Australasian Ornithologists' Union

“ The birds do not resort to flight, but run along the ground like mice, and thread their way through the undergrowth, the tails always being carried vertically. When first disturbed, the adult bird utters a single scolding note, and repeats the same at intervals while the intruder remains. They possess, however, a spirited, clear song, which is uttered when perched on a bare limb in a low bush. They appear to be very local in habit, for the only place except one we found them in the Hills was in the gully mentioned, which we named after the genus. ”

“ The three birds which we selected for skins were found on examination to be young birds, and I regret now that I did not examine every one that was shot. From what has been said it may be deduced that each bird of the company was a young one, and the neck plumage of those shot, evidenced by bunches of feathers in course of development, supported the deduction. One of our party, who claimed to have an intimate knowledge of the Old World Charadriidæ, asserted that it was not unusual for the young broods of the European Stilts to unite themselves into large companies and remain together. ”

“ King Island, lying at the western end of Bass Strait, which separates Tasmania from the mainland of Australia, has always been of great interest to the biologist. A study of its lifeforms has materially assisted in proving that the island State at no very remote period was of much greater area than it is at present, and, further, was actually connected with the mainland before the mighty forces of the ocean succeeded in opening up a strait along some weak spot. King Island is in area about 272,000 acres, 40 miles long by 16 miles at its widest part. ”

“ Mr. Conigrave was fortunate enough to obtain, on the second day's exploration at the Hills, an ornithological "godchild" of mine in the form of Calamanthus montanellus. This was shot in one of the dwarf scrubs on the hillside. Owing to the running, secretive habits of the species, specimens were hard to get, although the birds were numerous in every part. Their beautiful, clear, warbling notes, uttered usually whilst perched on the top of a low bush or running along the ground, were always charming. ”

“ When being chased the male bird adopts highly intelligent tactics. Dropping into the first convenient bush at its base, he quickly passes through to the other side of it, and immediately takes wing and flies with great rapidity to the next shelter, thus interposing the quitted bush between the pursuer and pursued, with every advantage to the latter. On comparing the skins of the two male birds we secured with some skins of the same species obtained at Day Dawn (some 200 miles farther north) , [3] the former was of a distinctly darker blue ”

“ On King Island the sexes are more evenly balanced. As proof that the Wrens are sociable, one incident will suffice, for when a party of three little short-tailed brown young ones, recently from the nest, was disturbed, no less than three brilliant males appeared, and, flitting up and down a log, within a foot or two of the intruder, showed as much concern as the mother bird herself. ”

“ Nettion castaneum (Teal) .—This and the preceding species find much of their food in the kelp on the seashore, and in the shallow water among rocks. They also frequent inland lagoons in company with the other swimmers enumerated, all of which nest on the island.
*Spatula rhyncotis (Shoveller) .
Biziura lobata (Musk Duck) .—Common. When swimming fast to get away from an intruder, like a ship at high speed, this bird sinks deeply into the water, only the head and neck being visible. ”

“ Found only in the densest scrubs on the gravel ridges, where it is very abundant, and its cry is continually to be heard. Now and then one can be seen as it mounts to the top of a bush for a moment, but it instantly vanishes on perceiving the intruder, no matter how still he remains. ”

“ Attention is often first attracted to the bird by its sharp note, resembling very much the click of the grasshopper. A nest containing three eggs taken in November proves it to be a late breeder.
Petrœca vittata (Dusky Robin) .—A species common everywhere, nesting sometimes on the dead trees in the clearings and sometimes in living scrub. The young, when they leave the nest, are streaky in appearance, and somewhat conspicuous objects when sitting on a dead twig waiting to be fed ”

“ Platycercus flaviventris (Green Parrakeet) .—This species is one of the few of this genus having the immature plumage differing from the adult. The adult Green Parrakeet of King Island is very large, measuring 151⁄2 inches in length. The back is black, with indigo-green edgings to the feathers; the under surface greenish-yellow, with under tail coverts washed with crimson. The young birds, probably until three years of age, are a uniform smudgy olive-green, excepting the blue on primaries and cheeks and the crimson on forehead, which, however, are not so bright as in the adult. ”

“ Of some 80 species recorded from King Island 14 are purely Tasmanian, 64 are common to both Tasmania and the mainland (one, a Wren, however, has recently been made a new species) , while only two are peculiar to the mainland: one, a small land form (Cisticola) , is migratory, and has apparently just overstepped its southern limit; another does not count for much, being a sea bird with roving habit.
In November, 1887, an examination was made of King Island by an expedition organised by the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria. ”

“ When a nest is being examined the old birds fly round with great rapidity, or perch on a neighbouring rock whence they exhibit great anxiety. Young in first plumage lack the blue forehead band. In traversing the island I often disturbed pairs or small parties of this Parrakeet, generally in the more open parts. Their chief food seems to be small round seeds, but I could not identify of what species of plant. ”

“ Even up to recent times, the former must have been numerous everywhere in the Hills for we met with hundreds of their old nest-mounds. These had been constructed not only in the rich red alluvial soils at the bases of the Hills, but also in the pocket-gullies on the hillsides, and even on the rocky brows of the hills in the broken conglomerate and gravel. Sites of the last-mentioned description, it is conceived, would not have been chosen by the birds if more suitable ones had been available. One is prompted to ask, "Why have the birds deserted the locality?" ”

“ Roughly speaking, the Moore flows in a tortuous course from north-east to south-west, About four miles west of Mogumber it receives the north branch, which flows from the direction its name implies. Some 12 miles from its mouth it is joined by the Gin-Gin Brook. These are the only tributaries of any importance. During the rainy season some of the lower reaches of the river expand into small lakes. The upper portions of the Moore call for little comment. The volume of the stream is at all times very moderate, and its valley of no great width. ”

“ The green colouring on the mantle of P. icterotis (the absence of which establishes P. xanthogenys) would in such areas make its possessor always conspicuous, and in consequence an easy prey for its enemies, and in time would lead to its extermination. Birds of the same species without such colouring, and less conspicuous, would have an infinitely better chance of surviving. ”

“ Birds in immature plumage are common, it being probably three years before the rusty-brown edgings to the feathers of the back, wings, and particularly the under surface, give place to the stainless black and deep grey of maturity. ”

“ The steep faces are generally bare of vegetation, while the long slope is covered with a densely-growing scrub of hakeas and honey-bearing bushes. This scrub is the home of numerous tamma, kangaroo-rats, and kangaroos, and it contains an immense variety of small birds, chiefly Honey-eaters and Wrens. The gullies between the gravel ridges have a scrub of their own, not so dense as that on the slopes, and consisting mostly of box poison, which is also found in the granite country. ”

“ When nesting it may be observed without much difficulty, as it remains close by the nest, though it shows great agitation if this is approached; at other times it is hard to get even a glimpse of the bird. ”

“ Westward of Mogumber, however, in the lower portions, the valley deepens and contracts, and the flow is much augmented, and permanent, until some 20 miles away the valley becomes a veritable gorge, with cliffs exceeding 150 feet in height. For the most part the surrounding country is a succession of sand plains; but at intervals oases of stunted banksia, casuarina, and other trees are encountered. At some few localities, the soil is richer, and the valley expands into small alluvial flats. Here several species of eucalyptus are found, and grow to a large size. ”

“ They appear to be always on the alert and at the same time very distrustful. No doubt these unenviable but life-essential qualities have been developed and made constant by their being continually harassed by their enemies, their brilliant plumage making them conspicuous objects in the landscape. The habit of elusion has eventually become a second nature with them. Colour to this surmise is given by the fact that the females, who are sombre in colour, are quite fearless. ”

“ Neophema petrophila (Rock-Parrakeet) .—This pretty little species is fairly common, but seems to favour the western side of the island, where it breeds on several small islets, and occasionally on the most precipitous slopes of the mainland cliffs. For a nesting site it takes advantage of any natural hollow in the limestone rock. I examined half a dozen or more nests. All of these were on the summits or slopes of islets, not in the face of the cliffs. ”

“ The plumage of the young did not, as might have been thought, resemble the adult female. Instead of the light slate-grey breast of the latter, they were blotched diffusely with dark brown and greyish-white. The back, however, showed the cinnamon colour very distinctly. Probably they assume another phase of plumage more nearly approaching that of the female before they reach maturity. The species seems not only local in habit, but very sparsely distributed. ”

“ Page 145: "But the greatest peculiarity in the habits of this bird is its manner of hanging together in clusters from the branch of a tree, like a swarm of bees." Mr. Wellington also stated that the bird was much commoner in winter than in summer. I saw another species of Wood-Swallow once or twice near Brookton, but which I do not know. ”

“ Limonites ruficollis (Little or Red-necked Stint) .—The commonest Waders on the island. They were very numerous and tame round the lagoons. Adults and birds of the year were equally common.
Heteropygia acuminata (Sharp-tailed Stint, Siberian Pectoral Sandpiper) .—Less common than the last-named species, but still fairly plentiful, both as regards adults and birds of the year. ”

“ We obtained several skins of Ptilotis cratitia, which were fairly numerous. Glycyphila albifrons were very numerous, and we obtained and saw many nests and eggs. They are restless, vivacious, swift-flying birds, with a variety of call notes. One in particular (their feeding note) resembles the repeated monosyllables "chink, chink." I shot two young birds in different localities, each of which had a bright yellow throat. The bill of one of these two birds was abnormally long, even as compared with adult birds of the same species. ”

“ The estuary where the Mandurah bird was obtained is salt, and possesses extensive mud-flats covered with samphire. The water of Lake Yanchep is fresh, and heavily charged with carbonate of lime, the formation surrounding the lake being limestone. Is it not possible that the presence of the rich fulvous colour of the estuary bird is due to the mud-flats, and the absence of it in the Yanchep bird to the harsh and harder limestone water? ”

“ This species used to breed commonly, and still does so to a smaller extent, at Bindoon, some 14 miles to the south of Mogumber.
Eupodotis australis (Wild Turkey or Bustard) .—Occasionally seen.
Zonifer tricolor (Black-breasted Plover) .—Near New Norcia I observed several Plovers on a large cultivated paddock. They appeared to be of this species.
Notophoyx novæ-hollandiæ (White-fronted Heron) .—Not uncommon near the Moore River and neighbouring swamps; breeding in several places. I climbed one tree containing several nests. ”

“ Attempts to dig out the egg or young with the aid of a piece of wood proved futile, the burrows extending too far. I planned a second visit, this time armed with a spade, but owing to an accident in connection with our horse and buggy the second attempt was likewise a failure, so that the species remains undetermined [2]
Of course, the foregoing list does not pretend to be anything like a complete catalogue of the avifauna of the island. ”

“ Two eggs are known to be in existence. Both are considerably smaller than those of the mainland variety, one measuring 4.85 x 3.40 inches, and the other 4.80 x 3.50 inches, whereas the size of a typical egg of the mainland Emu is 5.56 x 3.63 inches, which would seem to point to the insular bird itself being also smaller, but two eggs are hardly sufficient to prove the point. ”

“ It also is not far from one of the recorded localities for Atrichornis clamosa (the Noisy Scrub-Bird) . While many interesting birds were noted during our three days' stay in that charming locality, none of the species named was met with. Nevertheless, information was obtained respecting the causes of their disappearance and the localities where they should now be looked for. ”

“ In Australia, speaking generally, the rule has been, the farther one goes north the brighter and more conspicuous the colouration of the birds—a fact only in accordance with and accentuating the law of environment. ”

“ Hieracidea berigora (Striped Brown Hawk) .—Not infrequent. More often observed flying over the sand plains than anywhere else.
Cerchneis cenchroides (Kestrel) .—Far from common. According to my observations this is a rock-loving rather than a forest species.
Accipiter cirrhocephalus (Sparrow-Hawk) .—Frequently seen. A pair had a nest close to Mogumber railway station, but I could not find the exact locality. ”