° 1 ' Q03 'J Stray Feathers. \ \ r 



mentioned in Mr. Campbell's " Nests and Eggs," p. i ,069). The 

 granulations on a lighter ground appear finer than those from 

 the mainland, and the egg is very dark green in colour ; it 

 measures 4.85 x 3.40 inches. — D. Le Souef. Melbourne. 



Alexandra Parrakeet in Western Australia.— Recently 

 Mr. and Mrs. Hunter arrived in Melbourne from Western Aus- 

 tralia, bringing with them nine Parrots. My attention was at 

 once centred on a pair which I believed to be Alexandra Parra- 

 keets (Polytclis alexandrce). Mr. and Mrs. Hunter, who were 

 living at Menzies, in the East Murchison District, said that the 

 blacks procured the Parrots, about 25 miles from that town, last 

 October. The blacks had never previously noticed these birds 

 in the district.* Mr. Ed. D'Ombrain has since seen the birds, 

 and has confirmed my surmise as to their name. — T. Hurst. 



Melbourne, 10/6/03. 



* * * 



Some May Notes from Central Queensland.— On 16th May 

 I shot a Black Duck {Anas super ciliosa), and when cleaning it 

 found an egg ready for laying and several smaller ones ; some 

 had already been laid. I have since refrained from shooting 

 Ducks. I have also found the following birds nesting : — Part- 

 ridge-Pigeon (Geophaps scripta), 1 5th May ; Little Dove (Geopelia 

 cuneata), 23/5/03 ; Pale-headed Parrakeet (Platycercus pallidi- 

 eeps), 16/5/03 ; Red-winged Lory (Ptistes erythropterus), 20/5/03 ; 

 Little Lorikeet (Glossopsittacus pusillus), 25/5/03 ; Chestnut- 

 eared Finch (Tamiopygia castanotis), 26/5/03 ; Banded Finch 

 (Stictoptera bichenovii), 14/5/03 ; Black-headed Pardalote (Par- 

 dalotus melanocephalus), 26/5/03 ; Red-browed Pardalote (Par- 

 dalotus rubricatus), 26/5/03 ; Blue- faced Honey-eater (Ento- 

 myza cyanotis), 27/5/03 ; Miner {Myzantha garrula), 20/5/03 ; 

 Fuscous Honey-eater (Ptilotis fused), 27/5/03 ; The Little Dove 

 (Geopelia cuneatd) is very seldom seen in this part, preferring 

 to keep further west, but these birds are here in numbers now, 

 as are also Cockatoo-Parrots (Calopsittacus novce-hollandiai), 

 another visitor to thes parts. — H. Greensill Barnard. Binbi, 



via Rockhampton. 



* * * 



Do Birds Find Food by Instinct or Sight ? — A flock (about 20) 

 of Blue-bellied Lorikeets (Trichoglossus novai-kollandice) came to 

 a clump of sugar gums (eucalypts) I have planted for shelter 

 last December, and stayed while the blossoms lasted. I have not 

 seen these birds about this district for over twenty years, not 

 even flying overhead. The latter end of December a heavy 

 thunderstorm, about two miles wide, passed over this district, 

 causing thistles, &c, to spring up and grow luxuriantly. In 

 March and April numbers of the Rose-breasted Cockatoos {Cacatua 



* The Alexandra Parrakeet has been noted for North-West Australia, but not 

 previously for W. A. proper. — Eds. 



