Vol. XXIV.T 
1924 J 
Stray Feathers 
155 
Seasonal Influences on the Breeding of Native Birds.— 
In the interior of the Australian continent, the seasons are 
very erratic; this affects the breeding of the birds of that 
region. In bad seasons the birds do not breed to any extent, 
and should they do so, the clutch laid is usually below normal. 
In good periods, when the supply of food is suitable, the 
birds lay large clutches, and continue to breed while “the going 
is good.” The years 1921 and 1922 on Moolawatana were 
very bad, and few, if any, of the birds bred in the usual way. 
In April, 1923 , we had a break-up of the drought, and 
within three weeks from the first rainfall, the birds were 
hard at work preparing for future families. During July, 
I noted some abnormally large sets of eggs. The Bare-eyed 
Cockatoo was invariably sitting on four eggs, whereas its 
usual clutch is 3 . The Galah had also added another egg 
to its usual 4-egg set. The Ground Lark, whose 3 eggs were 
generally incubated, had preferred to hatch out 4 eggs as a 
rule, though sets of 5 eggs were noted. The Orange-fronted 
Tang had also taken 4 eggs as a fair thing; this also applied 
to the Crimson and White-fronted Tangs, which were nesting in 
larger numbers than recorded previously. The Brown Song 
Lark was sitting on 4 eggs, instead of its usual complement 
of 3 eggs. The little Red-capped Robin invariably had 3 eggs 
in nest, though this is unusual with this bird in the interior in 
normal times. The greatest increase noted was with the Cinna¬ 
mon Ground-Bird, which was sitting on four eggs. Two eggs 
is usual, though 3 eggs have occasionally been found. Kestrels 
were endeavouring to hatch out 6 or 7 eggs. The Spotted 
Harrier had taken 4 eggs as its complement instead of 3 as 
usual. Though dozens of Australian Dotterels and Gibber- 
birds were observed nesting, none has exceeded the 3 -egg 
clutch. The Black-banded Whiteface, which invariably has 
adopted the standard of 2 eggs in our part, had in one in¬ 
stance reared 4 young, and a 3-egg set was noted, though 2 eggs 
were the more often found. The foregoing serves to show that 
the birds realise their responsibility and lay more eggs when 
all things are favourable.—J. Neil McGilp, R.A.O.U., King’s 
Park, Adelaide, 5 / 12 / 23 . 
* * * 
The Curlew, an Annual Visitor.-— It is the usual custom of 
the Australian Sea Curlew (Numenius cyanopus) to nest in 
Siberia during June. A point of this kind should always excite 
one’s interest, not only because it is a flight of 8000 miles each 
way to and from the tundra, but because the young return with 
the adults. At this abnormally late moment there is a flock of 
fifty on Pittwater, and we wonder why. What are the food and 
climatic conditions in the frozen north, and could we make this 
flock of birds a weather bureau? There certainly is a reason, 
because Godwits are mixed with them, making a further sub- 
