218 FAUNA OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA 



are not pugnacious like the quails ; and while the cocks of 

 the latter may often be seen fighting in the breeding 

 season, the Hcemipodius is a quiet and inoffensive bird, 

 pairing with one partner, and seemingly remaining true to 

 her for life — a very different habit to that of the common 

 quail. 



There are, of course, many small birds in this region, 

 but it is impossible that I can mention them here. One of 

 the most beautiful, and at the same time peculiarly coloured, 

 is a finch or passere {Emblama pictd)^ which seems to be 

 rather rare in the Champion Bay district, the only place 

 where I found it, though I heard that it had been seen on 

 the Abrolhos, which, for such small islands, seem to be a 

 favourite resort of a great many birds. The breast of the 

 bird mentioned is black, spotted with white, longitudinally 

 striped with bright crimson or blood colour. There are 

 also patches of crimson about the neck, and the tail coverts 

 are of the same bright hue. Of the habits of this bird, 

 meeting with it only once, I learned nothing. Some of the 

 colonists had seen such a bird on previous occasions, but 

 thought that it was very rare near Port Grey. 



On the Gascoyne, at several places, I found a very 

 beautiful weaver-bird {Amadina gouldice), the plumage of 

 which was richly coloured with bright green, sheeny violet, 

 and lemon yellow. It has a pleasant little song, not con- 

 sisting of many notes it is true, but soft and pleasing in 

 tone. I found the nest of this bird, which was scarcely a 

 typical weaver-bird's nest ; but it was well made of inter- 

 woven grasses, roots, leaves, and lichen, so firmly lashed to 

 the small twigs of the bush in which it was placed, that it 

 could not be removed without much cutting. There were 

 neither eggs nor young in the nest, the breeding season 

 being over at the time of my visit to the Gascoyne. 



Two birds of the duck species are all that can be 

 mentioned in this already too long chapter. The first is 

 the green cotton teal {Natapus pulchellas), a beautiful little 

 duck that looks like a miniature goose. It is only from 

 twelve to fourteen inches in length, with a dark-green back, 

 wings, and tail, light underparts, and a distinct white band 



