20 THE WOMBAT. 



26/12/94. Spend the morning squaring the camp. 



The country immediately round Apollo Bay is com- 

 paratively flat, and there is no heavy timber close to the 

 township. Consequently we see many birds of the plains, 

 magpies, wattlebirds, &c. Going up the Barrum valley in 

 the afternoon, we see a few common birds, white-shafted 

 fantail, azure kingfisher, &c. The whiteshafted fantail 

 (Rhipidura albiscapa, Gld.) of the ranges appears to be a 

 much darker coloured bird than that round Geelong. (I have 

 noticed the same peculiarity in the low hills surrounding 

 Bendigo.) 



27/12/94. We make our way to the Elliot, the next 

 creek beyond the Barrum. We try a short cut across a flat, 

 finding on the road a groundlark's nest, with three hard set 

 eggs. We cross the other arm of the Barrum, and now find 

 our short cut not a success, as we have to force our way 

 through about a mile of very dense " Prickly Moses ,T 

 (Bursaria spinosa), growing about eight feet high, which, 

 tearing our clothes and cutting our skin, tends to ruffle our 

 tempers. We at last get clear of this, and determine to look 

 next time before we leap. We now find ourselves on an easy 

 track — the Otway telegraph line — which has proved a friend 

 to us many a time before, and we keep to this till we reach 

 the Elliot sawmill. This mill is in charge of Mr. Owen, who 

 shows us over the machinery. We go down to the creek by a 

 track, which bears a strong resemblance to a flight of stairs, 

 and we are told that the only thing on wheels that ever went 

 over it was a bullock waggon. We find it hard to believe 

 that even a bullock waggon could pass here. After a look 

 round, we return to the sawmill for lunch, our own supplies 

 being supplemented by some Xmas. cake which Mr. Owen 

 kindly sends out by the hands of his daughter. 



We then start down to the coast, Mr. Owen having 

 promised to show us some cray fishing. He amuses us by 

 trying to catch a butterfly with his cray net, which is about 

 an inch in the mesh. The bluff, where we strike the beach,, 

 after more sliding than walking, is covered with small 

 sheoaks, like those on the Sheoak Creek near Lome, but if 

 possible even more stunted. The crays are very abundant, 

 and we get a good bagful to carry home. 



J. S. BAYLEY, 



FISHMONGER AND POULTERER, 



RYBIE STREET. 



FAMILIES WAITED ON. ►#* OYSTERS A SPECIALTY. 



