178 WHITLOCK, Xotes from Nnllarhor Plain. K /;„" 



I saw nothing of the Chestnut-backed Ground-Bird {Cinclosoma 

 castanotum) at Zanthus, though some parts of the country looked 

 favourable to its requirements. At my old Boorara camp, I oc- 

 casionally saw pairs. Mr. Gibson remarks, "None seen 70 miles 

 east of Kalgoorlie." No doubt this is about the limit of the 

 species' eastern range. 



I met with the Black-throated Ground-Bird (C. alisteri) at Nar- 

 etha, but I found it local and far from common. Its range prob- 

 ably does not extend much further west. This is the third 

 species of Ground-Bird I am personally acquainted with, and of 

 the three it is much the shyest and most difficult of observation. 

 Like its congeners it lives in pairs, and the full-grown nestlings 

 for a brief period keep wnth their parents. Only at feeding time 

 does it venture far from the shelter of bushes, behind which it 

 will hide, occasionally taking a short run to peep at an intruder. 

 When disturbed, the male clears right out, often flying quite out of 

 sight. The female is not quite so cautious, but unless there are 

 yoimg, she soon follows the male, either nimblv running or fly- 

 ing after him. Once or twice I watched her at a distance of a 

 few feet, only to find subsequently that she had young "planted" 

 near by. In one instance I came to the conclusion the young 

 v^-ere down a rabbit hole, as she frecpiently went to the entrance 

 as though to be assured of their safety. In the meantime there 

 was great pretence of feeding, and every few seconds one of the 

 feet was lifted to the tip of the bill, for what purpose i cannot 

 say. 



Full-grown nestlings were with their parents when I arrived 

 at Naretha in early August. Nesting operations must have com- 

 menced after the heavy rains of May. I found three or four 

 empty nests. These were all excavations under recumbent 

 bushes, lined with dried grass. 



On the plain proper the Black -throated Ground- I'.ird is in its 

 true haunt, and scattered pairs were found all around Haig and 

 Loongana. On my arrival at Haig the females were about to lay 

 their second clutches. I found several nests with fresh eggs. 

 With one excejjtion, these nests were at the foot of dead and 

 bleached blue bushes, and in one case very well concealed. The 

 excavations were deep, and very neatly lined with dried grasses, 

 the rim being finished ofif with a thick edging of coarser herbage. 

 A full clutch of eggs seems to be three. One very pretty set 

 showed a faint creamy ground-colour, being much less profusely 

 marked than usual. The female sits closely, and then flies right 

 off' the nest, unless a heavy wind is blowing, when she escapes by 

 running away. 



At Naretha, in the early morning, I occasionally heard the 

 male bird uttering his call, which consists of a very feeble 

 "i-i-i-i-i-i," rapidly uttered, but not sustained. Altogether, this 

 is the least intrusive of the three species of Ground-Birds with 

 which 1 am ac(|uainted. 



