Vol. XIV. 

 1914 



] Howe and Tregellas, Rarer Birds of the Mallee. JJ 



eggs and young, and Grey Shrike-Thrush, Colluricincla harmonica 

 (C. h. victoricB), containing eggs, were found. In the tea-tree 

 another unfinished nest of the White-throated Whistler was 

 noticed. Scrub-Robins were numerous all through this country. 

 A nest of the White-browed Babbler contained three fresh eggs. 

 We walked to a sand-ridge on which a few tall mallee trees grew. 

 From the nest of a pair of Crows four fresh eggs were taken. The 

 birds were not secured, which is unfortunate, as the eggs are 

 probably those of Bennett's Crow, Corviis hennetti {C. h. bennetti). 

 En route for camp an Owlet Nightjar, Mgotheles novce-hollandice 

 {Mgotheles cristata cristata), was flushed from its nesting hollow in a 

 dead mallee tree. As camp was reached rain again set in. 



The morning of 20th September brought fine weather. Birds 

 were singing all around the camp, the Spotted Nightjar mingling 

 its last gurghng notes with those of the Coflared Butcher-Bird, 

 Cracticus destructor {Bulestes torquatus colei). We rose early and 

 started on a long day's walk, taking guns, camera, and collecting 

 kit. We had not proceeded far, through some small whipstick 

 mallee, when a Scrub-Robin's nest, containing a chick about a 

 day old, was discovered. While the photographer was busy 

 another nest was found. It, too, contained a chick. The nests 

 were about 100 yards apart. On a sand-ridge a nest of the 

 Yellow-rumped Pardalote was found by watching the birds. 

 The burrow was dug out, and yielded three fresh eggs. In the 

 flowering tea-tree on this ridge Honey-eaters were plentiful. Two 

 more Pardalotes' burrows were examined. We found many nests 

 of these beautiful birds, but succeeded in obtaining only a few 

 fufl clutches of the eggs. Working slowly along the flat between 

 the sand-ridges, a Scrub-Robin attracted attention by its excited 

 manner. The nest was soon found, on the ground, in the centre 

 of a big clump of mallee. Here we noticed the White-eared Honey- 

 eater, Ptilotis leucotis {Neoptilotis leucotis mallee). ^ The birds 

 were very plentiful, but apparently were not yet nesting. Shortly 

 after, we halted for lunch. Before leaving this spot we found 

 nests of the Yellow-rumped Pardalote and Red-throated Whistler, 

 containing three eggs and two eggs respectively. The camera 

 and lunch-bag were dumped, and we went farther into the mallee. 

 A fine mound of the Maflee-Fowl was inspected. As we skirted 

 the edges of a small tea-tree flat a male Scrub-Robin was heard 

 calHng. After half an hour's search the female was located, and 

 the rest was comparatively easy. First, last year's nest was 

 found, and within a few yards of it two other old nests were seen. 

 The new nest, containing a fresh egg, was placed on the east side 

 of a sniafl tea-tree. It is strange that this species nearly always 

 places the nest on the east side of a tree or bush. This is the 

 case also with Cinclosoma, Hylacola, and other birds. Perhaps 

 the object is to get the first beams of the sun, as in the Mallee 

 at this season the weather is exceptionally cold in the morning. 

 Another nest of the Scrub-Robin was found later on, and then a 

 Ground- Wren was flushed from a nest built into the debris at the 



