^14 BANFiKhD, " Alike in Difference."' [isfA^rii 



to build in Starling tree, Cockatoos occupying spout in same tree. 

 8th August, Starlings and Nutmegs arrive. 26th September, egg- 

 shells beneath Starling tree. 



On the last day of September this year an attempt was made 

 during a boating trip to compute the number of Nutmeg-Pigeons 

 passing from the mainland to the Family Islands, a few miles to 

 the southward of Dunk Island. The birds in each trailing flock, 

 as well as the number of flocks per minute, were averaged, it being 

 estimated that 20,000 passed in an hour over a strip of ocean a 

 mile wide. Since the aerial pathway favoured by the birds from 

 the mainland to the islets is about three miles wide, not less than 

 60,000 travelled over it. The parties to the estimate agreed among 

 themselves that it had the merit of being conservative. 



Metallic Starlings may be even more numerous than Nutmeg- 

 Pigeons, for their colonies, though not so concentrated as those 

 of the Pigeons, are more fruitful. The Nutmeg hatches a single 

 egg at each successive brood during the season ; the Starling's 

 clutch averages four. The first brood may be born in September ; 

 the final as late as the end of February. 



May both the beautiful and entertaining birds be long one of 

 the most edifying features of the tropical coast ! 



Further Notes upon Cormorants, their Food, 

 Temperatures, &c. 



By Capt. S. a. White, M.B.O.U., R.A.O.U. 



One or two articles having appeared in The Emu from my pen 

 upon this subject, it may be interesting to the readers of The 

 Emu to see further information upon a subject the writer has 

 been following up for some time past. 



The Messrs. Rymill Bros, having most kindly arranged to take 

 Dr. Morgan and the writer to a well-known Cormorant rookery 

 in the mangroves, we left on the evening of 22nd March, 1917, 

 in the motor yacht Avocet, and reached the mangrove swamps 

 next day and at once started operations. Only two species of 

 Cormorants were met with — Hypoleiicus varius hypoleiicus, the 

 orange-faced bird, and Microcarbo melanoleucus (Little Pied 

 Cormorant). Twelve specimens of the larger species were taken, 

 and five of the smaller. I am indebted to my friend Dr. A. M. 

 Morgan for the temperatures, and we spent Saturday morning 

 taking measurements, dissecting, and making examination of 

 stomach contents, which resulted as follows : — • 



Stomach contents, Hypoleiicus v. hypoleiicus. — ^No, i, leatherjacket 

 {Monacanthus, sp.), box-fish {Aracana, sp.), weed-fish {Odax 

 waterhousi), trumpeter {Atypechthys strigatus) ; No. 2, many fish 

 remains, most likely same as preceding one ; No. 3, quite empty ; 

 No. 4, fish remains like weed-fish ; No. 5, fish remains, parasitic 

 worms ; No. 6, portions of squid, one box-fish ; No. 7, a small 



