i :
T h e n e a r e s t a l ly o f t l ie A u s t r a li a n Sw a llow is l i i r u n d o J a v a n ic a , a w id e ly s p re a d sp ec ie s
o v e r th e M a la y a n s u b re g io n a n d th e M o lu c c a s . T h e A u s t r a li a n h ird , h ow e v e r, is a
s om ew h a t l a r g e r a n d p a l e r b ird , th e ru fo u s o f th e th r o a t b e in g o f a b ric k - re d c o lo u r a n d
n o t so d e e p c h e s tn u t , w h ile th e sm o k y b row n o f th e sid es o f th o b o d y h a s som ew h a t o f a
r u d d y t in g e , a u d is n o t n e a r ly so d a r k a s th e d e e p m o u se -b row n c o lo u r o f t h e sid e s iu
I I . ja v a n ic a , w h ic h h a s a lso v e ry d a r k u n d e r w in g -c o v e rts .
11. n eo x en a is a p p a r e n t ly c o n fin e d to th o c o n t in e n t o f A u s t r a li a , in n e a r ly e v e ry
p a r t o f w h ic h c o u n t r y i t is fo u n d , th o u g h i ts m ig ra tio n s h a v e n o t y e t b e e n s tr ic tly
a c c o u n te d fo r . T h e fo llow in g a ro M r. G o u ld ’s n o te s on th o sp e c ie s
“ T h e a r r iv a l o f th i s b ird in th e s o u th e r n p o rtio u s o f A u s t r a li a is h a ile d a s a welcome,
in d ic a tio n o f th e a p p ro a c h o f s p rin g , a n d is a s so c ia te d w ith p re c is e ly th o s am e id e a s a s
th o s e p o p u la r ly e n to r t a in e d rc sp o o tiiig o u r ow n p r e tty S w a llow in E n g la n d . T h e two
sp e c ie s a r e iu f a c t b e a u tif u l re p rc .s e n ta tiv e s o t e a c h o tlie r, a n d a s s im ila te n o t o n ly in
t h e i r m ig r a to ry m o v em e n ts , b u t a lso m o s t c lo s e ly in t h e i r w h o le h a b its , a c tio n s , a n d
ec o n om y . I t a r riv e s i n T a sm a n ia a b o u t th e m id d le o r e n d o f S e p tem b e r , a n d , a f te r
r e a r in g a t l e a s t tw o b ro o d s , d e p a rts a g a in n o r thw a rd s in M a r c h ; b u t i t is e v id e n t t h a t
th e m ig r a to r y m o v em e n t o f th e Sw a llow , a n d d o u b tle s s t h a t o f a l l o th e r h ird s , is
re g u la t e d e n t i r e ly h y t h e t em p e r a tu r e , a n d th e m o re o r loss a b u n d a n t su p p ly o f
food n e c e s s a ry fo r i t s e x is te n c e ; fo r 1 fo u n d t h a t in N ew S o u th W a le s , a n d e v e ry
c o u u t r y in A u s t r a li a w itliin t h e s am e l a t i tu d e , i t a r r iv e d m u c h e a r lie r a n d d e p a rte d
c o n s id e r a b ly l a t e r th a n in T a sm a n ia ; a n d M r. C a le y , w h o re s id e d in N ew S o iitli W a le s
f o r s e v e ra l y e a rs , a n d w h o so v a lu a b le n o te s o n th o h ird s o f t h a t p a r t o f th e c o im tiy
lia v e b e e n so o fte n q u o te d , s ta te s t h a t ‘ tlio e a rlie s t p e r io d o f th o y e a r t h a t I n o tic e d th e
a p iie a ra n o o o f Sw a llow s w a s o n th e 1 2 th o f J u ly , 1 8 0 3 , w h e n I saw tw o ; b u t I rem a rk e d
s e v e ra l tow a rd s th o e n d o f th o sam e m o n th in th e fo llow in g y e a r (180-1). T h e l a t e s t
p e r io d I o h s c rv e d th em w a s o n tlie 3 0 tli o f M a y , 1 8 0 6 , w h e n 'a n um b e r o f th em w e re
tw i t te r in g a n d f ly in g h ig h in tlie a ir . W h o n I m isse d th em a t P a r am a t ta , I Imve som e tim
e s m e t w ith th em am o n g th e n o r th ro o k s , a r om a n tic s p o t a b o u t tw o m ile s to th e
n o r tliw a r d o f t h e fo rm e r p la c e .) A few s tr a g g le r s rem a in iu N ew S o u th W a le s d u r in g
th e w in te r, h u t t l ic i r n um b e r s c a n n o t f o r a m om e n t h e c om p a re d w ith th o s e o b se rv ed i^
th e su riim e r, w liieh h a v e p a s s e d t h e c o ld e r m o n th s in a w a rm e r c lim a te .
“ T h e n a tu r a l h re e d in g -p la c e s o f th i s h ird a ro tlio deop c le fts o f ro c k s a n d d a r k
c a v e r n s ; h u t s in c e th e c o lo n iz a tio n o f A u s t r a li a i t lia s in n rem a rk a b le d e g re e im ita te d
its E u ro p e a n p ro to ty p e , h y s e le c tin g fo r th e s ite o f i t s n e s t tlie sm o k y c h im n e y s , tlie
c h am b e r s o f m ills a n d o u t-h o u s e s , o r th e c o rn e r o f a s h a d y v e r a n d a h ; th e n e s t is also
s im ila r ly c o n s tru c te d , b e in g o p e n a t tlie to ji, fo rm e d o f m u d o r c la y , in te rm in g le d witii
g ra s s o r s tr aw to h in d i t flriiily to g e th e r , a n d lin e d firs t w ith a la y e r o f fine g ra s se s , a n d
th e n w i th f e a th e r s . 'The s h a p e o f th e n e s t d e p e n d s u p o n th e s i tu a tio n in w h ic li i t is
h u i l t, b u t i t g e n e r a lly a s sum e s a ro u n d e d c o n to u r in f r o n t. T h e e g g s a r e u s u a lly fo u r
ill n um b e r , o f a le n g th e n e d fo rm ; t h e i r g ro u iid -e o lo u r p in k y w h ite , w i th n um e ro u s tin e
sp o ts o f p u r p l i s h h row n , tlie in te r s p a c e s w ith sp e c k s o f l ig h t g re y is li h row n , a s s um in g in
som e in s ta n c e s th e fo rm o f a zo n e a t th e l a r g e r e n d ; th e y a ro fr om e ig h t to n in e lin e s
lo n g b y six lin e s b ro a d . A t S w a n l l iv e r th e h r e o d in g - s e a s o n is in S e p tem b e r a n d
O c to b e r. I n t h e s p r in g o f 1 8 6 2 tw o n e s ts o f th i s sp e c ie s w e re s e n t to m e b y G e o rg e
E’r e n c h A n g a s , E s q . T h o s e v e r y c lo se ly re s em b le d th o s e o f o u r ow n b ird , b o th in fo rm
a n d m a te r ia ls ; tlie y w e re , h ow e v e r, s om ew h a t m o re s q u a r e a n d m o re s to u tly h u i l t. T h e
in t e r io r w a s c om p o sed o f th e u s u a l p la s te r e d m u d s t r e n g th e n e d w i th a l i tt l e h a ir , a n d
th ic k ly lin e d w i th th e d ow n y fe a th e r s o t v a r io u s d om e s tic b ird s . T h e s e n e s t s a r e n ow
in th o B r i t is h M u s e um , T h e fo llow 'in g n o te b y M r . A n g a s w a s a t t a c h e d to o n o o t
th em ‘ B u il t o n a r a f t e r o f m y s ta b le a t C o llin g ro v e , S o u th A u s t r a li a ; t a k e n O c t. 3,
1 8 6 1 .' ’’
M r. E . P ie rs o n Il am s a y h a s p u b lish e d th e fo llow in g a c c o u n t o f th o sp e c ie s i n th e
n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f S y d n e y ;—
“ A l th o u g h th o p r e s e n t sp e e ie s is s tr io tly m ig r a to ry , y e t i t is n o e a sy t a s k to d e t e r m
in e th e e x a c t d a te o f its a r r iv a l o r d e p a r tu r e , ow in g to th e n um b e r o f s tr a g g le r s wh ic li
r em a in w i th u s d u r in g t h e w h o le o f th e y e a r.
“ I b e liev e , h ow e v e r, t h a t t b e v i s it a n ts a r r iv e e a r ly in J u ly , o r p e r h a p s l a t e in J u n e ,
a n d le a v e u s a g a in in th o e n d o f J a n u a r y a n d F e b ru a ry . A f te r tlio ir a r r iv a l, a u d a g a in
j u s t b e fo re t lie ir d e p a r tu r e , th e y m a y h e s e e n in g r e a t n um b e r s fly in g to a n d fro o v e r
th e fields, a n d o fte n s k im m in g th e w a te r-lio le s a n d la g o o n s , b u t k e e p in g v e r y h ig h ,
som e tim e s a lm o s t o u t o f s ig h t, d u r in g th e m id d le o f t h e d ay .
“ I h a v e fr e q u e n t ly o b se rv e d th em , in c om p a n y w i th th e F a iry M a r tin {P e tro c h e lid o n
a r ie l) f ly in g o v e r th e law n o f th e in n e r d o in a iii in S y d n ey . T re e -Sw a llow s ( P e tro c h e lid o n
n ig r ic a n s ) a lso a c c om p a n y th i s sp e c ie s in s e a rc h o f food. M e m e t w ith a l l th r e e sp e c ie s
m ix e d u p in o n e im m e n s e flock, d u r in g D e e em b c r 186.1, a t L a k e B a t h u r s t ; h e r e th e y
w ore fo llow in g in o u r w a k o a s w e w a lk e d th r o u g h th o r u s h e s o n a sm a ll is la n d , o b ta in in g
a r ic h f e a s t o u th e sm a ll L ih e llu lc e w h ic li flew u p i n c o u n tle s s n um b e r s a t e v e ry s te p we
to o k . T h e p n p a -c a se s o f th e s e in s e c ts w e re ly in g p ile d u p b e tw e e n th e ru s h e s to th e
h e ig h t o f tw o , a n d e v e n th r e e fe e t, w h ile th e e d g e s o t th e is la n d a t d u s k w e re a liv e w ith
th e pu p a? c r aw lin g o u t o f th e w a te r.
“ T h e p ro p e r h re e d in g -s e a so u o f I l i r u n d o n eo x en a is d u r in g th e m o u th s o f A u g u s t
a n d th r o u g h o u t to th e e n d o f H c c cm h e r ; s tra g g le rs , h ow e v e r, m a y b e fo u n d b re e d in g
a lm o s t a t a n y tim e . I h a v e fo u u d th em b u i ld in g in t h e H o b ro y d e s ta b le s , b o th i u th e
m o n th s o f F e b r u a r y a n d J u n e ; a n d o n A p r il 1 7 tb , 1 8 6 4 , I to o k a n e s t w itli f r e s h e g g s
from th e s am e b u ild in g s .
“ I n c h o o s in g a s ite fo r th e n e s t th e y s e em to h e le s s p a r ti c u la r t h a n iu th o i r tim e
fo r b re e d in g . A lm o s t a n y b u ild in g w ill s e rv e th em w h e r e th e y c a n o b ta in a h o r iz o n ta l
b e am o r le d g e . O n th i s th e y p la c e th e i r r o u n d h ow l-sh a p e d n e s t, th e w a ll o f w h ic h is
com p o se d o f p e lle ts o f m u d , m in g le d w i th g ra s s , a n d s e c u re ly f a s te n e d o n t h e b e am .
A s so o n a s th e m u dw o rk is d ry , i t is w a rm ly lin e d w i th g ra s s e s , h o rs e h a ir, o r f e a t h e r s ;
a n d th e n e s t is th e n r e a d y fo r th e eg g s , w h ic h a r c u s u a l ly from th r e e to five in n um b e r ,
•75 in c h in le n g th , b y -5 in b r e a d th . T h o g ro u u d - c o lo u r is o f a d e lic a te w h ite , h a v in g