THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 199 



several companions, they march in single file to drink. They 

 afterwards depart, singly or in pairs, as they arrived. The question 

 as to whether they can scent water or are endowed with nocturnal 

 vision is an interesting one. I have frequently heard them arriving 

 at and departing from water as late as 9 p.m., i.e., two hours after 

 dark. During the visit of the Horn Scientific Expedition to the 

 West Macdonnell Ranges, Central Australia, a well was sunk in 

 the sand by lamplight, and it was nearly 9 o'clock when water was 

 reached, but before it was sufficiently light to shoot on the follow- 

 ing morning one of the natives accompanying the party killed a 

 Bronzewing Pigeon with a stone as it approached the well. At 

 Joanna Spring I saw as many as forty pigeons on the ground near 

 the water at one time, and as they drank they flew off for some 

 distance, and afterwards returned for another drink. It will thus 

 be noted that the flight of successive birds in a given direction 

 about sunset is a good indication of the direction in which the 

 water exists. 



10. Chestnut-eared Finch, Tceniopygia castanotis. — I suppose 

 it would be impossible to name a bird which consumes so much 

 water in proportion to its size as this finch. Wherever water was 

 found in the desert of either Central or North-West Australia these 

 birds were seen in immense flocks, and the more isolated the water 

 the more numerous the birds. I only saw one flock over 8 miles 

 from water. They were very thirsty and tired, and settled on the 

 tree under which we were having lunch, about 15 miles west of 

 Joanna Spring. The billy was boiling on the fire, and the finches 

 flew to the water casks, and, after hopping about them for some 

 minutes, returned to the tree. Immediately a pannikin of water 

 was placed on the ground they drank ravenously, and then started 

 off in the direction of a well which we afterwards found. What 

 attracted those birds to that particular tree when there were many 

 others near? It must have been either the sight of the water in 

 the billy, or the scent of the contents of the casks. 



11. Little Turtle Dove, Geopelia cuneata. — Although never 

 found far from water, these birds are so quick in their movements 

 that it is almost impossible to follow them. They do not venture 

 further from their water supply than the search for food necessitates, 

 and whilst they both feed and drink in flocks, when disturbed 

 they scatter in all directions, reassembling shortly afterwards as if 

 by pre-arrangement. However, the presence of these doves is an 

 indication that water is not far distant, and when they are seen a 

 sharp look-out generally reveals the presence of the Crested Pigeon 

 or Chestnut-eared Finch. 



12. Warbling Grass Parrakeet, Melopsittacus undulatus. — 

 The flight of large flocks of these little Parrakeets about 9 a.m. or 

 4 p.m. is also worthy of observation, as they are usually on their 

 way to water at that time, but their flight is too rapid for any 



