'10 Macgillivray, Ornithologists in North Queensland. [,sf "oct 



more or less heavdly during the night. The next morning birds 

 were plentiful amongst the wer trees and undergrowth. One of 

 us chased a flock of Babblers, but failed to secure a specimen. In 

 the afternoon rain threatened, and we stayed in and noted a large 

 flock of Australian Swifts soaring overhead. Rain came on later, 

 and we obtained a few specimens near by, and occupied our time 

 skinning. Numbers of burying and carrion beetles came to the 

 lamp under our palm-leaf shelter at night, and any bird-body 

 thrown out would be immediately attacked by these and rapidly 

 cleansed of all fleshy matter. We obtained many beautifully- 

 prepared skeletons in this way. 



On the 23rd December we were astir early. A lovely fresh 

 morning ; the grass and shrubs were beginning to respond to the 

 continued falls of rain, and were all starting to sprout. We took 

 the boat and went up-stream between banks overhung with 

 tropical trees, shrubs, and climbers. M'Lennan speared two fish 

 on the way, and we landed and tied the boat up and went on to 

 examine an Eclectits tree ; then more scrub. Tried to stalk a 

 Bustard in open grass country. Admired the view of the valley, 

 with the mountains in the background, which still hold many 

 secrets to be solved by the field men of the future in bird, plant, 

 and insect life. We paused to admire the wonderful growth and 

 beauty of a climbing plant which covered three forest trees ;.this 

 is the one on which the matchbox-bean is borne [Entada scandens). 

 A flowering umbrella tree attracted a host of birds to its honey- 

 laden blooms — Xanthotis filigera, Tropidorhynchus hnceroides, and 

 Myzomela obsciira amongst Honey-eaters. A Manucode also 

 exposed himself amongst the crowd for a short time, and plunged 

 into the leafage again. Rifle-Birds and Pittas were heard in 

 the recesses of the scrub. Geoffroyus maclennani flew from one 

 Alpir.ia tree to another, shrieking noisily as he went, to crack and 

 split more of the hard nuts of this tree for his favourite kernel. 

 A Drongo was busily engaged constructing his cradle-like nest 

 in a forest tree in which a Fig-Bird already had her nest. Many 

 Calornis were outside the edge of the now dark and damp scrub, 

 feeding on the host of flying termites, together with Arses lorealis 

 and Monarcha alhiventer and others who had gathered to the 

 feast. Macro pus agilis, disturbed from the long grass, rushed off 

 into the scrub ; it was with difficulty that we got a glimpse of 

 this wallaby, as he kept low in the grass. The evening was spent 

 in the usual way — bottling insects that came to the lamp, skinning, 

 writing notes, and listening to the Red-necked Rails and Moor- 

 Hens that flew overhead at intervals, and to the constant call of 

 Ninox rufa, the Pittas, night -wandering Koel, or Podargns 

 marmoratus. 



Many successive days were spent in this way, excursions being 

 made in varying directions, with more or less success, but always 

 absorbingly interesting and all too short, every day returning 

 wet, changing, sluicing with a bucket of water at our staging, 

 erected out of reach of the wily crocodiles, and a meal that was 



