abundant and 15 were trapped. Two other small skinks Menetia greyii (5) and Lerista elegans (1) were recorded, as was the Bobtail tiliqua rugosa The introduced House Mouse Mus muscttlus was trapped and dog and cat tracks were seen. No native mammals were recorded. Six native and two introduced bird species were sighted during the study. The Singing and Brown Honeyeaters Lichmera indistinct a and M eliphaga virescens were abundant and feeding on the flowering Candlestick Banksia Banksia attenuatei and the Christmas Trees Nuytsia floribunda. The Australian Magpie Cracticus tibicen was present as individuals as well as a family group and the Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae, the Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata and the Willy Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys were also recorded. The Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis and the Spotted Dove S. chinensis were also recorded. Numerous invertebrates were sighted but only those in the pitfall traps were recorded. These were a beautiful golden centipede, two species of carab beetles (both in great numbers), wolf spiders, ants, earwigs, bush cockroaches, European bees, an orange and black wasp and a solitary ant (wingless female thynnid wasp). The block is a surprisingly rich bushland considering its small size and the fact that it has been surrounded by housing for about forty years. This bushland is about 1km from Reserve 3694 which was reported on in West Aust. Nat. 18: 131-138. MARGARET C. TURPIN, 175 Hensman Street, Kensington, 6151 Food Items of Red Wattlebirds — In Spring and early Summer Red Wattlebirds, Anthochaera carunculata, sit near a beehive and catch honeybees in my garden. The bee is either pounced on as it nears the hive entrance or hovers around the hive. Up to six bees were taken within one hour by the same bird (recognisable by feather damage). Sometimes the birds perched nearby, squashed the bees in their bill and swalloed them. No precautions were taken in dealing with the bee’s sting. Sometimes the bees were taken away, perhaps to be fed to nestlings. Red Wattlebirds also take the white, fleshy, sweet petals of a Guava, Feijoa sellowiana, which flowers for about six weeks in Spring. OTTO MUELLER, 7 Hamer Avenue, Wembley Downs 6019. A spider capturing a centipede — In February 1981,1 was staying in the staff quarters at the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation Centre, Point Peron, 47 km south of Fremantle, Western Australia. On the morning of 10 February in the “wash-basin” area, l observed a spider with a centipede in its web. At the time, the prey was feebly struggling and the spider had its cheticerae firmly sunk into the soft pleural membrane close to the 8th segment. 234 By the time I returned with camera and flash equipment, the spider was swathing the victim with more web. After taking pictures, I delayed collecting the specimens till later in the day. This was an unfortunate decision as the cleaners removed all traces. The photograph (Figure 1) shows the spider with its prey. The spider has been identified by Dr Barbara Main as Archaearanea sp. (family Theridiidae) and the centipede was determined by Dr Lucien Koch as a member of the family Scolopendridae. Centipedes are known to prey upon spiders in their burrows (Main 1957, Australian Journal of Zoology, 5:453) and McKeown (1952, Australian Spiders: their lives and habits p. 175, 177) cites examples of the Red-back Spider, Latrodectus hasselti capturing and eating centipedes. My observation adds another example of a spider to the list of those preying on a centipede. I thank Drs Barbara Main and Lucien Koch for identifying the specimens from the photograph. — R. PETER McMILLAN, W.A. Museum, Francis Street, Perth, W.A. 6000. Nest Predation by Grey Butcherbird — In February 1991 in Wembley Downs I saw a Grey Butcherbird, Cracticus torquatus, and a Laughing Dove, Streptopelia senegalensis, tumbling from a Tuart tree. The birds disengaged near the ground and the butcherbird flew off, closely pursued by the dove. Another butcherbird was in the tree tearing at a dove fledgling wedged in a forked branch. Another dove sat nearby. Soon after, the butcherbird picked up the dead fledgling and flew off pursued by the second dove. An empty dove nest was later found in the Tuart. — OTTO MUELLER, 7 Hamer Avenue, Wembley Downs 6019. 235