THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. J51 



Fitzroy River from Keppel Bay, and the land in the immediate 

 vicinity of the town is flat and uninteresting, but there is plenty of 

 swampy land a few miles out, where Magpie and Pigmy Geese, 

 ducks, and other waterfowl are numerous. It is here too that 

 that curious little bird, the Comb-crested Parra, or Lotus Bird, is 

 found, which builds its floating nest in the swamps. A pair of 

 young Jabirus were offered for sale, which had been taken in 

 September from a very large nest, about four feet in diameter, on 

 a tree near the centre of a good-sized swamp ; the birds were full 

 grown, and no dog or cat dare approach them in their yard, as 

 they were able to give a very severe blow with their large bill. 

 When coming up the river I saw a crow single-handed chasing a 

 Wedge-tailed Eagle, which was at last obliged to take refuge in the 

 scrub from its assailant. A fine pair of White-bellied Eagles were 

 also seen ; one was sitting on a small dead bough overhanging the 

 li^^i when, its companion essaying to sit on the same bough, 

 their combined weight broke their perch and they were both 

 precipitated into the water. The principal fish caught here are 

 the Burramundi, Kingfish, Bream, and Rock Cod ; the latter 

 being generally caught near the mouth of the river, which, like 

 most Queensland rivers, is tidal for some miles inland, and con- 

 sequently very muddy. A very large specimen of the Rock Cod, 

 7 feet 3 inches long, and weighing 174 lbs., was caught whilst I 

 was there, and was on view as being a marine wonder, which it 

 undoubtedly was. A few goat carriages were seen here, either 

 driven by children for amusement or carrying purchases from the 

 market or shops, and they seemed very useful; occasionally a 

 pair were harnessed in, but as a rule only one. These animals 

 are very numerous in Queensland, as they can thrive on scanty 

 vegetation and little water, and in many places they are used for 

 food instead of sheep, especially in cattle country. 



I left early next morning by train for Duaringa, to visit Mr. 

 Barnard, at his station, Coomooboolaroo. On the journey up 

 we passed close to Gracemere station, and got a view of the large 

 lagoon there. It was here that Mr. Carl Lumholtz (the author of 

 "Among Cannibals") stayed some months. At the station there 

 was much to interest me, and my first effort was to look through 

 Mr. Barnard's unrivalled private collection of butterflies, moths, 

 beetles, wasps, bird's eggs, skins, &c., &c. All the specimens are 

 in splendid condition, and for the most part have been collected 

 by himself and his sons, and the time and patience expended in 

 getting together such a collection must have been considerable. 

 Nearly everything is named, and the locality where obtained 

 noted, which adds very considerably to its scientific value. The 

 country round is generally lightly timbered, but with belts of thin 

 scrub here and there, in which the Scrub Turkey, or Talegalla, 

 makes its mound, and in which wallabies also abound, coming 



