112 Mellor, Mallee-Fowl for a Sanctuary. [andTct 



but as circumstances indicated that in all probability they would 

 be slaughtered in the near future by new settlers, I decided to 

 form a plan for the capture of some, at least. Next day we built 

 a spacious aviary of wire netting, enclosing some small bushy 

 mallee, so as to make thick cover, as my former experience with 

 these birds had taught me that in captivity they will knock them- 

 selves about unless properly caged. My foresight was justified, 

 for, after capture, they became extremely frightened, appearing 

 not to see the wire netting, against which they ran or flew blindly 

 and with great force. During my three days' sojourn with the 

 Perrys several pairs were captured, but care had to be taken 

 that no misjudgment was made in catching them, otherwise a 

 frightened bird might escape to warn others, and frighten them 

 away. 



One day we paid a visit to a nest of last season, which had been 

 scratched out freshly to allow of the winter rains thoroughly 

 saturating the rotten leaves in the bowl of the mound, which 

 would be eventually covered up, and the eggs laid in the leaves. 

 I was loth to leave the district ; but my main object being to get 

 the captured birds home as quickly as possible, I had to depart, 

 and by the aid of the Perrys we got our pets to Cleve in a small 

 spring dray, and transferred them to a case. We were still 20 

 miles from the coast, but, by the kind assistance of Mr. I. Rayson, 

 I was driven into Arno Bay to catch the steamer Investigator. 

 Unfortunately, the steamer did not go straight to Port Adelaide, 

 owing to the King's coronation festivities upsetting the pro- 

 gramme, and I was forced to wait at Arno Bay for a couple of 

 days, with my birds caged up in a close box. However, eventually 

 I boarded the s.s. Riiparti, got to Wallaroo (on Yorke Peninsula), 

 and from there took train to Adelaide, where I landed my charges 

 safely at the Reedbeds, after they had been cooped up for 4 days. 

 At " Holmfirth " roomy aviaries were awaiting them, and I was 

 able to watch their movements at leisure while waiting for an 

 opportunity to get them down to Cape Borda by the departmental 

 steamer Governor Musgrave. 



Having housed and cared for the Mallee-Fowls for a month at 

 " Holmfirth," through the courtesy of the President of the Marine 

 Board, Mr. Arthur Searcy, I was granted a passage on board the 

 Governor Musgrave to Kangaroo Island. I despatched the birds 

 to the steamer on the afternoon of i8th July, and at night joined 

 the little boat at the Outer Harbour, where the skipper, Capt. 

 P. Weir, was waiting to meet me. Dr. R. S. Rogers, of Adelaide, 

 and myself were the only passengers. I soon learned that, much 

 as he would like to assist in liberating the birds as soon as possible, 

 Capt. Weir gave no hopes of landing at Cape Borda in such 

 weather as we were experiencing, for a stiff wind and squally 

 seas predominated. The skipper decided to head towards Back- 

 stairs Passage, doing the ports of southern Kangaroo Island first, 

 hoping that the weather in several days would moderate : but 

 we were in for a " slopping," and the Governor Musgrave kept up 



