Enin 



I<8 Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. fisf"} 



Flinders Island Camp^out. 



By J. W. Mellor and (Capt.) S. A. White, Ms.R.A.O.U. 



At the conclusion of the annual congress a number of the delegates 

 proceeded to Cape Barren Island, arrangements having been made 

 to hold a ten-days camp there and on Flinders Island. 



After landing a party on Cape Barren Island on the afternoon 

 of 2oth November, under the charge of Mr. A. H. E. Mattingley, 

 the steamer Yamhacoona headed round Long Island, which lies 

 between Cape Barren and Flinders Islands, and made a course for 

 Lady Barron, on the south-eastern shores of Fhnders Island. The 

 destination was reached at 6 p.m., but, as the hour was too late 

 for disembarking on an unknown shore and erecting tents, &c., in 

 the dark, arrangements were made to spend another night on 

 board the vessel. A reconnoitring party, under the direction of 

 the leader of the Flinders Island camp, Mr. J. W. Mellor, went 

 ashore in the ship's boat. A snug spot was selected for the camp 

 on a point of land in Petrifaction Bay, an inlet of Adelaide Bay, 

 and near Opossum Boat Harbour. The locahty is thickly bushed 

 with small trees and other vegetation, affording shelter from 

 storms. 



Next morning the officers of the Yamhacoona and members of 

 the party were early astir. The luggage and supplies were piled 

 into the boats, which were bobbing about like corks on the sea, 

 and in due course the packages were safely landed. The weather 

 being fine, the task of " pitching " camp was soon accomplished. 

 Breakfast was prepared by the cook and his assistant — half-castes 

 brought over from Cape Barren Island settlement. The camp 

 consisted of seven tents. 



As soon as the camp appointments had been completed the 

 ornithologists and others settled down to systematic work. The 

 leader and Captain S. A. White (S.A.) undertook the investigation 

 of the bird-life of the island. Dr. C. S. Sutton (Vic.) paid 

 attention to the botany. (He identified over 300 species of 

 plants.) Dr. J. Burton Cleland (N.S.W.) collected parasitic 

 worms from the intestines of birds, reptiles, and other creatures, and 

 parasitic insects, and Mr. F. M. Angel (S.A.) acted as general 

 entomologist. There were also in camp Messrs. J. W. Hosking 

 (S.A.), E. Bewes (S.A.), Mesdames S. A. White (S.A.), J. W. Israel 

 (Vic), and Misses R. Toms (S.A.) and E. M'Donald (Tas.) Reveille 

 was sounded each day at 6 a.m. Breakfast hour was 7 a.m., dinner 

 I p.m., and tea 7 p.m., and the time was fully occupied every day. 

 The country around the camp proved most interesting, being ex- 

 tremely diversified in character : swamps extending over miles of 

 country ; undulating ridges covered with dwarf eucalypts and 

 shrubs ; " blackboy " country, where grass-trees {Xanthorrhcea) of 

 huge size raised their heads above "heath;" and, farther afield, 

 lofty ranges with rough and rugged peaks 2,500 feet above sea-level. 

 The country generally was clothed in bracken fern, growing in 

 some parts to the height of 6 or 7 feet, and it was with difficulty 



