THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
intermingled in a casual sort of way. The nest was not attached to the limb, 
just built on it, and was very flat in shape, not more than two inches in 
depth, perpendicular measurement. It was getting dusk when I first located 
the site of nest by seeing the parent birds fly to it, and while standing below 
trying to see the nest itself with my binoculars, I became aware that one of 
them was perched on a straight dead branch immediately above the nest. 
The bird appeared ‘ stretched ’ out to its utmost length, and held its beak 
in fine pointing upwards, so as to resemble a part of the dead branch, to 
such an extent that I very nearly overlooked it. Next day, by means of an 
impromptu ladder, the nest was examined and found to contain two young 
birds, about a week old, one much larger than the other. The adult birds 
fluttered about above me and in the neighbouring trees, making a great noise 
and fuss, with ruffled feathers. On Oct. 5 the two young birds were still in 
nest. Another nest containing two eggs was found Sept. 12, 1912. Fledged 
young observed Nov. 3, 1907. This species was never observed by me in 
the Gascoyne or North-West Cape districts, but was seen at Kellerberin, where 
it was considered a rare bird by Mr. Bruce W. Leake.” 
Mr. Edwin Ashby writes : “ The only time I have seen this bird was at 
Callion, West Australia. They are, I think, only casual visitors to that 
locality. Their strange loud cries as they were flying at a considerable height 
called my attention to them. There was only a small flock which settled in 
the trees, and not once while I was observing them did they settle on the 
ground.” 
Berney has written regarding these birds in the Richmond district. North 
Queensland : “ This species is with us all the year round, but the numbers 
are certainly less during the winter months. They have a soft, liquid note, 
and are generally to be seen in small parties of three or four up to six and eight. 
I have found a nest with three young on 8th October, and on 11th and 15th 
November I saw nests with the birds sitting.” 
C. F. Cole has some good notes as follows : “My attention was attracted 
by hearing a strange muffled sound like ‘ Woof, woof,’ which seemed to rise 
from the ground close to the butt of a eucalypt, some 45 feet high. I listened 
intently and searched the ground, to find the cause of this, now, oft-repeated 
muffled 4 Woof, woof,’ unfamiliar to me in the bush, but failed to find anything. 
Standing close to the bole of the sapling, I began to search the leafy boughs 
above in the hope of elucidating the mystery. My suspicion being aroused 
that the sounds might be ventriloquial in nature, and daylight fast dis- 
appearing, my son and self made a close scrutiny of the tree-top, with the 
result that we saw, perched right at the top of the sapling, upon a small 
horizontal bough, three greyish-coloured birds, touching one another, and 
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