124 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



the birds had scraped out a shallow hole, with a small amount 

 of sand round, preparatory to collecting the leaves, &c., into it. 



Near here we came across a portion of the Mallee (5) which had 

 been rolled with a heavy wooden roller drawn by a team of 

 bullocks. The picture shows a lane rolled through the scrub, which 

 would soon be burnt, the ground ploughed with a stump- 

 jumping plough and put under cultivation, and the Mallee Hen 

 driven from its natural haunt. 



Near the edge of the scrub a troop of about twelve Corcorax 

 (Corcorax melanoj'hamphus) had built their mud nest (6). The 

 blacks say that all the birds help in the building of it and that the 

 eight eggs are laid by several hen birds, for if one, when sitting, is- 

 killed, another will soon take her place on the nest, and the same 

 after three or four have been shot. It is a curious fact that these 

 birds seem to live in a small community, like another mud-nest 

 building bird, the Grey Struthidea. The picture shows a nest 

 situated on the branch of a tree about thirty feet from the ground. 



Here is seen a near view (7) of the bulky structure, with the eggs^ 

 and showing how it is placed on the branch ; its weight is about 

 seven pounds, and it is lined inside with shreds of bark only. 



On arriving again near the bank of the river, a Laughing 

 Jackass ( Dacelo gigas) was seen to fly out of a hollow in a small 

 gum tree, and on the blackfellow climbing up he found two hard- 

 set eggs in the nest which he held in his hand while the picture 

 (8) was taken. A shower of rain had made the smooth bark very 

 slippery and difficult to climb. The bird left the nest while we 

 were still some distance from the tree, and, joining its mate,, 

 watched pur proceedings. 



The river (9) was flooded and running strong from recent heavy 

 rain, and we crossed it in a big bark canoe, the gunwale of which 

 was in some places only an inch above the water ; anyhow we got 

 safely across, and I was enabled to take a snap picture as the 

 canoe, with four blackfellows in it, quickly glided down the stream 

 past me. The one standing up propelled the craft by means of a 

 long pole, which looked a risky proceeding. 



We shortly afterwards passed the big redgum tree (10) from 

 which the bark canoe had been taken, and the long forked stick 

 leaning against it was used for loosening the bark from the tree 

 after it had been cut round. A glimpse of the river is seen 

 about ten yards from the tree on the left-hand side. 



(11) Near here a footbridge had been erected across the river^ 

 but a portion of it had been washed away by a flood some short 

 time previous to my visit, and the detached portion was sticking 

 up on end against a tree which had fallen across the river. The 

 stream is apparently subject to floods. When the water is high 

 they cross in bark canoes, but when low, on a tree which had 

 fallen across the river. 



