joo Royal Australasian Ornithologists' Union. [ist^'jan. 



known locally as the Dowell River. Only a few miles could be 

 negotiated with the dingey, and the thick jungle country had to 

 be reached on foot. The end of the brackish water was soon 

 made apparent by the silvery tinkle of the communistic Bell- 

 Miners {Manorhina melanophrys). They were about the thickly- 

 grown waterway and fern gullies in plenty, and numbers of Satin 

 Bower-Birds {Ptilonorhynchus holosericeus) and one or two strong- 

 voiced Coachwhips kept them company. Lyre-Birds were 

 probably plentiful enough there, too, for their scratchings could 

 be freely noted. 



Though the Saturday morning was dull and close, with rain 

 threatening, a launch excursion was made to Captain's Point, 

 near the Inlet entrance (from whence a glorious panoramic view 

 could be obtained), and a party walked from thence round the 

 coast — incidentally inspecting a very old ruined slab residence, 

 a relic of the fifties — towards the Betka River. It was half 

 expected that Pezoporus formosus would be met with in the heath 

 country above the beach, but the only fresh birds noted there 

 were odd Glyciphilas, while in the big timber inland one of the 

 rare, pretty Black-faced Flycatchers {Monarcha carinata) and 

 a family of Banksian Cockatoos [Calyptorhynchus banksi) came 

 under notice. A soft, humid rain made matters rather damp in 

 the afternoon, but it had little apparent effect on the thousands 

 of flies accommodating themselves on each person. These insects 

 are not so pertinacious and persistent' as our ordinary fly, and 

 'twas just as well, for their numbers were astonishing. 



Though the Sunday dawned clear, it was not long ere a blow 

 sprang up, and, accordingly, motor launch excursions were 

 declared off, the chief boatman having a decided aversion to 

 taking risks of any kind. Advantage was taken of the quiet day 

 by a couple of party members to row across to Mallacoota West, 

 where Mr. E. J. Brady, the well-known, much-travelled poet and 

 descriptive writer is carving himself a home out of the bush. He 

 and Mrs. Brady were warmly hospitable, and so, too, were their 

 pretty little bird-loving children. 



The Betka River country not having been thoroughly worked 

 on the first visit, the week was " officially " opened (on the 

 Monday) with anothei launch visit to the vicinity of the entrance. 

 The day was exceedingly hot, and the gloriously green, park-like 

 country in from " Tea-tree Corner " (just west of Captain's Point) 

 was too cool and altogether inviting to permit of long rambles. 

 No fresh birds were noted, though some very interesting marine 

 life came under notice along the adjacent coast-line. 



On Wednesday, 17th November, while one party was journeying 

 overland, a second party, consisting of Dr. Leach, Messrs. 

 Mattingley, Hamilton, and Elster, with Mr. Tom Dorron as 

 guide, set out on horseback on a two days' trip to the east. 

 Howe Hill, the culminating peak of a north and south range, was 

 ascended, and Cape Howe and Conference Point were visited. 

 New South Wales was entered, the Naggi Lake was passed, and 



