On my Visit to Australia.



73



badly for a beginner. The photographs of the aviaries may give

some idea of what they are like. The whole of the frame-work

of the flights is of iron, and the wire-work is the strongest make

of ^-inch mesh.



NOTES ON MY VISIT TO AUSTRALIA.


By David Seth-Smith, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.


( Continued, from page 50).


THE CAVES OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA.


The third day of our visit to the Margaret River district of

Western Australia we decided to devote to a drive through the

forest to the caves, the nearest of which was situated about

seven miles from where we were staying. The country here

contains many subterranean streams running through limestone

rock, the result being that, where this has been worn away by

the action of the water, large caverns have been formed under¬

ground which have been marvellously decorated by nature.

While the underground stream has been at work hollowing out

the cave, the rain-water soaking through the soil from above

becomes charged with carbonic acid which, when it reaches

the porous limestone becomes again highly charged with this,

together with a certain proportion of iron oxide. This solution,

constantly dripping from the roofs of the caves, deposits its

lime, and gradually forms the curious fantastic ornaments such

as stalactites, stalagmites, shawls, rock-snow and so forth;

objects of the most extraordinary beauty, many of which are

delicately coloured by the oxide of iron which is frequently

present in the solution.


During our drive to the Caves we again encountered two

large parties of Calyptorhy?ichus baudini as well as numbers of

“Twenty-eight” Parrakeets, Leaden Crow-shrikes or “Squeakers”

were also constantly seen and heard. I noticed one or two other

Parrakeets which I could not identify, so during a halt in our

drive, during which our driver went to see a friend whose shanty

was some little distance from the road, I strolled into the forest

with a gun to endeavour if possible to shoot, for identification, one

of these Parrakeets. They were very shy, perching as a rule on



