244 Stray Feathers. ^^^f- 



ist Jan. 



Stray Feathers. 



The Starling as Mimic. — A Starling frequently seen about the 

 house has acquired an exact imitation of the " Pee-wit " call of 

 the Magpie-Lark {Grallina), also the alarm notes of the intro- 

 duced British Blackbird.— A. E. Rodda. Middle Brighton (Vic.) 

 * * * 



Bronze-Cuckoo and Shrike-Robin. — On Saturday, 8th Nov., icjiq, 

 at Ringwood {\'ic.), I found a nest of Eopsaltria australis (E. a. 

 viridior) (Yellow-breasted Robin) containing two eggs of this 

 species and also one egg of Chalcococcyx basalts {Neochalcites b. 

 mellori) (Narrow-billed Bronze-Cuckoo). This is, I believe, a new 

 record for this Cuckoo. — A. Chas. Stone. South Yarra (Vic), 



8/ll/lQ. 



Swiftlets on Land. — I noticed on the sand- banks near the mouth 

 of the Tullv River a number of Swiftlets were resting. It was 

 interesting to see them hurl themselves into the air in pursuit of 

 flies. I did not think that such feeble, spider-footed birds could 

 spring from such an almost fiat surface, as I have never before 

 seen them resting anywhere except in a nesting home cave. — 

 E. J. Banfield, R.A.O.U. Dunk Island (Qld.) 



* * * 



Bird-of-Paradise Nesting in Captivity. — In my aviary at 

 Roseville, N.S.W., a female Lesser Superb Bird-of-Paradise 

 {Lophorhina minor), mated to a male Coachwhip-Bird {Psophodes 

 crepitans), commenced carrjdng nesting material about the first 

 week in September of tliis year. By the second week she located 

 herself 3 feet from the ground amongst some honeysuckle with a 

 wire-netting background, built a round saucer nest of thin twigs, 

 decorated it with scraps of newspaper, and abandoned it for a time. 

 She resumed work on the nest on ist December, laid one egg on 

 6th December, which she attempted to eat next day. One-half 

 the shell alone remains, which I am preserving for future reference ; 

 it is cream-coloured, marked with reddish-chocolate and greyish 

 dashes at the base, becoming lighter, with finer markings, towards 

 the point, and is 1.03 mm. long. This is, I believe, the first record 

 of a Bird-of-Paradise laying in captivity — at least in Australia. 

 —Clifford Coles. 



* * * 



Wren-Warblers in Captivity. — In September, 1915, I secured 

 a pair oi Blue Wrens in Sydney and placed them in my aviary 

 at Roseville, in company with many other birds, but ^\ith no other 

 Wrens of any species. The male was in full colour at time of 

 capture ; he retained his plumage till February following, on 

 the 17th of which month the first signs of moulting were noted. 

 He made a rapid moult, finishing about 4I weeks later. He then 

 resembled his mate in colour except for his tail, which was still 

 blue ; this he retained till, on the 17th July following, I detected 



