THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 75 



Mr. J. Lidgett, about 30 species from Myrniong, including 

 Boronia polygalifolia (var. trifoliata), Ptilotus spathulatus, 

 Mjjoporum deserti, Gorrea speciosa (var. glabra), Zyyophyllum 

 glaucescens, Luzula campestris, Cassia eremopliila, Swahisona 

 lesser tifolia, and Pultenoia daphnoides ; also a fresh specimen 

 of the fungus Polyporus mylliUe, known as " native bread." 



Collections of flowers were also shown by Mr. J. A. Kershaw, 

 from Mulgrave and Sandringham ; Mr. C. Shephard, from 

 Brighton ; Mr. R. Hall, from Swan Hill ; and Mr. F. G. A. 

 Barnard, from Kew. 



Mr. O. A. Sayce exhibited, under the microscope, a slide show- 

 ing bladders of the Utricularia, containing larval insects, &c., 

 mounted by Mr. F. Barnard. Mr. A. Coles, a Black-cheeked 

 Falcon, Falco melanogenys ; and Mr. J. Stickland, a freshwater 

 Protozoan, Paiidorina inorumj from Sandringham. 



After the conversazione and inspection of wild flowers, the 

 meeting terminated. 



NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF THE BOX HILL DISTRICT.' 



— Continued. 



cuckoos and parrots. 



By Robert Hall. 



{Read before the Field Naturalists^ Chth of Victoria, 12th Sept., 1898.) 



With the Square-tailed Cuckoo, Cuculus variolosus, Hors., 

 I have not personally come in contact, so cannot give any 

 details of its habits. 



Of the Bronze Cuckoo, C. plagosus, Lath., the earliest find of 

 its egg by myself was on 24th July, 1896 — a mild winter — but 

 the calls of the birds were not heard by me until after this date. 

 The foster parent in this case was the Yellow-tailed Tit, and the 

 last egg of the season observed was on 9th January, 1897, also in 

 nest of Yellow-tailed Tit. The latest find of a young bird by 

 myself was on 12th March, 1897 ; others had not yet migrated. 

 Sentiment, as with most birds, is in this one. Early in Septem- 

 ber I saw three upon the same bough. One flew upon the 

 ground, and the remaining two became very frivolous. One of 

 the bough birds now sought an insect in the air, and, catching 

 it, returned and offered it to number three, who very sensibly 

 accepted it. The ground bird must have been offended, for it 

 did not return to the bough, and the group dispersed. 



" Diamond cut diamond " is manifest often enough with the 

 Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo, Chalcococcyx basalis, Hors., and the 

 Superb Warbler, but now I find the Little Ground Tit, Chthoidcola 

 sagittata, can be outwitted also. On 25th December, 1894, X 



