Orange-Wattled Crows.

They are on the branches of a free quite close to the track, and are so tame that they do not move at our approach. The South Island crow is a plump, well-rounded, attractive-looking bird, and its rich orange coloured wattles give it a striking appearance. In the early days of Otage it was plentiful in the Mount Cargill bush, and it was also to to found in [unclear: ortion] of the bush in the Catlins district. Now it is probably almost entirely restricted to the wooded ranges of the Sounds and West Coast districts. Sir W. Buller, iu his "Birds of New Zealand," mentions a very curious circumstance in confection with its habits given on the authority of Mr Buchaman, of the geological survey Mr Buchaman had frequently observed these birds travelling through the Otago bush "on foot, Indian fashion, sometimes as many as 20 of them single file, passing rapidly over the ground by a succession of hops, and following their leader like a flock of sheep; for [unclear: II] the first bird should have occasion to leap over a stone or fallen tree in the line of march, every bird in the procession follows suit accordingly !" This is the first time we have seen this interesting bird, and the pleasure afforded us is correpondingly great. The remainder of the descent to the hut at lake Mintaro is accomplished in good time and without anything of special interest to attract attention. We reach the lake about 3.30 and every where find evidences of the rainfall of the precceding day and night. The lake is very much higher, and had we not crossed the Clinton on a tree some distance above the hut we should have had some difficulty in getting over at the lower crossing near the lake, as the improvised bridge was completely covered with water. As our guides considered that the creeks between Mintaro and Garvey's would have gone down sufficiently to ensure our on dressing them without much difficulty, we decided to push on after a short rest and some refreshment. We left Mintaro between 3 and 4 o'clock on our 14-mile walk, and all going well we reckoned on reacing our destination by 8 or 8.30 o'clock. Ross and Garvie stayed behind to clear away and make things ship shape, for it is a cardinal rule always to leave things tidy at the huts for the next comers. We retraversed the familiar track we had crossed two days since, and in the bush we came acrosh quite a number of