OCR Text |
Show 1877.] NORTH-EASTERN QUEENSLAND. 337 about equally dispersed over the whole surface. In some light varieties they are less numerous at the thinner end; and these specimens are slightly smaller in size. Length 1*05 inch by 0*8 inch; the darker and most usual variety 1*1 inch in length by 0*85 inch in breadth. 205. ^EGIALITIS RUFICAPILLA. Mgialitis ruficapilla, Gould, Handbk. B. Austr. ii. p. 235. Unlike the preceding, this species is seldom found far from the sea; they frequent the sands and open salt-water flats, and are usually met with in small troops from five to ten in number; the nest (if it may be so called) is like all others of the genus I have met with, merely a slight depression in the sand or pebbles close to high-water mark ; sometimes the eggs are placed among debris containing broken shells and coral &c, above the influence of the tide; they are usually four, but sometimes three, and occasionally only two (but four, I presume, is the correct number for a sitting), placed with the pointed ends together ; and without any protection except that afforded them by their similarity to the surrounding objects among which they have been deposited, they are very difficult to be detected. Our collection contains eggs taken at Woolongong and various parts of the sea-coast of New South Wales, also from near Melbourne; but none show any material difference in coloration or form ; in size they are slightly larger than those of Mgialitis nigrifrons, being 1*2 inch to 1*25 inch in length by 0*93 to 0*94 in breadth, of a light pale stone-brown or very light cream-colour, spotted sparingly with black dots and rather large irregular black blotches and markings, a few of the dots appearing as if beneath the surface of the shell. They breed from October to December, and sometimes as late as January. 206. iEGIALITIS INORNATA. Ochthodromus inornatus, Gould, Handbk. B. Austr. ii. p. 237. 207. ^EGIALITIS BICINCTA. Oehthodromusl bicinctus, Gould, Handbk. B. Austr. ii. p. 238. Only once did I meet with these species-of the former a small troop on the sand-spits of the Herbert river; of the latter, one solitary bird remained for a few days on the sands in front of the settlement at Cardwell. 208. HIMANTOPUS LEUCOCEPHALUS. Himantopus leucocephalus, Gould, Handb. B. Austr. ii. p. 246. While ascending the Herbert river on the 25th of February 1874, and anxiously waiting for a stray shot at an Alligator (Crocodilus bi-porcatus), I met with the only specimen of this bird I noticed during my tour. Firing at the bird I disturbed the Saurian, much to the disgust of m y companions, as this identical Alligator had of late P R O C . Z O O L . Soc-1877, No. XXII. 22 |