272 Jackson, Discovery of the Female Rufous Scrub-Bird. [,^'''\''|.;i 



The Yellow-rumpcd Shrike-Robins {Eopsaltria chrysorrhoa) 

 were well distributed all through the scrub, and at daylight their 

 loud "Chop-chop" and "Chop-chop-chop" (rendered slowly) 

 notes were heard all round the camp, together with those of many 

 Coach whip-Birds {Psophodes crepitans), which were also plentiful. 



The Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos {Calyptorhynchus fimereus) 

 were observed now and then passing over the scrub in small 

 flocks of from 3 to 8 in number, and we never appreciated their 

 appearance, because as a rule boisterous weather followed soon 

 after. In very windy weather the notes of the various birds in 

 the scrub are lost to one's ears, owing to the great noise created 

 by the wind rushing through and rustling the tall trees, vines, 

 and dense foliage — thus impeding one's progress in studying the 

 birds. The winds sometimes took the form of real gales, causing 

 great havoc in the immense scrub, very large trees then falling and 

 making cannon-like reports. A good idea can be obtained of the 

 great and massive growth of these scrubs and jungles when it is 

 mentioned that many vines, creeping up and winding round the 

 gigantic trees, are often over 3 feet in circumference. 



Pied Crow-Shrikes [Strepera gracnlina) were plentiful and noisy, 

 and often took soap and other articles exposed at our camp. 



Various. 



Huge Carpet Snakes {Python variegafiis) were met with. We 

 saw one hanging from some vines and attempting to capture a 

 Coach whip-Bird that was feeding on the ground beneath it. The 

 thick vines greatly protected the snake from detection, owing to 

 the wonderful manner in which the snake was camouflaged and 

 so closely resembled them. One day we came across one that had 

 started to swallow a large Rufous Scrub Opossum {Pseiidochiriis 

 peregrimis), We waited a while and watched the mode of pro- 

 cedure, which was very wonderful. The snake encircled its body 

 four times round that of the possum and kept crushing it, and 

 forcing it down its throat, bit by bit. The snake took no notice 

 of our presence, which did not retard operations. The snake's 

 head was all the time covered with many red-bodied blow flies, 

 which were a great pest in the scrub and at our camp. The 

 Macpherson Range is of Triassic sandstone formation, capped 

 with basalt, much of which contains olivines, and these basalts 

 are very variable in quality, some being " volcanic glass." The 

 soil in the scrub is of volcanic origin, and of a deep chocolate 

 red, with numerous oiftcrops of basalt, as above mentioned. Often 

 heavy mists came up in the evenings from the east, after a hot day, 

 and there were some very hot days, especially during December ; 

 but, as a rule, the nights were delightfully cool at the altitude 

 in which we camped and worked, wliich was lietween 3,000 and 

 4,000 feet. 



