Vol. VIII. 

 1900 



J Fletcher, Bird Notes from Cleveland, Tasmania. 211 



Water hyacinths as well as other water-weeds grow abundantly, 

 the former generally indicating a deeper pool. The brown- 

 banded snake {Hop/ocephalus curtus) is very fond of a retreat 

 amongst these reeds, and lagoon observation is hardly safe 

 unless a person is armed with a trustworthy stick. 



Native-Hen {Tribonyx mortieri). — During this past season 

 these birds seem to have speTit their time travelling backwards 

 and forwards between the Cleveland Lagoon and the South 

 Esk River, which winds its way through the country 5 miles 

 to the east. The majority of them nested at the river, but a few 

 preferred the reed-bed here. Native-Hens, I have been told, 

 are great travellers, and have been seen walking along the 

 railway line near Conara — certainly not very attractive country 

 to them. It was during the month of September last year that 

 the Tt'ibonyx became very noisy, and apparently quarrelsome. 

 Their quaint saw-sharpening and grunting noises were to be 

 heard every evening, also early in the morning. Until then 

 their presence in the lagoon would hardly have been suspected. 

 Various situations are chosen for the nests — from the centre of 

 willows to tussocks some distance from water ; from a height 

 of several feet amongst driftwood to a depression in the ground. 

 The nests are composed of grass, reeds, or herbage, and are 

 sometimes well built. Often when placed amongst reeds the 

 birds cunningly bend and twist the tops down as a protection 

 from the Harriers {Circus gouldi). My experience tends to show 

 that the Native-Hen, when building in clumps, prefers the edges 

 of tiny lakelets, with the nest entrance to the water, the woven 

 reeds partly shielding same. Both birds assist in the 

 construction of the nest. Should they be observed whilst 

 gathering material they will immediately drop it and run for 

 shelter, but if the observer remains perfectly quiet or 

 hidden, the birds will return and pick up their dropped 

 treasures. One nest I found was simply a hollow in the ground 

 amongst tall rushes. It was simply lined with a iQ\w dried 

 swamp grasses, and, judging from the egg-shells lying in the 

 nest, five or six chicks had been safely hatched. As far as 

 my observation tends, the eggs are laid every day, and the bird 

 sits as soon as the last egg is laid. I do not know if both birds 

 assist with the incubation, but both parents attend the young 

 ones. These latter are tiny black creatures, and leave the nest 

 almost immediately they are hatched. I believe it is the male 

 bird which occasionally mounts guard while the family is feeding 

 in the open. If danger threatens he gives a warning grunt, at 

 which the little ones squat, and the female bird disappears. 

 Should the warning continue the chickens run crouchingly to 

 cover. 



As a consequence of the drought Harriers (Circus gouldi) 

 congregated in greater numbers at this home lagoon, and thus 



