lo O'Donohi i II meterings on the Murray Flood^Plain. [vdfxxxii 



somewhat from the river, which had hitherto flowed in close 

 proximity to our course. Ascending a sand-ridge, we found 

 the track margined for the most part with the Needle Hakea. 

 Hakea leucoptera, and the Ming Quandong, Fusanus persicarius, 

 both of which were in profuse bloom. IThe Murray Pine soon 

 became common, and at a later stage tin- Giant Malice. 

 Eucalyptus incrassata, the Slender Malice. /■.'. calycogona, tin 



Blue Malice. /. . fruticetorum, and the Hooked Malice. /•.'. 



uncinata. The Coast Twinleaf, Zygophyllum Billardieri, grew 

 luxuriantly among the dwarf eucalypts, and, though the sheep 

 ami rabbits were dying of starvation beside large, succulent 

 growths ot it, we did not observe any bush evidencing the 

 slightest indication of having been tou< lied by one or the 

 other. I'.Y reason, probably, of some bitter principle it 

 contains, the plant seems to be a- obnoxious to sheep and 

 rabbits as the Pimpernel, Anagailis arvensis, and the Small 

 St. John's Wort, Hypericum japonicum. 



Descending to the Hood-plain once more, we found it in a 

 stage of transition that would ultimately leave it in a con- 

 dition similar to that portion we first encountered - -a barren, 

 treeless waste, dotted with innumerable stumps, and littered 

 with the waste oi a formei forest. The timber-getters were 

 busy. On eithei side ol the track lay piles of weathered tops 

 and disordered heaps of trunks and limbs the former 

 awaiting the fire-stick, and the latter removal to the river's 

 bank, there to remain till the winter floods permitted oi the 

 steamboats ascending the river and conveying them to the 

 pumping station- in the neighbourhood oi Mildura. 



The chief, it not the sole, cause oi the large quantities ol 



i finding their way into the Murray and rendering its 



navigation more difficult '.eh year i- undoubted^ due to the 



reckl( - d< struction ot the timber growing on the Victorian 



flood-plain, thereby affording tip I i and flood wal 



power to increase and to carry theii load ol iispended material 

 mto t he rivei unche< led. 



Swinging in towards the Murray again, in th< neighbourhood oi 



adot Station, we noticed its high bank-, in the vicinity 



ol M'Grath's Island, margined foi chain- by the old kitchen 



middens ot th< aborigines. From now on till nightfall birds 



became exceptionally numerous and varied, Flocks oi 



ted and Bronze-wing Pi i wen flushed ■ *! every few 



( hains, and • >1 Maned Gei e, Bla< I. I >u< k, I eal, and 



various varieties oi Cormorants were noted on the rivei and 

 on the " billabongs." rh< Whiti Egret, // rodiai timoriensis, 

 and the White-necl I Heron, Notophoyx /'milieu, were almost 

 as common as the familial Blue < rane, NolophoyA tu 

 h'llltiiiiii 



