Vol. XVII. 



1917 



] Camera Craft Notes. 1 00 



tralian wild birds to photograph — a fact that is not so much due 

 to the average situation of the nests as to the restlessness of the 

 owners. Accordingly, the natural zest which attaches to the 

 stalking of a bird with a camera is added to in the case of the 

 Colnmbif or tries, and increased further by the exceeding grace- 

 fulness of the birds, particularly the crested species, when sitting 

 on the nests. The Crested Pigeon {Ocyphaps lophotes) at home 

 is one of the prettiest avian vignettes one could wish to see ; but, 

 personally, I have not been able, with a limited experience of the 

 bird, to do more than photograph a nest of its young. During 

 this week I endeavoured to obtain a pictorial acquaintance 

 with the rarest of the three Doves — Geopelia hiimeralis ; but 

 the effort terminated before it was well begun, owing to the 

 excessive shyness of the potential sitter. The nest was found on 

 2nd August, in a thorny bush on the bank of Norman Creek, in 

 the heart of East Brisbane. It was just the usual flimsy structure 

 of grasses, but interest was added to the discovery by the presence 

 of a second nest immediately adjacent. Each nest contained 

 two eggs, but the set in the lower of the pair was addled, and 

 partly covered with grasses, obviously having been deserted. The 

 Dove flushed strongly at the first footfall, and did not return to 

 the vicinity within two hours. I photographed the two nests 

 without handling the contents of either, and gave the scene a 

 call later in the day. The Dove was sitting again, but she flew 

 immediate^, and, from that point, probably did not go near the 

 nest any more, for when I paid another cautious visit on the 

 following day the fresh eggs were cold. A day later there were 

 only a few bits of shell in each nest — some marauder had cleaned 

 out all four. — A. H. Chisholm, R.A.O.U. Norman Park, Brisbane, 

 11/8/17. 



Stray Feathers. 



Harriers in New Zealand., — I was interested in Mr. Dove's notes 

 on the Harrier in last issue. In New Zealand Circus goitldi is 

 the common — almost the only — Hawk. There is a bounty on 

 its destruction in this district, given by the Acclimatization Society, 

 and a patient of mine remarked the other day — " Well, the Hawks' 

 bills have paid the doctor's bill this time," and sure enough he 

 paid me with a cheque of £3 iis., representing 142 beaks. He 

 is a rabbit trapper by occupation, and catches the Hawks in 

 rabbit traps baited with a dead rabbit. Even young (healthy) 

 rabbits seem to have no fear of the Hawks, and I have never seen 

 a Hawk swoop at a rabbit yet ; but he tells me they will some- 

 times attack a baby one, or one in the last stages of death from 

 poisoning. Mostly they feed on dead ones, I fancy. He only 

 trapped a small area, and 142 beaks seem to me an astonishing 

 number for a range of a few hundred acres. — T. J. Ick-Hevvins. 

 Waiuku, N.Z., 4/9/17. 



[Why this licensed slaughter ? — Eds.J 



8 



