66 Bryant, Holiday Trip to Far Upper Murray. [,,Pjuiy 



of Plover instead, and they were very nice cooked en casserole. 

 Fished from 4 to 6 p.m. without success. Noted fresh birds as 

 follows to-day :— Wedge-tailed Eagle (Uroaetus audax), Brown 

 Hawk [Hieracidea orientalis). Nankeen Kestrel [Cerchneis 

 cenchroides), Blue Crane or White-fronted Heron {Notophoyx 

 novcc-hollandiie), Wattle-Bird {Anthochcera caruncidala), Scarlet- 

 breasted Robin {Petroica leggii). Shot one Pied Cormorant. 



30th March. — Rested again to-day. In the afternoon went 

 some distance down the stream. Got one fish (-| lb.) and had one 

 other rise. " Shags " still about, but very scary ; noted where 

 they had been fishing. 



31st March. — In the morning went down river with gun to 

 where I had seen Cormorants fishing, and managed to get a 

 black-and-white one which rose from the bank. Put in another 

 cartridge at once, and as two big black ones came out from under 

 the bank on my side I made a good right and left. Came on to 

 rain, and rained heavily all the afternoon ; the mists around the 

 hills rising and faUing, and showing the most beautiful tints of 

 light blues and different coloured green, according to the foliage 

 exposed. It rained heavily most of the evening. 



1st April. — ^The sun rose this morning, and with it the healthful 

 terrestrial smell after rain, mingled with the sweet scent of the 

 flowering blackbutts, brought back many thoughts of days that 

 were gone — ah me ! never to return. Wrote all the morning, and 

 in the afternoon tried to fish, but the water was very dirty after 

 yesterday's rain. 



2nd April. — Heard foxes barking last night (slept badly), also 

 heard a great commotion in the hen-house ; got up and looked 

 out, but it was too dark to see anything. In the morning walked 

 down the road ; saw plenty of Plover, rabbits, Jays, Black-backed 

 Magpies, and Lories, and nearly walked on a big black snake, 

 between 5 and 6 feet long, whose head I promptly blew off. I 

 also saw a large number of Red-browed Finches (Firetails), 

 Ground-Larks {Anthiis attstralis), Gang-Gangs, and Black 

 Cockatoos. The black-and-white " Jays" and Lories were having 

 a gay time in a fine maize crop. 



3rd April. — Took it easy all the morning, and had a general 

 clean-up of gun and tackle. In the afternoon went well up the 

 river. Lost several fine fish through either lightly hooking or 

 defective tackle, but caught one rainbow trout (2 lbs.) that 

 gave me all the fun I wanted. I do not know how many times 

 it threw itself heavily out of the water, and how often it tried to 

 snag me, but eventually it was got into the landing net. I also 

 caught another over i lb. They are a game fish, and have twice 

 the fight in them that the brown trout has. The river has got 

 much clearer to-day, and just nice for fishing. Examined the 

 contents of stomachs of fish and found a few dark-coloured, 

 partially-digested things like crickets, and also a big black fly 

 with yellowish wings. 



4th April. — Went for a walk this morning and saw the usual 



