Walter Goodfellow—A Collector on Melville Island 19


a few Star Finches, the last often trying to get into the aviary to the

other birds at the back of the hotel, and likewise at various other

houses where they kept birds in the town. All these Finches were

to be met with any day along the grass-lined roads, and on every

vacant plot and telegraph wire. I also saw G-ouldians, but these were

birds escaped from captivity.


Emus were unknown on the island. I saw young ones brought

into Darwin in late June which could not have been more than a few

days old.


During the wet season frogs kept up a great racket all night, but

after the rains ceased nights were very silent except for the howling

of dingos. Sometimes for several nights in succession, a Boobook

Owl frequented the camp. Its queer call of “ Mopoke ” uttered in

rather a deep human voice sounded very uncanny, especially as at

that time I had seen no human being for five days, and later for ten

whole days. The Bathurst blacks had come over and were fighting

with the Melville islanders over the eternal female question, so all

of them had left my part of the island. When I did see any, they

came in looking like demons in full war paint and heavily armed with

spears and clubs. Many people in Australia still think it is the Frog-

mouth ( Podargus ) which calls “ Mopoke ”. This bird has an absolutely

different call, which I know quite well, although I never heard it on

the island. The Boobook stayed around for a long time, especially

on moonlight nights. I often wished it would go elsewhere, as it called

from my roof and kept me awake.


The Golden-backed Honeyeaters ( Melithreptus laetiar) often came

to the camp in small parties. This is an exquisite little bird, greenish-

gold, black and white, the under parts being entirely white. It is

fairly thick-set, and between 5 and 6 inches long. They were

quite fearless, and allowed one to watch them at close quarters, as

they diligently searched every leaf for minute insects. It would make

an exquisite inmate for an aviary. This, and the Blue-faced Honey-

eater and the Bed-breasted Babbler ( Ponatostomus rubeculus) were the

three birds of all those I saw on the island I liked the most. I think

this Babbler should be called the White-headed, as this is the most

conspicuous feature of the bird apart from its strange ways. It is



