THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 69 



are minute translucent pearls of mesolite, with perhaps a few bril- 

 liant gleaming crystals of phillipsite and great compound crystals 

 of phacolite, a centimetre in diameter, and looking like rose-cut 

 diamonds. 



We happened to visit the quarry at a time when fine specimens 

 were common, and loaded ourselves with as much as we could 

 conveniently carry away. — T. S. Hall. 



NOTES ON THE BIRD FAUNA OF THE BOX HILL 



DISTRICT — Continued. 



By Robert Hall. 



(Head before Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, \2tli April, 1897.) 



The Warbler finding peace and plenty in the reeds is Cala- 

 moherpe Australis, Gould, Reed Warbler, and anglers, who love 

 the birds or not, know well its merry, active voice as it scampers 

 everywhere amongst the surging ways of its stately forest, now 

 here, now there, and always full of song. The nest is unique, 

 anchored well to three or four reeds, high up from the water 

 below, open at the top, and with three or four inconspicuous eggs, 

 which is almost unnecessary, as the deep, ruggedly-lined bowl of 

 the nest is sufficient to hide eggs with a much less protective 

 colour. 



In the bracken and heath country is occasionally seen the Emu 

 Wren, Stipiturus 7nalachurus, Lath., one of those reserved forms 

 that carefully hide themselves and nests from prying eyes. It is 

 not capable of strong flight, but has rather an enfeebled one, and 

 the peculiarity of its plumage lies in the looseness of the tail 

 feathers, there being no barbules to render firm the barbs, which 

 are the conspicuous resisting material of true feathers. In this 

 respect they bear a likeness to certain feathers of the Emu. 



We now come to a small bird peculiar in more respects than 

 that of being the only species of a genus found nowhere but in 

 Australia. 



The Little Field Lark, Chthonicola sagittata, Lath. (W.), which 

 has been previously mentioned as the local " ground tit," thereby 

 implying its habitat and manner of spending most of its time. 

 The general colour is olive green boldly bearing sagittate markings, 

 and the dimensions are roughly speaking less than those of our 

 house sparrow. The song of the bird is a single harsh note when 

 feeding as well as two or three pleasant and gentle high-pitched 

 notes. The young assume the garb of the parents (which is 

 similar in both sexes) within a few weeks. This I judge from the 

 difference in call and attention during feeding time shown by the 

 old birds. 



How very carefully the nest is concealed is only known to those 

 who have sought for it, and one might hunt for days without 



