THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA, 
On 19th they had plumage much streaked light brown and dark grey; biUs 
dark grey with yeUow gape ; on 20th they flew from nest, giving twelve days 
from hatching to flying.” 
Mr. J. W. Mellor has written: “ These birds are extremely widespread, 
being foimd in aU the States ; they live in^the more open parts of the country, 
running over the ground with great rapidity, rising when flushed and descending 
again a short distance away. They are extremely useful birds in eating up 
insects such as small caterpillars and beetles that do great damage to the 
grass crops. I have noted them extremely plentiful at the Reedbeds neai' 
Adelaide on the open grassland where the groimd is damp and swampy, and 
where insect life is therefore abundant. They seem to depart m the winter 
time and retmm as the spring opens up.” 
Dean wrote from Stirling, Tasmania: “I have watched the movements 
of Groimd-Larks {Anthus australis) for two successive seasons, and find they 
ai-rived here on 25th August of the year 1901, and 20th August, 1902, respec¬ 
tively, and generally commence to breed about the begimiing of October. 
They leave this locahty again about the first week m April the following autumn. 
Is this movement only local, or do these birds migrate to the mainland of 
Australia ? ” 
Littler has noted : “ While young are m the nest the parent birds feed 
them almost the whole night. The state of the weather makes no difference. 
At this season of the year they are very cheerful; their call notes can be heard 
continually, especially during the night. They appear to move about a great 
deal imder the cover of darkness. On 26th September flocks of a dozen or 
more birds were common. No trace of a nest was found. The very fact of 
them still moving m flocks seemed to indicate that they had not yet 
commenced breeding. Their rimning powers are reaUy great; and the habit 
they have of flicldng their tails is very curious. When flyuig, the whitt' 
marguis of the primaries and the white outer tail-feathers are very conspicuously 
displayed.” 
Dove also gave several notes regarding the movements and also pomted 
out that many stayed during the winter in Tasmania. 
Bemey wrote from North Queensland : “ There is a migratory movement 
among these Larks, but I have not so far given them sufficient attention or 
collected the requisite data to say what its extent is. During the past summer, 
1903-4, it has been totally absent, but one showed up on 22nd May this year, 
since when they have been constantly in the district. As to whether subsequent 
notes will confirm or upset this remains to be seen.” 
Macgilhvray recorded : “Not noted at Cape York, but common throughout 
the Gulf country.” 
