THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
as in the case of many other water-birds, the river-system of the Murray and 
its tributaries. No doubt the seasons affect its numbers in any given place, but 
speaking generally one may call it a local species. At Lake Cooper it breeds 
in thousands, nests being found every dozen yards or so. When it flies (as it 
does more readily than any other member of the family) its wings beat very 
rapidly and the flight is low, thus rendering it an easy prey to the pot-hunter. 
One nest was placed in the young shoots of a Willow tree at the Gut, on the 
Barwin River.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor, of South Australia, tells me that when walking, this bird 
keeps the tail flicking up and down ; the white under tail-coverts being con- 
spicuous when the tail is up. 
Mr. Mattingley* says, that when the birds are disturbed they utter their 
sharp fright-note and then go “ fluttering away with their long, red legs dangling 
down in a broken fashion for some distance before they tuck them up under 
their blue feathers.” 
Dr. Ramsayl observes : “ They are also very fond of the Indian corn when 
ripe : perching on the side of the stems, they detach the ‘ cobs ’ which they 
hold steady on the ground with one foot while they pick off and eat the grains. 
I have seen them eating pieces of cooked and raw meat, holding them in the 
same way.” Other writers also remark that when eating soft kinds of food, 
this bird holds it up to its mouth in one claw, after the manner of a Parrot. 
Mr. F. L. Berney,{ writing from the Richmond district of North Queens- 
land says : “ The handsome Bald-Coot, like so many more of the semi-aquatic 
birds that may be found here throughout the year, is not represented through 
the winter and spring by anything lilie the number of individuals that are to 
be seen during the summer and autumn. This is only natural, as their hunting 
grounds, the shallow lagoons and swamps, disappear so quickly once the wet 
season goes by ; but this is not a very numerous species even in the summer. 
They nest here during January and February among the bullrushes ; they 
appear to commence a lot of nests which are abandoned before completion. 
It is interesting to notice the gangway of reeds they often construct, sometimes 
winding a considerable distance, leading up to the nest, which may be placed 
a couple of feet above the water. I was told of two broods, one in the down, 
and the other half-grown, being seen early in October, 1904, The chick has 
the frontal-plate from the egg-shell.” 
Porpliyrio melanotus has hitherto been considered to inhabit the major 
portion of Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, New Guinea, and the Moluccas. 
Unfortunately long series from the majority of the islands are unavailable ; and 
* Viet. Nat., XXV., p. 62 (1908). t P.Z.S., p. 343 (1877). 
t Emu, VI., p. 109 (1907). 
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