THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
built in places very difficult to reach, such as deep crevices of precipitous 
cliffs or holes in the roofs of the large caves. On August 26th, 1913, when 
at the Yardie Creek (N.W. Cape area) two pairs of these birds were observed 
constantly flying in and out of a cave situated on the face of one of the high 
cliffs. I succeeded in scrambling up to the floor of the cave, but could not 
reach the nests which were in crevices in the roof, about twelve feet above 
my head. I could see the heads of the young birds over the edges of nests, 
and the old birds kept bringing them food, as I stood below them. 1 ’ 
Mr. J. P. Rogers’ notes read : “At Maragle Creek this was a very rare 
species, only three birds being seen between the 19th and 28th of May, 1911. 
At Mungi none were seen. On my return to Derby the first of this species 
was seen twenty-five miles south of the Fitzroy River. This species was 
numerous at Derby in November and December, 1910. Is sparingly 
distributed in Kimberley, but is numerous on the cliffs of the Grand Range, 
West Kimberlev.” 
Whitlock’s account is fairly complete and is here quoted : “I first 
encountered this rather rare Wood-Swallow at Gorge Creek (on the Pilbarra 
Goldfield) where it haunted the rocky hillsides. I afterwards secured three 
specimens on the Upper Coongan, at a still more rocky locality. I refrained 
from shooting any more, in the hope of getting eggs, though I could see I 
should have some time to wait before I should have a chance, the breeding 
organs at this period (July) being very small. It was not until the end of 
September that I found my first nest. I was watching a pair of 
Gollyriocincla in a very rocky and timbered creek some 3 miles from the main 
river. I had followed one of the Thrushes up a very rocky side creek, when 
I observed a Little Wood-Swallow skim right up to the precipitous face of 
a cliff and then back again. I thought I could detect something like a nest 
in a very small cleft. I climbed to the spot, and there, in a cavity hardly 
big enough to admit my hand, was a loosely constructed nest of bits of 
spinifex pressed into the cleft by the weight of the bird, and with just an 
apology for a cup. It contained one egg. I left it, and returning 
in a week’s time secured a pair. Lower down the creek I observed a second 
pair of birds, and I located their nest in the hollow spout of a small gum. 
I eventually took three eggs from this nest. Still lower down this creek, 
and where the rocky sides had developed into a massive precipice, I could 
see another pair of birds skimming about. . . This Wood-Swallow never 
seems to be away from rocks. It is by no means timid, and flies right up 
to and perches within a few feet of the intruder examining the nest. It has 
a very pleasing song, resembling that of the Swallow ( Hirundo neoxena). 
On the wing its small size renders identification easy. The two central and 
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