March, 1953 
THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST 
Thirty-nine 
Wales cats occasionally fruits of 
Solatium nigrum (a common weed 
with us in waste places) and of 
Phytolacca decandra (Ink Plant), 
not yet recorded for this State, the 
achenes of Ranunculus and the 
seeds of Stellana media (Chick- 
weed). 
Pigeons We have no Fruit 
Pigeons in South Australia but 
these birds in the sub-tropical 
brush forests of the Eastern States 
are doubtless responsible for the 
distribution of the seeds of various 
fruits, amongst them those of Ficus 
rubiginosa, which may begin its 
existence as an epiphyte. 
Ridley says that the Nutmeg 
Pigeons ( Carpophaga ) of the East 
Indies may feed on the aril of the 
nutmeg, which forms the soft aro- 
matic crimson network called the 
mace, round the black or dark 
brown nutmeg itself. He says that 
“it is probable that the birds some- 
times swallow nutmeg and all, and, 
digesting the mace, pass the seed by 
evacuation, as it has long been 
stated that the Dutch in the 
eighteenth century attempted to 
keep the nutmeg in cultivation 
only in Banda and Amboina, so 
that they might have control of the 
market, but their efforts were de- 
feated by the pigeons, who con- 
veyed the seeds to other islands.” 
The Torrens Straits Pigeon Myris- 
ticiyora (formerly Carpophaga ) 
Spilorrhoa , which occurs along the 
coast and islands of Australia from 
the Kimberleys to N.E. Queens- 
land and extends to New Guinea 
and the Aru Islands, feeds largely 
on the native Nutmeg, Myristica 
i ns i pi da, according to the Official 
Checklist of the Birds of Australia, 
1926. The generic name comes 
from the nutmeg and vorare , to 
eat. This plant has been recorded 
from the Islands of the Gulf of 
Carpentaria, Brunswick Bay, Mel- 
ville Island, Port Essington and 
North Queensland. 
Our Bronzewing Pigeons may 
frequently be disturbed feeding 
along hedges of Acacia armata 
(Kangaroo Bush) but I doubt 
whether they distribute this or 
other Acacias. 
A ustralian Bustard (Native 
Turkey):- Mr. J. M. Black in his 
“Flora of South Australia” says 
that Myoporum deserti, which has 
a yellow drupe, is sometimes called 
“Turkey Bush,” because this bird 
is fond of its fruits. 
Ducks, Geese and Swans:— These 
with their broad webbed toes, are 
fitted for the transport of seeds of 
water and swamp plants from one 
lake or swamp to another, some- 
times probably over considerable 
distances. 
Birds of Prey:— The only role 
these birds are likely to play in the 
distribution of plants is that they 
may intercept birds such as pigeons 
and finches with crops full of seeds 
which are dispersed when the prey 
is torn in pieces (Ridley). 
Cockatoos and. Parrots:— I can- 
not see any part that these can 
play in plant dissemination. We 
do, however, require' lists of fruits 
and seeds, both native and intro- 
duced, eaten by various species. 
What other food besides nectar 
from Eucalyptus flowers do our 
Lorikeets get? Blue Mountain 
Lorikeets eat orchard fruit at times. 
The Mistletoe Bird and other 
Birds and. Loranthus:— South Aus- 
tralia has 12 species of Loranthus, 
and of the allied Phrygilanthus, 
and one Jointed Mistletoe. From 
their parasitic habitat, seeds must 
be transferred from plant to plant 
by mammals or birds. The Swal- 
low Dicaeum is admittedly the 
most common spreader of the viscid 
