ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES 
Jly S. W. Crane, k.A.O.U. 
Tile vicinity of the camp was ijuite 
a good place for birds, and, though no¬ 
thing unusual was observed, 40 species 
were noted, and doubtless a number were 
missed. 
The honeyeaters f.VIe.iphagidae) were 
very common, and the white-bearded, or 
New Holland (Meliorate Xovao-Hollan- 
diae), with its distinctive black and 
white streaked breast, the familiar Cres¬ 
cent (If. Australasians), and Spinebill 
(A. Dubius) varieties could often be 
«een feeding in the banksias which grew 
wherever the soil was sandy. The ex¬ 
traordinary notes of tlie wattle birds 
(Anellobia) proclaimed their presence 
from afar, as did those of the noisy 
miner, while the hi i. kheaded (M. melano- 
ceyhalua) and yellow-throated honeyeat¬ 
ers (P. flavig'ula) were also seen. The 
rarer tawny-crowned ((<. fulvifrons) is 
to lie found within a few miles of the 
camp, hut 1 was unable to see it. 
The scarlet-breasted (P. leggi) and 
dusky robins (A. vittata) were much 
more plentiful than the flame-breasted 
(P. phoenicea), though all three fre¬ 
quented the clearings. 
Tree martins (1\ nigricans) were quite 
common for the first few days, but 
they apparently migrated northwards on 
Easter Sunday, as did the pallid cuckoo 
(C. paMidus). 
One of the joys of the Australian bush 
are the early morning carols of the mag¬ 
pies (Ciymnorhinn) and butcher birds 
(Cracticus), in which respect we were 
well treated. The blue wrens were also 
heard, but not so much as usual, as a 
number of them were moulting. Cireen 
parrots (P. flaviventris) and rosellas (P. 
-eximitis were the only usittacidae ob¬ 
served. though doubtless others arc to 
bo found in tlie vicinity. 
Small flocks of brown-tailed (A. dte- 
mensis) and yellow-tailed (A. chrysorr- 
lioa) tits frequented the small scrub, 
which was also the hunting ground of 
tlie harmonious whistling shrike thrush 
•(C. selbil). 
The summer bird or blactk-faced cuc¬ 
koo shrike (Cl. parvirostris) was to be 
seen in tlie taller trees doing its char¬ 
acteristic “shrugging'’ of one wing at a 
time after nuking a short undulating 
flight. 
Penguin island was patronised by 
brown quail (S. Australis). The creeks 
were frequented by that wonderful stunt 
flier, the dusky fantail (K. diemensis), 
while our only Tasmanian finch, the fire- 
tail (Z. bellus) and the ubiquitous ra¬ 
ven (O. australis; comprise the last of 
the diurnal land birds observed. Tlie 
spotted owl (X. maeulata) was the only 
nocturnal bird seen. 'the camp tire 
was too alluring to wander far from 
it. 
In connection with the sea birds it 
is interesting to note that Penguin Is¬ 
land was so named by Furneaux ow¬ 
ing to a crested penguin (0. chryso- 
conte) having been captured there. This 
bird is extremely rare in Tasmanian 
waters. The only other really authen¬ 
tic specimen was one captured at Dev- 
onport. 
A few fairy penguins (E. minor) still 
inhabited the rookeries at the north 
end of the bay, but the vast major¬ 
ity had finished their nesting duties for 
the year and gone. 
A tine sea eagle ill. le'Ucogaster) was 
observed flying round the cliffs near 
Cape Comtella, while further out the 
wandering (1). exulans) and black-brow¬ 
ed albatrosses (I), melanoplirys) skim¬ 
med over the waves in tlieir inimit¬ 
able fashion. The clean-cut gannet (S. 
Australia) plunged from aloft with vary¬ 
ing success, and black (I 5 , carbo) and 
pied cormorants (P. gouldi) were also 
busy diving for ffsb. A few black 
swans (A. atrata) were seen flying in 
tlieir characteristic V formation, and 
a couple of pairs of white-fronted her¬ 
on- ( X. novae-Hollandiae) or blue cranes 
frequented the quiet backwaters, whence 
they lazily flapped away on being dis¬ 
turbed. 
19 
