12 White, Birds of Lake Victoria and Murray River. [isf'juiy 



and the Maned Goose were plentiful, and mostly in pairs, showing 

 that they were nesting. The Maned Geese, or Wood-Ducks, were 

 very quiet, for often when we passed through the garden gate 

 several of these handsome birds would be feeding on the grass 

 close to the gate, and when we passed out they would only move 

 to one side to let us pass by. In a lucerne paddock close to the 

 house numbers of beautiful White Egrets, White-necked and 

 White-fronted Herons, could be seen at any time during the day. 

 All this spoke volumes for the owner of the station, for he can 

 never allow any shooting near the homestead, or these birds 

 would not be there. In the late afternoon Dr. Morgan went out 

 in the swamp again, taking Harris, our man, to assist him. The 

 writer went along the flooded area with camera to take photo- 

 graphs of the foxes' work in scratching out the birds' nests. 



Saturday morning, Mr. Smyth, of the adjoining station, 

 " Nimpoo," called with his car and took us " out back " to his 

 brother's place, where the ^soil was covered in a dense mass of 

 spear-grass 4 feet high. The timber was chiefly mallee, pine, 

 and sandal-wood. We saw a good many birds, amongst them 

 the Pallid Cuckoo, Yellow-throated Miner, and the beautiful 

 Yellow-vented Parrot in small flocks. The Gilbert Thickhead 

 was often seen and heard. \Mien we emerged upon some more 

 open country the Tricoloured Chat, like crimson spots, moved on 

 before us. The Little Quail was also numerous. We returned 

 by way of Lake Victoria. As evening was coming on, and the sun 

 was setting, we had a splendid view of the lake, the vast expanse 

 of water, with a fine fringe of gum-trees in the foreground, and 

 the dechning sun shining on the sand-hills and cliffs, on the far 

 side, made a wonderful picture, set in a great waving mass of 

 spear-grass. On our waj- back we met with several flights of 

 the beautiful Black-tailed Parrots ; they were making into the 

 timber on the river from their feeding-grounds out-back. Their 

 swift and elegant flight, combined with their rich yellow coloration, 

 coral-red bill, and black tails, renders them most conspicuous. 



Next day was taken up curing specimens, writing-up notes, 

 and taking photographs. My companion went out in the after- 

 noon and procured a Red-capped Babbler ; this bird was taken on 

 an island up-stream. 



Next morning Mr. Smyth again called for us, and kindly 

 motored us over to where the Rufus Creek enters the lake. It 

 was a bright morning, and we approached Lake Victoria on 

 rising ground. When we reached the crest, the lake in all its 

 grandeur opened out before us, with a fine flock of Swan sailing 

 on its surface. We could not get anywhere near the Wentworth 

 Bridge, over the Rufus, for it was well under the flood waters. 

 Having procured a boat from a Government caretaker, we pulled 

 down along the Rufus Creek, the creek being marked only by 

 gum-trees half submerged along the banks. The air was laden- 

 with the sweet scent of the Murray lilies. We turned, with a strong 

 current, into a great swamp, out of which the green tops of 



