308 STUART DO\^E, Tasmania,, Xotes. [Tll'A^rii 



very spruce in rather dark-brown plumage (upper surface), as 

 if not long moulted. The previous day had been miserably cold 

 and wet from south-west, but the 3rd was sunny, and the birds 

 had probably arrived in the early morning. On 15th August a 

 Pallid Cuckoo (Ciicithts pallid iis) crossed the road from one 

 thick shrubbery to another, cjuite silently, nor did this species 

 begin to call until 6lh September. This fact of the first Pallids 

 to arrive remaining silent for two or three weeks has been pre- 

 viously noted. Are they all females? The other common species, 

 the Fantailed (Caconiantis fiabelliformis), seems to call almost 

 immediately upon arrival. The first newcomers of these were 

 here early in August, but the I>ronze Cuckoo ( La„iprococcyx 

 plagosus) was late, not being heard until 10th October. The 

 little Tree-Diamond ( Pardalolits strialits) or " Pick-it-up," was 

 not noted until 20lh September, although its cheerful call is 

 usually heard in the gums close to my cottage just at the end of 

 August or in the first few days of Sei)tember. The Welcome 

 Swallows {Hirnndo neoxena) were in the town on 30th August, 

 but did not appear on the hill where I live until a week later. 

 On 18th September a solitary Wood-Swallow {Artanius cyanop- 

 teriis) was seen coming from W.N.\^^, while on 20th a pair of 

 Summer Birds ((jraiicaliis novcr-JioUa)idicc) was noted among the 

 gum-saplings in wet, windy weather, N.E. to N.W. Thi^ species 

 has since appeared in considerable numbers, while both Pallid 

 and Fantailed Cuckoos are also in plentitude, but Bronze very 

 scarce so far. The little Tree- Martins (Hylocluiido)i nigri- 

 cans^ I did not see until the middle of October, although prob- 

 ably in the more heavily-wooded country they would have ar- 

 rived some time ago. 



A somewhat remarkable occurrence took place on the iast day 

 of July, the morning of which broke fine and clear, and when the 

 sun began to have some warmth, at about a quarter past eight, a 

 Fantailed Cuckoo (one of the few which winter with us ) began 

 to utter its soft trill from a tree near the window. Tn the mean- 

 time, a squall-cloud had been working up from the mountains 

 to the south, and at half -past eight large flakes of snow began 

 to fall, the first I have seen in Devonport for many years. The 

 fall lasted for an hour, and was succeeded by others through 

 the day ; this |)ut an effectual sto|) to the Cuckoo's singing, nor 

 was it heard again for se\eral days. It is the first occasion on 

 which T have known the "closure" to be applied to a Cuckoo by 

 a sudden snowstorm. 



W. ne])artment, Tasmania. 27/\0/\92\. 



AP>()UT MEMBERS. 

 The American ( )rnithologists' Union has elected .\. II. E. 

 Mattingley, C.M.Z.S., and W. B. Alexander, M..\., two well- 

 known members of the R.A.O.U., Corresponding Fellows of 

 ihcir Union. 



