Marine Zoology Birds of Port Darwin. 207 



thick coating of slimy mud, and were consequently not favourable 

 to marine life. With the dredge I was more successful. About 

 the centre of the harbour, in eleven fathoms, the bottom is 01 

 sand, and here the fauna is abundant. Of Polyzoa I obtained 

 representatives of several genera, including Retepora, Eschara, 

 Crista, Idmonea^ Cellepora, and Lepralia ; among Crustaceans the 

 genera Myra, Phlyxia, Hiastemis, and Lambris afforded many 

 specimens. Many silicious Sponges were also found ; among 

 Shells, Murex and Ranel'a were the principal genera observed ; 

 and in hauling the dredge over some muddy ground I got a 

 Virgularia about eight inches long. 



The commonest bird about the settlement was a brown kite 

 (Haliastur sp. ?), which hovered about the refuse heaps on the look- 

 out for garbage, or, perched on the leafless branch of some dying 

 tree, remained huddled up in a lazy and unconcerned attitude, taking 

 no more notice of passers-by than do the hideous Turkey-buzzards 

 which act as scavengers in the towns of Central America. Our 

 ship was all day long surrounded by a flock of these kites, who 

 occupied themselves in picking up with their talons the morsels of 

 food which from time to time were, amid other refuse, cast over- 

 board. The thinly-wooded hollows in the immediate vicfnity of 

 the settlement were thronged with numbers of a black and white 

 Grallina (Grallina picatd] of about the size of a magpie, which, on 

 being disturbed, rose from the ground in flocks to perch on the 

 lower branches of the gum trees, and in company with them I 

 saw many examples of the Drongo (Chibia bracteata). Amidst 

 the foliage of the low bushes, a large black Shrike was frequently 

 seen, also a Zosterops, a fly-catcher (Piezorhynckus nitidns], and 

 examples of a small finch-like bird (Donacola castaneothorax}. 

 The latter were congregated in dense flocks, which shifted 

 frequently from tree to tree, making a loud whirring noise with 

 the rapid vibrations of so many tiny wings. When walking through 

 the short grass, numbers of small ground doves (Geopelia placidd) 

 would start up from almost under one's feet, and alight again on 



