Vol. IV. 

 1904 



1 MiLLiGAN, Notes on a Trip to the Wongan Hills, W.A. 



As showing their distinctness, it may be mentioned that from 

 Mogumber to the Mission Station (a distance of i 5 miles) the 

 nature of the soil was gravelly, forested with " jarrah " (E. 

 //larginala) and " red gum " (E. calophylld) trees. From the 

 Mission Station for another 10 miles eastward granite overlaid 

 with gravel prevailed, with forests of " York gum " {E. loxopklcba), 

 " jam " {Acacia acemurata), and " sheoak " (Casuarind) ; then 

 succeeded a sandy plain covered with low, dwarf vegetation and 

 isolated clumps of dwarf Murray pine. Then the red soils began 

 to appear, and with them belts of gimlet gums (JE. saluhris), 

 then another plain, more extensive, covered as before ; next 

 further strips of red soil and gimlet gums ; afterwards a narrow, 

 depressed tract of sandy, saline marshy country, resembling an 

 old river bed, studded with salt and brackish lakes ; and at last 

 the Wongan Hills themselves, composed of conglomerate, with 

 deep red soils at their bases clothed with gimlet, salmon, and 

 morrell gums, quandongs, sandalwood, hibiscus, and high and 

 low-growing scrubs. 



As already mentioned, the ocean influence is apparent on the 

 vegetation for some 1 5 miles beyond the Mission Station, and 

 the place where such influence no longer operates is well indicated, 

 and in one particular place already mentioned the coastal vege- 

 tation became absolutely dwarfed, and a few yards farther on 

 purely inland forms at once appeared. As might be expected, 

 the avifauna was almost as strongly marked. As we had, when 

 leaving Mogumber, a walk of 50 miles ahead of us, we determined 

 not to collect on the way, but to push on with all speed to our 

 destination and to make full observations on a leisurely return. 

 Therefore, I purpose dealing first with the local species at the 

 Wongan Hills and then backwards to Mogumber. At the Hills 

 such species as Sericornis briinnea, Acanthiza uropygiahs, 

 Malurus pulcherrimus, Drymacedus pallidus, Hylacola cauta, 

 Cinclosonia castanonotujn, Ptilotis novce-norcicB, Pttlotis cratitia, 

 and Misocalius palliolatus were, so far as our observations went, 

 purely local. Digressing, it may be remarked that there the 

 genera of Rhipidura and Petroeca were unrepresented, and that 

 consequently such familiar forms as Rhipidura tricolor , R. pretssi , 

 and Petrceca campbelli were missed. Glycyphila albifrons was 

 present at the Hills and further westwards towards Mogumber 

 for 10 miles. It then suddenly disappeared, as also did a tall 

 inland form of Grevillea which bore long spikes of yellow bloom, 

 and which at all times seemed a source of great attraction to 

 the species. The range of Malurus Icucoptcrus began with the 

 depressed saline area at the base of the Hills and extended west- 

 wards for about 20 miles, but the species was only found in 

 the depressed area mentioned and the sand plains which were 

 sandwiched in between the red soils and gimlet gums. Malurus 

 splendens appeared only when the plains were passed and when 

 nearing the Mission Station. The lines of demarcation between 

 the three last-named species could not have been more clearly 



