S CHISHOLM. Xotcs on Tii'o New Birds. ["^i^ffX" 



extinct bird? of West Australia/'' a statement to the efifect that 

 Atnchornis clainosa ( sole relative of the species under review) 

 had been known by a settler to fiy (jump) up a few feet and 

 cling to rough Ijark near the base of tree-trunks. That bus'ii- 

 man made no mistake in the identity of his liird. 



There is little to add regarding our particular female Scrub- 

 T'ird. As darkness gathered we left her to the peace of the 

 jungle. Neither of us would have shot the bird had we been 

 armed, but we had ideas of catching the young one, holding it 

 overnight, and returning to the sjJot with cameras on the follow- 

 ing morning. This mild project failed, but the loss of a photo- 

 grajjli worried us very little ; it was sufftcient to have associated 

 with this fascinating species, one of the most remarkable and 

 least-known of the world's birds, and to have brought away fresh 

 knowledge of its curious ways. I am only sorry that the call 

 of jungle-attractions generally — the spring of 1920 was wonder- 

 fully bountiful to the lush heights of the Macpherson Range — 

 prevented the paying of further attention to the male birds. We 

 heard little of their clever mimicry, and saw only a suggestion of 

 the proud. .l/r;///;-(;-like "strutting" described by Dv. Ramsay. 



Since the initial discovery in 1918, and resultant discussious in 

 Brisbane natural history circles, a good deal of interest has been 

 manifested in Atrichomis, both by reason of the distinctive 

 nature of the genus and the mixture of romance and mystery 

 long surrounding both species. As a corollary, I have been 

 asked whether the Queensland bird may be expected to iiold its 

 cwn. Possibly the answer rests with the scrub-tick. Bird and 

 tick ai-e diametrically opposed, but the fact is that the little flesh- 

 burrovviiig tick is tiie only factor likely to keep down the intro- 

 duced fox in tlie haunts of Atrichomis. The devastatmg animal 

 is there now, but 1 doubt whether it will stay. .Ml things con- 

 sidered, T see reason to believe that, even if settlement ends the 

 days of the Scrub-Bird in X.S.W.. the marvellous little creature 

 will continue to "sing out and l)e happy" in the border range. 

 47,000 acres of wliich constitute Oueensland's chief National 

 Park. 



2. The " Mystery-Bird " r 



It was on the trip of i<;icS aI>o iliat information was tirst 

 gleaned of the presence of the ( )live Whistler on the Macphersou 

 Range. When trudging along the crest of the Roberts IMateau 

 on that occasion one of the settlers ( Mr. H. O'Reillv ) inquired 

 as to the identity ot a bird which none of them had ever seen, 

 but several had often heard. Its note, he said, was very sweet 



*Emu, vol. XX., p. 124. 



\Piichycct<hahi oli'i'acra niacflicrsunioinis, H. L. White. 



