530 Mr. R. Lydekker on some 



was quite strong and at home on the wing, skimming con- 

 fidently during his flight_, like an old bird, and he might 

 easily have found food, if his instinct taught him how to look 

 for it. There seems to be some uncertainty as to the age 

 at which a young Cuckoo begins to provide for himself, but 

 it is not easy to see what useful experience he gains by 

 watching Wagtails run about the grass coursing flies, or 

 Swallows hawking them in the air ; but as long as I saw him 

 lie showed no disposition to look for food himself, nor did 

 any bird show any inclination to help him. 



As for the young Swallow, the old birds now devoted all 

 their attention to it. For the rest of that day, and the two 

 days Avhich followed, one or both of them were always near the 

 shed, and I am sure that they troubled themselves no more 

 about the monster from the care and fear of which they were 

 now released. The 7th and 8th of July were very stormy, 

 and the young bird sat for most of the time on the edge of 

 the nest, twittering to his parents, who spent much of the day 

 on the box opposite to him ; he seemed as well feathered and 

 nearly as big as they were. The morning of the 9th was 

 calm and bright, and when I went to look at the nest at 

 7 o^clock the young Swallow had flown. 



XLIV. — Remarks on some recently described Extinct Birds 

 of Queensland*. By 11. Lydekker. 



In the four communications cited below, together with an 

 earlier one relating to a bone belonging to the Dinornithida , 

 Mr. De Vis has described a number of bird-remains from the 

 superficial deposits of Queensland which are referred to 

 upwards of 27 distinct species. Eight of these are assigned 



* C. W. Dk Vis. A Glimpse of tlie Post-Tertiary Avifauna of Queens- 

 laud. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W. (2) iii. p. 1277 (1888). 



. Ou the Trail of an Extinct Bird. Ibid. vi. p. 117 (1891). 



. Note on an Extinct Eagle. Ibid. vi. p. 123 (1891). 



. Residue of the Extinct Birds of Queeuslaud as yet Detected. 



Ibid. vi. p. 437 (1892). 



