Vol. XVI. 1 Alexander, Observations at Bremer Bay (W.A.) ^I 



1916 J ' ^ ^ J u 



Little Black Cormorant {Mesocarbo ater). — Common on the upper 

 reaches of the estuary and on the Hunter River. 



Little Cormorant {Alicroearbo melanoleuca). — -Numerous on the 

 Hunter River. 



Darter (Anhinsa novce hall audi ce). — In considerable numbers on the 

 estuary and on the Hunter River. The majority ot those seen were 

 in the grey plumage with white breast, females and young birds of 

 both sexes in immature plumage, but there was a fair number of 

 black adult males. The Darters were fond of sitting on stumps, with 

 their wings hanging down ; when disturbed they flew rather heavily, 

 gradually mounting into the air, but when they attained a certain 

 height they sailed round with their wings widespread, giving a number 

 of rapid flaps at short intervals to retain the necessary velocity. By 

 this characteristic flight they could be recognized even at a distance. 

 When flying the neck is bent into a sharp crook. There was a colony 

 of their nests in the dead trees at the upper end of the Hunter River, 

 in one of which I found two very young birds, probably only a few 

 days old. My attention was attracted to this nest by the shrill cries 

 of the young birds, and I proceeded to investigate it. The water 

 round the tree was nearly 6 feet deep, and the nest was built rather 

 loosely of dead sticks, about 3 feet above the water-level, on a sloping 

 branch, at a point where a side branchlet was given off. The young 

 birds were quite naked, with parchment-coloured skins, sufficiently 

 transparent to show the colour of the underlying organs where it was 

 tightl}^ stretched, especially on the top of the head, through which 

 the skull was dimly visible. The inside of the mouth was dull 

 yellow. They scrambled about in the nest by the use of both wings 

 and legs, raising their necks (wliich.were about ecjual in length to the 

 body) and calling shrilly. They did not seem able to hold the neck 

 up for long, and mostly lay with the neck turned back along the side. 

 When placed in the water they made no attempt to swim, and would 

 undoubtedly have been drowned if left there. In order to be quite 

 sure of their identity, 1 went on, and on returning half an hour later 

 found that the mother had returned, and was sitting at the bottom 

 of the tree, just above the water, with her wings hanging down : she 

 flew away again at my approach. I removed the nest with the 

 young birds, and they are now on exhibition at the Western Australian 

 Museum. Until this discovery I had not thought it worth while to 

 investigate the nests, as I supposed the breeding season would be 

 over ; but, as these birds were so young, it seemed possible that some 

 of the other nests might contain young. I therefore investigated 

 about 30 other nests, without further success. In two cases, as I 

 approached, fully-fiedged young climbed on to the edge of the nest, 

 hesitated there for a little while, and finally dropped into the water 

 and dived, coming up at a distance. The nests were all built of 

 sticks, and were from 3 feet to 10 feet above the water-level, some- 

 times as many as four or five in the same tree ; mingled with them, 

 but apparently always in different trees, were more solid nests, built 

 of smaller sticks mixed with herbaceous stems, which I believed to 

 be those of Cormorants ; if so, these birds had finished breeding. It 

 is worthy of note that in all three cases there were two voung Darters 

 in the nest, while the usual clutch is said to be four. 



Pelican (Catohtropelicanus conspicillatus). — A few of these birds 

 were generally to be seen on the estuary; 



