WHITE-FRONTED CHAT. 
Mr. Mathews in his 1912 4 List 5 as occurring throughout West Australia; my 
experience of it, that it is only a casual visitor in some districts, because it 
was only observed in one year at Point Cloates, during a residence there of 
thirteen years and was never seen by me in the Gascoyne or other northern 
districts. On February 14th, 1899, some of my natives at Point Cloates 
called my attention to some 4 new birds ’ that they had never previously seen. 
They were a few White-fronted Chats. A few' of these birds were also seen on 
May 10th of the same year there. They are very common throughout the 
south-west, especially around Broome Hill. The Albany gardeners blamed 
them for eating small fruits such as currants. They were observed by me at 
Kellerberin. The breeding-season about Broome Hill is an extensive one, 
and I think they breed almost any time if the season is favourable for them. 
The nests are rather deep, and made of fine grass, built in a bunch of rushes 
or a small bush, from almost on the ground to three feet above it. Nests were 
found on Aug. 14, 1906, with three fresh eggs. Aug. 19, 1906: Nest with 
young (both in rushes). Sept. 26, 1906 : Three eggs. Dec. 11, 1906 : Fresh 
eggs. July 5, 1910 : First one seen that year, in which they were very scarce. 
July 22, 1910: Three fresh eggs in prickly bush, three feet off ground. Oct. 9, 
1910 : Three fresh eggs. Aug. 21 and Oct. 13, 1912 : Three eggs, which is 
the usual clutch. These birds feed on ground in small flocks, running in an 
active manner, and they constantly utter a double metallic sort of note.” 
Crossman wrote from Cumminin Station, West Australia : 44 Large parties 
of this little bird may be seen during the winter. The male bird assists the 
female during the period of incubation.” 
From Victoria Donald Thomson has recently published a fine long and 
accurate account of this species, giving good photographs of the female feeding 
and protecting young, concluding: 4 4 When nesting duties are over the White- 
fronted Chats associate together in small flocks or family parties, which roam 
the open paddocks in search of insect life, of which they must in the year destroy 
an incredible amount.” 
Legge has given a resume of the knowledge of this species in Tasmania 
in the Emu, Vol. I., p. 83, 1902 : 44 Ephthianura albifrons is a marked illustra- 
tion in Tasmania of an exodus of certain species alluded to by Gould so many 
years ago. Climatic influence — great droughts, prevailing heavy rains, or 
sudden storms, and the like — cause, no doubt, those movements which locate 
species in a district or province wherein they were never before observed. 
In his 4 Handbook ’ the author in question states that the Ephthianura is not 
found in Tasmania, though common in the Strait islands. That it should 
not, therefore, be found on the north coast (so far as I can ascertain) is remark- 
able, for its first appearance, as recorded, was in the Sorrell district, not far 
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