60 OhservalloHs at Ooldea. 



mthI tlic i-icli iiifoiis coloralion of the crown of the liend aro quite 

 absent. 1 jnd<;ed it to be a matnie bird, evidently breeding, so 

 the ditt'erences of coloration are interesting. [ do not think the 

 Brown Hawk is much trouble to those who keep fowls, for in my 

 more than 80 3'ears' exiH^rience 1 have never had a sj^e^imen of 

 I his hawk sent in as a "<-hicken stealer," ^^■hereas 1 have had 

 nnmbei-s of the Australian (loshawk sent to me, that have been 

 killed for this reason. 



Observations at Ooldea. 



To the Editor, 



South Australian Ornithologist. 

 Dear Sir, 



In the issue of the "S.A. Ornithologist," Ai)ril. 1921, Capt. 

 ^Vhite doubts the existence oC the Ohestnut-faced r)wl. Black 

 backed Malurus, and Red-throat at Ooldea. and I would be glad 

 if you would give the members of youi' Association my reasons 

 for reporting them in that hn-ality. 



r>lack-l)acked Wren ^^'arbler 1 .l/^////^/^s• mchntoi lift) . — Five 

 miles south-east of the railway station, in o|)en scrub country, 

 I met with two flocks of ^Yren War'blcis. one party of whicli 

 had young on the wing. These were of the cyaneus group but 

 darker in color, they were not in my oi)inion .]I<ili(nif< cjianvufi. 

 Ellis, and although I did not colled a si)ecimen, I put them 

 (b)wn as .1/. iiicJdiiotifs. from localily ami ti'/ld nhscvxal ion. 



Red-throat — Although 1 had never seen a K<'(l-throat in the 

 flesh before, the male bird was unmislakaible, as one very tame 

 bird came within a few feet of me. as I sat under a snuill bush, 

 and as I have since examined skins of this species, I am fpiite 

 sure of the identification from field observations. Same class 

 of country as the Wren was in. 



riiestnut-faced OavI— T was told that owls were to be found 

 in a blow-hole close to "Hughes Stone," and on going there the 

 position of the i»articular hole was located after a long and care 

 ful search, fully an hour being s[)ent in going over the ground 

 in the vicinity. On looking into tlie hole T was sur]»rised t<i 

 see two large dark owls and not the cave owl or light fcn-m of 

 the Masked T was expecting. The birds wei-e only in sight for 

 a few seconds, but they were dark brown, with absolutely no 

 white on them, certainly dai-ker than any ])hase of the Masked 

 that T had seen, and in my o]>inion larger, and they could only 

 have been the Chestnut-faced. T believe that Capt. White se- 

 cured an ordinary Masked Owl fi-oin this hole or one in the 



