'] The Mallacoota Excursion. 



1915 J I- ne iviauacooia nxcurston. 1'^'^ 



From Gipsy Point the overland party— Mrs. Israel (who jour- 

 neyed only to the Cann River), Messrs. Ladwig, Rosenhain, 

 Molesworth, and Chisholm — went six miles or so by motor launch 

 along the attractive wattle-rimmed l)ack-waters of the Genoa, 

 and then rattled over four miles in a buckboard to the accommoda- 

 tion house at Genoa " township." A good many common birds 

 frequent the open spaces thereabouts, but the tall, dark hills are 

 mostly silent. The most surprising find was a pair of the im- 

 ported Goldfinches [Carduelis cardiielis) flitting about near Flame- 

 breasted Robins and Brown Flycatchers {Micrceca fascinans). 

 Fox and rabbit, Starhng and Sparrow, have long been about East 

 Gippsland, but one would hardly have expected to find the 

 Goldfinch so far back. The day-dawn sounds (at 3 o'clock) on 

 Wednesday were the voice of Mrs. Israel and the trill of the 

 Fan-tailed Cuckoo, and by 5 o'clock the quintette was coaching 

 along in the direction of Orbost. Many less pleasant occupations 

 might be pin'sued than speeding along Gippsland roads on such a 

 fresh spring morning, especially in view of the excellent state of 

 that particular road, and the fact that the numerous small rivers 

 along the way provided fine companies of ringing, rippling Bell- 

 Miners. They were altogether beautiful, these bush streams, 

 with their shallow courses and wealth of flowering vegetation. 

 The Wingan— we heard Regent Honey-eaters {Meliphaga phrvgia) 

 fluting there— Thurra, Cann, and Bemm Rivers, as well as 'such 

 less-dignified streams as the Euchre, Bell-Bird, and Tonghi Creeks, 

 suggested waterways of Fairyland, and were only equalled in 

 attractiveness by the beautiful scenery of Mount Drummer, over 

 the brow of which the road meanders a few miles on the Genoa 

 side of the Cann River settlement. 



The night-halt was made at the Bell-Bird Hotel, prettily 

 situated on the bank of the creek of that name. There Bell- 

 Magpies {Strepera gramlina) were found to be plentiful and tame. 

 Satin Bower-Birds were numerous in the white-flowering 

 Christmas-bush (Prostanthera). We saw one raucous- voiced 

 female being relentlessly and cleverly harried by a pair of White- 

 shafted Fantails. Gang-Gang Cockatoos, King Parrots {Apros- 

 mictus scapulatus), and the equally gorgeous Crimson Parrots 

 {Piatycercus pennanti) were in the adjacent big timber in good 

 numbers, while the ringing voices of Lyre-Birds {Menura victories) 

 and Coachwhips floated up from the dense fern gullies with the 

 first hint of dawn. The birds after which the creek is named 

 were not to be heard close by; they have gone further back. 

 Opportunity was afforded the visitors there of hearing a fine 

 Coachwhip duet, the male emitting the drawl and crack, and the 

 female the smart double-note follow-on ; and, again, the male 

 managing the whole of this pretty performance. 



From the Bell-Bird Creek to Orbost the roads were not so good, 

 and the country rather less interesting. Some nice patches of 

 wild-flowers presented themselves, but there was little of the 

 magnificent timber of further east, and no fresh birds. Gay Parrots 



