262 WHITJ/JCK, Trip to Fortcscuc River [Tst^ApT 



They were plentiful enough arountl the homestead, but were 

 educated to the appearance of a gun. They waited their 

 opportunity, and as soon as I was at a safe distance from 

 camp, swoo[)ed down on any scraps of food thrown away. A 

 pair breeding at the foot of the ranges as remarkably wary, 

 and though I tried to ambush one or other of them when they 

 came to drink at a trough, they never gave me the chance of a 

 shot. This pair was nesting a mile and a half from the bore 

 \vhere I was camped, and came to drink several times a day. 

 Their nest was fairly high up in a large River Gum. The Parrot 

 family was i)oorly represented as regards species. This seems 

 to be the case all through the heart of the true north-west. The 

 Corella, or P.are-eyed Cockatoo {Cacatiia san<iuinca) was the 

 most abundant. Large flocks frequented the river, but I could 

 find no evidence of their breeding. The aborigines, when 

 questioned, reported the same, "very few young this season." 

 Galahs (Cacatita roseicapilla) were much less common than the 

 preceding species, but in November they seemed to be coming- 

 in to the river from the dry back country. The largest flock 

 I saw was feeding in a paddock not far from the ranges. They 

 searched the ground for seed in a compact body rather than 

 in extended order. One ])air took up their station in a hollow 

 Bloodwood Eucalypt ( Euculyf^tus pyroplwra), but they ap- 

 peared to abandon the idea of breeding, e\entually. 



A single ])air of the Cockatiel {Leptoloplnis hoUandicus) was 

 seen. Their beha\iour was much the same as that of the fore- 

 going ])air of Galahs. 



^'ellow-banded Parrots {Bartiard'ms cniiariiis ) were common 

 in trees. Though scarce in the ranges, small parties were seen 

 every day by the river. About the end of Se|)tember 1 found 

 a pair freciuenting a "Myceim tree," which was much hollowed 

 in its branches. This is a small species of Eucalypt found 

 growing on the ironstone ridges, or on the precijiitous sides 

 of the rugged gorges intersecting the ranges. It ai)pears to 

 have only recently become known to botanists, and is yet to- 

 be described and named. I do not know for certain that the 

 before-mentioned I'arrots bred, as I shifted from this camp- 

 almost immediately, but appearances were promising. No- 

 young birds were brought in by the aborigines. 



The P.udgerygah (Mclopsitfaciis iDidiilattis ) i> ])lemiful at 

 Mill Stream in good seasons, but owing to the dry weather I 

 saw few of them. I questioned the more intelligent of the 

 al)origines as to the presence of a Parrot breeding in tlie 

 Spinifex, but all shook their heads. The\ had ne\cr hearcf 

 of a Parrot that did not breed in a tree. 



Of the birds of jirey the Pittle Eagle (Hieractus iiiorph- 

 noides) was the most common. I saw as many as three ])airs 



