J ^j^^'j Excursion to Pavwan and Coimadai. 7 



dealt with, the probable conditions detailed under which the 

 most interesting of its geological series of beds were imposed, 

 and an outline given of some of the theories advanced to account 

 for the glacial conditions here as elsewhere. On the whole, 

 the members of the party expressed themselves pleased with 

 the outing, and regretted their inability to visit Burnip's 

 Quarry when informed on the railway station of the interesting 

 fossils that are continually being found therein. — J. G. 



O'DONOGHUE. 



[Some notes on the basalt caves of Victoria and their probable 

 method of formation will be found in " Science Notes," by 

 "Tellurian," in the Australasian of 22nd April last. — Ed. Vict. 

 Nat.] 



RAMBLES IN RAAK. 

 By J. G. O'DoNOGHUE. 



{Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 14th Feb., 1916.) 



During our vasit to the Mallee in September, 1914, some of 

 the incidents of which were chronicled in the Naturalist under 

 the title " Wanderings on the Murray Flood-Plain " (vol. xxxii., 

 p. 26), we heard much of a locality called Raak, situated 30 

 miles, or thereabouts, west of the camp we had formed on Lake 

 Mournpoul. Remote, as it was said to be, from any human 

 habitation, offering no great inducement to the trapper and 

 less to the sportsman, and lying well to the north of the bridle 

 track leading from the Darling to Ouyen, we had reason to 

 believe it would prove a good field for ornithological investiga- 

 tion. Actuated by what we had heard, and by the peculiarly 

 favourable situation of the district, a visit thereto the 

 following spring was decided upon, provided the season was 

 more propitious than that then prevailing. 



The long-expected break in the lengthy sequence of arid 

 months occurred in due course, and the Mallee was visited by 

 a generous rainfall that gave assurance of a favourable spring- 

 tide. Arrangements for our projected excursion were con- 

 sequently begun early in September, and on Tuesday morning, 

 the 5th October, Mr. A. W. Milhgan and I left the city by the 

 6.30 train for Nowingi, a railway station 32i| miles from 

 Melbourne, 30 miles south of Mildura, and 10 miles east of our 

 contemplated base of operations. 



The express by which we had travelled on the previous trip 

 had been discontinued by the Railways Commissioners for 

 economical reasons, and we were perforce obliged to journey 

 by a mixed train that seldom averaged 12^ miles per hour, 

 and that tarried at many of the Mallee stations to such an 



