\ol. XXII. 



] WHITE, Most Extensive Ornithological Tour 227 



next niorninj,^ Birds were Hying u]) and down the stream in 

 the morninj;, amongst them being White-faced Herons, White- 

 necked Herons, Grey Ducks, Grey 'Peal, Black Cormorant (Phala- 

 crocorax carbo), Little Black Cormorant {P. ater), Pied Cor- 

 morant {P. varins), White-headed Stilt {Himantopus Iciico- 

 cephalus), Red-kneed Dotterel, Black-fronted Dotterel, Plumed 

 Egret {Eijretta intermedia), Royal Spoonbill, Kites, both vSquare- 

 tailed and Forked-tailed. Yellow-throated Miners were seen in 

 the timber. Pratincoles were very quiet, alighting on the ground 

 within a few feet of us. We now went a long way west of our 

 route to get round some very bogg}- country, and had to cross 

 several bad creeks and plains of high grass, where Brown Song- 

 Larks were numerous. When we entered low sub-tropical scrub. 

 Crested Pigeons became plentiful, and Bustards and Ouarrions 

 were seen in numbers. Later we were moving through high 

 grass out on a boundless and treeless plain. Here a large Bush- 

 Lark (Mirafra) first appeared. When flushed they hovered 

 over the high grass for a time and then dropped into it. Several 

 Pipits were seen, and Black-faced Wood-Swallows were plen- 

 tiful. A very rufous Mirafra was observed, but no specimen was 

 taken. I take this to be M. rufescens. After crossing a treeless 

 plain 17 miles across we entered sub-tropical open park-like coun- 

 try, with many young Ouarrions and Shell-Parrots. 



The country was very lovely with many wild flowers. We 

 next reached Frew's Ironstone Rounds, a most wonderful forma- 

 tion — immense pot-holes in an ironstone formation. On the 

 water were Pelicans and Grebes, and perched on the rocks were 

 Royal Spoonbills, and close handy Australian Cranes, Galahs, and 

 Cloncurry Honeyeaters. W^e now motored through a beautiful 

 open forest or park-like country; it was a very beautiful and 

 rich country. The vegetation was intensely interesting. In the 

 high grass were many anthills. Black-faced Wood Swallows 

 were still plentiful. The first specimen of the Black-tailed Tree- 

 creeper (Cliniacteris nielanura) here came under observation^ 

 Rufous-breasted Whistlers were plentiful as we were passing 

 through thick scrub. Some of the Eucalypts were in blossom 

 here, many trees being capped with masses of bloom. 



It was very interesting to see numbers of Black- faced 

 Wood-Swallows clustering on the gum blossom for the honey 

 the flowers contained. We were now passing through a won- 

 derful piece of country, well timbered and grassed, and the land 

 was rich. Much of this country was park-like in appearance. 

 We went into camp at 136 miles alongside a fine waterhole. Birds 

 round this camp w^ere.very numerous. Species seen included the 

 Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acnticauda), very plentiful in the 

 bush country; Banded Finch (Ster/anopleiira hichenovii), very 

 numerous in the thick brush along the watercourses ; Chestnut- 

 eared Finch. Diamond Dove, Red-browed Pardalote, Quarrion 

 This bird was verv numerous, and there were large flocks com- 



