Vol. VIII. 

 1909 



Jackson, In the Barron River Valley, N.Q. 263 



a good deal of obviously reliable information from our dusky 

 camp-followers. Amongst other things I learned that the 

 Queensland Bovver-Bird {Chlaviydodera orientalis) was in the 

 habit of breeding in the open forest lands about Tolga and 

 Atherton, and within about 8 or 10 miles of our camp at a place 

 called Rocky Creek, where their large and wonderfully decorated 

 bowers were to be found. To the local blacks the bird is known 

 as " Pila-pirra." It would be interesting to the student of 

 languages to note that nearly all the native names given to birds 

 and animals are compounded of two or more distinct words, 

 also that the names of many of the local birds, &c., have a 

 throaty, guttural sound, in which the " ch " is a feature ; such, for 

 example, as " Chura-qua," " Cherra-garra," " Cherra-chelbo," 

 " Chow-chilla," " Chigua-ah," " Chal-goey," " Chid-dee," " Chud- 

 du-low." I was rather interested to note that the pair of 

 Tooth-bills located in the scrub at the back of the camp refrained 

 from their usual repertoire to-day ; I was pleased, too, for it 

 seemed to suggest that they were too busy at building and 

 furnishing to indulge in song. I immediately determined to 

 watch them very closely the next day, and to have our best 

 aboriginal climber on hand in case he was wanted. 



There was an enormous kauri pine located not far from our 

 camp— a perfect king among his fellows ; in fact, I estimated 

 that he would "logout" at about 10,000 superficial feet. In 

 this tree we found close on sixty nests of the Shining Calornis 

 {^Calornis metallica), and they were simply alive with scrub-itch ; 

 wherever this horrible pest settles it stays, and breeds at a 

 prolific rate, and in these nests it was practically undisturbed ; 

 but what the poor little fledglings suffer it is hard to imagine. 

 We were spared mosquitoes — it strikes me that the other pests 

 were a bit too strong for them ; anyhow, it is certain that the 

 March-flies are quite enough without any other insect. 



After breakfast (14th November) I started with Mr. Frizelle 

 and my bodyguard of three natives for the place behind the 

 camp where I had located the pair of Tooth-bills, and where, 

 however, I had noticed them (contrary to their usual habit) 

 silent yesterday. On the way we again noticed a Magpie 

 {Gymnorhina tibicen) in full cry after a Channelbill, and from 

 the same direction as that in which I had observed it before ; we 

 made note of the fact, as indicating, of course, that the good old 

 Magpie was resenting the invasion of its *' happy home." 

 Working cautiously towards the play-p:rounds of the Tooth-bills, 

 we found them empty — a fact in itself encouragingly significant 

 — so, taking up different quarters or positions of vantage, we 

 settled down for a long watch. After a while we detected the 

 birds very high up in one of the trees (roughly speaking, about 

 90 feet) ; they also had evidently noticed us long ago, as they 

 remained very quiet, with occasional side glances at our hiding- 



