90 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



laid bare below. This may give some idea of the steepness of 

 the hills to be negotiated. 



The first novel note was the taking the egg of the Narrow-billed 

 Bronze Cuckoo in the nest of the New Holland Honey-eater. 

 This is the first recorded instance of this particular cuckoo being 

 parasitical to a Honey-eater. A second novelty was the taking 

 eggs of the Owlet Night-jar and a nest and egg of the White- 

 throated Tree Creeper in the same hollow. It is a good plan to 

 tap hollow trees or stumps. By so doing a Night-jar was flushed 

 from a hole not many feet from the ground. An application of 

 the tomahawk soon revealed three white eggs of the Night-jar, 

 but they appeared to be resting upon a bed composed of bark, 

 moss, &c, instead of decayed matter of the tree. Further inspec- 

 tion discovered in the centre of this cosy matter, a fractured 

 specimen and the whole egg of the Tree Creeper. In colonial 

 parlance it was a prima facie case of jumping one's claim, for 

 evidently the Tree Creeper had first constructed its comfortable 

 nest in the hollow, which was afterwards appropriated and trodden 

 down by the nocturnal bird for its clutch. 



The shapely nest of the Black Fantail and the little White- 

 shafted were observed with eggs. It would have been desecration 

 to have meddled with such elegant homes, their beauty and sym- 

 metry simply defying all human art. The sun had now nearly 

 set when the resplendent crimson form of Pennant's Parrakeet 

 was detected in a box-gum. A hasty warning note from the bird 

 caused its lovely mate to emerge from the nest-hole, and with 

 undulating flight the pair crossed a valley. In the meantime it 

 was quickly ascertained that a couple of eggs reposed far below in 

 the hollow, which it was deemed prudent to leave, as darkness was 

 fast approaching and thus closing in a most enjoyable day. 



To the nests found with eggs already mentioned may be 

 added the Great Kingfisher (Jackass), Rosella Parrakeet, Red- 

 eye-browed Finch, Black-faced Grauculus, Yellow Robin and the 

 Scarlet. 



Subjoined is a full list of the birds identified : — 



Allied Harrier ... ... Circus gouldii 



Wedge-tailed Eagle 

 Brown Hawk 

 Nankeen Kestrel ... 

 Boobook Owl 

 Owlet Nightjar 

 Welcome Swallow ... 

 Great Kingfisher ... 

 Sacred Kingfisher ... 

 Wood Swallow 

 Spotted Diamond Bird 

 Grey Crow Shrike 



Aquila audax 

 Hieracidea orientalis 

 Tinnunculus cenchroides 

 Ninox boobook 

 yEgotheles novse-hollandice 

 Hirundo neoxena 

 Dacelo gigas 

 Halcyon sanctus 

 Artamus sordidus 

 Pardalotus punctatus 

 Strepera cuneicaudata 



