Vo J" IXI 1 MlLLIGAN, Notes on a Trip to the Stirling Range. 9 



Notes on a Trip to the Stirling Range. 



By Alex. Wm. Milligan, Perth, W.A. 



Being fortunate enough to obtain a three weeks' special leave 

 of absence last spring I determined to wholly employ my time 

 in the pursuit of ornithology, and I organized a private scientific 

 expedition to the Stirling Ranges, situate some 40 miles north of 

 Albany, in the southern part of this State. . 



The persons who composed the expedition were Dr. Alan 

 Morrison, the Government Botanist for Western Australia, Mr. 

 C. P. Conigrave, of the Western Australian Museum, Perth, and 

 the writer. Dr. Morrison, it was arranged, was to devote himself 

 solely to examining and collecting the flora of the ranges, and 

 Mr. Conigrave and the writer to the fauna, particularly the avi- 

 fauna. In addition to his other self-imposed duties Mr. Conigrave 

 was to take charge of that most interesting and important 

 department in every expedition, namely, the photographic. 



Dr. Morrison was attracted to these ranges by the knowledge 

 that the flora there was most distinctive and characteristic. I, 

 in turn, was similarly attracted there, for I naturally conjectured 

 that with distinctive floral forms we would probably meet with 

 distinctive avi-faunal forms, by reason that the flora and avi-fauna 

 are so frequently interdependent. That, however, was not the 

 principal attraction to me. Relying on the assumption that one 

 of the two original divergent " lines of migration " from Northern 

 Australia pursued a southerly and thence easterly course along 

 the western and southern coasts within the well-known " rain 

 belt," and stopped at the Great Desert, between Western Australia 

 and South Australia, I concluded that bird forms would have 

 collected in great numbers on the confines of such desert, and 

 that time, local conditions, and environment would have effected 

 many variations and modifications in original forms. 



These ranges being in the supposed congested area indicated, 

 I further concluded that uncommon forms and new species would 

 as a consequence be likely to occur therein. 



It may be of interest to mention that the Stirling Ranges are, 

 geologically speaking, the most ancient in Western Australia, 

 and also the highest, one of the peaks, Mt. Toolbrunup, attaining 

 a height of some 4,000 feet. 



We arrived at Tenterden Siding, our base of operations, on the 

 night of the 22nd September, but owing to the strong equinoctial 

 gales then prevailing, and the abnormally heavy rains accom- 

 panying them, our camp manager and guide declined to start 

 until the rough weather abated. Perforce we had to remain a 

 few days at Tenterden. The time was not altogether wasted, 

 for we thoroughly examined the local avi-fauna, and obtained 

 and despatched to the Museum a great number of specimens. 

 We were fortunate in finding the nest of the Black Duck, or, as 

 it is called in Western Australia, the " Grey " Duck, and Mr. 

 Conigrave took a photograph of the nest in situ, which is re- 



