Vol. XXI, 

 1921 



] Stray Feathers. 147 



Commissioner agreed, and so Lyra is on llie map of Queensland 

 to-day. That Lyre-Birds should be in tlie district is apparently 

 merely a pretty coincidence. — .\. 11. CHISHOLM, R.A.O.U., 

 Brisbane. 1/8/21. 



Stray Feathers from The Steppes (Tas.). — I'his district is 

 situated some 3000 feet high in our Central Highlands, being on 

 the road to the Great Lake from P>othvvell. In common with 

 the rest of Tasmania, this winter is notable for the heavy fall 

 ■of snow which occurred during the first week of August. Here, 

 at the Steppes, the snow kept on falling, day after day, till all 

 the fences were covered. Icicles, five feet long, hung from the 

 -eaves of the dwellings, whilst a cold wind moaned through the 

 trees. 



In circumstances like these, one wonders how the birds fare, 

 so these few notes from my correspondent at the Highlands 

 may prove of interest. She says: "Such numbers of birds come 

 to us to be fed. The Black Magpies (Strepera fitliginosa) have 

 been coming for food for some years, but this winter we have 

 had a flock of seventy (counted). Besides these, there are 

 five ordinary magpies (Gyninorhina Ieiieo>wta), and one Black 

 Jay (S. argnta), the only one of its kind that ever makes friends 

 with us. These will all eat almost anything. We generally give 

 them meat, apple ])eelings and bread. They are fond of milk 

 too. 



Between twent}- and thirty Xoisy Miners (Myzantha (jarnila ) 

 make this their home, and are regaled with sugar and crumbs. 

 Seven Rosellas (Platyeerciis exiniiiis), and a number of the 

 Green Parrots (P. ealedonicus) pick up oats and walk round the 

 cows' feed boxes on the look out for dropped grain. They 

 spend much of their time in the willows, whose tiny buds 

 they eat. 



Numbers of W^rens (Maliiriis lonyicaudus) and Tits {Acan- 

 thiza diemenensis) haunt the verandah and enjoy their meal of 

 crumbs. The above birds come regularly for their meals. The 

 Black Magpies are very quick at catching anything thrown to 

 them. I saw one the other day fly away with a whole apple held 

 by both its claws. Six Spurwing Plovers do not come for meals, 

 but they spend their time with the fowls, and are not in the least 

 afraid of us. It is strange to see them trotting about with the 

 hens. I had almost forgotten the Grey Butcher-Birds (Cractieus 

 cinereus). They prefer meat. 



This fall of snow has taken a heavy toll of the birds, and 

 many of all sorts have been picked up dead in the .snow. We 

 generally have a great many Ijald Coots (Porphyrio nielanotiis), 

 but they left when the lagoon dried in the drought last summer, 

 and have not come back. I hope they do. The lagoon is very 

 lake-like now, and manv ducks are about it. 



