^°';^J''"J Macgillivray, Ornithologists in North Queensland. 201 



Campephaga humeralis (Lalage tricolor i'ncoi^oy).— White-shouldered 

 Caterpillai"-eaters were numerous on the Archer River during winter 

 months. They are never common at Cape York, and we saw none 

 on the Claudie. 



Dry modes superciliaris. — Northern Scrub-Robins were often noted 

 in the scrub, but they were very shy, and ran out of sight or flitted off 

 to perch on some low tree on the slightest movement on the part of 

 the observer. 



I found a nest one day by accident. ]\Ir. Kershaw and my son 

 were searching some tangle from which a Podargus (Marbled Frog- 

 mouth) had been flushed when I walked over and stood watching 

 them. Happening to glance at the ground, I saw, almost at my 

 feet, a nest of this Robin, containing a pair of eggs. The nest was 

 on the side of a depression in the scrub amongst the dead leaves 

 which everywhere carpet the ground. It was a neat, open bowl of 

 sticks lined with rootlets and fibres and built up on the lower sides 

 with a compact layer of sticks. 



The birds are easily called up by imitating their call note and 

 keeping quite still. This note is a long-drawn-out whistle. They 

 find their living on the ground turning over leaves and other drbris. 

 The female is the nest-builder. Uncommon on the Archer River. 



Pomatorhinus temporalis (Pomatosfomus t. cornwalli). — Small flocks 

 of the Northern Babbler were several times noted in open forest on 

 the Claudie. 



Scattered parties were noted by Mr. M'Lennan in open forest on 

 the Archer River. 



Cisticola exilis (Cisticola exilis mixta). — Common on the grassy 

 flats. One noted carrying building material on the 19th January. 

 The nest was fixed in the leaves of a small plant amongst the 

 grass. On the 23rd January, when making our way homeward 

 across a long grassy flal in drenching rain, we flushed another from 

 her nest containing four eggs ; this nest was almost round in shape, 

 2 inches in diameter, the base formed of fine grassy fibres and cob- 

 webs, the sides and top a canopy of leaves sewn together with fine 

 fibres and cobwebs. They get more numerous on the flats as the wet 

 season advances. Common on the Archer in June. They are usually 

 absent from the north in the winter. 



Megalurus galactotes (Dulciornis alisteri dulciei). — A female of the 

 Tawny Grass-Bird was shot in the long grass in one of the open 

 pockets on the 8th November, and several were flushed after this at 

 different times up to the commencement of the wet season, when 

 the grass began to grow longer and denser ; it was then a difficult 

 matter to disturb them. Occasional in swampy places along the 

 Archer River. 



Sericomis minimus (Sericornis longirostvis minimus). — The Little 

 Scrub-Wren is common in the scrub, frequenting the undergrowth 

 and fallen branches. One nest was found on a small shrub growing 

 between the buttresses of a large fig. This had evidently been torn 

 open and its contents rifled by some creature. Before our advent 

 to the Claudie Mr. M'Lennan, on »8th September, flushed one from 

 its nest in a vine clinging to a tree ; it was 2 feet from the ground, 

 and contained two eggs. A few were also noted in the scrub on the 

 Archer River. 



