26 Walter Goodfellow—A Collector on Melville Island


it drops it. I noticed the blacks on Bathurst called my bird a Jabiru

or a Native Companion indiscriminately, so I think there is no doubt

the eggs brought in on Melville really belonged to the latter, as I

expected at first.


Three days before leaving for Darwin the blacks brought in another

young Crane, a female, so I had a true unrelated pair. The crossing

to the mainland was very rough with spray coming over all night.

This did not suit the Cranes sitting by my side where I lay on deck.

First they got their heads under my blankets, and ended by getting

entirely underneath, but by the morning we were all wet through,

blankets and all.


I found conditions very changed in Darwin. The dry season was

on, and everything was burnt up and dusty. Many of the birds,

numerous before about the place, had left or only occasionally seen.

Others had come in to take their place, the most noticeable were

Kites and Pied G-rallinas ( G . cyanoleuca). The sky was literally full

of the former all day long. In the wet season I had not seen one,

but even more conspicuous were the Grallinas, ££ pee-wees,” or “ magpie

larks ” as they are variously called. Seen on their native soil in that

brilliant sunlight they look very different from what we know them

over here. Their plumage has a marvellous lustre, like black and

white satin. The inhabitants say they know when the wet season

has finished by the arrival of these birds. They were in scores in the

main streets, and in every garden and back yard, scarcely troubling

to get out of one’s way. They even came in at the doors of houses

and seen omnivorous. They were very fond of bathing whenever

they found a drop of water. I noticed them waiting about the gutters

leading from the bathrooms at the hotel, sometimes as many as fifty.

Whenever a bonfire of garden refuse was started they came from

every direction, and waited around for any insects to come out. It

was quite a curious sight. It seemed to be a pastime with them to

chase the Kites and other large birds. I remarked they always kept

well above the Kites and made repeated dives at them. In flight they

have rather a harsh call, but when sitting in trees they often surprised

me with their sweet warbling song. Like many other birds, they like

to take an evening flight. This is rather heavy flopping, but relieved



