76 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
May, 1924 
Tt is rai’ely that the leatherhead can he i)ersuaded to 
move on until lie is ready, hut in this ])add()ek his startled 
'^wock, Avoek.’’ ad^'ertised the facd, that, trailed hy a 
miner, he Avas "hitting- the hreeze,’' as the eowhoy puts 
it. >Sealy breasts wotild endeaA'Our to prot-rastinate hy 
short fliji'hts to different ])arts of the trees, hut once the 
miners realised that their hunts Avere not hein^* accepted 
in the spirit in AAdiich they AAu*re ^'iA’cn, direct action AA^as 
resorted to, and the ^Teenies deiiarted hence in (piiek 
order. Ainon<>' tin' visitors to this paddock, in addition 
to those already mentioned, mio-ht he mentioinnl, fi.ir 
birds, orioles, little friar birds, blood birds, hhu-k (uips. 
pardalotes, kin^-fishers. Avhistlers, and mistletoe swalloAvs. 
One of tlie most remarkable features of the bird life of 
Redeliffe is the absence of sea birds and Avaders, with 
the exception of tAvo or tliree sihmr »adls and cormorants 
and a fcAV terns, no mariiu' bird life AA^as seen on the 
beaches. Xo doubt the peculiar type of foreshore, and 
the jAresence of lar^’o hanks in otlier ])arts of the Bay, is 
the reason for this. Of the land birds, it niiyht Avell be 
said that Avbat they lack in variety they make up in 
numbers, as there Avere ahvays ]Alenty Avitb ns during' our 
stay. 
WELCOME SWALLOWS. 
By G. IT. Barker. 
T AA^onder hoAv many of our (Mub members, or for 
that matter, of the general public, haA'e noticed that 
Victoria Bridge is the present hostel for all the Welcome 
SAvalloAVS of 11 h‘ Brisbane distriid. Oni‘ night recently, as 
T Avas Avalking doAvn Ann Street, from George* Street to- 
Avards the riv(*i*, T noticed numbers of tlu'se i)irds liurt- 
ling along just overhead, aud a])])ar(*u11y diving over the 
palisades into the river. On looking ov(*r tlu* fence T 
found llial tlie sAvalloAVS. on reaching the Avater. skimmed 
along its surface at a great paeu*. making foj* the third 
s])an of tin* bridge. \vh(*r(‘ they flew uj) uinh*rneath the 
structure*, f Avalked on to llu* bridge* and leaned ove*!' tlie 
rail. Hundreds of swalloAvs ou tin* outer cable turned 
their little heaels up to gaze at tin* intrinler. It a])pears 
