50 Ross, Some Bird-Life on the Murray Frontage. \ ,^f"oci 



We had to leave the main channel, pass the boat through a wire 

 fence, and do some hard poling through heavy weedy growths 

 until we neared the edge of a very long stretch of rushes, along 

 the edge of which, and for the whole distance covered by the 

 eye, were fleckings of white. Here were the nesting-places of 

 the White Ibis, and the nests were so closely placed on the face 

 of that stretch of rushes that they must have averaged about 

 two to every yard of frontage. Several small patches of rushes, 

 from 15 to 20 feet in diameter, had been completely trodden 

 down, and were covered with nests. The old birds stuck very 

 closely to their nests, and allowed us to approach within about a 

 chain before rising — quite close enough for us to see (as they 

 rose) that delicate half-inch band of pink which stretches like a 

 ribbon near the outer edge on the under side of the wings. At 

 this distance we were well within the range of that pungent 

 odour which is characteristic of the nesting-places of the Ibis. 

 The nests themselves are veritable hot-beds, and one could 

 readily believe that there is little use in the parent bird sitting 

 on the eggs during several hours before and after mid-day, for 

 the natural heat seemed almost sufficient to carry on the 

 hatching. The majority of nests contained young birds, varying 

 from those almost able to fly, to chicks just out of the eggs, all 

 gasping with wide-open beaks in the almost tropical heat of the 

 swamp. Most of the other nests contained eggs — a few one, 

 some others two, but generally three, and only in one instance 

 four. There were very few empty nests. The fresh eggs could 

 be readily distinguished by their clear white colour, and they 

 were comparatively few, for most of the clutches had been 

 stained brown by the feet of the sitting birds, which indicated 

 that the process of incubation had well advanced. In one place 

 three Straw-necked Ibis rose from among the white ones, and 

 these nests contained three, three, and two eggs respectively. 

 We were out for lasting records of our visit, and so the camera 

 was prepared and an attempt made to set it up on the boat, but 

 by no means could we get the boat steady enough for 

 photography. Then we had to lash to the legs of the camera 

 some saplings and the poles used for pushing the boat through 

 the weeds. As the water was not at all cold there was no 

 great hardship in having to get out of the boat, but as it was 

 3 feet deep and contained dense growths of weeds the 

 photographer had a trying time endeavouring to adjust the 

 long, cumbersome legs of his improvised tripod. Notwithstand- 

 ing he was up to his waist in water, the exertion necessary to 

 free the legs of the camera from the heavy, clinging weeds, 

 added to the blazing heat of the sun overhead, was sufficient 

 literally to bathe him in perspiration. But ultimate success 

 crowned his efforts. There are few who have any conception of 

 the skill, energy, and perseverance — and above all, the patience 



