EDITED BY C. ANDERSON, M.A; D.Sc. The Wetu.naton Caves - 0 . Anderaon, M .A.,D.Sc. Diacoloration of Harbour Waters-A Reason Why F. A. McNeiU and A . A. JAvingstone The Wunderllch Aboriainal Group Tambourine Mountain, Queensbtnd - - A. J'lusgrav e The Myatery of Marsupial Birth and Transference to the Pouch - Ellis Le G. Troughton Some Familiar Butterflies • Thomas G. Oampbell Vol. D. No. J J. JULY-SEPT., 1926. · Price-ONE SHILLING. PUBUSHED QUARTERLY. I THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM COLLEGE STREET, SYDNEY BOARD OF TRUSTEES: President: ERNEST WUNDERLICH, F.R.A.S. Crown Trustee : JAMBS M:cKERN. OfOclal Trustees : Hts HoNOUR THB Cm:mF JusTicE. THE HoN. THE PREsiDENT oF THE LEGISLATIVE CouNCIL. THE HoN. THE CoLONIAL SEcRETARY. THE HoN. THE ATTORNEY-G111NBRAL. THE HoN. THE CoLONIAL TREASURER. THE HoN; THE SECRE'l'ARY I'OR PUBLic WoRKS AND MINisTER ron RAILwAYs THE HoN. THE MINisTER oF PuBLic lNsTBuorioN. THE AUDITOR-GENERAL. THE PREsiDENT oF THE N.S.WALEB MlmiOAL BoaRD (T. STOB.IE DrxsoN, M.B., Ch.?ti., KNIGHT OF GRACE OF THE ORDER OF ST. JOHN.) THE SURVEYOR-GENERAL AND CwE.B' SURVBYOR. THE caoww soLICIToR. Elective Trustees : J. B. M. ROBERTSON, M.D., O.M. E. 0. ANDREWS, B.A., F.G.B. 'ERNEBT WUNDERLIOH, F.R.A.S. 0oTA.VIUS 0. BEALE, F.R.H.S. G. H. ABBO'rl', B.A., M.B., Ch.M. R. H. OaMBAGlll, O.B.E., F.L.S. SIB WlLLLUI VIOABS, O.B.E. GoRRIE M. Bum. MaJ.·GEN. Sm CHARLES RosENTIUL, K.O.B., O.M.G., D.S.O., V.D. 0. GORDON MacLmD, M.A., M.D., Ch.M. PROI'. L. HaRRisoN, B.A., B.So. G. A. WATEHOUSB, D.So., B.E., F.E.B. Director: CHA.BLES ANDERBON, M.A., D.So. Secretary: W. T. WELI.B,. A.I.A.V. Sclentmc Staff : WILLIAM W. THORPE, Ethnologist. J. RoY KmGHORN, Zoologi8t, in charge of Bird8, Reptiles, and Amp'h.ibiaM. ELLis, LE G. Taoua:aToN, Zoologist, in charge of Mammals and Skeletons. ANTB:6NY MusaB.A vE, Entomologial. F • A. Mo.NIlliLL, Zoo'Wgist, in charge of Inwtr I nverUbf'atu. T. HoDGE SMITH, Mineralogisl and Petrologilt. ToM lREDALE, Oqnchologi8e. .. Librarian: w. A. R.&INBOW • THE A USTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE VoL. TI. , No. 11. CONTENTS July-Sept., 1926. TASMA~ IA X R ED - g('K.ED OR B ENKETTs's WALLABY (.lJJacropus ntjicollis, va1·. bennetli·i) F'rontispiece NoTES AND N Ew s :166 THE WELLINGTON CAvEs-O.Ander.son, M.A., D.Sc. 367 DISCOW RATION OF HARBOUR WATERS-A REASON WHY F'. A. J!eN e1'll and A. A . L ivingsto ne . 37 5 THE W u~ nERLICR A:BoRI<UNAL GROUP 377 TAllrBOURlNE lVIouNTAI :N, QuEENST~AN D -A . 11/usgrave 379 0BITUA RlES 386 REVIEW 386 1'lm "JlYSTERY OF l\IARSUPlAL BIRTH AND TRANS~'ERENCE TO THE Poucn --Elli.s Le G. Troughton 387 , OME FAMlLIAR BuTTRRFLms-Thornas U. Campbell 393 Published Quarterly by the Trustees of the Aw~tralian Museum, College Street, Sydney, in the months of January, April, Julv, and October. Subscription 4/ 4, including postage. · Commwtica.tions regarding subscriptions, advertising rates, and business matters generally in connection with THE AUSTRALIA~ MUSEUM MAGAZINE should be addressed to t he Secretary. ~ <::b ~ H ~ t_:l::j ::s> d U1 H 7J iJ> ~ zD.> !;;;I !-"" d U1 t::j d ~ A Tas mania n Red-necked or Bennett's Wallaby (Macro pus ruftcollis var. b ennettli) in a resting a ttitude, in whkh kangaroos and wallabies are often seen . Q~ Accounts~ of eye-witnesses also s how it to be the attitude assumed when the youn~ are born and making their journey to th e p ouch. T he position serves tl> to s h orten the journey a nd, thou~h the body was probably m ore erect when observations were made, it is doubtless the characteris tic attit ude on such occasions. N [Copyright Photo.- Harry Burrel!. !2: t?=j- Published by the Australian Museum College Street, Sydney Editor: C. ANDERSON , M.A., D.Sc. Annual Subscription, Post Free, 4/ 4. VoL. If., No. 11. JULY· EPTEMBER. 1926 Editorial. BLIND VISITORS . accuracy. At a. recent lect~re one of our youthful visitors wa.s handli~g a model of Of the many activities in t he field of general an octopus; ills fingers dehcately traced, education in which the Australian Museum with exceeding care, their wa't over the is engaged, perhaps the most appealing is exhibit not omitting a detail, however that of lecttu'es or talks to the blind, a func­ trifling, then passing it to his neighbour ~e tion in which this Museum has been engaged remarked that t he shape of the cr~att~ re s for some years. Classes of these afflicted body was simila,r to that of an electrJC hght ?hildr~n visit tlhe Museum regularly for bulb-a rather a,pt tikeness. ~nstruction in nature study. The instruction Imparted is, natuTally, more individual t han Tha.t these lectures are worth while i. that given to those who can see, and since shown by the appreciative way in which _they these classes are small, usually containing not are received. Children, who most likely more than t en or twelve chilclTen each child knew little or nothing of the ma~vels ?f ··" sees " t he artic]e upon which t he' discourse creation, leave the Museum portals r1cber m is based. knowledge than when ~hey_ ente~cd, .and, The specimens selected for instruction are are able to impart t? t~eu· fne~ds mtelligent more or less familar to the audience through recollections of the1r InstructiOn. everyday conversation - opossum, native By t hese unfortunate chilch·en the le?tures bear, wallaby, boomerang, womerah, shells are hailed with delight, for the handling of ?..nd objects of the sea-shore. The object, the Museum's treasures presents a new world wh~n size permits, is passed round the to them. audience and is " seen " by the fingers, and, be it said, it is seen more throughly than by THE AUSTRALIAN ABORJGl ;rE. many whom Nature has more generously endowed. The lecturer is plied with q ues­ In this l\IAGAZINE. Vol. ll, No. 7, July- t~ons show1ng an eagerness to learn, and the 1 cptember, 1 9~5, th~ editorial article made s1ze, shape, and general ch a.racteri. ·tics of the reference to the lamentable fact, patent ~o ?hject are comprehended to a degree surpris­ everyone, that the Australia~ blac~fellow IS ~ng .fiahtincr a losing battle with his enVIronment. to the ordinary morta.J , and the instruction 0 0 t ~mparted is retained with remarkable The hope was there expressed that a remnan 366 THE AU&'TRALIAN MUSEUM MA GAZINE of this dying race will for years be enabled to reached a certain ·tage of education and live the wild free life of t heir ancestors, and training in white man's ways. it is checrina to find that proposals are being There are wide areas of Australia beyond made to set ~side a large resen-e for exclusive the frontiers of profitable settlement by use of the aborigine. white men, where, nevertheless, the aborigine, Contact with dvi}jzation is fatal to races whose prowess as a hunter is well known, as primitive as the Australian, well meaning could easily maintain himself, and it is to be efforts to ·'civilize., them are doomed to end hoped that concerted action by the Federal in failure. There is an incompatibility and ta te G ovcrn ments will result in the difficult to define but nevertheless potent in establishment of a reserve large enough to its effect, which renders such attempts ensure the preservation for years to come of hopeless, in spite of the. fact that instances a residue of this race, one of t he most inter­ can be quoted of Austrahan blacks who have esting in the world. Notes and News. Dr. G. A. Watcrhouse, B.E., F.E.S., was aboriginal skulls and skeletons and a large elected a Trustre of this Mu eum on July 2nd. collection of stone implements from s1x Dl'. 'Vaterh ouse, who is one of the world's different sites. leading authorities upon Rhopalocera (butter­ flies) has contributed many important papers An interesting new exhibit is a series to variou journal , con. iderably enlarging illu. tt·ating t he structure and peculiarities of our knowledge of this group. Ris major J.lleiolania, an extinct turtle remains of which work, however, is The Butterflie.s of Aust·ralia have been found in Australia, on Lord H owe published in 1914-, which was written in and vValpolc Islands and in Patagonia. A conjunction with Mr. G. Lyel1, another description of this interesting form appeared leading authority. in the la.st issue of this MAGAZINE. In the pmsuit of his studies Dr. VI aterhouse The Tr ustees have decided to issue a formed a fine collection of Lepidoptera which series of picture post cards featuring some of he presented to the Australian Museum the most striking m em hers of the Australian some time ago; this ranks as one of our most fauna. A series of birds is now in preparation, treasured possessions. Apart from his scien­ the drawings in colour having been made by tific investigations Dr. \~laterhouse is an Mrs. T~m Iredale. It is anticipated t hat active member of local scientific societies, t hese will be on sale shortly at a nominal having been president of the New South price. Each series will be accompanied by Wales Naturalists' Cluh (1906-7).