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THE BIRDS OF THE COBBORA DISTRICT. 

 By THOMAS P. AUSTIN. 



Most of my observations of bird life have been within the boundaries of the Cobborah Estate, which 

 is a grazing property of about eight thousand acres, through the middle of which runs the Talbragar 

 River. Upon this Estate, on each side of the river, there are some very rich flats ; after leaving 

 these flats the nature of the country suddenly changes, it rather abruptly rises to a height averaging 

 about fifty feet, then it is mostly sandy country, or ironstone ridges and hills, running back for many 

 miles. Just at the western boundary ol the Estate there is another change in the country. Here, 

 on the north side of the river, rough, wild sandstone hills rise up very suddenly to a height of about 

 three hundred feet ; then on for forty miles the country is very poor, and has never been occupied. 

 It consists of rocky ridges, either of sandstone or ironstone, one after the other, with poor sandy 

 flats between. Practically the whole of this country is very heavily timbered, mostly with fine large 

 ironbarks, from which hundreds of sleepers have been cut during the last two years. Beneath these 

 trees the ground is mostly covered with thick scrub and undergrowth of various kinds ; in some parts 

 it is almost smothered with young pines ; in others wattles, bullions, blackheath, stringybark saplings, 

 and other kind of eucalyptus seedlings and suckers, which have sprung up after bush fires. Through 

 the greater part of this vast forest one could travel for miles without seeing a drop of water, and very 

 few birds ; but just outside the western boundary of the Estate in this great forest there are a few 

 small patches of country, which in a good spring arc simply alive with birds. Further than these 

 I seldom go. so my collecting area consists of about nine thousand acres, within the boundaries of which 

 I have taken the eggs of one hundred and twenty-two species, and there are another ten I have known 

 to breed here, although I have not actually taken their eggs.* I have identified another sixty species, 

 but know nothing about any of them ever having bred in the district, most of them being just casual 

 visitors. The timber on the Estate has been mostly killed, just sufficient being left growing to 

 provide plenty of shelter for the stock. Along the river there are many fine large red gums and river 

 oaks, most of the flats being lightly timbered with white and yellow box and native apple trees. 

 Away from the flats the timber is similar, with the addition of a few pines and ironbarks in places, 

 and most of the killed trees have been left standing. The following are the species of which I have 

 taken the eggs, and a few remarks about them : — 



fDromesus iiovae-hollaiidiac (Emu). — 1 am glad to be able to say that a fair number of these stately 

 birds are still to be seen here. They do no damage, and arc given every encouragement to remain 

 upon the Estate, but the scrubby ridges appear to be their stronghold, their visits to the Estate being 

 mostly during times of drought. During the winter of 1915, when the country was suffering from 

 want of rain, two broods were reared on the Estate, and in 1916 several nests containing eggs were 

 found outside. 



Lipoa ocellala (Mallee Fowd). — I regret to say that this fine bird has now entirely disappeared 

 from the district. About ten years ago I found one of their nesting mounds in course of construction. 

 When the birds appeared to have finished laying I completely enclosed it with wire netting, hoping 

 to secure the young birds, but owing to the parents not being able to get at the mound the top set 

 hard with the rain, and although the eggs incubated the young birds could not work their way out, 

 and died in the shell, as I found when I opened the nesting mound just too late. 



*Coturnix perforates (Stubble Quail). — At the time I started to write this paper I had never 

 seen a nest of this species, but on November 19th, 191 7. while driving up to a sheepyard in a motor 

 car on the Estate a bird flushed from almost beneath the car. Upon making a search I found a nest 

 containing six eggs, the wheel of the car having passed over the edge of the nest and within two inches 

 of the eggs. I left the eggs, but upon passing the nest some days later found the clutch had not been 



* These species are marked with an asterisk. 



tThe nomenclature is that of Gregory Mathews's Hand-list of 1908, 



