66 ASHBY — Tasmania!), Field Notes. 



Near Myrtle Bank in the heavy timbered country large 

 numbers of the Tasmanian Black Cockatoo, Calyptorhynclius 

 funereus a[anthanotus, Grid., were seen, their wailing cries as 

 they flew from tree top to tree top, were quite in keeping with 

 the lonely wildness of the big forest scenery. 



The next collecting was done in the neighbourhood of 

 Latrobe, North-West Tasmania. I stayed with friends 

 whose home is on the banks of the river Mersey. At early 

 dawn the flute-like whistle of the Grey Butcher Bird, Bulestes 

 torquatus cinereus, Gld., was heard, a pair having built in a tall 

 gum on the property; also the loud cry of the Native Hen, 

 Trihonyx mortieri dubius in the adjoining swamp, and one was 

 seen on the green flat just below the garden. 



Several pair of the splendid Tasmanian Yellow-throated 

 Honey Eater, Nesoptilotis flavicollis flavigula, Gld., kept up 

 their song (full melodious notes can be described as a 

 song), throughout most of the day from the saplings and 

 wattles along the river bank; but a careful search did not dis- 

 close a nest, may be it was a little too early. On donning a 

 pair of "waders", a swamp situated between the Mersey 

 proper and an old channel, now a start of backwater, was 

 explored. A number of old nests or "seats" of the Native Hen 

 were noted on little islets or large tussocks standing out of the 

 water; in only one were eggs found. Later in the day a 

 second visit was paid, and in spite of the greatest care, nq 

 sight was obtained of the bird, which must have been sitting, 

 as the eggs were quite warm ; three eggs were in the nest and 

 two floating in the water near by. At first I thought the hen 

 in hurrying off the nest must have dragged them out, but as 

 all the five eggs were badly rotten, I think a recent flood that 

 had taken place some fortnight, or nearly so, before, must 

 have drowned the eggs; in spite of their condition, fair speci- 

 mens were made of the eggs. The next day a swamp higher up 

 this old river channel was visited, and I found another nest 

 also in a tussock, containing the usual clutch :of five eggs, the 

 bird was sitting close. This nest which was made of grass 

 similar to the previous one, was exceedingly well screened 

 with the long blades of the cutting grass which arched right 

 over the nest, the birds having made a means of ingress and 

 egress both back and front of the nest, so that from which 

 ever direction the disturbance came, the sitting bird could slip 

 out by the other door. This, it was able to do so effectively, 

 that several attempts failed to reveal the bird. These eggs 



