l54 Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. [,sf"jan. 



are interesting, being the home of Lyre-Birds, Ground-Thrushes 

 [Geocichla), &c. As at the camp below, so at " Palm Grove " 

 the calm, crisp mornings are ushered in with a perfect babel of 

 sweet bird-voices, the singing being incessant for about two 

 hours after dawn. There are warblings of Zosbrops and Fantails 

 (three kinds) ; trills of Blue Wrens ; the sweet songs of Thickheads 

 — the Rufous and the Yellow-breasted ; the louder but dulcet 

 music of Butcher-Birds and the " harmonic " notes of Shrike- 

 Thrushes, punctuated with cracks of the Coachwhip-Bird. Notes 

 of Honey-eaters can be detected — the merry Yellow-eared (Lewin) 

 and the equally merry Yellow-faced (chrysops), besides many 

 other bird-calls, while a Wonga-Wonga Pigeon keeps up its high- 

 pitched, continuous " Coo, coo, coo " from a distance. 



The Ourimbah Ranges are famous for their tall timber. 

 Turpentine-trees and eucalypts vie with each other in straightness 

 and height, often for 200 feet, frequently more. Should there be 

 a lofty hollow limb or spout, there is where the Roller or Dollar- 

 Bird deposits its pearly set of eggs. These birds are noisy about 

 twilight, preying on flying insects. The ranges have supplied 

 piles for many places in the Commonwealth, and prime poles for 

 telegraph lines may be had for the cutting. To see these ranges, 

 and the difficulties to contend with, one cannot help admiring 

 the endurance and resourcefulness of the plucky timber-getters. 

 Every log won from these mountain fastnesses is at the risk of 

 human life and limb. 



Among the many interesting excursions hereabouts is one to 

 what is locally known as the " Waterfalls," where faces of sand- 

 stone have been used as grindstones by defunct aborigines, who 

 have left numerous grooves and furrows on the rocks in sharpening 

 their primitive tools. A thin sheet of water flowing over the 

 rocks facilitated the process. 



You make southward out of the Ourimbah valley near Jaques', 

 up a long spur of gradual ascent, where the forest is more open, 

 and pretty sylvan glimpses are obtained ; now and again is a 

 more extensive view of " far folded hills," modelled in smoky 

 haze, each receding form more thickly veiled till the distant blends 

 with the cloud-line. 



A family of Rock-Warblers [Origrna) is observed, and white 

 flannel-flowers are seen in acres throughout the forest avenues. 

 When the summit of the ridge is gained different vegetation (and 

 consequently birds) is noted — shorter timber and scrub : banksias, 

 hakeas, and acacias — of the last notably linearis, myrtijolia, and 

 suaveolens, all in ripe seed. A soak on the summit is rank with 

 reeds and rushes, giant mountain moss {Ly cop odium), &c., and is 

 the home of several pairs of Emu-Wrens. A creek runs through 

 the soak and over the aboriginal-scored rocks before mentioned, 

 and descends into a snug and picturesque valley below. On top is 

 an ideal place to boil the billy for a mid-day meal and revel in 

 the surrounding scenery : or the party may descend into another 

 gullv-head near, where the gathered waters of a stream leap down 



