1 66 Stray Feathers: [ 



Emu 

 1st Jan. 



new [^enus. A full description will appear in the current 

 (January) issue of the Victorian Naturalist. The new Honey- 

 eater {Lacustroica alfredi) has been dedicated, by desire, to Mr. 

 White's son, the youngest member of the A.O.U. (see Plate IX.) 



— A. J. Campbell. 



* * * 



A Curious Combat. — I am not aware if any of the readers 

 of Tha Emu ever noticed that when the Musk-Duck {Biziura 

 lobata) makes the deep-toned note it also throws out a jet of 

 water on either side, caused evidently by a rapid motion of the 

 feet. This occurrence has often puzzled me, but of late a 

 peculiar incident came under observation. A Bald-Coot 

 {Porphyria melanonotus), which had been wounded, was observed 

 to be making frantic efforts to escape from a Hawk. The 

 latter bird had made up its mind to have that Coot at all risks, 

 and was making drive after drive, in its characteristic manner, 

 to tire out the Coot, and at each rush the Coot was seen to edge 

 closer and closer to a fine old male Musk-Duck who was placidly 

 floating in the deep water, caring not a straw for the Hawk. 

 At last the poor terrified Coot reached the Duck's side, and as 

 the Hawk renewed its charges, attempting to hit its victim on 

 the head with its powerful wing, the Coot dodged from one side 

 of the Duck to the other, and it was now that the Musk- 

 Duck began to take an active part ; for, strange to say, every 

 time the Hawk made a swoop down upon the Coot the old 

 Duck gave forth a deep sound and splashed up the water behind 

 him, and the time was so well judged that the Hawk received 

 the full force of the water. Three desperate efforts were made, 

 but after the third dousing the Hawk took himself off in disgust, 

 but the old Musk-Duck floated on in his majestic style as if 

 nothing had occurred or he had not saved the life of a wounded 

 friend.— (Capt). S. A. White. Wetunga (S.A.), 5/9/09. 



* * ^ 



Maryborough (Vic.) Notes. — Throughout the winter the 

 Honey-eaters have been plentiful about this district, Red Wattle- 

 Birds ( AntliocJicera carnnculata) and Warty-faced Honey-eaters 

 {Mcliphag-a pJirygia) especially so. The dainty little Robins — 

 Flame-breasted {Pctrara phccnicea), Scarlet-breasted {P. leggii), 

 and Red-capped {P. goodenovii) — too, have been fairly numerous. 

 On 20th August a Flame-breasted Robin paid us a visit in 

 town. This is the latest date on which I have observed these 

 winter visitors here. One of the prettiest bird-sights imaginable 

 I witnessed a few weeks ago when on a visit to the Pyrenees 

 Ranges, beyond Avoca. Coming to a fine patch of the heath for 

 which these ranges are noted, I was delighted to find numbers of 

 the elegant Spine-billed Honey-eater {AcantJwrynchiis tenut- 

 rostris) — a bird unknown to Maryborough — present among the 



