THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 155 
danger is lurking about, on the slightest intimation of it, the 
watchers give the alarm cry, which is at once responded to by the 
whole flock taking flight. Another curious fact in connection with 
the sentries, is, that they are relieved at intervals by fresh birds 
from the main body, who take up the watch, while the others go to 
feed. 
On a certain occasion, I satisfied myself that if these birds settle 
down with danger in their midst, unknown to them, they do not 
seek for it there. This day I was lying in wait under a thick bush, 
within shot of a tall gum-tree, that they used to perch upon before 
visiting an adjacent oat paddock. Having waited a little time, 
they came soaring up the creek, near enough for me to secure one 
with each barrel, but I wanted more than that. They pitched in 
the paddock, about 160 yards away in a straight line from where I 
was concealed. Sentries were set as usual, on trees near enough to 
be reached with a wire cartridge. Having reflected a while, L 
resolved to effect a sneak upon the main body. From the nature 
of the ground, I was compelled to adopt a devious course to reach 
my quarry. To commence, I had to go down a grassy bank for 
about thirty yards. The herbage, though fairly long, was not 
sufficiently high to screen me from the sentinels, and if I slid down 
on my back as I proposed, I should be in full view of those feeding. 
However, I had little fear, as [ knew they were too busy to 
notice me. Holding the gun close to my body, and lying on my 
back, I “snaked” rayself feet foremost down to the creek, where 
there was a capital fringe of bushes, and shallow water for wading. 
Here I was out of view of all parties, so, removing my boots and 
socks, I travelled noiselessly up stream. "Presently the cover began 
to get thinner, as I caught occasional ghmpses of the watchers, and 
at last ceased altogether. Having accurately marked the place 
where the birds were feeding, I ne I had some distance yet to go, 
even to get a long shot. In front of me wasa nearly perpendicular 
bank just about breast high, cut away by the floods, and in full 
view of the sentries in the backwoods above. There was only one 
way of getting over the intervening twenty or thirty yards, and that 
was to © flatten” myself along the bank in sight of the watchers, 
this I managed successfully, “and getting a good shot, secured six 
birds. Tiana the foregoing, I think it is mien that the sentries 
direct their vision to the outer part of the circle they are set to watch 
over, otherwise it would have been an utter 
impossibility for me to 
have circumvented them. 
Another very striking action on the part of the white cockatoo, 
is the sending out cf scouts for the purpose of investigating the 
food supply of a district. Persons like myself, who have spent the 
whole of their days in the bush, and possess some powers of 
