Vol. XVII. 

 1918 



1 AsHBY, Birds in Neighbourhood of Pungonda. 210 



Notes on Some of the Birds Met with in the 

 Neighbourhood of Pungonda, 



On Border Between South Australia and Victoria, 25 Miles 

 South' of Renmark, betv^een iith and 14TH September, 

 1917. 

 By Edwin Ashby, M.B.O.U., Wittunga, Blackwood, S.A. 



The neighbourhood visited was mostly " pine " country — that is, 

 the country was undulating, extensive red sand-ridges running 

 east and west, with broad flats between. The low-lying portions 

 of the flats were covered with salt-bush, the sand-ridges with 

 exceptionally fine, well-grown native pines {CaUitris). On the 

 South Australian side the pine ridges were well grassed, also the 

 slopes and higher parts of the flats. The Victorian side showed 

 a complete contrast, evidently badly eaten out. On the border 

 there were many low hills of a form of gypsum called kopai ; 

 upon these mounds very little vegetation grew except tall mallee. 

 One large patch of " bull-oak " {Casuarina), interspersed with 

 native pine, was visited, the oaks attaining a height of from 30 to 

 40 feet, with trunks of considerable dimensions. 



The pines were everywhere occupied with the very interesting 

 Chestnut-crowned Babbler {Pomatorhinns rnficeps, Hart.) Their 

 huge nests, made of coarse sticks, were most common, but few 

 were occupied, and those that were in use had young. The way 

 in which these nests hung together was quite remarkable ; a nest 

 thrown down from the top of a tree was undamaged when picked 

 up. The notes of this bird were very distinct from those of P. 

 superciliosus, and so varied that one was continually going after 

 apparently a fresh bird, which after all turned out to be P. 

 nificeps. A nest with young alongside of the camp was watched, 

 and quite a number of adult birds took part in the feeding of the 

 young. 



An interesting find was the White-eyebrowed Tree-creeper 

 {Climaderis super ciliosa, North). One male was secured in the 

 pine scrub close to Pungonda, and later a pair secured in the 

 bull-oak on the Victorian side. Tliey appear to be most silent 

 birds ; although the birds were about, only once or twice in an hour 

 was a whistle heard. The one shot in the pine scrub uttered a 

 low chattering noise very similar to that of C. scandens. 



In the neighbourhood of the wheat stacks (now removed) a 

 number of Parrots were seen, the most common being the 

 Mallee Parrot {Barnardins harnardi) and Many-coloured Parrot 

 [Psephotus multicolor). The latter birds are variable^; one showed 

 a double red band on the rump, others a single band. 



Psephotus hcematogaster [Northiella hcsinatogaster alter, Mat.), 

 the Crimson-bellied Parrot, were in small flocks, but no specimens 

 were obtained on this occasion. Both morning and evening 

 couples could be heard flying over on their way to and from 

 their feeding-grounds, uttering the loud cry peculiar to this 

 species, and so different from the calls of its near allies. 



