222 Macgillivray, Along the Great Barrier Reef. [isf D"ec. 



creatures continues to pour into the mangrove patch until it can 

 hold no more, and the noise is almost deafening. The overflow 

 occupies the trees on the side of the island, until, not every tree, 

 but every limb, has its quota of either Pigeons or Lorikeets, the 

 Pigeons making the dark mass of the mangroves to appear as if 

 covered with great white blossoms. The Lorikeets take longer 

 to settle, rising again and again in vast flocks, whirling and 

 screeching over the trees ; but when they are all settled their 

 voices are the first to quieten, the cooing of the Pigeons lasting 

 about an hour longer. Then, with darkness, all is quiet till the 

 moon rises, when a few Pigeons can be heard until dawn. The 

 night is calm, with light fleecy clouds crossing the face of the 

 moon ; great shadowy bird-like forms flit by, and one crossing 

 the moon reveals the form of a flying fox. At earliest dawn, 

 when the mangrove belt is still a dark mass, the Lorikeets bestir 

 themselves and begin their screeching again. With a very little 

 more light they are all astir, and, rising in a dense wheeling, 

 whirling, and screaming host, soon head off to the mainland. As 

 the last Lorikeets are leaving, the advance guard of the Pigeons 

 begins to move off in small flocks — threes, pairs, or singly at 

 first, and then in larger numbers : and this continues for about 

 two hours, when quietness (except for the occasional call of a 

 Kingfisher or Honey-eater) is again the portion of the mangrove 

 belt. 



Passing between Cape Restoration and the large wooded island 

 of the same name, we see our first Frigate-Birds {Fregata ariel) 

 saihng round the end of the island. On the sandy beach are 

 numbers of Lesser Crested and Roseate Terns. Numbers of these 

 Terns, with Sooties, Brown-wings, and Noddies, are persecuting 

 the shoals of little fish. We visit a sand-bank near the Point Piper 

 lightship, but no birds occupy it, so we run back to a larger 

 vegetated one on the same line of reef. Here we anchor for 

 the night. Great numbers of Curlews, Whimbrels, and Little 

 Stints are on the shore, with flocks of Terns and Gulls. The 

 Brown-winged Tern is found to be nesting under the herbage back 

 from the beach, and from the higher growth or tangle of shrubs 

 and climbing plants in the centre of the island many Reef-Herons 

 and Night-Herons are disturbed. I go through this on hands and 

 knees, and find several old Honey-eaters' nests (no birds being 

 observed), many old Herons' nests, and those of the Wood- 

 Swallow {Artamus leucogaster) and Barred-shouldered Dove {Geo- 

 pelia humeralis), several birds of both species being present on 

 the island, as well as Flycatchers — Myiagra rubecula and Rhipidura 

 dryas. In the morning the Doves can be heard cooing from the 

 scrub, the Wood-Swallows are hawking low for food, whilst several 

 Gulls are on the shore preening their feathers and washing in the 

 sea. A Whimbrel perches on a bare branch, but seems to have 

 a difficulty in balancing himself, and looks distinctly as though 

 out of his element. Reef-Herons are searching the water's edge 

 in their usual crouching attitude. 



