I 68 Cauv'B'E'L'L, T/ie Kagti of Xczi< Calalviiia. I ^ 



Emu 

 I April 



in the scrub, feeding upon worms, slugs, beetles, frogs, &c. On 

 account of their restricted habitat it is predicted that the species 

 will early become exterminated. Indeed, in Layard's time, 30 

 years ago, it had already disappeared from the neighbourhood of 

 the more settled parts. Can some measures not be devised to 

 save this singular bird from becoming, like the Dodo, extinct ? 



Stray Feathers. 



Melbourne Zoo Notes. — Saw flock of about three hundred 

 Straw-necked Ibis flying high in irregular lines over Melbourne 

 from west to east on 13th December. 



Have hatched and reared at Zoo this season White-bellied Plumed, 



Pigeon [Lophophaps lencogaster), Partridge-Bronzewing {Geophaps 



scripta), and many Stubble Quail {Coturnix pectoralis). — D. Le 



SouiiF. 



* * * 



Bird-Names of Aborigines. — A jileasing feature of the 

 National Park, Sydney, is the fact that most of the creeks are 

 named after the aboriginal names of birds, such as " Mullion " 

 Brook, meaning Eagle ; " Wurrul " Brook, meaning Bee-eater ; 

 " Burowa," the Bustard ; " Karoga," White Crane ; " Gorra 

 Worra," Laughing Jackass ; " Buralga," Native Companion ; 

 " Kobardo," Parrot ; " Birumba," Plover ; " Dirijiri," Wagtail ; 

 " Murrindum," Quail ; " Dumbal," Crow ; " Tamur," Bronze- 

 winged Pigeon ; " Burunda," Swan ; " Karani," Duck ; and 

 " Palona," Hawk.— A. H. M. 



Little Nightjar {Mgothdes novce-hoUandicp). — These little birds 

 appear to vary much in plumage. I have taken a detailed descrip- 

 tion of one shot near this station. Although the Nightjar sleeps 

 all day, it constantly wakes and calls from out the hollow limb 

 it which it roosts, " Chirk, chirk, chirk," and goes to sleep again. 

 I have heard them at this often and often, but never knew what 

 to put it down to until to-day, when, locating the sound in a dead 

 tree, I frightened out the bird. I hear a cry at night that I \)\xi 

 down to this bird, but it is then short and abrupt — " Che'ok " or 

 " Che'oak " — and uttered disconnectedly. The clay call is just as 

 I have written it. — Fredk. L. Berney. Wyangarie (N.Q.), 

 15/1/05- 



Hypot.enidia philippinensis. — The Pectoral Rail has bred in 

 our garden, but I have not had the luck to see the little ones. 

 Some young pigs also spoiled one or two clutches, or we might 

 have had quite a number about. These birds have been very- 

 fearless with us, and it was quite the usual thing a month ago to 

 hear a bird " grunting " at you from underneath a shrub not more 

 than 8 or 10 feet from where you stood, and often even much 



