CVl.l 

 '7 J 



White, North Australian Birds. 133 



seen on a mud-bank. A Tern {Gelochelidon anglicu' seen and shot. 

 Saw a Mangrove -Bit tern and a Darter. Shot a Whimbrel on the 

 wing. A few Numenius cyanopus and N . varie^atus were seen along 

 the river. 



22/10/15. — Spent the morning near camp. Noted Myristicivora 

 spilorrhoa, Myzomela erythrocephala, Melithrepius albigularis, 

 Stiematops ocularis, two Poephila acuticauda. Mosquitoes were ex- 

 ceptionally bad in the scrub and in the mangroves. In the afternoon 

 I went along the salt-pans and billabongs, then through forest 

 country on the ridges. Procured Dupelor gouldi at the fresh-water 

 billabong. Nothing of note in the forest country. Mosquitoes bad 

 about the salt-pans and billabongs. 



23/10/15. — Went down river a couple of miles and landed on the 

 left bank. Worked through the forest country to the sandstone 

 range. A pair of Climacleris melauitra seen feeding full-fledged 

 young. Very tew birds here now ; trees past blooming. Worked 

 through the low bluffs for about 2 miles and got into the main range 

 for about 2 miles. A Ptilotis, a Collyriocichla woodwardi, Stigmatops 

 ocularis, Pachycephala falcata, Rhipidura tricolor, and R. isura were 

 seen. A pair of Podargus phalcsnoides wds flushed from a blood-wood 

 where was a nest containing two small young. Returned to camp 

 about T, p.m. and skinned birds. 



24/10/15. — Went up river and landed in several places in the man- 

 groves, where the Rails and Butcher-Birds were calling. Found five 

 nests of Pseudogerygone magnirostris — one with one egg, two with 

 two eggs each, and two building. Procured two males of Piezo- 

 rhynchus nitidus. Nothing else of importance to-day except mos- 

 quitoes, which are in clouds about the camp : have to keep a circle 

 of fire-smokes going from about an hour before sunset till we turn in. 

 The cure is, however, almost as bad as the cause. 



25/10/15. — Heard the Strix calling about an hour before daylight; 

 went out after it— no luck. Did not feel well, so shot some birds 

 near the camp. In the afternoon I went out along the foot of the 

 ridge north-east from camp. Saw Smicrornis flavescens and Oriolns 

 flavicinctiis ; nothing else of note seen. Heard a possum screeching 

 near the camp about 9 p.m. Went out with the electric torch ; 

 located the animal in some small paper-barks at the edge of the man- 

 groves. It made a good specimen. 



26/10/15. — Went south of camp, through the timbered ridges, 

 for about 3 miles. Obtained Pardalotus uropygialis (three) and a 

 male Malurus cruenta/us. Returned to camp about mid-day. One 

 of the Pardalotes was already putrid. Spent the afternoon in camp, 

 feeling unwell. The weather was oppressively hot, and nights very 

 sultry. 



27/10/15. — ^Went up the river to examine some nests in course of 

 construction, and got a Little Kingfisher After lunch went out east 

 from camp a couple of miles ; not much bird-life about. Nearing 

 camp, Glyciphila fasciata was seen. Heard a strange Owl calling 

 again some time after I turned in ; went in quest. There were two 

 birds, which led me a nice dance for about a mile. Got nearly eaten 

 with mosquitoes, and never sighted the birds. 



28/10/15. — Up river to get the nest of Climacleris melaniira that 

 was building. The bird flushed from the hollow, so I climbed up 



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