Vol.XllI 



1914 



] IMacgillivkay, Noies uii Some N . Oueeiisland Birds. 1^3 



mangrove on the reef, and was unoccupied. On another isUind of 

 this group a nest contained a fully fledged young bird. This nest was 

 in a mangrove at about 15 feet from the ground, and composed of 

 the same materials, 3 feet across by 2 feet deep. Two old nests were 

 within a few hundred yards of this, one of which looked as though 

 it was being prepared for nesting by another pair of birds. On the 

 i-eturn journey, 17th July, this nest was still unoccupied, but another 

 further along the reef was found to contain a fully fledged young 

 bird. On visiting the Macarthur Islands two pairs were found 

 building — one pair, the parents of the young bird noted on the ist, 

 in a small mangrove about 100 yards from the old nest ; the second 

 pair on a pecuUarly shaped log that had been washed ashore. This 

 nest was about half -built. 



Visiting Cairncross Island on the 2<.)l\\ July, an Osprey's nest 

 containing one small young bird was found on a mangrove growing 

 on a long coral ridge amongst a dense growth of stunted trees. A 

 pair of these birds was often seen about Cape York. The colouring 

 of the soft parts in a fully fledged young bird was as follows : — ^Iris 

 yellow ; bill black, cere pale greenish-blue ; legs greenish-white. The 

 stomach contained fish. A female measured 18 inches in the flesh. 



Ninox ocellata. Marbled Owl. — Mr. ^I'Lennan heard the note of 

 this species when on his way down the Cloncurry River, and after- 

 wards found it to be quite common on all the creeks and rivers that 

 he visited in the Gulf country. The note is much the same as that 

 of N . hoobook of more southern latitudes. The specimens obtained 

 averaged from 12 to I2|- inches in length ; irides yellow, bill blackish- 

 brown. The stomach contained mostly beetles and grasshoppers. 

 They are spring breeders. 



Ninox macgillivrayi.* Macgillivray Owl. — A smaller and lighter 

 Owl was obtained at Cape York, mostly at from 22 to 28 miles down 

 the telegraph line and on the Jardine River. The note of this species 

 is much softer than that of cither N. boohook or N. ocellata. Its 

 habits are in all respects similar.- Iris yellow ; bill horn colour, tip 

 black ; feet pale bluish-slate. The stomach contained large brown 

 beetles in one specimen, and in another were found the bones and 

 fur of a small rat. 



Ninox connivens. Winking Owl.^This bird was heard calling by 

 Mr. M'Lennan at his first camp on the Cloncurry River, and was 

 afterwards found to be numerous throughout the Gulf country. At 

 Sedan, on 22nd February. iQio, he imitated the call, when the bird 

 flew to a tree at the back of his camp, and was shot and 

 skinned. The call of this bird sounded like " Hoo, wuk, wuk," 

 uttered in a fairly low key. The iris was yellow ; bill black, cere 

 greenish-vellow ; i'eet light orange. The stomach contained grass- 

 hoppers and beetles. 



On the oth [March a pair was shot and skinned. The female 

 measured 16 inches and the male 17 inches. The stomach contents 

 w-ere the same as in previous specimen. Seven worm-like parasites 

 were found under the skin between the eyes, each measuring 2\ inches 

 X -^V inch. 



When camped on the Leichhardt, 14 miles from Caloola Station, 

 Mr. [M'Lennan made the following note : — " 13th June, 1910. — Heard 



*Vide Mathews, Austral Avian Record, vol. i., p. 194. 



