lyo FiNCKH, Notes on Kagus {Rhinochetus jubatus). [i>,f'jan. 



happen to get the worm it might change from bill to bill as many 

 as ten times. Frequently a worm given by one parent to the 

 chick was taken out of its bill by the other and then returned. 



On the 31st day small feathers began to replace the down on 

 the shoulders, and a week later the chick's wings were fully 

 feathered. Another week, and the whole body was clad in 

 feathers, dark and light brown, with very little of the grey colour 

 of the adult. At eight weeks the colour had changed to that of 

 the adult, and the bird was half the size of an adult, with a little 

 down just at the base of the bill. It began to pick up food on its 

 own account. In colour the bird resembled the dead, dry leaves, 

 light and dark brown. Visitors frequently were unable to detect 

 the bird as it lay on the nest. No outward appearance in the 

 adult distinguishes the sexes, but in all Kagus which I have owned 

 the eye of the male bird was lighter and brighter in colour than 

 that of the female. 



Stray Feathers. 



New Foster-Parent. — On Monday, gth November, I found at 

 Ringwood, Vict., a nest of the Spotted-sided Finch {Stagonopleura 

 guttata) containing three eggs, together with an egg of the Narrow- 

 billed Bronze-Cuckoo {Chalcococcyx basalts). This. I believe, is 

 a new record. — F. Erasmus Wilson. Melbourne (Vic), 22/12/14. 



Rail Caught by Cat. — This morning an employe brought me 



an egg of the Pectoral Rail {Hypotcenidia philippensis) for 



identification. He recognized a preserved skin of the species at 



once, and stated that his cat had caught a live bird the evening 



before. The bird, apparently uniniured, was placed in a cage, 



laid the egg in question during the night, and was released in the 



morning. — H. L. White. Belltrees, Scone (N.S.W.) 29th 



October, 1914. 



* * * 



Remarkable Grallina's Nest. — A most extraordinary nest of 

 the Magpie-Lark {Grallina picata), probably the result of the 

 present drought, was built more than a mile from any water. 

 The birds were unable to get much mud to build their nest in the 

 usual manner. The foundation was composed of wet (when used) 

 cowdung, the balance feathers, dry grass, and wool from dead 

 sheep, mostly the latter, and just a little clay on the side of the 

 nest in a few places ; but, as this clay was of a red colour, it did 

 not come from the Talbragar River (the only water for miles), 

 so I can only conclude that they gathered it at a cattle camp 

 near the nesting-tree, the clay being of the same sort. This 

 appears reasonable, considering that part of their nest had been 

 built with wet cowdung. — Thos. P. Austin. Cobborah Estate, 

 Cobbora (N.S.W.), 3/10/14. 



