THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 45 



land, but they are not numerous, and we saw none, although a 

 good look-out was kept, but we found numbers of the " rugged 

 stump- tail lizard'' {Trachydosaurus riigosits), known up here by the 

 name of *' wollops." At the north end of the lake the road fol- 

 lows along the outlet, a dry bed of creek connecting Lake Hind- 

 marsh with Lake Albacutya. Here the timber (red gum) was 

 larger, and we found several nests of the sulphur-crested cockatoo, 

 the Galar cockatoo. Major Mitchell cockatoo, the rock pebble 

 paroquet, or, as it is here known, the smoker or mallee parrot, 

 the grass paroquet, the bronze-wing pigeon, the wedge-tail 

 eagle, and others, but all those found had young birds in. On 

 leaving the outlet, we passed over some sandy country, covered 

 with porcupine grass {Triodia irritans). We here saw a few of 

 what appeared to be a species of small bloodsucker i^Grammato- 

 phora miiricata ?). On nearing the station, we passed through a 

 gate in a rabbit and wild dog proof fence. The lower part was 

 fine wire, a broader being used in the upper part, and a barbed 

 wire run along the top. It seemed to effectually stop anything 

 getting through or over. We arrived at our destination at 5 

 o'clock. 



Next morning we started early, and drove some 7 miles to 

 a lowan's nest in the mallee. It was about 16 feet in 

 diameter, and about 4 feet high. After scraping the loose 

 sandy soil away, we came on five pink eggs. They were laid in a 

 circle, the first on the outer side, and the last more in the centre. 

 The birds apparently visit the nest every morning, scratch and 

 scrape it out. The male bird seems to assist, as you often see 

 them together on the nest, so that it" any young birds are hatch- 

 ing they could be liberated, and also for the purpose of laying 

 their eggs, which they do every fourth day. We took the tem- 

 perature of the nest, and found it to be 95 deg. F., but I have no 

 doubt opening it lowered the temperature slightly. One egg 

 appeared to have been laid that morning, so I took it to trv and 

 hatch it out in the incubator, but I was not successful, and found 

 out that it had been laid about three days before I took it. The 

 only way to get a perfectly fresh egg is to secure it immediately 

 after the bird has laid it. As soon as laid she covers it up, and 

 incubation commences at once. All the eggs are placed erect, 

 the small end being below : this may enable the eggs to resist 

 the weight of the sand above them, as their shells are very fragile 

 and easily broken. Mr. Scott had placed some fine wire netting 

 round the nest to prevent any young ones getting away, but it 

 did not seem to have the desired effect. After covering up the 

 nest again, we drove to another about three miles off". It 

 was some distance in the mallee, so we unharnessed the horses, 

 and leaving them lied up on the road, we proceeded on foot. 



