Oct., 1909.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 69 



Darkness came on soon after we left Wonga, and a deathly still- 

 ness pervaded the air. The sky was presently lit up by the 

 pale moonbeams, and, as we made no noise in tramping along in 

 the soft sand, the stillness had a lonely, dispiriting effect, 

 accentuated further by an occasional wailing cry from a Curlew. 

 Frequently my companion would ejaculate — " Here is Pine 

 Plains ! " as he saw a white sand dune show up in the distance 

 through the tall timber. The white sand appearing like open 

 country ahead gave him the impression of an open plain. 



After many such false alarms we came to another hut and well 

 for watering stock, known as " Bracke ; " by this we knew we 

 were on the right track, so, hastening forward, in a few more miles 

 we came suddenly upon plain country, where the ground was 

 hard. Sounds of a horseman appeared to be coming towards us, 

 and presently Mr. M'Lennan rode up. He had become anxious 

 as to our whereabouts, as we were hours behind time, and had 

 set out to look for us. Having set us on the way, he hurried on 

 to meet the buggy, which he found five miles behind, Mr. Ross 

 having got temporarily bushed. We were not sorry to reach the 

 homestead after our 35-mile tramp along the sandy track, and 

 did ample justice to a sumptuous repast set before us by the 

 married couple in charge, who treated us right royally throughout 

 our stay. 



We spent the first day exploring the open paddocks around the 

 house, which is situated on the top of a high sand-ridge, from 

 which we could see in every direction for many miles. A fine 

 crop of wheat, to be used as fodder, grew close by, while a well- 

 kept vegetable garden supplied many a welcome addition to our 

 meals. Fine grass-lands abounded on all sides. There were miles 

 of country without a trace of Mallee ; large plains without a 

 vestige of timber, evidently the dried-up beds of ancient lakes, 

 were fringed with picturesque Red Gums, whilst graceful Murray 

 Pines grew profusely on the sand-ridges. Box-tree flats intervened, 

 and as the trees had been rung for some years, innumerable 

 hollows had formed in the trunks and branches, which were 

 tenanted by cockatoos and parrots of many species. As we 

 passed by we tapped the tree-trunks with a stick, when out would 

 fly the occupants. The Many-coloured Parrakeet, Psephotus 

 rmdticolor, with its Jacob-like coat of many colours, and the 

 Pink or Major Mitchell Cockatoo, Cacatua leadbeateri, whose 

 discordant notes were in marked contrast to its beautiful 

 plumage, were flushed from the larger hollows. Several Sulphur- 

 crested Cockatoos, C. galerita, Orange-tipped Pardalotes, Parda- 

 lotiis affinis, and Tree-Marlins were unceremoniously disturbed 

 when we tapped the trees in which they had nested. Our leader 

 looked rather glum owing to the climbing irons having been left 

 behind, and as I was the climber of the trip, and my companions 



