Birds of Melville Island. 93 



a small creek. It measured twelve feet in diameter and 

 four higlij and had boles burrowed into it in all directions. 

 The pair of birds was at the mound, and tlie female had 

 a fully developed egg in the oviduct. 



As the mound was approached the male flew into a neigh- 

 bouring tree, and at the sound of the shot the female, which 

 "was in the bottom of a hole about two feet deep, flew into 

 the same tree. This was at the edge of the jungle, and only- 

 shaded from the sun on one side. 



Other mounds were seen^ the largest being about ten feet 

 high, with a circumference of thirty-five yards at the base; 

 their shape is an irregular cone, the average size being six 

 feet high and fifteen in diameter ; they are placed near the 

 edge of the jungle ; this is in small patches^ the largest being 

 about 150 acres. 



The breeding-season is from November to January. 



2. Synoicus ypsilophorus cervinus. Northern Brown Quail. 

 Synoicus cervinus Gould, llandb. Birds Austr. vol. ii. 



1865, p. 195 : Port Essington. 



On the 12th of October several small flocks were seen 

 aboiit the camp. The various coveys seem to have favourite 

 localities, as one can ahvays be sure of seeing some in 

 certain places. About the 7th of December they seemed to 

 be pairing. By the 2nd of P'ebruary^ 1912, they had all 

 paired and were difficult to flush, as the grass was long and 

 dense ; by March they were in large coveys accompanied 

 by many young birds. 



3. Turnix maculosa pseutes. Western Black-backed Quail. 

 Turnix maculosa joseutes Mathews, Nov. Zool. vol. xviii. 



1912, p. 180: Parry's Creek, North-west Australia. 

 Very rare on the Island. 



4. Austroturnix castanota melvillensis. Melville-Island 

 Chestnut- backed Quail. 



Turnix castanota melvillensis Mathews, Austral Av. Rec. 

 vol. i. 1912, p. 27 : Melville Island. 



On the 10th of October these birds were common, many 



