THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
a watch to see that the bird did not escape while I was so engaged, and he 
now said the bird was under this branch. I did not think it was, but upon 
lifting it up, the bird was discovered, lying lengthways below it. It fluttered 
away, but was captured. The only sound that was ever heard from any of 
this species was a rather harsh 6 Chat-chat.’ They seem to feed largely on 
the familiar black 4 pie-dish ’ beetles ( Helceus ) as well as on other species, and 
small grasshoppers, as proved by examination of the gizzards of all birds shot. 
Towards the end of August 1913 I spent several days systematically searching 
all the likely gullies and places around the Yardie Creek for signs of these birds 
but never saw one of them. Since I left Point Cloates, the old original station 
has been divided amongst four owners, and sheep now feed regularly over 
the greater part of the North-west Cape Peninsula, much of which is fenced 
and paddocked, and most of the old Spinifex of large size has been burnt off, 
so that there is now not nearly so much cover nor quietness for birds of habits 
like Eremiornis. At the time of writing this the nest and eggs are still un- 
clescribed but the following is copied from my note in 4 Emu , Vol. I., p. 56 ’ 
on the finding of a supposed nest : 4 Sept. 16, 1901. When driving in my 
buggy through the thick grey-leaved species of Saltbush, in which one finds 
this bird (N.W. Cape Peninsula), and which, growing from 3 to 4 feet in height, 
is very difficult stuff to 4 wade ’ through, I noticed an old bird fly from a bush. 
Upon reaching the place I found a nest, which I have no doubt belonged to 
this bird. It was built among the twigs, about one foot from the ground, 
and was a bulky structure measuring about 4| inches across the top, and 
3 inches in depth. The top was quite open and somewhat deep. The nest 
was made of dry grass and fibre, some of the latter having a texture like loose 
(frayed) twine. Lining there was none, but several dead Saltbush leaves 
were in the bottom, having probably fallen in. Inside the nest and below it, 
were numerous elytrse of beetles, mostly of the small shield (pie-dish) beetles . 
The old bird perhaps resorted to the nest to eat them. Young birds appeared 
to have recently left the nest. The bird shot was a male. This nest was 
sent to the Perth West Australian Museum.’ ” 
From the Pilbarra Goldfield Whitlock wrote : 44 This species was con- 
fined to the Spinifex of the Upper Coongan, and was by no means common. 
I spent a lot of time over it, and then did not get a nest, though I actually 
saw in several instances the parent birds carry building material into a clump 
of Spinifex, and after a short interval, come but of the same clump with the 
beak empty. I think, had I remained a little longer in the district, I should 
have been successful, as the species is evidently a late breeder. But I was 
anxious to reach the main de Grey, which had been pictured to me as a sort 
of ornithological 4 land of promise,’ but there the species was quite absent.” 
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