The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1891-01-02
THROUGH FERN AND BUSH.
Graphic Description of Some of the Queer
Sights in Australia.

Graphic Description of Some of the Queer
Sights in Australia.
Once my friend suddenly drew rein,
writes William Sharp in Harper's Magn-
zine in an article on the magic of the
bush and motioned me to do likewise
For a few seconds 1 heard nothing.
then sharp and clear through the
silence rang the crack of long whip
and expected to see some stock-rider,
or perhaps some strayed packman,
issue from the scrub. With quick
'Hush!' my companion whispered to
me that what had heard was only the
'whip Bird" and that what he wanted
me to see was a Tyre bird, whose native
note he had heard moment before
close at hand. Very shortly a some
what low but sweet burst of melody,
though within limited compass, came
from glade to the left, the greater
part of which was shrouded from sight
by intricate fern-tree growths; with
rapid transitions the song thereafter
rose and fell. now initiating the joyous
freedom of the magpie, now the laugh
ing gurgle of the jackass, now other
forest denizens. Again silence, and
then-right in the midst of the fern
:glade-I saw for the first time bird ]
had often heard of and which l was
anxious to see. The Tyre bird, or
mountain pheasant (Menura superba).
is;extremely shy and though by means
rare in certain districts is thus com.
paratively seldom seen. In size il
very closely resembles the common
pheasant, aud is of an auburn-brown
color; but it would not be a specially
attractive bird were it not for the large
and delicately graceful tail-feathers,
which. when fully erected, exactly re.
Scmble the instrument after which the
bird is called. Like the shark, and
perhaps the cuckoo, the mountain
Vheasant is generally accompanied by
a satellite, in this instance the latter
being a small, jerky little bird. popu.
3arly called the 'pheasant's mother''-
but none such was visible to our eyes
on this occasion. The whip bird, CT
coach-whip bird. referred to is gencr-
ally heard in the scrub proper and has
received its name from its habit of end
ing its loud cry or note with an abruDi
crack like that produced by the long
lash of Il stock-whip.
AS we rode on the sun grew higher
and higher in the heavens. and IL grad.
ual silence crept through the forest with
the ripening noon. The scrub which
had lately been SO full of life appeared
to be deserted by its noisy denizens
and only at rare intervals the nlutfieG
chuckle of the jackass broke the still.
ness. Ere long we'came suddenly up
on a rare sight in an Australian forest.
and few yards farther brought us
within the charmed circle, than which
I have seen nothing of the kind more
lovely. Immediately before US lay
quiet pool, of an intense azure hue at
its center, but with wide margins re-
flccting the green fern-tree fronds and
all else fowerv and beautiful that
grew near; fringing its edges with
great quantities of a beautiful species
of iris; beyond, and forming circular
wall, varying from five to eight or nine
feet in height, were thick magnolias in
magnificent full bloom and whose de-
licious fragrance made the air seem
heavy with sweetness; over these waved
the long, delicate green fonds of the
tree-ferns and shimmering accacia
sprays, while beyond glimpse was
caught of the SUBMITS of the lofty
blue-gums darkly silhouetted against the
purple-blue sky. Not breath of wind
stirred leaf or flower; not sound was
heard save faint, almost inaudible,
hum at regular intervals, or an
occasional subdued rustle-as of
leaf falling to the ground or bird
drowsily shifting its position in the
dense green shade. Hark! what
was that? Like far-away village bell
a soft sound rings or rather swells
now another-a silvery tolling, ex.
<,T,icito1ry ,,rocciyo onI
in these hushed and lonely solitudes.
Wonderfully and at first startlingly
strange as the illusion was l had al.
ready fathomed that was listening to
the bell of no forest sanctuary, when
my friend whispered to me: THE bell
birdr The solemnity of the noon
seemed to deepen, and the promised
vigor of the day 10 subside into
luxurious dream. Having dismounted
and tied our horses to a tree, we be-
took ourselves to an hour or two's mid.
day rest, and as we lay below huge,
spreading tree-fern lazily smoking with
the scent of the magnolias in the warm
air, and the dreamy call of the distant
bell bird rising and falling at solemn
intervals, we became drowsy, and
doubtless each indulged in good deal
of unspoken sentiment. If so, it GER
tainly did us no harm. From our rest.
ing-place on slope above the pool we
could just see the blue line of distant
range rolling away northward, and be-
hind it some outlying summit of the
misty Bogongs
Morning and evening the Australian
forest is awake; at noon it is asleep.
No greater contrast can be imagined
than between the morning hours and
those of midday in midsummer. In
possess an active existence. Myriads