THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 177 



driven there by the kindness of Mr. R. K. Adam, and among 

 others saw the Spotted Scrub-Wren, Sericornis maculata, Gld., 

 and Western Thickhead, Pachycephala occidenta/is, Rams. I 

 secured the young of the former and eggs of the latter. But for 

 the bad weather I should have much liked to have spent two 

 days instead of two hours. My curiosity to follow up that creek 

 is as strong now as it was then, as Mr. Adam, Resident 

 Magistrate, well read in my face. Eggs of the Pallid Cuckoo, 

 Cicculus pallidus, Lath., and Western Tit, Acanthiza apicalis, 

 Gld., were added to my collection, after which I moved on to 

 Perth. Staying here 36 hours gave me the opportunity to visit 

 the Museum and the Zoological Gardens. The directors of each 

 very kindly helped me to pass the time pleasantly and 

 profitably. 



While journeying towards Geraldton, some 300 miles by train 

 north of Perth, I listened to a fellow-passenger who spoke of his 

 personal experience with the Bustard, Eupodotis aitstralis, Grey. 

 Upon such salt plains as we are passing through, he said, turkeys 

 are, as a rule, to be found. When the railway line was being 

 advanced the engine driver use to shoot them at little more than 

 20 yards from the train. This occurred successfully for a time. 

 The aborigines get their turkeys during the evening. When the 

 sun is setting they crawl along the sun's rays so that turkeys 

 cannot see them. Although sharp-sighted, the rays are too 

 strong for their eyes. To shoot a turkey advance with the wind, 

 so that when it sees you it will need to travel towards you, 

 perhaps twenty yards, to get an impetus. Very much will 

 depend upon the strength of the wind, as in the case of the 

 Albatross, which will rise in three yards with a good breeze. In 

 a letter dated and received subsequent to my visit I was shocked 

 to hear of 84 Bustards having been shot by the people of one 

 homestead during December, 1899. It is, much to our regret, too 

 late for such an act in this State, but, being of such value as an 

 insectivorous bird, our Western friends should provide against a 

 recurrence of such slaughter, and not follow in the footsteps of 

 our folly, for such it most certainly is to my mind. 



The Raven, Corone aitstralis, Gld., is said to eat corn 

 and have a different note to the Eastern bird. It is short and 

 feeble, sounding like " eye," the accent making it very prolonged. 

 There is also the ka'-ka'-ka'-ka'-ka, expressed in a clattering 

 way. 



Two miles inland from Geraldton I found a Kestrel, CercJmeis 

 cenchroides, Vig. and Hors., had annexed a Raven's nest. No 

 sooner had the Raven reared a brood, and taught them to finally 

 leave their nest, than the Kestrel stepped in and laid three eggs in 

 due course. No consideration seemed to be given to whether or 

 not a second brood needed the nest (13/10/99). The Wren, 



