78 Mr. G. M. Mathews on a recent 



Cape York, the extreme north point of Queenslaad, lies in 

 latitude 10° 50' South, while Brisbane, the capital, situated 

 in the extreme south of Queensland, is in latitude 27° 50' 

 South ; this is a distance of about 1400 miles. This uiiglit 

 be regarded as inconsiderable by the general ornithologist, 

 were it not that mountain ranges intervene, and these cause 

 diverse climatic conditions and varied rainfall. Again, patches 

 of forest country are mingled with tracts of desert, while 

 along the coast there are great areas covered with mangrove 

 swamps, so that it is very necessary to understand local con- 

 ditions so as to interpret correctly the distribution of bird-life. 



Cape York, being at the extreme limit of Australia, has 

 attracted considerable attention from ornithologists, as forms 

 resembling New Guinea species arc there largely represented. 

 IS'ew Guinea has been the Aladdin's lamp of ornithologists 

 for the last hundred years, the Birds of Paradise furnishing 

 a magician's call. 



Australian birds found at Cape York show relationships 

 to these wonders, and hold out a lure to local investigators 

 as well as to those from other parts of the world. 



The earliest Australian land-bird that I at present trace to 

 have been described is the Giant Kingfisher, a truly typical 

 l)ird ; this was figured and described by Sonnerat from '' New 

 Guinea." It does not occur in New Guinea, and the only 

 conclusion seems to be that a captive bird had been trans- 

 ported from Australia by the blacks, a somewhat inadequate 

 suggestion. I note this, as this bird, after a century and a 

 half's search, has been found to live at Cape York, as will 

 presently be mentioned. 



Though it is probable that no collections were brought from 

 Ca[)e York by Captain Cook's party, we know that a 

 Bustard was killed in south Queensland, and there is good 

 reason to believe that they brought back from w^hat is now 

 called Cooktown a Parrot which was described by Latham as 

 the Blue-cheeked Parrot. Latham's description, which was 

 regarded as inexact by Salvador!, 1 found to agree exactly 

 Avith specimens procured at CooktowU; and as it does not 

 range otherwise than from Cape York to New South Wales, 



