Vol. VIII. 

 igog 



] Jackson, In the Barron River Valley, N.Q. 23Q 



Some little time before we reached Atherton, I was thrown into 

 a state of excitement by the discovery from the buggy of a nest in 

 a scrub pandanus palm near the side of the road, which, as it was 

 close to one of the play-grounds, seemed likely to be that of a 

 Tooth-billed Bower-Bird. The nest resembled that of the 

 Coachwhip-Bird {PsopJwdes lateralis), and was placed 5 feet up 

 from the ground. I carefully marked the spot, but was destined 

 never to determine the bird to whom the nest belonged, as it 

 was evidently deserted when visited the next time. However, 

 close by I was lucky enough to take my first nest and set of 

 two eggs of the Bower Shrike-Thrush {Collyriocinda bozveri) ; 

 this was built at about 18 feet from the ground, in the top of a 

 small scrub tree, from which I flushed the bird as we drove by. 

 After a very satisfactory day's work, we reached Atherton 

 at about 7 p.m., our day's outing thus covering a full twelve 

 hours. 



My second day (4th October, 1908) dawned bright and full 

 of delightful promise, and I started away with eagerness in the 

 early hours. This time, however, I went alone and on foot, and 

 made for the scrub-clad hills lying east of the township of 

 Atherton, locally known as Halloran's Hill. As I passed 

 through the adjacent partially-cleared lands I saw the Pale 

 Flycatcher {Micrcvca pallida) hovering and fluttering with his 

 characteristic flight, and making the forest musical with a sweet 

 whistling note very similar to that of the common Brown 

 Flycatcher {Micrceca fascinans) of southern Queensland and 

 New South Wales, &c. 



I took the eastern side of the road for my entry into the scrub, 

 more by chance than by actual choice, for the now familiar note 

 of the Tooth-bill was rising all around me in a perfect revelry of 

 sound, and on hearing the distinctive "c/mck" call, I turned 

 cautious steps to the place it proceeded from and came upon 

 the expected play-ground, finding, as before, that only one bird 

 was flushed. They are difficult birds to get a good look at. 

 Here the ground was very rough and stony, and the cleared 

 area was consequently poor when viewed as a specimen, as the 

 bird had no chance to lay the leaves in level symmetry. They 

 were lying at all angles and slopes, with the result that the heat 

 had partially curled them, but the unvarying shelter of massed 

 lawyer vines was, as in former cases, again in evidence. The 

 leaves numbered 39, and were similar to those found the day 

 before near Lake Eacham. I have carefully collected and dried 

 samples of these, and later on in this article will give the con- 

 clusions which I arrived at as accounting for the bird being pro- 

 vided with tooth-like serrations to the bill. I shall refer to this 

 more fully when dealing with the investigations made during 

 my camp in the scrubs at Tinaroo, in this same district. 



Further on and across a stony creek, yet more play-grounds 



