THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
visits, running along the latter like the Pied Wagtail of our own island ( i.e ., 
Great Britain). Gilbert states that in Western Australia he observed it 
congregate in large families on the banks and muddy flats of the lakes round 
Perth, while in the interior he only met with it in pairs, or at most in small 
groups of not more than four or five together ; he further observes, that at 
Port Essington, on the north coast, it would seem to be only an occasional 
visitant, for on his arrival there in July it was tolerably abundant around the 
lakes and swamps, but from the setting in of the rainy season in November 
to his leaving that part of the country in the following March, not an individ- 
ual was to be seen ; it is evident, therefore, that the bird removes from one 
locality to another according to the season and the more or less abundance 
of its peculiar food. I believe it feeds solely upon insects and their larvae, 
particularly grasshoppers and coleoptera. The flight of the Pied Grallina 
is very peculiar, unlike that of any other Australian bird that came under 
my notice, and is performed in a straight line with a heavy flapping motion 
of the wings. Its natural note is a peculiarly shrill ’whining whistle often 
repeated. It breeds in October and November.” 
Mr. Thos. P. Austin has written me from Cobbora, New South Wales : 
“ This is a resident species, and probably the most common bird of the district, 
as it is to be met with everywhere near the vicinity of water. In the autumn 
it forms into small flocks, and they spend the greater part of the day feeding 
on the margins of rivers, swamps, dams, lagoons, etc., but is also frequently 
met with upon the ground in open paddocks. When disturbed they fly into 
a tree, or if available on to a fence, usually uttering shrill notes, but when 
flying slowly with laboured flight, it has quite a different note, which is of 
a much more pleasing sound. I have often noticed that ornithological writers 
mention this species as one of the three (including the White-wdnged Chough 
and Apostle Bird) Australian birds that builds a mud nest ; why the Sw'allow 
and the Fairy Martin are omitted from this peculiar habit I have never been 
able to understand. The nest is bowl-shaped, formed of wet mud with just 
sufficient dry grass to hold it together, lined sparingly with dry grass stems 
and a few feathers, and is generally placed on a horizontal branch of a living 
tree. The clutch is usually four, sometimes five, and I have examined nests 
containing eggs from the first week in October till the end of the year.” 
Mr. Sandland wrote me : “ It is rare and never nests at Balah, South 
Australia, but is very common on the Murray River and the Burra districts.” 
Captain S. A. White has written : “ One of the greatest favourites 
amongst Australian birds, its dainty form and coloration drawing to it much 
attention, the Grallina is very widely distributed, and its familiar call of ‘ Knee- 
deep, knee-deep,’ or ‘ Pee-wit, pee-wit ’ may be heard from the coast right 
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