or a tree; where if overtaken it throws itself upon its stern,
raising its head and chest as high as it can upon the forelegs, then
doubling its tail underneath the body and displaying a very formidable
set of teeth. From the concavity of its large frill it boldly faces any
opponent, biting fiercely whatever is presented to it, and even venturing
so far in its rage as to fairly make a fierce charge at its enemy. We
repeatedly tried the courage of this lizard, and it certainly fought
bravely whenever attacked. From the animal making so much use of this
frill as a covering and means of defence for its body this is most
probably one of the uses to which nature intended the appendage should be
applied.

We at length reached the watershed connecting the country we had left
with that we were entering upon, and were now again enabled to turn to
the eastward and thus to travel round the swamp. This watershed consisted
principally of a range of elevated hills from which streams were thrown
off to the Glenelg and to Prince Regent's River. The scenery here was
very fine, but I have so often before described the same character of
landscape that it will be sufficient to say we again looked down from
high land on a very fertile country, covered with a tropical vegetation
and lying between two navigable rivers. I can compare this to no other
Australian scenery, for I have met with nothing in the other portions of
the continent which at all resembles it. When we had nearly headed the
valley the night closed in so rapidly on us that I was obliged to halt
the party; and by the time the arrangements for security and rest were
completed it was quite dark.

CURIOUS NEST.

March 24.

This morning we started as soon as it was light and, continuing our route
round the valley, passed the beautiful cascade seen yesterday and, after
fording a clear running brook like an English trout stream, we began to
ascend the next sandstone range. On gaining the summit we fell in with a
very remarkable nest, or what appeared to me to be such, and which I
shall describe more particularly when I advert to the natural history of
this part of the country. We had previously seen several of them, and
they had always afforded us food for conjecture as to the agent and
purpose of such singular structures.

DEEP VALLEY.

Soon after quitting this nest we found a very convenient pass through a
deep and fertile valley, which led directly up into the heart of the