I08 stray Feathers. [^g^ 



Emu 

 Oct. 



The last " port " of call was Bird Island, or, as it is called by 

 the local fishermen, "Ibis Rock." It consists of two rocky peaks, 

 about 50 yards from the mainland. The landing place is small, 

 and the approach rocky, so it is only safe in still weather. Upon 

 our approach about 200 Nankeen Herons (Nyticorax caledonicus) 

 flew up. Later on they were found on a reef The first peak 

 yielded only a few broken Heron eggs and a beautiful nest of 

 these birds in a small cave, but upon reaching the second rock 

 Herons in all stages of life were in numbers ; under every plant 

 were seen young birds or eggs, the latter laid upon the bare 

 ground, with a ring of sticks about a foot in diameter round 

 them, evidently to prevent them from rolling away, for upon 

 sloping ground the sticks were placed upon the lower side only. 

 The only shrub on the island — a tea-tree, about 3 feet high, 

 had a well-made nest of twined sticks and grass in its centre. 

 This nest was nearly flat, and 14 inches in circumference, and 

 contained the unusual number of five eggs. The usual number 

 was three, and in some cases two. The fresh eggs, with their 

 pretty green, delicately grained, non-lustrous shells, were very 

 beautiful ; a very little incubation, however, turns them pale blue. 

 They varied a good deal too in shape and size. As the wind 

 was rising, and the skipper was anxious for the safety of his 

 craft on this rocky shore, our visit to this interesting spot had to 

 be cut short. So, with some eggs and young birds for museum 

 and zoological purposes, we dropped into the boat and sailed for 

 home. — Sherbourne Le Souef. 



* * * 



Wood-Swallows in the Murray District during 

 Winter. — I went to Berrigan over Sunday, and on my way 

 back yesterday I saw five or six Wood-Swallows {Artavius 

 sordidiis) all in the one spot, about 10 miles from here and seven or 

 eight from the river as the Crow flies. I have not seen any of 

 these birds since April. — J. A. Trask. Tocumwal, N.S.W., 



29/7/02. 



* * * 



Jackasses at Shooting Matches. — Recently whilst 

 watching a Sparrow-shooting match at Oakleigh I observed a 

 pair of Laughing Jackasses {Dacelo gigas) repeatedly fly down 

 from a neighbouring tree and carry off the mortally wounded 

 Sparrows within 25 yards of the shooters. In all they 

 demolished nine Sparrows. I was informed thaf directly the 

 Jackasses hear the shooting they fly over to the shooting 

 ground and wait for their prey. — A. Mattingley. 



A Foreign " Stray." — When the ship Dcsdemona, which 

 arrived in Melbourne recently, was about 1,000 miles off the 

 Brazilian coast, or in about lat. 20 deg. south and long. 38 deg. 

 west, a small and beautiful greenish species of Gallinule or 



