50 Macgillivray, The Region of the Barrier Range. [^^^ "j^jy 



or clumps which grow off the main creeks, along which they are 

 never found. In their habits, situations they frequent, and 

 mode of flying they are readily distinguished from the Oreoica, 

 the only other crested bird of about the same size in this 

 district. In flying, the Wedgebill, like the Babbler, makes a 

 few wing-strokes and then sails along on extended pinions, the 

 flight not being sustained for any distance. They do not feed 

 on the ground like the Oreoica, nor are they ever found in the 

 mulga scrub. The song is loud, pleasing, and continued ; it is 

 often given forth while the bird is perched on the top of a low 

 bush. 



After an early breakfast, on i8th September, we struck camp, 

 and, crossing the creek, cut across the flats in a north-easterly 

 direction for Fowler's Gap. Several pairs of Black-breasted 

 Plovers {Zonifer tricolor) were passed, and one pair of Dottrels 

 {PeltoJiyas australis), on ironstone gravel, as usual. One old 

 man kangaroo {Macropus rufus) was seen. The season for this 

 marsupial has wisely been closed for two years, for they were 

 getting very scarce. It seems a pity that the dainty little 

 yellow-footed rock wallaby, one of the most ornamental of our 

 native animals, is not protected for all time, as it has been so 

 wantonly shot by " sports " that one has to go far back into 

 the hills to find it. When about to cross the creek, some 3 miles 

 above Fowler's Gap Hotel, a male Little Falcon flew round, 

 leading us to imagine a nest at hand. The horses were un- 

 harnessed and watered, and the Falcon's nest was at length 

 found, on the topmost bough of the tallest tree on the creek. 

 After a risky climb, three eggs were taken from the nest, which 

 was exactly 90 feet from the ground. The two birds hovered 

 round the tree, the male uttering his shrill cry and making 

 occasional swoops towards the climber. The nest was 

 loosely constructed of sticks and lined with fine, soft bark. 

 After lunch we struck the main road, just ahead of a camel 

 " train " going in our direction. Another " train," coming in 

 with wool, was met soon afterwards. At Sandy Creek Bore we 

 stopped to water the horses at the well, just in time to avoid 

 delay, as two large mobs of Queensland horses were approaching 

 on their way to a southern sale-yard. We now entered upon 

 sandy country, more scrubby in character, but the scrub was 

 very open ; it consisted of turpentine-bush, blue- and salt-bush. 

 White-winged Wrens and Tricoloured Chats were plentiful, 

 and a few Orange-fronted Chats, the " Salt-bush Canary " of 

 bushmen, were seen. The sand proved to be heavy pulling, 

 and all but the boys walked through the scrubby country on 

 either side of the road. Many White-winged Wrens and Red- 

 capped Robins {Petnvca goodcnovii) were disturbed. Dr. Dobbyn 

 found a nest (three eggs) of the Tricoloured Chat, built into the 

 top of a blue-bush. The nest was built of fine rootlets and 



