148 Stray Feathers. ["^ist'S" 



Later on in the year, I hoi)e to spend a few weeks with my 

 friends at The Stei)pes, and look forward to making some in- 

 teresting observations. — (Miss) J. A. FLETCHER, R.A.O.U., 

 W'oodbridge, S. Tasmania. 



Old Sydney Bird Notes. — 'l'lie following; items of interest to 

 ornithologists were forwarded to me by Mr. H. Selkirk, ot the 

 Department of Lands, Sydney, and are very old "stray 

 feathers" : — 



"A neat aviary is building 1)\- the Surveyor-General, \lajor 

 jMitchell, at his new residence on the Woolloomooloo Hill for 

 the purpose of domesticating a number of Australian birds. This 

 is the first erection of the kind in the colony." — The Sydney 

 Herald, 18th April, 183L 



The "major" was doubtless he from whom the cockatoo de- 

 rived his vernacular name. 



Another item : — 



"The species of owl peculiar to this island, vulgarly kiiown 

 by the name "Mope-hawk," is held in high veneration by the 

 blacks. When it is heard near their encampments at night, they 

 put various questions to it, and interpret the notes which it utters 

 in reply as a sort of augury of their future fate." — (Extract from 

 the Sydney Gazette, 9th April. 1829; reprinted from the Hobart 

 To-ivn Courier).-— E. A. D'OmBRAIN, Sydney. 7/9/21. 



The John Burroughs Memorial Association is making the 

 first appeal for contributions f(jr the fund with which to pur- 

 chase Riverby, the i>ark Study, W'oodchuck Lodge and Memorial 

 Field, and to provide for their maintenance and that of Slab- 

 sides, the plan for which is set forth in an accompanying circu- 

 lar. It is not believed there is any need of urging the value of 

 this plan to accpiire ajid preserve the homes and haunts and the 

 final resting ])lace of the i)oet-naturalist. Indeed, we should do 

 him scant honour were we to urge contributions. 



Black breasted Plo\er and Young. — A tew days ago I had 

 occasion to be in one of my back paddocks shortly after sun- 

 rise, the scene being an oi>en grassy flat devoid of timber. In 

 the middle of this I suddenly noticed a I'lack-breasted Plover 

 to ^11 aj)pearances attacking four young Plovers not yet able 

 to fly. This bird, uttering the usual Plover warlike cry, would 

 swoop first at one youngster and then at another. These would 

 duck, --.nd sometimes scjuat for two or three seconds before 

 moving on. The old bird seemed very cross, and kept them 

 travelling in one direction all the time. A hundred yards away 

 from where I had seen them first were some verv thick rushes. 



