Vol. VIII 

 1909 



J Whitlock, Birds on ike Pilbarra Gold/ield. IQI 



similar in character, but the second nest was placed in the middle and not at 

 the foot of a small tuft of grass, and, despite this fact, the concealment was 

 not so effective as in the present instance. 



The eggs are French-grey in ground colour, pi-ofusely dotted and dashed 

 (longitudinally, as a rule) with dark grey or dark brownish-grey, but in all 

 the eggs I found there is not much tendency towards a zone of markings. 

 The eggs are quite indistinguishable, except perhaps in being a little 

 larger, from certain varieties of those of the European Meadow Pipit. 

 A fourth nest was found, in the usual situation, by a teamster, who, 

 knowing I was searching for the eggs, with a mistaken kindness, pierced 

 them, and placed them in an ants' nest to get rid of the contents. I need 

 hardly mention the result. The wrecked shells on examination showed no 

 peculiarities in markings from the eggs before described. I only obtained 

 one young bird. Its plumage differed but little from the adult, but the 

 margins of the feathers were more rufous, and the centres rather duller in 

 tint. On comparing the series of males I obtained, I find they are easily 

 divisible into a light and dark phase of plumage. This may be due to age 

 or otherwise, but the breeding organs in all cases were in the same enlarged 

 condition. In the great heat of mid-day, Mirajra, in common with most 

 birds in the north-west of this State, seeks the shade, and my hopes were 

 often raised at flushing individuals from my very feet, but always to 

 be disappointed by finding nothing more than a few bird-droppings. 

 Probably each male has his favourite tuft for shade purposes. 



Pallid Cuckoo {CuchIus pallidus). — Most in evidence on the upper 

 Coongan, but I only obtained one egg. This was in a nest of Artanius 

 vcmistus. The proprietors had undoubtedly deserted this nest. I saw a 

 young bird, however, being fed by a pair of Ptilotis. 



Narrow-billed Bronze-Cuckoo {Chalcococcyx basalis). — The only 

 small Bronze-Cuckoo I met with. I obtained one egg in the nest of 

 Malurus assiinilis^ with one ^-gg of the foster-parents. 



COUCAL [Ceniropus pliasiaims). — A few pairs on the Coogan and some of 

 its larger tributaries. Also observed on the Taiga River, and again on the 

 de Grey. I was surprised to hear the remarkable notes issuing from a 

 clump of mangroves, in the early morning, at Condon. It cou.ld hardly have 

 been breeding there, I think. 



Pink Cockatoo {Cacatua leadbcateri). — At Condon I saw a pair of young 

 birds of this species in captivity. They had been obtained further up the 

 coast, in a range of hills a few miles inland. 



Bare-eyed Cockatoo {Cacatua ,^ymtiopis).—Ka.x&. A pair or two on 

 the upper Coongan. I think I had located a nest in a tall gum-tree. The 

 female was not sitting, so I unwillingly had to come away without getting the 



eggs- 



I heard several reports as to the abundance of white Cockatoos indifferent 

 localities, but when visited not a bird was to be seen. On the de Grey 

 I only saw a party of four. I think they were referable to the present 

 species. 



Rose-breasted Cockatoo (Galah) {Cacatua rost'kaptlla).—¥ ounA in 

 scattered pairs throughout the district. I found four nests, one of which 

 contained newly-hatched young. None of the nests was difficult of access. 

 All were in hollow gum-trees, and the bottom of the cavity was in each case 

 plentifully lined with fresh gum-leaves. A clutch appears to be five, and 

 about a fortnight elapses before the last egg is laid. 



Cockatoo-Parrakekt {Calopsittacus novcc-holln)idi(c).~rK. few pairs 

 both on the Coongan and de Grey, but i saw no signs of nesting. 



