q8 Macgillivray, The Region of the Barrier Range. [isf^Oct 



20 feet up in a neelia — an unusually high situation for the nest of 

 this species. Many White-fronted Honey-eaters were observed in 

 a thick patch of black oak, one finished nest being located in a 

 turpentine-bush. Glycyphila albijrons is a very active but shy 

 bird, and one has to use the utmost caution in watching the birds 

 to their nests either when building, incubating, or feeding the 

 young. Our way now led through what used to be a scrub-covered 

 paddock, across a series of large nardoo fiats, about which are the 

 old fire-places and grinding-stones, flints, &c., of the blacks. Tri- 

 coloured Chats were numerous. 



Next morning we took a south-easterly route over the sand- 

 ridge, on which we again interested ourselves for a while in elucid- 

 ating the tracks of the night. The birds had been about early. 

 The slovenly footsteps of the Raven were easily recognized. The 

 paired footprints of the Babbler [P. ruficcps), whose rnode of pro- 

 gression is by a succession of longer or shorter hops, the tiny marks 

 left by the feet of Tricoloured Chats in their searchings round 

 every tussock or bush, and the shorter and more slovenly hoppings 

 of the Miner {M. flavigida), were recognizable on the fine sand. 

 Tracks of insects, reptiles, and small mammals — the real night 

 tracks — cost us more time and trouble to make out. The box 

 strip in which we found the Red-browed Pardalote's nest was 

 visited, and the birds were heard calling among the trees. Here 

 we discovered the nest of the Lalage tricolor, with the 

 male bird sitting on two eggs. The nest was composed of fine 

 twigs, spiders' nests, cobwebs, and soft everlastings, and was 

 placed in a fork of a small box tree, about 12 feet from the ground- 

 Near it a hollow box contained a family of Blue-Bonnets and 

 another Lalage's nest. A young Many-coloured Parrakeet acci- 

 dentally dropped from the top of a large tree when M'Lennan was 

 examining a nestful, and provided a subject for post-mortem 

 examination. The crop was crammed with fine black seeds, v/ith 

 a few larger green ones, the black ones being no larger than gun- 

 powder grains. M'Lennan and I visited a black oak ridge, leaving 

 the others to return to camp. While watching a Red-browed 

 Pardalote feeding among the sandalwood, we found a Tree- 

 creeper's (C. superciliosa) nest, with young birds, in a hollow tree, 

 about 4 feet from the ground. On the border of the box a pair 

 of Oreoicas had a nest in the end of a stump. " Budgerigars" were 

 nesting in the dry stumps in from the green timber, and in one 

 hollow a Barnard Parrakeet was sitting on four dried-up eggs. 

 In captivity I have known birds to do this on many occasions, 

 but this is the only time that I have noted it in a state of nature. 

 Many pairs of Red-capped Robins were here, several being engaged 

 in building operations. These little birds are local migrants, 

 being guided, no doubt, by food supply, for on our two previous 

 annual visits to this locality we only met with one or two pairs 

 of birds. This year they were in every thick patch of scrub, and 

 all intent on nesting. 



In every sandy watercourse and washaway were the tracks of 



