^'^go^'J Mellor, The A.O.U. in Tasmania. i6q 



party. Next morning, being early astir, we three were 

 conveyed to the foot of the Western Tiers by horse and 

 cart. Assisted by a local guide and his son, with a pack 

 horse, we began the steep ascent. A fairly accessible 

 track now winds up the mountain side, though almost 

 inaccessible gorges and rocky precipices abound on either side. 

 A beautiful panorama opens up as the top is gained — the plains 

 away to the north and the sea beyond, and in a huge basin on 

 the top of the heights the Great Lake, with a circumference of 

 96 miles, winding about in bays and points like a huge inland 

 sea, the water being perfectly fresh, with here and there a tree- 

 covered island in its midst. The trees and shrubs are dwarfed 

 and of a hard and rough nature, similar to those found in alpine 

 latitudes. The day had been very hot for the ascent, and we 

 were glad to pause after our day's travel and have some billy 

 tea and snack of food. The lake is some 2 miles from the 

 summit of the surrounding heights ; the intervening slopes and 

 flats are swampy spaces covered with alpine growth. With 

 care they can be crossed dry shod, but just a slight slip and one 

 is up to the knees in water and bog, as the ground is peaty and 

 treacherous in the extreme. At the shores of the lake I took 

 my leave of the fishing party, and was fortunate in securing 

 shelter and food from a shepherd, whose lonely house stands 

 near the lake shore. Next day observations started early. I 

 was rewarded for an early rise by being able to see numbers of 

 birds, although the varieties were somewhat limited. Here the 

 Yellow Wattle-Bird i^Acanthochcera inauris) was fairly plentiful, 

 and could be detected by its harsh, guttural notes as it fed upon 

 the honey of the flowering eucalypts. Some of these were full- 

 grown young ones, showing that the time of breeding was past. 

 Two species of Strepera were plentiful — the Hill Crow-Shrike 

 (vS. arguta) and the Sooty Crow-Shrike (vS. fuliginosd). The 

 latter could be easily distinguished even at a distance on 

 account of the clear ringing cries, resembling the words " Cre- 

 li'ig'g'g"?) cre-ling-g-g-g," with the accent on the last syllable 

 and a drawing out of the sound, while the former's note is more 

 of a harsh guttural sound, resembling " Cralack-a-lack-a-lack-a- 

 lack," with the accent on the " lack " each time. Numbers of 

 old nests of both birds were seen, and large young were with 

 their parents flying about, and in one instance a fresh nest was 

 found with one fresh egg. Two seemed to be the usual clutch. 

 A few Ravens were present, but owing to not killing any their 

 exact identity was not settled, but they appeared to be the same 

 as those on the lower levels. The Wedge-tailed Eagle {Uroactus 

 audax) soared high above the mountain peaks, and was the only 

 member of the Hawk family met with ill these parts. 



Numbers of smaller birds were seen in the thicker scrub and 

 undergrowth in more sheltered spots, several Honey-eaters 



