2^6 Royal Aitsiralasian Oyni/Jiologists' Union. [.^^'jan. 



handsome lotus lily flourished here, and formed good shelter for 

 the smaller water-fowl, as well as turtles, which were always in 

 evidence. Cocoanut-palms and mangoes grew to a large size. 

 When the fruit of the latter trees is ripe they are usually frequented 

 by flying foxes. 



I left here on the 22nd, and lectured in Townsville the same 

 evening, leaving next day for Brisbane, where I lectured before 

 the Field Naturalists' Club. 



When passing through Sydney I noticed in an aviary in the 

 Taronga Zoological Park the Grey Jumper had built the usual 

 mud nest and laid in it, but no one bird seemed to sit long on the 

 eggs, and one often sat alongside the sitting bird. A White- 

 breasted Sea-Eagle was noticed soaring over the harbour, and 

 Cormorants were plentiful there also. 



REPORT ON THE RINGING OF WILD BIRDS. 



Since the last annual report the following wild birds have been 

 ringed by Union members : — 31 adult Pelagodroma marina (White- 

 faced Storm-Petrels), on 29th November, 1919, at Mud Island, 

 Port PhiUip Bay, Victoria, by Drs. G. Home and C. Sutton and 

 Messrs. L. G. Chandler, S. A. Lawrence, and A. Chas. Stone. 

 So far the Union has ringed 259 wild birds. 



A. Chas. Stoxe, Recorder. 



A Rare Cuckoo Combination — Rufous Bristle^Bird 

 and Fan-tailed Cuckoo. 



By Herbert A. Purnell, R.A.O.U., Geelong (Vic.) 



During the present season I have been giving some considerable 

 time to studying the habits of one of our rare ground-birds — 

 namely, the Rufous Bristle-Bird {Maccoyornis broadbenti broad- 

 benti). Having an enforced holiday through ih-health, I decided 

 to spend a month at Anglesea, and, as the haunts of this bird 

 were within a mile of my week-end cottage, I decided to visit 

 their haunts nearly every morning, and there listen to their 

 most peculiar call. When once the call is heard you are sure 

 to locate a nest within a hundred yards of the call. Sometimes 

 the search is strenuous, for it means a careful search amongst the 

 low bushes and herbage which grow on the landslips and head- 

 lands which run out into the sea. The landslip between Anglesea 

 and Point Roadknight is a favourite breeding-ground of this bird, 

 and a peculiar thing about it is that where you find the Bristle- 

 Bird no other birds are seen about, and I have often wondered 

 at this loneliness, and also noted that very little food is about. 

 This makes the find most interesting, 'for, although the Fan-tailed 

 Cuckoos were fairly numerous on the hills around Anglesea. I 

 only heard them calling on two^or three days prior to the finding 



