Vol. IX. 



1 Stray Feathers. A^ 



flabelliformis (Fan-tailed Cuckoo) was noticed, accompanied by 

 one &^'g only of the Pycnoptilus. In the third case, at Ferny 

 Creek (Dandenong Ranges), on 27th December, 1908, an egg of 

 each was in the nest, and, as I had often wondered what had 

 become of the other, I retraced my steps and found it on the 

 ground, in front of and about a foot away from the nest, and 

 intact. This nest was placed in wire-grass on a sloping hillside 

 about 60 yards away from the creek, the opening, as usual, 

 facing down hill and skilfully hidden. No doubt had there been a 

 fall instead of aslope the ^oa would have been broken. Incuba- 

 tion was about 5 days old in the nest eggs, but the one outside 

 was perfectly fresh. The young are born blind and naked, and 

 after a day or so a dark brown down appears. The eyes open 

 in about five days, and the irides are black or very dark brown. 

 At a week old the feathers are well developed and those along 

 the abdomen are white and well defined, the primaries are half 

 unfurled, the gape creamy-white, and the mouth yellow ; general 

 colour above dark brown. On 15th November of last year we 

 disturbed a pair and their young from a dense patch of sword 

 and wire grasses, and, after an exciting chase, managed to 

 capture one of the young ones. It was apparently about six 

 weeks' old ; the gape was still of a whitish colour, and the 

 general plumage was practically identical with that of the 

 parent. When about three months old the gape assumes a 

 greyish hue, and adult plumage is doubtless attained after the 

 first moult. Both birds feed the young in the nest, and for a 

 considerable time after. At this time the young follow the 

 parents, uttering a soft, wheezing call for food, which is taken 

 from the side of the parent's bill. When in the nest it is 

 dropped into the open mouth. I have noticed, too, that the 

 young would often remain stationary and sheltered under a 

 piece of scrub while the parents were feeding, and now and then 

 they (the parents) would rapidly make their way towards the 

 young with food. When about two months old they shift for 

 themselves, and are then very easy to approach, and if one 

 remains perfectly still will feed about without fear. Often as I 

 have been intently watching them I have heard them give 

 utterance to the " Guinea-a-week " and other notes, but so low 

 as not to be heard more than a i^v^' paces aw^ay. The breeding 

 season extends over seven months. Eggs have been taken as 

 early as 22nd August (1907) and as late as loth February 

 (same year). Two broods are reared, and possibly three. On 

 1 2th January, 1908, I flushed a female from a pair of dark grey 

 eggs while the male was attending to the wants of a pair of 

 young about two or three months old close by. — F. E. HoWE. 

 Melbourne. 



