210 



Campbell, Camp-Oiit on Phillip Island. [isf April 



from the surface of the ground, scattered throughout the 

 herbage, apparently through the " glut," there being no time or 

 room to deposit them in the burrows. The last season, as late as 

 the 5th December, two parties gathered 200 freshly deposited 

 eggs from the surface of the various rookeries. 



(5) Egging-parties were coming and going all the egging 

 season, but a week's observation proved that at no time were 

 more than 15 boats present, or about 70 persons camped 

 ashore. 



(6.) It is recommended that campers pay a nominal fee, as 

 those do on the shores of Port Phillip Bay, or that a small toll 

 per dozen be levied on the eggs or birds collected. 



(7.) It is also recommended that dogs shall not be permitted 

 to accompany egging or birding parties on the rookeries. 



Note. — So far as the Cape is concerned, there appears to be 

 little or no " birding" performed during the autumn. 



Bird Notes from Cleveland^ Tasmania. 



By (Miss) J. A. Fletcher. 

 Part I. 

 As far as Tasmania was concerned, 1908 proved one of the 

 driest years on record, and, as many places in the island did not 

 receive their usual winter soaking, the drought was severely felt 

 as summer approached. In this particular district of the 

 Tasmanian midlands, which ranges from 600 to 700 feet in 

 altitude, a succession of heavy frosts was experienced, while 

 during the preceding year only a week's severe frost was 

 chronicled. 



Owing to the absence of the usual winter and spring rains 

 several small lagoons dried up, consequently some of the water- 

 fowl retreated to the larger ones, while others, such as the Native- 

 Hen {Tribonyx moj'tieri) and the Black Duck {Anas superciliosa) 

 made the South Esk River their headquarters. Still, in spite 

 of the fact that the nesting season seemed to be somewhat 

 erratic, many notes were made which may prove interesting. 

 These lagoons are basin-like depressions, and as they are not fed 

 by any creek, drainage from the surrounding hills must find its 

 way by soakage to them. Unlike many of the Southern lagoons, 

 the bottom of these, though muddy, is fairly firm, while in many 

 parts the water, owing, I suppose, to decaying vegetable matter, 

 is very irritating to the skin. Three species of reeds grow in 

 these watery depressions — the ordinary brown, flat reed on the 

 edges and in the shallower waters ; a round, green, shorter one 

 in the deeper parts ; and amongst this latter rise clumps of a 

 rush often exceeding 6 feet in height. These latter are the 

 favourite nesting haunts of the Musk-Duck {Bhiura lobata). 



