250 Jackson, In the Barron River Valley, N.Q. [isf'june 



reproduced to perfection, so much so that I found myself 

 carefully scanning this " variety artist" through my field-glasses 

 to make sure that he was not having a real cicada for breakfast. 

 At about 6.30 a.m. the bird took flight as I moved in more 

 closely to centre my watching powers on the newly found nest. 

 Alas ! for the vanity of human hopes — even as I sat focussing 

 my glasses on the spot, I heard the call of approaching Spotted 

 Cat-Birds, and, lo, a mated pair flew into the tree above me, and 

 one then flitted straight to the nest, added a twig to its inside 

 structure, then, flying off, uttered that queer call that seems to 

 say — •" I'm going to marry you." Another disappointment. 



Returning to camp, I got what compensation I could from 

 the promise of " Ducks for dinner " with which Mr. Frizelle 

 endeavoured to console me. Having despatched a meal, we 

 tackled the scrub in company, each choosing a Tooth-bill's 

 play-ground and settling down to a long watch of over three 

 hours. We were about 100 yards apart, and on comparing notes 

 afterwards found our observations to tally. In each case the 

 bird had perched on a vine or branch about 2 feet above its 

 play-ground and gone through a full rehearsal of its repertoire 

 of mimicry, now and then hopping down to straighten or turn 

 some of the leaves, and then returning to its vocal practice with 

 renewed energy. The leaves used were of three or four species 

 at both of these grounds, and were chiefly long and narrow, the 

 large leaves of the crow's-foot elm — VerbenacecE (?) — being 

 mostly used, some measuring 17 by 4^ inches. They are 

 tough leaves, glossy on the upper surface, dull and thickly 

 ribbed on the reverse. The rejected ones of previous days were 

 lying outside the two play-grounds in great numbers. The 

 puzzle was getting absolutely worrying. Here was a bird that 

 seemed to be at its play-ground through at least all the hours 

 of daylight, alone. Did it never eat, rest, or consort with its 

 fellows ? Certainly it looked as if it never did, for to get a 

 vacant play-ground one had to scare the bird away ; this, as it 

 is very shy, was easy enough, but, if the approach of the observer 

 was quiet, he would be rewarded by a good sight of this feathered 

 enigma in his or her lonely state. During the day we found 

 several old nests of the Black-headed Log-runner, and one of 

 the Spotted Cat-Bird which contained a fledgling, and later on 

 we came across a fine male specimen of the Victoria Rifle-Bird. 

 He was splendidly displayed on an isolated branch about 45 

 feet from the ground, and we had seen the same bird daily in 

 the same spot ; the female, however, was not visible, and I con- 

 cluded she was sitting on a nest not far away, which we could 

 not find. However, we happened to come across two nests of 

 the Spotted Cat-Bird, each just ready for eggs, and we noticed 

 that the Ashy-fronted Fly-Robins were very much in evidence, 

 several of their new nests being found, mostly located on the 



