76 THK VICTORIAN NATURALIST. |Vol. XXIV. 



the river about a mile lower down, thus saving a good half- hour's 

 rowing. This portion required very careful steering, owing to 

 the numbers of submerged stumps of trees and fallen timber. 

 Feeding along the margin of the water were numerous Blue Bald- 

 Coots, while large flocks of Cools were seen and met with right 

 along to our camping ground. These birds, when rising off the 

 water, have a peculiar habit of half-running, half-Hying along the 

 surface tor some considerable distance. When they rise in any 

 quantity, the noise of their laterally-lobed toes striking the water 

 resembles the sound made by a small paddle-boat when in 

 motion ; while on the wing, their flight greatly resembles that of 

 the Black Duck, which hereabouts was fairly plentiful. 



We now entered the river proper, and, before reaching the 

 place we had determined on for our camp, recognized tlie follow- 

 ing species : — Tree-Martin, W^ood-Swallow, White-rumped Wood- 

 .Swallow, Azure Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Brown Kingfisher 

 or Laughing Jackass, Wliite rumped Swift, White-fronted Falcon, 

 Brown Hawk, Brown Tree-creeper, Red-backed Parrakeet, and 

 Yellow-bellied Shrike-Tit. 



After about two hours' rowing we reached a suitable place for 

 camping, and, selecting a spot well sheltered by saplings, it was 

 not long before the tent was pitched, bunks put up, and every- 

 thing made ship-shape. As a couple of hours of daylight yet 

 remained we got out oar fishing tackle, and had some good sport, 

 securing Murray Cod, Oligorus macqiiariensis ; Catfish, Copid- 

 oglanus tandanus^ and Black Bream, Therapon, sp. Pulling back 

 to camp, it was not long before the frying-pan and billy were set to 

 work, and our evening meal prepared, for which we were quite 

 ready. 



We retired early, but only to be tormented by myriads of 

 mosquitoes, which were only kept at bay by frequent use of cigar 

 smoke and oil of lavender. During the night we were frequently 

 disturbed by th? cries of numerous night birds, among which w? 

 recognized the long-drawn-out cry of the Southern Stone-Plover 

 as being greatly in evidence, as also that of the Spur-winged 

 Plover, and the harsh, guttural note of the Night-Heron. To- 

 wards morning the well-known call of a Boobook Owl close to the 

 tent greatly annoyed my dog, who no doubt, feeling hungry, 

 mistook the call — mopoke — for more-pork. Next morning the 

 owl was seen roosting in a thick-foliaged sapling not far away. 



Rising at daybreak, after breakfasting we rowed across the back- 

 waters to a large peninsula-shaped piece of land, thickly studded 

 with Red Gum saplings, Eucalyptiis roslrata, interspersed with 

 Silver Wattles, Acacia dealbata, and plenty of rushes and reeds of 

 different species. Here we came across the roosting-place of the 

 Night-Heron, with plumed and unplumed birds in great numbers, 

 no less than twenty-three being counted in one tree. As day- 



