52 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



P, melanoleucus . 

 P. strictocephalus 

 Anas superciliosa . 

 Spatula rhynchotis 

 Biziura lobata 



Little Cormorant 

 Little Black Cormorant 

 Black Duck 

 Shoveller 

 Musk Duck 



The Black Falcon is a scarce bird, and a very rare visitor to the 

 southern part of our colony. I saw only one specimen. My 

 attention was directed to this bird by the unusually large and 

 noisy congregation of Indian Minahs, Magpie Larks, and White- 

 plumed Honey-eaters in some trees near the river. On reaching 

 the bank I saw the Falcon in a small willow bush near the water's 

 edge. It did not seem at all pleased with the attention the other 

 birds paid it, but there was no mistaking its identity. It was a 

 mature specimen, with bright yellowish bill and legs showing well 

 against its black plumage. 



The Black-shouldered Kite is also a rare visitant, but the Black- 

 cheeked Falcon, the Goshawk, and the Sparrowhawk are to be 

 seen during the late summer and autumn months of almost every 

 year. 



One season (1897) a Brown Hawk stayed in the vicinity of the 

 Horticultural School for nearly three months — February, March, 

 and April — and kept all other birds in terror. The hawk was 

 worth all the guns, nets, and scarecrows in that institution, for the 

 Minahs (Indian), instead of destroying the fruit on the fruit trees, 

 as they are accustomed, seemed to spend nearly all their time 

 flying about in flocks and keeping this hawk in sight. One after- 

 noon I saw this same hawk catch a Cicada or Locust in mid-air, 

 and while soaring round proceed to eat it from its claws. 



Several Boobook Owls have for years been living in the flower 

 garden, and woe betide them if the White-plumed Honey-eaters 

 find them out during the daytime in the thick trees or shrubs in 

 which they sleep. One day I caught a specimen, and after keep- 

 ing it for two days in a cage restored it to freedom. 



The Flame-breasted Robin is first seen in the Richmond Park 

 during the last few days of March or in the beginning of April. 

 They generally arrived shortly after the very windy weather that 

 usually comes about that time of year. One note I have for 

 8th of June, 1897, which was very windy, shows that a flock of 

 probably not less than 200 birds arrived, and passed on after 

 a few hours. There was not a Red-breasted one among 

 them. The Flame Robin leaves again for its breeding grounds 

 during the latter part of August, and by the first week in Septem- 

 ber all have disappeared. The Scarlet - breasted variety is 

 occasionally to be seen during the winter months. 



The Rufous Fantail was seen on two occasions — in the late 

 spring of 1896, and again in 1897. The birds were evidently on 

 their migratory journey to the cool gullies of the ranges. 



