70 The VICTORIAN naturalist. 



THE BIRDS OF MELTON. 



By G. a. Keartland. 



{Read b(f ore the Field Nahiralists' Club of Victo?-ia, 14th Jan., iS8g.) 



I HAVE tried nearly every district around Melbourne which can be 

 visited in one day for birds, and often return without noting any but 

 the most commonplace kinds. It was therefore extremely gratifying 

 to me, that, when I decided to devote my attention to Melton, I 

 ascertained from the station-master that I would see nothing 

 unless I went down the creek and along the Werribee River. He 

 said everybody went that way. I mildly suggested that I would 

 try a north-west course, when he told me to " Please yourself, 

 but nobody ever goes that way." This was just what I wanted, 

 and I pleased myself. On crossing the railway line I had scarcely 

 entered the timber before three little Red-rumped Parrakeets 

 came overhead, but were soon lost to view. The next object of 

 interest was a White-eyed Crow's nest in a tall box tree. Passing 

 behind the racecourse, a fine hunting ground is met with. Plenty 

 of tall box trees, many of which are rung, sheoak, wattle, ti-tree, 

 and scrub, with large quantities of dead wood on the ground. 

 This patch swarms with insectivorous birds, and they all seemed 

 extremely sociable except the Southern Stone Plover. Tree- 

 creepers often travelled up the trunk of a tree close to my side. 

 Here the funny antics of the Pomatostomus had scarcely engaged 

 my attention when a White-shouldered Campephaga commenced 

 a short dispute with a White-throated Thickhead. 



A Black-cheeked Falcon next flashed through the scrub, and 

 then the place seemed suddenly alive with birds, many of which I 

 had not previously noted in the district. Whether they were 

 afraid of the hawk, or expressing joy at seeing him fall a victim to 

 ray gun, I cannot say, but for some minutes it was quite perplex- 

 ing which way to look. The Garrulous Honeyeater was, of 

 course, loudest in his notes, while the little White-shafted Fantail 

 was most energetic in fluttering around me, often within a yard of 

 my face. Standing on a limb close b)', with his eyes wide open, 

 was an old Podargus staring at me as though I was an intruder in 

 his domain. Then as I walked forward the pretty Spotted-sided 

 Finch, with his showy tail, flew off in company with the Red-eye- 

 browed Finch. On the margin of the timber the Sordid Wood- 

 swallow flew about in company with his cousin the White-eye- 

 browed Wood-swallow. I mention this, as I have never seen 

 these two birds in company before, the first-named being a 

 permanent resident with us, while the latter is only an occasional 

 visitor. On emerging into the open country I saw a large female 

 Goshawk perched on a tree, and, in endeavouring to approach it, 

 I disturbed a fine pair of Chestnut-coloured Sheldrakes which 

 were feeding near the fence. In the open country several flocks 



