^°'l&^"] WHITLOCK. Trip to Forlcscuc River 269 



P'ortescue. I saw only one small parly. vSoutheni Stone- 

 Plovers (Biirhinus inagnirostris) were heard calling at night, 

 but none was seen during daylight. On the ])ools were a few 

 Black Swans (Chenopis atrata). 



At wells and at the springs in the ranges the little Diamond 

 Dove {Gcopelia cumeata) was very common indeed. On the 

 river its place was taken by the Peaceful Dove {G. placida). I 

 saw but one P>ronzewing (PJiaps chalcoptera). This was near 

 a spring in the ranges. Quails were rare. Only one or two 

 were seen. They looked like the Little Quail (Turuix velox). 

 Parties of £mus (Droniaius novcr-hoUandice) were occasionally 

 seen in the country between the river and ranges. At one of 

 my camps, three came regularly to the troughs to drink. A 

 white specimen was reported on Mount Enid i-un, a station to 

 the north-west of Mill Stream. 



Other species of birds were seen at too great a distance to 

 be identified with certainty, and single individuals of the two 

 Song-Larks, viz., the Brown Song-Lark {Cinclorhamphus 

 cruroUs), and the Rufous Song-Lark (C. rufescens), were 

 noted. 



One of the chief objectives of my trip was to see if I could 

 not locate a Bower-Bird in the ranges. Mr. Tom Carter, a 

 few years back, found a new sub-species at Yardie Creek, near 

 the North-west Cape. Still further back I saw a single bird 

 on the Taiga River, near its junction with the Coonyan. This 

 bird was so close above my head, that I dare not shoot at it 

 with a twelve bore gun. The bird eluded me, in a subsequent 

 chase. A few weeks later, I recognised a party by their flight 

 on the de Crrey River, and a local naturalist told me he had seen 

 play-grounds on the neighbouring Ridley River. 



The result of inquiries at Mill Stream as to the presence 

 of a Bower-Bird in the neighbouring Hamersley Ranges did 

 not give me much encouragement. However, I accidentally 

 came in contact with Air. T. Brown, a teamster. He had 

 camped in different parts of the ranges, hunting dingoes during 

 slack times. He told me that Bower-birds visited the springs 

 for water at several of his camps. He gave such an accurate 

 description of the bird and its habits that I had full confidence 

 I should find the information correct. 



Mr. C. R. Irvine told me at the same time of a gorge which 

 he knew contained a spring within five miles of a bore, where 

 I could camp. On 23rd September he very kindly motored me 

 to the spot, and also conducted me to the mouth of the gorge. 

 The following day, leaving camp very early, I went in search 

 of the spring. The going was very rough, the bed of the creek 

 being much encumbered with rocks of all shapes and sizes, 

 which had fallen from the precipitous sides of the gorge. 



