306 Whitlock, In the Stirling Ranges, W.A. [,sf April 



could reasonably spare, I should work my way back to the coast. 

 I followed this plan as well as circumstances allowed. 



Before giving an account of the results of my trip, I must refer 

 to the remarkable season recently experienced, from a meteoro- 

 logical point of view. After an unusually dry and hot summer, 

 the weather broke early in April, and the amount of rain falling 

 gradually increased in volume, until over 7 inches were recorded 

 for May, followed by over 10 inches in June, and nearly 11 inches 

 for July. Our mean annual rainfall is but 36 inches, so the 

 reader will get a good idea of the weather experienced previous 

 to my starting. 



I left home 22nd August, and, until I reached the main Albany- 

 Perth road, nearly 30 miles away, I had a hard struggle to get 

 my turn-out through. Despite a driving accident experienced 

 between Albany and Mount Barker, I had my camp erected at 

 the foot of Donelly Peak by 31st of the same month. I may as 

 well state that this accident resulted in rather severe injuries to 

 both my legs, and that for several weeks I got over the rough 

 ground with pain and difficulty. 



I do not propose to give a complete list of the birds I observed, 

 as this would only entail a recapitulation of Mr. A. W. Milligan's 

 list already published. I shall, therefore, merely enumerate 

 additions to his list, and give an account of my observations on 

 the more interesting species encountered during the trip. I must 

 add that I did not penetrate so far east as Mr. Milligan and his 

 party, neither did I climb any peaks other than Mount Donelly. 

 On the other hand, I put in some time around Lake Balicup, and 

 what other country I explored I subjected to a more detailed 

 examination than was possible on their part, owing to the limited 

 time at their disposal. I regret also to add that much of the 

 country on the north side of the ranges has recently been ravaged 

 by fires. Miles of country have been swept, and the land is only now 

 showing signs of recovery. In an area set aside as a public park 

 this is much to be regretted. It can hardly fail to have an 

 adverse effect on the abundance of the feebler birds ; but, to look 

 at it from a selfish point of view, I may have been aided in my 

 researches by the enforced concentration of the more robust 

 species in the tracts of scrub which escaped the general destruction. 



There are two species mentioned by Mr. Milligan of which I 

 saw nothing whatever — viz., Mdiornis sericea and Malurus elegans. 

 With regard to the latter, Mr. Milligan records that he " shot a 

 beautiful male when a fourth of the way up Mount Toolbrunup." 

 I did not reach so far east as this, but I consider it much to be 

 regretted that this specimen, and also other equally interesting 

 ones, were lost, owing to an accident to a pickle-tank. I think 

 it very probable that a careful examination and comparison with 

 the south coast form would have revealed differences in plumage 

 due to climate, as I have never found the coastal bird in other 

 than low, wet situations. It breeds on my own ground, but so 

 closely does it hug the swamps that I have never seen it on the 



