168 THE VICTORIAN NATUUALIST. 



a yelping one will excite the bird so much that it may run 

 accidentally into a bush. If one does not capture an Emu in 

 its first half-mile, and before it gets the " second wind," the 

 opportunity is lost, unless the horse is really good. To get a 

 " second wind " it stays about a minute. Eyentually the neck 

 begins to droop with fag if hard pressed. 



Although bird life between Albany and Denmark is interesting 

 and tolerably plentiful, much time is needed to observe their 

 nesting habits. The timber is too vast and the undergrowth too 

 thick to find any nests without patiently spending much time 

 to do so. 



On a small island at the entrance to the Denmark River 

 (Lake Wilson), the Wedge-tailed Petrels, Pufflnis chlororhynchus, 

 Less. {?), had prepared their hollows for November laying. 

 Thousands of eggs would then be laid, and some half-dozen 

 people who knew of the matter would go and gather a fair 

 quantity for home consumption. This spot is about 30 miles 

 from Denmark and about 20 from Albany, and the "half-dozen " 

 people nearly include the whole population. Many water birds 

 resort to the district, but I was particularly surprised at the want 

 of waders in reed beds and good lagoons that seemed inviting. 

 P2vidently there is too much water and not enough food. 

 (To be contimied.) 



AMONGST THE BIRDS IN RIVERINA. 

 By G. A. Keartland. 

 {Read before the Field Naturalists' Clnh of Victoria, lOth Ft.h., 1902.) 

 Towards the end of September, 1901, three members of this 

 Club (Messrs. C. C. and T. A. Brittlebank and myself) decided 

 to avail ourselves of the kind invitation of some friends in 

 Eastern Riverina to visit that district, with the object of studying 

 the habits of some of the avifauna found there, and, if possible, 

 adding to our collections. 



Although some of the birds under notice are not only well 

 known but were at one time common near Melbourne very little 

 has been written concerning them, and in one case part of that 

 little is erroneous. I allude especially to Barraband's Parrakeet, 

 Polytelis barrabandi. We therefore took the morning train for 

 Wagga, N.S.W., with the hope of seeing something interesting as 

 we passed along, and were not disappointed. A fellow-passenger 

 gave us the history of the Kelly Gang and of numerous other 

 bushrangers, pointing out several hills to which they retreated 

 when evading the police, and from whence they made raids on 

 their victims. Passing Glenrowan township, the place where 

 three of these desperadoes met their doom was seen. Then the 



