Vol. IV. 

 1904 



] KiLGOUR, A Trip to the Ord River {N.-W.A:) 39 



Egrets (Notophoyx fiavirostris and TV. arucnsis). After a weary 

 and wet ride we arrived at Goose Hill (Wyndham 26 miles) and 

 camped. The next morning a start was made for Mantini 

 Swamps ; soon after starting I espied a Coucal's nest {Cenlropus 

 phasianus) in a low bush. Looking into it from the saddle, 

 I saw there were four young in down, about the size of a young 

 Lyre-Bird newly hatched. As the horses took most of our 

 attention I was unable to make any observations riding along, 

 but here, although water is very plentiful, the aquatic birds 

 and waders decrease, while the other birds begin to increase 

 in numbers. At Mantini I noticed a Babbler {Pomatorhinus) 

 whose note was unfamiliar to me. Here also were numbers of 

 Cockatoos {Calyptorhynchus macrorhynchus, Cacatua gymnopts, 

 and C. roseicapillci). The breeding season of the Cockatoos and 

 the other members of the Psittaci or Parrot tribe extends from 

 the end of the wet season to about July, the main months being 

 March, April, and May. 



At daylight next morning the cornet-like notes of some Native 

 Companions (^Antigone aiistralasianci) were heard. 



The track is through some very barren hilly country, where 

 birds are scarce, with the exception of the Red-collared Lorikeets 

 (Trichoglossus rubritorquis), that were to be seen in flashes of 

 colour flying over the hills to the river. Emerging from Button's 

 Gap we find ourselves on the Ord River frontage, about four 

 miles below the stud station belonging to Messrs. Connor, 

 Doherty, and Darack. As we were anxious to get across the 

 river, we pushed on past the homestead to the crossing place. 

 Here a tremendous current was coming down over the ford, 

 the water there reaching half-way up the saddle flaps. After 

 some swimming and one or two attempts we managed to get 

 our " brumbies " over without mishap, although alligators are 

 plentiful here while the river is in flood. 



On the next stage nothing of particular interest was seen, and 

 we camped on the edge of a sandy belt of country between Emu 

 and Cockatoo Springs. The bird-life consequently began to 

 alter. Owing to the sugar grass being in maturity travelling 

 was anything but comfortable. This grass has much the 

 appearance of gigantic oats, growing from 6 to i 5 feet high. It 

 stood at an average height of 8 feet all along the track for 

 about 30 miles, and the least touch would cause it to send its 

 javelin-like seeds in a shower about you, and as they had a 

 barbed point, which entered the skin, the language of the 

 whole party during our passage through " the sand " was 

 decidedly lurid. A eucalyptus with a large salmon-coloured 

 flower, almost identical in appearance with E. ficifolia, was 

 everywhere in blossom, and afforded food for immense numbers 

 of Red-Collared Lorikeets {Trichoglossus rubritorquis^. Some of 

 our horses got separated, and in looking for them I flushed a 

 White-quilled Rock-Pigeon {Pctrophassa albipcnnis) from its 

 nest, which was a slight hollow in the sand and. lined with grass ; 



