1426 Australian Natural History. 



Society has requested him to furnish them with it, that they may 

 analyze it. My specimen was a female, and wants the strong nail or 

 spine on the hind legs. There are none to be found so low down on 

 the Hunter's River, as I live, for the sea affects the river. It is rather 

 difficult to procure a specimen ; when wounded it sinks : snares and 

 nets are the best methods of procuring the animal. 



The Wild Dog is the scourge of the flocks ; they are black or red, 

 and do not bark, but howl in a most dismal manner, and ever shun 

 the face of man, whose presence is alone sufficient to put them 

 to flight, even though fastened on their prey. There is a great dislike 

 to them by their domesticated brethren of the canine race. 



The wild parts of the country are fast becoming tenanted by 

 herds of wild cattle, originating from some few escaped from the 

 herdsmen. 



One of the few, if not the only bird, which is fond of the haunts of 

 man, is a pretty little Swallow. Though many birds are to be seen 

 close around our dwelling, this small bird is more bold than all others, 

 exceeding its English relative in tameness ; it is not satisfied with the 

 eaves of our houses, but brings its little pellets even into the houses 

 themselves, and commences its nest upon some previously surveyed 

 beam or rafter of our rooms, performing its task for a few hours in the 

 morning. When the walls of its nest are completed, it warmly lines it 

 with feathers, and during the whole time of its operations it displays 

 an utter fearlessness of the tenants of the room it has chosen. It be- 

 gins to build in the last week of July or beginning of August, by the 

 end of which month the young ones appear. The eggs are white, 

 spotted with red, and generally four in number. The female is 

 scarcely different in plumage save being more dusky ; they are lively 

 birds, and in habit strongly resemble the English house-swallow, which 

 also it somewhat resembles in plumage. Its back and head are pur- 

 ple, wings and tail black, front, throat, and breast reddish, belly and 

 vent ash-colour, wings long, and strongly forked tail. In pursuit of 

 its food, in flying high or low, in fine or bad weather, or before it, it 

 also resembles the English species. Though the bird is more abun- 

 dant in the warm months, it never altogether leaves us. The whole 

 length is about five, or five and a half inches. 



At this season (August) all our smaller birds are beginning to build 

 their nests and may be seen hurrying to the favoured bough with stick, 

 straw, or feather, as their wants require. The Magpies, of late so 

 troublesome to our maize crops (their associates the cockatoos and 

 king parrots have left us) are now making up for their misconduct, and 



