Vol. XVII. j Macgillivray, Ornithologists in North Queensland. 20O 



menced about the 23rd December, thence afterwards it continued 

 until well on into January. These birds are insectivorous. A few 

 were seen along the Archer River. 



Aplonis metallica (Metallopsar metallicus puvpitvascens). — We first 

 arrived at Lloyd's Island at midnight. On the following morning 

 we were witnesses to the great numbers of Shining Starlings that 

 left the mangroves for the mainland. The Lorikeets (Trichoglossus 

 novcBhollandice septentvionalis) are the first to make off, to be soon 

 followed by the Calornis (Shining Starlings), who leave in larger and 

 larger and more compact flocks, which whirl up and down and round 

 before making off to the mainland. Their flight is very rapid, and 

 before all have left the Pigeons begin to leave also. The way in 

 which they leave the island is, however, not to be compared to the 

 curious and wonderful manner of their return, which we were 

 witnesses of on a later visit to the island. 



We first noted these birds nest-building on the 6th November on a 

 tall deciduous scrub tree on which was a deserted nest of the Red- 

 backed Fish-Eagle. The tree usually chosen for the purpose is a 

 tall one in the scrub. Here on the Claudie the tree is usually one 

 that loses its leaves in the late winter and spring, which corresponds 

 to the dry season, and comes into flower before the leaves are put 

 out at the commencement of the wet season. Such trees are also 

 the favourite nesting sites of Eclectus pectovalis macgillivrayi, Cacatua 

 galevita, and Astur novcs-hollandicp. 



The Staiiings are noisy creatures, keeping up an incessant chatter 

 when building and flying to and fro to their nests. We could always 

 tell when a Goshawk was returning to its nest by the sudden cessation 

 of the chattering, which would not be resumed until the Hawk had 

 either settled on its nest or taken its departure. The ground under 

 these trees is carpeted with wild nutmegs from which the mace has 

 been digested by the birds, and also by the stones and seeds of many 

 other fruits. Even when in a nutmeg or other feeding tree the 

 same constant chatter is kept up, the birds darting rapidly through 

 the trees and frequently quarrelling with one another. 



On our next visit to Lloyd's Island, on the 29th November, Mr. 

 M'Lennan directed our attention to the manner of their return to 

 their roosting-place in the mangroves at nightfall. It happened just 

 before dark, after the main body of Pigeons and Parrots had passed 

 over, and in a way that has earned for this bird the local name of 

 the " Whirlwind-Bird." We first notice a quickly-moving, dark, 

 cloud-like body on the horizon over the mainland. The cloud, a com- 

 pact mass of these birds, moves high up into the sky, then down and 

 forward with a rush, upwards and backwards again in ever-changing 

 form. At first a compact body, it lengthens out into the sinuous 

 form of a snake, then closes up again to assume the shape of an aero- 

 plane, with two outspread wings and a central body, then as a spiral, 

 going rapidly upwards like a willy-willy of the plains, to gather 

 together again as a dumb-bell or some other fantastic shape, or to 

 spread out until the whole mass becomes diaphanous and invisible, 

 instantly to become a concrete form again. Going through these 

 performances, the flock has come high up over the sea, and when 

 within measurable distance of the island it dives down to the level 

 of the water and rushes with incredible rapidity towards the man- 

 groves, into which it seems to hurl itself, to roost. Whilst this is 

 happening to one flock, others of larger or smaller dimensions have 



