Vol.^Xl.-j M'Lean, Bush-Birds of New Zealand. jy 



of this class there could hardly have been a shortage, and the 

 Parrakeet is one of those birds which soon shifts to more fruitful 

 parts if necessary. In The Ibis I ventured to say that they may 

 have anticipated the coming heavy crop of tawari, but this, too, 

 is improbable. After all, it may have been a case of a second 

 nesting on the part of the birds. 



Although frequently made a i)et, this Parrakeet does not i)ossess 

 the power of articulation in the same degree as many others of the 

 Parrot tribe. 



In some winters a few visit lower bushes in proximity to the 

 main bush ; but very rarely indeed is it seen in the open, older- 

 settled districts. When it does visit the latter parts it must be 

 sorely pressed for food, for then they come in hundreds. I have 

 seen such an irruption, in a dry summer, many years ago, when the 

 birds were so intent in the long, ripe-seeded grass of the fiat 

 cultivated country that we, as boys, almost succeeded in capturing 

 them with our hats. 



Field Notes from Cape York 



By H. G. Barnard, R.A.O.U., Queensland. 



On behalf of Mr. H. L. White, of Belltrees, Scone, N.S.W., I left 

 Rockhampton on loth September, 1910, by the s.s. Wyandra, 

 arriving in Townsville two days later. I transhipped to the 

 s.s. Aramac, and, after a pleasant but uneventful voyage of three 

 days, reached Thursday Island. Here I had to wait three more 

 days before I could get a boat across to the mainland. Leaving 

 Thursday Island on the afternoon of Friday, the 23rd, in the 

 mail cutter, I arrived at Peak Point Telegraph Station at noon 

 on Saturday. After lunch I proceeded to walk to Lockerbie 

 (an out-station of Mr. F. L. Jardine's, of Somerset), situated 

 5 miles inland, where I intended to establish my head- 

 quarters. The country about " Lockerbie " is mostly open forest, 

 which extends on the west to the coast, while to the north and 

 east a low range of hills " covered with dense scrub " extends 

 for a number of miles. 



On reaching Lockerbie I found that Mr. Jardine was absent 

 at Somerset ; but, as a black boy was in charge, I remained the 

 night. Obtaining a couple of horses from the " boy " in the 

 morning, I went to the office, secured my outfit, and returned to 

 Lockerbie in the afternoon, to find that Mr. Jardine had 

 arrived from Somerset. He extended to me a very warm welcome, 

 and I am very much indebted to him for his kindness and help 

 during my stay at Cape York. 



I remained at Lockerbie until the end of January, 1911, 

 when we had a considerable amount of rain, which made collecting 

 very unpleasant ; and, as very few birds were then breeding, I 

 decided to give the collecting a spell and return once more to 



