Vol. XIII 



1914 



] Macgillivray, Notes on Some N. Queensland Birds. 185 



Bird's nest. It appeared to be just ready for eggs, the Manucode 

 sitting in a tree close by. On the 28th I went to the nest again. The 

 bird was sitting, but flew off. As I approached the nest, one of the 

 Butcher-Birds flew into a tree close by and the Manucode attacked 

 it and drove it away, then returned to the nest and stayed there till 

 I climbed to within a few feet of it. The nest was about 40 feet 

 from the ground, and contained two eggs. On the i8th November, 

 in a small blind pocket at the foot of the big hill, a Manucode was 

 flushed from its nest in a big fig-tree at the edge of the scrub. This 

 nest, which contained two eggs, was 70 feet from the ground. Heard 

 a Butcher-Bird calling, and found its nest, containing three eggs, in 

 a bushy tree 30 yards from the Manucode's. Crossed the hill to Tiera 

 Pocket. Flushed a Butcher Bird from its nest in a big fig-tree at 

 the edge of the scrub, but did not examine it. Heard a Manucode 

 calling close by, but it was too late to search for its nest." 



4th December, 191 1. — "Went to Tiera Pocket, to Butcher-Bird's 

 nest, and had another search for Manucode's nest, which I found in 

 the bushy top of a small-leafed tree in thick scrub about 60 yards 

 from the Butcher-Bird's ; it contained two young birds just hatched. 

 The nest was 40 feet from the ground. The Butcher-Bird's nest 

 also contained small young birds." 



2ist November, 1911. — "Found a Butcher-Bird's nest containing 

 small young birds in a big bloodwood. Had a search for Manucode's 

 nest, and found one in some vines in a bushy tree at the edge of the 

 scrub ; it contained two eggs, and was 25 feet up and 40 yards from 

 the Butcher-Bird's nest." 



28th November, 191 1. — "Went out along Gheedinia track. Heard 

 a Manucode calling near Butcher-Bird's nest that I had found on the 

 14th November, and, after watching for some time, saw one of these 

 birds fly into a rubber-tree about 50 yards from the Butcher-Bird's 

 nest. In a few minutes its mate flew into the same tree with some 

 building material. They were just starting a nest. I watched them 

 for about half an hour, and twice in that period the male bird 

 flew into the scrub and returned with a vine tendril and added it to 

 the nest. The rest of the time he spent in an adjoining tree, uttering 

 his peculiar call and preening his feathers. The female was ex- 

 ceedingly busy gathering her nesting material — aerial rootlets from 

 the tree in which she was building — occasionally uttering a harsh 

 croak in answer to her mate's more melodious call. This nest was 

 afterwards deserted or removed. 



The last nest of the season was found on the 4th December in the 

 bushy top of a small-leafed tree in thick scrub about 60 yards from 

 a Butcher- Bird's nest ; it contained two newly-hatched young. The 

 Butcher-Bird's nest also contained small young. 



Corvus coronoides. Crow: — Noted occasionally in the Gulf country. 



Corvus bennetti. Short-billed Crow. — This species predominates 

 throughout the Gulf country, and is the usual foster-parent of the 

 Channelbill. On a channel of the Gilliat River, near Sedan. 2^ nests 

 were found one morning containing either young Crows, young 

 Channelbills. or Crows' eggs. The trees of other creeks on the plain 

 were resorted to in the same way. This was in March, at the end of 

 the wet season. 



Corvus australis. Raven. — Frequently noted in the Gulf country. 

 Two nests were found on the Leichhardt River in July, one partly 

 constructed and the other containing fully fledged young. 



