Vol. XIII 



1914 



] Macgillivray, Notes on Some N. Queensland Birds. 135 



forest for the first few miles, then plain country for the rest of 

 the way. The river here was a fine running stream 20 feet wide 

 and 8 feet deep, with water as clear as crystal. Some of the 

 holes along the river were a mile in length and 50 feet in depth. 

 Pandanus and cabbage-tree palms grew at the water's edge, and 

 the banks were clothed with river gum, coolibah, tea-tree, pear- 

 tree, fig, and Leichhardt pine. Pcecilodryas cerviniventris, Geopelia 

 humeralis, Chlamydera nuchalis, and Alcyone pulchra were 

 recognized here. 



The Gregory River was followed down to where it divides into 

 two channels, about 28 miles from Burketown. These channels 

 are known as the Gregory River proper and the Brook. Burke- 

 town was reached near the end of the month, and boat taken to 

 Thursday Island, whence Mr. M'Lennan proceeded to Cape York, 

 remaining at Somerset until joined by myself and Dr. Dobbyn, 

 after our departure making his headquarters at Paira, the 

 picturesque home of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Vidgen, whence he explored 

 the country in all directions. In June and July, iQii, in company 

 with Mr. Vidgen. he visited nearly all the country between Cape 

 York and Raine Island and on to Bramble Cay, in Torres Strait. 



Dromaius novse-hollandise. Emu. — Noted on several occasions on 

 the plains that border the Cloncurry River and elsewhere in the Gulf 

 country, and also at Lockerbie, Cape York. Numerous near Batavia 

 and Ducie Rivers. 



Megapodius tumulus. Scrub-Fowl. — This species was frequently 

 met with in the scrubs at Cape York. When disturbed they run off 

 through the scrub and then fly on to a horizontal limb of some tree 

 whence they can get a good view. They are seldom heard calling 

 during the day, but keep it up all night, and seem to be largely 

 nocturnal in their habits. 



Their mounds are often very large. The first one examined, on 

 the 23rd December, 1910, measured 20 feet across the base, 10 feet 

 across the top, and was 15 feet in height ; it contained eleven eggs. 

 The birds early in the season scratch holes or pipes down into the 

 mounds, which have become consolidated since the previous season ; 

 these pipes go down from 3 to 1; feet from the surface. As soon as the 

 first rains come fresh mould is scratched into the holes. 



In this particular mound two holes contained two eggs, near the 

 bottom and within a few inches of one another. This mound, 

 examined again on the ist February, 191 1, was found to contain six- 

 eggs and two young birds just making the'r way out of the mound ; 

 they were about 3 feet from the surface. Mr. M'Lennan remarks : — 

 " I put one on the surface of the mound, and it flew away 

 as soon as I took my hand off it. The other was converted 

 into a skin It had a thick layer of fat beneath the skin, no doubt 

 to nourish it until it was able to find sufficient food for its needs." 

 The irides were greyish-brown, bill light brown, legs a rich yellow 

 washed with olive. In the adult the irides are rich brown, bill 

 brown, legs rich orange-yellow. No definite arrangement is adhered 

 to in the placing of the eggs in the mound. Never more than two 

 birds were noted at any one mound. Old mounds were seen on 

 all the scrub-covered islands in Torres Strait, but no birds. 



Another mound, examined first on the i6th January, 191 2, 



