^'''io^g'^] '"^''^^y Feathers. 7 1 



storm ; although less tlian an inch of rain fell, tlie lightning was 

 unusually vivid. The following afternoon I went for a ride 

 through some of my paddocks. My boundary-rider, who had 

 seen me going out in a certain direction, that evening asked me 

 if I had seen some very large l)irds in a certain paddock that 

 afternoon. I said, " No ; what were they ? " He said, " I do 

 not know ; they are strangers to me. I have never seen anything 

 like them before in my life. There were about twenty of them 

 walking about the Palmer Paddock flat, but I could not get nearer 

 than about 300 yards, when they flew up and settled on the stony 

 hills. I followed them up to have another look at them, but 

 before I could get near enough to see them properly they flew 

 further up the hills and settled again, so I left them." I asked 

 him what they were like, and he said, " Something like a Goose, 

 with a white breast, light grey back, long legs, a bill like a Goose, 

 but a little longer." I said, " They must be Native Companions." 

 He then said, " No ; I know those birds." However, I went to 

 have a look next morning, but could see nothing of them. While 

 riding home the following evening, and when within about 300 

 yards of my house, I saw this man standing in the stable yard, 

 with some large bird in his arms, flapping its wings. When I 

 rode up I found him with a Pelican. I said to him, " Wherever 

 did you get that ? " He said, " This is one of the birds I was 

 telling you about." I said to him, " But how did you catch it ; 

 could it not fly ? " He said, " Yes, one of my dogs hunted it up 

 from somewhere — I did not notice where — and it flew up on to 

 the stony hills and settled, and I sneaked up pretty close to it, 

 then made a rush at it, and caught it before it could get properly 

 going on the wing." I cut the bird's wing and put it in a dam 

 near my house, where there was about two feet of water. It is 

 still there (30/5/19) and doing well. Although I have seen 

 Pelicans here when the lagoons and swamps are full of water, I 

 never expected to see them here during such a protracted drought 

 as the country was suffering from at that time ; all the lagoons 

 and swamps had been practically dry for many months. So it 

 is quite likely these Pelicans were affected by the lightning, and, 

 although they could fly, they were unable to do so for more than 

 a short distance for a couple of days ; by that time they had all 

 recovered sufliciently to depart, excepting this one bird. No 

 dead Pehcans or even their feathers have been found in the pad- 

 dock, so it is probable that the birds were only slightly dazed, 

 and none killed. — Thos. P. Austin. Cobborah Estate, Cobbora, 

 N.S.W. 



Camera Craft Notes. 



Ix tlie last number of the Ediu the photograph of the two 

 Podaygns was not successfull}' reproduced. The present illustra- 

 tion should be referred to instead of the one on Plate XUX. (vol. 

 xviii., p. 308). — W. H. D. Le Souef. 



