A A Le Souef, Queensland Notes. [isf 'jui ■ 



was even more musical than that of the former, and was always 

 a pleasure to hear. The Blue-faced Honey-eater [Entomyza 

 cyanotis) was another bird with a musical note that was often heard. 

 We saw some old nests that had been built in deserted nests of 

 Babblers {Pomatorhinus), the usual place of nesting with these 

 birds, although Mr. Barnard informed me that occasionally they 

 build their nests apart from the Babblers. The Little Quail 

 {Tnrnix velox) were plentiful, and were on several occasions nearly 

 run over by the car — possibly some quite, but those we could not 

 see or hear. Peaceful Doves {Geopelia placida) were plentiful. 

 Squatter Pigeons [Geophaps scripta) had quite disappeared from 

 this district after the last severe drought, but are gradually 

 appearing again ; we saw several of them. They squat on the 

 roadside and seem disinclined to move until the vehicle is nearly 

 on top of them. They can often be killed with the whip from a 

 conveyance or when riding. I saw no sign of the Scarlet- 

 shouldered Parrot {Pscphotus pnlcherrimus) . They nest in the 

 termite mounds ; the last drought cleared them completely out 

 of this district. Crows (Corviis coronoides) were always in evidence 

 — in fact, while in Queensland and Northern New South Wales 

 I either saw or heard them every day. The Black-backed 

 Magpie {Gymnorhina tihicen) was also plentiful. 



I left here early on Monday, 22nd April, with Mr. Barnard for 

 Rockhampton, arriving about 11 o'clock, and left the same 

 afternoon by train for Kunwarara, 45 miles out. Early next day 

 we hired a jinker to take us the 45 miles on to Toorilla. The seat 

 was made for two, but the driver and ourselves squeezed in. The 

 day was showery, and few birds were seen, except Squatter 

 Pigeons on the roadside. It rained heavily all that night and 

 the next day, so no outside work was done ; but the rest of the 

 time was fine. Next morning we went to the top of a small hill 

 near the house and obtained a fine view of the large extent of 

 more or less swampy country to the north. Close to the foot of 

 the hill, and in the water, was a patch of paper-bark or Melaleuca 

 trees, and in them hundreds of Black-billed Spoonbills {Platalea 

 regia) and Little Pied Cormorants {Phalacrocorax melanoleitcns) 

 were nesting, and the noise made by the adult birds and the 

 young ones was quite audible. On the far side of the timber 

 were to be seen many hundreds of Egrets, mostly the Lesser 

 {Garzetta immaciilata), the Straw-necked {Carphibis spinicolUs) 

 and White Ibis [Ibis molucca), Magpie-Geese {Anseranas melano- 

 leitca), Whistling-Ducks [Dendrocygna arciiata). White-headed 

 Shieldrakes (Tadorna nifitergum), Coots {Fitlica anstralis), as well 

 as many Native Companions {Antigone australasiana). It was 

 a most interesting sight, from which we found difficulty in tearing 

 ourselves away. At the back of us was much open plain country, 

 interspersed with belts of timber, mostly Melaleuca, and there 

 were many greenish spots where water lay, and these looked as 

 if a white sheet had been thrown over them, as small flocks of 

 Egrets had settled round them to feed. What interested us most 



