ASHBY— Birds of Pungonda. tM 



No. 322— $ . Length, 4.8 inches (15/9/86). 



Irides, greenish white. 



No. 324— 9 . Length, 4.8 inches (15/9/86). 



Irides, greenish white. 



No. 326— $ . Length, 4.8 inches (15/9/86). 



Irides, greenish white. 



These birds allow one to get quite near, and then fly off to 

 a small hush not far distant. They are always found on a 

 kind of salt bush w r hich grows near the lagoon in some 4 or 5 

 inches of water, or in the long rank grass growing out of the 

 water. They appear to feed on insects, after which they care- 

 fully look over the small bushes. 



These birds were seen flitting among some strong weedy 

 grass growing out of the water, and appear to hang therefrom 

 and peck insects off the waiter. They utter a very simple call 

 note, but no song. Females and young are easily obtained, 

 but males are rare. When disturbed they take safety in some 

 grass some 50 vards from the swamp. 



No. 355—5 . Length, 4.8 inches (25/9/86). 



No. 356— $ . Length, 4.8 inches (25/9/86). 



No. 357— $ . Length, 4.8 inches (25/9/86). 



No. 366— 9 . Length, 4.8 inches (25/9/86). 



Birds observed in the Neighbourhood of Pungonda, 

 South Australia. 



By Edwin Ashby. M.B.O.U. 



Messrs. F. E. Parsons, R.A.O.U., M. E. Saunders, 

 B.A.O.U., and the writer paid a hurried ornithological trip to 

 the Pungonda district in the second week in September last. 

 Mr. Parsons preceded us and had the tent erected in a patch 

 of pines (GalUtris) situated a few hundred yards from the 

 station or rather siding. We reached the locality after dark 

 on the 10th September. 



With the first streaks of dawn on the morning of the 11th we 

 listened to the chattering notes of the (Pomatostomus ruficeps, 

 Hartlaub), Chestnut-crowned Babbler. Some of the notes 

 were not unmusical, and their cries quite as varied, though 

 distinct, as those of the familiar White J browed Babbler. 



There was a 'large number of these birds in this clump 

 of pines, and we found them just as common in similar coun- 

 try right up to the Victorian border and for several miles 



