Voi.\i.-j Royal Australasian Ornilhologisls' Union. 163 



Australian bird chorus greeting the early <la\vn I iearlcssly confess 

 that there is nothing in an English wootl which can beat it for 

 richness of note or variety of song. 



" First of all there began a gentle twittering of the smaller birds. 

 Almost immediately a pretty little Blue Wren appeared on the 

 bough of a tree near my tent, and trilled a bright song as gaily 

 as a Robin Redbreast. Soon the whole neighbourhood was flooded 

 with song as of one magnificent, harmonious chorus, throughout 

 which individual songsters poured forth full-throated, melodious 

 solos. There were three birds which pleased me the most — the 

 Brush-Cuckoo the Yellow-breasted Whistler, or Thickhead, and the 

 Bell-Bird. 



"The Brush Cuckoo sang a perfect three-bar song, almost 

 exactly resembling a portion of the chorus sung in the first act of 

 ' Faust.' The Whistler had no distinct tune ; it gave us a series 

 of merry whistling, in crescendos, and terminating with a joyous 

 exclamation. This bird is a gem, and has such a repertoire that 

 at different times of the day it completely changes its whistle, but 

 always it is delightfully full and clear. 



" The Bell-Birds gave the effect of the ' Anvil Chorus ' by their 

 constant ' Ting, ting, ting,' from which bell-like note the bird 

 deriv^es its name. How is it possible to describe such a chorus ? 

 The noise was not deafening ; it was a constant warbling, carolling, 

 and whistling, with distinct flute-like solos, which could be heard 

 from every side of this great natural aviary." 



Yet, notwithstanding this enthusiastic description, the camp 

 was broken up somewhat precipitately. Possibly the restless 

 craving for sight-seeing of some of the members overcame their 

 original intention of bird-observing, for no fault could be found 

 with the executive for the locality chosen. The cook, who re- 

 mained till the end of his term, which he improved by catching 

 water-lizards, with more or less success, for the Sydney Zoo, 

 facetiously named the place " Skedaddle Camp." 



Messrs. Campbell and Mellor elected to accept the hospitality 

 of " Palm Grove," the selection of Mr. G. H. Jaques, 4 miles 

 further up the Ourimbah, and the last dwelling on the creek. 

 Here the ranges converge, and, except for a clearing here and 

 there near the stream, and tracks of timber-getters, the scrub is 

 in its virgin state. Along the creek, by shaded pools, are many 

 trees strange to southern visitors, and ornamental wattles, notably 

 Acacia elata, A. prominens, and A. pruinosa, the two former being 

 better known in cultivation. The mimosa-like foliage of the 

 last-mentioned is seen in the plate, "Scene on Ourimbah Creek" 

 (right-hand bottom corner). Palms of two species grace the scene, 

 and fine ferns in variety flourish, clumps of stag-horn and bird- 

 nest ferns on trees lending tropical significance. In some of the 

 open patches are brakes of wild raspberries, displaying at the same 

 time crops of white flowers and ripe, red fruit ; upon the latter, 

 Zosterops, red-coated " Blood " Honey-eaters, Cat-Birds, Regent- 

 Birds, &c., feed. The numerous gullies that run into the ranges 



