120 White, North Australian Birds. [^ Oi"ian 



being disturbed by ruffling up their feathers and snapping viciously 

 at hand or foot of the intruder. The young were just as savage. 

 If one happened to jostle another a fight occurred forthwith, each 

 bird getting a good bill-hold, pulling and shaking until a piece of 

 skin, sometimes flesh, parted. A few adults and fully-fledged 

 young were secured for museum purposes, but unfortunately 

 were subsequently abandoned owing to a severe accident to one 

 of Mr. M'Lennan's hands. The rest of the island was occupied 

 by Gannets, which had just commenced laying, a few nests only 

 containing each a fresh egg. Eai"ly next morning, while weighing 

 anchor, M'Lennan had the misfortune of having one of his hands 

 badly crushed, which put him out of action for some time. Thus 

 it was that the bird specimens procured on Rocky Island were 

 not preserved. 



A return (south) to Mornington Island Mission Station was now 

 made to obtain fresh water. This was obligingly supplied by 

 Mr. Hall (head of the station) from his well. Birds observed 

 about the station were Haliaetus leucogaster, Pandion leucoccphalits, 

 Astur approximans, Falco Itmulatus, Dacelo leachii, Calyptorhynchns 

 macrorhynchus, Cacatua sanguinea, Grallina picata, Rhipidura 

 tricolor, Lalage tricolor, Geopelia placida, Coracina melanops, 

 Melithreptus albigularis, Pachycephala falcata, Zosterops lutea, 

 Chlamydera nuchalis, and Ninox connivens. 



Leaving Mornington Island on the 31st July, a north-westerly 

 direction was taken, the next call being at the Macarthur River, 

 which was reached on the 7th August. Beyond meeting a canoe- 

 load of natives, and trading with them for fish, nothing of interest 

 occurred since quitting Mornington. 



The channel of the Macarthur is not easily navigated, and some 

 time was occupied in reaching the police station, where Constable 

 Kelly, in charge, gave the party much useful information 

 respecting the country to be visited to the north. He also 

 showed M'Lennan a copy of a report of a prospecting party which 

 had traversed the extreme north coast country. The report was 

 not very encouraging. Further facts were obtained from Capt. 

 Lawson (in charge of a party improving the river channel), and 

 a decision was arrived at to visit the Clyde and Goyder Rivers 

 and look for a suitable site for the season's camp. Birds observed 

 at the Macarthur River were : — Ptistes coccineopterus, Lobivanelltis 

 miles, Chlamydera nuchalis, Nycticorax caledonicus, Falco lunu- 

 latus, Butorides stagnatilis, Syncecus cervinus, Ninox connivens, 

 Pelecanus conspicillatus. Anas superciliosus, Numenius cyanopus, 

 N. variegatus, Notophoyx nova-hollandice, Herodias timoriensis, 

 Garzetta nigripes, Himantopus leucocephalus. Glottis nehularius, 

 Pisobia ruficollis, Xenorhynchus asiaticus, Piezorhynchus nitidtis, 

 Cacattia sanguinea, Pandion leucocephalus. Circus gouldi, Haliadus 

 leucogaster, Haliastur girrenera, H. sphenurus, Cerchncis cenchroides, 

 Hieracidea orientalis, Astur approximans, Phalacrocorax sulci- 

 rostris, Phaps chalcoptera, Eupodotis australis. Ibis molucca, 

 Notophoyx pacifica, Tadorna rufitergum, Corvtis coronoides, Cacatua 



