l8 White, Field Ornithology in South Australia. [ist juiy 



for the description of Turquoise Wren {Maltirus callaimis), which 

 my father discovered on this trip. Mr. A. J. Campbell also gives 

 an account of this discovery in his standard work, " Nests and 

 Eggs of Australian Birds" (vol. i., p. 171). Surely enough we 

 met with this beautiful Wren again in the same locality. Now 

 we entered country, as far as I know, never worked by an 

 ornithologist, and we journeyed on to Mount Whyalla, where we 

 camped for a while, working the country round the mount, but 

 not a sign of the Night-Parrot did we notice. Nevertheless, many 

 interesting species of birds came under observation. Still pro- 

 ceeeding south, we left the myall and mulga country and entered 

 the mallee. Here our troubles began. Water was very scarce, 

 and at last we were compelled to double back and give up hopes 

 of getting round Lake Gillies. The horses were suffering badly, 

 and we were reduced to a few pints of water. We made for Iron 

 Knob, but had to camp a few miles from it, for the horses could not 

 accomplish the last few miles. 



Next morning, early, our team slowly dragged us into Iron 

 Knob. Imagine our disgust to find that we could not get a drop of 

 water there for love or money. Hurrying off to Corunna with 

 our jaded and thirsty team, we there found them water, and 

 rested. From a botanical point of view this district was extremely 

 interesting. Great variety of flowering plants was seen every- 

 where. We camped near a strange, detached range rising from 

 the plain, in many places perpendicularly, from 800 to 1,000 

 feet — one mass of rugged, broken granite rock, crowned with 

 low bush and scrub. Many of the ravines held larger timber. 

 The south end of the range is cleft by a deep gorge, at the end of 

 which is a nice spring of pure water that trickles down, and, from 

 numerous chippings, this spring must have been a favourite 

 camping-ground for the natives. After the horses had recovered 

 we pushed south again, our intention being to pass round on the 

 west side of Lake Gillies and pick up our tracks ; but we did not 

 succeed, for w^e struck the dry belt again, ai.d returned to Lake 

 Gillies tank, where we filled our water-bags and watered our horses. 

 The next few days took us into the Gawler Ranges proper, striking 

 the Western Australian telegraph line at Courcipidney, where it 

 follows a long valley with picturesque hills on either side. This 

 country impressed us as being very beautiful. The plain or 

 broad valley, along which we travelled many miles, was covered 

 with fine salt-bash and dotted with the beautifully shaped and 

 drooping foliaged tree, the myall. Where dry watercourses were 

 found the scrubby mulga {Acacia rigens) grew in clumps, and at 

 the time of our visit was covered with a wealth of golden blossom ; 

 the sweet perfume from the flowers could be detected a long way 

 off. On the slopes of the range patches of the quaint blue -bush 

 were seen. These plants grow so evenly as to space between, as 

 well as to height, that at a distance they resemble a vineyard. 

 A little higher up patches of mulga grew, and still higher spinifex 

 crowned the hills with low bushes, while the hop plant {Dodoncea 



