172 Cornwall, Birds Found Breeding near Mackay, N.Q. [i^f April 



been observed during the past season, and a nest was found on 

 19th October which contained two eggs nnuch incubated. 



The sea between the mainland and the Great Barrier Reef is 

 plentifully dotted with rocks and islets of varying sizes, and on 

 nearly every one of these a pair of Sea-Eagles {Halia'ctus 

 leiicogaster) have made their home. A tree is chosen as a 

 nesting site, if available, but when the islands are barren a rocky 

 peak or bluff is selected, and the nest becomes huge as the 

 rebuilding goes on year after year. The White-bellied Sea- 

 Eagle is an early breeder. On 7th April a very old nest on 

 Round Top Island was being rebuilt, and on 26th May two eggs 

 were laid. These were robbed by some vandal, but the birds 

 laid again in the old nest, and on 3rd August a pair of lusty 

 fledglings occupied the nest. Plenty of food in the shape of 

 fish and sea-snakes lay about the nest, much of it being 

 particularly " high," in more senses than one. 



These birds destroy great numbers of sea-snakes ; hundreds 

 of their skeletons picked bare by the birds may be seen on any 

 of the islands. Once only have I had the pleasure of seeing a 

 snake being carried off by his enemy, the Eagle. It occurred at 

 Slade Rock, a small islet lying a few miles to the north of this 

 port. The sudden appearance of our party round a jutting rock 

 startled the bird, and he dropped his prey at our feet. It 

 proved to be a monster about 6 feet long, and weighing six 

 or seven pounds. On 29th May one fresh &^g was noted in a 

 nest on CuUen Island, and on the same day a nest on Victor 

 Island was found ready for eggs. On i6th June two eggs were 

 found in a nest on Irvine Island. During the last week of July 

 pairs of Sea-Eagles were noticed on many of the islands of the 

 Percus Group, but the nesting season was evidently over, many 

 immature birds being in evidence. 



The White-headed Sea-Eagle {Haliastur girrcnera) frequents 

 the mouths of the rivers and creeks along the coast, rarely going 

 far inland, and seldom being noticed on the islands out at sea. 

 The immense belts of mangroves afford plenty of shelter, and 

 in their recesses their nests are generally placed. They return 

 season after season to the same locality to nest, sometimes 

 renovating the old nest, at other times building a new nest in 

 an adjacent tree. They start nesting in June and July. A nest 

 found on 28th August contained one young bird and one egg, 

 the latter being chipped ; on i6th October they were fine chicks, 

 able to fly a short distance, and a week later they had left the 

 nest for good. 



The Osprey {Pandion leiicocephalus ) is a conspicuous bird 

 along our coast and on the adjacent islands, but is not so often 

 met with as the White-bellied Sea-Eagle. On 29th June two 

 fully fledged young were noted at Cape Palmerston, and on ist 

 July a nest was seen on Temple Island which contained one 



