THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
to build the nest. They are usually met with in flocks of from eight to a dozen, 
but it is no unusual thing to see from twenty to thirty or even more. They are 
always covered with lice, which appears to irritate them considerably, because, 
when the ground is dry enough, they are continually rolhng in the dust, and 
thej^ appear to always go to the same place to do so. The flock, which lives 
about my house, has a dust-bed on a road, and when the road is dry, I can see 
the whole flock in it almost any day from my verandah. They spend most 
of their time feeding upon the ground, and when disturbed they fly slowly 
to the nearest tree, uttering their harsh cries of alarm the while, but they diSer 
to most flocks of birds found feeding upon the ground by not all taking wing 
about the same time; they prefer to follow one after the other. Struthideas, 
Babblers and Blue-faced Honey-eaters have this habit when flying from a tree, 
but not from the ground. Wlien they reach the tree they utter quite a 
different single note, which is a mournful whistle.” 
Capt. S. A. WTiite writes: “ Widely distributed over the southern part 
of Australia, they move about in large communities, giving their weird and 
mournful whistle; when one flies off they all follow. Many birds seem to assist 
in building the wonderful mud nest, but I am of the opinion that only one 
bird lays in it; the clutch varies very much, for three to seven eggs will be found 
in the nest. H a bird should be wounded, the whole party come fussing round 
with wings drooping and tail spread out, uttering loud calls of alarm. A hori¬ 
zontal hmb is always selected on which to plan the nest, and they breed in 
August, September and October. 
IMr. E. J. Christian has written me: “This bird is the wheat-growers’ 
scourge. I have seen great patches of wheat crops ruined by this bird. As 
soon as the wheat sprouts and the seed is soft this bird will pull up plant after 
plant, and as they come in flocks of from ten to thirty they soon spoil an acre. 
I have counted seventy in one flock. They love the timbered coimtry and 
never appear to use their wings for long flight. Crops of grain grown on the 
plain are not troubled. They have a most dismal, mournful, long-dravm-out 
cry and when a large flock aU call out it is most weird. MTien disturbed they 
break out into a harsh jumble, very much like the noise produced by one of 
those wooden rattles. They are very amusing to watch when they ahght on 
a bough. The head and tail jerk about, giving the bird the appearance of 
balancing itself. IVlien feeding on the ground, they can always be distinguished 
at a distance by their peculiar gait, black bill and legs; red eyes, white on the 
wings and a slightly curved bill are their chief characteristics. One can set a 
flock calling by imitating their note.” 
Mr. Edwin Ashby states: “ Not uncommon in the Mount Lofty Ranges 
near Adelaide, frequenting the timbered country, but feeding on the grounds 
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