8o Fletcher, Bird Notes from Cleveland, Tasmania. [ist^'oct. 



Circling over the swamps and the adjacent bracken-covered 

 slopes are always to be seen pairs of the Swamp Harrier {Circus 

 gouldi). The children about call these birds " Free-wheelers," 

 which is indeed a descriptive name. These Harriers nest in this 

 district. Five eggs were found in a nest last November, and the 

 season before nine eggs were reported as occurring in a nest. I 

 fancy in this case that the eggs of a previous clutch must have 

 proved infertile, and the birds had rebuilt over them. 



For two seasons a pair of Small-billed Cuckoo-Shrikes (Grau- 

 calus parvirostris) built in a wattle quite close to the Conara 

 railway station. Unfortunately the tree has lately been cut 

 down, so when the birds return this coming season they will 

 have to go elsewhere. 



I have seen the Bronze-wing {PJiaps cJialcopterd) about in the 

 wattle groves. The children say they are very fond of the 

 wattle seeds. 



The Brush Bronze-wing {Phaps elegans) I noticed two or three 

 times so far this season. 



The gum-trees, white and peppermint, are flowering this year ; 

 the banksias are already in blossom, and when the wattles bloom 

 shortly there should indeed be a grand banquet for some of the 

 birds, and many interesting observations will doubtless be made. 



The Montague Island GuIIery. 



By a. F. Basset Hull, Sydney. 



On the i6th September, 1907, my son and I left Sydney about 4 

 p.m. by the s.s. Bega (now lying in twenty fathoms of water off 

 Tilba Tilba) on our way to Montague Island, situated 150 miles 

 south of Port Jackson, and about 5 miles off the coast. The sea 

 was moderately calm, and in the clear moonlight the rugged shore 

 and coastal range were visible for such time as we remained on 

 deck. At daylight the island was dimly seen, and as we gradually 

 approached the great grey lighthouse came in view, with the first 

 rays of the sun glinting on its lantern and flashing back myriad 

 beams from the mirror-reflectors. 



As the Bega slowed down about half a mile from the island, we 

 eagerly scanned the black rocks, and noted with satisfaction that 

 there were clouds of white-winged birds hovering over sea and land, 

 while great white clusters on the sloj^es denoted the presence of 

 groups of breeding birds. 



The Admiralty chart gives the native name of this island as 

 " Barunguba," which I am informed by Mr. Henry Dawson, of 

 Sydney, means "Off the Coast." The island is no chains in 

 length, and 40 chains in width at its widest part. The area, as 

 measured by a planimeter on the chart, is approximately 310 acres. 

 It is formed of two islets, connected by a narrow neck, through 



