Narrative of an Expedition into Central Australia Part 32

This bird, like the Eudromias Australis or Australian Dottrel appeared suddenly in South Australia in 1840. It came by the successive creeks from the north, fresh flights coming up to push those which had preceded them on. It was moreover evident that they had been unaccustomed to the sight of man, as they dropped in great numbers in the streets and gardens of Adelaide, and ran about like fowls. At last they increased so much in numbers as to swarm on all the waters and creeks, doing an infinity of damage to the crops in the neighbourhood. They took the entire possession of the creek near my house, and broke down and wholly destroyed about an acre and a quarter of wheat as if cattle had bedded on it. These birds made their first appearance in November, and left us in the beginning of March, gradually retiring northwards as they had advanced.

The plumage of this bird is a dark dusky green, and it has a short black tail which it c.o.c.ks up in running. Its bill is green and red, and it has all the motions and habits of a water rail, and although it has visited the province annually, since its first visit, it has never appeared in such vast numbers as on the first occasion.

The line on which this bird migrates seems to be due north. It was never seen at the Depot or on any of the creeks to the west excepting Strzelecki's Creek, and a creek we crossed on our way to Lake Torrens, when on both occasions they were migrating southwards.

127. RALLUS PECTORALIS, CUVIER.--Water Rail.

This bird could hardly be distinguished from the English rail in shape and plumage. It is admirably adapted for making its way through reeds or gra.s.s, from its sharp breast. There are numbers of this rail on the Murray, but not many on the Darling; the natives can easily run it down.

It was seen on two or three ponds in the interior and must have considerable powers of flight to wing its way from the one to the other as they successively dry up.

128. BERNICLA JUBATA.--Mained Goose, wood Duck.

There are two varieties of this beautiful goose, one bird being considerably larger than the other, but precisely the same in plumage. In the colony they are called the wood duck, as they rest on logs and branches of trees, and are often in the depth of the forest. They have an exceedingly small bill characteristic of their genus, and a beautifully mottled neck and breast, the head and neck being a light brown. The smaller species is very common all over South-eastern Australia, but the larger bird is more rare. Three only were shot during the progress of the Expedition. Their range did not extend beyond 28 degrees.

129. CYGNUS ATRATUS--The black Swan.

A description of this bird is here unnecessary. I may merely observe that the only swan seen on the waters of the interior was a solitary one on Cooper's Creek. They frequently pa.s.sed over us at night during our stay at the Depot, coming from and going to the N.W., being more frequently on the wing when the moon was shining bright than at any other time.

130. CASARCA TADORNOIDES.--Chesnut-coloured Sheldrake.

This beautiful duck, the pride of Australian waters, is a bird of the finest plumage. He is called the Mountain Duck by the settlers, and may be more common in the hills than the low country, since he is seldom found in the latter district. This bird builds in a tree, and when the young are hatched, the male bird carries them in his bill down to the ground. Strange, whose name I have already mentioned, had an opportunity to watch two birds that had a brood of young in the hollow of a lofty tree on the Gawler; and after the male bird had deposited his charge, he went and secured the young, five in number, which he brought to me at Adelaide, but I could not, with every care, keep them alive more than a month. This bird is very large as a duck; his head and neck are a fine green in colour, and he has a white ring round his neck, as also a white band across his wings. It is not a good eating bird, however, as is often the case with the birds of finer plumage.

131. ANAS SUPERCILIOSA, GMEL.--The Wild Duck.

Unlike the preceding, this bird is one of the finest eating birds of Australia, being the wild duck of that continent. It is a fine bird in point of size, but cannot boast the plumage of our mallard. It is a bird of dark, almost black plumage, with a few glossy, green, secondary feathers, characteristic of the genus. It is spread over the whole of the interior, even to the north of the Stony Desert, but was there very wild, and kept out of our reach.

132. SPATULA RHYNCHOTIS.--Australian Shoveller.

Not quite so large as the wild duck, but extremely good eating. This bird is not common in the interior, and was only seen once or twice amongst other ducks. Its plumage is a dark brown, and it has a light dull blue band across the wing. It takes its name from its peculiar bill, and may be termed the Shoveler of Australia. The specimens we procured in the interior are precisely the same as those of the southern coast of the continent.

133. MALACORHYNCHUS MEMBRANACEUS.--Membrane Duck.

A beautiful duck, of delicate plumage, but little fit for the table. It is very common on most of the Australian creeks and streams, and is called the Whistling Duck. This duck is rather larger than our teal. It has a grey head, with a brown tinge, and is mottled in the breast something like the woodc.o.c.k. Its eye is dark and clear, and it has a line of rose-pink running longitudinally behind it.

134. ANAS PUNCTATA, CUV.--Common Teal.

Somewhat larger than the English Teal, and equally good for the table.

The plumage of this little bird is dark, like that of the wild duck, from which, in this respect, it hardly differs. It is the most numerous of the water birds of the interior, and was sure to be in greater or less numbers on any extensive waters we found. A pair had a brood on one of the ponds in the Depot Glen; but the whole were taken off by a kite, Milvus affinis, that watched them land and then flew at them. So long as they kept in the water they were safe, but on land soon fell a prey to the kite.

135. LEPTOTARSIS EYTONI, GOULD.--Eyton's Duck.

This new and fine bird was first shot on Strzelecki's Creek by Mr.

Browne; and was subsequently seen by me in considerable numbers on Cooper's Creek. Its range was not to the westward, nor was it seen north of the Stony Desert. I believe I am wrong in stating that the first was killed at the place above mentioned; for, if my memory does not deceive me, we had already secured a specimen at the Depot. In its general plumage it is of a light brown, with a mottled breast and neck. It has long white feathers crossing the thighs, with a fine black line along them, and altogether it is a handsome bird. Under ordinary circ.u.mstances we might have fared well on this duck at Cooper's Creek; but it was so wild as to keep out of our reach, being evidently hunted by the natives of the creek.

136. BIZIURA LOBATA.--Musk Duck.

This ugly bird was common on the Murray, and was seen by me in hundreds on Lake Victoria; but it is seldom seen on the Darling--never to the westward of Stanley's Range. It is an Oxford grey in colour, with a light shade of brown; he flaps only, not being able to do more than skull along the top of the water. It trusts therefore for its safety to diving; and is so quick as to be shot with difficulty. The peculiarities of this bird are two-fold: first its strong, musky smell, and secondly the large appendage the male bird has attached to the under part of the bill.

137. XEMA JAMESONII.--Jameson's Gull.

This bird was seen only on Cooper's Creek in lat. 27 degrees, long. 102 degrees; where three or four were sitting on some rocks in the middle of the water, and far out of gun's reach. They appeared to be similar to the English gull, with a slate-coloured back and wings, and white breast. On firing a shot, they rose and followed the ducks which rose at the same time up the creek, and when flying they seemed exactly to resemble the common gull. The only swan we saw was on this sheet of water, with eight or ten cormorants.

138. HYDROCHEDIDON FLUVIATILIS, GOULD.--The Marsh Tern.

The only specimen seen during the Expedition, was shot by Mr. Stuart on Strzelecki's Creek. It was flying up and down the creek, plunging into the water every now and then. This light and airy bird had a slate-coloured back, with black neck and breast; the crown of the head was black, delicately spotted white.

139. PHALACROCORAX SULCIROSTRIS.--Groove-billed Cormorant.

Of a fine dark glossy green plumage; common on all the creeks and rivers of the interior. These birds were very numerous at the Depot, and were constantly coming in from, and flying to the N.W. But although we afterwards penetrated some hundreds of miles in that direction, we never discovered any waters to which they might have gone.

140. PELECa.n.u.s CONSPICILLATUS, TEMM.--The Pelican.

Like the swans, these birds frequently pa.s.sed over us, coming from, and going to that point to which all the aquatic, as well as many of the ordinary birds winged their way. We sometimes saw them low down, sweeping over the ground in circles, as if they had just risen from the water; but in neither instance could such have been the case. On several occasions we might have shot them, but they were useless, and would have enc.u.mbered us much.

141. PODICEPS GULARIS.--Grebe.

The common Diver; frequenting the pools and rivers of the interior: of dark brown plumage and silver-white belly. There are two or three varieties of this bird, that I have seen on other occasions; but none, with the exception of the present specimen, during the recent Expedition.

NO. I. LIST OF SPECIMENS, AND THE NAMES OF THE VARIOUS ROCKS, COLLECTED DURING THE EXPEDITION.

1) 2) Tertiary Fossil, or limestone, (opalescent) from above 3) the fossil cliffs.

4) 5 Ferruginous sandstone.

6 Soapstone, apparently a recent deposit.

7 Gneiss.

8 Hornstone, a variety of.

9 Specular iron ore, lamellar with quartz.

10 Granite, with mammillary hemat.i.te--hornstone.

11 Specular iron ore, and iron ore highly magnetic.

12 Granite, white, a variety of.

13 Soapstone or clay, schorl, and slate with mica and chlorite.

14 Gneiss, a variety.

15 Granite, grey, both fine and coa.r.s.e.

16 Granite, white, fine grained.

17 Hornstone, and mica slate (waved).

18 Clay.

19 Magnesian limestone, and limestone slaty and impure.

20 White conglomerate rock, appearing a binary granite.

21 Indurated clay.

22 Silicious pebbles.

23 Silicious rock, with veins of quartz.

24 Silicious rock.

25 Rock composed princ.i.p.ally of silica and alumen forming sandstone.

26 Milky quartz.

27) Rounded b.a.l.l.s, composed of sand and clay, cemented by oxide of iron; 28) hollow, but without crystals; rounded by the action of water.

29 Hornstone.