218 Mr. T. Carter on some Birds from [Ibis,

XV.-Supplementary Notes on some Birds from Western .By THOMAS Australia and f rom Dirk Hartog Island.

CARTER, M.B.O.U.”

I. WESTERN AUSTRALIA. THE following notes, made on a recent visit to Westeru Australia from 27 November, 1921, to 3 June, 1922, were obtained in the sonth-west corner of that State in the Busselton, Kut:inning and Gnowangerup districts, from 20 December, 1921, to 15 March, 1922, in the vicinity of Woolundra on the Goldfields (Transcontinental) Railway, 16-31 March, and in the Shark Bay area, 9 Aprii to 6 May.

The township of Gnowangerup is twenty-five miles south- east from Kahnning, and sixty miles north-west from Beaufort Inlet on the Great Southern Ocean.

Woolnndra is 150 miles north of Katanning, and 140 miles inland from Fremantle.

Leipoa ooellsta. Mltllee Fowl still breed in the MB-lock scrubs in the

Gnowangerup district, but as these scrubs are being rapidly rolled down, burnt off, and PO cleared for wheat-growing, they will soon be all driven farther away to the east and south, into countrg not yet “improved.” The nauie ‘‘ Gnowangerup ” is tin aboriginal one, meaning the place, or abode of “ Gnows,” as the blacks call the Malleo Fowl, so the district has evidently been noted for the numbers of this fine bird in past ages.

Single birds were occasionally seen on my recent visit there in March, which is not thoir breeding season, but t,hoir numbers have uuch decreased since I was there in February 1919.

Mr. Bruce Leake, of Woolundra, told me that a Mallee Fowl got caught in one of his dingo (wild dog) traps there two years ago.

For previow papers see Ibis, 1920, pp. 679-719; and 1921, pp. 48-81.

1923.] W. Australia and Dirk Hartog Island. 219

Pbps chelcoptera. A few Bronze-winged Pigeons were sesn about Gnowan-

Phaps elegans. Brush Bronze-winged Pigeons wcre inore nunierous in the

gerup.

Busselton district than I have seen them for several years.

Zonifer tricolor gwendolenre. Western Black-breasted Plover were coinmon about

Woolunch, and on 28 March small young, in down, were seen there. A sindl flock of these Plover were seen close to the coast, at Ellensbrook,’about 25 miles froin Busselton, having evidently extended their range froin the latter locality, where I recorded their presence in April 1919 (wide Ibis, 1920, p. 695).

Actitis hypoleucue aurita . A single Eastern Common Sandpiper was seen on the

beach near Denhani, 18 April, 1922.

Calyptorhynchus mapificus naso. Red-tailed Cockatmoos are rapidly becoming scarce in most

Only two small parties of tlieiii were south-west districts. seen.

Eolophus roseicapillus assimilis. A flock of about twenty Western Rose-breasted Cockatoos

was seen :it Denhaiii on d May. They were feeding in some tall scrub within 150 yards of the towii school and other Iiouses.

Polytelis anthopeplus. Early in 1922 there was ii great irruption of Black-tailed

Parrots in tho Katanning-Brooiiie Hill districts. A siuiilar occurrence took place in January 1912 \\hen I was living at Brooine Hill. When I \\as at Qnowangerup early in March 1922, these birds were seen in flocks of several hundreds watering at the tanks, excavated i n the ground for the use of stock. The birds were very restless and wild, arid were evideutly preparing to returii t o their usual haunts

220 Mr. T. Carter on some Birds ,fvom [Ihis,

in tho intericir, as heavy rains bad fallen. Mr. €3. Leuke told me that he had seen a good inany at Woolundra before iny visit, but only a few were left when 1 was there. H e also mw one of them fly out, of a hole high up in a 1:irge gum-tree as lie was driving past, but was unable to climb the tree, and so prove that the bird was breeding in it.

I have recently reaaived the following interesting note on the breeding of this Parrot I'rom Mr. Leake at Woolundra in Western Australia :-" A few weeks ago [about the end of October] I xot a young Black-tailed Parrot froin a native black-fellow, who chopped the tree down on finding the nest. It was a very youiig bird in down. I tried to reiir it, and it lived for two weeks, but then died."

I believe this is the first authentic record of this rare Parrot breeding in Western Australia.

Barnardina zonarine woolundra.

These Yellow-balded Parrots were very nuinerous ahout the orchards and adjacent timber at Woolundra in March, but I never once heard the familiar " hwenty-eight" call note of the south-western birds.

Mathews, Bull. B. 0. C. xl. 1920, p. 44.

Neonanodes p. petrophilue. Not a single Westerii Hock-Parrot was seen in Shark

Bay (Dcnham), wherc they were quite numerous in l!)Lti. Most probably the nuinerous wild (domestic) cats are killing them.

Cscomantis rubricatue albani. For a f e w days in niid-Janutiry (19th), Western Pan-tailed

Crickoos wcre numerous in the forest country near Cape Noturalist,cl, bait none were observed before or after that time. It looked like a local migration.'

Lamprococcyx plagosns carteri. Western Bronze Cuckoos were seen in sonie numbers in

scrub near Buaselton, during the last week of December 1921. A specimen that was shot contained an egg, almost fully formed with the exception of the shell.

1923.1 W. Australia and nirk Hartog Tdand. 221

Polophilns phasianinus highami.

This fine and interesting Coucsl was not obtained by myself, but kindly given to me bv Mr. Jack B. Higham, who shot it on Glenflorrie Station, Ashburton River, Western Australia, 4 September, 1921.

Mr. Mathews described i t as follows :-<‘ Differs from Polophilua p. inelanura (red phase) i l l having a black patch on the back of thc neck, and in having the two outer tail- feathers black. It is also smaller. Wing 255 mm.”

The aborigiuul name for this bird in the Ashburton district is “ Bul-bul.”

Mathews, Bull. B. 0. C. xliii. 1922, p. 13.

Hirundo neoxena carteri. Towards the end of December 1921, many hundreds

of Western Welcome Swallows were congregated daily on the rails and decking of the Busselton sea jetky, two to three hundrcd yards away from the beach. Most of them were recently fledged young, being fed by their parents.

Smicrornis brevirostrie occidentalia. On 3 March near Gnonangerup, I watched a pair of

Western Tree-tits building a nest in the topmost twigs of a white-gum sapling, about twenty-five feet from the ground. This nest was re-visited on 13 March, and contnined three eggs. These birds wcre also breeding near Woolundra on 27 March.

Hasteraornie rbeoula. A pair of what seemed to be Leaden Flycatchers were

seen on 25 March, in salmon-gum timber near Woolundra, but they were so wild that neither Mr. Loake nor myself succeeded in getting a specimen for identification.

Pteropodocys maxima neglecta. Western Ground Cuckoo-Shrikes were unusually plentiful

about Woolundra in March. On one occasion I saw a flock of twenty, or more, and on other dates parties of six or eight. A few were observed near Gnowangerup.

222 Mr. T. Carter on some Birds from [Ibis,

Drymodea brunneopygia pallida. Pale Scrub-Robins were seen in the Gnowangerup dis-

trict, and were observed feeding in the dusk of evening until quite late and almost dark, a fact which does not seem to have been previously recorded.

Hylacola cauta whitlocki. Western Ground-Wrens were fairly c~minon in certain

sand-plain scrubs east of Gnowangerup, but, as usual, exceedingly wary in their habits. They did not seem to be breeding in March.

Calamanthne montanellne leakei.

This new form first attracted my attention in the sand- plain scrubs near Woolundra in May 1919, but the birds were so extremely wary that I f d e d to obtain any specimens; however, during my visit there in March 1922, I got several, but only after many miles of walking. Their habits and song are very similar to those of the rest of this genus, but they seein to frequent shorter scrub than the others. The male birds showed signs of breeding.

Msthews, Bull. B. 0. C. xliii. 1922, p. 13.

Calamanthw montanellne carteri. On 5 March I shot a male Western Striated Field Wren,

that was evidently breeding a t Gnowangerup, although it was in full moult.

Calamanthue campeetris peroni. On my arrival a t Denham (Peron peninsula, in Shark

Bay), on 9 April, I found that a dry season prevailed, and that the ground-surface within easy walking distance of the township was quite devoid of herbage (the usual scrub only being left), and was nothing but loose dry sand, with sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and camels everywhere, aa well as nulnerous wild cats and swarms of rabbits. One consequence of this was a great scarcity of such ground-feeding hirds as the Peron Field-Wren, of which I wanted a few specimens, but I never even heard one until 19 April, although I was out every day. Rather curiously, the next day many Field-

1923.1 W . Australia and Dirk Hartog Island. 223

Wrens were heard and seen in various directions, but after that they seemed to disappear, and my first specimen was not got until 1 May. However, on my return to England in July last, Messrs. G. M. Mathews, T. Iredale, and myself, carefully compared m y Peron and other skins with those in Mathews’s collection, and we agreed that the Peron Field- Wren was quite distinct from the Dirk Hsrtog Field-Wren, and that the latter bird was nearer the nzontanellus group than i t is to the canzpertris group, and its name must be altered to montnnellus accordingly (wide Bull. B. 0. C. xIiii. p. 13).

Sericornis maculatun. As Mr. Whitlock (vide Emu, xx. p. 180) did not get any

breeding data of Scrub-Wrens on either Dirk Hartog Island or the Peron, I shot a few specimens a t both places, and the only one that showed any signs of breeding was a male, shot on the Peron, 2 May 1922.

Hallornie cyanotne. I shot two full-plumaged Western White-winged Wrens

on the Peron, on 19 April, and in each case (with a witness who accompanied me) immediately examined them as they laid on the ground, and found that the white feathers met completely acroy the back. Thcre was a bare space (apteriunz) between the wings, but the white feathers had to be raised and divided to show it.

Sphenura brachyptera longirostris. The first six weeks were spent in searching a strip af

coastal swabs, about twelve miles in length, for the Long- billed Bristle-bird, but without any result.

Colluricincla r. ruflventris. On 27 February, near Broome Hill, I saw a Buff-bellied

Shrike-Thrash feeding a young bird on some open grassy (dry) ground. Thinking the latter would make a good specimen, I shot it. The Thrush came up to the body, with fluttering wings, and remained there until my approach. Upon picking up the dead bird, I was much surprised to find

224 Mr. T. Carter on mne Rirds,/ iom [Ibis,

that i t was a fledgling young Rufous-breasted Thickhead (Lewinomzis mjiventris).

The Thrush was in ti bush not far awav, and upon my walking towards it, it; flew to the high branches of a gum- tree, where it was joined by another Shrilte-Thrush (pre- sumably its mate), and both of them fluttered their wings and uttered low piping notes as they remained, perched, until I went near, to \)e sure of their identity, when thny flew to another tree, and 80 led me away about, one hundred yards. Does this curious incident tend to prove a closer affinity between the two genera, than is now given them ?

Qrallina picata cyanoleuca. A dead Magpie-Lark was picked up in the school play-

ground at Denhain on 19 April. It had evidently been killed by flying against an overhead telephone-wire. It is the first recorded specimen for thc Perori peninsula, where there are no fresh-water pools.

Gymnorhina, hypoleuca dorsalis. On 24 January, a quite recently fledged Western Long-

billed Xagpie was seen heing fed by the parent birds a t Busselton. Many of the settlers in the south-west district complained to me (and I also had ocular demonstration of the fact), that these Magpies and Crows are nbw very destructive to fruit, having greatly increased in numbers since being put on the Protected List of Birds.

This is a very late date.

Sphenoetoma crietatum occidentale. Two male Western Wedgebills shot near Denham on

17 April, appeared to be breeding.

Oreoica gutturalie weatraleneie. Western Crested Bell-birds were breeding in the Gtnowan-

gerup district in March, although they and niirny other birds were moulting.

(The usual breeding-season of these birds, and also of all others in the south-weat area, is from July to November,

1923.1 W. Australia and Dhk Hartog Island. 225

but some heavy thunder-rains which had fallen in February, over a large area of country, was doubtless the canst! of their breeding out of season.)

Meliphaga v. vireacens. 9 Western Singing Honey-eater’s nest was found on

17 March in a Bougainvillea creeper on Mr. Leake’s house- front. I t contained two eggs.

Nesoptilotis lencotis woolundra.

The type of the Western White-eared Honey-eater W:IS

obtained by ine near Woolundrn on 28 March, 1922. Another specinien was : h o shot about the same date, but the birds were wild, and persistently kept to the tops of the highest gum-trees (which were almost out of range of small shot from :t -410 gun), where they got honey froin the blossoms. I did not see inany of them, and Mr. B. W. Leake, who is a good observer, told me they were by no means coin inon.

Mathews: Bulletin 13.0. C. xliii. 1922, p. 13.

Lichenostomns cratitins occidentalis. A nest of t.he Wattle-cheeked Honcy-eater, containing

two fresh eggs, was found in sand-plain scrub, cast of Gnowangerup on 7 March. The nest wits about three feet from the ground.

Acanthogenys rnfogularis woolundra. Those Spiny-cheeked Honey-eaters were breeding at

Woolundra in mid-March.

11. Drntt BARTOG ISLAND. Froin 22-29 April, 1922, I revisited Dirk Hartog Island,

lily prcvious visits there having been niadc in 1916 (vide ‘ Ibis,’ Ocbober 1917, pp. 560411).

There was not tiiiic to see iiiuch of this large island in a week, and the following notes refur t,o bird-life mostly within a radiusof about three miles froiu the station hotnestend, and

SER. PI.--.VOL. 1.. ‘J

226 Mr. T. Carter on some Birds from [Ibis,

as that is close to the beach, my investigations were rather partial.

On 13 February, 1921, a disastrous hurricane, or " willy- willy" (the aboriginal name) swept over Shark Bay, and either coinpletely wrecked, or drove on shore, almost every sailing vessel there, and as practically all of them were engaged in the pearling industry, tlie destruction of plant was very heavy, entailing severe losses to the owners ; for- tunately only two lives were lost. The township of Deuham, the '' hub " of Shark Bay, narrowly esc:iped being swept away, many of the houses being flooded with sea-water to the depth of several feet.

This is tlie first time on record that Shark Bay has had such an experience, as there periodical tropical hurricanes usually expend tlieir full strength farther to the north.

One result of this storm was the addition of the following species of birds to the list of those already known to occur on Dirk Hartog Island, none of thein having previously been recorded by me in my 1917 list, or by Mr. Whitlock in his paper in the 'Emu,' January 1921 (vol. xx.).

Eulabeornia philippensis auetralie. Amongst other birds Mr. Lloyd and his brother saw was a

Rail, tliat I think could only be the Buff-banded Rail, as from inyown experience this bird is not unconimon in the mid-west districts after heavy rains (ride Emu, vol. iii. p. 174, Birds of N.W. Cape region). This Rail was caiiglit on ils nest on the gronntl, amongst grass and other herbage, not far froin the station homestead, and with tlie adult bird, about eigIi1 recently hatched young in down were also captured and talreii I.0 the house, where they were kept for a short time.

Uroa6tue audax oarteri. Mr. Lloyd very kindly gzve me three clutches, eaoh of

two eggs, of the W-edge-tailed Eagle, that he had taken from nests on the island on 24 June, 1921, 1 7 September, 1921, and 15 October, 1919. Those of tlie two latter dates were second layiugs, owing to the first clutches having been

1923.1 W. Australia and Dirk Hartog Island. 227

destroyed, as these eagles are very destructive to young lambs.

Dncorpsiua sangnineus. A flock of Blood-stained Cocltatoos were seen, but did not

stay long 011 the island, evidently returning to the Wooramal River, about seventy-five miles to the east, where they regularly occur, and breed in the white gum-trees that grow along the banks of the river.

Eolophns roseicapillus. A parly of about twelve Rose-breasted Cockatoos

(Galahs) were seen north of the homestead just after tho storm, but they soon returned to the mainland (about 25 miles east), excepting one bird, tha t seemed to be incapu- citated by some injury to a wing. I t was still on the island when I was there in April 1922, more than a year after the storm, and kept to a sandy point of land, where passing hawks sometimes annoyed it by swooping down in attack, but up to that time it had held its ground against them.

Neonanodes petrophilns. No Western Rock-Parrots were seen by me, and Mr. Lloyd

Pelopsittacua undulatua. A good inany Warbling Grass-Parakeets and a few

Western Spotted-shoulder Doves (StictopeZeia cuneata munp’) were seen for a few days after tlie storin, by niy informants, Mr. G. C!. Lloyd and his ho ther ; they have been living on the island, the former gentleman liaviug been the manager for many years, and they could not be mistaken in tlie identity of such well-known birds as these.

told me that he had not seen any for many months.

Enrostopodna guttatus (= argua). Mr. G. CY. Lloyd informed me that on 21 September, 1921,

he found a half-grown Spotted Nightjar on the ground near the centre of the island, with one of the parent birds. He and his brother both handled and examined it. This con- firms ixiy note in ‘The Ibia,’ 1917, p. 583.

Q 2

2?8 Mrs. R. Haig Thomas on the [Ibis,

Nesomalnrns lencopterns. Only one full-plumaged Black-and-white Wren was

seen, but many parties of females and immature males were observed.

Stipiturua malachurns hartogi. No Dirk Hartog Emu-Wrens came under my observation,

Diaphorillas textilns carteri. On one occasion I thought I saw one of these birds, but

could not be certain. Not a single one was noticed in the dense wattle scrubs, where :nany were seen by me in 1916, and I fear that t,he numerous domestic cats in a wild state, that now abound on tlie island, are killing off these in- teresting birds, and many others.

I refrain from mentioning other birds that were also described to me, as they cannot be identitied with certainty, but this short list sliows how inany mainland birds can be driven by violont storins from their usual habitat, and it‘ they obtain suitable food, may eventually become insular forms, but apparently the bulk of such storm-driven birds return to their usual haunts as soon as possible.

but Mr. Lloyd said he frequently sees some on his rounds.

.-

XV1.-A Comparison between Alr. E. C. StuaTt Baker’s Revision oj’ tlic Berms Gennaeus (1915) and thut of

Mr. Wr, Beebe in Itis Monograph of Pheasatits, vol. ii. p g e s 84 to 88.

MR. STUART BAEER’Y paper* Iiaa two maps giving the geographical distribution, and two plates by Gronvold in black and white, illustrating the upper parts of the males of the following species of the genus Getinciws :--

By ROSE H A J ~ TEOMAS, M.B.O.U.

Plate I. G. horsjieldi ; G. nycthemerus ; G . lineatus. Plate 11. G.cuvieri; G . oatesi; G. williamsi; G . sharp& ;

(2. rujipcs. Journ. Bombay Nat. Hist. SOC. xxiii. 1916, pp. f?68-089.