244 WOLSTEN HOLME — Birds of Camp-Out [ “ 
Podargus strigoides. Tawny Frogmouth.—Three of these birds 
were seen on nests. The first was in a large ornamental tree over¬ 
hanging the road growing in a private garden on the range at Rock¬ 
hampton, another was above our lunching place at Olsen’s Caves, and 
the third was right over the camp at Byfield. The latter was natur¬ 
ally under constant observation. It contained two young birds, and 
one parent sat in the nest with them all day long apparently paying 
no attention to the bustle beneath. Just at dusk each evening the 
parent slid silently from the nest and flew off among the trees, soon 
to reappear with some dainty for the nestlings. Only one parent 
was seen at the nest, and much of the food seemed to be obtained 
from the ground. On the last evening we were in camp, as soon as 
the parent left, one of the young birds climbed out of the nest on to 
the adjacent branch, where it stood up and flapped its wings a num¬ 
ber of times. The second youngster climbed on to the edge of the 
nest and also did some flapping exercise. It would have been inter¬ 
esting to know how many more days elapsed before the first flight 
was undertaken. 
When walking along the bank of Polka Creek, Mr. Alexander 
flushed a bird from the ground, where it was resting in a little clear 
space just such as would have suited a Nightjar. The bird only flew 
a short distance and alighted in a tree, where the fact that it was 
a rufous-coloured Frogmouth was speedily apparent. It is certainly 
very unusual to find these birds on the ground in the day-time. 
Aegotheles cristata. Owlet Nightjar. — This bird’s calls were fre¬ 
quently heard at night close to the camp, being identified by Mr. H. 
G. Barnard. 
Eurystoinus orientalis. Dollar-bird. — Seen or heard in many places. 
Near Water Park Creek at Byfield they were nesting. Here they 
were seen dipping into the surface of the creek—a large sheet of 
water. 
Alcyone azurea. Azure Kingfisher.—Seen by the creeks at Yep- 
poon and on Polka Creek, Byfield. 
Dacelo gigas. Laughing Kookaburra.—Seen and heard almost 
everywhere. 
Dacelo leachi. Bluewing Kookaburra. — This bird was often seen 
about Rockhampton and Yeppoon. Its size is almost that of Dacelo 
gigas, its plumage much brighter—the head nearly white with faint 
streaks of brown, the wing (mostly) and the base of the tail bright 
blue and very noticeable when the bird is seen in flight from behind, 
i he male has also a dark blue tail. To Southerners familiar only 
with a Kookaburra with a hearty laugh this bird’s note was disap¬ 
pointing, and a poor attempt—if a laugh was expected. It was more 
like a bark or a cough, but nevertheless interesting. 
Halcyon macleayi. Forest Kingfisher.—These white-breasted King¬ 
fishers with their bright greeny-blue backs were plentiful wherever 
we w ent and were breeding. A pair had a burrow in a termite nest 
in a bloodwood tree overhanging the camp. Another nest was at 
Yeppoon and another in a white-ant’s nest in a small tree on North 
Keppel Island contained two eggs. 
Halcyon sanctus. Sacred Kingfisher. —Seen in many places, but 
less frequently than the Macleay Kingfisher. 
Merops oraatus. Rainbow-bird (Bee-eater). — One of the 
birds most frequently seen. About Rockhampton they were 
very plentiful, particularly near the Botanic Gardens, where 
nesting burrows were observed in a sandy patch of ground 
—some of the burrows being made into a quite flat sur- 
t ace. At Yeppoon birds were constantly seen and heard in 
the trees by the road along the shore and burrows were here made 
into sandbanks almost reached by high tides. One burrow into which 
a bird had flown was found to be well over 3 feet in length. It is said 
that a little grass is sometimes placed at the end of the burrow for 
the eggs to rest on, and sometimes the eggs are placed on the bare 
