jl'o 11 '] Stray Feathers. I 25 



Vol 



'9°3 J 



great advantage be in the hands of Australian legislators. 

 Illustrations of six birds are given, as well as a most interesting 

 chapter on bird study in schools, and Mr. Palmer's summary 

 is an admirable one. Under the title " Game Laws for 1902 " 

 (Farmers' Bulletin No. 160), and likewise issued by the same 

 Department, a concise statement of the legislation for the 

 protection of game is published. This is by Mr. Palmer and 

 Mr-. H. W. Olds (an assistant in the Biological Survey), and 

 is accompanied by illustrative maps. It is equally worth perusal 

 with the volume previously alluded to. The authors state that 

 the game legislation of 1902 has been remarkably conservative, 

 and that only three States remain in which unlimited shipment 

 of game is permitted, that practically all but three protect Quail 

 at all seasons, and that every State in which Prairie Chickens 

 still exist prohibits their export. These publications were 

 followed by a circular (from the same Department) which deals 

 with " Inter-State Commerce in Birds and Game" and explains 

 the law in this connection up to 23rd August, 1902. The 

 Federal law enabling the Department to act in this matter must 

 greatly help to prevent breaches of local laws. It is apparently 

 administered more stringently than Australian game laws, and 

 is so wide-reaching in its provisions that not only the possessor 

 of prohibited game, but even the carrier or railway company 

 who may transmit it, is liable to heavy penalties. 

 * * * 



Clermont (Q.) Notes. — We have had some temporary relief 

 from the drought, and I have resumed field work again. The 

 birds have nested about two months earlier than usual. We had 

 a very mild winter, and some of the deciduous trees, like the 

 white cedar and erythrina, have not lost their leaves yet. I 

 noticed a few flights of Wood-Swallows, apparently migrating, 

 but the majority, especially the common sort (sordidus) stopped 

 here, and have already built nests and laid. After some years' 

 trying I obtained the nests and eggs of a small White-headed 

 Tree-runner {Sittella leucocephala). The nest, resembling that 

 of 5. ckrysoptcra, was beautifully disguised and patched with small 

 bits of bark exactly resembling the limbs, and arranged longi- 

 tudinally. The eggs (3), dumpy and well spotted with black, 

 were near incubation. My theodolite happened to be set up 

 almost underneath the nest, which was only 10 feet from the 

 ground, but I could not detect the nest until I sat down and waited 

 for the bird to show it to me. I afterwards found two more of 

 these nests ; both contained young birds. The birds fly in flocks 

 sometimes, and I have noticed amongst them some without the 

 white head, but the bird sitting on the nest was white-headed, 

 and almost let me put my hand on it before flying. Cockatoo- 

 Parrots have been very numerous over this and the Springsure 

 district, in flocks of 8 to 12. As a rule they do not frequent this 

 part, and I have hitherto only noticed odd specimens. Eagle- 

 Hawks are numerous, and Crows (or Ravens) and Cockatoos as 



