Vol. VII 



iQos" 1 Cornwall, Birds Found Breeding near Mackay, N.Q. 1^5 



observing their eggs last season, but after that date they were 

 noted nesting very freely up to the end of January. The Bronze- 

 Cuckoo {CJialcococcyx plagosiis) generally chooses the nest of this 

 species in which to deposit its &'g^, and it is particularly noticeable 

 that when the Cuckoo's Q.gg is absent the Fly-eater lays three 

 eggs, but when the Cuckoo's q^^ is deposited there are only 

 two Fly-eater's eggs in the nest. 



The Large-billed Fly-eater {Pseudogerygone iiiagtiirostris) is 

 not often met with, but a nest containing three fresh eggs was 

 noted during the last week of December. 



The Red-backed Wren {Malurus dorsalis) represents this 

 charming genus in our district, and one may by chance come 

 across their nests at all times of the year, though the bulk of 

 them breed during November, December, and January. 



The Leaden Flycatcher {Myiagra rebcculii) may be seen 

 anywhere in the forest, but they particularly love the extensive 

 belts of low, swampy country, where insect life is so abundant 

 that living is easy for them. About the end of December these 

 little Flycatchers become very busy nest-building, and during 

 January, if the season be favourable, many of their nests may be 

 found. The nests are inconspicuous objects, but a little patient 

 watching on the part of the observer is generally rewarded by the 

 bird betraying the locality of its nest. 



The Shining Flycatcher i^PiezorJiynchns nitidus) is rare in this 

 district, and so far I have come across one pair only. It was on 

 26th December whilst wading through 2 feet of water and mire 

 in a dense mangrove thicket that my companion called my 

 attention to a nest he had found. It was charmingly situated 

 on a lichen-covered branch, about 2 feet above water level. 

 Three healthy youngsters occupied the nest, and whilst we 

 watched them both parent birds visited them with food. On 

 2nd January the young birds had left the nest, but were still in 

 the immediate neighbourhood, and were evidently a great source 

 of anxiety to their parents. 



On the northern side of the Pioneer River, and stretching 

 away towards Habana Bay, there are immense tracts of land 

 which were at one time under sugar cane, but now produce 

 nothing but a coarse herbage and a rank growth of that curse 

 of the northern coast lands, the Lantana. Here the little Grass- 

 Warbler {Cisticola exilis) has its home and finds a habitat 

 eminently suited to its economy. The time of nesting varies 

 with the season. In a dry time, when the grass is all burnt off, 

 they have sometimes to wait until February before there is 

 sufficient growth of grass to afford them shelter, but last season 

 was a bountiful one, the grass was tall and green the whole 

 summer through, and the Grass-Warblers were found nesting in 

 October. My last note records a nest of young ones early in 

 February. 



