Il6 THE BIRDS OF THE COBBORA DISTRICT. 



and a flock of about fifty will do great damage to it in a few days. 1 have only taken three sets 

 of their eggs, and climbed to three other nests containing young birds. They lay from two to three 

 eggs during the months of September and October, but in my collection I have a clutch of four taken 

 in Queensland. 



Calopsittacus novae-hollandiae (Cockatoo Parrakeet). — The arrival and departure of this species is 

 very erratic ; sometimes large flocks of them will suddenly put in an appearance, only to disappear 

 again within a few days, while other seasons they will remain throughout the year and breed here. 

 Their nests containing eggs are rather difficult to find. I have only taken their eggs twice, both of 

 which were clutches of four, but I have known of larger broods of young birds. 



*Ptistes erythropterus (Crimson-winged Lory). — Extremely rare in this district ; I have only seen 

 three birds, but I know of one nest having been found. 



Platycercus eximius (Rosella). — A very common species on the Estate and a great nuisance in 

 the orchard while the fruit is ripe, destroying great numbers of quinces, peaches and pears. They 

 breed here freely, mostly laying during October, and the clutch is generally from six to eight for a 

 sitting. I have never taken more than the latter number. 



Barnardius barnardi (Mallee Parrakeet). — A rare species here, only met with in pairs or small 

 flocks of from four to half a dozen birds. I have only found one nest which contained five eggs. 



*Psephotus haematorrhous (Crimson-bellied Parrakeet). — A very rare species here, but not many 

 miles away they are very common. I have only known of one nest in this district from which young 

 birds were taken and reared. Their nests are very difficult to find ; it is almost impossible to flush a 

 sitting female from the hollow, but she always comes out towards evening to be fed by the male, 

 and to watch for her appearance is the only way to find a nest containing eggs. 



Psephotus haematonolus (Red-backed Parrakeet). — One of the most common birds of the district. 

 They are to be met with in pairs or small flocks anywhere in the more open country, but sometimes 

 during the winter they congregate in large flocks. Later on during the early part of the breeding 

 season it is no uncommon thing to see a number of males together, forming a sort of bachelors' club. 

 When nesting they become very quarrelsome, fighting with any others that happen to enter the tree 

 containing the nesting hollow. The female solely performs the task of incubation, but is fed by the 

 male, for which purpose she leaves the nest, and keeps up a peculiar chattering noise while being 

 fed, similar to young birds. They breed here very freely, usually commencing during September, and 

 most of the nests contain young birds by the end of October. I have examined a great many of 

 their nests, some of which have been in low\hollow stumps, the eggs resting upon the ground, while 

 others have been in hollows in trees as much as sixty feet from the ground. They usually lay from 

 four to six eggs for a sitting, but I have taken clutches of seven and eight. 



Melopsittacus undulatus (Warbling Grass Parrakeet). — Some years they appear here in the spring 

 when the grass seeds are ripening, in flocks of thousands. They soon commence to pair off and breed, 

 often using a tiny hollow, so small within that it is impossible for them to rear their whole brood, 

 consequently many of the young birds are smothered in the nests as they increase in size. Some 

 years they breed very late, practically all of them laying in December, but I have never found eggs 

 here before the middle of November. They lay from five to seven eggs, but appear to differ from 

 most birds in the time they take to lay the whole clutch. In sets of seven the first egg laid is almost 

 hatched by the time the clutch is complete ; therefore the eggs are in all stages of incubation, showing 

 that there must be an interval of some days between the laying of each egg. 



Podargus strigoides (Tawny Frogmouth). — A very rare species here. During my seventeen 

 years' residence in this district I have only seen four pairs of them, all of which were breeding. On 

 the morning of May 3rd, 191 5, I found a freshly-killed bird in my garden ; from the appearance of the 

 ground and the numbers of feathers scattered about I think it had lost its life in a fight ; it had not 

 been destroyed by any animal, because the skin was not in any way damaged. 



