134 
The Emu 
early explorers, who speak of having killed 30 to 50 with one 
discharge of a gun. 
Further down the Cooper, at the large saltwater holes of 
Malkuni and Kuttupirra, we saw Silver Gulls, Spur-wing Plover, 
two or three Black and White Fan-tails, a Coot and a Little 
Black Cormorant, several Noisy Miners, large numbers of Bee- 
eaters, Yellow-vented Parrakeets, the latter generally in pairs, 
and as usual Ducks, Cockatoos, &c. Here, and on the Diaman- 
tina, I saw a reddish-brown wading bird about the size of a 
Curlew, but I could not recognise it, nor was I near enough to 
describe it definitely. 
Emu tracks were plentiful, and a mob of five was seen by Mr. 
Donaldson. Towards the entrance of the Cooper into Lake 
Eyre birds became scarce. At Unda Wumpa numbers of 
Pigeons congregated round the soakage which we dug ; a 
few Red-necked Avocets were seen, and an occasional solitary 
Mountain Duck. On the shores of the lake animal life appeared 
to be represented solely by lizards and a few marsupial rats. 
On our return to Malkuni we saw several Delicate Owls ; these 
flew out of the cliffs on the riverside. Nests were abundant, 
but the holes were too deep to enable us to reach the eggs. I 
found one egg, however, at the entrance to a hole ; the contents 
were semi-solid, and appeared as if baked by the sun. 
In the sand-hill country between the Cooper and the Dia- 
mantina birds, as usual, were scarce, but on reaching the latter 
river we found them in great abundance. Owls were plentiful. 
Two or three flocks of the Yellow-legged Spoonbills were seen. 
Most of the birds previously mentioned were here in great 
numbers. Several Straw-necked Ibises and a single White Ibis 
were seen. A large mob of Black Cormorants was flying about 
one of the holes. On our return from duck-shooting further up 
the river they had vanished, nor did we subsequently meet with 
them. 
The holes were thronged with ducks — Teal, Blue-billed, Pink- 
eared, Whistling, and Mountain Ducks. The Teal, however, 
greatly predominated. We saw many young ducks not more 
than a fortnight old ; others were half-grown and still " flappers." 
Many of the older ducks (Teal), having lost their primaries, were 
also in this condition, and we amused ourselves with catching 
several by swimming after them until they were tired out with 
diving. The Pink-eared and the Blue-billed Ducks also refused 
to rise, and, to my great surprise, I caught one of the former. 
Hawks were very plentiful, and fallen ducks had to be quickly 
gathered before they were swooped off. Grebes (Black-throated) 
were also numerous, and I think I also saw the Hoary-headed 
species amongst them. The Black-tailed Native Hen was in 
immense numbers. Little Turtle Doves were abundant, as was 
also the Black and White Swallow. On the verandah of the 
deserted station at Kalamurina were numerous nests of the 
