. Nests and eggs of birds found breeding in Australia and Tasmania . nion, and in New South Wales also by thelocal name of Brolf^a, probably a corruptionof an aboriginal name. It is distributed overthe greater portion of the States, except in thesouth-western portion of the continent. Shallowcane swamps, marshes, the margins of riversand lakes, partially Hooded grass lands, are itsfavourite haunts, and affords it an opportunityof securing its prey, which consists of variouskinds of insects, small reptiles and fish, frogs,the soft ends of water weeds and newly plantedgrain. In the Berrigan and
. Nests and eggs of birds found breeding in Australia and Tasmania . nion, and in New South Wales also by thelocal name of Brolf^a, probably a corruptionof an aboriginal name. It is distributed overthe greater portion of the States, except in thesouth-western portion of the continent. Shallowcane swamps, marshes, the margins of riversand lakes, partially Hooded grass lands, are itsfavourite haunts, and affords it an opportunityof securing its prey, which consists of variouskinds of insects, small reptiles and fish, frogs,the soft ends of water weeds and newly plantedgrain. In the Berrigan and Wellington Dis-tricts, New South Wales, loud complaintswere made of the ravages committed by thisspecies. Although usually shy, in such numbersdid they appear on these vast wheat-growingareas in 1896-7 that shooting had but littleeffect, and they simply flew slowly away to amore distant part of the lield. These birdshave also been charged with picking out theeyes of calves too weak to rise, or to keepAUSTRALIAN CRANK. away from their large and pointed pickaxe-like. CKUs. 237 bills. When kept about public parks and gardens they are usually placed in an inner wireenclosure, with a notice Beware of the Birds, a not unnecessary precaution, for they caninllict a nasty wound. When I was a boy there used to be one kept in a large open-nieshedwire enclosure, in the Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, near the fernery and the lake. Probablyowing to being teased by boys, it was a perfect old rogue, for sheltered by the bushes growingin the enclosure it would stealthily and silently approach, and soon make its presence knownby a vicious and sudden thrust with its pointed bill through the open meshes, at any one withinreach. On one occasion I saw a lady, with a gentleman, attracted by the bird place her open-netted gloved hand near the wire fence. I warned her that the bird would bite, but before shecould draw her hand away the bird suddenly drew back its head, and with lightning like rapidityhad
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