Vol. XVII 

 1917 



j Campbell and Barnard, Birds of N. Queensland. 21 



Gerygone flavida. Yellow Fly-eater. 



Pseudogerygone personata flavida. 



This chasle and assthetic-coloured little Gerygone, with its sulphur- 

 yellow under parts, was of great interest to us, and we closely 

 observed it whenever we could. 



Some of our best authorities entertain the opinion that G. flavida 

 is the female of G. personata, which is found from the Endeavour 

 River northwards to Cape York, the male of which possesses the dark 

 throat and forehead. From our field observations we agree with 

 Mr. C. W. De Vis, formerly Curator of the Queensland ^Museum, that 

 G. flavida is distinct. We found several nests, and procured a mated 

 pair of birds which were both yellow. It is also significant that when 

 Broadbent was collecting at Cardwell he got several, but no masked 

 birds, and regarded his find as " new." Ramsay did not observe 

 the bird. 



The first nest of the Yellow Fly-eater found by us was suspended 

 to a branchlet of a broad-leaved acacia, just at the rear of the Card- 

 well township. Both birds were building. Unfortunately, we had 

 to remove to the Upper Murray River before the eggs were laid. A 

 second nest was found suspended from a Melahuca near a creek of 

 the Murray. The bird was flushed from a single egg. Two other 

 nests were subsequently found, but eggs were not laid. In these two 

 instances the nests were close to wasps' nests. One nest was sus- 

 pended to a tree overhanging the river, and for photographic pur- 

 poses we had to smoke out the wasps (or hornets) in order to take 

 a picture (see Plate III. 



The nest of the Yellow Gerygone is comparatively a small structure 

 (not bulky, like G. maguirostris), 9 inches long by 3 inches broad. 

 T?he side entrance is f-inch across, the hood extending 3 inches from 

 the body of the nest. The nest is delicately constructed of fine 

 reddish bark intermixed with web, cocoons, and insect droppings, 

 and is lined with grass and verv fine bark. In another example the 

 lining was thistle-like seed-down. An egg — the usual type- — 

 measured .66 x .48 inch. 



Heteromyias cinereifrons. Ashy-fronted Robin. 



This unique " Robin " is one of the peculiarities of the densely- 

 timbered ranges, and was observed nowhere else. It is shy, and 

 frequents the dark gullies. Although early, several nests, with their 

 single eggs, were observed. The nests were made of green moss and 

 lined with dark rootlets, &c.. and usually placed low down in a 

 " la\vyer " palm {Calamus^' or similar situation. For nest in situ 

 see Plate IV. The call of this Robin is plaintive, and not unhke that 

 of the Eopsaltria. 



Poecilodryas superciliosa. White-browed Shrike-Robin. 

 Pacilodryas superciliosa superciliosa. 



This bird was seen in the scrub of the sand-ridges near Cardwell, 

 but was not common. 



Poecilodryas pulverulentus. White-tailed Shrike-Robin. 

 Qiioyornis leiicurus leucurus. 



' The White-tailed Robin frequents the mangroves. They are con- 

 fiding little birds, but it is hard work observing them, as these places 

 are badly infested with mosquitoes and sand-flies ; besides, you have 

 to wade knee-deep through mud. Several of their pretty nests, 



