On my Visit to Australia. 161


NOTES ON MY VISIT TO AUSTRALIA.


By David Seth-Smith, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.


(■Continued from page 140).


During my stay in Melbourne, Mr. Archibald Campbell

very kindly arranged to take me for a delightful week-end trip

to a Station on the Penton Hills, owned by the Messrs. Brittle-

bank, two keen ornithologists of the best type who do everything

in their power to encourage and protect the wild birds.


On the 8tli of February, 1908, Mr. Campbell and I left

Melbourne by an afternoon train for Bacchus Marsh, about thirty

miles out, where we expected to meet Mr. Brittlebank and drive

out with him. However we received a message to the effect that

he had had to go into Melbourne and would be returning by the

next train. So we had some time to wait, which we turned to

account by going for a bird-observing stroll. There is a large

public park situated near to the railway station, and in this we

had ample opportunity of doing some bird-watching. We had

not gone many steps before we heard the characteristic pee-wee ,

pee-wee of the Pied Grallina or Magpie-lark, a family party of

which we soon discovered on the muddy banks of a small lake,

the water of which, on account of the drought, was very low.

There was an adult pair with three young ones, the latter

occasionally being still fed by their parents, though they were

very well able to take care of themselves. The male, with

his black face, was easily distinguished from his white-faced

mate and young. O11 our approach the entire family flew up on

to an old leafless willow stump, but as we remained still all flew

down again to the mud except the male, who kept guard on the

tree, every now and then, as he detected a movement on our

part, uttering loud cries and flapping his wings as a warning to

his family. Close at hand, as we sat on the bank of the lake, a

soft twittering came from a clump of thick bushes, which might

have been made by a party of English Gold Crests. “ Malums ”

whispered my companion, and I fixed my attention on the bush.

Soon two minute forms, with long tails held erect over their

backs, came from below the bush and hopped about quite close

to 11s on the grass, busily capturing tiny insects. Soon others



