Vol. XII, 

 1912 



] Jackson, Haunts of the Spotted Boivev-Bird. 103 



Bower-Birds, yet they get inside at times, and are captured alive by 

 the gardener. The grapes also at Goondoobluie are kept covered 

 over sides and top with wire netting, yet Mr. Murray informed me 

 that a Bower-Bird sometimes finds its way inside even this protection. 

 Noticed good-sized black CicadcB (locusts) in the budda trees to-day, 

 and the Ground Cuckoo-Shrikes were chasing and devouring them. 



20th January. — A few Bower-Birds visited my camp this morning. 

 I took more photographs. Birds all very silent to-day. Very hot. 

 The budda trees (Eremophila mitchelli, Benth.), which are one of the 

 favourite species for the Bower-Birds to build in, are in flower again, 

 their second flowering since my arrival. The blossoms are white and 

 bell-like, though in some cases I have noticed all the flowers on a tree 

 here and there to have a faint tinge of pink. Developed and washed 

 photographic plates ; some of the films melted much, owing to the great 

 heat. 



215^ January. — -The little Acanthiza albiventris have a sweet but 

 feeble note, and often visit the green wilga tree at the head of my 

 camp, where they collect small insect food, both from the leaves and 

 the bark. Packed up many articles, and got ready to break up camp 

 to-morrow. 



22nd January. — Camp was taken down, and all the cases of 

 specimens and my camping paraphernalia were carted in to the station 

 homestead, where I remained some days packing everything, ready to 

 be carted to railway station at CoUarenebri East. 



Conclusion. 



During iny stay at the homestead I shot and preserved several 

 Spotted Bower-Birds which used to visit a small peach tree close to 

 the house. I left the shooting of the birds until the last, in order to 

 prevent the possibility of destroying any bird or birds belonging to 

 nests which were under observation. While feeding in this peach tree 

 the birds often carried on their wonderful mimicry, including a 

 remarkable metallic wire-like sound previously mentioned. The birds 

 also came on the verandah, and even visited the kitchen. One day 

 Mr. M. Doyle kindly drove me to see the new bore at Goondoobluie 

 station. The output then (24th January, 1912) was 742,000 gallons 

 per day. Temperature of water on leaving the bore pipe was 138 

 degrees Fahr. ; depth of bore, 3,535 feet. This bore is beside the 

 wool-shed there. The water from this bore quenches the thirst of 

 thousands of various birds as well as sheep, &c., and as we drove along 

 I saw a number of Black Ducks {Anas superciliosa) and many other 

 birds on the bore drain, which extends for many miles over this flat 

 country. 



I saw some Bower-Birds at the peach tree and tomato vines at the 

 Cambo Cambo homestead again, the fruit of the latter being picked 

 hollow. Noticed on the under side of large " carbuncles " on river 

 gums and Moreton Bay ash (eucalypts) on the banks of the Moonie 

 River, the Fairy Martins (Petrochelidon artel) had built numbers of 

 their bottle-shaped mud nests. Took photos, of same. Noticed 

 several Blue-faced Honey-eaters feeding on the red blossoms of a 

 mistletoe growing on the coolibah trees. Moonie River drying up 

 rapidly, and very little water left in it about the homestead Altogether 

 123 different species of birds were noted during the trip. Among the 

 Bower-Birds which I shot and preserved were some females possess- 



