98 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
Nov., 1928 
Manucode (Phony gammus keraudrenii). — This is an- 
other of the Paradise family, and is the only representa- 
tive of the Manueodes in Australia, though New Guinea 
has several, one very beautiful member of the family being 
found on Ferguson Island, off the east coast of New 
Guinea. These birds have a very curious formation of 
the windpipe, which continues just under the skin to 
the lower end of the breast bone, where it is curled round 
.and round like a piece of rope, finally returning under 
the skin and entering the body at the base of the neck. 
I do not think this has anything to do with the call, as 
the note is short and harsh, except in the case of the 
Ferguson Island bird, which has a long trumpeting call. 
I was fortunate in discovering a nest and eggs of the 
Manucode on Cape York in 1896, also in finding a pecu- 
liar trait in the nesting habits. 
Most birds shun the company of butcher birds, on 
account of their murderous instincts, and the black but- 
cher bird (Cracticus Quoyi), of northern parts, live well 
up to their reputation. ” However, the Manucode, “a 
very shy bird, mostly found in the tops of the tallest 
scrub trees, and a fruit eater,” cultivates the company 
of the black butcher bird, especially at nesting time, build- 
ing in the same or an adjoining tree. The Manucode does 
not start building till some time after the butcher bird, 
so the butcher birds generally have eggs first. If these 
are taken the Manueodes at once desert their nest and 
follow the butcher birds to a fresh nesting site. This is 
probably done for protection, as both are black birds. I 
have -seen a white cockatoo unwittingly approach a black 
butcher bird’s nest, and being attacked by both birds, 
driven to the ground and given a bad time till I interfered 
on cocky’s behalf. 
Palm Cockatoo (Microglossus aterrimus). — This is 
one of, if not our most interesting cockatoo. Black, with 
a large red patch of skin on the sides of the head, a 
black- crest, like the feathered headdress of an Indian 
chief, and a. loud whistling call, it at once attracts atten- 
tion. The food consists of the kernels of large nuts 
growing in the scrubs, the hardest of which are easily 
cracked open with the powerful beak. As these nuts are 
plentiful during the wet season, the birds nest at that 
time. 
Being a large bird, they select a large upright hollow 
from three to six feet in depth. One would imagine 
that the heavy rain pouring down the hollow would de- 
