Vol III."] 



1903 I 



MlLLIGAN, Notes on a Trip to the Stirling Range. I I 



By the action of the weather the exposed edges had from time 

 to time become broken and detached, with the result that the 

 inclined surfaces of the peaks from summit to base were littered 

 with reddish-coloured loose flags and fragments of laminated 

 stone, making ascent most laborious and difficult. At a distance 

 the defined and uncovered layers of stone resembled glacial lines. 

 The peaks for a great distance upwards and the smaller hills were 

 clothed with clumps or stools of a dwarf eucalypt called " marlock " 

 which much resembles mallee scrub. In the more sheltered 

 ravines and gullies flowering scrubs, head high, grew. 



The disposition of the different forms of bird-life was, generally 

 speaking, most clearly defined. One form, the Bell-Bird {Oreoica 

 cristata), was found everywhere. Other forms, such as the 

 Restless Fly-catchers (Sisura inquieta), the Rufous Tree-creepers 

 {Climacteris rufa), Western Scarlet-breasted Robins {Petroeca 

 campbelli), the Banded Wrens {Malurus splendcns), and the 

 Red-tipped Pardalotes {Pardalotus ornatus) were found in the 

 good alluvial country only. Other forms, again, such as the 

 Lesser Brown Fly-catchers {Microzca assimilis), the new 

 Calamanthus (hereafter more particularly referred to), the Blue- 

 breasted Wrens {Malurus pule her rimus), were found in the sterile 

 gravelly and stony country. The new Calamanthus and Blue- 

 breasted Wrens, singular to say, were found on the north side 

 of the Ranges only, and notwithstanding that the local conditions 

 on the south side were similar, and to all appearances equally as 

 favourable. On the other hand, the Singing Honey-eaters 

 {Ptilotis sonora) were found on the south side only. 



Honey-eaters, of various kinds were found wherever the flowers 

 were, but they had their preferences. For instance, the Tawny- 

 crowned Honey-eater (Glycyphila fulvifrons) was confined prin- 

 cipally to the sand plains ; the Yellow-plumed Honey-eater 

 {Ptilotis ornata) sought the " white gums ; " the Wattle-cheeked 

 Honey-eater {Ptilotis eratitia) was local in a pronounced degree, 

 only two small companies being discovered, and each within a 

 restricted area of an acre. 



Excepting those named, all the Honey-eaters met and fed in 

 common in the flowering scrubs of the foothills and mountain 

 gullies, but only the Long-billed Honey-eaters {Meliornis longi- 

 rostris) and the Green-backed Silver-eyes {Zosterops gouldi) were 

 found on or near the summits of the peaks. The Dusky Miners 

 (Manorhina obscura) and the Magpie-Larks {Grallina picatd) 

 were found only in the " jam " (acacia) country at Toll's Creek. 

 It is worthy of mention that not one Crow (or Raven) was 

 observed during the journey. 



The net results of the expedition were distinctly gratifying, for 

 we secured some 120 skins for the Museum, and secured or 

 observed about 70 species. Included in the latter were two new 

 species, Calamanthus montanellus and Mclithreptus leucogenys. 

 Both species were described in the previous vol. (ii.) of The Emu, 

 he latter named species at page 160, and the former at page 200. 



