NOTES AND QUERIES. 193 



surroundings ! There were numbers of Black Swans breeding on the 

 Murchison, but being much hunted by natives were very difficult to 

 approach. The young were hiding about the rushes; it was apparently 

 too late for eggs (Oct. 4th). Coots and Waterhens were numerous, and there 

 were colonies of the White-faced Heron, all of whose nests contained large 

 young birds. The river abounds in Mullet, and there were plenty of 

 White-bellied Eagles. I climbed to three nests, two of which contained 

 two eggs much incubated. The nests were, as a rule, placed high in the 

 summit of a lofty gum-tree. In the uuderpart of one of the Eagles' nests 

 was a smaller nest with eggs, built in the larger structure. It appeared to 

 belong to a sort of Java Sparrow (so called here). There was a species of 

 Diver on the river, but I failed to secure specimens. The old oak-tree 

 grows here, and I fancy the black snake finds its northern limit here. 

 I have never seen or heard of a specimen of this species in the dry uorthern 

 districts. It is a true swamp lover. Eock Wallabies were plentiful on the 

 cliffs, and took a lively interest in our camp. The Blood-stained and Long- 

 billed Cockatoos were numerous, and also the Collared Twenty-eight 

 Parroquet. All the nests I examined contained young of the latter. Young 

 Cockatoos were all on the wing. We first noted here the White-tailed Black 

 Cockatoo. Very large flocks of this bird were feeding on the Banksia seeds. 

 It is a striking-looking bird, and utters a not unmelodious cry. Magpies 

 and "Squeakers" also occurred, and were not met with further north. 

 Immediately the Murchison River was crossed numbers of the Great 

 Red Kangaroo were seen. The river seems to be a natural boundary, 

 only a few individuals crossing to the north side occasionally. The famous 

 black bay-trees are also here met with directly the river is crossed. A 

 long stretch of sandy plain extends to the town of Northampton (about 

 eighty miles), affording no food for stock, and in places covered with poison 

 plant. Though of no use to the settler, these sand-plains are covered with 

 a variety of shrubs and plants bearing most beautiful and interesting 

 flowers. From Northampton to Champion Bay the country is somewhat 

 rugged, this being the mineral district of Western Australia. From 

 Champion Bay we proceeded by way of the Back Flats. About twenty 

 miles north of the Irwin River we found Kangaroos, both red and brown, 

 simply in flocks. They are not much hunted in this district, for it seems 

 the farther north the Kangaroo is found, the thinner its skin, and hence 

 less valuable. Bitterns occurred in all swamps. After crossing the Irwin 

 River the country again changes, swamps are plentiful, Lake Loge being a 

 fine sheet of water. The formation of the country surrounding Lake 

 Loge is limestone, and there are a number of exceedingly large and 

 extensive caves with stalactite. They have never been explored by anyone, 

 and are great strongholds for dingoes. The mouth of one cave we saw we 



ZOOLOGIST. — MAY, 1888. Q 



