Voi.^xvii.-j Whitlock, Notes on N orth-W estern Birds. 171 



of the Tnchiniitm very easily broken, so that, despite their soft 

 beaks, the parent birds had no difticulty in nipping off the sprays, 

 September is evidently the breeding month. I procured two 

 nests, the counterpart of one another. I am of opinion only two 

 eggs are laid at most ; possibly in some seasons only one. It is 

 hazardous to prophesy, but I venture the opinion that the eggs, 

 when discovered, will be true ellipses in shape, ground colour 

 white, and nearly obscured by fine stripes of earthy brown or 

 reddish-brown. I was able to photograph a nest in situ, and also 

 a general view of the haunt. 



[Mr. Whitlock collected both sexes of Eremiornis carteri on the 

 Coongan, also a fine series on Barrow Island (see his narrative 

 later). Both lots are now in the " H. L. White Collection," 

 National Museum, Melbourne. The latter birds are undoubtedly 

 a good island variety or sub-species (E. c. assimilis, Mathews), 

 as the author points out, by its " smaller size, larger bill, and in 

 having the head darker reddish-brown, while the whole plumage 

 is darker" {A.A.R., i., p. 181). But, judging by two other skins 

 in the " H. L. White Collection " from St. George's Range, 

 Kimberley, and named E. c. rogersi, they are not convincing enough 

 to be considered another sub-species, if Mr. Mathews will pardon 

 my presumption. They too much resemble the typical carteri, 

 although the Great Sandy Desert rolls between the two respective 

 habitats. But the Eremiornis is called the " Desert-Bird." — 

 A. J. C] 



Trip to Barrow Island. 



Barrow Island is the largest of the Dampier Archipelago. It 

 is situated in S. lat. 21° and 25 miles west of 116° E. longitude. 

 The climate is tropical as regards temperature, but the mean 

 annual rainfall does not exceed 12 inches. At times deluges of 

 rain fall in a few hours. These heavy falls are usually accom- 

 panied by gales of cyclonic character, localty known as " willy- 

 willies." One of these occurred the second week in March last 

 year. A heavy fall of rain in such a dry climate has naturally 

 much influence on the time birds select for breeding. 



Geographically, Barrow Island is best reached from Onslow, 

 but, owing to the dislocation of shipping due to the war, boats 

 have only been calling at Onslow at infrequent intervals. I had, 

 therefore, to make my arrangements for reaching the island from 

 Cossack, the old port for" the Pilbarra goldfield. There was 

 difficulty in procuring a suitable boat ; but, through the kindness 

 of Messrs. Jiro Muramats and J. Ramsarny, I was able to engage 

 an eighteen-foot cutter — rather a small craft for a voyage of 

 300 miles — and two Japanese boatmen. We left Cossack on 

 Wednesday afternoon, 24th October, and reached our destination 

 on Saturday, 27th October. Our course from Cossack was along 

 the coast until we made Cockatoo or Eaglehawk Island, where we 

 anchored until aboi^it 4 o'clock a.m., when, the wind being favour- 



