20 Barnard, Field Notes from Cape York. [,sf "ju'y 



Rail observed by me will probably prove to be the Rufous -tailed 

 Moor-Hen, the general colour above being a dark slaty-brown, bill 

 and legs appearing to be a very bright greenish-yellow, and at once 

 attracting the eye when a glimpse of the bird is obtained. This 

 bird does not frequent the scrubs, but confines itself to the long, 

 blady grass on the edges of scrubs and surrounding springs. The 

 call of this bird is totally different from that of Rallina tricolor, and 

 I frequently heard it calling both night and day, while Rallina tricolor 

 only calls at night. 



iEgialitis melanops. Black-fronted Dottrel. — Observed a few 

 specimens in and around a swamp situated about 6 miles inland 

 from the coast, but they did not appear to be breeding. 



Numenius variegatus. Whimbrel. — Fairly plentiful on a strip of 

 beach at Cape York. 



Burhinus grallarius. Stone-Plover. — A few observed in forest 

 country. 



Antigone australasiana. Native Companion. — Few birds observed 

 about swampy country. 



Platibis flavipes. Yellow-legged Spoonbill. — A few observed feeding 

 about freshwater swamps. 



Xenorhynchus asiaticus. Jabiru. — A pair observed feeding on the 

 edge of a freshwater swamp. 



Herodias timoriensis. White Egret. — A few birds observed at a 

 freshwater swamp about 6 miles inland. 



Notophoyx novae-hollandise. White-fronted Heron. — A single bird 

 observed at a swamp. 



Nycticorax caledonicus. Night-Heron. — Fairly numerous in the 

 mangroves at tidal creeks, and inland at freshwater swamps. 



Anas superciliosa. Black Duck. — A few small flocks seen about 

 freshwater swamps. 



There are no large permanent watercourses in the part of the Cape 

 where I was, consequently very few water-fowl were to be seen. 

 Further down, however, about the Jardine and Ducie Rivers, swamps 

 are plentiful, and, I was told, contained numbers of water-fowl. 

 Probably a good many nests would be found in these swamps after 

 the wet season. 



Phalacrocorax sulcirostris. Little Black Cormorant. — Few birds 

 seen at deep waterholes at an inland freshwater creek. 



Phalacrocorax melanoleucus. Little Cormorant. — Saw a pair at 

 inland freshwater-holes. 



Plotus novae-hollandiae. Darter. — Seen on several occasions at the 

 freshwater swamps. 



Fregata aquila. Frigate-Bird. — Seen flying about the coast, also 

 flying low over scrub several miles inland. 



Pelecanus conspicillatus. PeUcan. — Were seen between Thursday 

 Island and the mainland. 



Astur novae-hollandiae. White Goshawk. / ^ -ri r- i 



Astur clarus. Grey Goshawk. ) ^" ^'" ^"'"' ''^^- ""■> 



p. 247, I drew attention to the fact that these two birds, which 



