^"'.-g,'^'-] stray Feathers. I2y 



the last companies of Swilts {Cluctiira caitdacula) migrating from 

 this coast, the fall of temperature and the rough winds causing 

 Wood-Swallows (Artamits sordid us) to disapi)ear at the same time. 

 The Wood-Swallows had, as usual, been congregating for some 

 weeks previously in paddocks near the sea. the company being 

 largely composed of young birds. In the middle of May two 

 pairs of Striated Field- Wrens {Calanuiiil/ius lulii^inosus) were con- 

 sorting in a friendly way by the roadside, the males of both pairs 

 engaging in song. Early in July these Field- Wrens were singing 

 everywhere, and at the same period numbers of Flame-breasted 

 Robins (Pctra'ca pluvnicea) were about the i)addocks in company 

 with numerous " greys " of the same species, several pairs of 

 Scarlet-breasted {Petraxa leggii), and some of the engaging little 

 White-fronted Chats {Ephthianura alhifrons). During the second 

 week of July, while out one sunny morning, I noticed a female 

 Maliirus fly up from the tangle by the roadside to a telegraph- 

 wire, where she perched and sang a hurried little strain, in the 

 same way as previously noted in my paper on the Blue Wren.* 

 The same morning, almost at the same spot, a Brown-tail {Acanthiza 

 diemcnensis) was uttering its sweet spring notes. On 30th July 

 a Welcome Swallow [Hirundo neoxena) was observed flying about 

 in the sunshine over our little town. Large numbers of the elegant 

 Silver Gulls {Larus novcB-hollandice) have been feeding in paddocks 

 partly submerged by the rainfall, and during the first week of 

 August parties of Yellow-billed Terns [Sterna hcrgii) were engaged 

 in fishing off the coast. — H. Stu.\rt Dove, F.Z.S., Devonport. 



The Coorong Islands. — The following appeared in the South 

 Australian Register for i8th August. 1911 : — "The Commissioner 

 of Crown Lands (Hon. C. Vaughan), with a view to prevent the 

 destruction of birds and birds' eggs on the islands of the Coorong 

 — the principal nesting-place in this State for various species — 

 has arranged to place the islands under the care of the Orni- 

 thologies Association of South Australia, as lessees. This will 

 give the Association the right to prevent persons from trespassing 

 on them, just in the same manner as they would be prevented 

 from entering upon private property The law does not allow 

 sportsmen and others to traverse private ground with guns, traps, 

 or other means of catching or destroying birds, and the object of 

 the Commissioner in asking the Ornithological Association to take 

 charge of the islands is to place the reserves in the same category 

 as other private property. The Association will take the necessary 

 steps to notify that trespassers will not be permitted on the 

 islands, and the police will also receive strict instructions to see 

 that the notices are obeyed." 



Mr. J. W. Mellor, of " Holmfirth," Fulham, states that the idea 

 of securing the bird islands in the manner reported originated 



* Emu, vol. ix., p. 151. 



