THE WOMBAT. 45 



The Native Companion, Australia's only crane, occurred 

 in parties of five or six on the plains at Kerang, and paired 

 for breeding purposes on the swamps. 



Only one solitary Bustard showed himself to us — by the 

 side of a road near the Murray ; this bird is supposed to be 

 protected perpetually in this colony, but is shot whenever 

 seen by sportsmen so-called. 



That very stately and dignified bird, the Pelican, is a 

 common object on the Kerang Lakes, and in the same sheet 

 of water I have noticed these birds in company with three 

 species of cormorant, the darter, the crested and hoary- 

 headed grebes, and flocks of duck and coot. The Wandella 

 Lake, within a mile of the town of Kerang, usually swarms 

 with aquatic birds which are rarely, if ever, disturbed by the 

 townspeople. 



Herons were very much in evidence in this northern 

 part of the district, the Pacific and White-fronted being 

 especially numerous in the open and shallower parts of the 

 swamp country and irrigated lands. One day whilst procur- 

 ing specimens on the Gunbower Creek, I disturbed a number 

 of Nankeen Night Herons (Nyctiardea caledonicus) from the 

 trees, as many as twenty-nine passing over my head at one 

 time, uttering disapproving croaks at my intrusion upon their 

 domain. 



The Bittern (Botaurns poicilopterus) I came across on 

 the reedbeds on the New South Wales side of the Murray, 

 and was fortunate in finding two of ^their nests; these were 

 found in clumps of rushes in fairly deep water, the rushes 

 being bent over and interlaced so as to form a kind of platform 

 upon which the eggs were placed. One nest contained three 

 partially incubated eggs, and the other five fresh ones. 



Two species of ibis were very numerous, the white and 

 the straw-necked ; both these species breed in the reedbeds 

 in colonies. The Yellow-legged Spoonbill was often seen in 

 their company when out feeding. 



The Plovers and their allies will next engage our atten- 

 tion, the commonest form being the little Black-breasted 

 Plover, which was seen in all the open parts, and was 

 especially numerous on the plains between Pyramid Hill and 

 Kerang, where they were breeding in thousands ; all stages 

 could be seen at one time from eggs to nearly fledged young, 

 during the months of October and November. The Spur- 

 wing Plover was less numerous, and the Thicknee, or 

 so-called Stone Plover, only occasional. Along the edges 

 of the rivers and lakes were noted the Avocet, the Banded 

 Stilt, and the little Black-fronted Dottrel. 



A number of Snipe were put up in some wet paddocks 

 near Macorna by a dog which a friend had brought with him, 

 one day during October. 



