^°'^_-^'-] Sullivan, Some Mallee Birds. II7 



{A. pcrso)uit(i). I-)\- tlu' end ot OrtoluT onl\- a few scattered pairs 

 of these birds remained. 



Throughout July 1 saw and heard a Rufous Song-Lark 

 (Cimiorham pints ntfesccns) ; at the end of the month it dis- 

 appeared. At tlie beginning of Octol^er Brown Song-Larks 

 (C. cruralis) made their appearance, and in about three weeks 

 could be flushed in the crops almost everywhere. The White- 

 shouldered Caterpillar-eaters {Lala^e tricolor) appeared about the 

 end of September, and. with their coming, a common j^lant- 

 eating cateri)illar completely disappeared. When these particular 

 larva- had evidently become exhausted, the birds left the oi)en 

 grass land and retired to the tree-tops of the scrubs. 



Bee-eaters (Merops ornahis) made their appearance early in 

 October, and soon became as numerous as Swallows. The Bee- 

 eater is a " champion " at catching insects on the wing. When 

 a. bird is out for a meal, he selects a clear, dry limb on a tree-top. 

 Here he sits as demurely and as unconcerned as a Kookaburra, 

 with not so much as a turn of the head. Presently he glides off 

 the limb towards a spot which you are sure was the only one he 

 had not been observing, unless his long tail-feathers act as 

 indicators, and with a sharp and graceful curve returns to his 

 perch. A rapid disturbance under his bright yellow bib tells that 

 the flight was not made in vain. The bird wipes his beak on the 

 limb, gives a low, gurgling chuckle, and once more looks as if he 

 would not harm a fly. I have seen several Bee-eaters, when 

 hunting from a perch, fly past their prey and catch it on the 

 return to their station. 



The Kookaburra [Dacelo gigas) appears rare in this part of the 

 Mallee. From October to November I found four pairs of Sacred 

 Kingfishers {Halcyon sanchis). The glorious spring mornings here 

 were seldom awakened by the wild whisthng of the Butcher-Bird 

 [Cracticiis destructor). Only three were seen during the whole 

 season. 



Besides the Nankeen Kestrel {Cerchneis cenchroides), which was 

 plentiful, other members of the Falconidce were rather scarce. 



One night a wretched farm-hand brought in, in triumph, a 

 poor, wounded Owl, which, he declared, was " looking for eggs 

 in the haystack " (mice, he should have said). I identified the 

 specimen as the Lesser Masked Owl {Strix delicatula). Two night 

 cries which were frequently heard suggested the presence of 

 another Owl (possibly Ninox connivens, if not Strix delicatula. 

 already mentioned) and the Boobook Owl {N. boohook). I have 

 recognized the following birds along the shores of the lake (Hind- 

 marsh) or on the backwaters of the river (Wimmera) : — 



Black-tafled Native-Hen (Microtribonyx ventralis) appeared in 

 small flocks in September : inhabited secluded woody swamps. 

 Bald-Coot {Porphyrio melanonotns). — Common all the period. 

 Grebe. — L'nable to clearly identify the species : common on the 

 lake. Silver Gull {Larus }iovce-hollandicB). — Large flocks were seen 

 on the Wimmera backwaters during August. September, and 



