Vol. IX 

 igio 



I Cornwall, Notes on the Great-billed Heron. IQQ 



Messrs. E. T. Grant and L. Harding, he left the Pioneer River 

 in the yacht Lassie. A stiff southerly wind raised a nasty short 

 sea, but the little craft behaved well, and early in the afternoon 

 she ran into the shelter of Port Newry. A day was spent 

 among the islands of the Newry Group, and at 4 a.m. on 

 lOth April the anchor was tripped and a start made for 

 Thompson's Creek and the O'Connell River, some 40 miles 

 north of Newry and 70 miles from Mackay. A fresh breeze 

 from the west took the Lassie well on her way, but later on 

 it died away, and it was nearly sundown ere the yacht dropped 

 anchor outside the bar of Thompson's Creek, there to wait 

 until 1 1 p.m. for the tide to rise and make the bar navigable. 



The next four days were spent in the vicinity of Thompson's 

 Creek, and Mr. Nielson's note-book contains many interesting 

 notes on bird life. The Great-billed Heron was noted — a single 

 bird only — and hopes were entertained that the mate might be 

 found sitting somewhere in the vicinity, but a close search did 

 not reveal her, White-bellied Sea-Eagles {H. leucogaster) were 

 noted, and several pairs of the White-headed species {H. gir- 

 renera) were seen crab-hunting on the mud flats. In the 

 mangroves, nests of the latter species were marked ior future 

 reference. Two species of Bittern were observed — viz., the 

 Little Mangrove {Butorides stagnattlis) and the Yellow-necked 

 {Diipetor goitldi) — and nests of the former were found in the 

 mangroves, overhanging the water. A pair of White Cockatoos 

 {Cacatua galeritd) were seen passing in and out of a hollow 

 tree ; investigation showed that the hollow contained water, 

 which the birds were drinking. Many pairs of Pied Oyster- 

 catchers {HcsniatopHS longij'ostns) were noted on the beaches, 

 and Stone-Plovers {Burhinus grallarius) were disturbed 

 along the sand-ridges. In the mangroves the Black Butcher- 

 Bird [Cractiais quoyi) was plentiful, as were Drongos 

 {Chibia bracteata), Cuckoo-Shrikes {Graucalus inelanops), 

 and Pied Caterpillar-eaters {Lalagc leucojnelcsna). Overhanging 

 the water were many nests of the Brown-breasted Fly-eater 

 (yPseudogerygone brwineipectns') placed close to and seeming to 

 enjoy the protection of very active families of large yellow hornets. 

 A pair of Ospreys {Pajidion leucocephaliis) were noted sitting 

 close to their nest, and one of the birds held a piece of stick in 

 its claw — clear evidence that it was about to commence repairing 

 the family residence. A Black-shouldered Kite {Elanus axillaris) 

 and a few Whistling Eagles [Haliastur sphemirus) were noted, 

 and on the bank of the creek a {&\n Whistling Ducks {Deiidro- 

 cycna arcuata) and Shelducks {Casarca tadomoides) were feeding. 

 Many Little Cormorants {Phalacrocorax nielanoleucus) were 

 found nesting in the mangroves overhanging the creek ; some of 

 the nests contained fresh eggs, others young birds. Snake- 

 necked Darters {Plotus novce-Jiollaiidice) were also nesting in the 



