THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
harmonizes so well with the colour of the stones, tempered with that of the 
sand, that a sitting bird must be quite inconspicuous. That the bird relies 
on such similarity to its surroundings when sitting is evidenced by its actions. 
... I flushed one Desert Chat. The little bird did the ‘ broken wing ’ 
trick very well indeed, and fluttered away, while I remained stationary.” 
A little later a good note was published by J. Neil McGilp from Moola- 
watana, Copley, South Australia (Interior), who wrote: “ Though I have only 
been collecting since May 1918, I have always been interested in birds, and 
knew of the Desert Chat some years ago, but did not know its name until 
Capt. White asked me to look out for it last year (1918). The name Desert 
‘ Bush ’ Chat is rather misleading, for the bird rarely takes to the low bushes, 
spending most of its time on the ground. The call of the Desert Chat is rather 
a plaintive, piping call, but mostly used at breeding-time, just before nesting. 
I have often seen this bird mount high in the air, almost perpendicular, with 
the same motion of wings as the Song-Lark, but it invariably returns to earth 
in a falling sort of way to almost the same spot as it left the ground. All the 
time of ascending it gives a sharp “ Whit- whit- whit,” ; at other times, when 
calling its mate, it gives a sweetly pretty song. The bird generally nests 
after first rains, but also in September. The clutch in good seasons is mostly 
three, but in poor years two is the usual setting. On 21st April, 1919, we 
had a nice rain which continued on to 22nd April, thus breaking a drought 
since June 1918. On 25th April (three days after rain) I was fortunate to 
find a pair of Chats, their habits leading me to hunt for a nest. I found a 
round hole scooped out just alongside a small, dry annual salt bush, depth 
about 3 inches. Thinking this the start of a nest I had a look at the spot 
the following day, and found a partly built nest — some twigs and pieces of 
wool — but in no way rounded out. . . . On 30th April I found the nest 
completed. . . . On 2nd May ... I found one egg. On 3rd May I again 
called in at nest, and found two eggs, the bird leaving quietly at my approach. 
. . . On 5th May I visited the nest, and when about five yards away the 
female fluttered off the nest, pretending lameness and flattening itself to the 
ground within three feet of me. I have noticed previously that the Desert 
Chat does not pretend lameness unless she is sitting ; until a full clutch is 
laid she only hops out of the nest and stands a few yards away.” 
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