ZAA White, North Australia)! Birds. [\ ^"\l^^ 



30/12/15. — Went up river in dinghy. Ardea sumatrana found 

 building 15 feet above the water in a mangrove overhanging a small 

 creek. A new nest of Dtipeior gouldi, 8 feet above the water, noted 

 on the same creek. Another nest of Butorides staqnatilis, 8 feet 

 above the water, in a mangrove overhanging the river, contained 

 two eggs. After lunch went down the river to nests of Eulabeornis, 

 last visited 27/12/15. Both still contained three and four eggs 

 respectively, so took lot. One of the birds remained on the nest 

 until I had approached within 6 feet. Light rain fell during the 

 whole of the afternoon. 



31/12/15. — Did not feel well, so spent the day resting in camp: 

 Another lot of natives — three men and a boy — visited the camp ; 

 one could speak very good English. Sent them out to look for nests ; 

 all they found was a Macleay Kingfisher's nest, containing four small 

 young, which they brought back. I tried to make them under- 

 stand that I wanted eggs, not young. 



1/1/16. — Spent greater part of the day hunting through the 

 mangroves ; most of time spent watching Pachycephala simplex. An 

 old nesting-place, apparently of Alcyone pusilla, was observed in a 

 termites' nest 12 feet from the ground, on a mangrove ; a number 

 of these beautiful little birds seen about the river lately. Ardea 

 sumatrana calling, and one seen flying up the river with a stick in 

 its bill. Got back to camp about 3 p.m. Rest of afternoon was 

 out, but nothing to report. 



2/1/16. — Went to the northern end of the sandstone range. A 

 long and uneventful day, except that a pair of Neositta leucoptera 

 was secured. 



3/1/16. — Light rain fell after daylight. Some natives brought a 

 set of four Grebe's eggs, taken yesterday on a water-hole east of 

 camp. I induced the darkies to take me to the water-hole so that 

 I could identify the species. After a tedious tramp of about 

 2^ hours we reached a small, shallow lagoon about 400 yards long, 

 in the midst of forest country on a fiat-topped ironstone ridge. A 

 few Black-throated Grebes were the only birds seen. Searched the 

 lagoon thoroughly ; two nests were found building, another nest 

 contained four eggs. Returned to camp about 3 p.m. Made a 

 skin of a Grebe — rather a tedious job ; it was very fat, and took 

 much cleaning. The specimen was a male, and apparently must 

 do most of the sitting, there being an oval space on the breast and 

 abdomen about 3 inches by 2 inches devoid of feathers, and of the 

 puffy appearance usually seen in sitting females. Another native 

 brought a nest containing two eggs of the Brown Shrike-Thrush, 

 which he had found in the hollow top of a dead stump. 



4/1/16. — Took two natives, went across the river, and worked 

 forest country for the greater part of the morning. A nest of 

 Pomatorhinus rubeculus only was found. Went into the ranges and 

 hunted for about 3 hours. Save seeing Bower-Birds and the Plilotis, 

 nothing of conseqeunce was noted. One native brought in another 

 nest of the Brown Thrush, containing three eggs, and built in the top 

 of a dead stump. I had eight natives on the job on this side of the 

 river, and that was all they found. 



5/1/16. — Spent the day about camp. Alcyone pulchra was flushed 

 from its nest every day this last week, so I dug it out ; result, four 



