112 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
From the mouth of the Hunter, Mr. Gould tracked its course 
to its rise in the Liverpool range of hills, stopping in various 
parts for the purpose of collecting specimens and making 
observations. Fortunately for him it happened that a near 
relative (a brother of Mrs. Gould), Mr. S. Coxon, resided on 
the Dartbrook, a branch of the Hunter, nine miles from the 
base of the mountain chain. Here Mr. Gould not only occupied 
a most favourable position, but was enabled to command every 
advantage requisite both to render his examination of the flat 
tracts of this district successful, and also his excursions to the 
range itself, in the ravines and gullies of which he encamped for 
some time. This mountain range, which abounds with Lyre- 
birds, Black Cockatoos, and with many species of Kangaroo, is 
about one hundred and sixty miles from the sea at Newcastle, 
and two hundred and thirty east of Sydney, forming the limits of 
the colony in that direction. Hitherto Mr. Gould had only 
explored the country between the coast and this mountain chain, 
but the districts beyond these mountains were too inviting, and 
promised too many novelties to the naturalist, to be left unvisited. 
Accordingly he made preparations for crossing the range, and 
pushing his way to the distant interior by way of the Liverpool 
plains, which stretch out from the base of the mountains. In 
the accomplishment of this enterprise Mr. Gould was materially 
assisted by Mr. Coxon, who supplied him with bullocks and drays. 
He started on this expedition in December, with a party 
consisting of five Europeans and two intelligent natives, whose 
services he found highly valuable. After encamping for some 
time on the Rivers Mokai and Peal; he descended the Namoi, to 
the distance of about two hundred miles from the mountains. 
As was to be expected, he found the productions of these plains 
altogether of a different character from those between the 
mountains and the coast at Sydney. In the place of forests of 
timber or vast plains of brush, the country was for the most part 
open, covered with a peculiar vegetation of grasses, and here and 
there variegated with thinly-timbered forests. Thousands of 
beautiful Grass Parrakeets, and flocks of the little Crested Parrot 
(Nymphicus), and of Rose-breasted Cockatoos, were seen in every 
direction, restless and busy. The elegant Frill-neck (Calodera 
nuchalis), a bird of extraordinary habits, graced the woods with 
its presence; but neither the Satin-bird, the Regent-bird, nor the 
