^A ilowK A^D TR-EGBhLAS, Rarer Birds of (he Mallee. [,st^"oct. 



nest of the Red-rumped Tit- Warbler, Acanthiza pyrrhopygia {A. 

 pusilla hamiltom) was found ; it was built in a bunch of flowering 

 turpentine, and contained one fresh egg. In the afternoon we 

 went west of the camp, and walked to the border fence. Here 

 we entered a bit of fiat country known as Camp Plain. Water is 

 often found here in winter, and we hoped to find timber large 

 enough to attract such forms as Strepera and Astur. A Striped 

 Brown Hawk {Hieracidea occidentalis) was seen leaving her nest, 

 but nothing else of consequence was noticed. Striated Grass- 

 Wrens were too shy to allow of our approaching them. The sky 

 was clouded, and we hurried back to camp, but the rain fell, and 

 we arrived drenched. Rain was badly needed, as the season was 

 late, and we hoped for a good fall early in our stay here, so that 

 the birds would begin laying before we left. Before turning in 

 for the night we watched an eclipse of the moon, and listened to 

 the Spotted Nightjars calling from the big limestone cliffs at the 

 rear of the camp. 



On the morning of i6th September it was fine, but the scrub 

 was wet. Scrub-Robins were calling incessantly on the tea-tree 

 flat, and after breakfast we set out in the hope of finding some 

 nests. We had not been in the tea-tree long before some birds 

 were seen, and presently Mr. Scarce flushed a female from a nest 

 containing a beautifully marked &gg, heavily incubated. The 

 tea-tree on this flat was dense and of stunted growth, as also 

 were the few mallee bushes that grew there. It was at the foot 

 of these bushes that the Scrub-Robins placed their nests; often 

 one was built on the ground under the tea-tree. Here, also, the 

 Red-throated Whistler, Chestnut-backed Ground-Bird, Rufous- 

 rumped Ground-Wren, and both the Black-backed and Purple- 

 backed Wren-Warblers were numerous. Honey-eaters were also 

 well represented — seven species were identified. A nest of the 

 Short-tailed Ground- Wren was photographed, and at the foot of 

 a tea-tree we found a nest of the Purple-backed Wren in course 

 of building ; but when it was inspected on 28th September it was 

 deserted. On the edges of this flat porcupine grass was inter- 

 spersed with mallee, and here Emu-Wrens and Striated Grass- 

 Wrens lived. While we were trying to secure one of the latter 

 birds a small brown snake, known to us as the " spinifex snake," 

 was seen, and, after much trouble and some excitement, was 

 captured. After shooting birds for specimens, we struck out for 

 camp, and lunch. It has been mentioned that the camp was 

 situated close to the bore ; an iron chute had been carried from 

 the pump to a fairly large runaway hole, which was kept filled 

 with water. Though the men were at work within 20 yards, this 

 pool was always well patronized by birds, which came to bathe 

 and drink. One of the visitors was a Raven {Corvus australis), 

 and on one occasion it brought a hard crust of bread and soaked 

 it in the water, and, later on, treated a piece of meat in the same 

 way. The bird was twice photographed. After dinner, we again 

 went into the porcupine country in quest of the Emu- Wren, but 



