, .o 1 J-^<-'''^sf'^- Discovery of the Female Rufous ScvuJi-Bird. 259 



It was a loll!;', still, and hot walk up the raii,i;c. All provisions 

 and camping f^^rar were carried on i)a(k horses under the guidance 

 of my mate, Mr. II. L. O'Reilly. At the time of our visit the 

 whole district, and far I)eyond it, was in the grip of a very 

 severe drought, and even the tall, dense scrub or jungle on this 

 range was suffering from the ill effects of the prolonged dry spell, 

 many species of ferns climbing on the trunks of the moss-covered 

 trees, at certain parts of tlie range, were withered or dead ; 

 certainly a most unusual thing to happen in such rich scrub as 

 tliis under notice, but under the severe conditions it is nothing 

 to 1)0 surprised at.* 



The range cuts off into abrupt and precipitous cliffs of from 

 2,000 to 5,000 feet deep along the southern or New South Wales 

 side, and commands a magnificent vi(>w of the Tweed River dis- 

 trict below. The northern or Queensland side of the range falls off 

 into long spurs, wliich run north for many miles, and are all more 

 or less well covered with the same rich, dense scrub which com- 

 prises much valuable milling timber. To stand on the edge of one 

 of these great perpendicular cliffs, and look down thousands of feet 

 into the scrub immediately below you in New South Wales, is a 

 sight never to be forgotten. What surprised me much wtis the 

 way in which sound travelled " up" from the notes' of the various 

 birds, including those of the Rufous Scrub-Bird {Atrichornis riife- 

 scens), in the scrub thousands of feet below. You look down upon 

 the backs of eagles and hawks, as they B.y and gracefully soar 

 over the scrub far below and almost under you. It is very rough 

 country to move about in, and everytliing must be " humped " on 

 one's back : yet, it is such inaccessible places that always interest 

 and appeal to me, for it is in that class of locality that treasures 

 of natural science are frequently hidden from the world, and only 

 discovered by the persevering naturalist. 



The ridge of the Macpherson Range forms the boundary line 

 between Queensland and New South Wales, and our camp was 

 f)n the Queensland side, several miles from the border, with a 

 beautiful clear spring of water, cool and always running, close by. 

 Alderman John M'Master, the Mayor of Brisbane, who is a ven- 

 erable gentleman, lately informed me that Macpherson, whdm the 

 range is named after, came out to Queensland on the same ship 

 {William Isles) as he did, in 1855, Macpherson at the time being 

 only about 13 years of age. Later he wandered into this range 

 and began bushranging, and the range was later on known as 

 the "Macpherson." The mayor specially mentioned that altlnrngh 

 Macpherson .became a bushranger he never committed murder. 

 At this time (1855) Queensland and New South Wales were one 

 and the same, there then being no Queensland, all coming under 

 New South Wales jurisdiction. 



During my visit, whicli extended over three months, the growth 

 of the Tree Ferns, Tree Orchids in flower, Stag Horn. VAk Horn, 



* Since the 1st January. 1920, over Ji inches of rain luwe fallen there. 



