THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
immense amount of good. In the timber they like to get in a low-lying spot 
where they eat small bulbous roots out of the ground. If one goes to a feeding 
ground of this description, he will find the earth full of small holes, where this 
bird has been digging his beak in, for either roots or bulbs. When feeding 
together they won’t let any other kind of bird be near them, and I have seen 
them driving magpies away from their feeding ground.” 
Dr. J. B. Cleland has noted : “ August 1907. Numerous at Strelley 
River, Mid-west Australia, coming in flocks in the morning to drink at water 
holes. Later on in August and September they were pairing and nesting, 
and then coming singly or in pairs to drink. Aug. 28, 1907. Nest in hollow 
trunk of gum about 8 ft. from the ground ; two eggs, one hatching, the other 
addled. Sept, and Oct. Several young birds brought to camp. Sept. 28, 
1907. Feeding on seeds of a silvery -leaved acacia growing in spinifex plains, 
in large flocks. These acacias have dense masses of seed vessels of a light 
reddish-brown colour near their summits. The plumage, apparently so brilliant, 
harmonizes wonderfully with this foliage ; the blue-grey of the back with 
the leaves, the rosy -pink breast (which is modified by the shadows) with the 
light reddish of the legumes.” 
Mr. J. P. Rogers’ notes read : “ Wyndham, 20 Apl., 1909. One pair 
seen. Very rare. May 2, 1909. “ Bend of the Ord ” Camp, thirty miles 
south of Wyndham. Numerous. May 13, 1909. Sugar Springs, 160 miles 
South of Wyndham. Have increased in numbers the further back we get 
from the coast These birds were not numerous at Marngle creek ; 
a few watered at a spring near my camp. At Mungi a large flock of about 
150 birds was seen several times and also an occasional straggler. On the 
Fitzroy this species gathers in very large flocks after the wet season ; on 
18th July, 1911, I saw one flock which I estimated to contain 500 birds, but 
this was an unusually large flock. At Derby were several small flocks.” 
Mr. Tom Carter’s observations follow : “ Cacatoes roseicapilla. Mid- 
west Aborigines : Ku. Lerrit. This bird never came under my notice in 
South - west Australia, and does not occur, I believe, in the heavily -timbered 
districts, preferring more open country such as where the Jam (Acacia 
acuminata) grows. They are common about the Irwin River, eighty miles 
north of Perth. They nest mostly in cavities in the trunks of the Jam 
(Acacia) and Gidgea timber (not large trees). The breeding season appears 
to be usually about September, but I have seen a pair of birds cleaning out 
a nesting site as early as May 18th, 1887. I think this species breeds according 
as to whether rain has fallen or not, and has not the regular time that Cac. 
sanguinea has. Young birds were noted on Oct. 25th, 1887. In very dry 
seasons they seem to defer laying, or perhaps nesting at all, for on Aug. 19th, 
