the Gnou or Mallee-Fowl (Lipoa ocellata), which he found for the first time in the locality indicated.
Subsequently, Gould, when writing of the Black-throated Coachwhip-Bird (Psophodes nigrogularis), quoted Gilbert as follows:—"I heard it (the Coachwhip-Bird) for the first time, together with the notes of many other birds equally strange to me, in the vicinity of the Wongan Hills."
To view scenes which Gilbert saw and to tread what may be truly termed "hallowed ground" were in themselves a sufficient object for an expedition to the Hills, but when combined with the facts that Gilbert had there heard birds the notes of which were strange to him, and that the district had not been explored, ornithologically, since his visit, the desire to go there became almost irresistible. Natural inquisitiveness, also, to see what changes (if any) had taken place in the local avifauna, helped to clinch the matter. Hence I organized a party, having the same personnel (with one addition) as that which visited the Stirling Ranges last year.
By the map, the Hills are some 100 miles north-east of Perth, and are about in the same latitude as Bourke, New South Wales. They are about 90 miles inland from the western coast, 50 miles from Mogumber, the nearest railway station, and are on the eastern verge of the characteristic rain-belt. We left Perth on the morning of the 30th September last, and arrived at Mogumber at noon, where we were met with a dray, horses, and driver, provided by Lord Abbot Torres, of the Spanish Benedictine Mission of New Norcia, who throughout our trip afforded us the greatest hospitality and evinced a lively interest in our labours. We reached the Mission Station (15 miles distant) that night, and being up betimes on the following morning completed another stage of 22 miles for the day, leaving 13 miles to accomplish our outward journey. Making a start at dawn the next morning, we entered the gorge leading up into the Hills just before noon. The whole journey was performed on foot, as also the return journey, the dray being used for transporting our baggage, provisions, and equipment. A fortnight's local explorations brought up the total of the miles covered to 250.
The character and formation of the country over which we passed are exhaustively dealt with towards the end of this article. All that need be said now is that we passed through belts of jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata), beautiful-leafed gum (E. calophylla), York gum (E. loxophleba), jamwood (Acacia acuminata) and sheoak (Casuarina) until we reached a place called Behagning Spring, which was noteworthy inasmuch as it marked the line where the coastal vegetation "petered" out and the inland vegetation began. Thence the gigantic flowering eucalypt (Eucalyptus macrocarpa), the gimlet gums (E. salubris), the salmon gums (E. salmonophloia), the morrell gums (E. longicornis), the quandongs, and the sandalwoods held sway. Two large plains were crossed—one the Bishop's Plain (named
