SCENERY ON ITS BANKS. 6l 



and richer. Above the growth of acacias and 

 drooping gums, that leant over the banks kissing 

 their reflection in the limpid waters, rose on each 

 side high broken ranges. Their heights had round 

 summits, just beneath which, in some, could be 

 traced a low line of cliffs, so singularly characte- 

 ristic of Sea Range. The very marked dip in the 

 strata did not extend beyond the latter, and here 

 I could not detect any. Flights of large vampires, 

 whistling ducks, many-coloured parroquets, and 

 varieties of small birds, made the river quite alive, 

 and their continued cry of alarm gave vivacity to the 

 scene, and disturbed the stillness that had reigned 

 there for years. Every living thing is terrified at 

 the sight of man. This reach of the Victoria 

 enabled Mr. Bynoe to add two new birds to his 

 collection : — one, a species of pigeon, but resembling 

 a small quail in its habits and size ; the cerae 

 of the nose, the beak and the feet, were a pigeon's, 

 but the flight and the manner of running along the 

 ground, where it kept, were those of a quail. It 

 was found in small families of eight or a dozen, 

 very wild and scarce, and was only seen in this 

 part of the river. The only one we were able to 

 get, had a very long pointed crest. The colour 

 was a light red, with a white chin and a black band 

 across the throat ; the tips of the wings were 

 slightly bronzed. It is figured in Mr. Gould's 

 work, from this specimen, as Geophaps plumifera. 

 The other bird was of a species, that at first 



