Marcli, 1907.] THB VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 195. 



Next morning most of the campers were disturbed from 

 their slumbers by the loud notes of a butcher-bird, which 

 stayed near the camp for some time. Then a wattle-bird 

 uttered his peculiar croak as he passed in pursuit of a 

 spmy-cheeked honey-eater. But the most musical birds 

 were the rufous-breasted thickhead and harmonious thrush. 



During an early morning ramble, the pallid cuckoo, 

 mountain thrush, and striated pardalote were seen, and: 

 some interesting notes taken. 



The Economic Value of some Native Birds. 

 Immediately after tea on Monday evening, Mr. G. A. 

 Keartland gave a short lecturette on the economic value 

 of some of our native birds. He said: " In addressing 

 so many of the teachers of our children, I gladly avail 

 myself of the opportunity of impressmg upon them the 

 great value of many of our insectivorous birds. We all know 

 that the ambition of the young Australian, especially in 

 the country, is to be the possessor of a gun. Having grati- 

 fied that desire, he finds it necessary to try how it shoots. 

 No matter how useful the birds may be to the farmer or 

 gardener, anything and everything with feathers is shot 

 at. Nor are boys the only wanton destroyers of bi'rd lifc 

 Some older individuals, members of gun clubs, are not 

 ashamed to boast of the number of swifts or swallows- 

 they can kill with a given amount of cartridges. Some 

 fruit-growers inflict serious injury on themselves by the 

 indiscriminate slaughter of all the small birds in their 

 orchards. The yellow-tailed tit, ringeye, blue Avren, and- 

 several other small birds are particularly fond of the 

 aphis found on apple trees. The pallid cuckoo will leave 

 all else for the vine caterpillar, Avhich is so injurious in 

 the vineyard. The harmonious thrush, robins, starlings,, 

 magpies, magpie larks, ground larks, ard several other 

 birds will follow the ploughman in search of those white 

 grubs, the larvag of the little brown cockchafer, so de- 

 structive to grain and grass plants. The common little 

 welcome swallow, which builds its mud nest in the stable, 

 renders great service in clearing the place of flies, mos- 

 quitoes, &c. Such nocturnal birds as the nightjar and 

 podargus live principally upon right moths and beetles. 

 On a moonlight evening, the owlet nightjar may be seen- 

 skimming between the apple-trees, capturing codlin moths 

 in great numbers. In fact, where these birds are nume- 

 rous, orchard insect pests are almost unknown. The 



