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1 Stray FeatJiers. 143 



each bird about j feet abovi' its fellow. Almost without any 

 perceptible motion of the wings, and sweeping upwards at 

 intervals with wonderful unanimity, the Herons progressed slowly 

 towards their destination. They gave one the impression of 

 mourners slowly following an invisible hearse. 



Just lately I have noticed two examples of the Delicate Owl 

 lying dead near a main road, and two or three Black-throated 

 (irebes about the lagoons — wantonly shot, evidently. As regards 

 the little (irebe's powers of flight, although these birds are slow 

 to use their short wings, they are, in fact, capable of considerable 

 aerial journeys. I have observed a company of about 30 Grebes 

 leave a lake where Duck-shooting was in progress and head for 

 a river about two miles distant. They rose gradually to an 

 altitude which would about clear the highest tree-tops, and then 

 went full speed ahead. — H. V. Edwards. Bega (N.S.W.) 



The Black-cheeked Falcon as a Duck-Slayer. — Two of us 



camped for the night of 8th September, 1918, at the edge of one 

 of the big Gwydir sag-beds. We were up before daylight next 

 morning disturbing many sleeping Ducks from the edge of the 

 water close to our camp. We then started off for a walk through 

 the sags in quest of White Ibis. Ducks by this time were flying 

 round in great numbers. Then we noticed a Black-cheeked 

 Falcon (Falco melanogenys) swoop in among the flying birds, and 

 a Black Duck came falling to the water ; then another Duck came 

 tumbling down. We stood still and watched, and in about a 

 quarter of an hour he accounted for twelve birds. Apparently all 

 were killed. Those that fell within reach of us were quite dead, 

 but several fell in the sags, and we did not investigate. Although 

 he killed several birds within 100 yards of us, we could not see 

 clearly how it was accomplished. He used to skim just over the 

 top of his victim, and it would crumple up and tumble over and 

 over to the water. Apparently this was just a little morning's 

 exercise, as he did not attempt to pick up any of the " kills." 

 Once he got three Ducks in succession without stopping his flight. 

 Every now and then he would rest on a tree for a few seconds 

 and then off again to the chase. The Black-cheeked Falcon is a 

 rare bird here, and, judging by the exploits of this one, it is 

 fortunate for our wild game that he is so rare. — V. C. Morse. 

 " Coocalla." C.arali (X.S.W.) 



Black Cockatoos as Storm Prophets.— It is several years since 

 I saw any of the Black Cockatoos {Calyptorhynchns xanihonotiis) 

 in the neighbourhood of Devonport, but on the 28th April their 

 once-familiar wailing notes reached my ears, and soon afterwards 

 a flock of about sixteen individuals was noted, flying fairly high, 

 in two almost parallel lines — a long and a short. Thov were 

 leaving the coiist and making soiitli, or inland, to the hill countrw 



