THE BIRDS OF COOLABAH AND BRKWARRINA, NORTH-WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES, By Alfred J. Nokth, C. M. B. O. U., C. M. Z. S., Ornithologist to the Australian Museum. The following notes were made at Coolabah, between the 5th and 14th of October, 1915, and those at Brewarrina be-tween the 15th and 22nd of the same month. Ascertaining last October from a twenty-five j^ears' resident of North-western New South Wales, that the weather condi-tions in that part of the State were apparently favourable for a collecting tour, I determined to spend my annual leave for 1915, as far as possible, equally at Coolabah and Brewarrina. Coolabah, on the main western line, four hundred and twenty-nine miles north-west of Sydney, is situate in the I'ed soil country, having no natural watercourse, or permanent water, if we except a small gilguy or soak here and there, but which had entirely dried up at the time of my visit, the residents be-ing dependent upon artificially formed tanks and dams for their storage of water. The principal flora of the open forest lands of Coolabah put me very much in mind of that of the country around Moree in Northern Central New South Wales, the gum (Eucalyptus) and Apple (A)iyopliora) predominating, and in the scrubs, the Wilga (Geigera parvi flora) and pines (Callitris, sp.). For some time prior to reaching Coolabah, the shapely Sour Plum or " Colane " of Western New South Wales, or "Grouie " (Owenia acidula) of the Moree District, were much in evidence, resembling as one passed them in the train, the sj'mmetiical artificial trees, found in a child's " Noah's Ark," and not unlike the introduced Pepper plant (Schhius molle) common through-out the inland portions of Australia, but usually more squat in appearance. I did not observe Oicenia acidula either at Coolabah or Brewarrina, but at both places was informed that it occurred in the neighbourhood.
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