^°'i^F] WHITE, Trip to Cope York Peninsula. 101 



refoliaged after the pruning. Great bird chorus at the tirst 

 flush of dawn. The short, sharp whistle of Bntomyzon cyanotis 

 (Blue-faced Honey-eater), locally called "morning bird," is the 

 dominant note. Cracficns nienfalis (Black-backed Butcher- 

 Bird) comes next, with its beautiful bubbling flute-like song. 

 Daeelo leaelii (Blue-winged Kookaburra); Seytlirops novcE- 

 hollandla: (Channel-Bill) vie with each other in raucous screams. 

 Microeca flavigaster (i.emon-breasted Flycatcher), and Gery- 

 gone albogularis (White-throated Warbler), both trill sweetly. 

 Colluric'mcla brunnea (Brown Shrike-Thrush) adds other notes 

 of sweetness with its clear and varied calls, so also does Grallina 

 cyanoleuca (]\Iagpie-Lark), and Oriolus sagittatns affinis 

 (Northern Oriole). The calls of Geopelia humeralis (Bar- 

 shouldered Dove), G. placida (Peaceful Dove), Geophaps 

 scripta (Squatter-Pigeon), and Chlamydera nuchalis orientalis 

 (Eastern Bower-Bird) harmonise with the general chorus. 

 Pomatostomns temporalis (Grey-crowned Babbler), Platycercits 

 <idscitiis aniatJiusicB (Northern Blue-cheeked I'arrot), Caeatua 

 roseieapilla (Galah), Philemon argentieeps (Silvery-crowned 

 Friar-Bird), and P. eitreogidaris sordid us (the Little Friar- 

 Bird) are also heard. 



While searching for nests he gets covered with small black 

 ants, which give off an "overpowering smell," or he "meets a 

 "brown snake coiled at the foot of the tree," or discovers "a 

 hornets' nest — or, rather, the hornets discover me first; had to 

 beat a retreat." "While climbing for a Strepera (Crow-Shrike) 

 nest, 50 feet up, I got badly stung about head, hands and back 

 by vicious little yellow hornets, the slightest movement on my 

 part would attract additional hordes of the little brutes. I get 

 some of my own back on those that are anchored to various 

 parts of my anatomy by their stings." "Gerygone albogularis 

 often nests near hornets. I got in first blow w-ith this crowd 

 by tying a bunch of dry Pandanus leaves to a long stick and 

 burning out the hornets' nest before climbing the tree." 



AIcLennan had the sometimes doubtful assistance of black- 

 boys. His diary records : — Friday, 28/10/21 : Bob did not turn 

 up with the horse. 3 p.m. : Go to native camp and learn that 

 Bob has gone fishing. He had taken the bridle, and evidently 

 planted the horse, with the intention of getting him on his return, 

 then telling me it had taken him all day to find it." "On going 

 out to make a camp at Rocky Ranges with four pack horses, had 

 to leave without the nigger. The horses seemed to know that I 

 was helpless. They spread out all over the place, and w^ould 

 not stick to the track. One of them got a bit extra by bumping 

 into a nest of hornets, whick livened him up." 



"Mosquitoes are bad when there is no breeze, and a small grey 

 ]\Iarch fly comes along for its drop of blood. ^Mistletoes are now 

 in bloom', vivid splashes of scarlet amongst the varied greens. 

 The box trees are flowering, and two kinds of paper barks. Heat 

 becomes intense. The official record, I believe, at 9 a.m. 



