Oct. 



1 918 



Wilson, Ornithological Trip to Nhill District. -gg 



nest that was being used. Mr. Gldfield visited this mound at 

 a later date, and evidently disturbed the female just as she 

 was about to lay. The mound had been scooped out, and he 

 found a small conical hole, evidently prepared for the reception 

 of the egg. After a careful examination Mr. Oldfield con- 

 sidered that the bird must have formed the depression by 

 forcing her head into the mixture of sand and debris. From 

 an examination of Mallee-Fowls' excreta it was evident that 

 they eat the berries of the native cranberry, which grows rather 

 plentifully in the neighbourhood. 



Emu spoors and droppings are met with everywhere in the 

 scrub, but on only one occasion did I see one. They breed in 

 the district, and occasionally bring their offspring to feed on 

 the crops. Mr. Oldfield has seen the old birds following the 

 tracks of the seed-drills and picking up single grains of wheat. 

 At one period of the year they subsist almost solely upon the 

 flowers and berries of the Flame Heath, Astroloma conastiphi- 

 oides. This was proved conclusively by numerous examina- 

 tions of their excreta, which was almost a solid mass of the 

 undigested seeds and portions of the flowers of this plant. 



Two species of Petroica were observed — viz., P. leggii and 

 P. goodenovii, but only one pair of each. Short-billed Tree- 

 Tits were very abundant, and two nests, both in course of 

 construction, were found. 



Golden-rumped Pardalotes, Pardalohts xanthopygius, are 

 rather rare, and after a diligent search one nest was found that 

 contained four fully-fledged chicks. On being disturbed one 

 of the chicks flew fully twenty yards, and successfully alighted 

 on a limb, athough it was the first time it had left the nesting- 

 burrow. White-browed Babblers may be heard calling every- 

 where in the scrub country, and their bulky stick nests are 

 quite a feature of the landscape. Eggs and young in all stages 

 were noticed. 



The order Columbiformes was represented by two species 

 only — the Ground-Dove, Geopelia tranquilla, and the Bronze- 

 winged Pigeon, Phaps chalcoptera. 



On the last day of my visit Mr. -Oldfield kindly drove me 

 out to the salt lake that lies near the heart of the desert. In 

 the summer time this sheet of water dries up, and quantities 

 of beautiful white salt are collected. White Gums and thick 

 tea-tree border the lake, whilst upon the ridge stunted grass- 

 trees, Xanthorrhcva australis,' and a few clumps of Porcupine 

 Grass grow. The drive across the desert was made particularly 

 enjoyable owing to the wealth of wild- flowers that were 

 blooming on all sides, and the Biblical quotation, " And the 

 desert shall blossom as the rose," never applied more aptly 

 than it did upon that October morning drive. Glorious shades 



