2o8 Cruise of the '■^ Alert'' 



the nearest tree, allowing one to approach them within a few 

 yards. Along the inner or landward edge of the mangrove fringe 

 I saw perched on the summits of the trees a large oriole {Mimeta), 

 of which I obtained two female specimens in full plumage ; and 

 among some low prickly bushes which grew over the shell heaps 

 of the inner beach, I had a long, and finally successful, chase of a 

 goat-sucker, which had been dodging about under the bushes, 

 without rising on the wing. Large flocks of the New Holland 

 paroquet {Trichoglossus Novcs Hollandice) flew about the top- 

 most branches of the large gum trees, screaming shrilly. I also 

 saw and obtained a specimen of ^. rubitorquis, just now a scarce 

 bird, but at other times of the year said to be tolerably abundant. 

 One day I joined a party on a shooting excursion to a fresh water 

 lagoon about twelve miles from the settlement. We were driven 

 to the ground by Mr. Gott, the superintendent of the British and 

 Australian telegraph station, who not only afforded us a pleasant 

 day's shooting, but on this and other occasions evinced the greatest 

 kindness and hospitality. A large black and white goose {Anser- 

 anas melanoleucd) was met with in immense flocks in the lagoon ; 

 and when started from their feeding ground, these birds, to our 

 surprise, betook themselves to the neighbouring gum trees, where 

 they perched with an apparent ease which was astonishing in such 

 great and unwieldy creatures. Although thus so easily circum- 

 stanced for pot-shots, it was no easy matter to bring them down, 

 as they required very hard shooting to make any impression on 

 them ; so that, notwithstanding a liberal expenditure of ammuni- 

 tion, our united efforts did not produce at all so large a bag as we 

 had at first anticipated. The country through which we drove on 

 our way to and from the lagoon was of an extremely uninteresting 

 nature, being flat and arid, and thinly wooded with stunted gum.s. 



