^"loif^^l Whitr, Trif^ to Northern End of Flinders Ranges. 155 



last rain. The Cockatoos were ripping the melons to pieces with 

 their bills and extracting ripening seeds. There were also a fair 

 number of the Parrots which I have described as Barnardius 

 harnardi lindoi * — Lindo's Ring-neck Parrot. Leaving the creek, 

 we made our way to the station through low scrub, principally 

 Acacia and Eremophila. Here bird-life was more abundant. 

 Numbers of Southern Yellow-fronted Honey-eaters {Lichenostomus 

 pliimiilHS ethelcv) were met with, also the Singing Honey-eater. 

 A nest of the Redthroat {PyrrJiolcvmits britnneus), containing two 

 eggs of this bird and one egg of the Black-eared Cuckoo {Owenavis 

 oscnlans), was discovered. 



On the 13th October the party left in two conveyances for 

 Xuccalena copper mine, where the geologists spent a most inter- 

 esting and profitable day. By the courtesy of Mr. Lindo I was 

 shown over some most interesting but rough country, where many 

 birds were observed. As soon as the party had left for the mine 

 our host and I repaired to the well-built station stockyards, caught 

 two saddle hacks, and were soon on the track. It is wonderful 

 how sure these mountain -bred horses are ; they can gallop about 

 where horses not accustomed to the country could not keep their 

 feet. Having cut across several ridges, we followed up the dry 

 bed of a mountain stream, which after rain would be a raging 

 torrent. This was plainly evident from the great water-worn 

 boulders strewn along its channel. In some of the hollow branches 

 and stems of the red gums which grew along the water-course 

 Bare-eyed Cockatoos had found their nesting-places, and the birds 

 made a great fuss as we rode underneath. Bright-plumaged 

 Banded Parrots were also disturbed as we passed along. At a 

 bend in the creek an alluvial flat had formed, and upon this soil 

 a quantity of wild fuchsia bushes, often called " plum-bush " 

 {Eremophila), were growing, and the flowers had attracted many 

 birds, among them the rare Pied Honey-eater {Certhionyx 

 variegatits). This is a record for furthest south for this bird, as 

 far as I know. Eight or ten species of birds were identified in as 

 many minutes. We left the bed of the creek and crossed over 

 some steep and rough ridges, camping at Green Water-hole. 

 Hobbling the horses, we had lunch under some fine gum-trees, 

 beside a clear permanent spring. While we sat there several 

 Bare-eyed Cockatoos came in to drink, and, when they caught 

 sight of us, flew to a dead tree close by, where they partially 

 opened their wings and raised the feathers of the forehead, keeping 

 up their screeching call all the time. There was a number of 

 Southern Plumed Honey-eaters and Cloncurry Honey-eaters 

 around this water. From Green Water-hole we descended a 

 tributary of Blackfellow Creek, then turned up the main channel. 

 Darkness set in, but fortunately a new moon shed sufficient hght 

 to enable us to avoid the larger masses of rocks and boulders which 

 were strewn along the dry bed of the creek. Strange to say, only 



* S. A. Ornithologist, vol. ii., part 5. 



