24 White, Field Ornithology in South Australia. [^^^ "1",^ 



limb (where his mate was busy scraping out decayed wood and bark), 

 his tail oscillating energetically from side to side, and all the while 

 making an outrageous chattering call. On 7th September^ we took 

 a full clutch of four eggs from a very large mallee, about 20 feet from 

 the ground, eggs slightly incubated and laid on the bare wood-dust. 

 On the following day, just before leaving, we visited a nest which we 

 cut open on the 5th (to find the nest ready to lay in) ; this time there 

 were two eggs. 



Psephotus pallescens (Salvadori). Pallid Yellow-vented Parrot. — 

 Although we met with this species in numbers round Port Augusta 

 the year before, we saw only an odd pair or two during this trip. 

 Found one nest, with four young slightly covered in dusky down ; 

 nest was made in the hollow bole of a sandalwood tree nearly on the 

 level of the ground, although the entrance was about 12 feet up. 



Psephotus multicolor. Many-coloured Parrot. — This bird was met 

 with only in the scrub a few miles from the shores of Lake Gairdner. 

 Many larvae of a gall-forming insect, with parts of galls, and two kinds 

 of seeds, found in stomach: 



Podargus strigoides. Tawny Frogmouth. — A few Frogmouths were 

 seen, but at no time were they numerous. One was found nesting 

 in a myall in the centre of the ranges, and on flushing the bird 

 (a male) two eggs were found, slightly incubated. A few days later 

 two fully-fledged young were discovered sitting on either side of a 

 parent bird in a myalU 



Cuculus pallidus. Pallid Cuckoo. — These Cuckoos were observed 

 in numbers all along our route. Strange to say, there were as many 

 females, if not more than males, in this country ; but in the same 

 months — i.e., August and September — last year, at the other end of 

 the Peninsula, about 300 miles south, great numbers of males were 

 met with (see Emu, vol. xii., p. 2). We procured a number of speci- 

 mens, and cleared up all doubt as to the variation in plumage. 

 We are quite sure that the female never at any time takes the 

 plumage of the male, and, what is more, I am of the firm opinion that 

 the female never makes the prolonged scale-like call. She very seldom 

 utters a note ; when she does so it is a harsh, short cry, repeated 

 two or three times. One specimen, when shot, deposited an egg 

 upon the ground where she fell. The egg was pure white in colour. 

 We saw no trace of these birds' eggs in any nests which came under 

 our notice. Some days we met with great numbers, and they 

 appeared to be travelling south. 



Chalcococcyx basalis. Narrow-billed Bronze-Cuckoo.- — Very few 

 of these_ birds were seen during our trip — not more than 5 or 6. 

 Contents of stomachs, hairy caterpillars. 



Hirundo neoxena. Welcome Swallow. — -A few noted near stations 

 and homesteads. 



Cheramoeca leucosternum. White-backed Swallow. — These 

 Swallows came under notice on two or three occasions. The first time, 

 at No. 2 camp, quite a large colony was very busy cleaning out 

 tunnels, which were made in the side of a sandy bank of a dry water- 

 course. No eggs were yet laid. 



Petrochelidon nigricans. Tree-Martin. — Seen at Donald's Plain. 



Petrochelidon arlel. Fairy Martin. — Observed several times, and 

 at Corunna they were building their retort-shaped nests on the side 



