206 



Cheney, Birds of Wan^aratta District, Victoria. T * 



Emu 

 April 



Psephotus haematonotus. Red-backed Parrot. — This, the commonest 

 of the Parrots, constantly fell a prey to the Whistling-Eagle and the 

 Goshawk. The usual method of attack was to drive the hind claw 

 into the head at .the angle of the jaw, so that the lower jaw was 

 dislocated. These Parrots bred freely in low hollows in trees. 



Euphema chrysostoma. Blue-winged Grass-Parrot. — A few of these 

 birds were seen with the Red-backed Parrots on 9th April, 1914. 



Melopsittacus undulatus. Warbling Grass-Parrot. — Before March, 

 191 3, these birds had not been recorded. Then many reached the 

 North-Eastern district, and in September, 1913, and in the same 

 months in 1914. 



Podargus strigoides. Tawny Frogmouth. — The remarkable faculty 

 this bird possesses of hiding itself was well seen one day when we 

 observed one flying about. Being very weak-footed, and dazed by 

 the light, it was unable to perch, thus falling to the ground. After 

 searching for a few minutes we found it, apparently dead, with wings 

 outstretched and head flat on the ground. It took no notice of the 

 sundry liftings and straightenings we gave it. Picking it up, we 



Call of Podargus 



Thfee ^ifent Sars 



/lof-e Poi-A' More Pot-A' /lone Pofk'floye PofA' /lore Pork' 



More PorM/lore Pork' /lore PorA'/loiv Pork' /lore Pork' flare Pork More Par/, /tore Pork' 



^ 



/fore ~7ork' ffOfe Pork' More Pork'More Pork' More Pork' More Pork' More Pork' 



^ 



i]A 



Andanhs 



Oom ' Oony 



Ordinary Call. 



2E 



r 



. r . 



Boo ^3ook ' Boo Book ' 



Call of Boobook Owl. 



t 



^^ 



started to carry it home. On the way it suddenly opened its beak 

 and turned round with wide-open eyes. Its bearer dropped it in 

 fear. Again it lay as though dead. I thought I would take a photo- 

 graph of it as it was. Without a sound it had gone. About 

 20 minutes' vigorous search ensued, and it was not found until a boy 

 went to pick up a piece of bark (as he thought) ; but it defied all 

 efforts at photography. 



^gotheles novse-hollandiae. Owlet-Nightjar. — We seldom saw 

 any adults of this species, but sometimes enticed young birds from 

 the nests in the hollows. 



