2l6 5/my Feathers. [,IaU 



in two or three distinct areas. Now (December-January) the 

 White-brows have almost totally disappeared from these areas, 

 and in their place the Masked species has proportionately 

 increased. Query — Should this be regarded as an accidental 

 happening, or an habitual trait ? I think the former theory 

 more probable among migratory birds such as these." After 

 the sudden influx of Wood-Swallows detailed above, the birds 

 have disappeared as suddenly as they came, and there are now 

 but few of either species to be noted hereabouts, therefore if the 

 strange locality-changing noted last summer were again going 

 on it would hardly be noticeable. I have watched closely for 

 any indication of the occurrence, but, seeing none, am convinced 

 that the happening was accidental or capricious. — A. H. 

 Chisholm. Maryborough (Vic), 1 6/1/09. 



Bronze-Cuckoos at Devonport (Tas.) — This morning 

 early, when out walking near the beach, I had the pleasure of 

 seeing two young Bronze-Cuckoos {CJialcococcyx basalts, Hors.) 

 getting their breakfast by the roadside ; things were quiet, hardly 

 anyone was about, and the number of caterpillars they extracted 

 from among the coarse herbage was surprising. They were very 

 tame, and allowed me to get so close that I could have touched 

 one with my stick ; it merely looked up at me with an expression 

 of curiosity in its bright eye. Tiie upper plumage was of a soft 

 brown colour, slightly tinged with green, the latter tint being 

 barely noticeable; under surface light grey, with just a faint 

 indication of bars on the abdomen. A whitish curved mark 

 extended from over the eye backwards and downwards towards 

 the ear. The bright rufous tint on basal two-thirds of tail was 

 very conspicuous when the bird opened its wings for flight, as 

 were the dark and white bars on the outer tail feathers. The 

 note of these young specimens was a sort of " Cheep-cheep- 

 cheep," very different from the loud, penetrating call of the 

 adult. 



The Bronze-Cuckoo is rare about Devonport ; I only 

 remember seeing one previously in the district, although the 

 Pallid {Cuailiis pallidus) and Fan-tailed {Cacomajitis flabelli- 

 formis) species are plentiful enough. As Gould surmised, this 

 species {basalis) is the one of its genus which usually visits this 

 island, but it prefers the country around Launceston to the 

 coast.— H. Stuart Dove. West Devonport (Tas.), 1/3/09. 



Dottrels' Nesting Places.— The Black-fronted Dottrel 

 {y^gialitis melanops) seldom nests away from the margins of 

 rivers, billabongs, or waterholes, but a further instance to that 

 related in The Emu, vol. vii., p. 157, has come under my notice 



