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Official Organ of the Royal Anstralasian Ornithologists' Union. 



Birds of a feather,' 



Vol. XVI.j 15TH JANUARY, 191 7. [Part 3. 



North Australian Birds.* 



By H. L. White, R.A.O.U., Belltrees, N.S.W. 



Originally it was intended that Mr. Wm. M'Lennan, who 

 collected for me, should personally supply an account of his 

 recent northern trip, but the unfortunate loss of his full field-notes 

 and a very severe attack of beri beri and malarial fever prevented 

 him from so doing. Therefore, I have compiled the following 

 narrative from a personal report to me by Mr. M'Lennan, and 

 from his carefully-kept diary, which contains many most inter- 

 esting facts, including a full description of the great Roper River 

 Heronry. 



The present is my third attempt to explore (ornithologically) 

 the Northern Territory. In igio a cohector was sent from 

 Thursday Island to the Roper River, but, owing to an adverse 

 season, results were poor. In 1913 Mr. G. H. Barnard went 

 overland from Camooweal via Brunette Downs, on the Barclay 

 table-land, to Borroloola, on the Macarthur River. Much useful 

 information was obtained, and many rare birds and eggs collected. 

 Mr. Barnard returned per steamer via the Roper River and 

 Darwin. The vast Heronry near the mouth of the Roper was 

 observed at a distance only, a landing not being effected. 



Narrative. 



On the 2gth June, 1915, under a permit kindly furnished by 

 the Federal Government, Mr. M'Lennan sailed from Thursday 

 Island in his cutter Avis with two companions (named New and 

 Mohr), fitted out for a ten months' cruise. His intention was to 

 sail round the Gulf of Carpentaria and establish a camp on one 

 of the rivers flowing north and emptying itself to the east of Port 

 Essington. We had an idea that possibly a good collecting 

 ground, covered with tropical vegetation, might be found on some 

 of the more northern streams. Such an opinion, however, was not 



♦The nomenclature Mr. M'Lennan has used is according to " Catalogue of 

 Birds," British Museum, as furnished by Lucas and Le Souef (" Animals of 

 Australia"). A more systematic list of all birds collected or identified by 

 Mr. M'Lennan will appear in next issue — nomenclature according to the 

 R.A.O.U. " Check-list," with equivalent trinomials as given by Gregory M. 

 Mathews' 1913 list. 



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