48 Queensland Notes. [.nd^uiy 



Queensland Notes. 

 From A. H. Chisholm. K.A.O.U.. Brisbane. 



Bird-Life in Far Nortii. — Since the (rould League of Bird- 

 Lovers has become firmly established throughout Queensland, 

 many interesting notes on birds have been written by children 

 and teachers in various parts of the State. A case in point is a 

 letter I have from the head teacher of a small school beyond Cairns. 

 Extracts follow : — 



" T have been trying recently to find out particulars of a 

 migratory bird which has been puzzhng me for many j^ears. It 

 has, however, again departed, leaving me but little the wiser for 

 my observations. The bird is small and brown, with a buff- 

 coloured breast, and niay be a Honey-eater. It has a beautiful 

 song, quite out of the common, and absolutely different to any 

 other bird I have ever heard. I am enclosing herewith an 

 attempt at the song for piano. The local aboriginals call the 

 sprite the ' Jan-da-berry ' bird, from the notes- — ' Jan-da-berry, 

 pe-ta, pe-ta ' — which are repeated over and over in a high-pitched 

 whistle. I have lived at this place for 25 years, and have noticed 

 this little bird every year, and always wait for its song. It 

 arrives with the first general rains about the end of December, 

 and stays until about the middle of April. The nest is suspended, 

 and generally built in drbris left on branches by the floods. I 

 spent 12 months on the islands in Torres Strait, and visited several 

 parts of Papua, but saw no trace of the ' Jan-da-berry ' * in those 

 places. 



" The children here, as well as myself, have often noticed an act 

 of the Apostle-Bird (better known in this district as the ' Squawker ') 

 which I have not seen it credited with in any of the bird books. 

 We have seen a company of these birds bear down in full force 

 on the nest of a Pee-wee (Mud-Lark), chase the rightful owners 

 away, and take possession of the nest. In the books they are 

 credited with building mud nests, but we have never seen them 

 do so ; always, relying on numbers, they take the nests of the 

 Pee-wees. At one nest here one of the school-boys had to inter- 

 fere to save the lives of young Pee-wees. To its own species, 

 however, the Apostle -Bird is most faithful. I have seen men 

 here shoot one and break its wing, and, when it squawked, the 

 whole flock, numbering nearly 100, flew around, some even 

 settling on the man. Shooting some will not drive the others 

 away on such an occasion. 



"The Cuckoo-Shrike (or 'Blue Jay') never leaves this district, 

 and must live to a considerable age. There is a big tree close 

 to my house, and in this two of these Shrikes have built their 

 nest for the past 14 years. The nest is very small and difflcult 

 to see. One wonders how such a big bird can sit in it. 



" The Black-and-White Fantail builds a pretty nest of very 



* Probably Gerygone Icsvigaster. — A. H. C. 



