138 Hall and Rogers, Birds from Norih-West Australia. [,,t^"jan. 



Notes on a Collection of Birds from North- West 



Australia. 

 Bv Robert Hall, F.L.S., C.M.Z.S., and John P. Rogers. 

 These observations were made upon and adjacent to the little- 

 known country about the Townsend, Kightly, Stewart, and 

 Robinson Rivers and the Obogama district. 



About each of the localities named Mr. Rogers spent a brief 

 time, and many interesting notes are consequent upon his 

 labours. In nearly every reference to habits skins have been 

 carefully collected and preserved. 



In the first letter from Obogama, dated 7/6/02, Mr. Rogers 

 wrote : — " You will observe I have reached the promised land, 

 finding it a good place for birds, and quite up to expectation. I 

 am now 12 days out from Derby, of which nearly the whole 

 time was spent in travelling. The first camp is known as the 

 Big Spring, on the Obogama road, and about 63 miles from 

 Derby. There I secured what I believe to be the following 

 species : — Shining Flycatcher, male and female ; Northern 

 Fantail, male; Blue" Flycatcher, male ; and young with adults 

 of Myiagra latirostris. This spring is approximately i mile in 

 circumference, with a very dense growth of vegetation. It 

 contained a large number of species, but, owing to want of horse 

 feed, I had to move off. The second camp was 8 miles up the 

 Townsend, which yielded the Brown Quail. The third camp 

 was further continued, where I secured a Spotted Harrier, 

 Smutty Parrakeet, Partridge Bronze-wing Pigeon, and a Little 

 Shrike-Thrush. The fourth camp, distant 7 miles, brought me into 

 rough, hilly country, where the traces of natives were fresh and 

 numerous. Being alone, I moved along almost at once. Here 

 I secured a small Heron (sp. .?), a Jacana in the lily leaves in a 

 large waterhole, and a Silvery-crowned Friar-Bird." 



"Along the shores of King Sound there is a fringe of 

 mangroves several miles wide, probably four. Travelling is 

 very tiresome, mosquitoes exceedingly numerous, and the man- 

 grove roots difficult to pass, one mile an hour being a good 

 result." 



Mr. Rogers communicates to me the information that Mr.. 

 Felix Meyer, one of the oldest residents, considers he (Mr. 

 Rogers) is the first collector to visit the Obogama country. Mr. 

 Meyer, once manager of the Meda station, adjoining Obogama, 

 met Mr. Bowyer-Boycr, who collected on the Fitzroy River, as 

 far up as Mt. Anderson, 60 miles from Derby, where he 

 remained camped for some weeks. There was a gentleman, by 

 name Frogget, who travelled so far out, and another whose 

 name is forgotten. If Mr. Alex. Forrest had a collector with 

 him in his exploration trip into West Kimberley, he must have 

 been near Obogama. Dr. House has not travelled through the 



