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wings, as they fly iu great numbers overhead, all iu the šame direc- 

 tion. These flights often continne to pass for many hours together oii 

 tlie vray to their feeding-places, generaliy about the bauks of rivers, 

 ■ffhere the tree known as the Flooded-gum grows, on the leaves of 

 whieh they feed. Though scattered over a large extent of country 

 v\hile feeding at iiight, they all contrive to assemble again to spend 

 the heat of the day together, and when the flight is large, the scene 

 of congregation is most extraordinary. I am fcrtnnate enough to 

 have known twn of these places of assembly — one on a small islaud 

 in Moretou Bay, covered with dense scrub or jungle ; another in the 

 scrub, close to my former residence, about forty miles iuland from 

 the Bay. In the latter spot the scrub cousists of the usual under- 

 growth of smaller trces, mixed ^ith bush ropes, or lianes, and over- 

 topped by enorraous Moreton Bay pine-trees {Araucaria Cunning- 

 hami). On the nearly horizontai branches of the pines, as well as 

 on the lower trees around, the flying foxes hang in %"ast numbers. I 

 can nerer forget my astonishment as I approached this spot for the 

 first time, being taken to it for the purpose of shooting some of the 

 animals for the natives. The space occupied by the flight was, as 

 near as I could judge, about 400 or 500 yards scjuare, aud in this, 

 every tree was more or less loaded with them, all hangiug with their 

 heads downwards, and uttering a sound ditficult to describe, but 

 not imlike that of young rooks when crying for food. All that were 

 not snarling and fighting for places, were steadily fanning themselves 

 with their wings half estended as they hung. On our approach, 

 most of those nearest to us took to flight, only to alight again on the 

 next tree, or to wheel roiind and romid in the air above the spot. 

 On my firing a shot, the din increased, and contiuued to such au ex- 

 tent, that after I had sliot what the blacks recjuired, I was glad to 

 get away from it. Many had young ones clinging to them, and 

 suokling at the breast. This flight met in the šame spot for several 

 days, and then disappeared. The flesh of the flying fox is likę that 

 of a rabbit in appearance, but is strongly flaroured by the food ou 

 whioh the animal feeds. 



Ou the coast of Moretou Bay the uatires live principally on fish, 

 and the arrival of the flying foxes on the little island of St. Helena 

 is hailed by them as a cbange of diet. The flights only appear in 

 the warmer months of the year, evea in lat. 2^'^, and most likely 

 migrate into the tropical latitudes during the colder months, likę 

 many of our Australian birds. 



At Moreton Bay there is uo difliculty in procuring auy number of 

 young flying foxes, as the island on \vhich they congregate is close 

 to the anchorage for ships. 



