25C NATURE NOTES. 



In the course of my journeyings by land and water along the MurruuiLidgee 

 River during October and November in good years, 1 have travelled for miles, 

 and noticed, within vision the whole time, families consisting of the parents and 

 their brood varying from 2 to 18, black, wood, teal, zebra, and other varieties of 

 wild ducks. On one occasion (1018) near IJringagee, a pair of black ducks made 

 their nest within 50 yards of my permanent camp (5 tents), brought out 15 

 ducklings, and lived, during the remainder of my stay — about three weeks — 



feeding in the 11 1 waters round the camp, and even landing at the water's edge 



within 20 feet of my tent. 



This season, 1919-20, there are very few young ducks to be seen in Riverina — 

 1 have travelled over 2000 miles of this part of N.S.W. during October. Novem- 

 ber, 1919, and January and February, 1020, and only saw one brood of ducklings, 

 5 in number, on Colligen ('reek near Deniliquin. — H. K. Anderson Manly. 



Fearless Honeyeater.— One Sunday in June, while walking through some 

 bush between Gordon and Middle Harbour, I noticed a White-eared Honeyeater 

 (Ptilotis leucotis) almost at my feet. Thinking that 1 had Hushed the bird Crom 

 a nest, 1 looked about tor this structure, but could see no sign of it. On again 

 turning my attention to the bird, I realised, from the way it was eyeing my 

 trousers, that it had designs on me. When I stood still, it Hew at my knees, ami 

 picked at tlie surface of the tweed. The latter was rather closely woven, and the 

 Mid did not succeed in extracting any fibres, and darted back to the bush from 

 which it had come, a couple of feet away. 1 gently pulled up a trouser leg, ami 

 exposed a very shaggy woollen sock, upon which it immediately focussed its at- 

 tention. With scarcely any hesitation it flew on to the top of my boot, and pecked 

 away for several minutes, until it had gathered a good mouthful id' wool, when it 

 flew off to where it was lining its nest, some two hundred yards away. 1 seat id 

 myself on a log some ten feet off. to await its return. In a few minutes it re- 

 turned to the same bush from which it had commenced operations, and seemed 

 puzzled not to find me there. It soon saw me, however, and flew across, but 

 was apparently not quite reassured, and returned to the original bush once more 

 It soon returned, and flew to the sleeve of my rough sports coat, working its way 

 thence to my shoulder, upon which it stood for some time, busily tugging out 

 fibres one at a time. 



These birds have in the past sadly worried my small dog during the nesting- 

 season, but they have not previously attempted to pluck me. — L. Harrison, 

 Gordon . 



