oh his Visit to Australia.



163


into a region of birds innumerable. Wood-swallows sat above us

011 the trees or hawked around for insects. Tiny Spotted Parda-

lotes (Pardalolus punclatus) were busy searching the leaves of the

gum-trees for insects. Rosella Parrakeets ( Platycercus eximius')

were numerous, and below, in the creek, we heard the notes of

Pennants (P. elegans.) The very merry note of the White-

throated Thickhead ( Pachycephala gutlziralis') was constantly

heard and the bird seen. The charming little Blue Wren was

common enough, many males being seen in full plumage, but

these were often solitary, while at times a whole party would be

met with, all females or young males, or adult males in undress

plumage. With the aid of field-glasses the sexes can easily be

distinguished when in undress plumage, as the males retain the

bluish tail and have no reddish skin round the eye, a character

possessed by the females. I11 the creek we met with the Grey or

melodious Shrike-thrush ( Collyriocincla hartno?tica), one of the

best songsters in the Australian bush. Several Pennant Parra¬

keets were seen, and I watched them for some minutes through

my field glasses as they fed on the seeds of various Wattle bushes.

Most of these were in immature plumage of green, splashed with

crimson.


A little bird that was quite common there was the White-

shafted Fan-tail, a charming and tame little grey flycatcher with

a conspicuous white eye-stripe. Another tame species which

was common here was the Yellow-breasted Robin ( Eopsaltria

australis ), somewhat larger than our red-breast, but quite as tame ;

a brownish bird with a pale yellow breast. We stayed here but a

short while as we had arranged for a long ramble after breakfast.


On our return up the banks of the Creek we listened to the

coo of the Bronze-winged Pigeon ( Phaps chalcoptera'), and saw

the little Red-browed Finch (AEgintha temporalis ), well-known to

aviculturists at home by the erroneous name of “ Sydney Wax-

bill.” Honey-eaters of some half-a-dozen species were identified,

thanks to my having as a companion one of the very best of

Australian field ornithologists.


Furnished with the very important billy can, and pro¬

visions for our lunch, camera, and field glasses, the Messrs.

Brittlebank, Mr. Campbell and I set out early in the forenoon for



