184 White, Field Ornithology in South Australia. [isf"jan 



doubt, was its foster-parent. We spent a few days here exploring 

 the shore of the lake. It was a good anchorage while the wind 

 Jcept from the south-west, but it began to shift round, and we 

 made for the port of Meningie, on the far side of the lake. We 

 ran into half a gale of wind with a beam sea, which made things 

 uncomfortable. After we arrived at the Meningie jetty the boat 

 continued to pitch so much that I decided to land and spend the 

 night at the hotel. When passing through the township we 

 sighted a Crow with a white breast, and gave chase, but did not 

 secure it. (The bird was afterwards sent to me by a lad at 

 Meningie, and proved to be a freak, partial albinism.) 



Next day we hired a trap and pair of horses, and worked back into 

 the scrub to the east of Meningie in search of the Bristle-Bird 

 {Sphenura broadbenti).* The country traversed was undulating, 

 and the soil a light sandy loam, covered with low scrub (Banksia) 

 — ideal conditions for Hylacola. We found the Rufous-rumped 

 Ground-Wren {H. pyrrhopygia) in numbers. On entering more 

 open country, where there were stony ridges covered with heath- 

 like vegetation, we came upon a small party of Calamanthus, 

 which resembled Calamanthus ethelcB (Mathews' " Reference-List 

 to Birds of Australia," p. 337). Amongst the low bushes on a 

 sandy rise a small flock of Acanthizas was observed, and specimens 

 were secured. f The Redthroat {Pyrrholcemiis bntnnea) was seen 

 in many places. When passing through tea-tree scrub on a salt 

 flat some Scrub-Wrens [Sericornis maculata) were observed The 

 Whiteface {Aphelocephala leucopsis) was seen in great numbers. 

 We saw also a number of Grass-Parrots {Psephotus elegans) 

 feeding over the burnt ground. 



Returning to Meningie that night, we went on board the launch 

 early next morning and steamed along the coast to the west. We 

 reached Dodd's Creek at mid-day. A party of natives was camped 

 there, and the birds were much disturbed. We made over to 

 Rumply Bay, but found that the water was too shallow to 

 allow the boat to come close inshore, so we proceeded round the 

 point and dropped anchor close to the place which we had left 

 a few days previously. We spent a few more days among the 

 water-birds. Several Black Swans {Chenopsis atrata), with large 

 young ones almost ready to fly, were seen. Just before leaving, 

 a small party of Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) put in an appear- 

 ance. Leaving Rumply Point we made for the Albert Channel, 

 passing in as darkness came. We spoke the mail steamer, which 

 was stuck fast on a mud-bank at the mouth. Proceeding along 

 the channel we picked up our first berth, beside the reeds. It 

 was a glorious moonlit night, and when the anchor chain rattled 

 out the birds flew in thousands from their feeding-ground. Next 

 day, after some bird-observing, we packed up. When the mail 



* Mr. Gregory Mathews has since named it S. broadbenti white-i — vide 

 Austral Avian Record, vol. i , No. 3, p. 79. — S.A.W. 



f Mr. Mathews has described this bird as A . iredalei hedleyi — see A ustral 

 Avian Record, vol. i., No. 3, p. 78. — S.A.W. 



