THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALL4. 
Breeding-season. May, July, and August (Christian — ^Northern Victoria) ; June to 
September (Sandland — South Australia) ; August (Cox and Hamilton) ; September 
to January (Ramsay). 
Inc'uhation. Twenty-eight days (Campbell). 
Captain S. A. White, of South Australia, says : “ These sprightly little birds 
are dispersed over the whole of Eastern Australia. I have met with them 
on the vast plains of the interior as well as on the sea shore ; they are birds 
of a very sprightly and active nature and carry themselves in an elegant 
manner when travelling rapidly over the ground, their broad pectoral band 
showing up in great contrast to the white belly. They lay four eggs in a 
depression in the ground, without a nest, and their shape is identical with 
those of Lobibyx novce-liollandice— in fact only for the eggs being somewhat 
smaller would they often be taken for those of the larger bird. They have a 
great habit of pretending injury and will draw your attention away from eggs 
or young by giving forth frantic shrieks followed by an imitation of a wounded 
bird, and wiU flutter and flap about, gradually drawing you away from their 
nest. I cannot help mentioning a very close resemblance in form, call and 
habits of this bird to a member of the genus Stephanibyx {melanopterua) which 
I had the pleasure of observing in Africa. The wonderful resemblance of the 
latter bird to the Australian species often made me wonder if I were in a trance 
when wandering over the African veldt. Breeds early in August and for most 
of the year congregates in small flocks of two or three up to 30 or 40.” 
Mr. Sandland, of South Australia, says they are “Very numerous. 
Nests from June to September. Places nest anywhere ; eggs always four, lying 
with points always towards one another.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor, also of South Australia, observes : “ These birds are 
lovers of the open, low grassy plains of the inland country of all the states, and 
are to be seen in the cultivated wheat fields, where they do much good by 
eating up injurious insects, etc. They often go in small flocks in search of 
their food, taking flight at the approach of their enemies, as they are very 
timid. They make long flights across country, and are sometimes seen flying 
very high in the air, uttering their well-known clunking note, which can be 
distinguished immediately from the note of the Spur-wing species. They 
are very fond of the common black cricket which does so much damage to 
grass and feed for stock generally ; they are, therefore, the friends of the 
settlers. The eggs are four in number, and can be easily detected from the 
eggs of the Spur-wing by being smaller, and having a lighter brown ground 
colour, and the dark spots being more round and regular, and sprinkled over 
the shell more evenly. The nest is a slight hollow in the ground, but the eggs 
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