86 List of Birds from Port Denison, Queensland. 



thick foliage, or perching upon some topmost twig, to devour 

 their captures, and show their shining purple breasts glitter- 

 ing in the sun. During the hottest part of the day the Sun- 

 birds betake themselves to the thick scrub, which in many 

 places runs down quite to the water's edge. They breed in the 

 months of November and December. One pair chose a little 

 break in the scrub, within a few yards of the water^ where, 

 facing the rising sun, they constructed their nest (which I now 

 have), suspending it by the top from the dead twig of a small 

 shrub, at the foot of a large " Bottle-tree '^ [Sterculia rupestris). 

 The nest is of an oval form, much resembling and suspended 

 in the same way as that of Acanthiza lineata, with a small hood 

 over the opening, which is near the top. It is composed of 

 fibrous roots, and shreds of cotton-tree {Gomphocarpus f-uticosus) 

 bark, firmly interwoven with the webs and cocoons of various 

 spiders, and a few pieces of white sea- weed ornamenting the 

 outside. It is lined with feathers and the silky native cotton, 

 and is about 5 inches long by 3^ in. in diameter. The eggs, I 

 regret to say, I did not receive, as Mr. Rainbird was obliged to 

 come away before they were laid. 



33. CucuLus ? 



34. EuDYNAMis PLiNDERsi (Gould, iv. pi. 91). 



35. Centropus phasianus (Gould, iv. pi. 92). 



36. SiTTELLA LEUCOCEPHALA (Gould, iv. pi. 102). 



37. Platycercus palliceps (Gould, v. pi. 26). 

 Common. 



38. Carpophaga luctuosa (Gould, v. pi. 60). 



Plentiful at certain seasons, when they arrive in large flocks. 



39. Megapodius tumulus (Gould, v. pL 79). 



40. Syncecus australis (Gould, v. pi. 89). 



41. Thresciornis strictipennis (Gould, vi. pi. 46). 



42. Mycteria australis (Gould, vi. pi. 51). 



43. Tadorna radjah (Gould, vii. pi. 8). 



One specimen of this beautiful Duck has the whole of the 



