in quest of Prince Albert's Lyre-bird. 173 



morning, without an attack having been made. The dog, how- 

 ever, rushed out once during the morning watch and got hold of a 

 native Dingo, which he held until Davy with his " nulla nulla " 

 despatched him. The tail of the dog being considered a trophy, 

 it was not long before Davy had it off and skinned and tied it 

 round his head. This acted as a band to keep his hair up, and 

 added at the same time to his formidable appearance. 



Morning came, and with it a beautiful day, for the sun shone 

 on the Bald Hill with all its glory; and the horses were feeding 

 within sight of the camp, close to a little spring that gushed out 

 of a small basin in the side of the hill. Breakfast being over 

 we again prepared for the road, having only ten miles to do 

 this day ; but it was a severe ten miles, the ranges being steeper 

 than the day before. 



We expected to reach our camping-ground on the top of the 

 Tanning Mountain by raid-day, but did not do so till past 2 p.m. 

 The mountain had a table top covered with fine grass and 

 studded over with a beautiful species of Palm-tree, called by the 

 aborigines "Tanning." Its sides were covered with a dense 

 brush, containing Cedars of gigantic size. Here we formed our 

 permanent camp for our attack on the Calwin, or Menura alberti, 

 close to a little torrent of water which ran down a rocky ravine 

 on the west side of the mountain and lost itself in the dense 

 jungle below. Having hobbled and bedded the horses, and 

 stopped up the track by which we came up, to prevent them 

 from straying homewards, we despatched Billy for a supply 

 of game, and spent the remainder of the day in completing 

 our camp. Davy made for himself a bark " gungah," and as 

 it had the appearance of rain, we built a bark shed over our 

 kitchen fire. By the time we had competed our arrangements 

 Billy returned with a supply of game, consisting of three Brush- 

 turkeys, a Pademeleon, and two pigeons, being an ample supply 

 for supper and the morrow's breakfast. Before sunset we re- 

 joiced to hear the cry of three Menuras in different directions, 

 which proved to us that we were in the right spot for the de- 

 struction of these most beautiful and curious birds. But to 

 obtain their eggs and nest was the principal inducement to me 

 for taking so nuich trouble, and it was only after nearly two 

 months' hunting that I was rewarded by finding them. Day 



