24 ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY, AND THE RIVER. 
Ilibited alternately plain and brush, the soil on both of which 
was good. On the former, crested pigeons were numerous, 
several of which were shot. We had likewise procured some 
of the rose-coloured and grey parrots, mentioned by Mr. 
Oxley, and a small paroquet of beautiful plumage; but 
there was less of variety in the feathered race than I ex- 
pected to find, and most of the other birds we had seen 
were recognised by me as similar to specimens I had pro- 
cured from Melville Island, 'and were, therefore, most pro- 
bably birds of passage. 
As we neared Mount Harris, the Macquarie became more 
sluggish in its flow, and fell off so much as scarcely to de- 
serve the name of a river. In breadth it averaged from 
thirty-five to forty-five yards, and in the height of its 
banks, from fifteen to eighteen. Mr. llurne had suc- 
ceeded in taking some fish at one of the stock stations; 
but if I except those speared by the natives, we had since 
been altogether unsuccessful with the hook, a circumstance 
which I attribute to the lowness of the river itself. 
About thirty miles from the cataract the country declines 
to the north as a medium point, and again changes some- 
what in its general appearance. To the S. and S. W. 
it appeared level and wooded, while to the N. the plains be- 
came more frequent, but smaller, and travelling over them 
was extremely dangerous, in consequence of the large As- 
sures by which they were traversed. The only trees to be 
observed were dwarf-box and the acacia pendula, both of 
stunted growth, although flooded-gum still prevailed upon 
the river. 
