14 O'DoNOGHUE. Rambles in Raak. \v<V^xxxi\\ 



Buloke and Belar, that rang incessantly with the load, pleasing 

 calls of Gilbert's Thickhead. Pachycephala gilberti, we saw. 

 among other birds, the Black-capped Tree-runner, Sittella 

 f)ileatii, the Brown Tree-creeper, Cliniacteris scandens. and the 

 Bron/e-wing Pigeon, Phaps chalcoptera, the last-named being 

 invariably flushed from beneath, or in the vicinity of, a growth 

 of the Furze Acacia. 



Beyond the northern extension of the casuarinas a more 

 arenaceous formation occurred, on which flourished, in more or 

 less abundance, the Murray Pine, the Leafless Ballart. the 

 Furze Acacia, the Tantoon, Leptospenmim flavescens, and" the 

 Small-leaved Waxflower, Eriostemon difformis. Some fine 

 specimens of the Australian Bugle, Ajnga aiistyalis, the Fleshy 

 Senecio, Senecio Gregorii, the Immortelle. Waitzia acuminata, 

 and Silver Tails, Trichininm obovatiuii. were noted growing 

 among the spinifex and the eucalypts, which comprised the 

 Oil Mallee, Eucalyptus oleosa, the Tall ^lallee. Eucalyptus 

 incrassata, the variety angulosa, and a type intermediate between 

 it and the normal form. The Golden Everlasting, and the less 

 sturdy Satin Everlasting, were numerous. The former seemed 

 to favour the open situations, whilst the latter was invariably 

 found growing in, or close beside, a tuft of spinifex. In this 

 respect it was not the only growth that claimed tlie protection 

 of, or derived its sustenance from, the spinifex, for in many 

 spots the nebulous-like panicles of the Feather Spear-grass, 

 Stipa elegantissima, rising like wraiths from out of the centre 

 of innumerable masses of dry and j^yungent leaves, lent quite 

 a chaiTn to the scene. 



Continuing westerly for some little time through vegetation 

 such as has been described, we bore south, and", after traversing 

 the belt of Belar and Buloke previously mentioned, emerged 

 on to open, park-like country. Here, among the flowering 

 Sandalwood and Needle Hakea, we noted the Sordid and 

 the Masked Wood-Swallows, Artamtis sordidus and Artamus 

 personatiis, and the Spinv-cheeked Honey-eater, Acanthochara 

 rufigularis, and found the nest and eggs of the Black-eared 

 Miner, owing to the bird's pertinacious attacks on a Bronze- 

 Cuckoo, Chalcococcyx plagosus. 



A direct traverse was now made for the hut through the Tall 

 Thickheads, the Ciested Goosefoot, Chenopodium cristatum, 

 and the Variable Senecio, Senecio lautus. As we reclined in the 

 shade of the pines after our journey, and listened to the notes 

 of the Black-and-White Fantail, Rhipidura tricolor, and the 

 White-shouldered Caterpillar-eater, Lalage tricolor, that were 

 borne to our ears on the gentle breeze, it seemed hard to realize 

 that within comparatively recent times the country which we 



