CAYLEY’S BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA 
Coloured plates by NEVILLE W. CAYLEY 
Text by A. S. Le SOUEF, assisted by CHAS. BARRETT, C.M.Z.S. 
With contributions by many Australian Ornithologists 
To be published in parts by ANGUS & ROBERTSON LTD., Sydney 
The nomenclature adopted by the R.A.O.U. (“ Official Check List of the Birds 
of Australia’) will be followed, including any changes that may. be made by the 
present Check List Committee prior to the publication of the part dealing with the 
species concerned. 
FORM FOR RECORDING FIELD NOTES 
(Numbers as per R.A.O.U. Check List 1913) 
IN Ss sen? a ee Name... Me CaO GAWS... LUMUVLUWS .rcverenerrerenrennriinniaa 
NOTE:—All replies to the following questions to be based solely on personal observation. 
When this form has been filled in, it should be posted to Mr. NEVILLE W. CAYLEY, 
C/o Messrs. Angus & Robertson Ltd., 89 Castlereagh Street, Sydney, N.S.W. 
1. Vernacular or popular names, stating localities where used :— 
Serub Hen, Cape York Peninsula, 
2. Notes on habits, etc.; type of country favoured by species; state whether 
rare or abundant :-— 
N.Queensland, 
Cape York Peninsula, Fairly numerous in the tropical 
Scrubs throughout the whole of the peninsula; often met 
with in the mangroves snd occasionally seen in the for- 
est country. Old nesting mounds have been noted on many 
of the small scrub clad islands, within the grea of the 
Great Barrier Reef from Cape Melville northward, but no 
birds were seen, On some of the big islands old mounds 
were often noted and a few birds seen. Of late years 
the Natives of these islands have become possessed of 
firearms, and the birds fall an easy prey to hae dur 
dtr 
; ing the > season numbers of the eggs aré 
Ahomior food., 
T,Territory, , ' 
Noted during 1915-16, on Bickerton and Woodah Islands, 
Port Bradshaw. Liverpool and King Rivers. Not numeroug)| 
owing to the scarcity of suitable scrub country, 
1921, a few birds were noted on Groote Iylandt, 
Usually seen in pairs, occasionally three or four have 
been seen together, They are very shy, and on seeing 
or hearing the least foreign movement or sound,run rap- 
idly off; if suddenly disturbed they fly up into a tree, 
and, if disturbed again,fly awa er the top of , \))the 
scrub. The call:- Three loud, harsh, throaty notes, of 
three different tones- Klerk-klecerk-klork-,followed by 
& rapidly uttered, descending chromatic Chuk-chyk-chuk- 
ete, of two to three seconds duration, I think that i+ 
is uttered by two birds, the first three notes by the 
