Page:The Emu volume 3.djvu/128

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106
Hill, Some Notes from Brookton, W.A.
[ Emu 1st Oct.

say to which species they belonged, as I never got more than a momentary glimpse at a bird as it hopped through the bushes.


Western Fantail (Rhipidura preissi).—Saw one or two only.


Black And White Fantail (Rhipidura tricolor).—Fairly common in the granite and in the cultivated parts.


Restless Flycatcher (Sisura inquieta).—Only saw these birds once. It was a damp, foggy day, with occasional showers, and few birds were to be seen, but the weather seemed to have the effect of making the shyer birds more approachable. We found it much easier to get near the "Squeakers," for instance, and in one paddock we suddenly found ourselves surrounded with Restless Flycatchers, which were making a great deal of noise and apparently having a very good time among the insects.


Plain-coloured Tit (Acanthiza inornata).—Very plentiful in the taller trees.


Yellow-rumped Tit (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa).—Common enough.


Magpie (Gymnorhina dorsalis).—Not common, and only occurring in the granite. Seemed shyer than usual.


Butcher-bird (Cracticus, sp.).—Saw a single Butcher-Bird near Brookton township, but I did not shoot it, and I do not know which species it belonged to. It was probably C. leucopterus.


White-bellied Shrike-Tit (Falcunculus leucogaster)—Obtained a single skin.


Bell-Bird (Oreoica cristata).—Heard continually in the granite, but not often seen. Watched one bird singing for a while, and I noticed that as it sang it continually raised and lowered its crest.


Western Thickhead (Pachycephala occidentalis).—Fairly frequent in the granite.


Rufous-breasted Thickhead (Pachycephala rufiventris) also occurs.


Rufous Tree-creeper (Climacteris rufa).—Very common in the granite. Very often to be seen hunting among the dead logs with which the ground is everywhere covered, as well as in the trees. When disturbed from the ground it almost invariably flew to a dead tree. Has a peculiar cry, which reminded me of that of the Rufous Bristle-Bird (Sphenura broadbenti), and, in fact, the boys promptly christened it the "wheelbarrow."


Black-capped Tree-runner (Sittella pileata).—Frequently saw small mobs of these little birds. They were not difficult to approach, but they seemed hard to kill, and we had some trouble in procuring specimens.


Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus superciliosus).—In the scrub on the gravel ridges.


Silver-eye (Zosterops gouldi).—Very common everywhere. I suppose the species was gouldi, but I did not take a skin.


Brown Honey-eater (Glycyphila ocularis).—Only saw a single individual of whose identity I was certain, but I believe there were plenty on the gravel ridges.


Singing Honey-eater (Ptilotis sonora).—Remarkably abundant, particularly in the granite.


Yellow-plumed Honey-eater (Ptilotis ornata).—Another remarkably abundant bird, favouring the same parts as P. sonora. Have seen over thirty in a single tree.