Vol. XXIV. 
1925 
Strav Feathers. 
301 
Stray Feathers 
A Second Australian Specimen of the Wandering Tattler. 
—Since Mathews and Iredale in their latest work on Australian 
birds (“A Manual of the Birds of Australia,” I., 1921, pp. 142 
and 143) cite but one instance of the occurrence of the Wan¬ 
dering Tattler (Heteroscelus incanus, Gmelin), in Australia, it 
may be of interest to note here the existence of a hitherto un¬ 
recorded specimen of this species in the Museum of Comparative 
Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. 
The bird in question (M.C.Z. 56,067) was taken February 11, 
1897, by Mr. Milton J. Flood, of Maldon, Mass., U.S.A., in the 
course of an extensive visit to Australia and the Pacific Islands. 
The original label fails to give the sex of the specimen, and the 
locality (except the word Australia) is omitted, its place being 
taken by a journal number. Owing to Mr. Flood’s untimely 
death at the hands of natives in New Guinea his journals were 
lost, and it is therefore impossible to learn any more concerning 
this, or many other specimens in the large collection that he 
made. 
I have examined a considerable number of species collected 
in Australia by Flood, and all appear to have come from Queens¬ 
land, so it may be safely assumed that this specimen of the 
Wandering Tattler was likewise taken there.— James L. Peters, 
Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. 
* * * 
The Spotted Ground-bird.—A pair of Ground-birds (Cinclo- 
sonia putt datum) claim a slope of the hillside here as their own. 
Last year, when spending a few weeks of the Christmas 
vacation in the locality, I noticed this pair. They were 
accompanied by three well-grown young, which, except 
for their slightly smaller size and their babyish call, were 
not easy to distinguish from their parents. From my bed 
on the verandah of the cottage, which my sisters and I rented, 
i could watch this family in the early hours of the morning. 
While all was quiet, they would search close to the house, 
and appeared to be picking up crumbs. They even ran across 
the end of the verandah. Once, when we came suddenly 
upon them, they flew, two of the birds settling on the lower 
branches of a small gum tree. One of these was a parent bird, 
which from its perch uttered its warning, whispering sort of 
whistle. Our home is now in the area searched over by the same 
pair, and in the early morning they often frequent the yard. 
A little over a week ago the female was sitting. When she 
came otf for her daily exercise,. she made a call similar to 
that of a young one, whereupon her dutiful spouse would at 
once set to work to hunt up some fragment for his lady. 
It was pretty to watch both within a few steps of the back 
