Sz Fletcher, Biid No/es from Cleveland, Tasmania. [ isf"oci 



and just by them were two young Pardalotes, naked and dead. 

 I watched carefully for some time, and saw both parents enter a 

 hole about 20 feet up with food again and again. Now, what 

 were they feeding? Was it the young one which the presence 

 of the third egg-shell showed had existed ? If so, one naturally 

 wonders why the young ones were lying dead on the ground ? 

 If they had died in the nest, could or would the parents have 

 thrown them out? And if the Cuckoo were in the hole above, 

 where was the third young one ? Could it be supposed they 

 were living amicably together ? Not very likely. It may 

 possibly have escaped my observation on the ground. I have 

 been very much interested in above, and have often puzzled 

 over it. I regret that climbing and chopping open the hole to 

 see what was inside was impossible. As Pardalotes often 

 choose the same nesting-hole again, I shall endeavour to watch 

 them, and see if " history repeats itself," as it often does, even in 

 bird-life. 



Several pairs of the Spotted Ground-Bird {^Cinclosoma 

 punctatui'ri) have their " happy hunting grounds" in various parts 

 of our white gum and banksian forests. As far as my observa- 

 tions go, one pair keeps to the same locality throughout the 

 year, breeding also in its haunts. They are quiet birds, and it 

 is a pleasure to watch them when hunting for grubs and seeds — 

 they turn over pieces of bark and small sticks so skilfully. 

 One of these birds slept at night in a Robin's old nest about 3 

 feet from the ground. It did not perch on the edge, but rested 

 with body well in. I think its mate was sitting, but I could not 

 find her nest. A nest, built under a " sagg " and containing two 

 eggs, was discovered on the 8th October last year. When 

 inspected a few days afterwards the treasures had gone, evi- 

 dently rifled by some ground enemy. On 29th November, 1908, 

 I flushed a pair of Ground-Birds which had three young ones, 

 partly grown, with them. While walking across some burnt 

 ground on nth December last year one of these birds quietly 

 and quickly ran away from a tiny fallen gum bough, hardly 

 more than a handful of leaves. Lifting these up, I saw a grass- 

 lined hollow containing two eggs. 



Other occupants of the same area of ground as the above- 

 mentioned Ground-Bird are some Painted Quails ( TtLvnix varia). 

 They are very fond of the tiny dried reed-beds, a few square 

 yards in extent, which are interspersed among the banksia scrubs. 

 The soil is sandy, and the ground vegetation is chiefly a species 

 of wild thyme and a similar shrub. In view of Mr. Seth-Smith's 

 interesting article contributed to The Aviadtural Magazme 

 (vol iii.. New Series, p. 295-300) on " The Breeding of Tiiriiix 

 varia " in his aviary, the following notes from my diary may be 

 worth noticing: — 25th November, 1908. — Flushed a Painted 

 Quail — from size judged it was a male — with four young ones, 



