l62 jNIacgillivrav, iVo/es on Some N. Queensland Birds. [,^1^"]",,. 



26th December. 191 1. — "Saw a great flock of Swifts circling over 

 the house a Uttle before sundown." 



4th March, 1912. — " Paira. A large flock of Australian Swifts 

 noted flying in a southerly direction." 



31st March, 1912. — " Lockerbie. A large flock of Australian Swifts 

 hawking over the forest country all day." 



17th April, 1912. — " Lockerbie. A few Australian Swifts hawking 

 over open forest country near the house at sunset." 



Cuculus optatus. Australian Cuckoo. — This Cuckoo was on several 

 occasions noted at Cape York in the summer months. It was 

 never there in numbers ; it was exceedingly shy, and so difficult 

 of approach that no specimens were obtained." 



Cuculus pallidus. Pallid Cuckoo. — A young fully fledged specimen 

 was obtained at Sedan on 15th February, 1910. It was being fed 

 by a pair of Red-throated Honey-caters (Conopophila rufogularis). 

 The colouring of the soft parts in this young bird was : — ^Trides Ught 

 stone colour, legs and feet leaden. Stomach contents, large grass- 

 hoppers and portions of beetles. 



On the i6th February another young bird was seen being fed by 

 a pair of Yellow-throated Miners (M. ffavigula) ; it was a much older 

 bird than the first, but the colouring of the soft parts was the same. 



It is interesting to note that both the small Red-throated Honey- 

 eater and the larger Miner fed these young Cuckoos on the usual food 

 of the Cuckoo family, and not on their own. Even the larger foster- 

 parents rarely eat such large insects. 



This species was not noted at Cape York, though common in the 

 Gulf. 



Cacomantis variolosus. Square-tailed Cuckoo. — The Square-tailed 

 Cuckoo, or a smaller variation of it, was common at Cape York, 

 frequenting the swamps and open pockets, and being rarely met with 

 in the scrubs. The tea-tree swamps behind the mangroves are 

 resorted to by the small Honey-eater, Glyciphila modesta, for breeding 

 purposes. In numbers of their nests Mr. M'Lennan found one or 

 more eggs of a Cuckoo — pure white, sparingly spotted with fine specks 

 of brown, very like yet distinguishable in shape and lustre from the 

 eggs of the Honey-eater. Such an egg has been attributed to 

 Cacomantis casfaneiveniris, a bird never seen out of the scrub and 

 never by any chance in the mangrove or tea-tree swamps, where 

 these eggs were found. On this evidence it is fair to assume that 

 the eggs found in the nests of Glyciphila modesta are those of this 

 smaller form of C. variolosus. This type of egg was also found in a 

 nest of Ptilotis analoga, in scrub, and also in a nest of Malurus amabilis. 

 At the Jardine River a young Cuckoo was obtained as a specimen 

 which, though differing remarkably from the adult bird, was probably 

 the young of C. variolosus. It was being fed by a pair of Gly- 

 ciphila modesta, and was taken in tea-tree country. On one occasion 

 two of these Honey-eaters were noticed chasing a Square-tailed 

 Cuckoo out of a swam]:) where they had their nest. Although these 

 Cuckoos were so numerous, no eggs were found which bore the least 

 resemblance to the eggs of the Square-tailed Cuckoo of more southern 

 latitudes. 



A male of this northern form measures in the flesh 8f inches ; irides 

 reddish-brown, eyelids pale greenish- grey ; upper mandible blackish- 

 brown, lower a shade lighter ; legs pale olive, soles of feet yellow. 

 Stomach contents, hairy caterpillars, beetles, and other insects. 



