Vol. XIII, 



1914 



] Macgillivray, Notes on Some N. Queensland Birds. 1 37 



2 feet 6 inches in height, contained nineteen eggs, four freshly broken 

 shells, six shells that the young had been hatched from, and one 

 rotten egg. A young bird not long out of the mound measured in the 

 flesh 6|- inches from tip of bill to tip of tail, q^- inches from bill to 

 toes. The irides were light brown, bill black, legs dark olive-brown. 

 The stomach contained small wild fruits." 



Synoicus cervinus. Northern Brown Quail. — These Quails were 

 met with in the Gulf country and at Cape York. There does not 

 seem to be any marked difference between those from either of these 

 two localities and birds in my aviary at Broken Hill. They land in 

 numbers on Booby Island, in Torres Strait, in the spring, on their 

 way over from Papua, and are often caught on the pearling vessels 

 in the Strait. 



Turnix melanotus. Red-backed Quail. — When burning off the 

 coarse grass at Paira, Cape York, after dark, the fire disturbed two 

 of these birds, and one was caught. $, length in flesh, 5^ inches ; 

 iris silvery-yellow ; upper mandible blackish-brown ; terminal half of 

 lower mandible pale brown, basal half yellow : gape yellow ; legs 

 pale yellow. They are occasionally flushed in the open forest after 

 the grass begins to grow on the burnt ground. 



Ptilinopus swainsoni. Red-crowned Fruit-Pigeon. — Occasional at 

 Cape York ; one skin sent down. 



Ptilinopus ewingi. Rose-crowned Fruit Pigeon. — Common at Cape 

 York, frequenting the scrubs, open forest, and mangroves. In the 

 mangroves it usually nests, choosing a horizontal fork 3 or 4 feet 

 above high-water mark on which to place its frail, stick-built nest 

 and single egg. In the male the irides are orange, bill pale green, 

 legs pale green ; and the stomach contents were usually wild fruits. 

 The earliest nest noted was found on the 29th August, igii, and the 

 latest on 15th December. After Mr. M'Lennan left, during the 

 Hummer of 1912-13, both these species were much more plentiful 

 at Cape' York. 



Lamprotreron superba. Purple-crowned Fruil-Pigeon. — This 

 beautiful Pigeon is fairly common at Cape York, and is nearly always 

 found in the scrub, occasionally venturing out into the open forest, 

 near the edge, and here it will sometimes nest, but more often in the 

 scrub itself. The nest, a loosely-built structure of fine twigs, is 

 usually placed low down in a horizontal fork. The bird is very shy, 

 and soon gets out of one's sight in the thick scrub. It feeds on fruit, 

 and its note consists of a succession of " Ooms," repeated slowly. 

 The earliest nest was found on 5th November, and the latest on 2nd 

 February. 



Megaloprepia assimilis. Allied Fruit-Pigeon. — This fine and 

 brilliantly-coloured Pigeon is a common object at Cape York, nesting 

 in the scrub or in open forest at its edge. From its usual note it is 

 locally known as the Bel-be-coo The nest, a frail structure even to 

 hold the single egg, is usually placed in a slender horizontal fork 

 The earliest nest noted was on 28th August, and the latest on 3rd 

 February. The iris is orange, the bill pinkish-red tipped with 

 yellowish -green, and legs pale olive-green. 



Myristicivora spilorrhoa. Nutmeg-Pigeon. — This Pigeon is regarded 

 all along the north-east coast of Northern Queensland as the principal 

 game bird, and is very much esteemed as an article of diet. It is 



