1. XIV. 

 I9I4 



1 Howe A-!<ii) Tkugkl-las, Rarer Birds of the Mallee. -^Q 



we flushed the female bird from the nest, which was placed flat 

 on the ground, in the centre of a small mallee bush, and contained 

 one fresh egg — a full clutch. Mr. Scarce piloted us to an old 

 camp of his, where, a month previous, he had noticed a pair of 

 Pardalotes burrowing, and from the nest a full clutch of four 

 fresh eggs was taken. This spot is known as Bolton's Crab-hole, 

 in honour of a surveyor who found it in 1845. Water is of such 

 importance in this country that any little catchment is looked 

 upon as very valuable. Among some whipstick mallee we saw 

 two young Chestnut-backed Ground-Birds, fully fledged and 

 running with the parents. A young one was caught and examined, 

 and the excited parents, running about us, looked very beautiful, 

 especially the male, in nuptial plumage and showing the chestnut 

 saddle on the back to advantage. Specimens of Pardalotus, 

 Pachycephala, and Cinclosoma were collected en route. At 

 6.30 p.m. we came in sight of our camp, consisting of six tents, 

 one of which had been erected for the " bird men." After tea, 

 Mr. Tregellas skinned his three birds, the Spotted Nightjar, 

 Eurostopodus guttatus {Eurostopodus argiis argiis), serenading him 

 the while. 



We were early astir on 15th September, and found that light 

 rain had fallen through the night — just enough to make everything 

 look beautiful and distil perfume from flowers. Crested Bell- 

 Birds, Black-backed Magpies, Grey Thrushes, Collared Butcher- 

 Birds, and Honey-eaters were singing around the tents. After 

 breakfast, provided with lunch and full water-bags, we shouldered 

 our guns and set out for a day in the scrub. We were in the 

 wilderness, many miles north of the nearest selection. Sand and 

 short mallee were everywhere. There was no big timber, and, 

 consequently, no Parrots or Cockatoos. Close to our camp was 

 a tea-tree flat, estimated to be about 10 acres in area and to 

 shelter fully 30 pairs of Scrub-Robins, as well as many other rare 

 forms. Beyond the flat lay some good porcupine-grass country, 

 where Mr. Scarce had located Striated Grass-Wrens and Emu- 

 Wrens, Stipiturus mallee [S. malachurus mallee). This bit of 

 country, which we " worked " well during the next few days, 

 showed a succession of sand-ridges covered with dense porcupine, 

 short mallee, and tea-tree. The Tawny-crowned, White-fronted, 

 Mallee, White-eared, and Purple-gaped Honey-eaters were very 

 plentiful here, and two nests of the last species, each containing 

 one egg, well incubated, were noticed. A nest of the Scrub-Robin, 

 ready for the egg, was found, but it was subsequently deserted. 

 Here we located the Emu-Wrens, and, loading the guns with 

 light dust-shot cartridges, we removed our boots and followed 

 the birds about the sand-ridge, but without getting a shot. These 

 birds, with great rapidity, dart from one clump of porcupine right 

 through adjacent clumps, and in a few seconds are a hundred 

 yards away, and, of course, out of hearing. It is then difficult 

 to hear the call-note again, which resembles the chirp of an insect 

 more than anything else. As we were beating back to camp, a 



