July, 1915. 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
17 
one it is for birds and beasties. Now, I must get right down 
to my orders, my families, and see what / have. 
Order No. 1 is the Emu order. I have not seen him, 
nor am I likely to, with marsupial boards all over the ])lace. 
He is said to have spread the “ pear ” here, which is probably 
true, but Homo (?) Sapiens started that curse anyway, and 
let it go on, too. 
Order 2 is the Fowl order, the game bird order. My 
unit here is the Yellow Wattled Bnish Turkey. Fairly 
plentiful, but the “ pear hides him. 
Order 3 has the three-toed Quails, but not a quail have 
I seen around Gayndah so far ; nor have 1 heard them call 
at night. 
Order 4 is that of the great Pigeon family. Au.stralia 
is easily ftrst in the world for pigeons. For variety of form, 
lor the number of forms, and for extreme beauty, Australia 
holds the palm. I have seen but one species here — a ground 
dove [Geopelia iranqiiillci). The male goo-goos morning 
and evening with thrilling vigour. I have seen him swell 
his chest feathers and spread his small tail, and goo-goo his 
level best to, so far as I could judge, a passive feminine. 
Order 5 is Ralliformes, the rail order ; and here I have 
noted but two species, the Bald Coot and The Coot {Porphyrio 
melanontus and Fttlica Australis). Fulica’s eye and mine 
met. and I saw Fulica no more. A timid soul ! My son and 
I were swimming the Burnett, 65 yards across, at 6.30 one 
morning, when he said : " Dad, there’s a big bird with a red 
bill ! ” That’s all Fve seen of Porphyrio, but of course both 
he and Fulica are common, but very shy. 
We pass the Grebe order, the Penguin and tube-nosed 
swimmers’ orders, and we come to the Gull and Tern order. 
Terns have been seen, but not by me. I have seen Terns 
at Tamworth, in N.S.W., and plenty at Gympie, so they 
travel well inland. 
Order 10 has a big name, Charadriiformes. It’s the 
big Plover order. Gayndah knows three species very well 
indeed. The Stone Curlew, or thick knee, with its weird, 
wailing, haunting cry ; very common through the evening, 
night, and early inorning. The handsome spur- winged 
Plover, W'ith its big distinctive call, olive-brown plumage 
above, white beneath, yellow' w-attled and spur on the wing, 
frequents the sand banks in small mobs of 5-8. The common- 
est of all is the round-winged black-fronted Dottrel. He is 
the only species of dottrel I have seen. Very small, very 
cheerful and jolly, very tame and friendly. He is handsome 
with his w’hite chest and black markings, and a velvety 
russet patch on liis wings-coverts ; small molluscs, insects, 
minute fish and mud, dribbling like a duck, form his food 
