Vol. XVIII. 1 \yhij£^ Birds of Lake Victoria and Murray River. II 



to a brightly-lit dining table and cheerful fire. Our thanks went 

 out a hundred times to our invisible host. 



We started our ornithological work earnestly on 2nd October. 

 Walking along the edge of the flooded country, we were attracted 

 by some deep wash-outs in the side of a hill, and here great 

 numbers of Diamond-Birds were nesting. The greatest enemy 

 of birdkind, the imported fox, had discovered these birds' nesting 

 burrows, and in many cases had scratched them out for the eggs 

 or young Another bird was nesting in these banks, and that 

 was the Red-backed Kingfisher. The Pale-yellow Parrot was 

 very numerous. Many Honey-eaters, attracted by some flowering 

 box-trees, were observed, and the harsh calls of the waterfowl 

 came from the flooded area. After lunch we manned one of the 

 boats, and after a hard pull against a strong current made our 

 way into one of the swamps. Here we saw a great sight — miles 

 upon miles of swift-running water, over country which, in normal 

 times, would be a box flat, with lignum bushes from 12 to 14 feet 

 high growing upon it ; but at this time only a third of the box- 

 trees was out of water, and only the tops of the lignum bushes. 

 Amidst this great swamp thousands of water-birds had con- 

 gregated to nest. The Black-tailed Native-Hen, the Moor-Hen, 

 Australian Coot, and, at rare intervals, the Bald-Coot, would slip 

 off the tops of the floating lignum bushes and swim away through 

 the maze of light-green tops of bushes and trees. We found the 

 Moor-Hens' nests placed just above the water in the lignum 

 bushes. The Coot made its nest of water grasses and other 

 material, always floating on the water, but so placed on the side 

 of the bush that it could not be swept away by the current. 

 We spent a delightful time in the haunts of the water-fowl. 

 Snakes were numerous, and it was a frequent occurrence to 

 discover a tiger or carpet snake coiled up on the top of a bush, 

 on a branch of a tree, or a hollow limb. Often when the boat 

 was under a dead tree-spout, and the writer pulled himself up by 

 his hands to examine a likely Duck's nest, he would meet the 

 gaze of a goanna or a, snake at far too short a range. These 

 reptiles are responsible for the disappearance of many eggs and 

 young birds. The clear, ringing notes of the Yellow-throated 

 Friar-Bird were often heard, and over the water they sounded 

 more musical than ever. This bird must have been described 

 from an immature specimen, for they have a yellow throat only 

 in the early stage of life. 



Next day set in wet ; heavy showers fell all the morning, and 

 we congratulated ourselves, and thanked our invisible host, for 

 being in such comfortable quarters. About 3 p.m. the weather 

 broke, and we went along the flood waters on the high ground. 

 No new birds were recorded. Rain set in again, so we returned. 

 The following day thunderstorms passed over continuously, with 

 heavy rain, which prevented our doing much work. 



On Friday we started out in one of the boats, and spent most 

 of the day amongst the water-birds. Grey Teal, Black Duck, 



