244 Jackson, In the Barron River Valley, N.Q. [ist^j 



une 



until I could later on either observe them during the mating 

 season, or by good hap light upon evidences as yet undiscovered. 



A VISIT TO DUNK ISLAND. 



The following day (6th October) I started for Cairns, 

 en route for Geraldton and Cardwell, which lie to the south of 

 that place. On arriving by train at Cairns I was delighted to 

 meet my friend and brother oologist, Mr. Dudley Le Souef, of 

 Melbourne, who was' visiting North Queensland with an eye to 

 health recuperation ; and, as might be expected, we had a good 

 time, comparing notes on various subjects of common interest, 

 and the next day he saw me start in the s.s. Kuranda for 

 Geraldton, on the Johnstone River, about 60 miles southward. 

 After passing through there I went on to Cardwell, and then to 

 Dunk and other islands in Rockingham Bay. 



The coast here was a beautiful belt of scrub, and what was in 

 one sense a perilous region. You can have good things, but you 

 have to pay the price, and the price of enjoyment of and work- 

 ing in the beauties of some of these tropical scrubs is spelled in 

 one nerve-racking word — " fever." But in a sense it is almost 

 worth it. The scenery is absolutely unsurpassed in its luxuriant 

 and rich beauty, and in addition to this the naturalist's eye is 

 gratified by the sight of fresh birds and features new ; it was, in 

 fact, in this locality that I first came across several Cassowaries 

 {Casuarms australis), and their numerous traces of occupation 

 were unmistakable evidence that they were not rare. 



At 8 p.m. on 17th October, I was rowed from Cardwell into 

 the bay in a small boat, and placed on the deck of a wooden 

 barge, where I had to content myself standing in pouring rain 

 without any shelter save an overcoat, which was soon wet 

 through. After four hours of this experience the s.s. Lass d 

 Goivric came alongside and picked me up, taking me on to 

 Dunk Island, where Mr. E. J. Banfield met me with a boat at 

 half-past 3 the following morning.* I stayed at Dunk Island for 

 a few days, being hospitably entertained at Mr. Banfield's 

 beautiful island homestead. The tasteful design and the laying- 

 out of this charming home, aided by Nature's handiwork, com- 

 bine to make it an ideal place. The kindness I received from 

 my good host and his wife will live in my memory for all 

 time ; no wonder that Lord and Lady Chelmsford took keen 

 delight in the place during their recent visit. The whole island 

 may be described as a paradise for anyone, but especially for a 

 lover of Nature. I was just in time to see the White Nutmeg- 

 Pigeons {Myristicivora spilorrhod) in the height of their breeding 

 season. They were there in thousands, the ground about being 

 covered with tons of wild nutmegs which the birds had ejected 

 after the red skin or mace had been digested. On the neigh- 



* Mr. Banfield has lately published an interesting book bearing on the nature-study 

 of this salubrious island. A review will be found in this issue of The EmtL—^ns. 



