Vol. XVtt 



1917 



I Campbkll and ti.\KS\Hi), Birds of N. Qiteeiisidiu/. ly 



The noi-thern " Jackass " appears to be cleaner in appcai^ance than 

 its familiar southern compeer. The male is a gayer-coloured bird, 

 with blue on the lower back and upper tail coverts as well as on the 

 wings. There is about an inch only less difference in the wing 

 measurement 



Dacelo leachi. Leacli Kingfisher. 

 Dacelo leachi kenipi. 



Common throughout the Murray and Cardwell districts. The 

 loud " yelping " notes of tlie Leach Kingfisher were frequently heard 

 in the forest at the same time as the " laughter " of the Lesser Brown 

 Kingfisher. 



[The latter bird seems to have increased in numbers since my first 

 \isit lo tlie district, thirty years ago. — A. J. C] 



Halcyon macleayi. Forest Kingfisher. 



Cyaucilcvou Duicleayi hariiardi. 



Common ; numbers of their prellv blue and white forins were 

 obser\-ed sitting on tlie telegrajili wires about Cardwell. They 

 apjjcarcd to be typical " Macleays." 



Halcyon sanctus. Sacred Kingfisher. 

 Sam o pads sa)ichi conjusu. 



Fairly common aliout Cardwell ; often seen about the mangroves 

 and fishing about the beach. We have no doubt that thev were the 

 common migratory sanc/ns. We did not observe any breeding. 



Halcyon sordidus. Mangrove Kingfisher. 

 Sauropatis sordida sordida. 



Odd birds only of this fine Kingfisher were seen about mangrove 

 creeks. One would have to endure plagues of mosquitoes and to 

 wade knee-deep in mud to observe these birds properly, perchance 

 lo find a nest in some hollow mangrove. 



Merops ornatus. Bee-eater. 



CosHKcrops ornatus ornatus. 



Common about Cardwell in September, where thev arrived from 

 the north. They seemed to be moving southward. The first .one 

 we observed was on iith September. Broadbent first noticed Bee- 

 eaters on 19th August, "in little flocks." In October he saw them 

 flying over Cardwell in thousands for days, going southward. 



Bee-eaters liave been obscr\-ed passing to and from New Guinea 

 during migration. How can it be possible, then, that there are two 

 races of these birds in Australia, as Mathews infers ? 



Eurostopus albigularis. White-lhroated Nightjar. 



Eurostopodus niystacalis . 



A few birds were flushed from the ground in stony places. An egg 

 of this species was discovered by Constable O'Regan, of Cardwell, 

 while out wallaby-shooting during our visit to that locality, but, 

 instead of handing it over to us, he gave it to his wife, who placed 

 it under a brood}- hen, where it was, of course, promptly broken. 



Caprimulgus (macrurus: yorki. Large-tailed Nightjar. 



Generally flushed in pairs from the ground in swampy places, where 

 their eggs were found. This Nightjar's peculiar "Chop-chop" notes 

 were frecpiently heard at night, even in the township of Cardwell. 

 The birds have a jerky, butterfly flight when flushed. One nest (really 

 no nest, only a selected spot on the ground), which we could not help 



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