Confessions of a Beachcomber - Edmund James Banfield (suggested reading txt) 📗

assuredly punished, they are yet repeated over and over again, and having more pity for the victims of man's heartlessness and folly than regard for the consequences which man suffers in the blows that Nature inflicts as she recoils, the inevitable conclusion was that moral suasion was of little purpose--that there must be more of example than precept. In this particular case how speedy and effective has been the result will be seen later on. Man destroys birds for sport, or in mere wantonness, and the increasing myriads of insect hosts lay such toll upon his crops and the fruit of the earth which by the exercise of high intelligence and noble perseverance he has improved and made plentiful, that the national loss is to be counted by hundreds of thousands. In this, as in all other interferences with natural laws, we blunder unless we reckon

"With that Fixed arithmic of the universe, Which meteth good for good, ill for ill, Measure for measure."

There may be a sort of satisfaction in the reflection, that for, perhaps, every insectivorous bird wantonly killed, some proportion of its weight in silver has to be paid indirectly by the country. But the satisfaction is of no avail to the dead bird nor to the species, unless the taxpayer feels the smart and becomes indignant. We want to save the lives of the birds, and the silver, then to moralise; not kill the bird and be compelled to spend the silver in destroying insects that the bird would have delighted to consume, and moralise upon the destructiveness of some hitherto insignificant bug or beetle, which has suddenly developed into a national calamity.

So it was resolved, as other phases of island life matured, that one of the first ordinances to be proclaimed would be that forbidding interference with birds. That ordinance prevails. Our sea-girt hermitage is a sanctuary for all manner of birds, save those of murderous and cannibalistic instincts. We give all a hearty welcome and make friends of them if possible. During the eight years of our occupancy many shy creatures have become quite bold and familiar; though I am fain to admit, with disappointment, that but slight increases in the species represented have been noticed. Four strange species of terns, which are wont to lay on the bare reef patches of the Barrier, now visit Purtaboi regularly every season, depositing their eggs among those of two other species, which in spite of disturbance by the blacks, year after year refused to abandon the spot. Possibly the fact that a haven of refuge has been established has not been widely promulgated among our friends. Those who are with us or visit us have peace and security, and are for the most part friendly and trustful.

Man--the late-comer, the last work, the perfect form--is not always kindly disposed towards the lower orders, though the dominion he exercises over them is absolute. Were not the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the very fish of the sea, given over to his arbitrary authority? Here the interest in birds is mainly protective. The printed law of the land says in ponderous paragraphs all duly numbered and subdivided, that it is unlawful to kill many Queensland birds; and the pains and penalties for disregard thereof, are they not set out in terrifying array? But who cares? Take, for an example, the lovely Gouldian finch. The law makes it an offence to kill the birds, or to take their eggs, or to have them in possession dead or alive. Yet trappers go out into the habitation of the bird and snare them by the thousand. Fifty thousand pairs have been sent away in a single season. Not one tenth of those which twitter so faintly and yet so sweetly to their tiny loves of their own land and their erstwhile freedom, ever live to be gloated over, because of their fatal gift of beauty, in London or on the Continent.



A CENSUS

While this census ignores several birds of the island as to the identity of which doubt exists in the mind of the compiler, it acknowledges the presence of all permanent residents familiar to him, as well as casual visitors, and those which stay for a few hours or days, as the case may be, for rest or refreshment during migratory flights. Chastened by the half-averted face of irresponsive science, the glowing desire to inflate the list gave way to the crisper sort of satisfaction which is like the joy that cometh in the morning.

BIRDS OF PREY

White Goshawk
ASTUR (LEUCOSPIZA) NOVAE HOLLANDIAE.
Goshawk
ASTUR APPROXIMANS.
Sparrow-Hawk
ACCIPITER CIRRHOCEPHALUS.
Wedge-tailed Eagle
UROAETUS (AQUILA) AUDAX.
White-bellied Sea-Eagle
HALIAETUS LEUCOGASTER.
White-headed Sea-Eagle
HALIASTUS GIRRENERA.
Kite
MILVUS AFFINIS.
Black-shouldered Kite
ELANUS AXILLARIS.
Black-cheeked Falcon
FALCO MELANOGENYS.
Grey Falcon
FALCO HYPOLEUCUS.
Black Falcon
FALCO SUBNIGER.
Kestrel
CERCHNEIS (TINNUNCULUS) CENCHROIDES.
Fish Hawk or Osprey
PANDION LEUCOCEPHALUS. Boobook
Owl
NINOX BOOBOOK.
Rufous Owl
NINOX HUMERALIS.
Lurid Owl (De Vis)
NINOX LURIDA.


PERCHING BIRDS

Pied Crow-Shrike
STREPERA GRACULINA.
White-winged Chough
CORCORAX MELANORHAMPHUS.
Manucode
PHONYGAMA (MANUCODIA) GOULDI.
Yellow Oriole
ORIOLUS FLAVICINCTUS.
Yellow-bellied Fig-bird
SPHECOTHERES FLAVIVENTRIS.
Drongo
CHIBIA BRACTEATA.
Magpie Lark
GRALLINA PICATA.
Brown Shrike-Thrush
COLLYRIOCINCLA BRUNNEA.
White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike
GRAUCALUS HYPOLEUCUS.
Little Cuckoo-Shrike
GRAUCALUS MENTALIS.
Barred Cuckoo-Shrike
GRAUCALUS LINEATUS.
Caterpillar-cater
EDOLIISOMA TENUIROSTRE (JARDINII).
Pied Caterpillar-eater
LALAGE LEUCOMELAENA.
Northern Fantail
RHIPIDURA SETOSA (ISURA).
Ruffis-fronted Fantail
RHIFIDURA RUFIFRONS.
Black and White Fantail
RHIPIDURA (SAULOPROCTA) TRICOLOR (MOTACILLOIDES).
Leaden Fly-catcher
MYIAGRA RUBECULA (PLUMBEA).
Blue Fly-catcher
MYIAGRA CONCINNA.
Pied Fly-catcher
ARSES KAUPI.
Shining Fly-catcher
PIEZORHYNCHUS NITIDUS.
White-eared Fly-catcher
PIEZORHYNCHUS LEUCOTIS.
Spectacled Fly-catcher
PIEZORHYNCHUS GOULDI.
Black-faced Fly-catcher
MONARCHA MELANOPSIS (CARINATA).
Tawny Grass-Bird
MEGALURUS GALACTOTES.
Rufous-breasted Thickhead
PACHYCEPHALA RUFIVENTRIS.
Sun-bird
CINNYRIS (NECTARINIA) FRENATA.
Dusky Honey-eater
MYZOMELA OBSCURA.
Yellow White-eye
ZOSTEROPS LUTEA.
Varied Honey-cater
PTILOTIS VERSICOLOR.
Fasciated Honey-eater
PTILOTIS FASCIOGULARIS.
Yellow-tinted Honey-eater
PLILOTIS FLAVA.
Friar Bird
PHILEMON CORNICULATUS.
Helmeted Friar Bird
PHILEMON BUCEROIDES.
Flower-Pecker or Mistletoe Bird
DICAEUM HIRUNDINACEUM.
Black-headed Diamond Bird
PARDALOTUS MELANOCEPHALUS.
Eastern Swallow
HIRUNDO JAVANICA.
Swallow
HIRUNDO NEOXENA (FRONTALIS).
White-rumped Wood-Swallow
ARTAMUS LEUCOGASTER.
Shining Starling
CALORNIS METALLICA.
Noisy Pitta
PITTA STREPITANS.


PICARIAN BIRDS

Large-tailed Nightjar
CAPRIMULGUS MACROURUS.
Roller or Dollar-Bird
EURYSTOMUS AUSTRALIS.
Bee-eater
MEROPS ORNATUS.
Blue Kingfisher
ALCYONE AZUREA.
Little Kingfisher
ALCYONE PUSILLA.
Leach Kingfisher
DACELO LEACHII.
Sacred Kingfisher
HALCYON SANCTUS.
Mangrove Kingfisher
HALYON SORDIDUS.
Bronze Cuckoo
CHALCOCOCCYX PLAGOSUS.
Koel
EUDYNAMIS CYANOCEPHALA.
Channel-bill
SCYTHROPS NOVAE HOLLANDIE.
Coucal
CENTROPUS PHASIANUS.


PARROTS

Red-collared Lorikeet
TRICHOGLOSSUS RUBRITORQUIS.
Glossy Cockatoo
CALYPTORHYNCHUS VIRIDIS (LEACHIT).
White Cockatoo
CACATUA GALERITA.
Red-winged Lory
PTISTES ERYTHROPTERUS.


PIGEONS AND DOVES

Rose-crowned Fruit Pigeon
PTILOPUS EWINGI.
Purple-crowned Fruit Pigeon
PTILOPUS SUPERBUS.
Purple-breasted Fruit Pigeon
MEGALOPREPIA MAGNIFICA.
Allied Fruit Pigeon
MEGALOPREPIA ASSIMILIS.
Nutmeg Pigeon
MYRISTICIVORA SPILORRHOA.
White-headed Fruit Pigeon
COLUMBA LEUCOMELA.
Pheasant-tailed Pigeon
MACROPYGIA PHASIANELLA.
Barred-shouldered Dove
GEOPELIA HUMERALIS.
Ground Dove
GEOPELIA TRANQUILA.
Little Dove
GEOPELIA CUNEATA.
Little Green Pigeon
CHALCOPHAPS CHRYSOCHLORA.


GAME BIRDS

Brown Quail
SYNAECUS AUSTRALIS.
Scrub Fowl
MEGAPODIUS DUPERREYI (TUMULUS).
Bald Coot
PORPHYRIO MELANONOTUS.
Little Quail
TURNIX VELOX.


RAIL

Pectoral Rail
HYPOTAENIDIA PHILIPPINENSIS.


CRANE

Crane or Native Companion
ANTIGONE AUSTRALASIANA.


PLOVERS, ETC.

Stone Plover
BURHINUS (OEDICNEMUS) GRALLARIUS.
Long-billed Stone Plover
ORTHORHAMPHUS (ESACUS) MAGNIROSTRIS.
Turnstone
ARENARIA (STREPSILAS) INTERPRES.
Pied Oyster-catcher
HAEMATOPUS LONGIROSTRIS.
Black Oyster-catcher
HAEMATOPUS UNICOLOR.
Masked Plover
LOBIVANELLUS MILES.
Red-capped Dottrel
AEGIALITIS RUFICAPILLA.
Black-fronted Dottrel
AEGIALITIS (MELANOPS) NIGRIFRONS.
Red-necked Avocet
RECURVIROSTRA NOVAE-HOLLANDIAE.
Curlew
NUMENIUS CYANOPUS.
Whimbrel
NUMENIUS VARIEGATUS.
Barred-rumped Godwit
LIMOSA NOVAE-SEALANDIAE.
Common Sandpiper
TRINGOIDES HYPOLEUCUS.
Greenshank
GLOTTIS NEBULARIUS (GLOTTOIDES).
Snipe
GALLINAGO AUSTRALIS.


SEA BIRDS

Crested Tern
STERNA BERGII.
Brown-winged Tern
STERNA ANAESTHETA.
Sooty Tern
STERNA FULIGINOSA.
White-shafted Ternlet
STERNA SINENSIS.
Black-naped Tern
STERNA MELANAUCHEN.
Noddy
ANOUS STOLIDUS.
White-capped Noddy
MICRANOUS LEUCOCAPILLUS.


IBISES

White Ibis
IBIS MOLUCCA.
Straw-necked Ibis
CARPHIBIS SPINICOLLIS.


HERONS

Plumed Egret
MESOPHOYX PLUMIFERA.
White Egret
HERODIAS TIMORIENSIS.
White-fronted Heron
NOTOPHOYX NOVAE-HOLLANDIAE.
Reef Heron
DEMIEGRETTA SACRA.
Little Mangrove Bittem
BUTORIDES STAGNATILIS.
Yellow-necked Mangrove Bittem
DUPETOR GOULDI.


POUCHERS

Little Cormorant
PHALACROCORAX MELANOLEUCUS.
Darter
PTOLUS NOVAE-HOLLANDIAE.
Masked Gannet
SULA CYANOPS.
Red-legged Gannet
SULA PISCATOR.
Brown Gannet (Booby)
SULA SULA (FIBER).
Lesser Frigate Bird
FREGATA ARIEL.
Pelican
PELICANUS CONSPICILLATUS.


DIVER

Black-throated Grebe
PODICIPES NOVAE-HOLLANDIAE.


DUCKS

Black Duck
ANAS SUPERCILIOSA.
Grey Teal
NETTION (ANAS) GIBBERIFRONS.

Why have we no residential parrot, though cockatoos are plentiful; no scrub turkey though the megapode scampers in all directions in the jungle; no common black crow, nor butcher bird, though other shrikes (the magpie for instance) come and go; no wren, no finch, no lark? Scrub turkeys (TALLEGALLA LATHAMI), mound builders like the megapode, are plentiful all along the coast, at certain seasons visiting the scrub which margins the opposite beach, but they are not found on these islands. The blue mountain parrot (red-collared lorikeet), the red-winged lory, the black cockatoo (Leach's), and other well-known species, fleet and venturesome, to whom two miles and a half of "salt, estranging sea" cannot be any check, certainly do not use the island for nesting as birds of "innocent and quiet minds" might. Gauze-winged butterflies flit across the channel, occasionally in great numbers. What law restrains virile birds from the venture?

The absence among the residents of swimming birds, save the beach frequenters, is due to the lack of open fresh water, though there are indications of the past existence of at least one swamp, and also that it was drained naturally by the fretting away of a sand ridge by the sea.

How is it, that though we have echidna in three different colours--black, grey and straw--there is no typical marsupial, large