82 Macgillivray, Ornithologists in North Queensland. \ 



Emu 

 St Oct. 



Lopholaimus antarcticus (Lopholaimus antarcticus minor). — Of this 

 Pigeon Mr. M'Lennan wrote first of all on the i6th May, 191 1, from 

 a camp on the Jardine River, 28 miles south of Cape York, when he 

 noted the occurrence of three large blue Pigeons. On the following 

 day he saw a large flock of blue Pigeons, and on the day after he got 

 two. These birds are smaller than the Northern New South Wales 

 birds in every way, and have a smaller crest. Both specimens were 

 males. Mr. Vidgen, of Paira, Cape York, at this time stated that 

 he had noted a couple of flocks flying over his house, and that they 

 seemed to be coming from over the strait, evidently from Papua. 

 He also noted that it was seven or eight years since any had passed 

 over, and previously to that ten years. Mr. M'Lennan again noted 

 them flying over on the 6th August, 191 1. 



They were not again noted by Mr. Vidgen until 1914, when he 

 made the following note on the 29th May : — " The blue Topknot- 

 Pigeon has come across this vear. The first arrivals were seen about 

 two weeks ago. This is their first appearance since 191 1." On 6th 

 August, 1914, he made this note : — " We have shot a fair number 

 of the Lesser Topknot-Pigeon this year, and right up to the last 

 sight of them the ovaries showed no sign of development. They 

 evidently do not breed here." Mr. Vidgen sent specimens of these 

 birds ; they are much larger than those sent by Mr. M'Lennan, and are 

 evidently L. antarcticus antarcticus. 



Macropygia robinsoni (Macropygia phasianella rohinsoni). — Fre- 

 quently seen and heard in the scrub. We did not succeed in finding 

 any nests. The note is a high-toned " Cuck-00-waup," repeated 

 five or six times in succession. 



Geopelia humeralis (Chrysauchoena humeralis lewinii). — This is a 

 very common bird ; it is in the mangroves along the coast and on the 

 islands off the coast. We frequently flushed small parties from the 

 ground in the open forest country. One nest found in open forest 

 on the 19th November was placed 10 feet up in a small tree ; it 

 contained two fully-fledged young. 



Mr. M'Lennan found this species to be quite common on the Archer 

 River. 



Geopelia tranquilla (Geopelia placida /)/flc^VZa). ^Occasionally seen 

 and heard. Mr. M'Lennan noted this species as being common on 

 the Archer River. 



Chalcophaps chrysochlora (Chalcophaps chrysochlora rogersi). — 

 Fairly common in the scrub. They are ground feeders, eating seeds, 

 kernels, and fallen fruits. A favourite feeding-place is under a 

 Calornis tree, where the ground is carpeted with seeds and stones 

 ejected by the nesting birds. 



Mr. Kershaw and my son Ian found one nest in the scrub on the 

 14th November ; it was 8 feet up on a horizontal bough, and con- 

 tained two fresh eggs. The call is a soft " Coo-00-00-0." Mr. 

 M'Lennan noted them on the Pascoe River. 



Hypotsenidia philippcnsis (H. p. yorki). — ^We first met with this 

 bird on Quoin Island. They were numerous on Raine Island, either 

 in the grass or on the sand. They shelter during the heat of the 

 day in the burrows made by the Petrel (P. sphenurus) and in the 

 caves under the coralline rock. We flushed several when investi- 

 gating the Petrel burrows, and afterwards when searching the caves 



