"Not beautiful in our eyes," said her uncle, as they rode by a magnificent clump of sweet briar, the pink blossoms making a lovely spot of colour against the purple of the thistles. "Some patriotic Scot brought the first thistles to Australia, and an English family the roses, and many's the day I have wished they never came. The soil here is so rich that everything grows fast, and the thorny plants have spread all over the land, in some places growing so thick that they have ruined whole tracts of grazing land. They are nearly as bad as the foxes. These were brought to destroy the rabbits which ate up the crops, but Mr. Reynard likes chicken far better than hare, and he has increased so rapidly that it is almost impossible to get rid of him, though rewards are offered for his scalp and in one year over thirty thousand skins were brought in." "Do they scalp rabbits, too?" asked Jean. "Trapping rabbits is a regular Australian business," said her uncle. "A good trapper can make £4 a week catching them, and the fur is used to make felt hats." "There are lots and lots of interesting things in your country," said Jean brightly. "But shearing time will be the fun," said Sandy. "Oh, I'd like to see them shear. May I, Uncle?" cried Jean. "Yes, indeed, you may see anything you like. We'll make a regular station-hand of you before you are done," he laughed. "I'm only a little jackaroo now," she said. "What is that queer noise? It seemed to come from under those trees." [Illustration: "'THAT IS THE LYRE BIRD, ISN'T HE A HANDSOME FELLOW?'"] "That is the lyre bird, isn't he a handsome fellow? See, there he is beneath that bottle tree. We have a pair of them and never allow them to be touched, as they are quite rare in this part of the country, though found quite frequently in the scrub. "The tail of the male is just like an old-fashioned lyre, and it is one of the most interesting of our birds." "Did you say that was a bottle tree?" asked Jean. "Yes. Don't you see it is shaped just like a huge bottle, the branches growing out of the mouth? The stems have water in them, and if you are ever lost in the Bush and thirsty, find a bottle tree and get a drink. The Blacks eat the roots, which are full of a kind of gum." "I never heard of such a place as this," said Jean. "It seems as if everything in Australia was useful. Everything but little girls," she added. "Little girls are very useful in making other people happy," said her uncle kindly. "But I'd like to be really useful and learn to do something," said Jean. "You will when you are bigger," he answered. "You must get well and strong before you can do very much, lassie. But you will be useful enough as you grow older." "I don't see why you are in such a hurry to go to work," said Sandy. "I think you have a pretty fine time!" CHAPTER VI "LOST!"