BEE-EATEE. 
Hill, is : ‘ Several flocks of Bee-eaters passing over the town, going north. 
Many young birds, still being fed by their parents, were with the flocks.’ 
This migration occurs at about this time every year. It would appear that 
they go on to the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea, where they were noted 
by the B.O.U. expedition as being numerous after the month of April, though 
not met with previous to that date. It seems, however, that a few winter 
in North Queensland, as Mr. McLennan noted them at Caloola, beyond the 
Leichardt, in June, and obtained specimens further down the same river 
on 1st July. He also saw' them at Cape Grenville in July of the following 
year. At Cape York they congregated in great numbers on 1 1th February, 
1912, and then, gathering together, resumed their northward flight across 
the Strait.” 
Other notes referring to habits have been published, and Miss Cheney 
noted that “in 1914 the nestlings disappeared time after time from their nests, 
usually when they were almost fledged.” 
Sloane {EmUy Vol. XVI., p. 99, 1916) has explained that this was due to 
foxes who have almost exterminated them in this manner in the Mulwala 
district, New South Wales. He is very enthusiastic about the stupidity of 
introducing alien “pests,” and of course every ornithologist must share in 
his anger at the extinction of native forms by such pests. There cannot be 
the least doubt that unwise introduction has caused the lessening of many 
endemic species, and it is quite probable that the extinction of the smaller 
Parrakeets is due to such a cause. 
From the west I have Mr. Tom Carter’s notes : “ Fairly common in the 
Gascoyne districts and inland from Point Cloates through the winter months 
and until the beginning of December, when these birds apparently go to the 
south-west districts. They appeared very regularly every year about the 
middle of October at Broome Hill. Following are dates of first-noted arrivals : 
Oct. 17, 1907 ; Oct. 15, 1908 ; Oct. 25, 1910; Oct. 16, 1911; and Oct. 7, 1912. 
They seem much more in evidence on very hot days at Broome Hill, when 
they go in flocks and are very active. They are very good guides to locate 
‘ nests ’ of wild bees in the hollow gum-trees. They used to dive right into 
the water at my stock tanks, catching bees and other insects on the surface 
of the water. I have found nests with eggs at Vasse in January in nesting 
cavities on fiat open ground.” 
Dr. Cleland’s notes are very important : “ Oct. 13, 1906. Several seen at 
Perth for first tim.e this year. Plentiful by the 20th. In Aug. 1907 they 
were plentiful at Strelly River, North-west Austrafia, sailing round water- 
holes, catching wasps, etc. Found them congregating together at night, 
usually flying from various parts to one particular spot and roosting together 
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