THE WOMBAT. 7 1 



When we reached our camping-ground we disturbed a 

 great number of cormorants of two or three species, but in a 

 few days they became rather scarce, being apparently fright- 

 ened out of the valley, as we never missed an opportunity of 

 shooting them. The promise of fish given by their presence 

 was fully carried out, as we found them very abundant. 



A little cormorant (Phalacrocorax stictocephalus ) which 

 we secure has been having a Gargantuan breakfast of shrimps. 



The white-shafted fantail (Rhipidura albifrons), blue 

 wren (M alums superbus ), and waxbill (Estrilda temporalis) 

 were, as usual, in enormous numbers, but we did not notice so 

 many nests of the last-named bird as usual. This bird never 

 seems to care for the denser parts of the scrub to build in, 

 but appears to prefer more open (comparatively) country. 



The yellow robin ( Eopsaltria australis) and the scarlet 

 robin (Petr&za leggtij are abundant. 



At the Phantom Falls we secure a pink robin (Erythrod- 

 ryas rhodinogaster), its nest being visible in a blackwood, but 

 inaccessible. On the creek we secure a musk duck (?) (Biziura 

 lobala). There is a nice little jpatch of very thick under- 

 growth on a little flat just opposite our tents, where we fre- 

 quently get a good specimen in the early morning when they 

 appear on the bank of the creek at the edge of the scrub. 



At the bottom of a gully in particularly dense scrub we 

 secure a pair of rufous- fronted fantails (Rhipidura rufifrohs) 

 with their nest and eggs (two). This nest, like most of the 

 few nests we find, is in a musk tree, though we see one or two 

 waxbills' nests in " Ginger Scrub" (Helichrysum ferrugineum). 



We one day find a fisherman busily occupied in picking 

 up dead leaves from Mt. St. George and carrying them down 

 to the creek, as he considers they look untidy. He does not 

 accept our kindly meant offer to get him a broom, but repulses 

 and reviles us. 



We have to thank Mr. A. J. Campbell for kindly naming 

 some of our birdskins for us. 



TBT. BOX <& SOXsT, 



General Ironmongers, Tinsmiths & Ironworkers, 



MOORABOOL STREET, GEELQNG. 



38^~ CHEAPEST HOUSE IN" THE TOWN. 



Galvanized Iron Tanks a speciality, any size, made on the premises. 



