A Collecting Trip on the Abary Greek. 
By the Editor, 
ROM time to time during the last two years, the 
Abary Creek has been suggested to me as the 
IM LSMsw j creek where one should colle6l — a creek where 
one might get the largest of our mammals and birds in 
profusion, and where alligators of huge size were to be 
procured almost by the picking up. As the largest of 
our animals were all desiderata in the Colonial Museum, 
a fortnight's collecting trip up the creek was undertaken ; 
and the 5th October last found me on my way thereto. 
The result of the short trip certainly proved the creek to 
be a very good hunting district, even though the most 
favourable time, August, according to the huntsmen, had 
not been chosen. As regards large alligators, however, 
the less said the better. The reptiles were undoubtedly 
plentiful, but of small size — the largest observed being 
about seven feet in length, butof large girth, and extremely 
shy and difficult to procure. Possibly the time of the year 
and the very dry weather had something to do with it. 
Let that be a sufficient excuse for the non-appearance of 
the giants ! 
The creek itself is of a fairly interesting nature, not 
inconsiderably varied as to its surroundings. Close to its 
mouth it is quite narrow, with a width of about four rods, 
and lined with a dense growth of tall mangrove trees ; 
but higher up it widens considerably, to about from 12 to 
30 rods, with a most tortuous course, and with a general 
trend almost approaching a parallel to the coast and to 
