THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
one egg was found and, though the egg was taken, the second egg was laid and 
incubated in the same nest. This also occurred to us the follo^ving year.” 
Hill wrote from the Geelong and Oburg districts: “All over the district, 
but not common except in the more heavily timbered country. Very 
common in the Otways, but very local; for instance it was frequent on the 
Erskuie but scarce on the St. George, though these two creeks are only a 
couple of miles apart.” 
Chisholm also recorded from the Maryborough district in 1908: “ On 
account of the early flowering of the various eucalypts, these birds have 
arrived here over a month earlier than last year. Although the main body of 
the ‘ Wattles ’ has not yet arrived, the birds are very plentiful about the 
bush, and their numbers are being added to daily. It would be interesting 
to know how the birds learnt of the early flowering of the trees. I notice they 
do not confine themselves to an honey diet, but may be seen ever and anon 
darting after various insects. The blossoms of the ironbark (Eucalyptus) 
trees are specially favorued by these birds.” 
Howe has noted : “ Young about a w^eek old ; the quills on the primaries, 
about an inch long and of a blue colour, were not yet broken; the eyes were 
just opening. They were clothed with a dark grey dovui, while the inside of 
the mouth and the gape were both yellows ” 
From Eyre Peninsula, Captain S. A. White m'ote: “ AcanthocJmra 
carunculat% was very numerous around om* camp. Then peculiar harsh cry 
and queer calls are kept up from the first streak of dawn till darkness sets 
in. They are very early nesters, nearly all we saw having fully fledged yomig. 
They were one or two late broods—most likely second ones. Then chief 
food appears to consist, at this time of the year, of soft, hairy caterpillars. . . 
A nest contauiing three yomig, covered in grey down, was found.” 
Alexander, of the Perth district, has written: ‘ ‘ Resident. Dming the whiter 
these birds assemble in great numbers in those parts of the district where flower¬ 
ing banksias are,” and Ashby recorded it as “ Common at Claremont, W.A.” 
Mr. Tom Carter has given me a long note: “ The Red Wattle-bhd is 
one of the commonest species through the south-west (in your 1912 ‘ Reference 
List ’ you give ‘ AVest Austraha ’ generally) from the Moore River, southwards. 
It is not so common in the heavily timbered coastal areas as it is hi the more 
open coimtry further inland. About Broome Hill it is very numerous and 
noisy; the loud ‘ hiccupping ’ notes of the birds may be heard all over. 
The utteiing of tliis note seems to requhe a considerable effort on the part of 
the bird, as, while producing it, its head is throvui up and far back, and its 
body moved by a violent jerk, in quite a comical way. Another common 
note is a deep guttural single one. On the north side of my land at Broome 
68 
