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being so shy they naturally retreat from the presence of man, and 
another cause is the rapid denudation of timber in this part of 
the country consequent upon increased population. Timber never 
was plentiful here, being chiefly in the shape of small clumps of 
a few acres in extent, dotted in long and irregular intervals (often 
miles between) over the plains. These clumps were the places in 
which their nests were constructed, and as a rule not more than 
two or three of the trees in any of the clumps were suitable for 
the construction of their large nests, the generality of the trees 
being too small and their branches too weak to sustain the weight. 
As a natural consequence these larger trees were the first to fall 
before the selector’s axe, as affording the larger quantity of timber 
or firewood, and the birds had therefore another reason for 
betaking themselves to more secluded localities, probably the yet 
untrodden wilds of Western Australia. The favourite resort of 
this species is evidently open country such as above mentioned, for 
some fifty or sixty miles to the northward heavily timbered country 
commences, extending for over one hundred miles with thousands 
of trees suitable for the construction of their nests, yet it is only 
a passing straggler that is ever seen there, and I have never known 
or heard of an instance of their breeding in that locality. 
There are on the other hand three species of birds that have 
become much more numerous since we first occupied this country 
in the year 1864, and the cause of their increase is by no means 
obvious, it might be thought that the conservation of water in 
what was in former years for six to seven months in each year a 
waterless land, lias something to do with it, but at least two out 
of the three species are quite independent of water. The three 
species are Gymnorhina tibicen , Myzantha jlavigula , and Ephthi- 
anura albifrom , the latter has however only appeared here during 
the last six or seven years, and the increase of water may have 
something to do with its advent as it drinks daily, but I have 
never known Gymnorhina tibicen to drink, and Myzantlhia jlavigula 
but seldom. 
