54 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



The Australian Swift is another scarce bird, and I only identi- 

 fied a soUtary example. This bird, one day in March (1895), came 

 and alighted on a path not ten feet from where I was working. 

 It seemed unable to balance itself on its feet, and after a second 

 or two took its departure. It is a very unusual thing for a Swift 

 to alight while on its southern tour, and this is the only occasion 

 on which I have known anything of the sort. This particular bird 

 may have been over-fatigued, and consequently dropped behind. 

 Other Swifts were passing at the time. 



The Cuckoos are interesting migrants, all four species leaving 

 as the winter comes on, but one year (1S97), I see from my notes, 

 I saw the Fan-tailed variety three times during winter — viz., second 

 week in April, early in May, and on 2 ist of June. I also observed 

 a Bronze Cuckoo the day previous to the last-mentioned date ; 

 but the winter of 1897 was a mild one, and that may account for 

 the birds remaining. I have observed both the Fan-tailed and the 

 Narrow-billed species feeding upon the caterpillars of the vine. 

 The earliest dates I have for the arrival of the Pallid Cuckoo are 

 23/8/96 and 11/8/97, and the latest date of hearing its note 15th 

 of February (1897), but I believe that for a month or six weeks 

 previous to taking its departure the Pallid Cuckoo does not 

 whistle at all. 



Musk Lorikeets came in great numbers during the Christmas of 

 1895 and destroyed a large amount of fruit. The Purple-crowned 

 variety put in an appearance in 1896, and also in 1897, and were 

 to be seen feasting among the blossoms of the Blue Gum trees. 

 During the latter year the little Purple-crowned Lorikeet was to be 

 seen from March until September. The Swift and the Little 

 Lorikeets also appeared during the same season. 



During the month of January, 1897, a party of Funeral Cocka- 

 toos paid a visit to Richmond Park. No doubt they were driven 

 from the Dandenong Ranges, or elsewhere, by the exceptional 

 bush-fires which were raging at that time. 



It is a rare thing to see the Warbling Grass Parrakeet so near 

 Melbourne, but a flock of some dozens of these pretty little birds 

 was in the Richmond Park on the i8th May, 1897. 



Several Pectoral Rails inhabit the rush-lined margin of a swampy 

 lagoon near the Yarra, and early in the month of December, 1895, 

 a nest containing eight eggs was found in some tall grass in the 

 vicinity. 



Other birds driven southward by the drought in the interior 

 were the Herons. In 1895 — the first of the dry years — the 

 Pacific Heron, the Night Heron, and the White-fronted Heron 

 came in considerable numbers about Melbourne. Some remained 

 for several weeks on the Yarra at Burnley, but since only an odd 

 specimen of each variety has been seen. 



A number of Cormorants and Duck were to be seen about the 



