Vd mF*] FLETCHER, Birds of the Steppes 
109 
noted that when the mother pretended.to pick up a worm, the little 
mite stopped running. As soon as she commenced to murmur and 
run, her baby did the same, but it never attempted to cross the half 
chain of grassy land between it and its mother. It was a pretty sight 
to see the two—the perfect obedience of the baby, the thoughtful care 
of the mother. 
I heard the meeting of the two old birds, then back again came the 
female, and for the fourth time imaginary worms were pulled from 
the ground. I saw the chicken out in the open, and just as it neared 
a large lichen-covered stone, I rushed from my tree. Both birds 
shrieked above me, but try as I would, I could not find the baby, 
though I had seen it as I came out in the open. At last I noticed 
that the lichen on one corner of the stone or rock appeared softer in 
one place. I looked closer. The lichen was the baby chick, lying flat 
against the stone, with its head and neck stretched upwards. I moved 
away to watch what the birds would do. They were still calling 
above me, but their little one must have heard a new note in the calls. 
It disappeared suddenly, when I glanced up at its parents. I could 
not find it again. 
The eggs of another pair hatched out in the second week of 
October, and about December 1st, I found another lot of chicks, which 
I judged to be a couple of days old. 
Some of the Plovers spend much of their time in the shallow waters 
of the Lagoon, but do not appear to take their little ones there until 
they are well grown and strong on the wing. 
Zonifer tricolor. Banded Plover.—I saw a few of these on 
the St. Patrick’s Plains. They had nearly full-grown chickens with 
them on the 22nd November. 
When returning from a drive to Lakes Arthur, on the 3rd of 
December, I saw a female Banded Plover, disturbed by the passing 
of the trap, leave her nest. Evidently she was incubating a second 
clutch. 
Capella hardwicki. Australian Snipe.—I saw one searching for 
food near the Lagoon on the 14th November. A week later there 
were several more. I came across a couple on the St. Patrick’s 
Plains, three miles from the Steppes. 
Notophoyx novfe-hollandia?. White-faced Heron.—Seen paddling 
in the Lagoon. 
Botaurus poiciloptilus. Brown Bittern.—My friends always told 
me that there were no Bitterns at the Lagoon or islands. However, 
one evening toward the end of November, I heard the well-known 
booming. From that time I heard the call every night until I left 
on the 8th December. When prowling about the edge of the Lagoon, 
I afterwards flushed a Bittern, which seemed to be catching frogs in 
the shallow, reedy water. 
Chenopis atrata. Black Swan.—A couple of pairs nested amidst 
the islands of the Lagoon. One pair had nine and the other, four 
cygnets. Judging by the size and plumage of the little ones, the 
eggs must have been hatched about the end of September. When I 
paid a short visit to the Lake River end of The Arthur Lakes, I saw 
numbers of young swans swimming near the small tea tree islands. 
One flock rose with a rush of wing beats when some grazing cattle, 
alarmed at our approach, dashed through the shallow water to a 
peninsula running well out into the lake. This spot looked a fine one 
from an ornithologist’s viewpoint. 
There were hundreds of ducks on the waters of this lake. I noted 
the Black or Grey Duck (Anas siiperciliosa ), and the Chestnut Teal 
(Anas castanea). There were others, but too far away from me 
to be absolutely certain of the species. 
