22 Macgillivray, The Region of the Barrier Range. [isf'juiv 



the party, excepting myself and the two boys, returned to the 

 trap, where a forge was improvised in a washaway, and the turn- 

 table heated and straightened, tomahawks serving the purpose 

 both of anvil and hammers. Going down the creek, Bare-eyed 

 Cockatoos and Galahs flew from every tree. The Rufous Song- 

 Lark {CinclorJiainpJius riifescens) was heard on every side. The 

 wonderful growth on these flats of annual salt-bush, marsh- 

 mallow, yellow everlastings, and milk-thistle, especially where 

 sheltered by the tobacco-bush scrub, affords these Larks good 

 cover for nesting and an abundant supply of insect food. 

 Many Babblers' {PomatorJiinus superciliosus) nests were seen 

 among the trees and in the tobacco-bush, and Barney soon 

 found one containing eggs. Like most of its family, this 

 Babbler lays five eggs for a clutch, and often breeds very early 

 in the season, even in June, although August is the regular 

 laying month. Yellow-throated Miners {MyzantJia fiavigula), 

 "Greenies" {Ptilotis penicillata), and Singing Honey-eaters 

 {Ptilotis sonoro) are here in numbers, the flowering tobacco-bush 

 affording an unlimited supply of honey and insect food. 



We found a nest of Barnardius barnardi in a hollow in a 

 eucalypt. Whistling Eagles were seen preparing their nests, 

 and several pairs of Little Eagles and Allied Kites were also 

 noticed among the trees or flying overhead. The liquid notes 

 of the Spiny-cheeked Honey-eater {AcantJiocJicera rufigularis) 

 came from all parts of the scrub. We attempted to penetrate the 

 bushes, but soon gave up, as the scrub was too dense and 

 unproductive. We skirted the creek for half a mile on the east 

 side, finding two good waterholes, and then got through to the 

 west side on a cattle pad. Barney had a good climb after a 

 Black-backed Magpie's [GyiiinorJiina tibiceii) nest, and was 

 rewarded with a nicely marked clutch of four eggs. This is the 

 usual clutch for G. tibicen in this district. 



We skirted the scrub for some distance, and then made our 

 way back to camp, where the rest of the party soon joined us. 

 After lunch we started up the creek. A Whistling Eagle was 

 lining her nest in a tree at the back of the camp, and we 

 watched her taking the leaves from the tops of the trees and 

 carrying them in her claws to the nest. A Boobook Owl {Ninox 

 boobook) was flushed from an empty hollow, and then a Bare- 

 eyed Cockatoo {Cacatua gyuinopts) emerged from another, and 

 flew screaming away. A Hawk flew from a nest at the top 

 of a gum-tree, and was soon followed by another from a smaller 

 nest in a lower fork. They proved to be a fine pair of Grey 

 Falcons {Falco hypoleucus). M'Lennan was soon climbing to the 

 higher nest, from which the female, somewhat larger than the 

 male, had flown. The nest was placed in the upright fork of a 

 thin limb, 60 feet from the ground ; it was about 18 inches in 

 diameter, loosely built of sticks and lined with wool, and con- 



