WHITU— Birth Reeorded J'roiii. tk". EarUj Dtujx up to the 101 

 Present Time for the Heed Beds District. 



then went off in a southerl.v direction. Some weeks later 

 another one put in an appearance, and stayed in the same tree 

 for a day, and then passed on in the same direction. I had not 

 been out in the scrub this nesting- season till three weeks ago. 

 I was then surprised at the few nests to be seen. I covered in 

 three trips about 200 miles and did not see a dozen nests, where- 

 as in former years there were nests everywhere. I was 

 delighted one day while sitting quietly in the scrub to see a 

 lovely bell bird come well into view, and strike up a beautiful 

 musical note which was continually being changed into another 

 key equally as sweet and musical. The Flame-breasted Robins 

 have been very plentiful this season, and have been with us 

 ever since June. One very remarkable thing connected with 

 these birds is worth mentioning. A^ery late in the Autumn or 

 early winter during a dry spell a bush fire burnt a lot of our 

 fencing about eight miles back, and while we were repairing it, 

 these Robins were to be seen everywhere picking up food of 

 some sort. I did not think these ibirds ever left the open grass 

 lands for the scrub country. 



Birds Recorded from the Early Days up to <he 

 Present Time for the Reed Beds District. 



By S. a. White, C.M.B.O.U. 



We find in the early records of the Colony that the Adelaide 

 Plains teemed in game when white man first put in his 

 appearance. I know from the records of my forebears, who 

 settled at the Reed-beds in 1836 that the district of the Reed- 

 beds was the haunt of much bird life. This would be expected, 

 for the River Torrens emptied itself out on to the land forming 

 great swamps, which in their turn supported much cover for 

 water fowl and other birds, the surrounding high sandy rises 

 supported scrub chiefiy composed of banksia and other shrubs 

 bearing honey-laden flowers, which produced copious food for 

 honey-eating birds. The big gum timber growing along the 

 river formed the home for such birds as Tree Creepers and 

 Ciant Kingfishers, the Night Herons in hundreds roosted in 



