IJ.2 White, North Australian Birds. [,st'h"jan 



(Poephila per sonata) was observed catching insects on the wing, anc^ 

 Moor-Hens (/imflMroyms) were calling in the long grass at the spring 

 near camp. 



19/12/15. — Rain fell from daylight till mid-day, with occasional 

 heavy showers. Too wet to go out. Rest of day, nothing unusual 

 noted, except Alcyone pulchra seen drilling a hole in the bank of 

 washaway near the landing. Rainfall nearly 2 inches. 



20/12/15. — Went up river about 3 miles to examine banks for 

 nests of Alcyone pulchra. A pair of Tadorna rufitergum seen flying 

 along the edge of the forest country as if looking for nesting hollows. 

 Worked through the forest back to the fresh-water billabong ; a pair 

 of Tadorna seen perched in a big paper-bark. There is a likely 

 hollow in the next tree ; birds may nest there. Moor-Hens calling 

 from the long grass. Another lot of these birds was at a spring 

 nearer camp. A Pardalotus uropygialis observed in the forest. A 

 number of birds appear to have left the district since the rain ; others 

 have got scarce. Rhipidura tricolor, Lalage tricolor, Grallina picata, 

 Merops ornatus, Eurystomus pacificus, and Artamus venustus have 

 not been seen this last week. Pachycephala falcata, Glyciphila 

 fasciata, Stigmatops ocularis, Tropidorhynchus argenticeps, Tricho- 

 glossus rubritorques, Caly ptorhynchus macrorhynchus, Ptilosclera 

 versicolor, Turnix castanonota, Geophaps smithi are but rarely 

 observed. A heavy thunderstorm came up before I returned to 

 camp. After lunch crossed the river and worked through the man- 

 groves up stream. Cr adieus quoyi, Pachycephala simplex, and 

 Poecilodryas pulverulentus were watched for some time ; no result. 

 Nests of Pseudogerygone and Piezorhynchus , each containing one 

 egg, were noted. Rain fell most of the afternoon. 



21/12/15. — Went down river and round to a salt-pan where were 

 several pairs of Lobivanellus miles. Found first nest of these birds, 

 containing two eggs ; another nest contained three eggs. The next 

 three nests found contained four eggs each. Several pairs of 

 Tadorna rufitergum were noted, also Antigone australasiana, a few 

 Garzetta nigripes, and a number of Glottis nebularius. Got back to 

 camp about 4 p.m., wet with rain. The three natives came 

 again to-day. 



22/12/15. — Rats raided the camp last night and destroyed two 

 skins secured yesterday. I had left them on a box near a tin of 

 hot coals to dry them a bit. It started to rain again soon after day- 

 light, and continued till 11 a.m. Went up the river to get the nest 

 of Piezorhynchus nitidus noted 20/12/15; it contained two eggs. 

 Too wet to get any birds for skinning, so I returned to camp, had an 

 early lunch, then went down and across the river in the dinghy and 

 up along the edge of the mangroves for about 3 miles. It started 

 to rain before I had gone, and rained more or less all day. How- 

 ever, more Plovers' eggs were collected at the salt-pans, including 

 a set of four from a nest on a small sandy islet. Flushed a Dollar- 

 Bird from a hollow 60 feet from the ground in a big paper-bark ; 

 too wet to climb tree. Got back to camp 6 p.m. Rainfall, 3 inches, 

 and no sign of clearing. 



23/12/15. — Rained heavily throughout the night ; 3 inches in 

 tin this morning, and still raining. River level with banks, and 

 rising rapidly. By 10 a.m. the water was 18 inches deep in the 

 tents, and still rising. Packed everything in the dinghy under the 



