146 
The Emu. 
left to make up for losses that must occur during the year. As 
these birds only lay one egg, it is evident that they cannot have 
many enemies except man, and when one bears in mind the 
fact that both eggs and young birds have been taken from the 
rookeries to the number of many hundreds of thousands every 
year for the past forty or more years, and that during that time 
the number of young birds taken alone would number probably 
considerably over 24,000,000, the length of time it must have 
taken to bring these birds up to their present immense numbers 
is apparent. The eggs taken also would not fall far short of the 
number mentioned. There are large rookeries besides those in 
Bass Strait — for instance, those on the islands to the south of 
South Australia, near Kangaroo Island, and also many others off 
the coast of New Zealand. — D. Le SoueF. 
* * * 
Note. — Nankeen Herons. — When in company with Mr. 
A. J. Campbell one evening in the middle of January, in the 
Melbourne Zoological Gardens, we heard a European Starling 
crying out as if in great distress, and evidently caught by 
another bird. On approaching a thick willow tree by a lagoon 
to find the cause, we heard the cries repeated some distance off 
in another tree, showing that the bird in distress was carried 
further away by its captor. Again following the noise, I 
caused a large bird to fly close to where Mr. Campbell was 
standing, who then saw it was a Nankeen Night Heron 
{Nycticorax caledonicus) that had the Starling in its beak. 
When the Heron saw Mr. Campbell it dropped its prey, which 
fell dead, and flew off. This is the first time we have noticed 
these Herons performing the part of a bird of prey when wild, 
although we have known them to devour Quail and Dottrel 
that were confined with them in the same enclosure. — D. 
Le SouiiF. 
* * * 
Effects of Drought. — Last year took the record for 
minimum rainfall, and the absence of rain may somewhat 
explain the lateness in the hatching of birds. For instance, 
to-day I have two nests of Black and White Fan-tails, or 
Shepherd's Companions, with young just come to light. I 
never knew them to be so late as this. All the swamps have 
been dry during last 18 months, so no large birds are about. — 
C. W. Brush. Boondara, Booligal, N.S.W., 2/1/02. 
* * # 
Drought in Queensland. — There is nothing much to 
. mention about the birds now, consequent upon the doleful 
drought. We have a drought-stricken family of 10 little Water 
