178 MATESHIP WITH BIRDS 



something more definite arrived. For instance, a 

 bushman living in an out-of-the-way spot between 

 Bundaberg and Gladstone reported in 1919 that the 

 missing "Red-shoulder" was to be seen about his 

 locality. He knew nought of its distinctive breed- 

 ing habits, but mentioned that some of the birds 

 could be seen in captivity. 



Accordingly, Mr. C. T. White, Queensland Govern- 

 ment Botanist, and I took train on a night in April 

 of 1920, travelled 250 miles in that manner, walked 

 ten miles through inhospitable country, and crossed 

 a broad creek in a leaky boat, what time hordes of 

 ravening sand flies scored our bare legs all to find 

 that the local Parrot was the common Red-wing 

 (Ptistes) , a bird that could be seen in a dozen cages 

 half a mile from our homes! The irritating simi- 

 larity of vernacular names had deceived our friend. 



Still, as old John Burroughs once said, "Which- 

 ever way I go I am glad I came;" among other ar- 

 resting sights of the locality were a pair of White- 

 eared Flycatchers and two young, this being prob- 

 ably the "farthest South" record in the breeding 

 range of that rare and little-known bird. 



We come now, somewhat belatedly, to more recent 

 and thoroughly definite developments in the search 

 for the Paradise Parrot. On December llth, 1921, 

 Mr. C. H. H. Jerrard, a keen naturalist and capable 

 photographer, wrote from the Burnett country 

 (Queensland) to say that he had seen a pair of Par- 

 rots which he was almost sure were Psephotus pul- 

 cherrimus. A description which he supplied, and 

 which fitted the species, was made out as the birds 

 perched in a tree, but for portion of the time when 



