. The Australian Museum magazine. Natural history. THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 217 that was leaving for Muloorina next morning, to drive us as near Lake Letty as possible. Rising at daybreak next morning we reached the outskirts of the town with our luggage, fully expecting to see the camels harnessed up waiting for us, as the driver had told us that he would be making an early start. But, owing to the absence of feed, the camels had wandered to the far end of the paddock, where he had found them feeding on some coarse herbage that was growing along the sides of what was once a water hole.
. The Australian Museum magazine. Natural history. THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 217 that was leaving for Muloorina next morning, to drive us as near Lake Letty as possible. Rising at daybreak next morning we reached the outskirts of the town with our luggage, fully expecting to see the camels harnessed up waiting for us, as the driver had told us that he would be making an early start. But, owing to the absence of feed, the camels had wandered to the far end of the paddock, where he had found them feeding on some coarse herbage that was growing along the sides of what was once a water hole. As the " paddock " was fifteen miles across, it is not to be wondered at that it was almost four o'clock before we moved oif. There were fourteen camels in the team and they kept up the one steady pace, three miles an hour, with clockwork regularity, whether it was over soft sand or over the harder gibber country, where the huge wheels of the waggon would not sink in and so impede progress. By the time it was dark ^^'e had arrived at a place called Box Hole, where there are a few welcome trees and here the night was spent. Leaving the camel team next morning we set out for Lake Letty, and, after a hard morning's walk across soft sand, arrived there to find bird life in ])ro- fusion. Camping that night under the nmlga trees that surroiaid the lake, we were awakened at daybreak by the chat- tering of thousands of birds and a knid whistling, which would almost deafen one. This was put down to the Whistling Eagles, which were seen in large numbers during our stay there. After walking down to the water's edge we watched and identified a number of water birds ; Avocets, witli their long- turned U]) bills were there in the largest numbers, parading around in the shallow' water, with the White-necked Herons, and spoonbills intermingling with them in their quest for food. Hoary-headed Grebes were seen swimming lazily and diving, whilst flocks of Black Ducks and White-eyed Duc
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