been mistaken for water-rats, Mr, Browne shot 

 one : certainly it is a most extraordinary animal ; 

 a stuffed specimen does not at all give a good idea 

 of the appearance of the head and beak when 

 fresh, the latter becoming hard and contracted.* 



20th. — A long day's ride to Bathurst. Before 

 joining the high road we followed a mere path 

 through the forest, and the country, with the ex- 

 ception of a few squatters' huts, was very solitary. 

 We experienced this day the sirocco-like wind of 

 Australia, which comes from the parched deserts 

 of the interior. Clouds of dust were ti'avellincr in 

 every direction, and the wind felt as if it had pass- 

 ed over a fire, I afterwards heard that the ther- 

 mometer out of doors had stood at 119°, and in a 

 closed room at 96°, In the afternoon we came in 

 view of the downs of Bathurst, These undulatino- 

 but nearly smooth plains are very remarkable in 

 this country, from being absolutely destitute of 

 trees. They support only a thin, brown pasture. 

 We rode some miles over this country, and then 

 reached the township of Bathurst, seated in the 

 middle of what may be called either a very broad 

 valley or naiTow plain. I was told at Sydney not 

 to form too bad an opinion of Australia by judgino- 

 of the country from the road-side, nor too good a 

 one from Bathurst ; in this latter respect I did not 

 feel myself in the least danger of being prejudiced. 



* I was interested by finding here the hollow, conical pitfall of 

 the lion-ant, or some other insect : first a fly fell down the treach- 

 erous slope and immediately disappeared ; then came a large but 

 unwary ant ; its struggles to escape being very violent, those cu- 

 rious little jets of sand, described by Kirby and Spence (EntomoL, 

 vol. i., p. 425) as being flirted by the insect's tail, were promptly 

 directed against the expected victim. But the ant enjoyed a bet- 

 ter fate than the fly, and escaped the fatal jaws which lay con- 

 cealed at the base of the conical hollow. This Australian pitfall 

 was only about half the size of that made by the European lion- 

 ant. 



IT.— T' 



