BLACK-FACED CUCKOO-SHRIKE. 
whit© gum tree, inland from Point Cloates. While doing so a pair of Graucalus 
made a great fuss around me, and upon reaching the Eagle’s nest, I looked 
down, and saw the G-raucalus’ nest on the fork of a lower branch in the same 
tree. It contained two eggs. Half-grown young were seen in nest Aug. 24. 
About Broome Hill the breeding-season is much later, being September, 
October and November. Two incubated eggs were taken Nov. 4, 1906. From 
the situation of the nests they are easily overlooked.” 
Mr. J. P. Rogers reported that “ they were numerous on the light timbered 
plains of the lower Ord River but rare at Mary River, in the Kimberley gold- 
fields. Very widely distributed in West Kimberley, being found everywhere 
except on the treeless plains, being most numerous on the billabongs, water- 
holes and timbered country along the Fitzroy. Appears to be a resident 
species here and any difference in numbers during the year cannot be noticed. 
At Marngle Creek they were not numerous, while at Mungi they were very 
rare, and appeared to be smaller birds than those met with on the Fitzroy 
River. At Melville Island they were never numerous, and small parties were 
seen flying high over the trees at various times.” 
Campbell has recorded that in answer to the query, “Does the Short-billed 
Cuckoo-Shrike leave Tasmania or migrate during winter ? ” the evidence 
presumed that it was more or less stationary, being met with not uncommonly 
during the winter months in small flocks. 
Berney noted that in the Richmond district, North Queensland : “ This 
bird is with us all through the year. I have seen a nest with young on the 
19th November, another with old bird sitting on 5th February, and a third 
nest on 25th March with three full-fledged young.” 
C. F. Cole has written : “ This fine insectivorous bird generally makes 
its appearance in the Hawthorn district each year about the end of March, 
and is to be seen during the day searching amongst the leaves and beneath 
the bark of trees for caterpillars, spiders, beetles, etc. ... It does good 
work in an apple orchard by eating the larvae of the Painted Apple-Moth, also 
another caterpillar similar in its habits to the above, but much larger, and 
very destructive to the foliage of the apple-tree. . . . Many years ago, while 
shooting in a paddock at Hawthorn, I came upon a flock of these birds 
fossicking around the dried-up carcass of a dead cow. Upon examining the 
carcass I found they had been feeding upon what they could manage to pick 
from the ribs. Upon shooting one, I found that the stomach contained, besides 
rib-pickings, several insects belonging to the order of Goleoptera .” 
Whitlock records : “ On the Pilbarra Goldfield, mid- West Australia,, 
not uncommon along the Coongan and de Grey Rivers. Several nests were 
found. Native name Te-by-by.” 
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