20 WHITE— A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White. 



107. Haliastur indus leucosternus. White-headed Sea- 

 Eagle. 

 No. 2— Male.— Cairns, June 23, 1884. 



Length 18 inches, 46 inches from tip to tip of wing. Irides 

 clear brown; cere yellow, bill bluish horn-colour, becoming 

 yellowish white at the tip. 



[To be continued.! 



A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White — 

 Ornithologist, Soldier, Sailor, and Explorer. 



By His Son, S. A. White. 

 [III.— THE ORNITHOLOGIST.] 



Leaving Mount Mylor, near which Samuel White and his 

 brother had camped, they passed out through Thornton's Gap, 

 and followed a. creek going north. This creek was dry and 

 sandy, but during heavy rain it had overflowed and filled clay 

 pans some little way back, and these supplied water for the 

 brothers and their horse. The bird life was of the greatest 

 interest, and new species came to their hands every day. Not 

 only birds, but seeds, plants, land shells, insects, and r many 

 other specimens were collected. Great difficulties were ex- 

 perienced in many places in getting their light cart over the 

 country, and in some localities they were days making little 

 headway. Crossing over the tableland country they struck 

 the Burdekin River, and followed it for a long distance in a 

 northerly direction. Holding to his original plan of making 

 the Gulf of Carpentaria Samuel White and his brother left the 

 Burdekin and pushing further and further into a dry country 

 they found that water was scarcer than ever, and had almost 

 given up hope of finding the precious fluid when they came 

 upon a hole' containing about two gallons. Unfortunately a 

 dead kangaroo, in an advanced stage of decomposition, lay in 

 it. The water was boiled and half given to the horse and the 

 remainder was strained and boiled several times, the scum be 

 ing taken off at each boiling. 



