^°';^^"-] Stray Feathers. lOI 



about the size of the eggs, which become quite dark-coloured 

 from contact with it. Other Finches — notably P. hecki and P. 

 gouldia — breeding in the same locality do not adopt the curious 

 habit.— H. L. White. Belltrees (N.S.W.), 7/9/13. 



* * * 



Regent Bower-Bird [Sericnlus chrysocephalus), Lewin. — In The 

 Emu, page 44, vol. x. (1910-11). I remarked that probably the 

 female alone built the nest. I have since confirmed that deduction 

 by actual observation. At Ourimbah (12/11/11) I watched a 

 female Regent-Bird commencing her nest, and observed that she 

 returned with material every three minutes. I spent some con- 

 siderable time watching her movements, and am convinced that 

 she alone constructs the nest. On 26/1 i/ii the nest contained 

 one fresh egg : the female glided off as I approached. — P. A. 

 Gilbert. Redfern (N.S.W.), 16/2/13. 



* * * 



White Cockatoos. — ^These birds {Cacatua galerita) have alwaj'S 

 been plentiful in the Upper Hunter district of New South Wales 

 [vide North's " Nests and Eggs," vol. iii., page 79), but the 

 numbers noted during the late winter have exceeded all former 

 records. I never previously noticed the birds in such numbers. 

 Luckily, the invasion occurred after the maize crops had been 

 harvested. To the south-west, and about a mile from the Bell- 

 trees homestead, a very sharp-pointed, conical hill rises abruptly 

 from the surrounding country to a height of about 1,000 feet ; 

 it is clothed on the eastern (or sheep-camping) side with a dense 

 coat of thistles and weeds, which appear to attract the Cockatoos. 

 During several mornings lately the pointed top of the hill has 

 been covered by thousands of Cockatoos, crowded so closely 

 together that from a distance the mass presents the exact appear- 

 ance of snow — in fact, several people who witnessed the sight for 

 the first time declared that the hill was capped by snow. — H L 

 White. Belltrees (N.S.W.), 7/9/13. 



* * * 



Brush-Turkeys in England. — Mr. D. Le Souef, Director of the 

 Melbourne Zoological Gardens, has received a letter from the 

 Duchess of Bedford, in which she states : — " The Brush-Turkeys 

 (Cathetnriis lathami) have done extremely well with us. The first 

 were imported in 1897, and, as far as I can make out, we have 

 imported about 26 in all It is very difficult to estimate their 

 numbers now, as they are out in the woods ; but, when Pheasant 

 shooting in winter, I have counted 40 in the trees at one moment, 

 and we must have well over a hundred. I think that they must 

 have been breeding before your visit to Woburn, as we have had 

 young for many years. They seem to hatch out at the end of 

 July and August. We opened a mound last year, in the first week 

 in August, and there was a young bird in it, which appeared to 

 have been hatched for some time, and was almost capable of 



