Vol. II. 

 igo2 



1 Stray Feathers. lOI 



this year in garden at Retro station, being small Red-capped 

 variety. 



27th April. — Saw Robins, same variety, nearly every day 

 during the week. 



29th April.— Camped at well, near top of run (Retro), not far 

 from the Peak Range, there being no surface water for miles. 

 Next morning, early, the troughing, about 30 yards long, was 

 lined with birds on both edges, the predominating sorts being 

 Spotted Bower-Birds and Red-winged Lories ; there were also 

 great numbers of Peaceful and small Ground Doves, and a few 

 Honey-eaters. I should think quite a hundred Lories could 

 be seen at one time, and they made such a brilliant bit of 

 colouring as one is seldom privileged to see. The Bower-Birds 

 appear to be living almost solely on white cedar berries, which 

 they swallow whole ; they were simply ravenous for bread or 

 scraps, and were a great nuisance. The Lories I noted feeding 

 on seeds of the "fat hen" (a chenopodium, known in Great 

 Britain as " goosefoot " ), a tall weed, which has been of great 

 value to the starving stock. Two Bronze-wings were also noted, 

 with their feathers fluffed out and heads under wing, asleep, for 

 some time after the other birds were busy. This camping near 

 the water is not the usual custom of these Pigeons, as they 

 generally come to water near sundown and fly back at once 

 after drinking. The second morning they were on the same 

 perches, but on the third (2nd May) they were not, or cleared 

 earlier. 



8th to 1 8th May. — Shifted camp to another well. Bower- 

 Birds and Lories in profusion. Noted small flock of eight 

 Betcherrygahs, which visited the well several days running and 

 then disappeared ; these birds are seldom seen on the downs, 

 but keep to the tall gums on the watercourses. The Bower- 

 Birds were so numerous and bold from hunger that the cook's 

 life was a burden to him until he had destroyed a great number. 

 He caught 15 and 20 a day, mostly cock birds, with iridescent 

 plume on nape of neck, in two small gin traps. Several were 

 kept in captivity for some days and devoured as much bread as 

 they could get; they mimicked cats and Kite Hawks (Square-tail) 

 splendidly, but fought incessantly and furiously. Magpies and 

 Butcher-Birds also got caught, and on two occasions the large 

 olive-green Honey-eater (or Entomyza) with bare blue patch on 

 cheeks. Flocks of Grey Jumpers (Twelve Apostles) and "happy 

 families " (Chatterers) also visited the camp, and I heard and 

 saw White-eyes {Zosterops) on the tea-tree scrub, and also a 

 Yellow Robin. Also noted several Red-capped Robins, male 

 and female. Shot a Scrub Turkey at well, and several Wild 

 Turkeys (Bustards), the latter being very numerous in good 

 seasons, but rather scarce this year. 



3rd June. — At Langton, with Mr. Menzies, went after a 

 white-headed Dottrel he had seen. Lucky enough to get it, 



