HO THE BIRDS OF THE COBBORA DISTRICT. 



increased, and the eggs were quite cold. When I came to this district first. 17 years ago, I often saw 

 young birds while cutting the crops, but from 1905 till 191 5 I did not see two dozen birds. During 

 that period we did not once have a good spring, but this year and last year have been the two best 

 I have known here, and there are a fair number of Stubble Quail about, and I have seen several 

 broods of their young. 



*Synoecus australis (Brown Quail). — A rather rare species here ; only a few coveys of them 

 are found on the Estate, mostly along the banks of the river, where 1 have seen young birds. 



Turnix varia (Painted Quail). — The first time I actually identified this species as being found 

 in this district was on June 22nd, 1917, when I shot a pair. Since then they have been very numerous 

 in suitable country, both on the Estate and out on the scrubby ridges. My dogs have found a great 

 number of young birds, more especially when only a few days out of the shell, but strange to say I 

 have only seen one nest containing eggs. They evidently have a long breeding season, and start 

 very early. I caught young birds almost able to fly in August, 191 7, and they were still breeding 

 in November, because I saw very young birds on the 13th of that month. 



Turnix velox (Little Quail). — Being a nomadic species, it only puts in an appearance here 111 

 good seasons, arriving sometimes in great numbers early in the spring, but they are all gone again 

 by the end of March. They are late breeders. I have seen neither eggs nor young birds before 

 November. One habit they sometimes have here when nesting, which I have not seen recorded 

 before, is building a very substantial dome-shaped nest, and placed under the side of a small fallen 

 dead tree trunk, somewhat resembling a roughly made nest of the Little Field Wren. The eggs are 

 scarcely visible viewed directly from above. 



Geopelia placida (Peaceful Dove). — A permanent resident, but some years much more numerous 

 than others, more especially so in the spring. I have never seen them in such great numbers as 

 during the spring of 191 7. I have found them breeding from early in September till the middle of 

 January, and their nests have been placed from six to sixty feet from the ground. 



Geopelia cuneata (Little Turtle Dove). — I first saw this species here on 1st October, 1917 ; since 

 then they have been rather plentiful, but only in the thickly-timbered country. I have only found 

 one nest, which was placed in a stringybark sapling, about five feet from the ground, and although 

 the eggs were in a very advanced state of incubation the sitting bird was very shy, and I hail to hide 

 in a bush near the nesting tree awaiting the return of the bird to enable me to get close enough to 

 identify the species. This seemed rather strange, because when not nesting they are very tame. 



Phaps ckalcoptera (Bronzewing Pigeon). — A permanent resident, but like many other species 

 found here it is much more numerous some years than others. During the summer they come to 

 the river and waterholes to drink every evening about sunset, or even much later. They are very 

 erratic in their breeding habits. I have found their nests from within a few feet from the ground 

 to over sixty feet up, and have taken their eggs from the first week in September to the first week 

 in March. As an edible bird in this district they are scarcely worth shooting. They mostly feed 

 upon the wattle seeds, which appear to make them very tough and give them rather a disagreeable 

 flavour. 



Hypot&nidia philippensis (Pectoral Rail). — A very rare bird in this district. I have only 

 known them to breed here upon two occasions ; one nest with five eggs was found while cutting a 

 crop ; another pair bred at a dam only about a hundred yards from my house, where they reared 

 their young. When first hatched they were clothed in black down, and had the habit of bobbing 

 their tails, like some of the Water Hens. 



*Poranza palustris (Little Crake). — A very rare species here, but a few of them turned up during 

 the winter of 191 3, and bred at a lagoon just in front of my woolshed, but I did not know they wore 

 there until they had finished breeding. I then found several of their nests from which the young 

 had lately gone, pieces of eggshells being in the nests. 



