor. Fulham, Adelaide (S.A.), 12/5/15. 



Field Notes from Dumbleyung, W.A. — The following inter- 

 esting notes are extracted from two letters received by Mr. W. B. 

 Alexander, M.A., Keeper of Biology, Western Australian Museum, 

 Perth, from his correspondent, Mr. Martin W. Elliott, of Dumble- 

 yung, near Wagin, W.A. : — 



" Restless Flycatcher {Seisura inquieta.) — Of this species Gilbert 

 wrote : — ' Its most singular note is that from which it has obtained 



* Emu, vol. iv., part 4, pp. 199-213. 



