44 Keartland, Bird Life on Fraser Island [voV xxx^ni 



his back to capture the flies found there. Whilst passing 

 through the tea-tree a White -shafted Fantail, R. alhiscapa, 

 followed me in order to feast on the flies on my back. Bro\vn 

 Flycatchers, Micraca fascinans, were frequently seen perched 

 on the fence posts, from which they darted after any passing 

 insect, and on resuming their perch invariably wagged their 

 tails, as if to display the white side -feathers, which are not 

 otherwise visible. In the large trees within two hundred yards 

 of the residence were seven nests of the White-fronted Heron, 

 Notophoyx novcB-hollandicB, and, as incubation was well 

 advanced in several of the nests, the birds sat still, with their 

 long necks erect, whilst my wife and I admired them. Twice, 

 whilst we were so engaged, the birds cast the shell from which 

 the young one had been hatched out of the nest, and it fell 

 at our feet. In another large tree a pair of Whistling Eagles, 

 Haliastiir sphenufus, had their nest, but they flew off each time 

 we approached it. They appeared to be on the best of terms 

 with a pair of Mud-Larks, Grallina picata, whose mud nest was 

 only about four feet away, on the same branch, .\lthough the 

 latter l^ird flew off on our approach, it returned and resumed 

 sitting almost immediatel3^ Rosella Parrots, Plaiycercits 

 eximius, were frequently seen, and the Red Lory, Platvcercus 

 pennanti, came from the mainland at intervals. 



Perched on a thick branch, and looking like a piece of dead 

 wood, was a solitary Frogmouth, Podargiis strigoides. An 

 Owlet Nightjar, Mgotheles novcB-hollandia;, flew silently round 

 the house in the evening, making occasional excursions towards 

 the fruit-trees. Being nocturnal birds, they render valuable 

 aid in the destruction of codlin moths and other night-flying 

 insects. The well-known notes of the Laughing Jackass, Dacelo 

 gigoLS, were often heatd, and the birds were easily approached. 

 A Sacred Kingfisher, Halcyon sanctus, had its nest in a hollow 

 limb, and betrayed the fact by flying at us whenever a par- 

 ticular tree was approached. Amongst some grass tussocks 

 a Calamanthus, C. fuliginosus, frequently ran across the path 

 with its tail erect, as it sought for spiders, &c. Reed-Warblers, 

 Acrocephaliis aiistralis, were numerous and musical wherever 

 reeds were seen. Busy amongst the grass in search of small 

 insects was a flock of Yellow-rumped Tits, Acanthiza chrysorrhoa. 

 and in passing near some undergrowth the White-fronted 

 Sericornis, S. frontalis, was disturbed. A pair of Sordid Wood- 

 Swallows, Artamus sordidus, were evidently in quest of a site 

 in which to fix their nests, and Harmonious Thrushes. Collyrio- 

 cincla harmonica, were similarly engaged. The White-backed 

 Magpie, Gymnorhina leuconota, was busy on the flat amongst 

 the yoimg maize, seeking for grubs. Judging by the noise 

 they made. Butcher-birds, Cracticus destructor, must be 



