^"ig^'" 1 WHITLOCK, Xofcs from Xullarhor Plain. 187 



from which the young had not long emerged. I never got a good 

 view of this Quail, so cannot write with any certainty as to its 

 identity. 



At Zanthus 1 came across several recent nest mounds of the 

 Mallee-Fowl (Leipoa occUata). I was told that the bird still 

 existed near Karonie, 70 miles east of Kalgoorlie. Years ago 

 a nest containing eggs was found near my Boorara camp. On 

 the edge of the ])lain I saw but one old nest mound. x\t Haig 

 were a few very old and rather flattened mounds, which from 

 their regular and circular shape I think were the work of bygone 

 Mallee-Fowl. 



Bustards (Eupodotis aiistralis) occur all along the Western 

 Australian portions of the trans-line. I saw more of them at 

 Haig than anywhere else. The largest number seen together 

 was a party of eight, but I was informed at times flocks of over 

 a 100 had been counted on a single flat. Females with one or two 

 young ones were several times seen. On one occasion one of the 

 fettlers chased a young one not able to fly. This he caught, and 

 then tried for the second bird. But the female was too quick 

 for him. Running up she seized the young one with her feet, 

 and jiressing it to her breast flew off with it in safety, li is well 

 known that the Woodcock of Europe conveys its newly hatched 

 young to the feeding grounds in like manner. 



Emus do not seem very plentiful on the portion of the i)lain 

 I visited. I saw a single bird at Naretha, and a fine ])air passed 

 close to the camp one evening at Haig. 



Conclusion. 



In conclusion I must thank Messrs. Bert Cottrill, A. Rees, and 

 B. Carroll, station-masters at Naretha, Haig, and Loongana, re- 

 spectively, for the interest they took in my work, and for doing 

 all in their power to make my visit a pleasant one. I am indebted, 

 too, to Mr. Dumford, one of the travelling road-masters, for 

 many items of useful information. I find no mention of the 

 name Nullarbor in the accounts of the early explorers, who 

 travelled along the shores of the Great Bight. I think, with Cap- 

 tain White, that it is of native origin. The concensus of oi)inion 

 among the railway staff favours this view. I interviewed one 

 native, born on the plain, but the only information I could glean 

 was that "Boora" means wind. 



Rufous Fantail { Rhipidiira ntfifrons). Mr. George Hill re- 

 ports having seen a pair of these Fantails in the orchard of Mr. 

 James Cowan, P>acchus Marsh, last August. As these birds 

 usually appear in Victoria about the beginning of November, it 

 is suggested that possiblv this pair remained in the local ranges 

 during the winter.— A. j' Campbell. Box Hill (Vic). 26/10/21. 



