"^"igjq^' ] Mathews, On the Birds of North-West Australia. 3 



These birds are common in rough, stony country, and only 

 leave it to go to water. They spend the hotter hours under a 

 shady tree near water, and drink many times during the day. 



The stomach contained small, round seeds. 



Their colouring is a great protection. At a spring in the hills, 

 I mile west of Dellan Spring, 40 miles inland from here, there is 

 a large, red, smooth stone, rising from the water's edge at an 

 angle of about 50 degrees and reaching to a height of 60 feet. 

 There are a {e.w small cracks and little knobs scattered over 

 the smooth surface of the rock, but absolutely no cover of any 

 kind. On the 13th September I watched about 50 of these 

 Pigeons ; some were drinking and some perched on the little 

 knobs or running about the face of the rock, where they could 

 easily be seen. Then a Falco lunulatiis (Little Falcon) came 

 over the top of the rock and made a swoop at the birds, when 

 every one of them lay flat on the rock. It was fully a minute 

 before 1 could see them, and then only three or four. I had to 

 wait two or three minutes before the rest moved, and they could 

 not be seen till they moved. 



No day is too hot for them. If undisturbed they will stand 

 motionless on a stone when one can feel the ground hot even 

 through thick boots. 



Usually if the distance be short they run to water, but if the 

 distance be too great they run a little and then fly about 150 

 yards, then run again, and so on. 



PoDiciPES NOV.E-HOLLANDL^ (Black-throated Grebe). 

 Math., Handl. B. Austr., No. 65. 



Adult male. Parry's Creek, 12/8/08. 



Iris pale yellow ; feet and legs olive-brown, soles of feet 

 brownish ; bill — upper mandible brown, lower mandible grey ; 

 corner of mouth pale greenish-yellow. 



Common in the wet season, December to March. During the 

 rest of the year it is rare, although found on the large waterholes. 



HiMANTOPUS LEUCOCEPHALUS (White-headed Stilt). 

 Math., Handl. B. Austr., No. 161. 



Adult male. Parry's Creek, 1/10/08. 



Eyes red ; feet and legs pinky-red ; bill black. 



The stomach contained a quantity of small shell-fish, which 

 were swallowed whole, and some beetles in fragments. 



LiMOSA LIMOSA* (Black-tailed Godwit). 

 Math. Handl. B. Austr., No. 168. 



Male. Parry's Creek, November, 1908. 



Iris brown ; feet and tarsi olive-brown ; bill — distal half 

 brown, shading to pale brown at base of upper mandible, and 

 greyish-white at base of lower mandible. 



* See remarks, p. 28. 



