230 
WOLSTENHOLME, Birds of Camp-Out [ Th | a ® mu 
Sea-Curlew and Sandpipers were observed on the muddy flats 
around the coast, but there was a lack of shore birds generally. 
The most characteristic bird of the island.was the Varied Iioney- 
eater (Meliphaga versicolor ), which crowded the trees and made 
a great din. Strange to say, although so numerous on the island, 
they were not observed on the mainland. Pheasant-Coucals, 
Bee-eaters, Friar-Birds, Brown Hawks, White-fronted Herons, 
Australian Goshawk,'Mangrove Bitterns, Chestnut-eared Finches, 
Crows and Reef Heron were among the others observed. 
The return journey to Yeppoon was made in the evening, and 
just before the sun had disappeared behind the hills, a stately 
Frigate-Bird sailed high above our boat and was lost to sight i.i 
the dusk. Many Crested Terns passed us, flying north. 
Notes on the Birds observed during the 
Queensland Congress and Camp-out, 
1924 
By H. WOLSTENHOLME, R.A.O.U., Wahroonga, Sydney. 
The birds observed were those of three localities: 
1. ROCKHAMPTON and the neighbouring places to which 
outings were made during the period of the Congress. 
2. YEPPOON, a seaside resort about 30 miles from Rockhamp¬ 
ton, where a stay of a day or two was made on our way 
to and from Byfield. North Keppel Island was visited 
from Yeppoon. 
3. BYFIELD, the place of the camp-out, a small banana-growing 
settlement, 25 miles north from Yeppoon, with palm- 
fringed creeks and banana plantations extending up into 
the thick scrub of the hillsides. 
Members helped me greatly with these notes by reporting their 
observations. We were very fortunate in having Mr. H. G. Bar¬ 
nard with us at the camp and on the various outings, and we 
profited much from his long experience and wide knowledge of 
the birds of Northern Australia. 
One hundred and eighty-two species were identified, and nests 
of 42 different species were seen. 
Megapodius reinwardt. Scrub-Fowl. — These birds seem to be 
fairly plentiful in the Byfield district. In the thick scrub on the 
hillsides several of the huge steep-sided, small-topped mounds in 
which the eggs are deposited were shown to us—some that had been 
in use quite recently. A large lizard came out of a hollow in one 
mound, which gave us expectations of finding eggs, but though our 
guides dug deeply and thoroughly, no egg was found. The mounds 
are used and added to each year. This particular one was nearly 
10 feet high and about 40 feet round the base, and has been in use 
four or five years. 
