5 6 Stray Feathers. \S$% 



a most perfect, full-feathered bird. He has run at large ever 

 since, fed on varied food. He learned to talk quickly, but, alas ! 

 moulted his beautiful white coat and is now in an almost nude 

 state, every fresh crop of feathers being a failure, the feather or 

 stump breaking off just close to the skin. I observed a couple of 

 wild Cockatoos in a similar condition last week. Unnatural 

 state of affairs, is it not? — A. M. POWELL. Bungarby,zv/r Cooma, 



N.S.W. 



* * * 



A " Galah " Note. — Last week, as a lady was proceeding from 

 Sandringham station to her home, she saw a bird pursued by 

 two Hawks, which have been very bold in that neighbourhood 

 this season. This turned out to be a " Galah " Cockatoo, which 

 almost immediately flew on to her dress, and accompanied her 

 home. Though at first it would allow no one but its rescuer to 

 touch it, it afterwards proved so tame that it would perch on 

 shoulder or arm of any member of the family, and, though at 

 liberty, came regularly to be fed. One morning it was missing, 

 but on " Cocky " being called two or three times it surprised the 

 young lady looking for it by answering " Here I am," close by 

 her. On another occasion a son was sitting under the tea-tree, 

 smoking, and the Galah climbed on to him, only to descend at 

 once, however, and return with a stick in its beak. This was 

 only one of many instances of mimicry shown by it. — H. KENDALL. 



I7/3/03- 



* # * 



How Gannets Dive. — On the 17th of October, 1902, one 

 Gannet was diving in the estuary of the Derwent between One- 

 Tree and Crayfish Points. This was the first I had seen since 

 the 2nd of June, and was apparently a casual visitor, for no more 

 appeared until the 5th of November, from which day until now 

 (21st January) they have been seen frequently. The dive of 

 the Gannet (so far as the eye can judge) is taken vertically, or 

 very nearly so. As a rule the wings remain expanded until the 

 bird reaches (or almost reaches) the Water. But occasionally the 

 wings are closed for an instant at some height above the water — 

 perhaps in order to accelerate the speed by reducing the extent 

 of surface to which the air offers resistance. The foregoing 

 remarks apply to dives taken from a height of about 15 feet and 

 over. ' When they are taken from a lower elevation the course 

 is frequently an oblique one. I desire in this note to correct a 

 formerly expressed opinion regarding the movements of the 

 Gannet in diving.* — J. R. M'CLYMONT. Brown's River Road, 



near Hobart. 



* * * 



Brown's River Road (near Hobart) Notes. — In the first 

 week of August of a recent winter, a company of Yellow-rumped 

 Tits (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa), frequenting some suburban fields, 



* Papers and l'roc. Roy. Soc. Tas., 1887, p. 113. 



