722 



disposed towards us, especially the old man who had followed 

 me over so many miles of country and given so much infor- 

 mation. 



The weather had been changing for the last few^ 

 days, and summer began to make itself felt, the heat 

 being distressing in the dense scrub. Passing over sandy 

 country covered in thick mulga, we at last sighted Schneider 

 Hill, when our course was changed somewhat, and we passed 

 through a very dense scrub, where little or no bird life was 

 to be found. Very soon Chambers Bluff, in the Indulkana 

 Range, came in sight, and Mount Johns could be seen in the 

 blue mists to the south-east. We still struggled on through 

 dense, dead, and leafless mulga till we crossed the Amma- 

 roodina Creek, when the country became more open. As soort 

 as we reached the tableland country the birds became more- 

 numerous; it was not long before AjphelocephaJa pectoi^alis 

 and .4. nigricincta, also Calamanthus cam/pestris isahellinus 

 were met with, as well as many more common species. One 

 night at 9 p.m. we went into camp at Wantapella Swamp. 



Leaving there we took a northerly course till we struck 

 the Indulkana Creek. All this country was in a very dry 

 condition; vegetation consisted of stunted mulga, needle bush 

 (Hakea), cork trees, and Grevillea. 



For the first day or two we followed the dry sandy bed. 

 of the Indulkana Creek, then our course took us away from 

 it at times to strike it again at a bend. Bird life — in fact, 

 all animal life — was very scarce through this country. Pass- 

 ing to the north of Mount Mystery and following the Alberga 

 at a distance w^e reached the Lambinna Native Well. We 

 travelled along very quickly now, which gave little time for 

 collecting, yet we were successful in securing a few specimens 

 each day. We were most kindly received at Todmorden cattle 

 station by Mr. and Mrs. Breaden. 



I left next morning at daylight with Mr. Breaden to 

 drive into Ocdnadatta, reaching the head of the railway line 

 the same day, arriving home on September 3. 



Taking into consideration the great dryness of the 

 country (a fall of rain not having taken place for at least 

 nine years), and the fact that bird or other life is never 

 numerous at the best of times, my work was very successful. 

 I have the honour to be the first to make an ornithological 

 reconnaissance of the Far North-west of South Australia. 

 The expedition yielded ninety-four species of birds, of whicli 

 five are new. 



In spite of the dryness of the country I was able to collect 

 nearly 200 species of plants, which have been dealt with by 

 Mr. J. M. Black, who has described many new to science. 



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