128 White , North A ustralian Birds . [ ^jf^jan. 



King River Camp. 



1/10/15. — Removed to the old camp. Had to use the sweeps, 

 there being no wind. Fixed up a camp near the boat. Cleaned out 

 and deepened the spring. Several small eel-like creatures were 

 caught when cleaning out the hole ; bottled them. 



2/ 1 0/15. — Spent the morning near camp. My right hand is very 

 swollen and painful ; appears to be poisoned. Had to keep it strapped 

 up. Some Neochmia phaeton (immature) and Megahirus galactotes 

 seen in the long grass and pandanus around a spring at foot of the 

 ridge near the camp. In the afternoon went up the river for a couple 

 of miles. A number of Finches' old nests were seen in a small patch 

 of banksia and tea-tree brush. Some Stictoptera annulosa and 

 Neochmia phaeton seen here. Struck narrow, dry billabongs sur- 

 rounded with paper-barks about a mile from camp, and followed 

 them along for some distance. A Jabiru flew past. A couple of 

 Tadorna rufitergum and a Notophoyx were at a salt-water billabong, 

 and a Bustard and Coucal were seen. Bird -life generally fairly 

 plentiful about fresh water, but no nests were found. Fresh buffalo 

 tracks were observed in a small patch of marshy country along the 

 foot of the ridge. 



3/ 10/15. — Went down the river about 3 miles. A flock of Geophaps 

 were flushed from burnt country at foot of the ridge. Podargus 

 phalcsnoides was flushed from its nest, containing two eggs, in a small 

 dead tree. An occasional Geopelia placida and Rhipidura tricolor were 

 the only other birds noted on the river-flat. In a patch of good 

 forest country Trichoglossus ruhritorques was flushed from a hollow 

 about 60 feet from the ground in a messmate ; could not examine 

 nest, as my hand was still bad. A few old nests of Babblers and 

 Finches were seen. Bird-life very scarce on the ridges. Pachy- 

 cephala falcata, Rhipidura tricolor, Climacteris melanura, Geopelia 

 placida. Pomatorhinus riiheculus . were all that were seen. After lunch 

 took to the ridges south from camp and hunted till dark. . Two flocks 

 of Ptilosclera versicolor seen on the wing. Grallina picata and 

 Artamus venustus seen in some burnt country. A large flock of 

 Anseranas semipalmata passed the camp after dark, heading south- 

 west. Whistling-Ducks also heard flying past. Later, two Owls 

 (a small Ninox and a Strix) were heard calling. 



4/10/15. — Went up and across the river in the dinghy ; struck a bad 

 place, having to go through about half a mile of mangroves to reach 

 forest country. Headed up-stream through a mile of sandy country 

 covered with stunted paper-barks and wattles. Rhipidura isura, 

 R. tricolor, Myiagra concinna, Pachycephala falcata, and Geopelia 

 placida were the only birds noted. A couple of Halcyon macleayi 

 were seen in a poor messmate patch on a gravelly flat. Went nearer 

 the river, where there are some big paper-barks and eucalypts. A 

 pair of Trichoglossus ruhritorques was flushed from a eucalypt with a 

 good hollow about 50 feet from the ground. A mile further on a small 

 lagoon was struck, where three Antigone australasiana and an Ibis 

 molucca were seen; Conopophila rufogularis also noted. Came to a 

 flat covered with a thin, stunted species of Melaleuca ; searched it for 

 i^ miles. Birds seen :■ — Poephila per sonata, Micrceca pallida, Cracticus 

 argenteus, C. picatus, and Rhipidura tricolor. In some blood-woods 

 a small flock of Ptilosclera versicolor were in a flowering tree. 

 Ptistes coccineopterus was seen in some big paper-barks along a creek; 



