Field Naturalists Club of Victoria 



Hints '•! M<ir,\h <in,l {tiki 

 iSuninurv u] talk men to the K.N C.V . 

 13 September. Mi** tow FowtfJ 

 Wlti i orsici commenced \s itii (time 

 ot the lesser known items of hirj 

 aimtomy and physiology, It is not 

 always obvious which pans of (he 

 skeleton <>i the tn r*j correspond io those 

 in mammals thus ihe ihish it slum ami 



the knee is hidden in [fit! leathers, so 

 that the liisi j. miiI seen in the lejj bare 

 ot leathers is the inkle In the winy, 

 Ihc flight feathers an- attached to ihc 

 rBrwtrm and the main llight (ciitu is to 

 Lhc hand, i nr.: muscles attndhed tp (jit 



breast b.mc pull tho wings down. Hem 

 rale is 120 doubles when living. •" ul 

 ,s at an nncotmiuble rate when fngli- 

 lened, I he lungs contain fytercemrijsring 

 tubes iluouuh which the air may he 

 and lotth. and in divmu 

 Unfa this mav occur until most of the 

 unseen is absorbed, 

 Mounted JpechPMW pf wmci &Mjta 



were on display as Mrs*. f-ots|i-r dis 

 cursed each one. 



The Grebe has feci scl far hack. DO 



tail, and ihc wines aft nMll I 



rounded. Htfy have difficult* in ukbtt 



q8 Mid prefer 10 dive lot salclv c spell 

 ing air from the htidy lo do so. The\ 

 swim with penseoped head, and aie 

 .piick in the water. The feel arc lohed 

 theft being laps of skiii on the toes 

 and not webbmc. The plumage is soli 

 .nut velvety and U eaien by them and 

 led lo iheir chicks the nesi is of sougv 

 vegetation, and Ihc four to six EJUH aie 

 OOVCrfiij wuh decomposing matcnal the 

 urebes are world wide and inhabit 

 licsh water. 



Ihc III lie Pied <■ oimorant is twenty - 

 thtec inches lone, black on the hnck 

 ,nd u.p ul the head. With while stalling 

 above the eve and extending down the 

 Hunt I he feathers are gleaming and 

 patterned. The beak is yellow wuh a 

 hook. To this uroup helolip the oldest 

 tossil remains hM hvinp Order. The 

 lluoat is j dislendibic pouch The t'oin 

 lues are webbed ind are itised in pto- 

 pulsion as lhc bird swims and divv-t 

 very last The wings are held open in 

 the wind to dry. They perch with bods 

 upright and he'dd held up. their h.ihi 

 tuts IU« laeoons. pc-nrls and rocky 

 shores I hey fotm colonics with other 

 wading birds and lay Trom foul lo seven 

 pale blue eggs. 



32B 



I he llctons ai*e marsh birds wuh I, mi 

 lews. lone, necks, and stout hills Rurtv 

 of the feathers are crumbled lo : 

 powder and are used lor clc-ain, t > 

 feathers when coveted wilh slime or oil 

 from an eel. The pov del absurds 'hi 

 oil and is then sciatchcd oui wjtjl ,. 

 seriated claw oil the middle tot. An ml 

 lot watci proofing the fealheis is .ib 

 lamed irom a gland at the base ul ihe 

 tad. I hey w ide in swamps and s|i;,|;„v. 

 wale, some limes up W theii should* 

 lookoie fin iheii lood ul lioev yahfuev 

 and tish Triey have a broad slow iliglu 

 The nest is a plallutut in a ticc narjt) 

 up io one handled feet I wo in iow 

 pale green blue cues, are laid m Iftj 

 spring. I lie b-jck is a liyht chestnut, the 

 A 00 1 cieaniy whin- and the criiwn bud, 

 with three lonp plumes Irom ihe h.iek 

 ot the head 



Ihe Block Dii-i. irrhttbiw Ircih v/Bfa 

 ..ml tidal esiii.iries and is louud all aver 

 Atisiralia. lTie colom is a itch dark 

 htnwn, lite feaihcrs beiue edeed uii! 

 pale lann Tlie bill is Kiev wuh a 'due 

 lip These buds exihei acquutlc pfcuw 

 and animals Iron, lhc mud I b< W 

 up io foutteeii. are laid fn»m Inlv R 

 Detenibei. and Ihe nesi may he l.v 

 from walei. or HI a llee. How Ihe lledt- 

 Iuiks wel to the water is olien lai fTajjl 

 eenain. T he female has a loud ijuacV 

 and the male a stnaJI voice. 



Ihc pluniuec ol the Hlack Swan n 

 black with a brownish |Ihg$ 

 bird was tirst seen in W A in \$ff, 

 Hocks of one ihoiisjind may he seen in 

 pasioial lands in Victoria and llietc DDIS 

 lie up lo twenty thousand in one atea 

 They frctjiitnl lakes, civeis and sha 1 - 

 low cviuanc-s. and otieti move a\ dusk 

 Willi Itumpcliii.c vails Iheii 1o..U .<m 

 sisi.s ol acejuahc plants and small 

 ^ic ilutes, and it is ihiiu;Uii that IMS 

 cun compeic wilh sliKk loi liiass. 



Ihe ITi.sky Moorhen belones tQ A 

 uroup nreseni in the f ctliarv perind, anil 

 a numbtl ui this ptoup aie now ne.,i 

 to extinction The colour is duskv mtH> 

 and gicyj bill and its base aie icd 'hi 

 feet are red. arid there is a fccurH. 

 s-'artcr alvvc lite ankle. Ihe roc* K 

 attenuated, lobed not webbed. *nd thf 

 bird can tun over IM^ leaves with winys 

 outspread As it walks it jerk* its MJ|j 

 show m.' the white uiideiiiealh Whi- 

 swimmink; the he4id |erks h/iek and 



Viet Nat Vol SB 



