4-2 LOVE — Notes on Amytornis merrottsii. 



Notes on Amytornis merrotsii. 



By J. R. B. Love. 



This bird was first discovered in July, 1912, by Mr. A. L. 

 Merrotsy, at Yudaua-mutana in the Flinders Ranges near 

 Leigh's Creek. Skins and eggs were forwarded to Mr. J. W. 

 Mel lor, who described the bird under the name it now bears. 



In January, 1913, we discovered a nest containing two 

 eggs of Amytornis merrotsii, near the Douglas Creek, East 

 of William Creek. 



In the previous July the bird seemed to be regularly nest- 

 ing at Yudana-mutana. Indeed that month is the usual 

 laying month for that district. In the following December 

 a fall of two inches of rain, followed a fortnight later by a 

 further | inch, brought about a sudden growth of green grass, 

 and a fortnight after this second fall, birds were found laying, 

 among the birds so found being Amytornis merrotsii and 

 AsJioyia lovensis. 



The bird when flushed from one bush, flew into the heart 

 of the next small bush, where it crouched, allowing of one's 

 approach to, often, within a foot, when it would flit into the 

 next bush. Frequently we almost caught these birds in our 

 hands, but, though they would wait till the hand almost 

 reached them, they flitted at the last moment. We saw the 

 bird at intervals as far North as Barrow Creek, usually among 

 the rocks and low bushes of a ridge, though at times also 

 among the low bushes of the plains. 



I forward three skins with these notes. 



Note on the Incubation Period of L eucopolius 

 ruficapillus (the ReaVcapped Dotterel). 



[By F. E. Storr.] 



A nest of the red-capped dotterel was found on bare 

 baked mud of a small dried swamp at the Grange on Decem- 

 ber 25, 1910. It then contained one egg. It was visited 

 again on January f>, 1917, when there were two eggs. On the. 

 evening of January 27, 1917, the first chick was hatched out. 

 This gives an incubation period of 33 days. When the nest 

 was visited on January 27, the egg shell was at first lying 

 beside the chick, but as we were watching it, the parent 

 returned, took the shell in its beak, and carried and placed it 

 upon the ground some fifteen or twenty yards away. 



