352 A NATURALIST ON THE "CHALLENGER." 



those at Fiji, but closely resembling them, suck the honey from, 

 or search for insects on, the scarlet blossoms of the same Ery- 

 thrina tree as that at Fiji. With these are to be seen a Myzo- 

 mela, and the gorgeous little brush-tongued Parroquet (TricJio- 

 glossus swainsonii), which flies screaming about in small flocks, 

 and gathers so much honey from the flowers, that the honey 

 fairly pours out of the bird's beak when it falls shot to the 

 ground. Amongst the same flowers is to be seen also a true 

 Honey-bird (Nectar inia frenata), with brilliant metallic blue 



tints on its throat. 



The common white-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is 

 here wary and difficult to get near, though not so much so as in 

 the frequented parts of Victoria. The great black Cockatoo 

 (Microglossum alerrimum) is to be found at Cape York, but I 

 did not manage to see one. The Pheasant Cuckoo (Centropus 

 phasianus) rises occasionally from the long grass in the opens, 

 and though of the cuckoo tribe, has exactly the appearance of a 

 pheasant when on the wing. 



On one of my excursions I shot a large brown Owl (Ninox 

 boobook), which was sitting at daybreak in the fork of a large 

 tree, and which my native guide espied at once, though I had 

 passed it. The great prize at Cape York is however the Eifle- 

 bird (Ptilorhis Alberti) one of the Birds of Paradise. The bird 

 is of a velvety black, except on the top of the head and breast, 

 where the feathers are brightly iridescent with a golden and 

 green lustre. In the tail also are two iridescent feathers. 

 The bird lives in the woods, where the trees and undergrowth 

 are twined with creepers. It does not frequent the higher forest 

 trees much, but the tops of the shorter sapling-like growths and 

 masses of creepers binding these together. 



The call of the bird consists of three loud shrill short 

 whistling notes, followed by a similar but much lower pitched 

 note. The third of the first three whistles is somewhat louder 

 and shorter than the two preceding. This is the full call of the 

 bird, sometimes only two notes are uttered before the low note, 

 and sometimes only a single whistle. 



The call is most striking and peculiar, and guided by it, one 

 steals gradually through the wood, treading cautiously upon the 



