THE BIRDS OF THE COBBORA DISTRICT. 1?5 



Orioltis Sagittarius (Oriole).- Not by any moans a common species, but there are usually a lew 

 i>i them scattered about the district during the spring, often coming into my garden when the grapes 

 are ripe. Excepting when breeding, they e,o about singly. I have only found three of their nests, 

 each of which contained three eggs. 



Coront australis (Raven). — This well-known species is numerous at all times throughout the 

 district, but is more frequently met with in the opsn country, although they often resort u> the iron- 

 bark ranges to breed, usually choosing a very large tree in which to place their nest, and, il their eggs 

 are destroyed, they will often lay another clutch in the same nest within a lew days. The earliest 

 date 1 have taken their eggs is July 7th, and the latest October 14th the latter probably being a 

 laying Most o) them lay during July and August, ami the clutch is generally lour or five, 

 but it is no unusual thing to find six. During droughts, when sheep are in very low condition, also 

 in the lambing season, these birds do a great amount of damage ; stockowners, as a rule, do all they 

 can to destroy them, which is no easy matter. When poor sheep get down, they are almost immedi- 

 ately attacked b\ these birds, firstly pecking out an eye. or both, from which treatment 1 have never 

 known a sheep to recovei ; whether this is owing to the fact that the raven, being a carrion feeder, 

 uises blood poisoning, remains to be proved. Few people have a good word to say lor them, and 

 nobody ever lads to try and shoot a raven ii the opportunity arises. But, excepting during droughts 

 and the lambing season, they do little damage, the worst probably being the taking of chickens, young 

 turkeys, and eggs, at which they air experts, and their depredations in the fowl yard ar< only too well 

 known to most people living in the country districts where ravens abound. The bird is therefore 

 condemned bv most people as a curse to the country, and probably not without reason ; but, on the 

 other hand, it has much in its favour, so 1 will now mention some ol its good traits. The bird being a 

 scavenger cleans up a vast amount of offal and carcases of dead animals, destroying thousands of 

 noxious insects, maggots, and even blow -flics themselves, head stock and rabbits, etc., are so de 

 stroyed that nothing but skin and bene remains, and the maggots an destroyed that would otherwise 

 have entered the ground and escaped to eventually do their damage in turn later on. I consider that 

 the raven is our best natural enemy of the blow-fly, and is also a most effective enemy of grasshoppers 

 in certain stages. While there is no question as to the damage dore in some districts to ewes and 

 lambs in bad seasons, at other times of the year it is a friend in disguise ; so, if it would only leave 

 the sheep alone, it would be one of our most useful birds. 



Sfrepera graculina (Pied Crow Shrike). — Some years during the winter small flocks of this 

 species will arrive, though most of them never stay long, but there are always a few pairs of birds in 

 the district. They breed here, but very sparingly ; 1 have only found four nests containing eggs. 

 and six with young birds. They usually place their nest near the extreme end of a long, thin 

 horizontal branch, high up in a large tree. The eggs 1 have taken here show very little variation. 



Struthidea cinerea (Apostle Bird). — A very common bird on the estate, but 1 have never found 

 them entering far into the ranges. They prefer the more open forests where there are clumps of pine 

 trees, in which many of them construct their nests, usually laying four eggs for a sitting, but 1 have 

 found as many as seven. I have taken their eggs from September 5th up till November 5th. 

 1 Have never yet seen a single bird with white eyes, and I have searched flock after flock with field 

 glasses. 



Corcorax melanorhamphus (Chough). — A very common species throughout the district, but more 

 especially in the more open forests. They breed here in great numbers. During 1908 f made a 

 special study of their eggs, f examined no less than twenty-seven clutches, and they ranged from 

 three to eight, but I found in every case where there were more than five eggs in a nest they were 

 of two distinct types, but where there were five or less I am quite satisfied they were laid by 

 the same female. They start breeding early, most of them laying during August, but 1 have taken 

 eggs as late as December qth. 



