26 



in its stomach large green seeds, the other bark, bugs and various 

 insects. 



The Finches are very numerous and very beautiful. I have ten or 

 twelve species, including Estrelda annulosa and Po'ephila personata, 

 of which there are two or three varieties, similar in size, habits and 

 body colour, but differing in the glossy black of the face and chin, 

 and in the colour of the beak and legs. The beautiful Po'ephila 

 Gouldice is tolerably numerous ; of this also there are two varieties 

 or species : one with a black face, surrounded by a line of bright blue ; 

 the other has the anterior half of the face scarlet, the rest black, 

 edged with blue. Of both the breast is bright purplish-lilac ; the 

 belly canary-yellow ; the back a mixture of bright green and dark 

 brown, with light blue mixed over the rump. 



There are two Donacolas : flaviprymna, and a crimson and brown 

 one, of which there are one or two varieties. The Donacolas build 

 in some parts in low tea-trees overhanging water, making a large 

 spouted nest with a small cavity, of dry bark of tea-trees ; and Pan- 

 danus. The Po'ephila generally have large nests of grass on the 

 ground or in low tufts of grass ; one species builds in the small 

 bushes of Calliotrix and Melaleuca, and composes its nest of minute 

 dry twigs, often so slenderly that it appears to have a double opening. 

 The Estreldee build smaller and stouter nests in young Eucalypti 

 and small trees, from 15 to 20 feet high. They all lay six white 

 eggs. 



I have met with two or three nests of the bower bird, Chlamy- 

 dera nuchalis, but no one of my party has seen the birds. 



The Crow of this part of the country is a large bird, generally 

 solitary, with a small eye and hazel-brown iris ; it is very wary, and 

 with difficulty shot. 



The Meliphayidce are not numerous, at least the more common 

 species ; the Tropidorhynchus is feathered all over the head, and does 

 not merit its vulgar name. There is another resembling it somewhat 

 here, but without its singular voice, and with a stouter beak. It is 

 much like Anthochcera. A true Merops is also met with. 



I have been unable to learn anything of the habits or nidification 

 of the Meliphayidce at present. 



I have not observed any true Cuckoo here, and have failed to dis- 

 cover the Cuculus dumetorum of this coast ; but I have seen two 

 Cuckoo Pheasants (Centropus), one much lighter-coloured than the 

 Moreton Bay species ; the other with an almost black under surface, 

 and the general plumage of a dark tint. 



A Climacteris of dusty-brown plumage, with a brownish-yellow 

 spot on the wings, looks very handsome when sailing with outspread 

 wings and tail from tree to tree, or when hopping round the trunk 

 and branches of the gum-trees, where it feeds much on the larvae 

 contained in the small tough cylindrical chrysales suspended in hun- 

 dreds in the cracks of the bark. It loses all its beauty when pre- 

 pared as a museum specimen. 



Of Cockatoos : Cacatua yaferita, sanyuinea, and Eos, are abundant 

 here, the two latter especially. Leadbeater's Cockatoo, with the fine 



