^"[m^] CHISHOLAI, Notes on l\uo New Birds. 5 



sounded again, this time beside the jimj^de-hemnied track we 

 were negotiating. As 1 twittered, his notes changed to the 

 scokHng "Churr-chiirr-chnrr !" and presently a pair of ;)right eyes 

 peered ironi out the debris. But the bird was off again at 

 once, and we only got a bare glimpse of him later. Our tifth 

 Atrichornis was "flushed" as we walked along a path two miles 

 from the spot last referred to. The first fleeting impression was 

 that the bird was the Coach-Whip (Psophodcs oUvacca) ; one 

 needs a quick eye to get accustomed to the Scrub-Bird, which 

 moves with the speed and stealth reputed to belong to fairies. This 

 last specimen did not call ; it may, mdeed, have been the (|uiet 

 female. The sixth member of the species listened to that day was 

 "Chipping" in a gully as we neared "home," and our original 

 acquaintance ( Xo. i) could be heard in full voice as we leached 

 the clearing. Synchronically, Lyre-Birds were rioting a few 

 hundred yards away, and a moment later the old male Rifle- 

 Bird i F til oris parodisea) "whirred" from his tree-top perch at 

 the other side of the clearing. 



We did not positively see any additional male Scrub-Birds 

 after that day. but three more were heard — sufficient, in all. to 

 indicate that there is a cheering wealth of the birds in the locality. 

 And every day our friend of the clearing corner kept up his 

 powerful, prideful declamations. His calling throughout che 

 day was irregular, but at dawn and dusk he could always be <\c- 

 pendecl on. It was noted casually that on no occasion did he 

 commence so early as, for instance, the Whip-Birds and Shrike- 

 Robins : the obvious explanation being that the light does not 

 penetrate the Scrub-Bird's ground resorts so soon as it does the 

 more oj)en ones of those other species. Incidentally, I was 

 struck with the remarkably narrow ambit of this particular bird ; 

 he did not appear to move out of an area measuring, roughly, 

 50 yards square during the whole time we knew him. 



CAN THE SCRUB-BIRD FLY? 



Our most interesting experience with Atrichornis, and cer- 

 tainly the adventure that gave us most excitement, was reserved 

 until near the end of our stay — the first day of the present year. 

 !Mr. Smith and I had been to the pretty Canungra Creek I'alls, 

 and he was photographing on the way back when I, walking on, 

 was halted by the calling of a male Scrub-Bird, apparently about 

 40 yards tlown the ridge. He answered an experimenial 

 squeak with the half-inquiring, half-scolding note. Sauntering 

 3 dozen yards along the track. I "ran into" another Atrichornis 

 call. ("It always seems to me," runs a note made that night, 

 "that there is a very distinctive quality in the voice of iliis 

 species, though the imj)ression may be partly due to the novelty 

 of hearing a strange l)ird-voice." ) 



