'^^^•'l Kershaw,^ Naturalist in Northern Queensland. 121 



rose at dawn and went to the river for a bathe, had breakfast, 

 then away exploring the scrubs on either side of the river, or 

 the more open forest. As often as not we did not return until 

 dusk, and, after another bathe, donned our pyjamas, had tea, 

 and settled down to attend to our specimens and write up our 

 notes, which, as a rule, kept us occupied until about midnight. 

 The river was infested with crocodiles, rendering it dangerous 

 to enter the water, though on more than one occasion we were 

 compelled to take the risk. Their tracks were frequently seen 

 along the banks, and their loud barking cries often heard at 

 night. 



Numbers of birds frequented the vicinity of our camp, many 

 of which I now saw for the first time in their wild state. 

 Among these were Friar-birds, Orioles, Leach's Kingfisher, 

 Drongo Shrikes, Quoy's Butcher-bird, several species of Honey- 

 eaters, and the Striated Pardalote. The Great Palm Cockatoo, 

 which nests in the hollows of the larger tuees of the open forest, 

 and the Sulphr-crested Cockatoo were generally about the 

 river, while every morning great flocks of the Torres Strait or 

 Nutmeg Pigeons, Blue Mountain Parrots, and Glossy Starlings 

 arrived from the islands, and departed again in the evening. 

 The Pheasant Coucal, one of the largest of our cuckoos, and 

 the only Australian cuckoo which builds its own nest and rears 

 its young, could be seen and heard every day, while in a large 

 eucalypt close by our camp a Podargus, P. marmoratus, had 

 its nest and young. Flying foxes, Pteropus sp., could be heard 

 squealing at night, or flying low down over our tents. Along 

 the margin of the scrub, and in the adjacent open country, 

 insects of various kinds were obtained. Until the rainy 

 season started, however, these were not plentiful, but after 

 the first rains had set in they became more numerous, although 

 insects generally were not nearly so plentiful as I expected to 

 find them. The commonest of the butterflies taken here were 

 Terias sulphurata, Yphthima arctous, Mycalesis sirius, Hypo- 

 cysta adiante, and Papilio fuscus capaneus. The great bird- 

 winged butterfly, Troides pronomus, the female of which measures 

 up to 7 inches across the wings, was often seen on the edge 

 of the scrub, but usually flew high about the tops of the trees. 

 The most gorgeously coloured of all, however, was the brilliantly 

 blue Papilio joesa, the first specimens seen creating great 

 excitement as they flew along the river just over our heads. 

 These seem to prefer the open space along the river to the 

 more open country. 



My first visits into the dense scrubs will be long remembered. 

 Forcing our way through the tangled undergrowth skirting 

 the edge, we pass out of the fierce, hot glare of the sun into 

 the cool and rather gloomy recesses of the scrub. The closely- 



