104 WHITE, Trip to Cape York Peninsula. ["^sfoa" 



brown snake had got Tommy — a snake all right, but of the Carpet 

 species, about 10 feet long. Did not destroy it. 



17/4/22. — Saw a brown tree-snake, about 3 feet long, in a 

 mountain ash ; while watching it the snake promptly apprehended 

 and swallowed a small wood-adder about 5 inches in length. 



30/4/22.— Walked on a five-foot Black Whip-Snake. Tt struck 

 at me, but missed, as I was "well on the move." 



Birds axd Notes 



Through Mv. McLennan's perseverance, important bird-obser- 

 vation was carried on, particularly in regard to the little-known 

 Turnix olivii (Buff-breasted Quail) and Psephotns chrysoptcr- 

 (fiits (Golden- winged Parrot). 



Here follows list of birds observed with extracts from the col- 

 lector's notes. The names of the species are according to pro- 

 posed 2nd Edition Official Check-list, R.A.O.U. Sub-specific 

 names in brackets and asterisk indicates skin collected : — 



Dromaius novae-hollandiae. Emu. — On a river flat near Coen an 

 Emu was noted with six small young. Took some "snaps" of "Dick," 

 a pet bird. 



Casuarius casuariu8(C.c.a?/s/rfl//s;. Cassowary. — Heard a mysterious 

 noise one night like the grunting of a horse in trouble. Think it 

 was a Cassowary. 



Alectura lathami (.4. I. purpiircicollis) Purple-wattled Brush-Turkey. 

 — Tommy brought back a fine Turkey, which will form the leading 

 item on the menu tonight (21/2/22). 



*Synoicus australis (5. a. cervinus). Northern Brov/n Quail. — 

 Flushed from some long grass a covey of Quail at Joe's Lagoon. 

 The call of this bird is a double note whistle; first note short, second 

 much longer; sometimes loud and sharp, but more often rather plain- 

 tive. Found an old nest with six shells, and later a nest containing 

 five fresh eggs in a tussock of coarse grass, the blades cf which were 

 bent over and lightly woven, and formed the top and side of the nest. 

 Nest merely a shallow depression 4 inches in diameter by 1 inch deep, 

 and lined with a few eucalypt leaves and grass. 



*Turnix olivii. Buff'-breasted Quail.— 21/11/21.— Heard a deep 

 booming call: "Ooom, ooom, oocm," repeated rapidly for twenty 

 rounds. The first few notes were very low, and appeared to come 

 from a great distance, the succeeding notes gradually higher in tone, 

 louder, shorter, and were more rapidly uttered, until the last notes 

 were about five tones higher than the first. The call takes about 30 

 seconds of time. As I imitate the call, the bird answers, and in a few 

 minutes I see a bird coming through the grass about 2o yards away. 

 It is a female Turnix. 



24/11/21.— Flushed a bird which landed 100 yards away and 

 started to call; kept on calling, and appeared to be coming back to- 

 ward me, which it eventually did. 



6/2/22. — Saw a female Turnix running through a patch of grass 

 closely followed by a male; one of them was rapidly uttering a soft 

 whistling, chirruping note. Several times a different call was uttered 

 — a deep humming "gug-gug-gug," repeated rapidly for three to five 

 seconds. 



9/3/22. — Return to my marked tree, proceed carefully to within 

 10 yards and imitate the call. In a shorr time a bird replied from 



