Dec.,"! Kershaw, A Naturalist in Northern Queensland. 119 



white egg, occupying almost every tree. Later on, when the 

 young are able to fly, they leave for the far north, but during 

 their long stay a great many are shot for food, without any 

 apparent diminution in their numbers. Among other birds 

 noticed during this visit were the Varied Honey-eater, Ptilotis 

 versicolor, which were plentiful among the mangrove, where 

 they breed, the Mangrove Kingfisher, Barred-shouldered Dove, 

 White-rumped Wood-Swallow, and Sun-birds, the latter being 

 observed gatheiing kapok, the seed-pods of which were 

 scattered about, with which to line their nests. A Black- 

 cheeked Falcon was seen flying overhead, while on the beach 

 were seen the Little Mangrove Bittern, Btitorides stagnatilis, 

 and the Reef Heron, Demiegretta sacra. 



Getting our stores and baggage together, we left the island 

 during the morning in a small cutter manned by a couple of 

 natives, and steered for the Claudie River, some distance down 

 the coast. This is a fair-sized stream, about three chains wide 

 at its mouth, and is affected by the tide for some 10 miles 

 inland. Our permanent camp was situated about 8 miles 

 from the entrance, and, as the tide was flowing in, we were able 

 to sail up stream for some 5 or 6 miles, after which we landed 

 and walked the last few miles, leaving the natives to bring up 

 our most necessary baggage in the dingey. 



For the first two or three miles the view from the river is 

 rather monotonous, the muddy banks being chiefly lined with 

 two or three species of mangrove, the fruit of one of which some- 

 what resembles an enormous orange. The country here is flat 

 and swampy, and subject to inundation at high water. Further 

 on, however, the river scenery becomes more and more 

 beautiful, the banks being lined in places with great palms 

 growing in the mud at the water's edge, their enormous fronds, 

 growing from a small root, being from 40 to 50 feet long. 

 Another smaller palm, with a long, slender trunk, resembled 

 the Cabbage-tree Palm. Great, spreading, large-leaved trees 

 drooped over the banks until their branches dipped into the 

 water, while creepers and vines of various kinds hung in great 

 festoons from the tree-tops. Suspended from the shrubs 

 overhanging the water were seen many of the ragged, bulky 

 nests of Gerygone Icevigaster, about a couple of feet long, 

 resembling flood debris. The nest proper is towards the 

 bottom, and the small entrance at the side. A sohtary 

 Jabiru was seen soaring gracefully overhead, its long legs 

 stretched out behind and its white flight-feathers showing 

 conspicuously. A White-headed Fish-Eagle, Haliastur indus, 

 was noticed perched on a high tree near by, while several 

 Yellow-legged Spoonbills, Kingfishers, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, 

 and Rifle-birds were either seen or heard. We reached our 



