tyo Jackson, Haunts of the Letter-winged Kite. [isf'lan 



legs and feet black ; bill black: (Ovaries small.) Secured on red 

 ground, much the colour of the bird. 



In addition to the foregoing birds mentioned, the following 

 ma}' be included, as I secured skins of the same : — Strix delicatiila 

 (Delicate Owl), Ephthianura aiirifrons (White-fronted Bush-Chat), 

 Ptilotis sonora (Singing Honey-eater), Ptilotis leilavalensis (Pallid 

 Honey-eater), Chalcococcyx bdsalis (Narrow-billed Bronze-Cuckoo), 

 Pachycephala riifiventris (Rufous-breasted Whistler), Petroica 

 goodenovii (Red-capped Robin), Cinclorhamphiis cruralis (Brown 

 Song-Lark), Halcyon pyrrhopygius (Red-backed Kingfisher), 

 Anthus australis (Ci round-Lark), Minify a horsfieldi (Bush-Lark). 



General Observations. 



Altogether, over eighty species of birds were observed, but 

 space will not permit giving details of all. 



Several wild domestic cats were seen, and these animals are now 

 very destructive to bird-life everywhere. 



A remarkable-looking green flower was found growing in several 

 places on sandy patches. It very much resembles a bird in the 

 act of flying, and is a good representation. The plant has since 

 been identified from the specimens collected as Crotalaria 

 C'lmninghaini, R. Br. Frequently numbers of Black-faced Wood- 

 Swallows {Artamus mdanops) were seen perched on these bushes. 



Five different species of mistletoe {Lorantkus) were found, the 

 viscid berries of which form the chief food of the Mistletoe- 

 Bird [Dicccuni hirnndinaceum), and this pretty little creature 

 was frequently seen. 



We experienced some very cold nights early in July, and had 

 ice at the camp on three mornings. In a direct line we were about 

 600 miles inland from the ocean. The mirage on the vast plains 

 was a very wonderful sight, resembling seas of water. Sunrise 

 and sunset were glorious sights. Very often, about half an hour 

 after the sun went down, there was a peculiar streak or narrow 

 ray of white hght, which went up into the sky for a con- 

 siderable distance, and direct from the sun's setting point, and 

 plainly visible until after 9 p.m. 



The numerous long, narrow water-holes or water-courses on 

 the Diamantina River must have had many aborigines living 

 about them years ago, as on small sand-hills close to a number 

 we visited I found numerous flint chips, heaps of old and much- 

 decayed fresh- water mussel (Unto) shells, also large stones once 

 used for grinding the small seeds of the nardoo {Marsilea dritm- 

 mondii, A. Br.) plant, which made a valuable sort of flour for 

 these natives. One of these bottom nardoo stones discovered 

 measured 24 inches long, 15 inches wide, and 2 inches thick, and 

 had two grinding hollows worked into it. The nardoo plant (leaf 

 clover-like sliape) grew jjUntifully about our camp, and I .saw 

 Emus both there and in North- Western New South Wales 

 frequently eating the seeds and leaves ; the latter they eat in 

 large quantities. 



