1 82 French, Notes on the White-headed Stilt. [^''^'jan^^*' 



NOTE OX THE WHITE-HEADED STILT, HIMANTOPUS 

 LEUCOCEPHALUS, Gould. 



By C. French, Jun. 



These beautiful birds have just finished breeding in a swamp 

 near Laverton. the first eggs being laid early in October. This 

 is probably the first authentic record for Victoria. The nests, 

 which were about lo to 15 feet apart, were in the middle of a 

 fairly large swamp, and were placed on clumps of the dwarf 

 salt-marsh plant, Salicornia australis. Sea Crab-grass. They 

 were composed principally of a dried alga, Lynghya astuarn, 

 with other aquatic plants, and measured approximately 

 8 inches across, being built up about 9 inches above the water. 

 Dead twigs of the Salicornia were placed on the top of the 

 nests. Several nests were placed on burnt clumps of the 

 Awned Sword-Sedge, Gahnia Irifida, about 12 inches above 

 the water. ]\Iost of the nests contained four eggs, but one 

 nest was discovered which contained five eggs. Most of the 

 eggs were placed with the small ends pointing towards the 

 middle of the nest, but in some instances several of the eggs 

 had the small ends pointing outward. Unfortunately, before 

 all the eggs were hatched out the swamp commenced to dry 

 up, and the old birds left the locality, causing a number of 

 eggs and young birds to be deserted. 



A pair of adult birds, four young ones, and a nest containing 

 a clutch of five eggs were presented to the National Museum, 

 Melbourne. The Curator, Mr. J. A. Kershaw, is having a group 

 prepared, which will be on view shortly at the Museum. 



I am indebted to Professor Ewart for the name of the Sedge, 

 Gahnia irifida, and to Mr. A. D. Hardy, F.L.S.. for the name 

 of the alga, regarding which he says : — " The nests are prin- 

 cipally composed of an alga, Lyngbya astuarii (Mert.). Liebman, 

 belonging to the class Myxophycese ( = Cyanophyccce or blue- 

 green algffi). It is one of those plants which, on account of 

 their power of adaptation to either fresh-water or saline situa- 

 tions, preclude the drawing of any hard and fast line between 

 the marine and fresh- water algae." 



28th December, 1911. 



Rainbow-bird or Bee-eater. — May I suggest to our orni- 

 thologists the reconsideration of the vernacular name of Merops 

 ornaius ? Though its affinities lie with the well-known family 

 of " Bee-eaters," the common application of the name of 

 Bee-eater is likely to do the bird a great deal of harm as time 

 goes on. This bird may, and probably does, eat some bees, 

 but I have observed it feeding on many occasions in various 



