Vol. X. 

 1910 



J Stray Feathers. ^37 



to be avoided by other bush-dwellers ; but the Thrush certainly 

 relished this one, which was red on the under surface and legs, 

 covered with black hair on the upper surface and with grey along 

 the sides. Coachwhip-Bird {Psophodes crepitans). — Several times 

 during my stay I have heard the fine note of this species resounding 

 through the bush. On one occasion a friend and myself managed 

 to creep between the male and his consort when calling, so that the 

 whip-crack was distinct on one hand and the soft immediate re- 

 sponse on the other. — H. Stuart Dove. 



The Little Penguin {Eudyptiila minor). — I have some photo- 

 graphs of this species, showing the manner in which the tail is bent 

 at a sharp angle, acting as a rudder, when the bird wishes to change 

 its course in the water. The action is very quick, and Mrs. Carter 

 (who took the photographs) had some trouble to snap the birds 

 making the movement, and the tails were frequently bent at a 

 much sharper angle than appears. I have not read of this peculi- 

 arity, and I notice that Mr. Ogilvie Grant, in the " Guide to the 

 Gallery of Birds, British Museum, iqo5," states that the " legs 

 are used as a rudder." Although the tail of this species appears 

 very small and short externally, yet when skinning the birds in 

 question I was much struck by the way in which the caudal verte- 

 brae were extended and lengthened, resembling those of some 

 mammals. The pair of birds (both males) were sent to me from 

 the South Coast, and for some time they were kept (except when 

 having an occasional walk in the garden) in a circular boiler. 

 Although adult birds, they resolutely refused to eat, refusing pieces 

 of meat and live frogs regularly offered to them. I was obliged to 

 feed them by force as long as I had them, usually getting well bitten 

 while doing so. They began to pine away after two weeks' con- 

 finement, and as we were leaving home for twelve months, and it 

 would have been, of course, subjecting them to certain death to 

 turn them out inland, in the height of summer, I reluctantly made 

 specimens of them. — Tom Carter. Broome Hill (Western Aus- 

 tralia), 30/7/10. 



^ ^ H^ 



Cleveland (Tas.) Notes. — Fulvous-fronted Honey-eater [Gly- 

 cyphila fulvifrons). — This bird is an inhabitant of the banksia 

 and bracken fern-covered tracts round about here. I have found 

 its nest on two occasions, and each time built in a banksia. The 

 second nest found had been partly destroyed by some enemy, but 

 the eggs (two) had not been touched, though the nest was torn 

 about. Evidently the sitting bird had been attacked. 



18/8/10. — Spring is later this season when compared with last 

 year, and the birds seem correspondingly later. For instance, 

 compare : — T h 1^""^- male Wren in full plumage. This year the 

 date for first notice of same is 7/8/10. 



For the first time since this district has been under my observa- 



