THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 171 



we also found the Blue-faced Honey-eater, Entomyza cyanotis, but 

 all the nests contained young ones. The Friar-bird, Philemon 

 coniictilatus, livened our camp with its loud notes, whilst the 

 Sordid Friar-bird, r. sardidus, kept up a constant battle with the 

 Warty-faced Honey-eaters, Meliphaga phrygia, which visited the 

 trees laden with blossom. Peaceful Doves came to drink or give 

 forth their melancholy notes by the river side. High up m a 

 giant eucalypt a White-headed Osprey, Pandion leucocephalus, had 

 built its nest at the unusual height of about 80 feet from the 

 ground. 



Whilst one of our party stayed in camp skinning the birds shot, 

 the others drove to a swamp some miles further on, in quest of 

 waterfowl. Several species of duck were noted, such as Black 

 Duck, White-eyed Duck, and Teal. Two very fine Pelicans were 

 shot, and the male, which was unusually large, was forwarded, 

 with other birds, to the National Museum, Melbourne. His 

 measurements were 8 ft. 4 in. across the wings and 6 ft. 4 in, 

 from point of bill to end of tail. Several Crimson-bellied 

 Parrakeets were seen in the scrub, and some shot. The common 

 Rosella, Platycercus eximius, has lately become very numerous 

 in the district, where a few years ago it was regarded as a novelty. 

 As night was approaching, a short cut was made for the camp, 

 but, alas, a wire fence blocked the way. To go round to the gate 

 passed through on the outward journey meant a long drive in 

 the dark, so our friends lifted the buggy over the fence, and then, 

 by spreading coats and bags on the top wire, the pony was 

 persuaded to jump over. Thus camp was reached in time for tea, 

 and to find that a couple of nice large fish were secure on the 

 lines left in the river. 



On visiting another spot next day we found many Choughs, 

 Corcorax melanorhamphus, and saw one young bird which had 

 just left the nest. Some beautiful Bee-eaters, Merops ornatus, 

 were shot, and a specimen of the Striated Pardalote, P. striatus, 

 caught in its burrow on the river bank. After examination it was 

 liberated, but its four pearly-white eggs taken. In the open 

 forest a pair of Southern Stone Plover, Bttrhinus grallarius, 

 were disturbed, and on passing the spot from which they rose a 

 pair of newly hatclied young ones were picked up. They were 

 brought into camp and fed for a couple of days, being allowed to 

 roam about whilst any of the party were near. It was interesting 

 to see the little fellows march straight to the river edge, and run 

 into the shallow water, where they waded for a considerable time. 

 Although so young they picked up insects and caught flies, which 

 were numerous on the scraps lying about. They appeared to feel 

 the cold at night and on the morning of my return to Melbourne 

 died in the box, much to my regret, as I was anxious to observe 

 their growth and to ascertain how long they took to attain adult 

 stage. 



