8o Fletcher, Bird Notes from Cleveland, Tasmania. [,5^' 



Oct. 



adult birds, and made an impressive picture as they flew 

 away. 



A pair of White- fronted Herons {Notophoyx novcE-liollandice) 

 Hved in the lagoon, but one was killed in the autumn, and the 

 survivor remained alone until 22nd August, after which date a 

 mate was found. This pair nested in the forest, and in due 

 time brought a family of three young ones to wade in the waters 

 with them. One nest under observation had five half-fledged 

 young ones in the second week of December. Something 

 happened to the parents, for when next looked at the young 

 Herons were all lying in the nest dead. 



So far I have seen no Rails or Crakes, so will pass on to the 

 Harrier {Circus gouldi), as, being a frequenter of both lagoons 

 and wooded rises, he forms an appropriate bridge between the 

 swamp and land birds. Until studying these birds here I had 

 no idea they were so aggressive, and such unfortunate neigh- 

 bours for the smaller birds to have. Owing to many of the 

 smaller lagoons drying up, these predatory birds were confined 

 to the larger sheets of water and adjacent scrubby rises, 

 consequently many fierce battles were waged. One evening I 

 watched one of these Harriers endeavouring to catch a 

 Ground-Lark {Anthtis aiistralis). Afraid of losing his prey, 

 the pursuer called to his mate, who quickly appeared, and 

 together they dashed after the Lark. This poor little 

 creature rose higher and higher, endeavouring to escape 

 its persecutors, and its cries of distress could plainly be 

 heard, even when it was so high up that it appeared but a 

 speck. It eventually got away by flying against the wind, in 

 which direction it seemed to quickly gain upon the Hawks. 

 These latter were greatly disconcerted at the loss of their 

 quarry. They circled round and round, up and down, calling to 

 one another, and were apparently completely nonplused at 

 their failure. These Harriers appear to have regular feeding 

 places, or " tables," and when food is captured retire to them to 

 devour it. Sometimes the " tables " are a bunch of trodden- 

 down reeds, ofttimes an old nest. That meals are plentiful the 

 Coots' feathers and claws, rabbit skins, and bones of smaller 

 creatures amply testify. The nests I found last season were all 

 built in reed tussocks, generally close to water, sometimes in 

 clumps standing in 2 to 3 feet of water. Sticks and bark formed 

 the foundation, with grassy lining. The nest is easily found, 

 the sitting bird betraying the situation as she rises very suddenly 

 when the intruder is heard approaching. One bird I often 

 flushed was a magnificent specimen of her species, large-framed 

 and beautifully marked. She was sitting on three eggs, very 

 small and dainty, white, with dark green lining. I took 

 them on 23rd November and placed two pullet eggs (white and 

 pierced) in their place, as an experiment, to see what the Hawk 



