Z22 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
When startled, it utters an alarm note, “Krek”, which is instantly 
answered by other birds in the vicinity. Food: insects, seeds, small 
freshwater molluscs, and the green shoots of various plants. 
nest. A flat structure, composed of dried grasses and herbage, and 
generally placed in or near a tussock of grass or among herbage. 
eggs. Five or six, sometimes as many as eleven, creamy-butf or a 
faint buffy-white, spotted and blotched with brownish-red, purplish- 
red, and pale violet-grey markings. Breeding-season: October to January. 
9. Bush-hen Amaurornis ruficrissus Gould 
Am-aur'-orn'-is-Gk, amauros, dark; Gk, ornis, bird: ru-fi-criss'-us—L., 
rujus, red; L., crissum, vent feathers. 
distribution. Northern Territory and northern Queensland. 
notes. Usually singly or in pairs, frequenting swampy areas, chiefly 
of the coastal districts. It is similar in habits and economy to the other 
species of Rails. 
nest. An open structure, composed of coarse grass and other herbage- 
generally well concealed, and built in a tussock of grass. 
eggs. Four to six, white or faint creamy-white, dotted, spotted, and 
finely blotched with pale purplish-red and purplish-grey markings 
intermingled with underlying markings of violet-grey. Breeding-season’ 
October to March. ° 
10. Australian Pratincole Stiltia Isabella Vieillot 
Stilt'-i-a—N.L., stiltia, from English stilt: is-a-bell-a'- N.L., isabella 
from the colour isabelline. 
distribution. Australia (except Western Australia south of the 
Fitzroy River); also occurs in Borneo, Java to New Guinea. 
notes. Also called Swallow Plover. Usually in flocks, frequenting 
the chy inland plains. It is a migrant, generally arriving during 
September or October, departing in February or March. Plains and 
bare areas, entirely destitute of vegetation, are its chosen habitat It 
runs over the ground with great rapidity; its flight, although appearing 
clumsy, is nevertheless light and buoyant, and is characterized bv 
erratic zigzag motions. Food: insects, captured both on the ground 
and on the wing. 6 
nest. A bare space on the ground. 
EGGS Two, pale Stone-colour, covered all over (sometimes very 
heavily) with irregular-shaped markings of dark brown and underlying 
ones of grey. Breeding-season: September to February. 1 8 
11. Australian Dotterel Peltohyas australis Gould 
(Austrahan)7 Gk ’ Shield; Gk ’ hya5 ‘ a plover: ««rt™fo-southern 
distribution. Australia (except the northern, eastern, and south- 
eastern coastal districts). 50Utn 
notes. Usually in pairs or small flocks, frequenting plains and the 
samphires growing on the margins of lakes and streams. It appears to 
be nomadic in habits, although in many localities it is found through 
