Vol. XVIll 

 1919 



■1 White, Oynithological Trips to Nullabov Plains. 103 



Third Trip. 



In December, 1917, the writer was on his way again to the 

 historic Ooldea. By this time the luxurious " Great Western 

 Express " had taken the place of the slow freights, tea and sugar, 

 and pay trains. Being met at Port Augusta by the supervising 

 engineer (Capt. Saunders), I left by the 10.45 express, and inter- 

 viewed several persons on the way who are assisting with the 

 destruction of the Sparrow. Ooldea was reached in the evening 

 of the second day. Here I had comfortable quarters arranged 

 for me, and the next day set about my work. A very severe heat 

 spell set in, and the first day was 116° Fahr. in the shade. It 

 having been reported that Sparrows had been seen in this camp, 

 on the edge of the Nullabor Plains, I searched it well every day. 

 I was there both morning and evening, but not a trace of the 

 birds was I able to pick up. I feel sure that one of our native 

 birds, the Whiteface {Aphelocephala lencopsis), has been many 

 times mistaken for the imported Sparrow. 



At 10 a.m. a start was made for Ooldea native well, or soak, 

 every assistance being rendered by the Commonwealth officials. 

 I first visited the two wells put down by A. H. Tietkins, F.R.G.S., 

 of which I have already made mention. Examining large heaps 

 of stone and debris which had been thrown out of these wells, 

 it was seen that from 50 to 60 feet down a vast mass of casts of 

 sea-shells existed ; many of the casts are very perfect, showing 

 great detail in markings. Upon examining these wells more 

 closely it was found that they were tenanted by Screech or Barn 

 Owls. When a noise was made at the top of the well these 

 strange birds stretched out their necks from where they were 

 perched, upon ledges of rock in the walls, and turned their strange 

 disc faces first to one side and then to the other, to see what the 

 commotion on top was. Many attempts were made to flush the 

 birds from the well, without effect, and it was only when I was 

 lowered into the well that these birds could be examined closely. 

 I next paid attention to some blow-holes out upon the plain. 

 These holes are numerous, and pass down into the darkness, how 

 deeply no one knows ; others go down in a shelving manner, with 

 roughly terraced steps. These blow-holes are a remarkable feature 

 of the limestone plain. There is a continual draught one way or 

 the other, either up or down, and in some places a strong saline 

 smell was very apparent, and in some instances one could detect 

 a seaweed odour ; this may be fancy, still it is the opinion of 

 many that the strong current of air passing in and out is caused 

 by the incoming or outgoing tides, which pass up under the plain 

 for many miles. In some cases the current of air is very strong, 

 and I found it useless to descend with a light other than a 

 hurricane lamp, and as I was lowered into the darkness my hair 

 was carried up straight by the air rushing up past me. It was 

 found, as with the old wells, that many of the blow-holes were 

 tenanted by the Owls, and it was a weird sight, being suspended 

 by a rope deeper and deeper into the darkness, to see Owls of all 



