T24 
The Emu. 
well, at one period as many as ninety young birds being reared. 
They gradually disappeared, being either shot or destroyed by 
vermin, notwithstanding they were under the care of an ex- 
perienced English gamekeeper. A resident of Stanley, on the 
north-west coast, has on more than one occasion imported these 
birds. Sir Richard Dry, also, imported Pheasants and Partridges 
{Perdix perdix). Young birds were reared on the Quamby 
estate, near Hagley, but they were all shot or destroyed. 
A little time since a resident of the Midlands made two 
unsuccessful attempts to acclimatise Red Grouse {Lao^opus 
scoticus) and Partridges. Recently another attempt was made. 
Eggs have also been brought from England to ascertain if they 
would remain fertile during the transit. One great drawback to 
the successful rearing of game birds is the want of sufficient 
suitable cover. 
Some Field Notes. 
By C. F. Belcher, LL.B., Geelong. 
Cacomantis FLABELLIFORMIS, Fan-tailed Cuckoo. 
On 29th September last I was rambling with a friend 
along the " White Bank," a tongue of tea-tree covered sand 
that lies between the lower Barwon River and the sea. 
Stooping beneath a leptospermum bush, and looking about 
in the low foliage, I discovered an old nest of a Scrub- 
Wren {Sericorjtzs). Inside was an egg that broke as it was 
touched, and proved to be a Fan-tailed Cuckoo's, of possibly 
last season. A further glance showed a new nest at my 
shoulder, sheltered cunningly by a thick bough. I withdrew 
two fresh eggs of the Scrub-Wren ; and the third, which was 
also fresh, was another Fan-tailed Cuckoo's. A comparison 
of this with the pieces of the old egg made it certain, to 
my mind, that they were laid by the same bird. The nest 
opening was fairly large. These are the first eggs of this 
Cuckoo I have found in this district since 1892, on 25th July 
of which year I got two from Scrub- Wrens' nests in tea-tree 
fringing Lake Connewarre One nest contained only the egg 
of the Cuckoo, the other an egg of the nest's proper tenant as 
well. Both Cuckoos' eggs were very much alike in the latter 
case also, and the nests were only about 100 yards apart. 
Glossopsittacus PORPHYROCEPHALUS, Purple-crowned Lori- 
keet. 
On 28th September, in the bushy country lying between 
iMarcus Hill and Ocean Grove, usually known as the Oueens- 
cliff-road bush, Masters P. and A. Young discovered the nest- 
holiow of this charming little Lorikeet. It was in a green limb 
of a white gum, and contained three young birds ready for their 
