^Ig^'l Kershaw, A Natiiralisl in Norihern Queensland. i6i 



A NATURALIST IN NORTHERN QUEENSLAND. 



By J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S., Curator of the National Museum, 



Melbourne. 



[Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, gth Nov., T914.) 

 {Continued from page 124.) 



Each day excursions in various directions from the camp 

 were made, involving long and often wearying tramps, but 

 always full of interest. At times our wanderings took us 

 through long stretches of open gum forest to distant patches 

 of scrub, but more often we rowed up or down the river in our 

 dingey, and, selecting a suitable landing-place, would pass the 

 day exploring the jungle or open flats along its borders. 



The river trips, though usually short, were especially enjoy- 

 able. Winding about through a dense mass of tall trees, 

 shrubs, and palms, their branches dipping into the stream on 

 either side, and frequently thickly covered with creepers of 

 various kinds, we could observe the brightly-coloured butter- 

 flies and birds as they flew over the river and among the trees. 

 The effect of light and shade on the water, the varied tints of 

 the foliage, and the pretty hibiscus-like flowers of an over- 

 hanging tree which, constantly dropping into the stream, 

 drifted with the tide, made a pretty picture, and one could 

 never tire of admiring its ever-changing beauty. Birds were 

 always plentiful here, especially in the early morning and 

 towards sundown. The little Masked Gerygone, G. Icevigasier, 

 was commonly seen adding material to its long, ragged-looking 

 nest suspended just above the water, while an occasional Purple 

 Kingfisher darted silently up or down the river. Orioles, 

 Starlings, Drongo Shrikes, Quoy's Butcher-birds, Flycatchers, 

 Honey-eaters, and many other birds occupied the trees along 

 the river-banks, while now and then the noisy Red-sided 

 Parrots, Great Palm and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos flew 

 screaming overhead. At a sheltered bend of the river, covered 

 with water-hlies in full bloom, a flock of the black and white 

 Pied Geese was discovered perching in the tree-tops, while 

 lower down stream, among the mangrove swamps, large groups 

 of the Yellow-legged Spoonbill were occasionally disturbed. 

 There was always something fresh to be seen on the river, 

 especially when, later on, the rainy season brought the trees 

 and shrubs into flower. 



On the gth of November we decided to establish a temporary 

 camp some seven or eight miles further up the river, our object 

 being the investigation of the river scrubs and forests further 

 inland, in the hope that new animals might be met with. We 

 left early in the afternoon, and, as we had, of course, to carry 

 our provisions and general cam]) outfit as well as our guns and 



