6 ASHBY — Birds observed on Mount Dandenong, Victoria. 



before the cock bird, followed a few yards behind by the hen, 

 ran out from under a log and continued to travel in a semi- 

 circle round me about 15 yards distant in a series of short 

 runs and rapid jerky movements: every few moments it 

 would utter its short song. Although so near it was mostly 

 ;hidden by some branch or fallen trunk. While the tail is 

 erected at an angle it was not carried erect as in Malurus. 



I did not hear the hen bird utter any note, but simply fol- 

 low the cock at a distance of a few yards. I did not see them 

 on any occasion rise into the bushes, but on several occasions 

 watched them run over fallen tree trunks. 



The Victorian Coach Whip bird (Psophodes olivaccns scrym- 

 geouri, Mat.) were very numerous in the high fern and low 

 scrub that covered the wider portion of the valley. They 

 were very tame. We had several opportunities of hearing the 

 hen finish the song of the cock: on one occasion the hen was 

 on the opposite side of the cart track to the cock. 



Although I met with Glimacteris erythrops (the red-brown 

 Tree Creeper) at this spot on the occasion of my visit three 

 years ago I was unable to identify it on this occasion. Its 

 near neighbour Glimacteris leucophaea (white-throated Tree 

 Creeper) was very numerous, owing to the lofty nature of the 

 trees upon which they search for their food it was impossible 

 to distinguish between the two species at the height above 

 the ground at which they were usually seen. Unless there 

 is some marked distinction in the notes of the two species it 

 is quite possible that G. Erythrops is not uncommon but diffi- 

 cult to locate. 



A flock of gang gang cockatoos was heard in the tops of 

 the lofty gums. Platycercus elegans and Platycerdus 

 e.rimius were both fairly common. The bronze, pallid, and 

 fnntailed cuckoos were numerous, the latter in great numbers 

 uttering its full breeding notes that are rarely heard in South 

 Australia. 



The Victorian scrub wren (Sericomis longirostris) was in 

 numbers, running about the fern like mice. One was in the 

 usual position of hunting for insects on a small tree, some 20 

 ft. from the ground. The song of the male is very pleasing, 

 but rather weak in volume. The green ruinped Shrike robin 

 (Eopsaltria austral is riridior) was nesting, one nest with young 

 was decorated with long strips of bark, but no lichen. Per- 

 haps the bird that lent most charm to the gullies was the Vic- 



