LIFE IN SOUTH QUEENSLAND

Otago Witness, Issue 3397, 23 April 1919, Page 53

LIFE IN SOUTH QUEENSLAND

By T. H. Thompson

The bird-life in and contiguous to the scrubs in South Queensland is immensely rich in variety and colour. Here are groups of chattering bluejays, hosts of "fig" birds, little flocks of "silver-eyes" and redheads, doves, wild pigeons,, quail, regent birds of black'and gold in velvety feathering, woodpeckers, tiny humming birds, black and white magpies, gorgeoushued parrots, some scrub turkeys and curlews, white yellow-crested cockatoos, wagtails, and laughing jackasses. About the creeks are ducks, water hens (birds like black hens with webbed feet), kingfishers, and shags of beautiful colouring. Animal, insect, and reptilian life are represented by wallabies, native bears, bandicoots, 'possums, several kinds of snakes, "jew" and frilled lizards, iguanas, beetles (some shaped like little grey elephants, and other big black fellows with long trunks), butterflies in great variety, centipedes, ticks, scrub leeches, scorpions, spiders of i the usual and " trap-door" kinds, occa*teional porcupines, and a small marsupial known as the kangaroo rat. At times one has to be very much on guard against which lurk underneath and on the trees and about the creeks, and sometimes get far too close to be pleasant. Crawling after pigeons, gun in hand, one is apt to get alongside a snake "wriggling in the same direction, or, brushing past a tree, to see a snake's head sticking out, just as he is going to fend off the branches. Shakes often may be seen curled up in the tree-tops and in hollow stumps, and iguanas lying asleep in the branches of low trees. As a rule they make out of sight on man's approach. But at times large numbers of snakes may be seen in transit. Once I walked about a mile into a scrub, and for the next half-mile my hair fairly stood on end. Literally hxxndreds of snakes, some with head well up and forked tongue darting in and out, were crossing the track in opposite directions. I cocked my gun and did the goose step; but one, making towards me with vicious mien, I let fly and blew his head off, when the whole tribe instantly disappeared. Away from the scrubs the bush is very open, gums, iron and stringy barks predominating, with here and there a gnarled tree, locally known as an apple tree, though not at all like it. Dead gums make the bush ghost-like in the moonlight, but -wattles in great clumps, when in bloom, scent the air. This bush is easily ridden through. Above it may be seen flying flocks of shrieking parrots, and in the clumps of the younger trees will be found curlews, quail, and pheasants. A day's shooting will often end in sport known as " mooning " 'possums when the moon is favourable. The game is to get the moon behind a tree, and when a 'possum is located in one of its forks to snoot at the moon, when down comes the 'possum. In this open forest are to be found many grey anthills, the homes of white ants. These anthills were used by early settlers to make floors for their slab dwellings, which were roofed with ironbark and lined with illustrated newspapers. The slabs were split trees, the sharp ends of which were sunk into the ground. The anthill resolved itself into a floor like cement, and outlasted an ordinary earthen-floor; hence its employment. Nests of other kinds of ants are also to be seen. The red ant piles up little pyramids of sand and dwells beneath them. By trampling upon this domicile one raises* a great commotion, and thousands of insects scurry to and fro, dragging their larvie with them. By boiling down the red ant an acid is obtained. There are also nests of green ants—round, innocent, grassy mounds, which look very inviting to sit unon. But woe betide the sitter. The green ant has a bite like a bee-sting, and quickly makes his presence felt. One experience, however, teaches the uninitiated. Besides these varieties of ants are the "bulldog" (expressively named), the brown "sugar" ant, and others. The sugar ant'is fond of houses, and nests near them, making his way inside after jams, sugar, treacle, etc. Every "safe" containing .these has to bo placed standing in tins of "water, In which the ants drown in large numbers. There is also the flying ant, which swarms in the air In myriads. I find X have forgotten to mention flies and cock-

I roaches, also cicadas (or locusts) and grassj hoppers, of which latter there are a great i many varieties rich in colour. The cockroaches are ugly brown insects, some very large, which frequent house*, and have a dirty habit of flying into one's food. The "locusts" there are five times the size of the cicadas here, and make ten times the noise. On summer days their song is heard in the bush—a noise of some ton- | nage, only to be outclassed by the croak- | ing of the frogs in the swamps, whose eternal complaint sounds like "Work, no i work, more work," sung in a monotonous ' baritone. The flies are so numerous | times that bushmen either wear veils or string little bits of cork from their hats \ to keep them out of their eyes. In the cleared and cultivated areas are , to be found great groves of oranges and j bananas, vineyards, pineapple plantations, , and, in suitable localities, sugar plant*- ! tions. There is nothing so pretty as an ; orange grove when the fruit is ripe, ths : yellow balls making a rich contrast to ths ; vivid green of the leaves. A banana ' grove has a palm-like aspect, cool and i very pleasant to the eye. The sugar cans j is in thick sticks, with long, narrow green and grows about 6ft or 7ft high. The fresh cane is the child's delight. He t buys a big 6ft stick for a penny, whittles ! off the covering in" short lengths, and chews the succulent pith, which yields a sweet juice, and keeps his teeth in good condition. In the vineyards the vines are frown alongside upright stakes about 4ft igh, and kept well pruned to increase ths yield of fruit. You can buy a good-sized butcher's basketful of black or white grapes at some of these vineyards for a couple of shillings. Besides thess groves may be seen great patches of watermelons and pumpkins, and large" iarms of maize, sorghum, and lucerne. Nearly every suburban dwelling has its I flower, fruit, and vegetable garden, coor i taining, in front, oleanders, hibiscus, | trumpet flowers, geranhunsj rosea, ! camelias, dahlias, cacti, and all the riclt ! tropical flowers one sees in the Winter Gardens in Dunedin. Behind will be found . little melon patches, grape vines, peaches, ! guavas, figs, loquats, chillies, mulberries, j some pineapple plants and orange trees, Kassion fruit and sweet potato vines, and ere and there paw-paws, orange, citron, 'or mango trees. Maybe a hedge of plumj bago, some camphor laurels, or a poutI sietta will front the house. Fuchsias are \ grown in the cool and shady corners, and ; staghorn ferns adorn the verandah posts,' ! The Ted hibiscus flower attracts parrot*, 1 and boys attach them to poles, to whicli 1 they attach horsehair snares, and thus en* tangle the feet of the birds while they" | dip their beaks in the flower in search I of the " honey " it contains. i For the small boy Queensland has a I host of attractions. In the creeks are ' turtles, in the swamps frogs ? in the scrub j and waterholes leeches, in the open, ' , I butterflies. He can stick his foot in a j hole and bring out a. few leeches; get i some. amusement by catching a turtle* | have a young native bear for a pet; nek \ butterflies, and make collections of thess j and beetles; "shanghai" many varieties I of pretty birds and have them stuffed and I mounted; dig out the strange nests of j trapdoor spiders; drop ants into anfc- | eaters' nests, and set the ant-eaters ' erupting; gather a selection of beautiful | butterfly chrysalides from the leaves of ths j oleanders; feed silk worms on the leaves j of mulberry trees, and make silk knots | from the cocoons; catch a jew lizard or ' a bat, and tie a string to its tail or wing 60 that it may run or fly at his pleasure. IHe may take a " dilly " bag and bone to a river and catch a pint or two o| prawns, and regale himself on commanv- , deered watermelons and raw sweet | potatoes. Later on he can have a (variety, lof shooting and fishing. The fish therej about are mullet, perch, bream, I whiting, and schnapper. There are also j in the rivers and creeks the fresh-wats* ! jew, and others he won't eat, such as ths. ! cat and the stingaree, not to mention ths I blubber or jelly fish. Under the manI groves he may find crabs, and on ths I rocks oysters. The shellfish on the sea* | shore will provide him with a collection ( of richly-coloured shells that -will he hard . to beat. When he grows to manhood and be* comes a swell he will dress in white suits of flannel, silk, or pique, wear a light hat or helmet, a red, blue, or multir : coloured kummerbund around his waist, ; and give the girls "a treat. He may dance i in a white Eton jacket j take moonlight | excursions on the wide and placid reaches i of the broad Brisbane Biver, where ths j pink-a-pong of the banjo may be heard ! acompanying the harmonious voices of his compatriots as they float gently and j leisurely with the tide. He may become i an accomplished oarsman or go canoeing ]in sweet surroundings; play cricket by j the waterside in the beautiful botanical gardens, as he views the bamboo "walks i and the rich palm groves that lend -them I such distinction. He may dance on the | long verandahs of the white-roofed bungai lows under the soft light of coloured ! Chinese lanterns and behind the hanging , j bamboo blinds. He may visit a theatre ! with a vestibule wherein a fountain plays I amid the rich green palms, and go to ! sleep with the long, sonorous cry of the ! street vendor Tinging in his ears as he ] chants, unlike the muezzin from tha j minaret a continuous call to prayer, bull J merely a noisy invitation to buy sheep's trotters.