2 I 8 Milligan, Notes on a Trip to the Wongan Hills, W.A. [ 2n dAprii 



the Gnou or Mallee-Fowl (Lipoa ocellata), which he found for 

 the first time in the locality indicated. 



Subsequently, Gould, when writing of the Black-throated 

 Coachwhip-Bird (Psophodcs nigrogularis), quoted Gilbert as 

 follows : — " I heard it (the Coachwhip-Bird) for the first time, 

 together with the notes of many other birds equally strange to 

 me, in the vicinity of the Wongan Hills." 



To view scenes which Gilbert saw and to tread what ma}- be 

 truly termed " hallowed ground " were in themselves a sufficient 

 . object for an expedition to the Hills, but when combined with 

 the facts that Gilbert had there heard birds the notes of which 

 were strange to him, and that the district had not been explored, 

 ornithologically, since his visit, the desire to go there became 

 almost irresistible. Natural inquisitiveness, also, to see what 

 changes (if any) had taken place in the local avifauna, helped 

 to clinch the matter. Hence I organized a party, having the 

 same personnel (with one addition) as that which visited the 

 Stirling Ranges last year. 



By the map, the Hills are some ioo miles north-east of Perth, 

 and are about in the same latitude as Bourke, New South Wales. 

 They are about 90 miles inland from the western coast, 50 miles 

 from Mogumber, the nearest railway station, and are on the 

 eastern verge of the characteristic rain-belt. We left Perth on 

 the morning of the 30th September last, and arrived at Mogumber 

 at noon, where we were met with a dray, horses, and driver, 

 provided by Lord Abbot Torres, of the Spanish Benedictine 

 Mission of New Norcia, who throughout our trip afforded us 

 the greatest hospitality and evinced a lively interest in our 

 labours. We reached the Mission Station (15 miles distant) that 

 night, and being up betimes on the following morning completed 

 another stage of 22 miles for the day, leaving 13 miles to 

 accomplish our outward journey. Making a start at dawn the 

 next morning, we entered the gorge leading up into the Hills 

 just before noon. The whole journey was performed on foot, 

 as also the return journey, the dray being used for transporting 

 our baggage, provisions, and equipment. A fortnight's local 

 explorations brought up the total of the miles covered to 250. 



The character and formation of the country over which we 

 passed are exhaustively dealt with towards the end of this 

 article. All that need be said now is that we passed through 

 belts of jarrah {Eucalyptus marginata), beautiful-leafed gum 

 (E. calophylld), York gum (E. loxophlcba), jamwood {Acacia 

 acuminata)) and sheoak (Casuarina) until we reached a place 

 called Behagning Spring, which was noteworthy inasmuch as 

 it marked the line where the coastal vegetation " petered " out 

 and the inland vegetation began. Thence the gigantic flowering 

 eucalypt (Eucalyptus macrocarpa), the gimlet gums (E. salubris), 

 the salmon gums (E. salmonophloia\ the morrell gums (E. 

 longicornis), the quandongs, and the sandalwoods held sway. 

 Two large plains were crossed — one the Bishop's Plain (named 



