C:&E AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE
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J<' li;BRUARY 16. 1945. c:&e AU STRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE \ol. VIII, No. 10. DECEMBER, 1944- FEBRUARY, 1945. Price- ONE SHILLI NG. Retister~d at the General Post Office, Sydney, for tr·ansmission by post. as a periodical. THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM HYDE PARK , SYDNEY BOARD OF TRUSTEES. PRESIDENT: Ji'. S. ~I..A:\CF., A.l.C.A. CROWN TRUSTEE: F. S . .:\lA~ C.Ll, A.l.C.A. OFFI CI A L TRUSTEES : lliS HOXOUlt THE CElEF JUS'l'lCK Tlll•l HO~. THB PI1EKLDENT OF THE LEG lSJ,.ATIVl-1 COllt;ClL. TJIE HO~. THE COLONIAL SECRETARY. THE HON. TILE ATTORNEY-GENEltAL. THE 110-:\. THE COLO~IAL TREASURJ.:LL THE llOX. THE SECRETARY FOR PUBLLC WOltKS. TilE 11 0~ . TH E MINISTElt OF PUBLIC I N 'L'JlUC'J'lON. THE AUDITOR-GENERAL. 'l'llE PltES!Dl!:NT OF THE K"E\V SOUTH WAT... ES MEDICAL llOAltD. THE SURVEYOR-GENERAL AND CHIEF SUltVEYOlC THE CROWN SOL!Cl 'l'Olt. ELECTI VE TRUSTEES: 1 ~ . C. ANDREWS, B.A. FRANK H. SPENCEH. e. GORDON 1\lACJ.lWl>, 1Lr\ ., :.\LD., Cu.:.\L PROF. Elt!t: A llBY. D.Sc. (Loudou), A.lt.C.S., D.J.C. G. A. WA'I'E!UIO USE, D.So., B.E., F.ILE.S. JOHN SPENCE, C.M.G. PlW~, . A. N. S•r. G. BUltKl'.I.'T, l\t..B., B.Sc. SIR SAi\lUEL WALDElt , Kt. I'ROF. W. J. DA !UN, D.Sc., I!'.L.S., l?.Z.S., E'.H..Z.S. C. A. SUSSMILCH , F .G.S. tl. B. 1\L\TllEWSJ 1:3.A. 0. G. VICKEltY, B.E·, A.M.I.E. DIRECTOR : A. il. WALKO.M, D.So. Assistant to !.he Director : .J. 11. KINGHOltN, C.M.;t,.S. SCI ENTIF IC STAFF : V ertcbmte Zoology : ln,·e•'tehmLe Zoology: Birds, Reptiles ancl Amphibians. l n1>ecls ancl A mchn-ids. J. H. KIXGHOH.N, C.)I.Z.S. A. MUSGlt.AVE, l!'.lt.Z.S., lt'.lt.E.l:$. illammals arul SkeletOilS. K. c. Mcrmovv~, F.R.z.s. E . LE G. TltOUGHTOX, F.lt.Z.. S., O.. U.Z .S. ~-~~CY il. ADAMS. Fishes. Jlolluscs. G. P. WlllTJ,EY, F.R.Z.S. .J 0 YCE ALL A!\. Geology: 1\llinemls a11d Hocks. Urustacea and other yroups. 'l'. J:lODGE-S,\U'l'l:l. !r'. A. l.lc:O\EIJ... L . It. 0. CJ:lALI.lEH.S, A . .'.T.C. BLIZABRT!l C. POP~, i\l.Se. l•'ossils. A uth ropology : J:l. 0. FLETC.B.E lt. b'. J) . )lOCA!t'l'll Y, Dip.Anthr. LlBRAlUAN.: W. A. RAINBOW. DEPARTMENT OF PRE PARATI O N : T. llODGE · S~fiTB. G. C. CLUT'J'ON, Preparcuor. J . KIYGS!,EY Preparator. HONORARY SCI ENTI FI C STAFF : Z ooloo i&ts. Entomoloyists. P.R.OJ!'. 'l'. l!AltVEY .IOH~STO:.\', 2\I.A.., D.Sc. G. A. WATEltHOUSE, D.Sc., B.E., F.R.Z.S. ASST. PRQI.'. E. A. UUIGGS. D.Sc. T. H. GUTRRIR. H. LEIGRTON K.ESTEVEX. D.SC' .. )[D. MELBOURl\TE W AUD, F.R.Z.S.. F.Z.S. .{rchaeolouists. Ornithologi6ti. PROF. J. L . SHEI"LSHEAR, M.l3., Ch.M. A. F . BASSJ.C'L' HULL, l\I..B.E .• lo'.lt.Z.S. GEOHGl~ A . THO::\IAS. K. A. HJNDWOOD, C.F.A.O.U., F.R.Z.~. Philatelist. A. J. ~IARSHALI,. FRANK W. lULL. XowmJmN Olt SA~DY NAIL-TAIL \VALLABY Frontis1Jicce ,\('S'I'I<ALIAX P O I SO~OUS SNAKES--f. R. K inghoru) c.lli.Z.S. 325 1'm; Woou CARVEHS OF THE ADMIRALTY lsLA~w s-ll . D . .tlJ cOa,rth y ~31 . \ t ' S 'fi(ALIA~ I NSECTS. XXIII: lloMOPTERA 4-SNO\Y·FLIES A.:-;-u Sc·ALE I ~SE C 'l'S- 1\ eith C. JJ cK eou; n) F.R.Z.S . 8~6 LWII'J'S lTXIIEit TIIJ<.: ·SEA: .Ji.: WELL!';J) RQL"IOS- ./U.IJC"(J A [/(fJI R-!1 Jh;r nnr 345 'I'm: KA~GAIWO FAMILY: 'rHE :\.AIL-TAIL \V.\LLAHn.:: ~-1~ /lis 'J'ruughtou) F.R.Z.S.) (' ..1/.Z. S. 346 ( ' o~S~:H\'A ' l' IO~ OF \ VJLD LH'J<J . 'fOTAL J'HO'J"l'X''J'JOS FOit ALL "rALLA HmH 1 :'\ YI("PORI A :149 1'uoPH' I RLAXD JlE?.lORJ Es-Fra 11 k A . .I/ eX e ill . 3;)0 No)!}'; Bt"'l"l'M B.FLJES OF AT..l STHALIA .~xn TIJJ<; P.M' IFH' : T1n: Bnw\nx<: Bt "TTEHFLIES. I- .1. Jl usgra G(' :~54 (Photograplly, unless other wise stated, is by G. C. Glutton.) t OUR FRONT COVER. This little-known Comb-Jelly, Nei s cordigera, visits our harbour waters in Port Jackson between the months of March and June, when it is seen in quiet backwaters s;vimming and drifting with the currents. While not a true jellyfish, the body is transparent hke that of conventional bell-shaped types and is somewhat flattened. There is a large wide opening at one end. Eight prominent paddle-ribs run along the body, each consisting of a succession of tiny plates, shaped like combs. They are the means of locomotion and give this group of animals its name. Each comb is raised quickly and then lowered, so that it beats the water, fluttering like a miniature eyelid. Those in each row beat one after another and the combs in all eight paddle-ribs beat in unison so that their owner is propelled slowly forwards. The rapid movements of the combs refract light and produce a k aleidoscopic play of colours. Beautiful as is the sight of the swimming creature by day, it is far surpassed by the flashin g, Phosphorescent displays produced at night when the animal is disturbed. When swimming, the animal has two distinct forwardly direc_ted lobes which, unfortunately, are only faintly indicated in this photograph of a preserved specimen. Natural size. E.C.P. VOLUME VIII, NUMBER 10. DECE:NIBER, 1944- FEBRUARY. 1945. \\ ,,, _: No..-th t-TII or SuncJy Nnil- tuil 'Vnll nb~·. Of "tlu~ thn~e nnil-htil wallabies th is is t la t• largest. Not striking·l y msn·ked, its colour rest•nthh·~ Hutt <l l' its s urrclu ndin ~s . Jts l e n g th. O''e rnll, i s about :four nnc1 :l h n l f feet. h:tlf nt' whidt is the l e n g th nJ the t:• i 1. See t•nge 348. A fte r Gould. Pu.blished by the Australiam. .Museum - - College Street, Sydney Editor: A. B. W aLK0:\1, D.Sc. Annual Subsrription, Post Free, 4/4 Yor .. VIII, No. 10. D ECE MRER, 1944- FERHUARY, 1945. Australian Poisonous Sn akes* By J . R. K INGH ORN , C.M .Z .S. llERE are mo1·e than one hundred and in such cases should be handled with Australian venomous snakes, but g-reat care. I f seen basking on the surface T the great majority of these are small or washed 11p on a beach, they must be species which never exceed twenty inches treated with circumRpection. Nearly all in length, and cannot be regarded as of them are exti-emely awkwa.rd on land dangerous. Amongst these are sucl1 well and the:r are generally loath to bite unless known forms as the Bandy Bandy, the handled roughly oJ· otherwise annoyed. Salt-bush snake, the Wbite-lipped snake, The ,~ enom of ~ome species is extremely and the Red-naped snal,e. potent, ha'\'ing a powerful poisoning or the larger kinds there are abon t act ion ou the nervous system, bu t their fout ~pecies of Demansia, three P.seu biting appara1us is poor. and it is doubt d!'chis, and two N otechti.s, all of which may ful if they cou ld infbrt a fatal bite except he r()garded as extremely dangerouR. on an unclothed Ol' thinly clothed part. Detailed notes on the frequency and treat ~n('nt of snake-bite appea1·ed in the last ~'AJPAN OR GIAN'£ BROWN SNAKE. I~Sll(' of thiS ) l AGAZI XE. ( Oxym·a11l!US scutelkbtus) SEA SX.AKES. The taipan has been recorded from t he Fly Rh-er district, New Guniea, and 1'here are a large numbe1· of sea snakes, possibly may be found along the coastal all of which are poisonous, and some extremely so. They are not included in belt east and west from that point, thou gh the dangerouR kinds descl'ibed here it should be regarded more strictly as a because thev are unlikely to cause Korth Australian species, bein g well casualties. ~\.lmo8t all- the sea snakes live known from the Cape Yo1·k Peninsula en"?rely iu the water, and are specially westwards to Arnhem Land and perhaps hu1lt for this life. The body is somewhat the '\'i<:inity of Darwin. flattened '\'erticallr and keel-like below It 1s often difficult to distinguish the the taU being sha'ped like the blade of a taipan from a large brown snake, as both Paddle. They li "e on fish and mostlY ha \e the caudal scales in two rows. The freqf. uen t shallow sheltered waters not far· taipan has from 21 to 23 rows of scales ~ 0 ~ the coast and ri'\'er mouths in round the body and these are keeled (t he 0 Plcal regions. They mav be caught on brown snake may have as many as 19 ~sherman's line or be entangled in nets. or even 21 rows of scales, but these are •w· smooth).