THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 197 



found in this district. The Western Scarlet-breasted Robins, 

 Petroeca camphelli, were often seen and their musical note heard ; 

 also the Red-capped Robins, Petroeca goodenovii, and Hooded 

 Robins, P. bicolor, and nests of all kinds were found. The 

 Western Fly-eater, Pseudogerygone cidicivora, was common, and 

 its curious descending slowly-uttered notes often heard, but their 

 nests were difficult to find, being well hidden. As in Victoria, 

 Wrens were frequently to be observed restlessly hopping 

 about among the herbage near the ground. The blue and 

 black plumage of the male was very striking. We noticed 

 three varieties — in the sandy country near Perth, the Banded 

 Wren, Malurus splendens ; in the gullies of the Darling Ranges, the 

 Red-winged Wren, M. elegans ; and further north, near the coast, 

 the Blue-breasted Wren, M. pulcherrimus. I found the nest and 

 eggs of the two former. The lively Western Fantail, Rhijndura 

 preissi, was plentiful in places ; they seem to build their nests 

 very high up, and generally on such thin boughs that they are 

 most difficult to obtain, consequently you rarely see their eggs in 

 local collections. Their note is very similar to the Victorian 

 species. 



On one hot day at Katanning I was passing a small bush and 

 noticed a Chestnut-backed Balabling Thrush, Ginclosoma castano- 

 notum, under it enjoying the shade, and although as a rule 

 these birds are shy this one kept on the far side of the bush as 

 I moved round it. I put my hand within a foot of it through 

 the bush before it flew away. The Babblers, Pomatorhinus 

 superciliosus, seem to have the habit of building several nests in 

 the same neighbourhood, but only laying in one, and I found a 

 nest containing three young ones, and close by three other new 

 nests ; possibly they use them for roosting in at night. The 

 beautiful cheery note of the Collared Butcher-bird, Gracticus 

 destructor, was occasionally heard, and on one occasion it was 

 noticed, apparently in conjunction with a hawk, hunting an 

 unfortunate Dusky Minah, Manorhina ohscura. When the bird 

 took refuge in a bush the Butcher-bird hunted it out, and then 

 the hawk, which was circling above, swooped down on it, and 

 the bird had to dodge the hawk and make for another bush as 

 best it could, only to be turned out again by the Butcher-bird. 

 They soon passed out of sight, and I do not know which bird 

 secured the Minah. Near Katanning I heard the beautiful notes 

 of the Bell-bird, Oreoica cristata, which seem to be very 

 local in their habits ; they are occasionally seen on the ground, but 

 mostly high up in the larger eucalyptus trees, though their 

 nests are generally close to the ground, frequently on the top of a 

 eucalyptus stump, perhaps only a foot or so high, which is 

 well covered with young shoots ; their eggs are very pret- 

 tily marked, and are very similar to those of the CoUyrio- 



