Narrative of an Expedition into Central Australia Part 26

The animal itself is like an ordinary rat, only that it has longer ears and its hind feet are disproportioned to the fore feet. It was not found beyond lat.i.tude 30 degrees. See page 120, Vol. I.

7. ACROBATES PYGMAEA.--Flying Opossum Mouse.

This beautiful and delicate little animal was killed in a Box tree, whence it came out of a hole, and ran with several others along a branch, retreating again with great swiftness. It was so small that if the moon had not been very bright it could not have been seen. It is somewhat less than a mouse in size and has a tail like an emu's feather, its skin being of a dark brown.

8. LAGORCHESTES FASCIATUS (L. ALBIPILIS, GOULD?).--Fasciated Kangaroo.

One only of this animal was seen on the plains of the interior. It is peculiar in its habits, in that it lies in open ground and springs from its form like a hare, running with extreme velocity, and doubling short round upon its pursuers to avoid them. The Lagorchestes is very common on the plains to the north of Gawler Town, but is so swift as generally to elude the dogs. It is marsupial, and about the size of a rabbit, but is greatly disproportioned, as all the Kangaroo tribe are, as regards the hind and fore quarters. In colour this animal is a silvery grey, crossed with dark coloured bars on the back.

9. PHALANGISTA VULPINA.--The Opossum.

Like the preceding, only one of these animals was seen or shot during the Expedition; it was in one of the gum-trees, taking its silent and lonely ramble amongst its branches, when the quick eye of Tampaw.a.n.g, my native boy, saw him. It does not appear generally to inhabit the N.W. interior.

The present was a very large specimen, with a beautifully soft skin, and as it was the only one noticed during a residence of nearly six months at the same place, it was in all probability a stray animal.

10. VESPERTILIO.--Little black Bat.

This diminutive little animal flew into my tent at the Depot, attracted by the light. It is not common in that locality, or any other that we noticed. It was of a deep black in colour and had smaller ears than usual.

BIRDS.

I have observed that a princ.i.p.al reason I had for supposing that there was either an inland sea, a desert country, or both in the interior, was from observations I had made during several expeditions, and in South Australia, of the migration of certain of the feathered tribes to the same point--that is to say, that in lat. 30 and in long. 144, I observed them pa.s.sing to the N.W. and in lat. 35, long. 138, to the north. Seeing, on prolonging these two lines, that they would pa.s.s over a great portion of the interior before they met, about a degree beyond the tropic, I concluded that the nature of the intervening country was not such as they could inhabit, and that the first available land would be where the two lines thus met. It so happened that at the Depot, in lat. 29 1/2 and in long. 142, I was in the direct line of migration to the N.W., and that during our stay at that lonely post, we witnessed the migration of various birds to that quarter, though not of all. This was more particularly the case with the water-birds, as ducks, bitterns, pelicans, cormorants, and swans,--we saw few of the latter, but generally heard them at night pa.s.sing over our heads from N.W. to S.E. or vice versu; but we never afterwards found any waters which we could suppose those birds could frequent in the distant interior. On Strzelecki's Creek a small tern was shot, and on Cooper's Creek several seagulls were seen, but beyond these we had no reason to antic.i.p.ate the existence of inland water from any thing we noticed as to the feathered races. On our first arrival at the Depot there was a bittern, Ardetta flavicollis, that frequented the creek in considerable numbers. This bird was black and white, with a speckled breast and neck. Every evening at dusk they would fly, making a hoa.r.s.e noise, to the water at the bottom of the Red Hole Creek, and return in the morning, but as winter advanced they left us, and went to the N.W.

About February and the beginning of March, the Epthianura tricolor and E.

aurifrons, and some of the Parrot tribe, collected in thousands on the creeks, preparatory to migrating to the same point to which the aquatic birds had gone. It was their wont to fly up and down the creeks, uttering loud cries, and collecting in vast numbers, but suddenly they would disappear, and leave the places which had rung with their wild notes as silent as the desert. The Euphema elegans then pa.s.sed us, with several other kinds of birds, but some of them remained, as did also the Euphema Bourkii, which the reader will find more particularly noticed under its proper head.

The range of the Speckled Dove (Geopelia cuneata), so common on the Darling, extended to the Depot, and two remained with us during the winter, and roosted two or three times on the tent ropes over my fire.

There were always an immense number of Raptores following the line of migration, and living on the smaller birds; nor was any thing more remarkable than the terror they caused amongst them. The poor things would hardly descend to water, and several of the Euphema came to the creek in the dark, when we could not see to fire at them, and several killed themselves by flying against our tent ropes.

The range of the Rose c.o.c.katoo was right across the continent as far as we went--as well as that of the Crested Parroquet, which was, as I have observed, the last bird we saw, just before Mr. Browne and I turned homewards from our first going to the N.W. The Cacatua sanguinea, Gould, succeeded the Sulphur Crested c.o.c.katoo to the westward of the Barrier Range, and was in flocks of thousands on Evelyn's Plains, near the Depot, but I am not certain as to the point to which it migrated. It is remarkable, however, that the Sulphur Crested c.o.c.katoo, though numerous along the whole line of the Darling, was never seen near the Depot, or to the westward of the Barrier Range.

The Amadina Lathami, to which we always looked as the harbinger of good, was met with in every part of the interior--where there was water--and frequently at such vast distances from it, when migrating, I suppose, that vast numbers must have perished.

I have noticed the Pigeons in their proper place, and stated my opinion as to the point to which they went on leaving us; and I would refer my reader to my remarks on that head: he will find their habits and localities fully described there.

We fell in with the water-hen, Tribonyx, on one of the creeks on our journey to Lake Torrens, and again on Strzelecki's Creek, apparently migrating to the south. These birds ran along the banks likefowls, as they did in the located districts of Adelaide, as described by Mr. Gould, and that too in great numbers, and when disturbed took wing to the south.

In like manner we observed the Eudromias Australis, migrating southwards in May. From these facts it would appear that the great line taken by the feathered tribes in migrating from the southern or southeastern parts of the province is in a direction between the east and south points of the compa.s.s, and I cannot still help thinking that about a degree to the north of the Tropic, and about the meridian of 138, a more fertile country than any hitherto discovered will be found.

It may be necessary for me to observe that on our advance to Fort Grey, in August, we observed numerous Caloderae, and other smaller birds in the brushes, apparently on the move whilst there was water for them, that had been left by the then recent rains. We did not again see these birds until we had pa.s.sed the Stony Desert and entered the box-tree forest to the north of it, in which was the creek with the huge native well. There a variety of birds had congregated--the Rose c.o.c.katoo, the piping Magpie, the Calodera, various parrots and parroquets, bronze-wing Pigeons, and numerous small birds.

At Cawndilla, Mr. Poole shot a Euphema splendida, Gould. It was in company with several others; but this bird was not again seen until we pa.s.sed the 26th parallel, in September, when it was met by Mr. Browne and myself coming from the north. The following is a list of the birds seen during the expedition.

1. AQUILA FUCOSA, CUVIER.--The Wedge-tailed Eagle.

Two of these birds frequented the Depot Glen, in 29 degrees 40 minutes 0 seconds and in longitude 142 degrees, one of which was secured. They generally rested on a high pointed rock, whence their glance extended over the whole country, and it was only by accident that the above specimen was killed.

This powerful bird is common both on the Murray and the Darling, and is widely, perhaps universally distributed over the Australian continent, although the two birds in the Glen were the only ones seen in the interior to the N.W. of the Barrier, or Stanley's Range.

2. HALIASTUR SPHENURUS.--The Whistling Eagle.

This species of Eagle is considerably smaller than the first and has much lighter plumage. It is a dull and stupid bird, and is easily approached.

It was shot at the Depot, in the month of April, 1845. Several others were seen during our stay there.

3. FALCO HYPOLEUCUS, GOULD.--The Grey Falcon.

This beautiful bird was shot at the Depot, at which place, during our long stay, Mr. Piesse, my storekeeper, was very successful with my gun. A pair, male and female, were observed by him one Sunday in May, whilst the men were at prayers, hovering very high in the air, soon after which he succeeded in killing both. They came down from a great height and pitched in the trees on the banks of the creek, and on Mr. Piesse firing at and killing one the other flew away; but returning to look for its lost companion, shared its fate. Nothing could exceed the delicate beauty of these birds when first procured. Their large, full eyes, the vivid yellow of the ceres and legs, together with their slate-coloured plumage, every feather lightly marked at the end, was quite dazzling; but all soon faded from the living brightness they had at first. The two specimens were the only ones seen during an interval of seventeen months that the party was in the interior, and these, it appears probable to me, were on the flight, and were attracted down to us.

4. FALCO MELANOGENYS, GOULD.--The Black-cheeked Falcon.

A single specimen of this bird was shot at the Depot, when just stooping at a duck on some water in the glen. The strength of limb, and muscle of this fine species of falcon were extremely remarkable, and seemed to indicate that he despised weaker or smaller prey than that at which he was flying when shot. He had been seen several times before he was killed. His flight was rapid and resistless, and his stoop was always sure.

This must be a scarce bird, as the specimen was the only one seen.

5. FALCO SUBNIGER, G. R. GRAY.--The Black Falcon.

The colour of this fine bird is a sooty black, but his shape is beautiful, and his flight, as his sharp pointed wings indicate, rapid. He was shot in some brushes behind the Depot, where he had been spreading alarm amongst a flight of parroquets, (Euphema Bourkii).

This must also be a scarce bird, as he was the only one seen.

6. FALCO FRONTATUS.--The White-fronted Falcon.

This is both a smaller and a more common bird; its range being very wide.

This species followed the line of migration, and made sad havoc among the parroquets and smaller birds. He was generally hid in the trees, and would descend like an arrow when they came to water, frequently carrying off two of the little Amadina castanotis, a favourite bird of ours, one in each talon.

7. TINNUNCULUS CENCHROIDES.--Nankeen Kestril.

Like the last, small and swift of wing, following also the line of migration.

This bird is generally distributed over the continent and is known by the nankeen colour of his back.

8. ASTUR APPROXIMANS, VIG. AND HORSF. Australian Goshawk.

This bird was occasionally seen during the journey.

9. MILVUS AFFINIS, GOULD.--Allied Kite.

This bird is common over the whole continent of Australia. They are sure to be in numbers at the camps of the natives, which they frequent to pick up what may be left when they go away. They are sure also to follow any party in the bush for the same purpose. About fifty of these birds remained at the Depot, with about as many crows, when all the other birds had deserted us; and afforded great amus.e.m.e.nt to the men, who used to throw up pieces of meat for them to catch in falling. But although so tame that they would come round the tents on hearing a whistle, they would not eat any thing in captivity, and would have died if they had not been set at liberty again. It was this bird which descended upon Mr.

Browne and myself in such numbers from the upper regions of the air, as we were riding on some extensive plains near the Depot in the heat of summer. There can be no doubt but that in the most elevated positions where they are far out of the range of human sight, they mark what is pa.s.sing on the plains below them. This bird is figured, see page 269, Vol. 1.