AA Bkrney, Birds of tlic Riclimond Dis/ric/, N.Q. \ 



Emu 



gape, \i inches. The feet are light and small, weak-looking for the size of the 

 bird. The red bill has an opaque candle-wax appearance and a pronounced 

 black hook at the extremity. 



Bee-KATER {Mcrofis ortiaius). — This is a summer resident, arriving in 

 August and leaving in April or May, but some years a few remain right 

 through the winter. They nest here. The chamber at the end of their 

 nest burrow has sometimes a foundation lining of soft grasses and at other 

 times is bare. 



Laughing Jackass {Dacelo gigas). — This is an uncommon bird about 

 this part of the river ; it is very seldom indeed that its jovial laugh may be 

 heard. I have come across it, however, half a dozen times at the heads of 

 the creeks that come down off the basalt table-land. This basalt wall, the 

 western boundary of what is known as the basalt country, seems to bar the 

 western extension of many coast birds ; it divides the forest country from the 

 downs. Many species that I know are common up there are practically 

 never seen down here, although the distance from here to the piled black 

 volcanic boulders is only 40 miles. Up the Flinders, 50 miles above Rich- 

 mond, where the river and the basalt meet, I used to hear old i^igas morning 

 and evening- -not regularly, but pretty frequently. 



Leach Kingfisher {Dacelo leachii). — This bird is generally to be found 

 in the river gums, where it betrays its presence by its poor attempt to laugh. 



Red-backed Kingfisher {Halcyon i)yrrhopygins). — I do not know 

 whether I have been overlooking this Kingfisher, but up to January last 

 year I did not recognise it ; from thence to March this year it was plentiful 

 enough. It could be seen and heard constantly, not only in the timbered 

 country, but out on the downs, where it seemed very partial to the vicinity 

 of homesteads. This winter it has quite disappeared. The species is of 

 considerable value as a grasshopper-destroyer. 



Sacred Kingfisher {Halcyon sanctus). — This is constantly with us as a 

 rule, but, like the previous species, has quite left us this winter. 



Oriental Cuckoo {Cuculus znlcnncdius).— Gathering up (early in Ma)) 

 a handful of feathers, all that remained after a Hawk's meal, of a species of 

 Cuckoo that was strange to me, I forwarded them to Mr. A. J. Campbell for 

 his opinion, who replied that he thought they were referable to this species, 

 and with this I concur. 



Pallid Cuckoo {Cuculus pallidus). — At one time or another the Pallid 

 Cuckoo is to be found here during all the seasons of the year ; though 

 undoubtedly migratory, it is hard to form any opinion as to just what is the 

 order of its coming and its going, so irregular are its movements. Its 

 mournful note may frequently be heard at night, which habit is, I expect, 

 common to all the Cuculidce. A male I procured in June measured — total 

 length, 12^4^ inches ; wing, 7^ inches ; tail, 6r'H inches ; tarsus. In inches ; 

 bill, I }:s inches; culmen, ^-inch. And a female obtained in March gave 

 the following figures : — Total length, 12J-2 inches ; tail, 6j4 inches ; bill, 

 iX inches ; culmen, ^-inch ; wing, 7X inches. Both had a narrow nuchal 

 mark of three or four white feathers, which is visible without field glasses as 

 the birds sit in the bush. Another mark visible in the same way, and 

 therefore of assistance to identification, is the broadish dark stripe that runs 

 from the eye through the ear coverts and down the sides of the neck. 



Narrow-rilled Bronze-Cuckoo {Chalcococcyx Imsalis). — This bird has 

 only come under my notice once. I shot one in August, 1901. 



Rufous-throated Cuckoo {Chalcococcyx pa.'ciliirns).—L.\ke the last 

 species, I have only a single record of this. I once picked up a dead 

 specimen. 



