13G CHENERY— Birds of Western Dartin;, 



car Iracksor ilic iiKH-iiin^u and was jctiiu'd \)\ tlie oihci- iiiiMiil)ers 

 of llie i)ai-tv. Tlicv ri'jjoiied t'ailiu-e lo tiiid any sign ol' I lie 

 lossil r<'s<'r\('. and hi-. .Macgilli\ ray's remarks on I he rcliabilily 

 ofanticnl alxniiiincs as liuides w cic, l(» pni ii mildly, noi llallcr- 

 ing, and wonld |>i-(tbaldy lia\<' lu-cn nniirinianh' iiad noi a lady 

 been jji-cscni. \\'(' iiiad<' «-ain[) lliai <'\('ning ;iL llic windmill 

 on a small cicek. now lo all apiteai-ance di-y. Some watei- was 

 drawn I'rom lli<' well in bnckets Tor the horses and we cai-ried 

 soin<' for our own use. As we nolic<'d a i)air of <ii-aHinas and 

 many 'rojj-knot J'igeons al)oul, we concluded That there must he 

 a soak (low II the creek somewiiei-e, as these birds cannot do 

 without water lor long. A Spotted Harrier"; nest containinj; 

 one egg was found during a walk uj) the ci-eek before tea. .\fter 

 tea. as it was fairly moonlight. Ian went u]) into the sandhill 

 count i-y on ilu' far side of the creek to sec if he could grnni)se 

 any small marsupials, but returned without any luck. 

 Thai country is stilhu'ss ]iersoni1ied ai niglii. Tlu're 

 was not a soum] to be lu'ard if one lenuiined sih'iu. 

 On this e\('ning, 1 remember. w<' remai-ked on it. 'i'liere 

 was no! a cricket or oIIum- small insect to break tlu' siU'Uc*'. a. id 

 in the absence of any bree/.e v\vi\ the leaves weic molionle^s. 

 \N"ildllowers t^vei-y wheie here as elsewhere, Scnccio frc<!Orii 

 l)eing specially al)un(hinl as well as numei-ous daisies. e\-erhist- 

 ings, and ollicrs which I cannol name. 



On the morning of I'lst August we returned to ("allabonna 

 Hut. searciiing foi- Or.lamanlhus on the way. We Hushed a 

 pair of Cinnamon-backed ground bii-ds, bul faiU'd to rtnd a 

 Oahunanthus. An Owl was sliot out in the Old Man Saltbush, 

 far from any trees or creek, which ])ro^■e(l to be an ordinary 

 }5<)obook. A nest or two of tlie (hdightful little Crested \\'e<lge- 

 bill were also found, one containing an egg. .Vfter wishing 

 the genial r>ill Hayi's a fcmd farewell and gi\'.ng oui' blessing 

 to Houlka I'^red. we commenced lo ri'li-ace (uir tracks up Tiicha 

 Creek t(»wai-ds the bore. \\'e bad lUH gone more than eight 

 miles when we cami' upon a i»air of \'ery light-plunuiged hawks, 

 which were easily i(huitihed as soim as Ihey took lo tlighi as the 

 Leirer-wiuged Kite. Tht' l)lack nmrkings ui\der tlu^ wings are 

 \('ry distiiicl i\'e. Tht' tiiglil is l(M-n-like am] ili:'y are a most 

 giacefnl bird a 1 1 ogctlK-r. .V nesi nnoh' of slicks was noicd in 

 a lice neai- I hi' spot where we tii'sl saw lluun and was examini'd 

 for signs of habitalion. II did c(Mitain some <'jected furry 

 (telh'ts. Imt was otliei-wise emi)ty. Strange lo say. we nev<M' 

 noted tliesi' birds on oui- outward journey. \\'<' weic one and 

 all jdeased to ha\<' seen them, as I should say this was south of 

 their usual laliludt'. As a sequel I uuiy here state that Dr. 



