1 82 Macgim-IVRAY, No/(?s on Some N. Queensland Birds. [,^^"[",1 



the beach and the mangroves ; another, containing young birds, was 

 placed in a small mangrove on the beach and at about 2 feet above- 

 high-water mark : and a third half-built one close by in another 

 mangrove. One specimen was secured. 



$, length, 3fg inches ; iris reddish-orange ; upper mandible crimson, 

 culmen dark brown ; lower mandible, tip and cutting edge crimson, 

 the rest black ; legs pale straw. Stomach contents, grass seeds. 



Poephila hecki. Red-billed Grass-Finch. — ^Met with for the first 

 time on the Leichhardt, 25 miles beyond Caloola Station, where a pair 

 was found in attendance upon a nest containing four young birds, 

 on i6th June, 1910. This nest was placed in a horizontal bushy limb 

 of a bauhinia, 15 feet from the ground, and was composed of fine grass, 

 lined with a few Galah feathers ; it was 6 inches in depth and 8 inches 

 long on the outside, 4 inches by q inches on the inside. The young 

 were covered with pin feathers and grey down. Bill blackish, irides 

 grey. 



Adult (^, irides dark orange, bill orange-scarlet, legs and feet 

 bright red. Crop and gizzard contained grass seeds. 



These birds became numerous as the Gregory River was ap- 

 proached, where several nests were found in small bauhinia trees 

 at about 5 to 7 feet from the ground. On the Gregory River itself 

 several nests were found in the pandanus ; none contained more than 

 four eggs. 



Poephila personata. Masked Grass-Finch. — First noted on the 

 Leichhardt River, 2 miles beyond Augustus Downs. On the Gregory 

 River they were numerous. 



(^, irides ruby-red, bill yellow, legs bright red. Stomach contents, 

 grass seeds. 9 similar. 



Poephila gouldise. Gouldian Grass-Finch. — First observed on the 

 Leichhardt River, 2 miles beyond Augustus Downs. Seven miles 

 from the Leichhardt, on the Gregory River track, they came to a 

 water-hole at night in numbers. 



Neochmia phaeton. Crimson Finch. — Noted throughout the Gulf 

 country, being more numerous along the Leichhardt and Gregory 

 than in the vicinity of Cloncurry. Along those rivers it was found 

 frequenting the cane- grass and pandanus, and many nests were 

 found. They were bulky structures, composed of grass and lined 

 with feathers. 



(^, irides golden-brown, bill crimson, legs dark straw colour, 

 Stomach contents, seeds. $, juvenile, irides grey, bill blackish, legs 

 straw colour. Adult female similar to male. 



Oriolus affinis. Northern Oriole. — Numerous on the Gregory River, 

 but not so common in other parts of the Gulf country. Frequent at 

 Cape York, where it was found in the open forest country. Its note 

 differs considerably from that of its southern congener. 



fj, irides light orange, bill brown, legs slate. Stomach contained 

 beetles and other insects (Leichhardt River, 15th June, 1910). 



rj*, irides orange-red, bill blackish-brown, legs light slate. Stomach 

 contents, caterpillars fjardine River, 28th April, 191 1). 



Oriolus flavicinctus. Yellow Oriole. — A very common bird at Cape 

 York, frequenting scrubs and mangroves, but preferring to nest in 

 the open pockets, where it usuallv selects a small tree, the nest being 

 generally placed at a height of from 5 to 20 feet from the ground. 

 It also nests in the mangroves just above high-water mark, and 



