iQi?-] British Association in Australia. 65 



regularly came to roost in the high gums by the lagoon, 

 and had puzzled Cain before my arrival. It was chiefly 

 blue and yellow, but did not seem perfectly in accord with 

 any book description ; so we forwarded it to Mr. Dudley 

 Le Souef, who kindly identified it for us as the rare Yellow 

 Parrot or "Murray Smoker'' {Plutycercus flaveolus). This 

 beautiful bird was our last prize, for the next day 1 had to 

 hurry away — much against ray will — from this paradise of 

 birds, to catch the train at Echuca. Even on the return 

 drive our luck held, for we had a splendid view of a fine 

 Wedge-tailed Eagle {Uroaetus audax) soaring above the 

 woodland where it was known to breed, while we met with 

 a flock of White-browed Babblers [Pomatorhinus super- 

 ciliosus) playing about the road, a company of White-winged 

 Choughs {Corcorax melanorhamphus) flitting about the scrub, 

 and a solitary Brown Hawk (Hieracidea berigora) sitting 

 motionless on a tree. Red-tipped Diamond-Birds {Parda- 

 lotus ornatus) were not new to me, but I was glad to see a 

 pair at very close quarters as a final treat, before I said 

 good-bye to my host at the station. His kindness and 

 thoughtfulness I shall never forget, while I can only hope 

 that he enjoyed our bird-watching as much as I did. 



My thanks are equally due to his brother Robert^ who 

 again met me in Melbourne, with the news that all was in 

 readiness for my visit to Gippsland. Early on September 8 

 I took train for Loch, where I was met by Mr. L. C. Cuok 

 and by him driven to Holbrook. There I found a whole 

 family — wife, father, sister, and uncle — at my disposal. 

 I hope that they will take ray expression of gratitude to 

 the Cains to refer in equal measure to them, and I can 

 assure them that ray final expedition was of equal interest 

 to any that I raade while in hospitable Australia, A meal 

 was ready when I arrived at the farm, where I was intro- 

 duced to Mr. Cook's relatives, and his sister and uncle 

 accompanied us to the very considerable area of old scrub, 

 which is known to the local ornithologists and all readers of 

 'The Emu' as the haunt of that curious and beautiful creature 



SER. X. VOL. V. F 



