July, 1931. 
The Queensland Naturalist 
101 
host of the koel. There was a pair of red-backed wrens 
(Malurus melanocephalus) in the long grass at the top of 
the bank with a family of nearly full-grown young ones. 
An azure kingfisher (Alcyone azurea) flashed dow 7 n the 
stream and on the opposite bank a brown honey-eater 
(Glyciphila indistincta) had a nest with young in it, in a 
low bush overhanging the water. We crossed the creek and 
went down on the opposite side where we saw a black 
bittern (Dupetor flavicollis) leave its nest of sticks high up 
in a pine tree over the water. 
On the return to Biggen den we saw a flight of black 
cockatoos ( Calyptorhynchus funereus) overhead call as 
they flew aloft in a long string, 17 of them. 
After breakfast we went with a large party in a dozen 
ears to the Forestry Reserve — a fine stretch of wonderful 
rain-forest with a good track cut right through it. Here 
some of us saw the noisy pitta (Pitta versicolor), a diffi- 
cult bird to see, being mostly green and keeping to the 
thick undergrowth. A lovely sight further along the track 
was at a spot where some tall callistemons w r ere a mass of 
red flowers, and darting about among them numbers of 
scarlet honey-eaters (Myzomela sanguinolenta), their glow- 
ing colour even more vivid than the flowers; there were 
dozens of them and the air was full of their short, sharp 
call notes. 
The scrub was too thick to see birds except those that 
crossed the track, many lewin honey eaters (Meliphaga 
Lewini), some rufus thrushes (Colluricinela megarhyncha), 
and a green pigeon or two. 
At mid-day we were entertained to a splendid picnic 
lunch provided for us by the ladies of Biggenden ; there 
were sixty people there, so it was no light undertaking, 
and everything was of the best. After doing full justice 
to this excellent lunch we wandered about the beautiful 
paths through the scrub for two or three hours and came 
back to find another spread in the shape of afternoon tea 
ready for us. We had a beautiful drive through grass 
paddocks and across many creeks back to Biggenden. 
Next morning we were shown over the fine Butter 
Factory, one of the most up-to-date in Queensland. We 
left after lunch and the Mayor and Councillors and many 
other people gave us a great send-off at the station. Every- 
one at Biggenden was most kind and made our stay there 
very enjoyable. 
We spent the night at Maryborough, and next morning 
before leaving spent some time in the beautiful park which 
was full of birds — fig-birds (Sphecotheres vieilloti) in 
