184 Roberts, The Crested Pigeon in Captivity. ["^^^ 



Emu 

 April 



plumage the l)irds had at that time, excepting the shortness of the 

 tail ; another was that I never saw the parents feeding them after 

 they left the nest, although I was constantly passing and repassing 

 the aviary ; I think they must do so, unless they mature more 

 quickly than the Bronze-wing does. In February they began to 

 nest for the fourth time, and on the 14th were sitting on two eggs, 

 in the same obscure corner ; but misfortune was to overtake them 

 again, in a somewhat similar way to that which befel their second 

 effort. The grounds were about to be opened to the jmblic again, 

 for the benefit o' a charity, and it was necessary that this aviary 

 should be turfed, the only one in which the natural grass had 

 disappeared ; while this was being done, the bird got frightened 

 by the constant intrusion, flew excitedly from her nest, and event- 

 ually deserted it on the 22nd of the month. 



I bewailed the loss very much, and concluded the end of the 

 season had arrived, but not so ; in a few days I noticed the male 

 bird curtsying and cooing to his mate, and nesting preparations 

 being made for the fifth time, by the 2nd of March they had settled 

 down to work again, and are sitting steadily enough at present. 



I have not been able to supply any data as to the length of time 

 each bird sits, or at what hours they exchange places. The sexes 

 being so exactly alike in marking, I have found it difficult to tell 

 which one was on the nest. 



The Coloured Plate (XIII.) 



Mirafra woodwanii (Rufous Bush-Lark) was discovered by Mr. 

 John T. Tunney, the collector for the Western Australian Museum, 

 Perth, on the red sand tracts near Onslow in North- West Australia, 

 although, according to Dr. P. L. Sclater, F.R.S., one specimen was 

 received by the British Museum from the Gould collection, and 

 registered as M. horsfieldi. Mr. Tom Carter, lately of Point Cloates, 

 in his article entitled " Birds Occurring in the Region of the North- 

 West Cape,"* stated that his attention was first drawn to these 

 birds on the 30th October, 1900, when they were seen dusting them- 

 selves in the red sand. Mr. Carter further states that the birds 

 are tame in habit, and were only seen on the inland red sand plains, 

 and that they sit close in the grass, but occasionally perch in the 

 bushes. 



The bird was described by Mr. Alex. Wm. Milligan,t the Honorary 

 Ornithologist to the Western Australian Museum, Perth, and named 

 in honour of Mr. B. H. Woodward, F.G.S., C.M.Z.S., the Director 

 of the same institution. 



Mr. Robert Hall, F.L.S., C.M.Z.S., described the nest and eggs 

 of the species in the Vict. Nat., xviii., page 80. 



Aniytis hoiisei (Black Grass- Wren) was discovered by Dr. F. M. 

 House in North- West Kimberley in the year 1901. J That gentleman, 



* Emu, vol. iii., p. 95. t Vict. Nat., vol. xviii., p. 25. 



+ Appendix F., "Report on Exploration of North-West Kimberley"' (Emu, vol. 

 i., p. 114). 



