Official Organ of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. 



** Bir<ds of 2i fe&tber.' 



Vol. XVI.j 2ist APRIL, 191 7. [Part 4. 



North Australian Birds t 



Observed by William M'Lennan. 

 (Communirated by H. L. WiiiTE, R.A.O.U.. J:'>ell(rces, X.S.W.) 



* Skins seciirecL f From type locality. 



Dromaius novse-hollandise. \imu. 

 Dyomiceus novccliollandicr iiDva-hoI/aiidia-. 



King River, J4/11 15. Tin- fresh tracks of two birds seen in mud 

 along edge of salt-pans, up ri\er from camp. 



*tMegapodius tumulus. Scrub-Fowl. 



Mega 1^0(1 1 us (iii/-ii'yryii tnmuius. 



Bickerton Island, 2},/'S/\S- — A single bird procured in small patch 

 of tangled scrub. Woodah Island, 26/8/15. — Heard calling after 

 dark. King River. — Three birds seen : 14/10/15, a single bird seen 

 in small patch of scrub; 29/10/15, single bird taken in mangroves; 

 21/11/15, a bird noticed in small patch of brush in sandstone 

 ranges. Liverpool River Island, 27/1/16.- — Couple of birds heard 

 and a nesting-mound noted. Port Bradsha\v, 5/2/16. — A few birds 

 heard in patches of scrub. 



Gizzard contained remains of beetles. 

 *tSyn(Ecus cervinus. Northern Brown Ouail. 

 Synoiciis ypsilophonis cervinus. 



Macarthur River, 10/8/15. — A tew birds tlushed from rushes at 

 edge of river. Maria Island, 20/8/1 5.— Couple of covcvs flushed; 

 about a dozen old nests noted in long grass on coral and sandstone 

 ridge. Cape Barrow, 25/8/15. — Small covey flushed in forest country. 

 King River. — Small coveys often met along the river fiat. 2/11/15. — 

 Cove}- of about a dozen birds have been coming to bough-shed where 

 we have our meals, after bread crumbs ; they are very tame, and will 

 come within a few feet of where we are sitting. They continued to 

 come until we shifted camp. 



Gizzard contained seeds and sand 

 *tTurnix castanonota. Chestnut-backed Quail. 

 Anstyofuyjiix castanota castanota. 



King River. — Small coveys, up to a dozen birds, were often met 

 about the ridges in forest country. 



Gizzard contained beetles, ants, seeds, sand, and insects' eggs. 

 Small worms in chest and abdominal cavity and ej^e socket. 

 *Turnix melanotus. Black-backed Quail. 

 Turnix inaciiloaa pseutes. 



J For narrative, with map, see £wm.. ante, pp. 1 17-158. Nomenclature, 

 R.A.O.U. "Check-list"; trinomials, Mathews's 1913 "List." 



15 



