Vol. III. 

 1903 



J FLETCHER, Bird Notes from Wilmot, Tasmania. IOQ 



had been caught in an ordinary rabbit trap, but fortunately 

 without having its leg broken. It was kept fastened up by a 

 tiny chain for several weeks, and fed with rabbit flesh. It was 

 released and flew away. A few nights afterwards a strange 

 " tapping" was heard at the door, and when the latter was opened 

 in flew an Owl, which went straight to its old corner and looked 

 inquiringly round. Meat was given to it, which it ate, and when 

 finished made no attempt to go away, but roosted in the chimney. 

 For days.it stayed about, and was eventually put on its chain 

 again, for safety from idle shooters. The pretty little Owlet 

 Nightjar ^Egothdes novce-hollandice) I have not seen about, but 

 know it is to be found amongst our hills, as the cat once brought 

 in a beautiful specimen. 



At frequent times throughout the year the Black Cockatoos 

 {Calyptorhynchus funereus) are about in flocks of from eight to 

 twenty. They do not appear to nest in this more open locality, 

 but evidently in the ranges to the south and west of us. They are 

 noisy birds, and work most vigorously at the stringybark trees 

 after the white grubs of which they are so fond. The birds tear 

 the bark down and leave it hanging in strips, and the trees present 

 a most curious appearance. What powerful beaks these birds 

 have ! The grinding noise they make can be heard for a con- 

 siderable distance. Occasionally a couple of White Cockatoos 

 (Cacatua galerita) will spend a few days in this neighbourhood. 

 Their coming generally causes a commotion in the Magpie (Gym- 

 norhind) world, and the latter birds spend a good deal of their 

 time chasing the white visitors. Two members of the Parrot 

 tribe are with us all the year round — the pretty Yellow-bellied 

 Parrakeet (Platyccrcus flaviventris) and the ordinary Rosella 

 (P. eximius). The former, with its pretty whistling call, is to 

 be seen and heard on every hillside, particularly amongst saplings.. 

 On the cultivated and grassy lands the Rosellas are plentiful. 

 They are very fond of pulling off the young buds of the fruit 

 trees. 



On the sapling rises and in the dogwood scrubs the Bronze-wing 

 Pigeon (Pfiaps chalcoptcrd) is to be both seen and heard, though 

 in small numbers. In the afternoon, and sometimes on moon- 

 light evenings, they may be heard calling. In the deeper gullies 

 the shy Brush Bronze-wing {P. elegans) may occasionally be 

 flushed from a bush or tree. The wild pepper berries are great 

 favourites with these, as also with the Jays or Black Crow- 

 Shrikes. 



Amongst the grain fields the Stubble Quail (Coturnix pectoralis) 

 is always to be found. It is a pity such numbers of their eggs 

 are destroyed during harvesting operations. During February 

 there are lots of nests containing eggs to be found, and the latest 

 date in a year I have observed their eggs was about 16th April. 

 The bird was sitting on seven eggs, which appeared within a 

 few days of being hatched. On the flats near the River Forth 

 and in swampy situations near the creeks the Brown or Swamp 



