^'"'igos^ ] Hall and Rogers, Birds from North-West Australia. i j.! 



PODARGUS PHAL.^NOIDES (Gould), Freckled Frogmouth, had 

 a nest upon a horizontal fork of a eucalyptus. It contained two 

 downy young, 29/10/02. The materials of the nest were fine 

 twigs, with linear leaves for lining. 



Phaps CHALCOPTERA (Lath.), Bronze-wing Pigeon, was ob- 

 served this morning (15/11 02) on an old dry tank. In one 

 corner of it there is a tiny soak beneath an overhanging rock. 

 The bird had scratched a little hole with approximately tlie 

 area of an ordinary tea saucer, and was waiting for the water to 

 " make." Two other Pigeons were waiting near by for their 

 turns. 



Some 10 miles from the Stewart River there is a pool of fresh 

 water near the salt marsh. Each evening (August, 1902) the 

 Pigeons used to visit it in large numbers. After sundown in 

 this district this species is plentiful, but one may walk in the day 

 many miles before seeing even one. 



Geophaps SMITHI (Jard. and Selb.), Smith Partridge-Pigeon, 

 was a common bird at a fresh-water pool near the large 

 salt marsh 10 miles out from the Stewart River, near Obogama. 

 It appears to take the place of the little Plumed-Pigeon 

 (^LophopJiaps), which is numerous on the Fitzroy, but not to be 

 found about here. There is a peculiar hill adjacent from which 

 this pool gets its name, " Malmalaro." The hill is composed of 

 red sandstone, with all sides precipitous. The top is a table- 

 land thickly covered with broken fragments of fairly uniform 

 size. The blacks have a terror of this hill, believing the last is 

 seen of him who climbs to the imaginary big black hole where 

 the evil spirit catches one and all, saying nothing about what he 

 does with his victims. The wonder is this prominent landmark 

 is not mapped for the guidance of travellers, appearing black, 

 while all the adjacent hills show white by reason of their 

 " felspar." 



Xen'ORIIYNCHUS asiaticus (Lath.), Black-necked Stork, I 

 merely saw once, but nearing home on the Broome road crossing 

 upon the Fitzroy River I observed four (23/9/02). This cross- 

 ing is the junction of the fresh and salt waters. They did not 

 appear to be catching anything, and were stalking about in the 

 shallow water. Later on I saw one apparently dancing in the 

 3-inch depth of water, but upon watching it for some time I saw 

 it capture a small fish. While pursuing the fish it presented an 

 extraordinary sight, jumping along with great strides and assist- 

 ing itself with its wings. It was repeatedly " jabbing " at the 

 fish with its huge bill, and which it captured only after many 

 attempts. It was far from a graceful performance. 



BURHINUS GRALLARIUS (Lath.), Stone-Plover, had two eggs 

 (6/1 1/02) in a slight depression under a stunted wattle tree 

 upon a sandhill. The depression was full of fallen bauhinia 



