Bird Notes. 47 



two eggs (the general clutch here) were laid. The eggs met 

 with inisfortiine early in the incubation period, and the nest 

 was left empty, but what was my surprise the other day when 

 examining it, to lind that the bird had laid in it again and 

 reared a pair of ttuft'y little nestlings. 



Zebra finches are still breeding in the boxthorn bushes on 

 Mie sand dunes and young ones are coming out. 



The Shepherds' Companions or "Willie Wagtails" as they 

 are familiarly known have ceased to breed, having brought out 

 rheir young early in the season, in si)ite of the drought. 



The Boobook Owls have not ceased their mournful notes 

 at Lockleys, where at night they may be heai-d regularly calling 

 to one another. 



February — Mr. J. ^^'. Mellor says — This month more birds 

 have been breeding, the operation having been delayed over the 

 spring on account of the drought. 



Southern White-plumed Honey-eaters (Ptilotula penicillata 

 rvhitei) have been safely reared in the nest near my museum 

 Avindow, and are being fed by the parent birds. 



The two young hatched out on (February 6, and left the 

 nest on February 20. Thus it took seven days to build the 

 nest, six days to complete laying, etc, thirteen days in incuba- 

 ting, and fourteen days rearing the young, the whole operation 

 from start to finish taking five weeks five days. 



The Noisy Minahs have been extremely lively and garrulous, 

 especially during the hot spells of weather, and quite a number 

 come to drink at the water tap, and from a tin of cold water 

 which I always keep beneath a shady tree near the back door of 

 the house. It is surprising the number of birds of all 

 kinds, especially honey eaters, that come to drink from this 

 vessel, and the quantity of water supplied to them. 



The More-porks or Boobook Owls have been somewhat quiet 

 at night during the month, but the delicate or screech owls of 

 which there are quite a number about, have continued to call 

 loudly. One bird roosts by day right at the back door in a large 

 lemon scented pine. Amongst the thick foliage it is hidden 

 from view from beneath. bu( not so from above, as the white- 

 plumed honey eaters and noisy miners soon found it out, and 

 all day long make a i)erfect babel of voices up among the 

 branclies of the pine. The owl seems to heed them but little, 

 and calmly sleeps on, now and again blinking its eyes, but 

 otherwise remaining motionless. 



Numbers of i)urple crowned lorikeets have been about at 

 Lockleys all the month, fiying swiftly about or settling in the 



