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Show 1877.] NORTH-EASTERN QUEENSLAND. 347 and some in the flesh said to have been obtained from the lakes Ballarat, in South Australia. It is one of the most common ducks north of the Burnet river. D. eytoni is abundant near Port Denison ; and from Rockingham Bay I have also obtained specimens. An egg taken from the oviduct by Mr. Rainbird, of Port Denison, measures 1*95 inch by 1*5 in breadth ; it is of a light creamy white, and slightly ovate, and appears to be comparatively a very small egg for a bird of this size to lay. 260. NYROCA AUSTRALIS. Nyroca australis, Gould, Handbk. B. Austr. ii. p.377. Met with once in the swamps of the Herbert-river district. 261. LARUS PACIFICUS. Larus pacificus, Gould, Handbk. B. Austr. ii. p. 385. I found this noble species rather plentiful on the mud-flats and margins of many of the rivers at low tides. They ascend the rivers in company with Xema jamesoni to a considerable distance. 1 noticed several pairs near the wharfs at Rockhampton. 262. XEMA JAMESONI. Xema jamesonii, Gould, Handbk. B. Austr. ii. p. 387. Common all along the coast from Melbourne to Cape York. 263. STERCORARIUS CATARRHACTES. Stercorarius catarrhactes, Gould, Handbk. B. Austr. ii. p. 389. 264. SYLOCHELIDON CASPIA. Sylochelidon caspia, Gould, Handbk. ii. B. Austr. p. 392. 265. ?THALASSEUS POLIOCERCUS. 1 Thalasseuspoliocercus, Gould, Handbk. B. Austr. ii. p. 396. 266. STERNA MELANORHYNCHA. Sterna melanorhyncha, Gould, Handbk. B. Austr. ii. p. 398. I obtained these Terns on one occasion in Rockingham Bay ; they did not not appear to be rare in that neighbourhood. 267. STERNULA PLACENS. Sternula placens, Gould, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 4 ser. vol. vii p. 192. I first found this beautiful species December 1865, at the mouth of the Richmond river, when I took it for S. nereis. I have repeatedly found them at different times during the last six years from as far south as Illawarra to Rockingham Bay in North-eastern Queensland, where it appears to be one of the most common species of Tern. |