88 ]ackson, Notes on Tooth-billed Bower-Bird of N.Q. [.^^"oct. 



us a full programme — Dollar-Bird {Eiirystomus pacifictis), Channel- 

 bill [Scythrops novce-hoUandice), and several other birds, &c., were 

 imitated, and but for watching the performer's bill move to each 

 note one could hardly believe that the calls were not natural instead 

 of imitation. It was almost dark before he brought the per- 

 formance to an end, finishing with a life-like mimicry of the piercing 

 and pulsating noise made by a cicada or locust when captured by 

 a bird ; finally he flitted off in the dim light to his night haunt in 

 a tree actually overhanging our tent, where he frequently after- 

 wards went to roost {vide special Emu, June, 1909, pp. 275 and 

 277). In the mornings he had me awake at the first peep of day- 

 break in rendering his early morning serenade of mimicry in the 

 tree over our tent. We later discovered the nest of this bird 

 at the rear of our camp {vide Emu, June, 1909, pp. 276, 277, 

 and 279, and also Plates XXXIII., right side photo., and 

 XXXVIII.) 



The net result of my observations in this direction, and on all 

 occasions, is fairly definite proof that the Tooth-bills (with very 

 few exceptions) do not, during the height of the breeding season, 

 visit their play-grounds or indulge in mimic vocalization during 

 the day, but that after sunset and before sunrise they do so in the 

 tree-tops. Once only, on the 27th November, 1908, did I find 

 the exception which proves the rule, when I noticed numbers of the 

 birds gathered in the tops of the tall dead Johnstone River hard- 

 woods (a scrub tree), in a partly cleared patch adjoining the scrub ; 

 this was on a hill near Atherton {vide special Emu, June, 1909, 

 p. 269). Probably it was a final chorus before starting to nest. 

 Apart from the absence of song, the adjacent play-grounds here 

 revealed that the nesting time had begun — they were silent, un- 

 occupied, and, most significant of all, untidy ; and when a Tooth - 

 bill lets his play-ground go you may be sure that he has some- 

 thing very much more important to attend to. 



The Region of the Barrier Range. 



AN OOLOGIST's holiday. 



By (Dr.) W. Macgillivray, Broken Hill, N.S.W. 

 Part II. 

 At daylight next morning the loud notes of the Rufous Song-Larks 

 formed our reveille, and we were soon all astir, busy with breakfast 

 and packing for the last stage to our permanent camp at Langa- 

 wirra. M'Lennan and I made a quick march down to Stone Hut 

 to examine the Little Falcon's nest. The male bird became very 

 excited as M'Lennan ascended the tree. Both birds were sailing 

 excitedly round the top of the tree, and when the climber was half- 

 way up the male darted past his head, to wheel gracefully back 

 again with half-closed wings and a shrill chittering cry. The 

 performance was repeated, and, as the nest was approached, some 



