72 



NESTS A.VD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



and returned to the strand, where I met the other members of the party 

 in gi-eat ecstasies over a lovely male bird. 



" Limcheon over, we took to the scrub, which was now uncom- 

 fortably damp from passing showers. After scrambling about until the 

 perspiration was hterally rolhng off me, and as it had commenced to rain 

 in earnest — real tropical showers — I thought, instead of chasing the birds, 

 I would tiy an experiment and let them chase me. The idea was good, 

 because after I had waited for some time there flew past me a lustrous 

 black bu-d with rounded wings and of compact appearance. Duiing flight 

 its feathers produced a peculiar rustling noise hke a new silk diess. 

 Between tliirty and forty yards off it alighted, and darted beliiud some 

 green branches. In an instant, reckoning on the intervening obstniction, 

 I discharged No. 6 instead of dust shot. I was immediately suiTounded 

 by thick smoke hanging in the damp air, but whether my beautiful 

 feathered N-isitor had fallen or flown I knew not. Overcome with excite- 

 ment. I felt as if I could hardly ventiu'e to ascertain. I crawled slowly up 

 the gully through prickly creepers, and on parting a bush there I beheld 

 a gorgeous male Rifle Bird, dead, upon its back. It was a beautiful object 

 in its rich shining garb. 



■' Two males and one hen fell to the second member of the party. The 

 botanist was a long time in showing up, so we conjectiu'ed that he was 

 either lost or had obtained a big bag. Both surmises proved 

 correct. Every attempt he made to reach the beach he foimd 

 himself on the wi'ong side of the island, but during liis wander- 

 ings he ' bagged ' no less than three males and seven hens. When 

 he emerged from the scrub he looked a woe-begone sight, dripping wet, 

 scratched and bleeding, hair over his forehead, with gun in one hand, 

 while under the other arm were the birds carefully rolled up in his hat. 

 We enjoyed a hearty laugh. W^e soon got afloat, changed om- clothes, 

 and refreshed ourselves with a wann supper. Then followed the reckoning 

 of the day's work — gi-and total, seventeen Birds of Paradise — the gi-eatest 

 day's taking of rarities recorded in the annals of Austrahan ornithology. 

 Certainly it was a most imfortimate day for the poor bii-ds, and for their 

 sake let us hope it may never occur again. We were the best part of the 

 night tm-niug oui' booty into skins. The weight of one of the bu^ds was a 

 little over two ounces. About midnight we left our anchorage, and turned 

 the cutter's nose towards Cardwell, wishing to reach port before Sunday. 

 Good headway was made at the beginning, but at sunrise the wind died 

 almost away, and we diifted on leisurely, aided by wind puffs and tides. 

 It was a most charming day — above a cloudless vault, below the ocean, tiiie 

 to its name, Pacific. Lovely islands were slowly passed, beliind which 

 could be seen the mainland melting into distance. Taking all things into 

 consideration, especially the unquaUfied success of the object of our cniise, 

 we felt supremely happy. 



" The success we met with dining the eight houi-s we spent among the 

 Rifle Bii-ds only whetted oiu: appetites for more information, especially 

 as the dissection of one female bird proved that the breeding season had 

 commenced, and the finding of a nest would be the greatest oological 

 discoveiy of the day. Therefore we were lu-ged to imdertake another 

 trip. 



