28 



its habits being strictly wandering. It has no regular feeding 

 ground or drinking place ; its tracks are everywhere, and it is for 

 ever on the move. 



Of Waders I have a considerable number, but am unable to deter- 

 mine many of the species, as I am entirely without books of refer- 

 ence. I have found the beautiful Lobivanellus lobatus common 

 during March and April on the sand-banks of the fresh water ; it 

 was usually associated with a small white Himantopus, with black 

 wings and head. A long and pointed winged bird resembling Gla- 

 reola is also frequent ; it feeds on tbe wing, on grasshoppers, &c. 

 about the Polygonum and other bushes fringing the banks. 



I have seen Falcinellus, but could not get it. I have also one 

 white Platalea, the Jabiru or Mycteria, and two or three Herons. 

 The Night Heron, Nycticorax, is common, frequenting the dense 

 mangroves, where it remains during the day, but flies at the most 

 distant noise. I have also a single specimen of Tribonyx and Fulica. 



I have not had much opportunity of procuring Natatores. The 

 Whistling Duck is very common, and was frequently shot on lagoons 

 in the interior, but is very wary on the river. Large V-shaped 

 flights of them passed over our camp during March from S.E. to 

 N.W., in which direction they appear to have a favourite resort. I 

 have also another Duck, similar to it, but smaller, with a soft dull- 

 brown plumage. 



I have seen Nettapus pulchellus, but could not get it. Indeed 

 my opportunities of examining the river have been so much more 

 limited than those Captain Stokes enjoyed, that many of his birds I 

 have not even seen. And owing to our small number I have gene- 

 rally on these excursions been obliged to take an oar myself, and 

 could not therefore keep a very bright look-out. 



The Plotus is common here, and excellent eating. During Fe- 

 bruary and March it was incubating. It chooses large trees that 

 hang over the water above or through the mangroves, and in these 

 a number of them build a colony of large coarse flattish nests of 

 dead sticks and twigs, which appear, from the quantity of dirt about 

 them and their stained appearance, to be used year after year. Each 

 season they place in the centre a few fresh green leaves, and on these 

 lay three or four white eggs, with a very earthy opaque, but brittle 

 shell ; the lining membrane is of a blue -grey colour ; they are rather 

 smaller and more elongated than a hen's egg. We have enjoyed 

 many fine meals of these eggs, sometimes getting from forty to fifty 

 in a single tree. Both birds sit. The male is of a glossy greenish- 

 black, with a little brownish-grey on the wings and wing-coverts. 

 The female has a white under surface, but is otherwise similar. 



The Pelican is white, with black wings, and a very fine blue and 

 purple margin round the pouch. It is, I presume, Pelecanus con- 

 spicillatus. Its breeding season is March and xlpril. 



I have thus endeavoured to give you a rough abstract of my col- 

 lections hitherto ; I am now about to begin work really, as I start 

 with the party in a few days for the Albert River, and from thence, 



. 



