ie;8 Macgillivrav, A/o/^s on Some N. Queensland Birds. [isf"j"n. 



gravel (ironstone in the vicinity of Cloncurry). They are spring 

 breeders. 



Melopsittacus undulatus. WarbUng Grass-Parrot (Betcherrygah\ — 

 Seen at Sedan, on the Cloncurry River, in February and March, flying 

 north. In June they were breeding freely along the Leichhardt 

 River. It is interesting to find from my Broken Hill notes that these 

 birds were seen flying north about a month earlier than the date of 

 Mr. M'Lennan's note at Sedan. Do these birds, after rearing their 

 young, fly to North Queensland to breed again in June ? They 

 usually put in an appearance again in western New South Wales in 

 September, and start nesting operations towards the end of that 

 month. 



Podaretus papuensis. Papuan Frogmouth. — Fairly common at Cape 

 York, where it is met with both in open forest and scrub. When in 

 the latter it usually roosts low down. It utters a weird and 

 ghostly " laugh " — a rapid " Hoo-hoo-hoo " — at times. It also has 

 a call like P. strigoides, a series of " Ooms " repeated for half an hour 

 at a time and at night. Nesting starts in October and continues 

 until January. Only one egg is laid, and there are great variations in 

 size and shape. 



On one occasion, when he was climbing to a nest containing a 

 young bird, the parent birds kept flying round and snapping their 

 bills within a few feet of Mr. M'Lennan's head, and one kept 

 uttering the laughing note previously heard at night. 



Irides orange, bill yellowish-olive, legs olive-yellow. Stomach 

 contents usually beetles. 



In September numbers of these birds were seen flying over 

 Thursday Island, making for the mainland. 



Podargus brachypterus. Short-winged Frogmouth. — Several skins 

 of a small Podargus were sent from the Gulf country by Mr. M'Lennan. 

 They were referred to this species by Mr. A. J. North, to whom they 

 were submitted. This species ranges over the whole of central, 

 western, and north-western Australia, Northern Territory, and western 

 and north-western Qvieensland. 



Irides are yellow, bill and legs light olive-brown. Stomach con- 

 tained beetles and grasshoppers. 



Mr. M'Lennan heard a call which he attributed to this bird ; it 

 was like " Koo loo, koo loo," repeated from twelve to twenty times 

 in succession. 



Podargus phalaenoides. Freckled Frogmouth — Skins of a small 

 Podargus from the Jardine River, Cape York Peninsula, collected in 

 open forest, were submitted to Mr. North, who is of opinion that they 

 closely approach Gould's description of this species. Gould's 

 specimens came from North-West Australia. 



Irides, outer circle golden-brown, inner orange-yellow ; bill dark 

 brown ; legs pale olive. Stomach contained beetles. 



They were found frequenting the open forest country. Mr. 

 Wheatley found several nests containing each a pair of eggs in the 

 open country bordering the Batavia and Ducie Rivers during the 

 past season. 



Podargus marmoratus. Marbled Frogmouth. — This small Podargus 

 frequents the scrubs, where it has ample opportunity for concealment, 

 consequently it appears to be a rarer bird than it really is. It 

 is doubtful whether its nest and egg or eggs have yet been obtained. 



