joQ Camprell, The Flame-breasted Robin. [ist^"jan. 



Indications that Robins do not travel far are found, paradoxi- 

 cally, in the late dates of arrival at the outposts. Mr. J. A. Hill, 

 of Murtoa, tells me he always looks for a few individuals to 

 arrive in his district on ist May. - This is as far inland as the 

 species is found. Furthermore, there are places where a few 

 birds arrive in winter, but do not remain long (see T/ie Emu, 

 vol. vi., p. 178), passing on to more suitable winter quarters. 



Undoubtedly the largest numbers of Robins appear in the 

 winter in the Western District of Victoria, which fringes the 

 Otway Forest ; in the open country south-west and south-east 

 of Melbourne, which is adjacent to the highlands of the Plenty 

 and Upper Yarra watersheds, as well as the Dandenong Ranges, 

 and not far distant from both Cape Otway and South Gippsland ; 

 and in north-eastern Victoria, a large tract of flat and com- 

 paratively open country lying contiguous to the Buffalo Ranges 

 and the Alps, the loftiest in the Robin region. It is significant, 

 too, that the earliest date of the autumn appearance of the 

 Flame-breasted Robin, recorded in my note-books, 20th March, 

 1899, was in the locality of Rutherglen, about 40 miles due 

 north of Buffalo, If these Robins had come from Tasmania it 

 would have taken many days to travel over 150 miles inland, 

 and the records as a rule would be later than those obtained 

 near the sea-board. But my notes show that in the north-east 

 the birds appear earlier, if anything, than about Melbourne, and 

 at the approach of spring they showed no anxiety to hasten 

 away. The origin of the annual movement of the Flame- 

 breasted Robins probably lies in the fact of their being ground- 

 feeding birds, and when the first snow falls in their summer 

 retreat they are forced to move to lower altitudes. 



Among the Birds of North- Western Victoria. 



By F. E. Howe, Albert Park, Melbourne. 



{Read before the Bird Observers' Club, 2\st October, 1908.) 

 Leaving Melbourne by the 7.45 a.m. Adelaide train on Monday, 

 14th September, I arrived at Stawell, where Mr. J. A. Ross was 

 to join me on the following evening. 



Next morning we were up betimes and made a bee-line for the 

 Ironbark Ranges. The bush was made beautiful by the bright 

 yellow blossoms of the wattle and the delicate white flower of 

 the BracJiyloma (a heath-like plant), while the air was laden 

 with their perfumes. The Honey-eaters were here in hundreds 

 — aye, thousands — and nests were seen on every hand. Here 

 were such forms as the T ^.wny-cxowued {G/ycyphi/a fiilvifrot/s), 

 Yellow-tufted {Ptilotis auriconiis\ Wattle-Bird {Acantkoc/urra 

 caninculata), White-bearded {Mclioriiis novcv-JioUnndiir), as well 

 as the White-browed Babbler {Pomatorhimis supcrciliosus), all 

 breeding. 



