94 Proceedings. 



the Tom-tit, goes about in little mobs feeding on the ground. 

 Down in the gully-bottoms may be found flocks of little Wax- 

 bills (Estrelda temporalis) ; their immense nests look as if they 

 were almost weighing down the branches of the Ti-trees 

 which overhang the water ; these nests are made of dead 

 grass-stalks, with the entrance at the side ; and the eggs are 

 white, or rather pink when the yolk is inside, and over half- 

 a-dozen in number. 



The hills, as a whole, lack ruggedness, in all cases having 

 rounded summits. In fact, geologists tell us that they are 

 only the foundation of what once was a lofty, sea-coast range 

 of mountains. The action of the atmospheric changes of 

 past ages has worn away their surface, until now the greatest 

 altitude reached is about 2300 ft. Although there is a lack 

 of grandeur in the outline of their ridges and summits, one 

 has only to follow up some of the deep defiles to find rugged 

 crags and beetling cliffs whose crannies are the home of two 

 or three species of Ferns, namely, Aspleniian/lnffellifolium, 

 reminding one of our common Spleenwort {Trichomanes); 

 Maidenhair ; a scaly Spleenwort, and Kock Fern. Between 

 the clifl's and the stream is a large stretch of shale and fallen 

 debris, but seldom in large boulders. 



The banks of the streams are fringed with three or four 

 species of Ferns ; the handsomest and rarest is called Coral 

 Fern {Gleicheriza dicarpa). The sombre Stringy-bark forests 

 which clothe the higher ranges are the favourite habitat of 

 the Black Cockatoo [Xanthonotus lalyjitorhynchus). The only 

 specimen I obtained of this species was shot off the nest, 

 incubation having only just commenced. The spot chosen 

 was a hollow in a tall, upright Gum situated in a very 

 secluded glen. Long before we were within shot of the birds 

 they espied us, and flew down the guUey, giving forth a loud, 

 not unmusical cry. We lay in ambush for about thirty 

 minutes or so, when we could hear the pair calling to one 

 another at no great distance ; from our place of hiding we 

 could only follow their movements by sound ; from the 

 slowness of their progress we judged they were making a 

 careful reconnoitre before returning. At last, back they 



