226 
CHISHOLM, Yeppoon-Byfield Excursion 
r The Emu 
L Jan. 
Yeppoon. Perhaps its north-south line is closer to the coast.* We 
were not able to visit the sea in the time available, and thereby 
missed the possibility of seeing some interesting life in the man¬ 
groves there. 
Accordingly, it was the jungle and its fringes that claimed most 
attention. Shortly after reaching Byfield, we were motored oh 
to one of the show items of the district, a big banyan (Ficus) 
tree that rears itself to commanding height from the margin of 
a creek and on the fringe of a hillside scrub. It is a splendid 
sentinel, this banyan, a wonderful instance of the power and 
prodigality of nature in vegetation. At that spot we heard what 
became familiar voices during the next few days, the calls of 
various species of Pigeons. The district, being comparatively 
free of “sportsmen,” is uncommonly rich in these birds, among 
them the beautiful King or Wompoo (Megaloprepia magnified ), 
the Red-crowned (Ptilonopus regina), and the Purple-crowned 
( P . superbus) Pigeons; the last-named, it will be remembered, 
is the bird whose female Gould took to be a different species. 
We heard and saw these and other fruit Pigeons on every hand; 
so much so that frequently an observer was disappointed on 
seeing a Pigeon when looking for other birds. 
Among smaller birds, perhaps none was so abundant as the 
pretty Spectacled Flycatcher (Monarcha trivirgala) ; it, too, be¬ 
came rather a bore when other birds were being sought. Stand¬ 
ing in a quiet scrub one day I gave a speculative twitter, upo;i 
which a Spectacled Flycatcher appeared from nowhere and 
dashed straight at the unoffending head of Mr. II. G. Barnard. 
Like the Rufous Thrush and Varied Lalage (which also were 
common here), the Spectacled Flycatcher prefers light jungle; 
quite frequently these three species are in company. Evidently, 
too, the little-known White-eared Flycatcher (Monarcha leucotis) 
is of similar tastes, though much less common. We saw only 
one pair of the dainty White-ears at Byfield; they were feeding 
young, so the eggs remain unknown still. 
It is a curious thing that birds of similar feeding habits—both 
the Spectacled and White-eared Flycatchers subsist largely on 
leaf insects should differ so markedly in numbers. The Black¬ 
faced Flycatcher also was rare at Byfield, but it is rather a 
denizen of the big, moss-grown scrubs. Another member of the 
Muscicapidac present was the Yellow Robin, presumably Eopsal- 
tt ia niagnirostris (chrysorrhoa ), though its rump differed little in 
depth of yellow from the birds to be seen in certain areas near 
Sydney. 
, u was written I have received information from Byfield 
t jat Quite a J}. u . m k£ r ” Sun-birds have been seen there recently 
(December). This fluctuation tallies with what has been recorded 
earlier regarding the species at Yeppoon. Evidently the brisk little 
bun-bird is given to swift and (possibly) capricious movements, more 
so than the average honey-bird. — A.H.C. 
