214 Jackson, A Visit to the Gosford Scrubs. [isfA^prii 



feeding amongst the leaves in the bushy trees, owing to their 

 greenish tinge, and also because they do not fly about much. They 

 appear to have a decided preference for country where the timbers 

 of the forest and scrub meet, intermix, and form a sort of jungle. 

 A few of their neat but old cup-shaped nests were found, placed 

 in ferns and vines only a few feet from the ground, yet they often 

 build very much higher. Nine years ago I found these birds very 

 plentiful in the Gosford district, but since then, I am sorry to 

 say, their numbers have become considerably lessened. In the 

 near future these and other of our native birds will be a thing of 

 the past about Gosford as well as other places, if the " juvenile 

 pea-rifle bird-killing crusade " is still allowed by the Government 

 authorities to so openly carry on its wanton and ruthless destruc- 

 tion. Just below our camp the Bell-Birds chimed sweetly all 

 day as they fed in the bushy branches of the blackbutt and blue 

 gum (eucalypt) saplings on a slope beside the scrub, and the 

 loud crack of the Coachwhip-Bird {Psophodes crepitans), the 

 pulsating, buzz-like sound of Jardine's Caterpillar-eater {Edoliisoma 

 jardinii), the loud call of the Roller or Dollar-Bird {Eiirystomus 

 pacificus), the very peculiar whistle or call of the Ground-Thrush 

 {Oreocincla lunidata), as well as the clear ringing notes of the Grey 

 Thrush {CoUuricincla harmonica), were all pleasant music to us. 



At night the Frogmouth {Podargus strigoides), Boobook Owl 

 {Ninox hoohook), and White-throated Nightjar {Enrostopodus 

 alhogularis) often called in proximity to our camp, and on New 

 Year's Eve, in the stillness of midnight, a Koel {Eudynamys 

 cyanocephala) " cooee-ed " the old year out and the new year in. 

 A person who has been living in the district for over fifty years 

 informed me that the Koel was known to him as the " Christmas- 

 Bird," as it usually started to put in an appearance and call 

 about Christmas. 



Like many portions of the rich scrubs on the eastern coast, 

 those of the Gosford district are still being rapidly cut down, 

 burnt off, and completely demolished, and the farmers and 

 orchardists are all busily tilling the fertile land and putting in 

 various crops. In time, and before long, the scrub-frequenting 

 birds must move to other parts, where they will probably become 

 more concentrated, provided the pea-rifle fiends and ruthless 

 sportsmen do not slaughter them. 



Stray Feathers. 



Eagles.— About two months ago I saw two large Eagles 

 {Uroaetus aitdax) near the Werribee Gorge, Victoria, and estimated 

 the wing-spread of each at lo feet. In the following week one of 

 the birds was shot by the boundary rider, and was measured by 

 Mr. Robert Honnan, pastoralist and owner of the station (late 

 Staughton's). The wings measured ii feet from tip to tip. 

 Part of the plumage was nearly jet black. The remaining Eagle 

 still haunts the locality. — W. Gubbins Roche. Melbourne, 

 21/1/14. 



