260 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



came tumbling out of each ; they had been tightly coiled up 

 inside, and, when suddenly disturbed by the smashing of the 

 nest, rolled down the sloping foot of the cliff still coiled. Each 

 Snake contained two or three unfortunate Martins. I may men- 

 tion that one very hot day last summer I went to have my dinner 

 in a large cave in the range. Water drips from the roof, and we 

 have a hole hollowed out below large enough to dip a pannikin 

 in to catch the drip. Seeing no water, I foolishly thrust my hand 

 in the hole, and felt a large Snake. After a great deal of poking 

 it was induced to come out, and was killed. It was nearly five 

 feet in length, and, on being cut open, was found to contain four 

 Chestnut-eared Finches, fallen victims to their insatiable thirst. 

 These little birds frequently build their iiimsy grass-nests in the 

 bottom part of larger nests, especially Hawks' and Eagles'. 



Shot four Freckled Ducks {Stictonetta ncevosa) on July 21st, 

 a species which, as far as I know, has not been recorded from this 

 district. They were fat and remarkably good eating. Plumed 

 Whistling Ducks were in great numbers this year, and I secured 

 specimens of Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis) and Pied Goose 

 (Anseranas semipalmata) . 



On Oct. 24th I found an egg of the Long-billed Stone Plover 

 (Esacus viagnirostris) laid on the summit of a high shingly ridge on 

 the beach towards the N.W. Cape. There was no nest whatever. I 

 took the egg (which resembled that of a Caspian Tern in colour and 

 size, but was blunter at the small end), and, watching the bird half 

 an hour later through my binoculars, saw it cautiously return to 

 where it had laid, and seat itself in the empty nesting-site. In a 

 few seconds, however, it seemed to realize its loss, and, rising, 

 ran down the ridge to its mate. A pair or two of these birds are 

 always at that particular spot, where the reef comes in to the 

 beach, which is formed of coarse shingle and shell, with broken 

 surf. I have seen odd birds south of there, but never so far as 

 here. Noted a Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides), Oct. 

 80th, sitting on two fresh eggs in a mallee tree, about ten feet 

 from the ground. The nest was absurdly small and slight. The 

 bird sat motionless in an upright position, in which it looked 

 just like a short broken dead limb, although the buggy passed 

 immediately beneath it. On Dec. 4th the natives brought in a 

 fledgling bird. 



