^"Igos^'] Excursion to N .S.W . National Park. 159 



water. The Sacred Kingfisher {Halcyon sanctus) and the Forest 

 Kingfisher {H. niacleayi) frequented the timbered country near the 

 streams, where they were carrying out their breeding operations, 

 the white ant heaps, far up in the trees, being the ideal place 

 wherein to bore their tunnel and lay their eggs. The Yellow- 

 breasted Robins {Eopsaltria australis) were fairly common, and one 

 was observed feeding a young Palhd Cuckoo {Cucukis pallidns). 

 The loud note of the Butcher-Bird {Cracticus destructor) was often 

 heard, and the hearty laugh of the Laughing Jackass {Dacelo 

 gigas) resounded in the woods and ravines. The melodious note 

 of the Grey Shrike-Thrush {Collyriocincla harmonica) was as 

 refreshing as ever on a damp, dewy morning, and the habit of its 

 next of kin, the Rufous-breasted Thickhead {Pachycephala rufi- 

 ventris) of repeating its loud and frightened call upon the report 

 of thunder or other loud noise was the same as in more southern 

 limits. 



A pleasing sight on the river reaches was the presence of numbers 

 of Black Swan {Chenopis atrata). Black Duck {Anas siiperciliosa) 

 were also quite tame, and fully appreciated the strict protective 

 laws enforced within the Park, and one would often flush them 

 in some small grassy creek or brook when coming suddenly upon 

 them, but their flight would be but a short distance. 



On the bank of the stream many iguanas were seen, and a battle 

 royal was witnessed one day between one of these and a pair of 

 Laughing Jackasses. The lizard had taken refuge up a large, 

 smooth tree, when we heard the sudden whirr of wings and saw 

 a pair of Jackasses swoop down and peck at the reptile's head. 

 At the same time the birds uttered wild laughing cries, as if to 

 frighten the intruder, who turned tail and came down the trunk 

 of the tree at the double, but not before several more attacks had 

 been levelled at it on its way down to terra firma. It chose to 

 face man rather than the birds, which most likely had their nest 

 at no very distant point. 



On the lower reaches the Pied Cormorants {PJialacrocorax hypo- 

 leticus) were seen, and the Silver Gull {Lams novcE-hollandice) graced 

 the salt spray ; while from a neighbouring dry tree, close to the 

 water's edge, the White-fronted Heron {Notophoyx novce-hollandice) 

 could be seen watching for its food. 



One hundred and sixty acres in the Park have been fenced off, 

 and fallow and red deer placed in the enclosure. These have 

 multiplied considerably of late in their semi-wild state. The native 

 wallaby are also preserved in their homes, and have become so 

 tame that they will come in numbers in the evening close to the 

 keepers' houses to get scraps and feed, a sight that is extremely 

 quaint and pleasing to lovers of nature. 



It would occupy too much space to record here all the species 

 of birds we saw and the notes taken upon them, as such a wealth 

 of vegetation naturally increases the numbers, and the interesting 

 points relative to them, so that the appended list of 55 names 

 must suffice to show just what was observed in a comparatively 



