Walter Goodfellow—A Collector on Melville Island



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I heard some excellent talkers of this bird in Darwin. When I first

arrived there in January there was one flying about the place. It

visited most of the houses, alighting on the window-sills and verandahs.

On Saturday afternoon it was quite a nuisance on the football ground,

settling on the goalposts and flying in and out among the players,

so much so, that I always expected to see someone lose their patience

and knock it down. I understood that this bird had appeared in Darwin

during the last three wet seasons only. It had cleared off again before

I returned from Melville. I should think it had escaped from captivity

at some time. In many of its ways the Bare-eyed resembles G-offin’s

which come from the islands farther north.


Of all the birds on the islands to attract the most attention, with

the possible exception of two species of Doves of which I shall have

more to say later, were the Friar Birds [Philemon). Not because of

any bright colours, for they are clad only in brown, but because of

their numbers, and above all, their more than peculiar voices. They

were all over the place, and I am safe in saying that there was not a

daylight hour when they were absent from around the camp. I think

I made out three species, but as I never shot any I can’t be quite

sure. They were P. corniculatus , P. argenticejps and P. gordori , the last

peculiar to Melville Island. Some of their notes are fine, but repeated so

incessantly, they became irritating, and some others loud and half¬

human like a maniacal cry. When they were just chattering among

themselves, I often thought they were human beings talking in the

bush. On wet days they were silent, so we had something to thank

wet days for. They are not in the least shy of human beings, and con¬

tinued their constant search for insects on every leaf from the highest

trees to the lowest bushes, and sometimes among the grass. They never

failed to mob the Ravens whenever any came around the camp. These

are the birds they call “ Feather Heads ” in Queensland.


A bird I admired above all was the Blue-faced Honeyeater

(.Entomyzon cyanotis). It is as large as a Jay, and more beautiful than

any plate I have seen of it. Although placed among the honey eaters,

one can hardly imagine its thickish bill sucking honey from flowers.

It seems much more adapted for eating fruit and insects. Parties of

six or more often visited the camp, and remained for an hour diligently



