124 THE ZOOLOGIST 



MONTHLY NOTES FOR 1902, TAKEN IN THE 

 SOUTH OF TASMANIA. 



By James R. McClymont, M.A., M.A.O.U. 



January. 

 1st. — Near seventh milestone, Hobart to Kingston Road. 

 Goldfinches are now full-fledged. Three young birds taken from 

 a nest and placed in a cage out of doors have been fed by the 

 parents through the netting of the cage. The She-oak (Casuarina 

 quadrivalvis) is a favourite tree for Goldfinches ; they scrutinize 

 the cones as if searching for food. Perhaps they eat certain 

 slender filaments which grow on them. 



February. 

 1st. — A Fan-tailed Flycatcher (Rhipidura diemenensis) is very 

 bold, and enters the verandah in pursuit of insects. Some at 

 least of the jerky movements of this Flycatcher when perched 

 must, I think, be made in order to widen the area of visibility, 

 and also to facilitate a sudden dart upon an insect when it is 

 seen ; but the tumbling movements in the air seem to proceed 

 from the necessity of following the elusive movements of the 

 insect prey. 



March. 



(No date). — A Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis) 

 was observed near the Alum Cliffs about the beginning of March. 

 It was picking up food from the ground, and had its post of 

 observation in a tree, to which it invariably returned after pick- 

 ing up its food. 



April. 



1st. — About twenty Swallows are seen flying northwards. 



2nd. — A Spotted Owl {Ninox maculata) is shot, and kindly 

 presented to me. The interscapular region is sparsely spotted 

 with dull white ; -the tarsi covered with buff feathers ; the toes 

 flesh-coloured, and their surface rough and granular. The beak 



