92 
MacGILLIVRAY, S.JV. Queensland. I™* ocT 
from the ground, was well built up of mud, and lined with grass. 
The surrounding pasturage was very dry, and birds were few in 
numbers. We made another start late in the afternoon, and 
soon came to better country, where we stopped to photograph 
a fine flowering specimen of Eremophila polyclada. At twenty- 
eight miles from Quilpie we recrossed the Bulloo, and camped. 
Peaceful Doves, Crested Pigeons, Harmonious Thrushes, 
Greenies, White-browed Wood-Swallows, Kookaburras and Red- 
backed Kingfishers were about this spot. We had seen no Blue¬ 
bonnets since Cunnamulla, no Bare-eyed Cockatoos since leaving 
Bootra, and very few Galahs. A few pairs of White Cockatoos 
were along the Bulloo, but no Ringnecks. Hawks, other than the 
Whistling Eagle, were scarce. We resumed our journey, and 
soon stopped to search a patch of Gidgee. A small lot of about 
20 Straw-necked Ibises were working a small open space for 
caterpillars, and a pair of fine Wedgetail Eagles were feasting 
on a dead bullock. These birds are useful scavengers, getting 
rid of many carcases which otherwise would be nurseries for the 
blowflies, which are such a menace to the sheep-breeding industry. 
The scrub contained very few birds: the Chestnut-backed Thorn- 
bill, Red-capped Robin, and White-browed Babbler. The Pipit 
became more frequent as we left the denser scrub behind. The 
scrub opened out farther back, and contained other trees, such 
as Bimble-box, Gidgee of taller growth, and Mulga. Another 
party of Apostle-birds was caring for a nest in a Gidgee, which 
was found to contain three eggs only. 
On the road again we crossed an open flat and disturbed 
numbers of Whistling Eagles from the ground, where they had 
been searching for caterpillars. We spent an hour at a bore 
stream to have lunch, which was rendered very uncomfortable 
by the presence of sandflies, and we were pleased to get away 
from their troublesome stings. The road from here on to Thar- 
gomindah was very rough, owing to mobs of cattle having passed 
over it after heavy rain, and their tracks having dried hard. We 
pulled into Thargomindah at about 6 o'clock. This has been a 
large and prosperous town in the past, when the stations sur¬ 
rounding it were well stocked with sheep, and employed many 
hands. Now most of them carry small numbers of cattle only. 
A fine artesian bore supplies the town with water which is laid 
on, and also supplies the power to light the town with electricity. 
The bore water comes out at the rate of 670,000 gallons daily, 
and has a temperature of 160 deg. F. It has been running for 
about 30 years, and shows little diminution. From Thargomin¬ 
dah we took the westerly road, intending to cross the Grey Range 
and to strike the Wilson River at Nockatunga Station. We left 
the town on the 2nd September, intending to make the Bulla- 
warra Swamp our first halting-place, at about fourteen miles out. 
The swamp is locally noted as a breeding-place for waterfowl, 
and has a good deal of Lignum and Coolibah in it. It partly 
surrounds the lake, being separated from it by a sandbank. The 
