50 stray Feathers, [>sOuiy 



Emu-Wren {Stipiturus malachiiriis). — The Emu- Wrens mentioned 

 in my article, page 169, vol. xii., of The Emu, safely reared their 

 young. As soon as the little ones were able to take care of them- 

 selves the parents, or rather female bird, built another nest, and was 

 sitting by 27th November on three eggs. The nest was not far 

 from the former one. This seems to show that these birds rear 

 more than one brood in the year. It puzzles me where the young 

 ones afterwards go. They appear to stay with their parents until 

 March and then to be driven off. I also noticed that the Emu- 

 Wren sometimes lays two eggs only, having on 30th November 

 and 3rd December respectively found a bird sitting on that 

 number. On latter date three young were found as well. They 

 were about five days old, and had little room in their tiny home. 

 I tried an experiment to see if the Emu-Wrens would rear Tits 

 {Acanthiza) ^ and on 17th December took the eggs from the former 

 and placed a clutch of the latter in their place. The Wren con- 

 tinued sitting until the igth, when the eggs disappeared. At the 

 beginning of February last the same pair was seen with fledgelings 

 following them, so, late as the season was, they must have rebuilt. 



Long-tailed Wren [Maliirus gouldi). — In this district Wrens 

 moult very early, commencing in January, the earliest I have 

 noted so far for any district. This has occurred for three years in 

 succession, so must be a general rule. By May the birds are nearly 

 fully feathered, and a few examples are quite so, and are very 

 merry. 



Fan-tailed Cuckoo [Cacomantis flahelliformis). Pallid Cuckoo 

 {Cuculus pallidus). — Several of these birds are still with us (loth 

 May), in spite of the last fortnight being a succession of heavy 

 frosts in the morning. Last winter a few remained right through 

 the cold season. The want of knowledge among country folk is 

 astonishing. In March a parcel was sent to me by a local 

 resident with a message to the effect that the bird inside was a 

 very rare Hawk, one seldom seen. It was shot because it had 

 been trying to get the pet canaries. The parcel contained a young 

 Pallid Cuckoo in its whitish stage of feathering. No wonder the 

 Hawk was rarely seen ! Last week I saw a Ground-Lark {Anthus), 

 and heard a Graucalus. They, too, have lingered late, and are 

 generally gone by May. 



Wattle-Birds {Anthochcera inmiris). — A flock of 30 Wattle-Birds 

 came up from the banksian coastal district, and spent a month 

 here, when the blackberries and apples were ripe. They have 

 apparently now returned to the warmer coastal district. 



The Hill Bell-Magpie [Strepera argitta) likewise descended on the 

 orchards, destroying many apples. The birds suffered severely 

 from the guns of the orchard-owners. 



Brown Quail {Synoicus diemenensis) . — Early in March a farmer 

 found eight young Brown Quail weak from starvation. They were 

 in the grain paddock, but had evidently lost their parents. He 

 took them home and tried to feed them, but they died that 

 evening. A pair of Quail nested in the school swamp, and have 



