BEE-EATER. 
as Arlamus personatus, and make a chattering or warning noise very 
similar. They are quite common in the middle country that borders the 
Murray River.” 
Mr. Sandland adds : “ Very common at Moolah, South Australia, 
appearing in October and leaving in February or March.” 
Mr. A. G. Campbell, writing of the “ Birds of North-eastern Victoria ” 
{Emu, Vol. IT., p. 16, 1902), states : “ The Bee-eater {Merops ornatus) 
is another beautiful bird ; it is found nesting about most of the sand 
ridges, drilling a long tunnel into the side of a ditch or road cutting, or 
even into a mere mound a few inches in height. After following the 
passage for 3 or even 6 feet, the four white eggs are reached, lying on the 
bare sand in the chamber. Strewn about are nearly always found the 
wing cases, legs and other hard parts of beetles, particularly cockchafers, 
the remains probably of food brought to the sitting bird. The Bee- 
eaters arrived in the district on 8th October and on 2nd October in the 
years 1899 and 1900 respectively, and the latest date on which they 
were seen was 22nd April.” 
Mr. Robert Hall in the same volume (p. 51,) gave Mr. J. P. Rogers’ 
notes from the north-west of Australia : “ There have been a few Bee- 
eaters here throughout the year, but they have increased greatly during 
the past month or two (April and May). At the present time (21/7/00), 
they are in small flocks and very plentiful. They have been noted to 
roost in branches like Wood-Swallows — ^remarkable. During March, 1900 
(19th), I watched one with a grasshopper in its bill. It was beating it 
upon a limb, first to one side then to the other, and swaying its own 
body in the process — beat and sway — from side to side, for some minutes.” 
Hall then added : “In the east this bird is strongly migratory, as far as 
may refer to north and south in Australia. I saw at Perth and Geraldton 
nesting birds in the November previous (1899). Would they have gone 
north over the great summer-time desert during the first week in February ? 
In February of the same year (1900) I saw in Victoria large flocks. These 
latter went north soon after.” 
In the same journal Bemey added (Vol. II., p. 210, 1903) : “ From 
my diary I take the following dates of arrival and departure : 1898, 2nd 
October, one seen, the first ; 3rd October, numerous : 1899, 9th September, 
first birds seen : 1900, 1st September, first birds seen ; 5th September, 
numerous : 1901, 25th August, fairly plentiful : 1902, 25th March, all 
disappeared suddenly. The winter of 1898 was exceptionally severe, which 
may possibly account for their late arrival. These notes refer to the 
Hughenden and Richmond districts. North Queensland.” He added 
213 
