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THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Chisholm {Emu, Vol. IX., p. 36, 1909) published a note from a Central 
Queensland correspondent : “ Betcherrygahs ( Melopsittacus undulatus) are 
fairly numerous, but uneasy, as if in strange country. Years sometimes 
pass without our seeing these most lovely little birds, then, suddenly, the 
bush is alive with them. My brother, on a trip in from the Northern 
Territory, when about Boulia, saw them in thousands. He said he saw a 
flock alight in a dead tree, covering every twig, until the tree appeared to 
be coated with fresh green leaves. I have never seen so many as that, but 
a few days ago I noticed a small flock on a dead branch which had a similar 
effect — made more beautiful by the pretty colouring of a few Galahs amongst 
them, like pink flowers amongst green leaves.” 
From the East Murchison, West Australia, Whitlock [Emu, Vol. IX., 
p. 193, 1910) wrote : “ Met with in flocks everywhere. The edge of the 
big spinifex plain was a good place, as they feed on the seed of the spinifex, 
which was very abundant the present year. They were breeding commonly 
around Milly Pool. I chopped out several nest-holes, but only found one 
clutch of six eggs, and these were on the point of hatching.” 
Macgillivray noted {Emu, Vol. XIII., p. 158, 1914) : “ Seen at Sedan, 
on the Cloncurry River, in February and March, flying north. In June 
they were breeding freely along the Leichhardt River. It is interesting to 
find from my Broken Hill notes that these birds were seen flying north 
about a month earlier than the date of Mr. M‘Lennan’s note at Sedan. Do 
these birds, after rearing their young, fly to North Queensland to breed 
again in June ? They usually put in an appearance again in western New 
South Wales in September, and start nesting operations towards the end of 
that month.” 
A very good account is given by North in the Austr. Mus. Spec. Cat., 
No. 1, Vol. III., whence I quote the following accounts : Dr. W. Macgillivray 
wrote : “ The Warbling Grass Parrakeet occurs some years (in the Cloncurry 
District) in prodigious numbers, and generally when the Cockatoo-Parrakeet 
and ‘ Galah 5 are also very common. I myself have seen these birds so 
numerous on the downs country in the nesting season, September, October 
and November, that every available hollow in standing trees soon becomes 
occupied, and recourse was made to hollow logs lying on the ground. I 
well remember one such occupied from one end to the other with the eggs 
of these little Parrakeets at all stages of incubation.” From Broken Hill, New 
South Wales, the same writer added : “ M. undulatus passes through this 
district in the spring, and returns northward towards the end of summer, 
not breeding here. My first note of flocks arriving here was on the 6th 
October, 1901, and for a month afterwards they were numerous, large flocks 
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