Vol. III. 

 1904 



Australasian Ornithologists' Union. '47 



far North-West are conducive to facile observation of the habits 

 of birds which in settled districts are shy and wary. Nowhere 

 else in Australia would the Osprey, for instance, be found so 

 common and its nests so easily accessible, and the immense nest 

 found built on a log lying near the sea beach is a singular 

 instance of an abnormal situation. In this connection it may be 

 mentioned that Haliaetus leucogaster has been known to build 

 on a bush on the Strait Islands. It is noteworthy in Mr. Carter's 

 article that the Long-billed Reed-Warbler was only twice observed ; 

 the species is no doubt remarkable for the manner in which it 

 confines itself to very restricted localities where its favourite 

 reeds are in abundance. This peculiarity it shares with most of 

 the Acrocephali ; our Eastern bird, for example, is only found 

 where the bull-rush (Typhci) abounds, and so closely does 

 it haunt them and remain concealed during most of the day 

 that were it not for its notes it would often be passed over. 

 A few species of this genus are non-migratory. It should be 

 ascertained if the Western Australian Reed-Warbler migrates 

 or not to the North in winter. In Part 2 the list is continued, 

 the number of species embodied in the article being 89. It is 

 worthy of note that three species of our interesting " Chats " 

 are found at Point Cloates, E. albifrons, as elsewhere, proving 

 an unexpected visitor, and that, too, sometimes in large flocks. 

 The history of its appearance in this island is noteworthy, and 

 is touched upon in vol. i., p. 84. Some interesting notes of 

 the habits of the newly-discovered Eremiornis carteri are given, 

 which reveal the same skulking propensities as other members 

 of the sub-family Timeliince, which are ground-frequenting. A 

 further contribution by Mr. Carter embodies some interesting 

 notes on birds from the south-west district of his colony, one 

 of which is valuable as relating to the habits of another new 

 member of the Timeliincs, peculiar to Western Australia — 

 Sphenura litoralis ; and in noting the extraordinary rapidity 

 with which these birds move along the ground, and then, abso- 

 lutely concealing themselves, refuse to be flushed. 



Another energetic naturalist from Western Australia, Mr. 

 A. W. Milligan, has done excellent work since the last Congress, 

 which combines descriptions of seven new species — a Meli- 

 threptus, a Calamanthus, and a Megalurus, two more " ground " 

 Timeliince, a Gymnorhina, two Acanthiza, and a Xerophila. 

 In addition there is a valuable article on a " trip " to the Stirling 

 Ranges, one of the most important mountain systems in Western 

 Australia, and a district which is destined to furnish a good 

 field for Western ornithologists. 



Three beautiful photographs embellish this article, one of which 

 is a comprehensive view of the Stirling Ranges. 



Not a few of the Western Australian Passerine birds are so 

 closely allied to Eastern forms that they can scarcely rank beyond 

 sub-species. My own* impression withjregard to these close allies 

 is that, originally, and perhaps prior to the evolution of desert 



