138 S,tray Feathers. [5th "j an. 



Stray Feathers. 



A Favourite " Rookery." — The photograph (Plate IX.) 

 depicts a large red gum tree growing in a small dam in the 

 Western District of Victoria. At the time of my visit the follow- 

 ing birds were nesting in it, viz. : — The Whistling Eagle {Hali- 

 astur sphenurus), Black Cormorant {Phalacrocorax carbo), Little 

 Black Cormorant {P. sulcirostris). Little Cormorant {P. melano- 

 leucus),V^\\\t& Ibis {Ibis molucca), Y€i\ow-hi\\(td SpoonhxW {Platibis 

 fl.avipcs), and White-necked Heron {Notophoyx pacifica). The 

 birds seemed quite contented in company, but when they left 

 their nests a pair of Ravens {Corone australis) would quickly 

 come and commence eating the eggs, but they had a decided 

 preference for Herons' and Spoonbills' eggs, always taking them 

 before those of the Cormorants. — D. Le Souef. 



Black v. Rufous Butcher-Birds. — Mr. E. M. Cornwall 

 (Cairns), writing under date 8th November, 1904, states : — " I 

 am sending by this mail some photographs (Plates VII. -VIII.) 

 which may prove of interest, and which I think will go a long 

 way towards settling the Black versus Brown Butcher-Bird con- 

 troversy. I have the young birds at home ; they are doing well, 

 and I hope to rear them, and send them along to the Melbourne 

 Zoological Gardens. 



"The nest is most charmingly situated amongst a luxuriant 

 growth of the pretty little button-plant — some people call it an 

 orchid ; I don't know whether it is or not. Close to the nest 

 grows a sturdy little plant of an orchid {Dendrobium undulatum\ 

 On the other branch, just above the right shoulder of the figure, 

 may be seen several plants of another pretty orchid {Aria fitz- 

 allcm), whilst on the lowest fork, near the bottom of the picture, 

 there is still another orchid, ' Cyrnbidium.' There were three 

 young ones (two black and one brown) in the nest, but one of 

 the black fell out just before the photo, was taken. The two 

 parent birds were both black." 



Again, under date ist December, Mr. Cornwall writes : — " I do 

 not know that I can add anything to what was said last year 

 when I found three nests each containing three young birds, in 

 two of which one was brown and two black, and in the other 

 two brown and one black. The three which I photographed I 

 still have alive, and they are doing well, and I also have another 

 young brown one which a young friend of mine brought me. 

 When he captured it it had left the nest, and was in company 

 of two black ones. I found three other nests with young ones 

 this year ; one had three and the others two each, but all were 

 black. In every case the two parent birds were black. 



" To my mind it is conclusively proved that the black and 

 brown birds are identical, and all we have to settle now is whether 

 the young brown is the male or female, and at what age they 



