142 Slyay Feathers. [,.f'o'ct. 



something in their beaks, but I could not detect what it was. 

 The Silver Gull, we know, is frequently found inland, by fresh 

 water and also uncultivated land adjacent, looking for grubs, 

 &c. I have not noticed Pacific Gulls doing this before, but 

 possibly members may have done so. — J. Cecil Le Souef. Mel- 

 bourne. 



* * * 



Notes from Mackay (Q.) — The birds in tliis district seem to be 

 slowly recovering from the effects of the cyclone last year, but 

 some species are very rare, and often extinct, as far as we can 

 judge. The little Brown Honey-eater {G. ocularis), which used 

 to be so plentiful, is now rarely seen or heard, and the Sun-Bird 

 (C. frenata) is quite wiped out as far as we can judge. I have 

 inquired from people all over the district, and cannot hear of one 

 having been seen since the blow. We have formed a local Bird 

 Protection Association here, and hope to do good work in the 

 direction of having the close season properly observed, and also 

 in the guarding of our local sanctuaries. — E. M. Cornwall, 

 R.A.O.U. Mackay (Old.) 



* * * 



Birds in Winter. — A charming little scene was witnessed on one 

 of the fine, mild afternoons of this week. A paddock near Mersey 

 Bluff was being turned over by the plough, and 30 or 40 Silver 

 Gulls {Lams novce-hollandicB) had congregated for the sake of 

 picking up grubs and worms from the furrows. They were very 

 bold, following close to the ploughman's heels and squabbhng with 

 each other for tit-bits in true Gull style. This is the first time 

 that I have seen so large a number at the game in Tasmania, 

 although the English Gulls are well known for their proclivities 

 in this direction. Doubtless our graceful little "Silvers" learnt 

 it from their habit of coming into the flooded paddocks in the 

 winter and spring months to feed on the worms which have been 

 washed out of their burrows. On the occasion cited above, there 

 were noticed, besides Gulls, Robins, White-fronted Chats [Ephthi- 

 anura albifrons), a Pipit or two {Anthiis australis), and, in an 

 adjoining wet paddock, a pair of Herons {Ardcn novcc-hollandicv). — 

 H. Stuart Dove. West Devonport (Tas.), Ti/y/iq. 



Bega (N.S.W.) Bird Notes. — After a large surface pool left by 

 the flood of February last had been drained, I counted over 40 

 Black-fronted Dottrels feeding on the mud fiats thus exposed. 

 This bird is fairly common about south coastal (N.S.W.) rivers, 

 but usually in couples or small companies. A few Pigeon-Gulls, 

 White-breasted Cormorants, and Magpie-Larks shared the spoils 

 with the Dottrels, while in a shallow lagoon close by a splendid 

 White-necked Heron stalked solemnly to and fro. Some few weeks 

 ago I marked a company of 12 or 14 of these fine birds wheeling 

 over the town of Bega in slow, majestic flight, and in two tiers. 



