26 Alexander, Observafions at Bremer Bay (W.A.) [i^f""}"! • 



the low intervening country. The more sandy tracts of country 

 were covered by a low, heathy type of vegetation, characteristic 

 of the Western Australian sand-plains, but on the more stony parts 

 and the slopes of the hills this gave place to a thick mallee scrub. 

 The more sheltered hollows were occupied by clumps of yate- 

 trees {Eucalyptus cornuta), while the valleys among the sand-hills 

 near the coast contained groves of the elegant psppermint-tree 

 {A gouts flexuosa). Bordering the swamps and the estuary were 

 tea-trees [Melaleuca). 



Ha\dng attempted to describe briefly the chief features of their 

 habitat, I will now proceed to the proper subject of my paper 

 and describe the birds I met with. But before doing so, it seems 

 necessary, in the present state of affairs, to explain the nomen- 

 clature I use. As these are field notes, and in only a few cases 

 did I handle specimens, I cannot state definitely what sub- 

 species I am dealing with, and in consequence I am using the 

 species names as given in Mathews's 1913 list. In my opinion, 

 it would be better not to attempt to give separate English names 

 to all the sub-species, but to use a single name for the species. 

 The experts who can determine the sub-species will probably 

 use the Latin names in any case, while the field naturalist, who 

 uses the English name, cannot tell for certain what sub-species 

 he is dealing with. This difficulty may not appeal to ornith- 

 ologists in the Eastern States, where the forms ai^e better known, 

 so much as it does to those in the West, where, perhaps, two 

 sub-species of a bird have been described — one. say, from Wilson's 

 Inlet on the south coast, another from Broome Hill inland, no 

 further details of the c'istribution of either form being known. 

 To which sub-species would a bird at Bremer Bay belong ? 

 Broome Hill is nearer, but Wilson's Inlet is, like Bremer, on the 

 coast. With these remarks I proceed to deal with the 81 species 

 which I identified in the locality. As neither the sand-plain 

 nor the mallee country, nor the sandy seashore, were very 

 attractive for walking in the summer sun, most of our time was 

 spent either on the water of the estuary or on the shores of the 

 lakes, consequently such observations as I was able to make on 

 the habits of the birds were almost confined to the aquatic 

 species. 



Brown Quail (Synoictts ypsilophorus) (?). — A few birds seen near 

 the coast were probably of this species. 



Brush Bronze-winged Pigeon (Cosmo/?e/zfl «^e^a«5).— Fairly common. 



Spotless Crake {Porzauoidea plumbea). — Several were seen feeding 

 among the reeds on the muddy shores of Lake Maxwell. They moved 

 about with deliberate steps, constantly flirting the tail, which was 

 kept raised. In one place about eight were seen together. When 

 alarmed they immediately ran for the nearest reed-bed, and dis- 

 appeared in a few seconds. One was secured for the ^Museum, and 

 proved to be a male. It differs from the bird figured in Mathews's 

 " Birds of Australia " in lacking the white margins to the edge of the 

 bastaid-wing feathers as well as in the coloration of the legs. The 



