This bird, from its devouring mice and venomous reptiles, deserves protection; (hawks also destroy snakes in this colony.) A gentleman told me that he was perfectly aware of the bird destroying snakes, as he had often seen them carry the reptiles to a tree, and break their heads to pieces with their sharp strong beaks; he also said he had known them destroy chickens soon after they were hatched, and carry away eggs, breaking the shell with their sharp beaks, to get at their contents. One of these birds, seen upon the branch of a tree near a river, looking so stupid, and nodding as if asleep, was shot, and it was then found that this peculiar manner proceeded from having swallowed a small snake, which had got into the stomach, throat, and bill, but had not yet accommoded itself in the former cavity. It is not uncommon to see these birds fly up with a long snake pending from their beak, the bird holding the reptile by the neck, just behind the head; but as the snake hangs down without motion, and appears dead, it is probable that the bird destroys them upon the ground before it conveys them into the tree. From these circumstances, although they may now and then “make away” with an egg, or recently hatched chicken, by mistake for other food, yet there ought to be a prohibition against their being injured, as the vermin destroyed by them amply repay such trifling losses. This is the first bird heard in the morning, and the last (among the day-birds) at night; it rises with the dawn, when the woods re-echo with its gurgling laugh; at sunset they are again heard, and as that glorious orb sinks in the westward, a last “good night” is given in its peculiar tones to all within hearing. At this farm, close to the Murrumbidgee river, and on the almost perpendicular side of a limestone hill, which rises in the midst of this wooded valley, the rocks partially scattered with herbage, shrubs, and stunted casuarina-trees, is the entrance to a spacious cavern; there are others of smaller size sprinkled about different parts of the same mass of limestone, but this seems to be the most spacious; they were originally pointed out by the natives to the overseer of the farm, but were first explored by Mr. Dutton, and some friends. The day after our arrival we visited the cave, taking materials to produce a light, by which we might explore these recesses with more facility. The approach to this cavern is through a thick jungle of grass, reeds, veronica, fern brake, (_Pteris_,) &c.: much caution is required, more particularly when on horseback, on account of the number of wombat burrows which abound about the spot. A slight ascent brought us to the spacious and lofty entrance into which the horses were easily led, and conveniently stabled; this may be truly said to form the waiting-hall for admission into the two ranges of chambers which branch off in different directions, as seen in the accompanying diagram of a supposed section.