V °i903 IL ] HlLL ' S °" ie Notes f rom Brook* ", W.A. I07 



MOUSTACHED HONEY-EATER (Meliomis mystacalis). — A shy bird. Found 

 only in the densest scrubs on the gravel ridges, where it is very abundant, 

 and its cry is continually to be heard. Now and then one can be seen as 

 it mounts to the top of a bush for a moment, but it instantly vanishes on 

 perceiving the intruder, no matter how still he remains. The skin of a 

 Moustached Honey-eater which I shot was loose, and could be taken up in 

 the fingers like that of a pug dog. 



Wattle-Bird (Acanthochcera carunculatd). — Fairly plentiful and well 

 distributed. 



Red-tipped Pardalote (Pardalotus ornatus). — Frequent, and indifferent 

 as to locality. 



SWALLOW (Hirundo neoxena). — In the opener parts. 

 Ground-Lark (Anthus australis). — Near cultivated ground. 



WOOD-SWALLOW (Artamus sordidus). — Saw a good number of these near 

 Brookton. Mr. Wellington, a selector near our camp, told me one day of 

 a bird he called a " Buan," and said that at night a mob hung in a cluster 

 on a tree, looking like a great knob, after the manner of a swarm of bees. 

 On seeing a Sordid Wood-Swallow which I was skinning, he said that that 

 was the " Buan." Turning up Gould's Handbook I find the following 

 remarks : — Page 143 : " Native name Be-wo-wen, Aborigines of Western 

 Australia." Page 145 : " But the greatest peculiarity in the habits of 

 this bird is its manner of hanging together in clusters from the branch of 

 a tree, like a swarm of bees." Mr. Wellington also stated that the bird was 

 much commoner in winter than in summer. I saw another species of 

 Wood-Swallow once or twice near Brookton, but which I do not know. 



FAN-TAILED CUCKOO {Cacomantis flabelliformis). — Saw a single skin, 

 which the boys brought me. 



Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Glossopsittacus por phryrocephalus). — On a 

 number of occasions Lorikeets were about, but this was the only species 

 I could identify. 



Black COCKATOO (Calyptorhynchus, probably baudini). — Saw a single 

 pair. 



Yellow-cheeked Parrakeet {Platycercus icterotis). — Known locally as 

 " Rosella." Not infrequent in the opener country towards Brookton. 



Parrakeet. — Saw a Parrot which the boys called a " King Parrot," but 

 which was a stranger to me. I .did not succeed in procuring a specimen. 

 It was most likely the Red-capped Parrakeet (Porphyrocephalus spurius). 



Yellow-collared Parrakeet, " Twenty-eight " {Platycercus semitor- 

 quatus). — Plentiful. Somewhat difficult of approach. Its note, as remarked 

 above, somewhat resembles that of Strepera plumbea. 



Pigeons. — Once or twice Bronze-winged Pigeons were reported. It was 

 said that there were two kinds, one of which was only to be found in the 

 box poison, patches of which occur all over the district. 



Stone-Plover (Burhinus grallarius). — Only saw a single bird, but they 

 could be heard every night. One night while we were out after 'possums 

 they would repeat their dismal cry after every gunshot. 



DUCKS. — On the same night we started a few Ducks from a small pool 

 in the granite. 



Emu (Dromceus, sp.). — Saw two small mobs of Emus in the distance one 

 day. They were said to be plentiful a few miles off. 



