Australian Natural History. 1423 



country in a state of Nature. Most of the trees are evergreen, but 

 there is not a sufficient variation in their foliage to render the view 

 pleasing : the eye soon grows weary of viewing the same endless track 

 of sombre forest. Fires lighted by the natives and left, frequently 

 run through the " Bush," scorching many a stately tree, whose black 

 and decaying trunks do not relieve the dreary solitude. Not a tree or 

 herb bears food for man, and woe to him who should lose his way, — 

 his death would be most certain. The grass is pretty plentiful on 

 most of the land, except the sandstone districts, and affords good 

 pasture. Gum-trees, so called, are of several varieties, named from 

 the appearance of the bark, and iron-bark trees are the most common 

 and grow to a prodigious height and girth : these with several varie- 

 ties of the oak — the colonial appellation for the Casuarina — fir and 

 apple-tree, (not the English apple-tree or anything like it) and 

 other trees of which I know not the names make up the forest trees, 

 The branches are generally at the top, so that riding through the fo- 

 rest is not attended with difficulty. On the banks of rivers and 

 swamps vegetation entirely varies ; it has of course a brig hter tint, 

 and becomes an impenetrable thicket, or as it is called a " thick bush." 

 In barren sandstone districts the forest degenerates into a " scrub," 

 and has a melancholy appearance, — low stunted bushes alone grow 

 there — grass is seldom seen — it is a desert. The country is generally 

 intersected with ravines and water-courses, which in the rainy season 

 are torrents overflowing and inundating the low grounds and sweep- 

 ing away all traces of industry. There are few quadrupeds, save 

 several species of the Kangaroo, Native Dogs [Thalycinus ?], and 

 Cats [Dasyurus ?], Opossums and Flying Squirrels [Petaurus?]. 

 These are all the animals I have seen. 



Birds are very numerous, have curious names, and equally curious 

 and peculiar notes ; most of them far from beautiful. Amongst the 

 harmonious choir there are many small birds whose names I do not 

 know ; also the " Organ-bird," — a black and white bird about the 

 size of a magpie, and the small " Bell-bird," so called from its ring- 

 ing note, are pleasing to hear. The " Laughing Jackass," one of the 

 Kingfishers, when heard early in the morning or late in the evening 

 makes you imagine yourself surrounded by a score of hearty, but dis- 

 cordant laughers. The " Coachman " has its name from its call re- 

 sembling the smack of a whip. Cockatoos, black, white or gray, and 

 Parrots and Parroquets of all the most gorgeous hues are very nume- 

 rous, and have the scream natural to their tribe, and are also good 

 mockers. Kangaroos are now seldom seen ; civilization has driven 



