.f ^^^ ] Stray Feathers. 1 05 



but the latter was too much mutilated by having been shot 

 at close quarters to be certain of the species. 



15th March. — Oriental l^ottrel (6>. verediis) were packing on 

 the salt mashes in vast flocks, preparatory to their flight to the 

 land of their nativity in the north. Contrary to their usual 

 habit, they were extremely wary, and it was only after much 

 driving round in the buggy that I secured a good raking shot, 

 bringing down several specimens. These proved to be, as I had 

 suspected, in almost full breeding plumage, which is very 

 striking, and much more handsome than their dull summer (or, 

 rather, winter) plumage. The birds were coated with fat, several 

 of them bursting on falling on the hard ground. A last small 

 mob of these birds was seen on 28th March. 



3rd April. — Great numbers of the elegant Roseate Tern were 

 about Fraser Island, also of the Noddy {A. stolidics). 



26th April. — When sailing near this island we noticed some 

 numbers of Crested Terns (^S. bergii) hovering about one of the 

 sand hummocks. On landing we found 14 eggs, some of them 

 most handsomely marked. They were laid within a radius of 

 three yards on one of the highest points of the island, each &g% 

 being laid singly in a depression of the fine sand, no material 

 having been carried to form a nest. A family of Orange-fronted 

 Chats {E. aitrifrons) appeared about this date, and have kept 

 closely to one patch of ground near the beach ever since. 



8th May. — An immature Straw-necked Ibis {G. spinicoliis) 

 settled on the roof of the kitchen, where it was attracted by 

 seeing the tame Ibis, which has now been here with full liberty 

 for nearly two years (see Zoologist, July, 1901). The new comer 

 was only recently fledged. It allowed us to approach closely, 

 and readily ate scraps of meat thrown to it. We managed to 

 catch it at night and clipped one wing, and it has not since left 

 the vicinity of the house, and seems quite contented. The 

 following day a flock of about 50 wild Ibises settled near the 

 house, seeing the old bird feeding. It fed with them most of the 

 day, and accompanied them in their flights, but when the 

 wild birds flew away in the evening it did not offer to go with 

 them. 



20th May. — Seeing a small flock of Waders on the beach, I 

 fired one barrel, and picked up one Golden Plover, three Large 

 Sand Dottrel {O. geoffroyi), one Turnstone, and two Little 

 Stints. Silver Gulls, which are numerous here most of the year, 

 feeding on scraps about the kitchen and natives' camps, dis- 

 appeared early in January, doubtless to breed in the south, as 

 their eggs have never been taken here. Up to the date of 

 writing (27th May) only odd birds have returned. 



In vol. i., part 2, of TJic Evui, the tenth line from bottom of page 

 56 should read October, 1900. " Last year " is misleading, as 

 the article was written in October, 1901, but did not appear in 

 print until January, 1902. — THOMAS Carter. 



