Emu 



220 MlLLIGANj Notes on a Trip to the Wongan Hills, II. J. i 2n d™pri1 



eight years ago. His theory has received confirmation from my 

 friend' Mr. B. W. Leake, of Kellerberrin, who states that previous 

 to the drought mentioned the Gnous were numerous in his 

 district (some 150 miles south-east of the Wongan Hills), but 

 that during the drought not only the Gnous but also all the 

 smaller marsupials disappeared, and have not since been 

 seen there. At my request, Mr. Conigrave very kindly photo- 

 graphed one of these nest-mounds which had been constructed 

 in the conglomerate on a hill-brow. The photograph is here 

 produced, and shows in the foreground, on the rim of the nest- 

 crater, some pieces of conglomerate used in the construction 

 of the mound. One piece measured 6 inches x 4 inches x 4 

 inches and weighed considerably over a pound avoirdupois.* 

 Obviously the birds must have experienced great difficulty in 

 breaking through the inhospitable and dense surface and after- 

 wards in excavating and removing the heavy fragments. I 

 have at all times held the opinion that these birds, in constructing 

 these mounds, do not use their wings for transporting material, 

 but their feet only. In the particular mound under notice 

 it would have been impossible for the builders to have seized 

 and transported the rock and gravel by their wings, and doubt- 

 less their stout claws were the sole agency. Whilst at the 

 Margaret River, in the south-west of this State, I had the 

 opportunity of seeing one of the birds at work " coning " the 

 saucer top of the mound (see Emu, vol. ii., page 76), and on 

 that occasion the feet only were used. 



In vain Mr. Conigrave and I strained our ears to catch the 

 sound of the inimitable notes of the Black-throated Coachwhip- 

 Bird. The low-growing scrubs of the locality formed ideal 

 homes for them, but evidently they had left or perished 

 simultaneously with the Gnous. It is noteworthy that the 

 members of both the species named are found in close companion- 

 ship in the scrubs between Capes Naturaliste and Leeuwin. 

 Notwithstanding the absence of these two feathered friends of 

 Gilbert's, we found pleasure in meeting one of his discoveries — 

 Malurus pulcherrimus — at its scientific " birthplace." On our 

 first day's outing on the Hills the first two birds shot fell to 

 my gun, the second of which was a handsome male bird of the 

 Wren in full nuptial plumage. We found the species very 

 numerous in the general tracts or rock patches in and about 

 the hills. I had ample opportunity of observing them in their 

 native haunts, and frequently brought the little families to my 

 feet by imitating the calls of a young bird in distress. Great 

 rivalry appears to exist between the males in their song, and on 

 one occasion I found two of them in fierce combat. It would 

 have been possible to shoot at least a dozen males without trouble, 

 but after killing the second male I felt that I had done enough 

 " murder " amongst these charming creatures. We were too 



* The size of these stones is remarkable. — Eds. 



