|, r nwn Inn later, by examining skins 



,hi- Njlional Museum, it was round 



[I,,,! .ill the skins had a brownish 

 vhecn. 1 1 is a great pity lh.it we have 

 jn bird hook which is completely 

 liable fa out Australian Birds. 

 One day. peihups. one will he pro- 

 fattd with illustrations and ie\t to 

 ,f (l ,lii' b field observer's work much 

 ih.ai it is now. Hint evening 

 m Mi Maltinglcv. Allan ftraitl il« 

 and s:iv» the cuckoo again. Mi 

 \l:i'tmglc\ Wi,s V'TCtty with Tea Tree. 



HC9Lh ttiypheiiu hthtii) and 

 Bush Hculh i Hnuhyloow cti<o/,lc.\) 

 in flower Ihe Sheoakcs were linged 

 ,.ith a dainty brown. 



Thai evening I packed my ruck- 

 ■ xk ami checked thai I had what I 

 needed lor the Ginap Tiack walk. 



Xdtsatteot momme si-.\>uki find me at 



re Y;.t,o end ot Die truck. 



The Magp.es culled me just before 

 dawn ami I obediently rose and 

 walked the short distance to Mi. 

 Maiimglcy. As it grew light Black- 

 hucked Wrens became active anil 

 Yellow winged lloneyeuiers fed 00 

 ||te hanksias. 1 henrvl the Black- 

 cared Cuckoo Call. A feW drops of 

 I, in Ml The *J quite light so 



I M0| the slight shelter olTeied hv 

 lie malices expectimj: i1 10 slop. It 

 qtOHIMS I sb.i'por ribtfMI and son" 

 was jptjting down It wm loo »« Kj 

 A,.kfi spectacles aiut hiniK.ul.irs 

 were Morre.l with rain I went back 

 hi (be k .n la truing-, a wise <f belated 

 JcciMtni. as the ram continued l»H 

 past midday, soaking Ihe arcj with 

 H points. Quambatook had more 

 dnm uso inches and all ol llu state 

 luil us share. Scvetul vans decided 

 10 U-.iw. (ml Qtjfy reached the gule. 

 fur the slight j;iade trom the gate 

 •a ..is .1 .|ii.igmire Ihe drivers sensibly 

 tURttd aiouud and returned to VVoiigu 

 Hul in wait, but Allan who had ID 

 iirjenl .ippomtineut at Mildura look 



September, 19/1 



off without his caravan for twenty 

 miles of sliding, skidding. swerving 

 and probably cursing until the bitu- 

 men begun. 



The projected walk would now 

 have to be done alone, and then not 

 until the area had dried a little, and 

 Ifie sk\ tad become less threatening. 



By early afternoon the sun was 

 shining, and 1 decided to investigate 

 a new fire brealv Irack which had 

 recently been graded. It led west 

 into "no man's land", Iben north, and 

 finally east to reach Pme Plains Gate 



T his was no car track, especially in 

 its presen'. condition, and gumboots 

 were needed for walking. Birds were 

 verv acme There were White Cocka- 

 toos and Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, 

 and more ehurring Brown Tree- 

 creepers in the Black Bo\ section 

 than I had previously beard. A pUEfc- 

 tni'j -mall blown bird with a white 

 wing margin and a rusty patch at thc 

 front of the head had me confused 

 until later al the museum, it matched 

 with the skin of a Red-capped Robin 

 of mdcletminatc sex. Possibly a 

 brighter female or an immature male. 

 After a mile of open Black Bo\ and 

 River Red Gum where kangaroos 

 l.rnvwcd, Striated Pardalotes called, 

 and Regent Parrols perched aloft, the 

 Haul eiaduallv climbed on lo & 

 plntCMi'ot ligJii lOallee and hunk- 

 sius 1 lie ground was alight with 

 much V., naMe G.oundsel In the 

 uevs were Rin£iiccks. Black backed 

 Wrens and Pallid Cuckoos I 

 decided to turn buk having seen 

 a glimpse of a glorious •eaidcn'". I 

 had commented previotislv that the 

 dune vegetation west ot Black Flu I 

 was becoming hazardous, being head 

 high and trackless. Here there was a 

 good icmotc Hack and one could 

 leave it xafelv as the new growth 

 bad not \ei reached lour feet in most 

 eases. I planned to see. this area R< 

 dawn on the morrow. 



259 



