62 Stray Feathers [is? July 



young bird just hatched and an egg that would have hatched 

 next day. Local residents had no distinctive name for the 

 Bristle-Bird, and few of them seemed to have ever seen it. 



Flame-breasted Robin (Petrceca phcenicea). — We saw at least 

 eight pairs of this species in a walk from Forrest to the coast 

 (25 miles), and not one of the Scarlet-breasted birds (P. leggii). 

 At Apollo Bay there were a few of the latter, but the " Flame- 

 breasts " were still in an easy majority. There is not the 

 slightest doubt in my mind that they breed throughout this 

 forest. I saw old birds feeding what seemed to be this season's 

 young on several occasions, though I did not discover any nests. 



Sooty Oyster-catcher (Hcematopus unicolor). — Two or three 

 pairs were seen at the Elliott River. They are not common 

 west of Port Phillip, and on the long stretches of beach between 

 the Heads and Lome have never been noted, so far as I am 

 aware. 



General. — We noted 62 species in rive days' observation. — 



C. F. Belcher. 



* * * 



Cairns Notes. — When reading friend Hall's theories re reversion 

 of colours, I was reminded of a set of Kingfisher (H. macleayi) 

 eggs I got last year. The nest was in a white ants' nest, in a 

 tree, and when I put my hand in to feel for the eggs I pulled it 

 out very quickly, having felt something slimy and cold, like a 

 snake. Having broken up the nest, I found a great green frog 

 quietly sitting on a clutch of four eggs. Whether he had gone 

 in the hole for shelter, or had thought to try his hand at incubating 

 I cannot say ; but the frog had made the nest wet, and the eggs 

 when removed were so coated with chocolate mud that, though 

 thoroughly washed, the stains were ineradicable. Some of the 

 markings were in blotches, and really appeared as if beneath the 

 surface of the shell. The eggs have been disposed of in exchange, 

 or would have been forwarded. — E. M. Cornwall. 16/4/03. 



* * * 



Clarke Island (Bass Strait) Notes.— The small islands of 

 Bass Strait are much frequented by that unlucky bird, the 

 Mutton-Bird (Puffmus tenuirostris). I call them unlucky because 

 such great numbers are annually taken by the residents for 

 home consumption and the local markets ; indeed, to such an 

 extent that it is questionable if they will stand the yearly drain. 

 Persons ignorant of their habits have spoken of the probability 

 of their breeding twice a year, but when studied this will not 

 hold good. If we consider the facts that the birds arrive here 

 in September and commence scratching out their burrows about 

 the 20th of that month ; the eggs are generally laid on 25th 

 November, varying a day, and sometimes two, either earlier or 

 later, according to the state of the weather — when stormy earlier, 

 and when fine the reverse ; and that the young birds are not 

 able to fly until the end of April and beginning of May, this 



