28 *rfT«»/rf /cm (fftfirtnN- J*tf?-iwi vol 73 



Gregson amassed a |$rgO vol lection of dried specimens o£ cocalypt specie*, 

 which, on his death, were bequeathed to the University of New England at 

 Amudalc. Readers mav recall his contribution to this loiirual. in February 

 1052 (Vol 08, [>l>. 165-17.1). eotitkd "Euealypts of Mi Wilson aiul Mt 

 Irvine, N.5AV,", 



My acquaintance with Edward Gregson did not begin until 1052, but 

 thereafter many haypy hours were spent in his eomiwy. A man of kind and 

 generous disposition, his passing will he mourned by a wide cuclc of friends 

 Death came quietly on me morning of November 25, 1955, when he was iu 

 his 74rh year. 



— Ofo. W AftHOFEi:. Drip* tout. K.5.W. 



NATURALISTS' NOTEBOOK 



I Reserved r©r your Notes, Observations and Queries} 



AN EASTERN SPINtBIll IN AN UNUSUAL SETTING 



A Inuy suburban shopping centre is probably the last place in which one 

 would c.\yect to s*e an Eastern Spinvbill {Aconlhorhytuhus Wmtirostris La.), 

 However, on Saturday morning, December J, 1955, dozens of people m 

 Church Street, Middle Brighton, had a near view Oi (his interesting honey- 

 -cater, Tt wa* a cold, dull morning, string southerly winds being accompanied 

 by hnvrnnttent heavy shower, an.i ii \% possible that these weather conditions 

 may have been responsible for the- bird\ presence in it* unusual surroundings. 



For some weeks previously, the hardware store m this particular locality, 

 in lint with the latest advertising technique, had been staging' demonstrations. 

 of oticof i he mudern "wonder" pamts, Animated advettisements such aa these 

 usually attract a crowd. Consequently, on the morning in question, on ap- 

 t>ro£rhmy tins >iore, 1 was- not surprised to hud a crowd gathered. However, 

 I was puzrted by the absence of the usual announcements I'rom a loud speaker. 

 and by the people peering overhead rather than at the display window An 

 Eastern Spinebilr, not a modern "wonder" paint, was the object o"j the crowd's 

 attention. 



The More has an otd-style verauda. tift sheets of roofing iron, and conse- 

 quently the veranda, being steeply curved. Glass fanlujlitu admit hgnl tor the 

 [1i$plny window*: and, to protect the people beneath Irom falling R'lass in the 

 event of breakage, wire netting is fi.xed beneath the- fanlight*. There, flutter- 

 ing between netting and '*lass. was the Spinehill, behaving like a moth at a 

 lighted wnidow-naiH- on i ?ummcr evening. 



While iume onlookers, in typical human fashion were sympathizing With 

 the bird] others took the opportunity to note lis salient feature? and answer 

 the questions that weie posed by the junior members of the audience. Along 

 one edgt. the netting had become detached from its fastenings and. by "hit gr- 

 iniss method* during *** instinctive Mutterings. the bud found iWta cleavage 

 and escaped frdm its; imprisonment. But its freedom was short-lived. To the 

 bird, tlie tanUgh? was open space and freedom ami, almost instantaneously. 

 it was hack a^ain through the mesh ot the ccltutK. only to he a captive once 

 i note. 



This performance was re-enacted several times during the ten to fifteen 

 minutes I was present Finally, during a brighter interval between showers. 

 Kftd &$am hy fliani * rather tha»> by design, the bird, in escaping irom 3is 

 prison, flew 1mA* enough from under the veranda to find the open space and 

 Jrecdont p| Church Street 



Apart from proving that theie are things apart from modern advertising 

 methods to draw a crowd, and apart from illustrating the hazards which the 

 invention* o^ man create for nature's creatures, ibis was a perfect demon- 

 stration of the blind instinctive oebavtour typical of ami predominant in 

 bud life. _-K, Q. Euroitn, 



