l6 THE WOMBAT. 



The next sub-order of coraciform birds to share our 

 attention is that of the kingfishers. The azure kingfisher was 

 noted amongst picturesque surroundings on the headwaters 

 of the Coliban, and along the creeks which rise near the foot 

 of Mt. Alexander. Halcyon sanctus was first noted about the 

 end of October ; our old friend the great brown kingfisher 

 frequently helped to wake us in the morning with his well- 

 known cacchinations. 



The order Picarice, represented here by the interesting 

 family of cuckoos, next claims our attention. These are 

 our first spring visitants from northern parts ; the fantail 

 (C. flabelliformis) put in its appearance late in July, but early 

 in the following month the piping call of the Pallid was to be 

 heard from the tree tops everywhere ; later still the two 

 bronze cuckoos came to induce, or rather compel, the acan- 

 thizae and other small birds to rear another generation of 

 cuckoos. 



Next in succession come the Psittaci, one of the most 

 important orders in the Australian region. The Lorikeets 

 head the list, and were well represented by that beautiful 

 example, the blue mountain parrot, as it is usually called, 

 which was found in company with the musk and little 

 lorikeets, feeding on the honey-laden flowers of the eucalypts, 

 which constitute the greater parts of the scrubs in this part. 

 The swift-flying lorikeet, which has similar habits, was also 

 observed once in the streets of Bendigo in company with the 

 two last-mentioned birds and small honeyeaters, such as 

 Ptiloth ornata, peuicillata, and others. The musk lorikeet 

 was observed breeding in the district, near Sutton Grange, on 

 the ist September. 



Along the Murray and the creeks running into it, many 

 sulphur-crested and rose-breasted cockatoos were met with. 

 The latter were repeatedly seen also farther south. I have 

 since heard that they breed-along the Campaspe at Elmore. 

 The graceful little cockatoo-parrakeet was seen in flocks 

 feeding on the ground near Gunbower Creek in the north, 

 and last year was met with near Elmore. In the Kerang 

 district, Barnard's parrakeet (Barnardius barnardi) was 

 frequently seen ; this bird does not seem to live very far from 

 the mallee, and is to be found just south of this belt of scrub 

 all along, from a few miles east of Kerang to South Australia. 

 It is also found in New South Wales, but does not go far 

 north. 



The genus of broad-tailed parrakeets was represented by 

 the well-known rosella throughout the district, and along the 

 Murray by a closely allied species— P. flaveolus — which, 

 however, is not found far from the river. 



One of the commonest roadside birds everywhere in the 

 district where conditions suited it, was the little red-rumped 

 grass parakeet (Psepliotus hcematonotus), the brightly tinted 



