712 Mr. T. Carter on some [Ibis, 



distance by their constant querulous cries. A few small 

 flocks were seen in 1919 about Lake Muir and the Black- 

 wood, Collie, and Warren Rivers, but this fine species has 

 much diminished in numbers during my experience. The 

 aboriginal name in the Harvey River district is "Korridg-e- 

 cup " — hence the name of a township there. Further south, 

 towards Albany, it is " Koo-rak." 



Zanda baudinii. 



The White-tailed Black Cockatoo was seen in most of the 

 south-western districts, where the aboriginal name for it is 

 " Oo-lack." 



Ducorpsius sanguineus westralensis. 



When I arrived at Carnarvon early in August 1911, my 

 attention w\as at once attracted by thousands of Bare-eyed 

 Cockatoos feeding on open flats right up to the outskirts of 

 the town. In places the ground was literally white with 

 the birds, which were busily engaged in cracking ofl: the 

 sharp-pointed hard husks of the " Double-gee " seeds 

 [Emex australis) and eating the seeds. When watching the 

 birds doing this, it was very curious to hear the constant 

 " cracklino- '^ noise caused by hundreds of bills all hard at 

 work at the same time. The plant itself is not a native of 

 Australia, but is supposed to have been introduced from 

 South Africa. It is now classed as a noxious weed, as it is 

 rapidly spreading over large areas of country, and is 

 responsible for himing many sheep and cattle, as the seed- 

 vessels get in between the divisions of the hoof, causing 

 festerino- sores, so that the unfortunate animals cannot move 

 about to feed. The local Roads Board had recentl}^ passed 

 a bye-law to protect the Cockatoos on account of the supposed 

 oood they were doing in eating the seeds, and I was warned 

 not to shoot any of them. However, I believe in the theory 

 that " what eats seeds, spreads seeds," so 1 shot two birds, and 

 on dissection oE them found, as I had expected, that many 

 seeds were swallowed whole and not bitten up; therefore 

 it is probable that some are voided intact and in a fit state 



