Vol. XIII 

 1914 



J Barnard, Birds of the Brunnette Downs. 207 



Seisura inquieta (nea). (Northern; Restless Flycatcher. — Two or 

 three birds seen near water. 



Artamus melanops (florenciae). /Northern) Black-faced Wood- 

 Swallow). — Fairly common. Nests found with eggs and young in 

 February and March. 



Artamus personatus (gracilis). (Northern) Masked Wood-Swallow. 

 — Large tiocks seen, generally in lightly- timbered country. 



Artamus leucogaster (harterti). (Western) White-rumped Wood- 

 Swallow. — A few birds seen about the swamps. 



Melanodryas picata. Northern Hooded Robin. — A few pairs seen 

 among the gidgea, often accompanied with fully fledged young. 



Cuculus pallidus. Pallid Cuckoo. — Fairly plentiful when I arrived 

 here in February, and several immature birds were seen, but they 

 had all disappeared by April. Probably gone towards the coast, as 

 it is said to be very cold in this part during winter. 



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

 An egg found in nest of Mahinis dorsalis. 



Scythrops novae-hollandiae (neglectus). (Little) Channelbill. — Odd 

 birds seen in the gidgea trees or flying high in the air. They do not 

 appear to stay here, probably making over the coastal fall. 



Geopelia tranquilla. Ground-Dove. — A few birds seen on our 

 arrival here, but they disappeared soon afterwards. 



Geopelia cuneata. Diamond Dove. — Plentiful everywhere. A few 

 bred during March. 



Fulica australis (ingrami). (Northern) Coot. — Numbers seen in the 

 lignum swamps, but were not found breeding. 



Porphyrio melanotus. Bald-Coot. — A few seen at lignum swamp 

 near the station ; none seen elsewhere. 



Antigone australasiana. Crane (Native Companion). — Several pairs 

 seen, and their nests found on the plains, in one instance fully a mile 

 from water. One nest, when found, contained a single egg, which 

 was left, and the nest again visited two days later ; the nest then 

 contained only a few very small pieces of egg-shell and a small stone 

 which was certainly not there when the nest was first seen. If there 

 is any truth in the story of the Black-breasted Buzzard {Gypoictinia 

 melanosternon) robbing nests, he was probablv the culprit, as one was 

 circling near. 



Choriotis (Eupodotis) australis. Bustard (Wild Turkey). — Fairly 

 plentiful, but not nearly so many as I expected. Last season 

 being a very dry one, they may have shifted for water and not yet 

 returned. Half-grown young were seen and fresh eggs taken in 

 February and March. The eggs are placed on the bare ground 

 beside a tuft of grass. 



Carphibis spinicollis. Straw-necked Ibis — These birds were about 

 the swamps in thousands, but only in two places was any attempt 

 made to breed. At one swamp the nests were placed on the mud 

 against trees growing by the water, and a few eggs laid, but, as the 

 swamp was dry ten days after, this rookery was deserted ; the other 

 nests were placed on lignum growing in a few inches of water. At 

 the time of our visit only two sets of eggs were laid, and these were 

 taken. 



