Vol. VIII. 

 1909 



Whitlock, Birds on the Pilbarra Goldfield. 187 



hope of getting eggs, though I could see I should have some time to wait 

 before I should have a chance, the breeding organs at this period (July) 

 being very small. 



It was not until the end of September that I found my first nest. I was 

 watching a pair of Collyriocincla in a very rocky and timbered creek some 3 

 miles from the main river. I had followed one of the Thrushes up a very 

 rocky side creek, when I observed a Little Wood-Swallow skim right up to 

 the precipitous face of a cliff and then back again. I thought I could detect 

 something like a nest in a very small cleft. I climbed to the spot, and 

 there, in a cavity hardly big enough to admit my hand, was a loosely con- 

 structed nest of bits of spinifex pressed into the cleft by the weight of the 

 bird, and with just an apology for a cup. It contained one egg. I left it, 

 and returning in a week's time secured a pair. 



Lower down the creek I observed a second pair of birds, and I located 

 their nest in the hollow spout of a small gum. I eventually took three eggs 

 from this nest. Still lower down the creek, and where the rocky sides had 

 developed into a massive precipice, I could see another pair of birds 

 skimming about. I had some difficulty in locating the nest, but eventually 

 found it, in a perpendicular joint of the rock in a small cavernous hollow. 

 This nest was only about 2 feet from the floor of the cavern. It was similar 

 in character to the other nests, and I also took three eggs from it a few days 

 later. My fourth nest was by the main Coongan, and was built in an old 

 nest of the Fairy Martin {PetrocJielidon arid) from which the spout had 

 been broken away. A colony of Fairy Martins was breeding a few feet 

 away. I took three fresh eggs from this nest also. 



This Wood-Swallow never seems to be away from rocks. It is by no 

 means timid, and flies right up to and perches within a few feet of the in- 

 truder examining its nest. It has a very pleasing song, resembling that of 

 the Swallow {Hiriindo ncoxena). On the wing its small size renders identifica- 

 tion easy. The two central and outer tail feathers being uniform in colour, 

 in contrast with the white tips of the remaining feathers, are also an aid to 

 identity, being plainly visible in flight. 



Painted Finch {Emblema picta)^ native name Nee-murri. — Confined to 

 the ranges or their immediate neighbourhood. I first made its acquaintance 

 at the crossing of Gorge Creek, where a few haunted the rocky hills 

 adjacent to the creek. 



Like the other Finches, this species must have water, and comes down 

 from the rocks with great regularity for its drink. It appears to be 

 gregarious at all times. Even in the breeding season I met with flocks of a 

 dozen or more. Possibly these may have been non-breeding males, for the 

 latter sex is more in evidence than the female in this species. 



I found one nest on 12th May, and a day or two later observed another 

 pair collecting building material. The nest is invariably built in a tuft of 

 " buck " spinifex, and usually near the top of the tuft. They may be found 

 near the river, amongst the ranges, or again on the big flats, provided water 

 is near at hand. The nests are rather bulky, and loosely constructed of 

 dead pieces of spinifex, with a lining of brown vegetable down, and often 

 with a further bed of white vegetable down. The eggs are commonly three 

 in number, but no doubt sometimes four are laid. They are pure white, and 

 very small and fragile. The female is a close sitter. 



The plumage of the latter on the breast is usually dull black, with a few 

 dirty-grey margins to the feathers, but very old females have a streak of the 

 fiery red of the male down the centre of the breast. The males vary very 

 much in intensity of colouration, very old birds being the most brilliantly 

 coloured. 



When crouching amongst the spinifex this Finch is very difficult to see, 

 the brown of the upper parts harmonizing so well with the ferruginous 

 soil. 



