Vol. IV. 

 1904. 



Bernry, N. Queensland Notes on Some Migratory Birds. AJ 



Black-fronted Dottrel {.-Egialitis melanops). — My previous notes lead 

 me to think vielanops was a summer resident with us, and that their 

 winter movements depended on tlie severity or mildness of the season. 

 My experience of the last two years leaves me in a state of uncertainty. 

 Time and further watching will be required before I can come to a decision 

 about them. 



Australian Dottrel (Peltohyas atistralis) is a very irregular visitor ; 

 have only seen it twice in two years, 23rd and 25th September, 1902 — ■ 

 three together on the first occasion, and nine, which is my record number, 

 on the second, of which nine a Black Falcon {Falco subniger), swooping 

 with terrible swiftness, carried off one before they had gone 200 yards. 



LITTLE Whimbrel (JMcsoscolopax minutus). — I estimated there were 

 between two and three thousand on an open lagoon on 9th February, 

 1903, which number came down to seven hundred a week later, and by 

 the end of the month was reduced to -nil. The following spring I only 

 saw five and twenty, and these were distributed between the 17th and 

 30th October, with no further record till 6th March, 1904, when a solitary 

 bird passed, calling, overhead. The big lot I watched with my glasses. 

 It was a most interesting scene ; they were crowded down on to the water's 

 edge, the birds on the outskirts being pushed into the water. They were 

 all busily engaged preening their feathers, evidently having fed, keeping 

 up the while a constant chattering as they pecked at one another in their 

 endeavours to find elbow (or rather wing) room. 



Greenshank {Glottis nebularius). — Single birds about during January, 

 1903 ; saw two together on 13th November following, and on i8th 

 February, 1904, I heard them calling as they passed overhead at night. 



Little Stint (Limonites ruficollis). — 6th November, 1903, with my 

 field-glasses watched a party of seven on some swampy ground. 



Sharp-tailed Stint {Heteropygia acuminata). — None in the spring of 

 1902, did not see any till iith January, 1903, and then only in very 

 small numbers. On 17th October, 1903, sixteen appeared and con- 

 stituted my only note of them for the summer of 1903-4. 



[Such notes as those Mr. Berney has furnished are most 

 valuable, re bird habits and some of the abstruse problems con- 

 cerning migration, the latter of which should be more closely 

 studied by members of the Aust. O.U. It does not redound to our 

 credit that so little has been done as to the last-named phase of 

 ornithology. In what has already been contributed to The Emu 

 there is some valuable material available, and it would be a step 

 in the interests of science if some enthusiast would tabulate the 

 results already recorded. Has not too much attention been given 

 to mere " collecting," which perforce introduces a bitter personal 

 element, and the really scientific phase — observation, close observa- 

 tion, and still closer observation, re life and habits — been over- 

 looked ?—H.K.] 



Bush-Chats and Song-Larks. — Last summer flocks of beauti- 

 ful Tricoloured Bush-Chats {Ephthianura tricolor) visited the 

 district of Murtoa, and this winter a few Black-breasted Song- 

 Larks {Cinclorhamphus cruralis) -remained, but they were 

 without the black markings on the breast, and did not sing. — 

 J. A. Hill. Kewell, 16/8/04. 



