^°i o8 '^ 1 Ford, Bird Notes from Marong (Bendigo District). 3 1 



October 26. — Halcyon pyrrhopygius (Red-backed Kingfisher) seen 

 going south. This is first bird of kind I have seen. 



October 27, 29, and 30. — Artamus personatus (Masked Wood-Swallows) 

 flying high, going west. 



ADDENDA. 



I never saw the Swifts going south, or in 1908 going north. I 

 might have been out of track, as I was six miles further west in 

 1908. 



Psephotus hcBmatorrhons (Crimson-bellied Parrakeet, locally called 

 the "Bull-oak" Parrot, and further north the "Blue Bonnet"), 

 mentioned in former notes as sitting on 26th September, 1907, is 

 rather a rare Parrot about here. I do not think I have seen more 

 than 20 birds in four years. In October, 1904, saw a pair feeding 

 large young in nest in tree spout. 



Hieracidea orientalis (Brown Hawk). — These birds when sitting take 

 turn about on eggs, at about 3-hour intervals. Sometimes the male 

 bird brings food to the hen. She can see him a long way off, and 

 screams till he is near, when she flies to him and takes food from his 

 claws with her own. She then settles on a tree and eats food, and 

 goes off on her spell, and he goes on nest. After young were out he 

 used often to bring frilled lizards in his claws. She would do as above 

 stated, but would tear up lizard and swallow, and then feed it to the 

 young. Once he seemed to have more lizard than was wanted, which 

 he took and left on an old nest 100 yards away from nest with young, 

 and went off on his rounds, but when he came back he took the lizard 

 he left on old nest. These Hawks do not appear to prey on birds — 

 birds not being scared of them — and a Willie Wagtail (Black-and- 

 White Fantail) used to chase and peck at Hawk for a distance of half 

 a mile. Hawk never molested the Willie. 



The Grallina picata (Magpie-Larks) take spells at sitting on eggs 

 at 20 to 30-minute invervals. When a bird has had its spell it flies up 

 and stands beside nest ; other gets off and flies away, and former takes 

 its place. This is done all day. 



Notophoyx novcB-hollandics (White-fronted Heron). — These birds 

 take spells at sitting at about 6-hour intervals. They used to change 

 about 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. When we were near the nest the returning 

 bird would light in nest tree or next one, and give a croak ; other 

 would get up and fly away, the relieving bird then going to nest. We 

 left before the young came out, so could not observe the actions then. 

 They had five young reared, I saw afterwards. 



A Spotted-sided Finch built right under this Heron's nest while the 

 Heron was sitting. There were three Spotted-sided Finches' nests, 

 one Magpie-Lark's, and the Heron's in one tree — a yellow box. 



Foster-Parents of Cuckoos. — Mr, Lawson Whitlock 

 (W.A.) has forwarded me CJialcococcyx plagosus with Acanthiza 

 pallida (2) and A, inornata (2) respectively, and Cuculus pallidus 

 with MyzantJia obscura (i). I think these foster-parents have 

 not been previously recorded. — H. L. White, Scone, N,S,W, 



