Vol. IX. 



1909 



j Stray Peatkers. 23 



White-browed species — which in May of other years had 

 practically all migrated northward — was again to be noted, but 

 not one of the Masked species was present, its place being 

 taken by the stationary species, A. sordidus (Wood-Swallow). I 

 have never known them to stay like this before, and it cannot 

 be that the usual supply of insect food has failed, for they have 

 not been to their winter quarters to see. The White-brows 

 were, if anything, more plentiful than the Sordid species, and I 

 notice, too, that their bright summer colouring has sobered 

 considerably. — A. H. Chisholm. Maryborough (Vic), 14/5/09. 

 * * * 



An Australian Aviary. — In the flight aviary, 60 feet long 

 by 25 feet wide by 30 feet high, in Melbourne Zoo, the following 

 birds are thriving well, namely : — Black-and-White Fantail 

 {Rhipidura tricolor'), Warty-faced Honey-eater {Meltphaga 

 plirygia), Yellow-faced Honey-eater {Ptilotis cJirysops), Yellow- 

 tufted Honey-eater {P. aiiricoinis), Fuscous Honey-eater {P. 

 fused), White-plumed Honey-eater {P. pcnicillatd), White-eared 

 Honey-eater (/^. Icncotis), Brush Wattle-Bird {AcantJiocJicera 

 inellivord), White-bearded Honey-eater {Meliornis novce- 

 hollandicE), White-browed Wood- Swallow {Artamus snperciliosus)^ 

 Masked Wood-Swallow {A. pcrsonatus), Wood-Swallow {A, 

 sordidus), Sacred Kingfisher {Halcyon sanctus), Black-breasted 

 Plover {Zojiifcr tricolor). Black-fronted Dottrel {^-Egialitis 

 melanops), Magpie-I^ark {Grallina picata), and Yellow-breasted 

 Shrike-Robin {Eopsaltria australis). This aviary is by far the 

 most extensive of its kind in Australia, or, indeed, elsewhere, 

 and the birds enumerated do well and are exceedingly tame. 

 There are a good many of each kind mentioned. The beautiful 

 Yellow-tufted and Warty-faced Honey-eaters are perhaps the 

 most showy occupants. In the centre of the aviary is a fine red 

 gum (eucalypt), w^hich will soon be bursting into flower, thus 

 affording natural food for a time to all the honey-loving kinds. 

 Mention should also be made of the pair each of Black-breasted 

 Plovers and Black-fronted Dottrels, perfect in feather as in 

 their graceful movements beside the miniature lagoon. The 

 migratory members of Wood-Swallows are apparently healthy 

 and happy, notwithstanding their enforced detention in a more 

 southern home, particularly at this time of the year (midwinter). 

 A Grey Shrike-Thrush {Collyriociucla harmonica) keeps within 

 the darker shades of the aviary. When food is plentiful he may 

 be all right ; otherwise, as in the open he has been guilty of 

 killing small prey, what might he do in the enclosure ? — A. J. 

 Campbell. 



NiGHT-BlRDS IN Combat. — In the January number of 

 Nature Notes (London), 1908, I described a desperate duel 



