CHAPTER VI. 



To Australia and a Trip to Panton Hill and the Plenty Ranges Giant King- 

 fishersParrotsBeautiful Beetles Pouched Bears Collecting on the 

 Yara River The Duckbill Platypus Song of the Lyre-Bird Big Trees 

 Our House at Pheasant Creek Shooting Lyre-Birds Cooking Rice Giant 

 Worms A Memorable Day's Hunt Stalking a Lyre-Bird. 



WE left Auckland toward the end of July for 

 Australia, arriving on the last of the month in the 

 magnificent harbor of Sydney. I had very little 

 respect for American vessels after spending one week 

 on board the great, unwieldy "City of Sydney," and I 

 consider the " Zealandia," although she rolls badly, a 

 better boat in every way. When we landed, the sun 

 was shining brightly, the air was warm, and the city 

 clean and handsome ; so before noon I only remembered 

 the cold and stormy termination of our New Zealand 

 experience as one does a bad dream. 



We visited the Park, the Museum, and the Picture 

 Gallery, all of which were rich in treasures. Sydney 

 seemed more like an American city than any place I 

 had seen since leaving home, and I took to it at once. 



The next day we left for Melbourne by rail, for we 

 had had enough of the " briny mighty " for a time. 

 Father had an engagement with a society in Melbourne, 

 to lecture in the Bijou Theatre. As by this arrange- 

 ment Shelley and I had nothing to do, we concluded 

 to go on a bird-collecting expedition. 



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