Vol. X. 

 igii 



] Stray Feathers. 2Q3 



Patersonia district, which had a very distinct pink breast. He 

 then consulted Hall's " Key," also North's " Nests and Eggs," but 

 neither author had mentioned this fact. Mr. Adams was then 

 anxious to procure another female to confirm the first one. 

 When up at the Tunnel, in October, 1910, I obtained one which 

 also had the very distinct pink breast, while several others were 

 noticed at close quarters. — P. C. Thompson. Launceston. 



* H: * 



Native Cat and Herons. — A short while back a plough- 

 man taking his horses to the river for their mid-day drink saw 

 two Herons i^NotopJioyx novce-hollandicB) feeding on a grassy flat, 

 probaby on worms, as it was just after a heavy rain. A tiger- 

 cat {Dasyunis niaculatus) came out of some blackberries by the 

 river and ran swiftly toward the Herons. When these raised 

 their heads the cat flattened himself on the ground, in the 

 language of my informant, who halted his horses to watch the 

 impending tragedy. When the birds resumed feeding the cat 

 again ran forward, to halt motionless as they raised their heads. 

 In this way he had succeeded in getting within a few yards of 

 the birds, when one of the horses shook itself ; the Herons heard 

 the chains rattle, looked around, saw the cat, and flew off". The 

 cat ran back to the blackberries without delay. — O. L. Adams. 

 Launceston, 17/9/ 10. 



Nest and Eggs of the Rock Field- Wren. — Description 

 of two clutches of eggs of CalainantJiiis inontaticlliis (Milligan), 

 M. 535, taken by Mr. F. Lawson Whitlock in the Stirling 

 Ranges, Western Australia : — 



No. I (taken 12/9/ 19 10). — Clutch four. Eggs fresh. Shape, 

 swollen oval ; texture of shell fine, smooth and glossy ; ground 

 colour chocolate-red (not unlike that of ChtJionicola sagittatii), 

 with a few spots of a darker shade scattered over the surface 

 and merging into an indistinct cap at the larger end of the q^^. 

 Very slight variation in the colouring of the four eggs. 



Measurements in inches : — {a) .83 x .58, {b) .80 x .58, {c) .81 x 

 .6, (d) .82 x .59. 



Nest. — Dome shaped, composed of loosely woven dried grass, 

 with a lining of small feathers ; entrance at the side on a level 

 with the ground. The structure is like the nest of PyrrJiolcenitis 

 brunnea, and placed in a hole scratched in the ground. 

 Situation — a rocky ridge. 



No. 2 (taken 4/9/10). — Clutch three. Eggs fresh. Shape, 

 swollen oval ; texture of shell fine, smooth and glossy ; ground 

 colour light chocolate-brown (similar to C. fuliginosus), a few 

 spots or splashes of a darker shade scattered over the surface, 

 and forming rather a distinct cap at the larger end. 



Measurements : — {a) .84 x .64, {b) .84 x .61, {c) .83 x .(?4. — H. 

 L. White. Belltrees. 



