130 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 
scrubs, and consists of a heap of sticks, leaves, and other debris. A 
set of eggs is from 4 to 6, generally the latter, which are laid in 
September, the young making their appearance the following month. 
The Cardwell aboriginals call the bird “ yun-gun,” or in pigeon 
English ‘ big fellow chookie-chookie.” 
525. Trinea canutus, (Knot.)  Locality—New South 
Wales and Victoria. Egg,—Color, light pea-green, closely spotted 
with brown in small specks about the size of a pinhead; length 
1 inch 1} lines; breadth 1 inch. 
The asserted discovery of the egg of the Knot was by Lieut. 
Greely, late Commander of the United States Expedition to Lady 
Franklin Sound, The discovery is announced in the July number 
of the Auk, the American ornithological journal by Dr. Hart 
Merriam, the Secretary of the ““American Ornithological Union.” 
He says, “‘ Lieut. Greely writes me the specimen of the bird and egg 
were obtained in the vicinity of Fort Conger, lat. 819.44!. North.” 
The Doctor does not state however, whether the egg was _ preserved, 
but it is to be feared it perished in the midst of the Lieutenant’s 
sufferings. 
* Although the Knot is found in suitable situations all over the 
world, it is a curious fact that until so recently its breeding quarters 
remained a mystery. Of course, the bird is only a migrant to 
Australia. I have more than once been chided with reference to 
including in Australian Oology birds that breed in foreign lands, 
and which are only visitors. But I think if the habitat of these 
birds is recognized as extending to Australia, our oology would not 
be complete if it did not contain a description of their eggs, whether 
such birds breed under the Equator or beyond the Arctic Circles. 
A COLLECTOR’S TRIP TO NORTH QUEENSLAND. 
By -A. W. Coxss. 
(Read before the Field Naturalists’ Club of Victoria, 11th Nov., 1885) 
( Continued.) 
While in this locality we had a fine opportunity of observing the 
manners and customs of the aboriginals, as there was a camp within 
a short distance of us, and as they are so near town they are not 
disposed to attack you. They are really a disgusting lot of creatures, 
in factit is hard sometimes to think they are human beings atall. Their 
Wegumias, as they call their very primitive dwellings, are wretched 
habitations, in fact it is a wonder to me how they exist in them at 
all. Their death-rate is, I believe, very high, especially among the 
infants, and it can easily be accounted for. When in their wild 
state, they erected much better dwellings, and lived altogether in a 
much better style. Instead of the men lying about all day and 
