4S 



seem fond of company, and are often seen in large colonies feeding 

 in the gumtops witli equal numbers of the musk lorilieet (G. Aus- 

 ti'alis), and often the tliird species of the family the little lorikeet 

 (G. pusilla) are to be seen in the same tree. If the day be bright 

 the scene is an animated one, as these lovely little birds chase 

 one another about amidst the foliage and blossoms of a scarlet- 

 flowering eucaljTot, showing off the brightly coloured undersur- 

 face of their wings each time they are expanded, keeping up their 

 shrill cry all the time. 



— Order Rasores — Pigeons. — 



But one species of this family came under our notice at War- 

 unda Creek, and that AA^as the bronzewing (Phaps challoptera). 

 A few pair were flushed amidst the undergrowth, and sailed away 

 on warring Aving. It is not to be wondered at that more birds 

 of the order Rasores were not seen, for Australia is not rep-resen- 

 tatiA'e in this order, although the fcAV which are found certainly 

 are peculiar, such as the leipoa, the talegallus, and the megapa- 

 dius, and a few of the larger pigeons AA'hich are to be found in 

 the eastern States. 



The emu (Dromaius Novae Hollandiae) is still to be found on 

 the peninsular, for, although none of us actually saw one, f-resh 

 footprints were seen frequently in swampy ground, and settlers 

 all said an odd one or two were still to be met with in the scrub. 

 Now we come to the southern stone plover, commonly called the 

 curlew (Burhinus-grallarius). I would think almost all Australians 

 are' familiar with this bird and know its weird call at night. It 

 is like a long-drawn "wee-lo," two or three times repeated. 

 Several pairs of these birds were noted during our stay on the 

 peninsula, and they formed one of the nocturnal orchesti'a which 

 performed each night. Always a A^ery shy bird, one requires 

 much patience to get close enough for observation, and, having a 

 most wonderful protective colouration of plumage, the bird Avill 

 lO'ften squat beside a stone or fallen tree, which objects it so 

 resembles that one might almost tread upon it. The curlew is a 

 stately bird when walking, but, although it will mount high in 

 the air at times, its flight is rather a heavy and laboured motion. 

 Its eggs, which, like its plumage, have a wonderful protective 

 colouration, are laid on the bare ground, without a semblance of 

 a nest. The curlew generally feeds at night, and its diet consists 

 of insects, grubs, and so on, varied at times by berries. Another 

 very familiar bird which was identified on the peninsular was 

 the land-rail (Hypotoenidia philippenis). This pretty little bird 

 makes its appearance in the gardens around Adelaide about Sep- 

 tember, and at once looks out its nesting spot, which is generally 

 in some standing crop. The nest is but a loose collection of straw 



