THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Gould’s field-notes from New South Wales: “ where I found it more 
abundant on the Liverpool Plains than elsewhere; I also met mth solitary 
individuals in the district of the Upper Hunter. In its habits it is more 
terrestrial than arboreal, and will frequently allow itself to be almost trodden 
upon before it Avill rise, and then it merely flies to a short distance and descends 
agam ; it may often be seen perched upon the strong blades of grass and 
occasionally on the trees ; it frequently mounts high in the air after the manner 
of the Skylark of Europe, singing all the time very melodiously, but with a 
weaker strain than that favomite bird ; it also occasionally utters its pleasing 
song while perched on the branches of the trees.” 
Mr. Thos. P. Austm’s notes from Cobbora, New South Wales : “ One of the 
rare visitors here, apparently only appearing sparingly in a good spring; still 
the nature of the bird may make it appear much more scarce than it really is, 
for sometimes it wiU allow itself to be almost trodden on before taldng wing, 
w'hen it rises with an undulating jerky flight for a short distance, then suddenly 
droppmg into cover. Sometimes it wdll be seen flying high in the air on a 
bright sunny morning uttering its pleasing song. I have never found a nest, 
but I know they do breed here at times, because I once caught a young bird, 
which had only just left the nest,” 
Mr. Edwin Ashby, some years ago, wwote: “I shot M. hnrsjieldi at 
Ballarat in Victoria, but M. secunda, which is smaller than that, is numerous 
in the cornfields near Adelaide, and numerous seventy miles north at Saddle- 
worth, but I have not met with it in the Hill comitry. The sweet song of this 
bird as it sings as it rises on the wing reminds me of that of the English Sky¬ 
lark. On Avarm spring nights I have heard this bird singuig most lustily m the 
darkness of the night. I was of course unable to ascertain whether it Avas settled, 
or singing m its flight.” 
Ml’. J. W. MeUor also sent a note : “A/, horsfieldi is mostly to be seen in the 
open country, and especially Avhere large areas of A\Leat and other cereal 
crops are groAvn. I have noted tliis in Victoria and Ncav South Wales, ill. 
secunda I have seen all over South Austraha, on Eyre’s Peninsula, Yorke’s 
Peninsula, and on the Adelaide Plains. Where I hve at the Reedbeds they 
are to be seen fairly plentiful in the season, for they are migratory, coming to 
us in September, and leaving about April. They prefer the open cropland 
where the wheat and oats are groAvn, here they run over the gromid nimbly, 
lisiug now and again Avith a quick motion, their Avuigs being worked sharply 
and Avith a hovering movement prior to ahghtmg again a short distance further 
on. In the matter of hovering they have no equal amongst Australian birds, 
and for tliis they are often knoA\m as the Hovering Lark; they Avill ascend into 
the heavens to a great height until they are almost lost to view, hovering for 
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