Page:The Boy Travellers in Australasia.djvu/368

344. Flocks of pigeons, cockatoos, and parrots fly around and coo and chatter; cat birds, bell-birds, whip-birds, laughing-jackasses, and a host of others dart about and make the air resound with their notes; and if you watch the ground you will quite likely get a glimpse of wild turkeys and other birds that make their home there and shun the limbs of the trees. Keep a sharp eye out, too, as you may come across snakes, and some of them are poisonous."

Fred was about to ask concerning the snakes of Australia, but their loquacious friend did not give him a chance to do so. He pointed to the opposite side of the train, and told the youths to observe what was there visible.

"That shows you the difference between scrub and forest," said he; "the forest land has heavier timber, but no underbrush; you can ride on horseback through it, while you cannot get along on foot in the scrub without a hatchet. I'm speaking now of the vine scrub along the coast," he continued; "in the interior we have myall, brigelow,