jeiA Stray Feathers. [isf""}' 



mu 



an. 



boat, as the tide was too low to allow of landing, on account of 

 the mud-flats. After breakfast they landed and walked over the 

 island, finding Reed-Warblers, Grass-Birds, Crescent Honey- 

 eaters {^Meliornis australasiana), and Swift-Lorikeets {Natwdes 

 discolor). They then boated to the other side, and, landing, 

 walked to some flats, where they found several Bald-Coots' nests, 

 some with eggs, also a Swamp-Hawk {Circus gouldi) sitting. 

 She would not allow them to approach very near, but took 

 flight, rising high and then circling round with the wings quite 

 motionless.— H. Stuart Dove. Moonee Ponds, 14/11/08. 



Notes on the Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike {Gmucalus 

 melanops, Latham). — This fine insectivorous bird generally 

 makes its appearance in the Hawthorn district each year about 

 the end of March, and is to be seen during the day searching 

 amongst the leaves and beneath the bark of trees for cater- 

 pillars, spiders, beetles, &c. One morning in March last my 

 attention was drawn to one of these birds which was struggling 

 to remove from the bark of a large red gum tree {Eiicaylptus 

 rostratd) a case of one of the case-moths {PsycJiida'). These 

 cases require rather a smart jerk to dislodge them from the bark 

 or twig they are attached to. Knowing that most of these stick- 

 cases contained fine fat larvae, I was curious to see, firstly, if 

 the bird was capable of removing the case from its fastening, 

 and, secondly, how it would get the larva out of its stout 

 covering if successful. I will now give a brief account of how the 

 bird succeeded in doing this. Taking hold of the case with its 

 beak by the lower end, and at the same time clinging firmly to 

 the bark by its feet, by a series of short, sharp jerks, continued 

 for some time, to my surprise it succeeded in removing it, when, 

 flying off to an adjacent tree, carrying the case in its bill, it 

 started to beat it, first to the right and then to the left, against 

 a bough. After performing this operation for some considerable 

 time, these continuous shocks were the means of driving the 

 grub up into the neck of the case, when another dose or two of 

 the same medicine forced it in a stunned condition to partly 

 leave the case. Then, flying to the ground, carrying the 

 case with it, the bird seized the grub, and, returning to a bough, 

 gave it a smart rap, thus dislodging its prey. By the con- 

 tinuous tapping that was going on amongst the trees it was 

 evident these birds were doing yeoman service. The Cuckoo- 

 Shrike does good work in an apple orchard by eating the larvae 

 of the painted apple moth {Teia anartoides. Walk.), also another 

 caterpillar similar in its habits to the above, but much larger, 

 and very destructive to the foliage of the apple tree. Early 

 settlers in the Melbourne district used to call this bird the Blue 

 Jay or Banded Thickhead, and in the Warragul district, Gipps- 



