Vol. XII. 

 191 



1 Mellor, Birds of Port Germein, South Australia. 1 87 



been disturbed from their roosting-place, and, probably, their 

 future breeding haunt. Further on, a White-fronted Heron 

 {Notophoyx novcB-hollandicB) flew, croaking, away from a still pool 

 where frogs were abundant. The " Knee-deep, knee-deep, knee- 

 deep " notes of the Magpie-Lark [Grallina picata) were heard as 

 the bird walked about in the water up to its knees in search of 

 small aquatic insects for its young. The nest was on a horizontal 

 bough of a large gum-tree overhanging the water. Across a field 

 of growing corn, a short distance away, a Spotted Harrier [Circus 

 assimilis) came soaring. When I reached Port Germein darkness 

 had fallen. 



The following morning a drizzling rain fell hour after hour. 

 As my time was limited, I could not afford to sit down and do 

 nothing all day, so I set out to walk along the coast. The wind 

 was blowing " big guns," but the shore-birds and Waders seemed 

 not to heed it ; they roamed over the broad, open flats laid bare 

 by the receding tide, pecking at the small crustaceans as they 

 came from their hiding-places. At the mouth of a salt-water 

 inlet, or " river," a number of species was congregated in a quiet 

 corner, well sheltered by tall mangroves. I noted a flock of Curlews 

 {Numenius cyanopus), which might have been thousands of miles 

 away, breeding on the tundras of Eastern Russia and Siberia. 

 But there they were, with their long, curved bills, reminding one 

 of Brown Ibises as they kept probing the soft mud and sand. The 

 Little Stints [Pisobia ruficollis), in winter plumage, were running 

 over the wet sand. On the shore, above high-water mark, were 

 two Pied Oyster-catchers {Hcsmatopus longirostris), whose actions 

 indicated that they had eggs or were about to nest in the locality. 

 A search did not reveal any nest. There were numbers of the 

 Red-capped Dottrels {Mgialitis ruficapilla) on the sandy flats, 

 and one was disturbed on the higher parts. It went limping away, 

 but the nest was not to be found, although undoubtedly not far 

 off. A Black-tailed Godwit [Limosa novcB-zealandice) was frightened 

 from a shallow pool left by the tide. Towards evening I started 

 on the return to Port Germein, arriving after 8 o'clock. 



Next day a jaunt to the Flinders Ranges was the programme, 

 and an early start was necessary if the 6 miles of intervening 

 country were to be covered in time for work to be done in the 

 hills. Breakfast was dispensed with, and, with an empty pouch 

 and a light heart, I accomplished the journey. Along the track 

 the Song-Lark {Cinclorhamplms cruralis) kept soaring up, 

 uttering his " Cock-tick-a- wee-loo " notes many times, and then 

 descending to alight on a convenient post. The Lesser 

 Bush-Lark {Mirafra secunda) was also present, but was not 

 singing in its well-known "Skylark" manner. A little flock of 

 Chestnut-eared Finches [Tceniopygia castanotis) flew up from the 

 ground, where they were feeding, and alighted on a small bush 

 by the roadside, uttering their little "Chink-chink-chink" notes. 

 At the mouth of the Port Germein Gorge, the point to which I 

 was bound, a halt was made for breakfast, which consisted of an 



