NOTES FROM POINT CLOATES, N.W. AUSTRALIA. 419 



and flocks of Oriental Pratincoles. The latter soon left us. In 

 a large mangrove swamp near the Cape, Pelicans, Egrets, Ducks, 

 Mangrove Bitterns, and Waders were in numbers. I secured 

 specimens of Red-capped Dotterel (Mgialitis ruficapilla) and 

 Sharp-tailed Stints [Heteropygia acuminata), which I have never 

 seen on the beach here. Sacred Kingfishers (Halcyon sanctus) 

 were common on the coast in February ; they visit us yearly about 

 then : are they migratory ? On February 20th natives brought in 

 a Hoary-headed Grebe (Podiceps nestor), which they had caught 

 on the beach. It was very poor, and a sign of bad drought inland. 

 Fortunately this drought broke in March, and between March 10th 

 and date of writing — April 21st — we have had fifteen inches of 

 rain. The inland clay, flat country is flooded and impassable for 

 miles. 



At a large gum flat twenty-five miles east of here, which is now 

 full of water, I last month shot, with other birds, the following 

 interesting species : — White-headed Sea Eagle (Haliastur gir- 

 renera), Little Eagle (Niscetus morphnoides) , Owlet Nightjar 

 (Aegotheles novce-hollandice), Black-eared Cuckoo (Misocalius 

 osculans), Red-browed Pardalote (Pardalotus rubricatus), Varie- 

 gated Wren (Malurus lamberti), Red-rumped Tit (Acanthiza 

 pyrrhopygia), Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sticto- 

 cephalas), Plumed Whistling Duck (Dendrocycna eytoni), Black- 

 capped Tree-runner (Sittella pileata), Marsh Tern (Hydrochelidon 

 hybrida), Oriental Pratincole (Glareola orientalis). The two 

 latter species were in large flocks at my first visit, and I hoped 

 would breed there, but when revisited a few days ago saw only 

 one Marsh Tern. The Pratincoles were balls of fat. Some 

 Straw-necked Ibis (Geronticus spinicollis) and White-necked 

 Herons (Ai'dea pacified) were there, and some Black Swans. 

 Nests of Teal (Nettion castaneum) were plentiful in the hollow gum- 

 trees, with eight or nine eggs. A Red-rumped Kingfisher 

 (Halcyon pyrrhopygius) I shot had several large scorpions in its 

 gizzard. 



Last month I was at the Minilya River, and secured specimens 

 of the Red-breasted Babbler [Pomatorhinus rubecidus), and saw a 

 colony of their nests (old) in a large white gum close to the 

 station-house. On July 26th, last year, I found an Osprey's 

 nest with the unusual number of four eggs, all beautifully marked. 



