Vol. XIII. 



1914 



1 Macgillivray, Notes on Some N, Queensland Birds. 181 



Colouring of soft parts in a Gulf specimen, 21st February, iqio — 

 (^, irides brown, bare skin round eye greenish-lead colour, bill dark 

 brown, legs lead colour. Stomach contents, seeds and small insects. 

 In a Cape York bird these more nearly approached P. citreogtilaris. 



9, irides greyish-brown, bill black, bare skin of head dull leaden- 

 blue, legs dark slate. Stomach contents, beetles and other insects. 

 Taken on 6th December, 1910, at Paira. 



Anthus australis. Australian Pipit (Ground-Lark). — Not noted at 

 Cape York, but common throughout the Gulf country. 



Mirafra secunda. Lesser Bush-Lark. — Mr. M'Lennan first met 

 with this bird at Sedan in February. 1910. He notes : — " Tt has a 

 louder and more varied song than M. horsfieldi, and it is a pleasure 

 to listen to it." They were evidently breeding, as he saw them 

 carrying building material, and dissection of specimens confirmed 

 this opinion. Although he spent many hours on several occasions 

 in searching for the nest, he did not succeed in finding it. They were 

 very numerous in some places on plains or grassy flats. 



(J, irides light stone colour ; bill brown on top, cream-coloured 

 underneath. Stomach contents, grasshoppers and beetles. Taken at 

 Sedan, on Cloncurry, 19th February, 1910. 



$, irides olive-brown ; bill brown, upper mandible brownish-flesh 

 colour ; legs pale straw colour. Stomach contents, seeds. 



A pair of eggs sent me some years ago bore a general resemblance 

 to those of M. horsfieldi — had the same gloss, but were larger by about 

 2 mm. in both diameters. 



Tseniopygia castanotis. Chestnut-eared Finch. — Yery common 

 throughout the Gulf country, but not seen at Cape York. 



Stictoptera bichenovii. Banded Finch. — Many of these birds in the 

 Gulf country. Several nests were found in and after the wet season, 

 the usual clutch being four to six. The nests on the Cloncurry River 

 were usually composed of fine rootlets and placed in the tea-tree. 



At Augustus Downs, on the Leichhardt, they were building in the 

 cane-grass. Here they were nesting freely in June. On the Gregory 

 River they were still nesting in July. 



Munia castaneothorax. Chestnut-breasted Finch. — Found only at 

 Cape York, where they nest in the long grass growing on the small 

 rocky islets near the mainland, seldom being found to nest on the 

 mainland itself. On one small islet about a mile from Peak Point 

 the nests were placed at from 6 inches to 2 feet from the ground. The 

 growing grass is woven to form the outside of the nest, which is then 

 lined with fine grass. Several nests just commenced showed the 

 outer fabric only, and were green. Clutches of from four to 

 seven eggs were found. 



(^. irides brown, bill horn colour, legs dark slate. Stomach 

 contents, grass seeds (17th February, 191 1). 



Munia pectoralis. White-breasted Finch. — First noted at Sedan, 

 but found to be more plentiful near the ranges. They were also met 

 with on the Leichhardt and Gregory Rivers. 



(^, irides brown, bill horn colour, legs straw colour. Stomach 

 contents, seeds. 



^gintha minor. Lesser Red-browed Finch. — This very distinct 

 sub-specific form was met with only at Cape Grenville, where the birds 

 were found nesting in July. 191 1. One nest containing five eggs was 

 found in a creeper-covered shrub growing on a sandy rise between 



