^fj^-] Stray Feathers. 69 



handsome little bird from Cromarty, on the coast, and Sellheim 

 on the Burdekin, but cannot get them to live long. 



Black-throated Finch {Poephila cincta). — Common all over 

 district. Have seen them catching and eating white ants {ter- 

 mitcs), the winged ones, any time after heavy rain. They seem 

 to enjoy a feed of ants. 



Gouldian Finch (P. goiddice). — Common in the season, Decem- 

 ber to May. They breed here in holes in the various trees. 

 They leave after the young ones are able to feed themselves. 

 They seem to go northward. 



Crimson Finch (Neochniia phaeton). — Not common, though 

 often to be seen in pandanus flats. — JOHN H. Smedley. 



The Birds of Wongan Hills, W.A. — Referring to Mr. A. W. 

 Milligan's " Trip to the Wongan Hills " {Emu, Part I., vol. iv.), the 

 White-tailed Cockatoo {Caly ptorhynchis baudini) occurs plenti- 

 fully on the lower Murchison River, as mentioned in the opening 

 remarks of " Birds Occurring in the Region of the North-West 

 Cape" {Emu, part i, vol. iii.), that is, 200 miles further north 

 than the Wongan Hills, which locality Mr. Milligan gives as 

 the northern limit of this species. I can confirm his remarks 

 that further north of the Wongan Hills his east and west limits 

 of many species will not apply, as Glycyphila albifrons and 

 Acanthiza uropygialis occurred right down to the coast line 

 at Point Cloates, which is nearly 200 miles further west than 

 these hills. Mr. Milligan has apparently used the word " eastward " 

 in mistake for " westward " where he remarks that the Darling 

 Ranges form " an insuperable barrier to their eastward move- 

 ments " {i.e., his ultramontane species). A more probable theory 

 is that the great difference in vegetation (affecting the food 

 supply) between the east and west sides of the Darling Ranges 

 makes these hills a natural boundary for many species, as there 

 is nothing whatever in their formation to prevent birds of feeble 

 wing power crossing them. Were the vegetation the same on 

 both sides of these hills there would probably be no difference 

 in the species of birds occurring east and west of them. In 

 conclusion, referring to Mr. Milligan's description of the supposed 

 new Kestrel {Cerchneis unicolor), a glance at a map of this State 

 will show that it is misleading to speak of Yalgoo as being in 

 the north-west, as it is only 300 miles north (by east) of Perth 

 and is hardly even a central district, but naturally belongs more 

 to the south-west. Kestrels were numerous from the Gascoyne 

 River to the Ashburton River in the north-west, but although I 

 am now unable to refer to the collection of skins made by me 

 in that district, I am very positive that they were all referable 

 to the common form {C. cejichroidcs), and in my long residence 

 there no Kestrel was ever observed to attack poultry. Any 

 information extending the range of the new species will be 

 extremely interesting.— Thomas Carter. Perth, W.A., 30/7/04. 



