Hird \otes 179' 



them to be a decided acquisition, as the Parrot does not s\viilU)\v 

 the berry whole, but breaks it to pieces with its bill, destioyiuj^ 

 the seeds befcre swallowing, and thus peiventing the seed from 

 germinating when it has passed through its digestive organs. 

 In this i'esi)ect they ditfer from the European t^tarling, which 

 spreads, the boxthorn over the country more than all other 

 species of birds. 



A very notable find this inontl) is the Southern Grass Bird 

 {Poodytes grammens duhius). 



On July I heard its well-kiKiwn rail ( f '"[lee-pee-e"' and 

 "pee-pee-pee-ee,'" for, T have always srated, ir luakps a three-note 

 call as well as a two-note. The little bird and its mate were 

 in the thick cover of the boxthorn, and all through the month 

 it has been heard within a hundred yards of the same spot. In 

 all probability it will stay to breed. These little friends we 

 used to call the little Keed-biid in the early days, as they were 

 as numerous as the ordinary Reed-bird (Conopoderas australis)' 

 and their nests were always found in similar situations amongst 

 the swamps and attached to the tall, reeds growing in the wator. 

 Their nests were well known, as they always placed feathers 

 in the rim and domed them above in the form of a little arch, 

 and blue Bald-Coot feathers with a curve in them were almost 

 always used, and the curved side placed inwards, as if the birds 

 knew something of architecture. 



On July 13 a Hc-se-breasted Cockatoo (Eoloplius roscica- 

 pillus) was seen flying about in the big gums and making itself 

 quite at home. 



On July , 15 noted sev^eral >^}»nr-wing Plovers {Lohiby.r 

 tiovarhollaudiar) near some swampy ground at Lockleys, and 

 next day a pair of Black-breasted Plovers [Zonifer trieolor) 

 flew over, uttering their loud sharj) calls, but did not settle 

 near at hand. 



On July 10 found that a \Miite-backed Magpie {(ii/uniorJiiiia 

 hypoleiica Icticonota) had nearly finished building its nest (juite 

 close to the house and only about 10 or 12 feet from the, ground, 

 on the bough of a Norfolk Island jiine. One of the old birds was 

 just putting a beakful of hair into the bottom as a lining, and 

 a pair of Willy Wagtails were greatly purturbed, as it was 

 their usnal tree for nesting. They were trying to frighten 

 the Magpie away by pecking and flying at it incessantly, but 

 without avail. I exjtect the Wagtail will have to leave the 

 I)ine this year and nest elsewhere. 



Another new find f( i- Mel lor T^irk on the lOth was the 

 Southern Hooded Kobin i Mela nod rj/as ciiciilafd rif/orsi i. It was 

 quietly sitting on a low twig of a bush near the garden, and 



