98 
MacGILLIVRAY, S.ir. Queensland. g™ 
side seemed to be occupied by thousands of Straw-necked Ibis. 
The air was full of them as they took alarm, and rose to leave. 
We made a rush to get our cameras, but the birds were gone 
before we were ready. We crossed the creek and made our way 
over stony plains intersected by small creeks that ran into the 
Wilson as it bends away to the west and north to find its way 
into the Cooper. We passed for the first time on our trip fields 
of Gilgai Peas (Szuainsona procunibcns ) making vivid patches of 
glowing purple with the rays of the late afternoon sun shining 
through their petals. We dipped a bucket of water at a dam 
and carried it with us to a camping place on the edge of the 
nearest sandhill. 
Before breakfast on the following morning I wandered up the 
hill, the sand of which, smoothed by the previous day's winds, 
now bore numerous imprints made by prowlers of the night and 
dawnlight. It interested me to interpret many of them and to 
trace some, after devious wanderings, to their ultimate abodes. 
These tracks may be those of mammals, such as rabbits, foxes 
or bandicoots, reptiles — the goanna being the principal — scor¬ 
pions, beetles and the larval forms of other insects. An early 
start was made and we went on over gravelly plains, on which 
were a few pairs of Gibber-birds. We came to a corner of 
fences, and had to find our way through three gates to pick up 
the road again. A fine Black Falcon was patrolling overhead as 
we entered a stony plain clothed in salsolaceous herbage and 
Mitchell Grass. We heard a Bushlark (Mira fra ) singing high 
overhead, and soon flushed a pair of Gibber-birds. A short 
search revealed an openly placed nest containing one egg. The 
nest was constructed of dried herbage, and was lined with fine 
grasses and a little horsehair. Its diameter measured over all 
5 in., cavity 2 in., and internal depth 2 in. A Pratincole was next 
seen, followed by a young one of about a week old. We dis¬ 
turbed several more Gibber-birds in pairs or in groups of three 
or four. Another nest was found from which the birds fluttered 
away along the ground to lead us from it. This nest contained 
three fresh eggs. A Pratincole next rose from a bare stony 
patch near the road, and a prolonged search led to our finding 
a pair of admirably-concealed eggs, a dark clutch, very much 
like the ironstone of their surroundings. A ring of small 
pebbles served as a nest. Several more of these birds were seen 
before we came to Bransby, crossed the creek, and followed the 
road over another gravelly plain well covered with herbage. Here 
we passed two men with some cattle returning to Yanco from 
the Nockatunga muster. 
We passed through the ruins of Big Dingera, crossed over 
the next creek to a nice waterhole along whose banks were the 
remains of aboriginal camps. The trees were enlivened by the 
notes of the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, a nest and two fresh 
eggs being noted in a pendent bough of a Eucalyptus microtheca. 
A crowd of Greenies were busy mobbing a Sparrowhawk. Lunch 
