CC#e AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE EDITED BY C. ANDERSON, M.A., D.Sc.
·~ ( l"!; • The Discovery of the Queensland Lungfish • • G. P. Whitley A Permanent Method of Storing Valuable Natural History Specimens L . S. G. Butler Quaint Creatures of a Coral Isle G. P. Whitley and W. Boardman The Bird Man · ' Tom lredale The Rock Warbler K. A. Hindwood, R.A.O.U. Microscope Mites of the Sea A. A. Livingsto ;~e Teeth of Mammals • --- C. Anderson, M.A., D.Sc.
Vol. Ill. No. 11 . jULY -SEPT., 1929. Price-ONE SHILLING. PUBLISHED QUARTERLY The AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM COLLEGE STREET, SYDNEY.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES. . _ ,., ~ ...... \" ...... , . . .. ~ '· •... PRESIDENT: MAJOR-GENERAL SIR CHARLES ROSENTHAL, K.C.B., C.M.C., 0.5.0., V.D.
CROWN TRUSTEE:
JAMES McKERN.
OFFICIAL TRUSTEES:
HONOUR THE CHIEF JUSTICE. _ .. §lDENT OF , E LECISLATIVE COUNCIL. oh. ! • 3E.... rtETARY. THE • :.0!·. , 1 ORNEY-GENERAL. THE HON. THE. .;..; •. .JNIAL TREASURER THE HON. THE SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS . AND MINISTER FOR RAILWAYS. THE HON. THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. THE AUDITOR-CENERAL. THE PRESIDENT OF THE N.S. WALES MEDICAL BOARD (T. STORIE DlXSON. M.B., Cb. M.• KNIGHT OF GRACE OF THE ORDER OF ST. JOHN). THE SURVEYOR-GENERAL AND CHIEF SURVEYOR. THE CROWN SOLICITOR.
ELECTIVE TRUSTEES:
J. R. M. ROBERTSON, M.D., C.M.. F.C.S. C. CORDON MACLEOD. M.A., M.D., Ch. M. G. H. ABBOTT. B.A .• M.B., Ch.M. C. A. WATERHOUSE, O.Sc., B.E., F.E.S. MAJ.-GEN. SIR CHARLES ROSENTHAl., F: S. MANCE. K.C.B., C.M.C., D.S.O., V.O. HON. F. E. WALl,.. M.D., M.L.C. E. C. ANDREWS, B.A.. F.G.S. PROF. A. N. ST. G. BURKITT, M.B., B.Sc. OCTAVIUS C. BEALE, F.R.S.L., F.R.H.S. H. M. HAWKINS . CORRIE M. BLAIR.
DIRECTOR:
CHARLES ANDERSON, M.A., O.Sc.
SECRETARY:
W. T. WELLS, A.I.A.V.
SCIENTIFIC STAFF:
WILLlAM W. THORPE, Eth1tologut. J. ROY KINCHORN, Zoologi.t, ~~ cha.rqe of Bird., Reptilee, 4nd A.n~pl&ibian.. ELLIS LE G. TROUGHTON, Zoologiat, i~ ch4Tge of Ma·mnnale ~d SkoletQn•. ANTHONY MUSCRAVE, E~tomologist. F. A. McNEILL, Zoologiat, in ch4Tge of Lower Invert•brat"•· T. HODG.E SMITH, Mmeral()giat ~ncl Petrologi,.t. TOM IREDALE, Conchologiat. GILBERT P. WHITLEY, lchthvoloowt. A. A. LIVINCSTONE. Aesi4tant Zoolooiat. H 0. FLETCHER. Auista,nt in Palaeontoloov. · K. C. McKEOWN, Aamtant Entomotooist. W. BOARDMAN, Assistant Zoologist. LmRARY STAFF:
W. A. RAINBOW. LU>r~rian. F. D. McCARTHY. Auista-nt Libratriaft. THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE
VoL. Ill., No. 11. CONTENTS. J uly-September, 1929.
THE D EADLY S 7.'0NE FI SH in sit·u F1·ont·ispiece THE Dr co-rER¥ OF THE Q crEENSLAND L u NGliTSH- G. P. '"fVhitley 363 A PERMANE NT M E THOD OF S TORIN G VALUABLE N AT IJRAL His TORY SPECI MENs- L. S. G. B~ttleT 364
QUAINT CREATURES OF A CORAL ISLE- G . P . JtVhitley and W. Boa·rdman 366 NOTES AN D NEWS 365, 374, 3 4
THE B IRD MAN-T 01n I redale 375
THE ROCK WARBLER- X. A . H indwood, R.A.O.U. 379
Mic ROSCOP E lVlrTES OF THE SEA--A. A. Livingstone 385 REVIEW 388
TEETH OF lViAMMALs- C. A nderson, lVLA. , D.Sc. ... 380
P ERRY's Arcana 396
Published Qua rte rly by the Trus tees of the A ust ralia n Muse um , College Street, Sydney, in the months of J a nuary, April, July, and Octobe r. Subscription 4 / 4 , including p ostage.
Communications regar d ing s ubs€ ript ions, a d vertising rates, a n d b u si n ~ ss m a tte rs genera lly in c0nnection with THE AUSTRA LIA N MUSEUM MAGA ZINE s h o uld be a ddr e sse d to th e Secre ta ry. Thf" H ora:~llhoc Clam and so m ~ coral over a typical bottom of cor-at t•ock nnd detrih•• are the m~ s t pronune nt feah.tr~ e. o f this pic ture. but closer inspection reveals th ~ h c.ad nnd forcp.__ru of a lurktn!r !>t oneft•h (Synan ceja hor-rid(\). the most droe.ade d fi 5 h o f the cor-RI ref"fli. So elott~ly does lh ~ S t onefish f""'""''nbl .. ''• 5 Un ound•ntu~ thn t h is - eH nit:h invi5,iblr . but o n c:r- touc h ed lt t•aise• lt• deadly poi.$onou• • \ltllt"a. wtu ~ h "'f"(' Ca\pable of lnOictin c a-ful a s: ony or ~veon d t>a th. Th• ft • h utA)' be l ocnt e d by crot~os· Uueoa d.-a-n fron\ the indic ator• o n th t. The Discovery of the Queensland Lungfish. BY G ILBERT P. WHITLEY. K the l\iitchell Libra ry , ~ ydney, t here is a Said .Fo rs tcr " do so you are wellcome to them. I pec:son t t he m to ,vou , i'£ y ou will name them after I Jettel' from Gera rd. l(refft , a past Curat or m o." I r <' pli <' the Port J ackson harks as Agassiz and ]\lAOAZI N l~ 1 in a m ore detailed article on this others had supposed. .. In honour of the unique Au!-itralian fi sh. gentleman who presented this valuable speci , omc doggerel by Krefrt. written obviously men to the Mu eum ," Krefft continued, " I for the a musement of his little boy, i!'! still have named this . trange animal Ceratodus preserved in t he Mitchell Library. Here is a Forsteri." A few descriptive notes of a verse, slightly modified, from a poem entitled popular nature were also given in this letter, Ceratodus :- which is the first printed account of t he Luc: ullus at,o Muraena ra.re Queensland Lungfi sh I have been able to In R om o the da int iest dish discover. And Squatters on the Burnett dined I may add that Krefft's type specimen was 011 geologic fish. apparently lost many years ago, although a - 1A usTRALIAN MusEU M .MAGAZINE, Vol. iii, No. photograph of it was pn blished in this 2, 1927, p. !iO. A Permanent Method of Storing Valuable Natural History Specimens. BY L. S. G. BUTLER . HE safe storage of small type specimens If gas is not available a spirit lamp and T i a, matter of some importance. Seal blowpipe will suffice. Soft glass t ubing is ing in corked bottles is not a good easily fusible, and, glass being a poor con· method, and even preserving in bottles ductor of heat, a specimen contained in a plugged with cotton wool and then placing tube will be uninjured , even though the in a large jar does not afford permanent glass an inch or so distant is heated to fusion. storage. The method now described, Taking a length of glass tubing of a dia namely, hermetic scaling in a glass tube m eter suitable for the specimen, the operator along with a preservative, will, apart from procures a tube of the desired length (ay accident, erve to render the specimens five inches) by making with the file a tiny afe for all time. scra tch round t he circ umference of the tubina The pre ervative used is alcohol, which five inches from the end. The tubing can then be ea ·ily brok en where the scratch i , ha abundantly prmTed it. efficiency for t his purpo e: anatomical preparations, made leaving a clean edge. The bunsen burner as long ago as 150 years and preserved in is then adjusted till it burns with a blue flame, in which the short length of tube j alcohol, are still in good condition to-day. cautiously warmed until all moi ture ha The technique employed is familiar to been driven off. Next the t ube is heated chemists and mineralogists, but may be an inch or so from the end, and, wh en the new to ystematic zoologists. It can, how glass softens, it can be quickly drawn out ever, be readily mastered by anyone of to form a slcnd01· tl1eead-like tube. Snap ordinary intelligence and dexterity, and t he this and apply heat to melt the thread down nece ·sary materials are cheap and easily to t he base, t hen cool slowly ; the end of the procured. They comprise chiefly some soft tube is now scaled. glass tubing, not too thick-walled , a bunsen A la bel iH then prepared and pushed down burner, a three-cornered file, and some to the ua:-;c of t he tu be. 'l'he label is all rubber tubing to connect with the gas supply. impo rt data. preferably printed on Whatman's Heat the central zone of the neck and draw band-made paper. or IC'gibly writ ten with the open end away smartly. The thread Higgin 's water-proof ink. Cut a sma.ll like termination can now be run down to extension on the top of the label b~fo~e It a small globule of glass and the tubeis sealed . is pushed into t he tu be and bend this over F or convenience of handling pack each to prevent the specimen from slipping down t ube when sealed in a separate clear g la~ . to the end of t he tu be and concealing itself phial, or preferably in an '· unbreak_able behind the label. clear fused-silica test tube. If de 1red. a Examine and clean the specimen and slip wooden base can be made, and the pl~1a l it into the tube. With the flame turned or tube glued to this support, the end £ttmg down a little, again heat t he t ube two into a hole bored in the centre of the sul?p~rt. inches or less above t he specimen, and Any movement of the sealed tub.e ms ~de carefully draw the glass out, forming a long its container may be prevented by msert~ng thin neck (keeping the glass in t he flame each tapered end into ~ small _cork fittmg at first). The diameter of this neck should easily inside the. conta~er. Fill t~~ .c.on be about one thirty -second of an inch for tainer with liqmd to mcrease V1stbtlity, easy sealing. Allow the tube to cool, t hen cork it, and dip the cork into melted par~ffin pour some alcohol into the open end by wax or a solution of glue and turpent1?e. means of a pipette or small syringe. I t This cement can be prepared by ~oakmg will be noticed that the liquid will not pass four ounces of glue in water, meltmg by the narrow neck, but on gently warming heat, and stirring in one and a q u_arter ounce the sealed end (away from the flame) the enclosed air can be driven out and the of turpentine. K eep in a ~de -m~utb~d jar and dissolve for use by Jllliilersmg m alcohol will take its place. Repeat this operation until the tu be is filled up to the boiling water . narrow neck. If carried out with ordinary care tbi Next warm the open end of the tube until operation can be performed in perfect all moisture has di. appeared, taking care safety, though it must be remembered that to keep the open end away from the flame. alcohol is highly volatile and inflammable. Notes and News. )lr. Tom Iredale, C'onchoJogiRt, r eturned A fine Quccn!:-dand Groper (Prom icrops on lst June from a visit to Three I sles, Great lanc.eolatu.. s) is being added to the mu eum Barrier Reef, where he was assisting the mem collection a t hi MAGAZIXE goe to pre . It bers of the Great Barrier R eef Expedition i even feet two inches long, and weighed in zoological collecting and t he making of a 441 lbs. when fresh, and iR belie, ed to be the biological survey. large. t specimen of this species in any On Friday, June 28th, ~Ir. W. W. Thorpe, museum. We arc indebted to )Jessrs. G. Ethnologist, left 'ydney by t he .111 aheno on a K outali . and P. Marvis for this fish. which visit to New Zeala nd, where he will give was caught at 1\laclean, Clarence Ri,~c r , assistance and advice jn t he in tallation of the New Sout h Wales. An account of a maller ethnological collection in the n ew War Queensland Groper was giYen in an earlier Memorial Museum , Auckland. J~umbc t' of this l\fAGAZ.ThTE . 1 Both giant fishes were mounted by tbe Museum taxider On Apdl 18th Mr. W. W. T horpe lect ured mists, Messrs. H . S. Grant, J. H. Wright, and to the Maccabcan Li tcrary Institute on W . Barnes, by t he manikin method. and " Ancient J ~gy p t . " Lectures on the same coloured by Miss E. A. King. subject were given by Mr. Thorpe t o t he ~'cm ini s t ( ~ !11 h on ,J 11 rw J J th, and to the 1 •'ydney BuHh \Vhitloy, ''A Gia n t Jl' ish ,'' A USTRALIAN ).JusEUl£ Wnlkcn;' CJ11u on June 14th. M AO A Z l ~F:. \ ·ol. ii ., Xo. 10. 1926. 3 Quaint Creatures of a Coral Isle.* BY G. P. WHITLEY AN D w. BOARDMAN. HERE must be thousands of different forest, we waded to its source and noticed species of fishes in Queensland, and just in time, a stingray in the shallow wate; T one can collect a hundred different ::tmongst t he tangled roots. One more step kinds in a couple of months' stay on any and we might have trodden on it and been coral island in the Great Barrier Reef. At Low Isles the reefs teemed with fish life, whilst the mangrove forest supported a dis tinctive fauna. There pygmy garfishes made rings on the water surface as they floated like little sticks near the mangrove roots, grey ~ 'ilvcrsides swam in groups n ear the sandy bottom, cooting away as quick a lightning when di turbed, Goggle-eyed ~ran grove Fishes kipped acro the mud or A gaily orname n t e d Wobbego n g or Carpet Shark (O~ ec to l ob.us ~evi s i}, basking in a shallow coral pool. Thas specacs as h annless to man a nd grows to a le n gth of at least six feet. [Photo.-Melbourne Ward. ga ·bed by t he serrated spine on its tail. Erom a few pace.· thi. om bre-coloured Cat Shark ( Chiloscyllium ocellatum) . This s pecies, animal was indi!-;tinguishable from the muddv easily r ecognized by the large dark ocellus on tbe water ovcr. ·hadowed by t he tree:. Sub. shoulder, is very common on the Great Barrier Reef c and can easily be approached as it moves about in q uently we saw more of these rays and a blind fa s hion. [Photo.-Melbourne Ward. caught one ~or ~he :Museum, after taking its ph?tograph tn sttu. It proverl to be a species climbed mangrove roots, little Blue Eyes (H tmantura granulata) not hitherto known kept the water free from mosquito larvae, from Australia, and considered to bo rare. and Rock Cods were sometimes found curled We also caught a Spotted Cat Shark (C'hZ:lo inside empty clam shells. Once, following a scyllium ocellatum) about three feet long, creek which penetrated the dense mangrove amongst t he mangrove roots. Thi<> is a harmless species which is common on the • This is the third and concluding art icle on the Barrier Reef ; it gropes along the bottom in fauna of the Low Isles, North Queensland. shallow water in a half blind fashion seeking THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 367 its food , c:md i · easily recognised by the large enter t he a nemone's mouth. The accompany dark eye-spot on each shoulder. l t is some ing photograph, taken from life, shows the times called the Epaulette Shark. Another fish swimming amongst the tentacles of its harmless ornate shark is t he W obbegong or adopted host. THE JU MPING JOEY. On the rocky benches or coral debris ram parts of the Queensland reefs one i . urc to see a curious little fi sh of the blennv famih· skipping from stone to stone or· flopping int'o the water. T llis is the Jumping J oey. one of the many : pecies of Salarias, and i rcmini - cent of the Goggle-eyed Mud-1 kipper · or Walking Fishes of t he l\Iangroves, but the latter are cousins of the Gobies, and have very different ventral fin . A light-coloured Jumping Joey with. potted ·ide. wa ccmrnon at Low Isles, and was ea ily seen when hop· ping about, although when it lay till it exactl.v resembled its rocky surroundings in colour. Amongst the m a n g r oves almos t motionless sting r ays (Himantura gr a n ula ta), we r e s ome times seen . This species was n ot k nown f r om Aus t r alia until found a t Low Isles. The long t a il carries a ser rated s pine wh ich can inflic t an u g ly wou n d. [Photo.-Melbounw Ward. Carpet Shark ( Orectolobus devisi) . A photo graph of one of these which was taken in the Capricorn I. lands by Mr. Melbourne W ard, i, here reproduced. The photography of live fishes is not an easy matteT, and there is a woeful absence of such pictures in ichthyo logical literature. THE ANEMONE FISH. At Low Isles we frequ ently found brightly coloured shrimps ( P ericlimenes brev·icarpalis), and still brighter fishes (A ctinicola perctda) living amongst the stinging t entacles of the Giant Sea Anemone (Stoichactis). The :fish is bright red _with broad white bands bor dered with black and is not only immune to the stings of t he anemone but is unusually hardy for a reef fish a s well. W e kept one in a The Giant Sea Ane m one kills its prey by means of the s tings on its numerous tentacles, but a little s triped bottle for a couple of day .·, and watched it fish (Actinicola percula) is immune to its attack a nd can be seen in this picture swimming amongst swimming with its broad ventral fins ex the fronds of its host. tended all the time; we afterwards pla ced it [Photo.-W. Board man. near another anemone, and, after swimming about for some time a s if to get its bearings, Under water it rested with .littJe tentacle. the fish snuggled into the tentacles, gently erected over its eyes like antennae, and with waving its fi ns, or else sheltered in the folds its gills working rapidly- one might almost of its host, but we could n ot induce it to say that t he gill-openings twinkled. After a • 368 THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. few minutes' immobility, broken only by the two very strong_ broust fins : wo found it in places movements of the gills and synchronised t.hat were qu•Lo dr_v, whero wo supposou it might h ave ueon loft by tho t ide; but it rolling of the eyes, the fish suddenly skipped did not seem to have become languid bv the away so rapidly that it was soon lost to sight want of water, for upon our approa.ch it leaped.away in its new surroundings only a couple of by the help of the breast fins, as nimbly as a frog; feet away. The gills were not used when the neither indeed did it seem to prefer water to land for when we found it in the water it frequent!~ fish was out of water, and we noticed that leaped out and pursued its way upon dry ground. the colour varied from light olive almost to v'lle also observed that when it was in places where blackish, and that some specimens had a small stones were standing above the surface of the crest on the head. A flattened crab (Petro wate.t· at a little distance from each other, it chose rather to leap from stone to stone than to pass listhes) was found under stones in the same t hrough the water, and we saw several of them pass places as the Jumping Joey, and often entirely over puddles in this manner, till they came shed its claws as it escaped from us. to dry ground, and then leap away. THE KINGFISH. At Low I sles we studied living Walking Some fishermen who had damaged the Fish (P eriophthalmus argentilineatus), which propeller of their launch on coral had to put were common enough in certain parts of the in at Low Isles when we were there. They had mangrove forest. They walked about near twenty-six Kingfish or Barred Spanish the water's edge, jumping at any living thing .Mackerel (Scomberomorus commer.son) which or munching little mouthfuls of sandy mud, they had caught by trolling. These fishes which they later spat out or puffed through were about nine or ten pounds in weight when their rapidly-moving gills. Sometimes they cleaned, and were almost mature. The rolled on their sides as if to moisten the mem fishermen informed us that they come up branes of their dorsal fins, which were erected from the south in J une or July, increasing in like sails when, as often happened, two fishes numbers and size until about November, snapped at each other. These fins were when they spawn. They may be caught by usually laid down when the fishes walked or trailing a '' lily" or a piece of red or white swal? across a puddle with a wriggling rag behind a launch, until December, when motwn. On land, the tail fin was often they return to the south. The Kingfish bite carried tilted up at an angle, and the fish ferociously, and are often caught in numbers, " rowed " itself along with the pectoral fins, yet they do not stay long in one place, and obtaining a purchase with the ventrals or may not be encountered the day after a good true breast fins at each stroke ; a little catch has been made. The Kingfish of groove was left in t he mud as a trail caused Qlleensland is not related to the fishes called by the body of the fish. When disturbed, by that name in New South Wales or Vic the Walking Fishes skipped hurriedly out of toria. the way, but when they thought nobody was about they employed the motion which re THE WALKING FISH. sembled rowing. So much has been written abou t the won See~ from above, the living fish was oliva derful ·walking Fish that we hesitate to in ceous m tone, but on the sides were strongly flict still more upon our long-suffering readers, contrasted black and white marks· these not nevertheless, this goggle-eyed marvel has only se~ved to break up the outline' of the such a perennial interest for all who visit our Mud-sk1pper, but resembled sunlit granules tropical mangrove swamps, that it is impos of sandy mud such as were to be seen around sible to ignore it. The first account of an the fish. Australian specimen was given by Cook, and is thus described in Hawkesworth's Voy ages :- THE DEADLY STONEFISH. We were about to turn over a piece of coral (Tuesday, 29th May, 1770. Near Thirsty Sound [Queensland]). when something between it and a. gaping clam V\re found here also a small fish of a singular attracted our attention. We had to lool' at kind ; it was abut the size of a minnow, and had t he intrusion very closely before we realized , --THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 369 with an im·olnntary start of horror, that we in any way disturbed, and the result , repro were at Ja ~t confronted by a Stonefish duced as our frontispiece. i probably the only ( yn-mceja horrida). . \Ve tou~hed it moth picture so farpubli. hed of a living tonefH1 in a stick, and three poisonous spmes rose m situ. Carefully, very carefully, we netted the stantly, ami then only were we sure of the 1 tonefi.·h and carried it home at arm's evidence of our own eyes. and we gazed upon length ; it died in a bucket of ea water over the hideous fi sh with a feeling akin to admira night, and. is now preserved in the Au tralian tion. Here was a Yertebrate animal, a fish. a l\:Iuseum. I n life its head, body. and fin. were creature which should have darted away be coated with a brown or dark greenish ·lime. fore we came anywhere near it according to all the accepted laws of Nature, yet this Stonefish lay absolutely motionless ; it seemed part and parcel of t he k nobby coral or alga-coated stones in it s vicinity. Its kull-like head was distort ed into a series of bumps and hollows of a lemon yellow colom·, and pock-m&rked with grey, so that it was ex traordinarily lik e the yellowish madrepore. from which the forepart of it s body pro truded. The pine , too, were yellowish, with their inve. t ing kin puckered into frond. and frills which completely disguised their poi on bags and needle points. The eyes had tiny black pupils surrounded by a variegated iris who ·e very skin was pimplecl to look like weed, whilst the hinder parts of the body and the broad, thick, pectoral fin were in inuated under t he ledges of coral or the sides of the cla m , and were brownish , with yellow or reddish warts . The fish lay somewhat on one side, and its symmetry was imperceptible except about the bony parts of the head, but these so resembled coral nodules that t heir equilateral nature seemed all the more appropriate. The mout h was kept tightly shut, but we pushed it open The s ame S to nefish as illus trated in the frontis piece, with a piece of coral and saw that it wa b u t removed fr o m its surroundings to s how its shape and the po ison spines a long its back. white inside with blackish markings. [Photo.- n'. Board~nan. The immobility of the fish was uncanny . The Stonefish seemed as if conscious that its \Ve met a fisherman who had bad his poison . pines were a match for anything finger scratched by a stonefi.-h spine. He which should dare to flout its dignity. suiTered intense agony for fifteen bour. and urely, we thought, the creature must his finger became so sti1I that he could not breathe, and in breathing move its bony bend it, the p o i ~on seeming to affect the gill-covers, but here again for som e time we nerves rather than the blood. He felt at looked in vain for movement until we d is t imes as if someone v.·erc twi ting each of his covered a little aperture opening at intervals vertebrae, one after the other. right down the of about four seconds to eject a current of spine, and was unable to obtain relief from water. Molluscs crawled over the Stonefish's d octors or h crbal i ~ t s . At times the pain was rock-like head and so did one or two prawns; so intense that only the thought of his wife some of them even walked over the fish 's and fa mily restrained him h·om committinu mouth, and we were quite disappointed when suicide. ~v e ntually he recoT"ered. but case~ it did not gobble them up. of death from stonefish poisoning are by 'J'h espccimcn was ph otographed before being no means uncommon. :370 THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZlNE. ------ SOlVIE OF THE CRABS. . The tropic night has a peculiar charm and ., : ... fasci?ation. A light surf softly heaves and .. subs1des on the beach, the agitation of the water often stin:mlati1:g. th~ minute pho _ phorescent orgamsms livmg m it so that the breaking waves become charged with small scintillating flashes of light. It i1:) then that the beach community really awakens and the .• principal inhabitant, a crab ( Ocypdda ce?·at • .I ophthalma.) ventures forth in numbers all •I -! • busily scouring the sand for food . In ~on sideration of their agility one writer has called them Swift Sand-crabs, and has com A Swift. Sand-Cr ab's butTOW, built in the sand well a b ~.ve h1gb wate~ mark. Note the p ile of sand ejected pared them to IC foam blown before the selection. For countless genera.tions a sifting process has been in continual action, only the better camouflaged indh'idua.l of ·a species living to carry on the race, so that ultimately a perfection in the art ha: been attained which at once amaze. and delights the beholder. I n a previous article a sea cucumber was noted which im~e. ted it elf with a film of sand to avoid the prying eyes of enemies. A sea-. tar liYing on the Low Isles flat ha. the same or a : imilar habit as it is u ·ually found silted up in the sa nd. Apparently wh en the tide is receding the sea-::;tar works its way into the surface and a shallow deposit of silt is moothcd oYer its form. Thus well hidden it a wait.' the An anomaly of the c rustacean world, this w eird crab (Parthenope p e lagica) lives in the m eadows of sea retnrn of the water and then. dragging itRclf gt·ass. from its resting place and . till bearing it · [Photo.-W. Boardmcm. covering, it commences to IDO\'C slowly a way. Probably the water wldch o readily invested to be handled roughly and never by so much it just as readily 'vashe.' the sand from it. a a tremor give indication of the life pulsat back, but the Teal danger period, when it ing through them. The individuals photo might have been obsen·ecl by the sharp graphed remained dormant for some minutes eye of some one of the numerous wading on the hand, the heat of which probably made them restless before they would norm ally have commenced to move. Yet another weird little cra b (Parthenope pelagica) was discovered living in t he sea gra-ss meadows on the flat adjacent to the mangroves. This anomaly of the crustacean world has a small body supported by four pairs of slender legs but the arms, bearing at their extremity a rather delicate nipper, are seemingly ridiculously large and cum her some. The crab's progress, as might l> e surmised, is slow and ungainly, aR t he sea grass often forms a considerable impedi ment to its movement. The surface of the body is pitted and scored and it has been suggested that this is to facilitate an accu mulation of silt on the back, which would serve in no small me:1sure to ca1nouflagc the creature ; whether o r no thi.· is so we were unable to determine. TWO CAMOUFLAGE EXPERTS. The observation and study of camoufl.agc tricks and protective devices genera11 y in nature is always fascinating. Not granting ~owly marine organisms t h e posReRsion of Blades o f sea g•·ass are cunningly used as camou· fl age by this sea urchin (Tripneustes gratilla). The Intelligence, we can only b elieve that their uppe t· specimen has also pressed a couple of man· j grove leaves into service; the lower one has been habits and instincts n t his direction are t he divested of most of its covering. product of ruthless and vigoro 11 s na t nral [Photo.-W. Boardmn.n. •)""'·) oJI- THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. birds frequ enting t he flat and reef at low the mangrove roots. Hermit crabs bcar·ing water, has been safel_v passed OYer. t heir shelly home lumbered heavil y t,hrough A sea urchin (Tripneustes gratilla) cun t he weed and small shoals of startled fish ningly uses as a disguise t he sea grass darted hither and thither. Was ever a stage among which it liYes. Lying among the set to induce such a sense of eericncss and weed, an unusual arrangement of detached mystery 1 As we entered further and further blades, formed into a regt1lar ball-like mass, into the heart of the swamp the avenues prompts further iJwestigation, and examina gradually narrowed, till soon we walked in tion quickly reveals t he urchin in its well shady arbours ~ith the sun's rays filtering fi tting dress. The animal is about three through the lattice of branches and leaves inches in diameter and is covered with short above, to be reflected as a lace of light on ·pine . the body and ~pines being marked the still water. with alternate sectors of orange and brown. Naturally the life existing in a mangrove 'rhc weed is held in place by numerous tube swamp is strictly limited, as few creatures feet, which are slender contractile tubes are able to defy successfully the disadvant protruding through the shell or test, each ages of a mud habitat. The mangrove one ha,·ing a sucker at its extremity. The whelk (Pyrazus palustris) is a large mollusc, system of tube feet is controlled by water some three or four inches in length, which pressure so that the hold of the suckers can is very plentiful and usually lives on the be rclinqui bed voluntarily. When the surface of the mud between the mangrove animal is handled and taken from the water roots . It is essentially a vegetarian feeder the tubes are withdrawn and the camouflage and seems to relish the mangrove seeds, falls away. numbers of which were seen lying about. These seeds are spindle-shaped , commonly THE MAJ'GRO\ 'E ISLE. about a foot in length, and hang among the leaves till ripe, when they fall onto the The larger of the two Low Isles is about mud or water below. As manv as a dozen three quarters of a mile long and . omewhat or more whelks were often seen clustered less than half that distance across it · greatest round a fallen :eed on ·whi ch they were width , den. eh· covered with a growth of tr:opical mangroves (main l.v Rhizophora mucrona la1 ). individuals of which in the hea rt of the fore. t ea:ilv exceed forty feet in he ight~ Thi · mangrove area wa.· to us a never-ending :ource of wonder. Entrance wa :-5 effected through wide openings between the tree: of the outskirts leading to a v enues thickly carpeted with :ea gra::;::>, which muffl ed the squelch of bea vy boots a: we progre :eel . The silence of the p lace had an almost opprcssi ,.equality. being broken only by the di ·tant rumble of the ~ urf , the wild call of some brightly coloured kingfisher , or a mysterious sharp click from the shadows of 1See also Musgra,•e. A liS'I'R.-\ LTAX l\h:sF.t' :.l :MAGA7.1.'\E. Yo l. liT., X o. The mangrove whe lk (Pyr·a-zu s palus h ·is ), whic h occur·s in gr·cat 9, p. a1s. numbe r· s on the s urface o£ the mud b e tween the m a n g r·ovc r·oots. ll'hvtu. 11'. flc)(ltdmrllt. THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZI NE. 373 ------J bu. il y feeding. There is an othel: ma.ngrove whelk (Teles- copiwn Iel e8copiu m) equally ' i plentiful, which a.lso attains a IengtJ1 of three inches or more. In the open hallow waters of the swa.mp a species of swimming crab ( Thalam.ita C1'e nata) was often observed. The swjmming crabs have the last pair of walking legs m odified to serve as paddles by which they are able to move t hrough the water with extraordina.ry rapidity. Many of the species use their swimming powers t o the full and are frequently captured in the slu'face waters of the sea, but we were able to observe Thalamita crenata onlv as they half ran, half A gregar ious w inkle (Planaxis sulcatus), which lives on the exposed sw;m. over the bottom. Scared face o f t he outcroppin g beach rock un protected a gains t the fierce rays of the sun. by our approach ~ they would [P hoto.- W. Boardman. ntpidly retil'e with a side- . wise dart, the forward nipper folded agamst defence as though determined to Rell life the body, the binder trailing behind as dearly. though prepared to repel any attack from The ea te.rn side of the mangroYe area is the rear. Though shy, surprising courage somewhat higher than the remainder owing i di played when it is cornered, and t his to deposits of coral shingle fo rced amon~ pretty green crab will square the body to t he trees by the heavy weather experienced face an opponent, at the same time ele on the Queensland coa t. This . hingle vating gaping nippers in an attitude of bank, much of it above high water le\'el and with the other part. only covered a~ the highest tides, wa the . itc of a number .of large deep bmTo,,·s. The The giant mang r ove swimming crab (Scylla serrata), ~; e tht tne large burrows e x cavated in coral shingle which may measure seven inches across the body. It c mang rove s wimming crab (Scylla serr ata). is esteemed as an article of foot. [Photo.-w. Boct1'dnta?1. [ Photo.-T. C. Rou,ghleJJ. 374 TH1D AUS'r l{,AL lAN M UR I ~U M MAUAZTNK burrows were in some cases nearly a foot North Queensland, hunt for t hem with apcal's across but no sign of occupancy could in the shallows, where great numbers arc be observed, so that for some time the caught and used for food. identity of the bunower remained a mystery. Subsequently the work was A HARDY BEACH WrNKLE. credited to the Giant Mangrove Swimming Crab (Scylla sen·ata). Examples of this Huddled together in dense patches a small crab measure as much as seven inches gregarious wiifkle (Planaxis s~tlcatus) lives across the body ; the larger nipper is a on the exposed face of the conglomerate formidable weapon five inches or so long. outcrops on the beach. These outcrops are The species is widely distributed through the submerged only at high water, so that Indian and Pacific Oceans and is invariably necessarily the shells are for long periods found within the confines of a mangrove unprotected against the merciless rays of the swamp. Not infrequently the crab is cap tropic sun. vVh en picked off the rock the tured a far south as Port Jackson and is animal retracts within the shell, at the same occasionally displayed fol' sale by local fish time causing water to ooze from the mouth, mongers. The late A. R . McCulloch relates the water undoubtedly serving tc keep the how the natives in the vicinity of Cooktown, body moist till the ret urn of the tide. Notes and News. On May 6th, Mr. A. A. Livingstone, Assis During .the dinner hour on Wednesday, tant in the department of lower inver tebrates, J une 19th, Mr. J. R. IGnghorn, department of left Sydney for Darwin, where he joined herpetology and ornithology, gave a short Dr. H. Lyman Clark, of the Museum of lecture on venomous snakes to members of Comparative Zoology, Harvard College, the Public Medical Officers' Association . Ma s., U.S. America. Dr. Clark proposes He described the methods used in the identi· to inve, tiga te the marine life of the North fication of snakes, their interrelations, the and North-West Coast of Australia from toxicity of their venoms, and the first aid Darwin round to Broome, paying particular treatment commonly in use. This was fol attention to the Echinoderms, on which lowed by a general discussion on the medical group be is a wOTld's authol'ity. This treatment of snake-bite, and particularly stretch of the Australian coast is: sparsely the use of antivenine. It was recognised populated, and has received but little atten that a first essential in tbe use of antivenine tion h orn collectors and scientific investi is the prompt identification of the species gators. Dr. Clark, with the assistance of Mr. inflicting the bite. Livingstone, intends to make a general sur~ vey of marine life, and it is expected that the On Thursday night, 23rd l\1ay, lVIr. J. ~· expedition ~will result in large and valuable Kinghorn lectut'ed to the teachers a.nd clul zoological collections, and a notable increase dren of the Burnside Presbyterian Orpha~. ' in our knowledge of the animal life of this Home. The subject was ''A Ramble w1th part of Australia. Natnre," and mammals, birch;, reptiles aod Part of the expenses of the Expedition is sea-shore arrimals were dca.lli with. 'l'ho being met by a grant from the Australian audience nu m berccl a.bou L 4!50, and wn.s most National Research Council. attenuivc and a pprccia.t,ivc. THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. - 375 The Bird Man. BY T oM !REDALE. FEW years before the day aeronautics Attached to the Zoological Society was dawned there lived a man who desired a m useum, and Gould prepared the subjects, A to go down to posterity simply as the as, according to the custom, every object " Bird Man. " In his case he intended the that came into the museum had to be set name to be used in commemoration of his up and cased, named and labelled . The intense love of birds, not in connection with the age of flight. Such a wish was expressed by J ohn Gould (1804-1881), one of the greatest pioneers of publicity who ever visited Australia's shores. H e was born in the country in England, where most that the general public knew of Australia was summed up in the words " Botany Bay." Gould lived to see this country one of the best known and respected of nations, to which result his work paved a way. Just about one hundred years ago, a young man, a country gardener 's son, moved to London to follow his occupation in the employ of one of the aristocracy. There also he pursued his hobby, the stuffing of birds, a strange one for an unlearned man to choose, but great was the skill in his fingers. A man of few words and careless of future fame, Gould never troubled to explain how his love of birds was born , so that his secret died with him. All that is known is that his work in the taxidermy of birds attracted the attention of his em ployer, who, as was the wont in those days, at once took an interest in this novel work man. Gould's skill in setting up his trophies ~as brought to the notice of those able to John Gould a t the aee of 71. Judge and his ability was recognised. Just [Photo.-Matdl att4 Fox. about this time the Zoological Society of London was formed, and the now very lack of names troubled Gould. and he applied famous Zoological Gardens in R egent's to Vigors, who was the ecretary of the P~rk began. Gould's patron secured for Society, and the foremost ornithologist in lus protege the post of assistant, and probably England, for advice. A large series of birds Gould then imagined that the height of h is then arrived from the Himalayan )Iountains, ambition had been reached. H e courted and Gould pointed out that all these were and married a K entish lass, and this marriage undescribed species, at the same time in Was the foundation of Gould 's great fame. dicating that they would make fine pictures. It is quite probable that at that time Gould M t·s. Gould was a natural painter, and had had no great ambitions, but he was cx painted ome botanical pictures which \''igors traoi'(Unarily cnergct.i c and very persevering. had seen and he immediately seized a great 376 THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZlNE. Thus the fort une of G-ou ld began through the vagaries of a clever and erratic :cicntist. The paintings created a furore and made h istory in t hat they have never been excelled. Gould's energy may be gauged by the fact that the. erie: of paintings, eighty in number, were prepared and issued before the few lines of description written by Vigors appeared in print. 'o successful was the Issue. of this work that w ith the money accrmng t hereh om Goulcl attempted a most ambitious work nothin e~pens~ and the peril::; involved would have on'rn·e1ghcd man.v times the probable re sults sa,~e to an enthu ·iast endowed 'th e~traordma ry .optimisrn. All his for:ne was boun~J up m t he s uece s~ of the scheme and tha~ 1' why, though Gould .fi The Rock~ Warbler. BY IC A . HINDWOOD. R.A.O.U. M:ONG the many notable birds inhabit A geological map of New South \Vales ing New South Wales, the Rock W arb shows the occurrence of sandstone and A]er, Origrna ntb·ricata, retains an eminent limestone formations extending westwardly place ; its remarkable nesting habits and from Newcastle to Mudgee, thence in a restricted distribution mark it as a ·rara avis southerly direction along the western slopes indeed. The relation of this distinctive of the Blue Mountains, gradually con bird to its environment is so close that verging on the coast line at a point some unhesitatingly one considers it as con what below Nowra. As no suitable nest temporary with the oldest existing forms ing country exists outside this area any of the Australian fauna. To many bush lovers it is known as the " Rock Robin " ; few of our birds are more aptly named, for bodily it resembles the true robins, Muscicapidae, and in coloration the age old weather-worn sandstone boulders that form its true habitat. Scarcely six inches in length, it is blackish -brown above, russet beneath, with a throat flecked with grey. urely Nature has here given life to stone, and Mother Earth has not a more faithful offspring than the Rock Warbler, for rarely does it perch in trees . T.IIE TERRITORY OF THE ROCK WARBLER. The range of birds is mainly controlled by the food values of different types of country, and it is seldom that a particular geological formation inexorably confines a bird to a limited area. I t is in this direction, however, that we shall seek the explanation of an interesting ecological problem. A characteristic of exposed sandstone is t~e peculiar way in which it is fretted by wmd and weather, forming deep though not extensive caverns. In s uch situations the Rock Warbler builds its wonderful pendant nest. Sometimes through subsidence s uit able rock shelters are formed, whilst the formation of limestone caves by water filtration affords favorable nesting sites for this unique birJ. A consequence of the peculiar nesting habit of the Rock Warbler Ne~t o~ t~ e Rock Warbler, showing the method by 1~ that it can breed only in sandstone or whtch 1t !S attached to the ceiling of the cave. Its occupant IS a young bird, open-mouthed in anticipa- limestone country7 and consequently it is tion of food. not found elsewhere. [Flashlight Photo.-K. A. Hirnltoood. 3 0 THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZI NE. Rock Warbler (Origma rubricata). From Lewin's "Birds of New South Wales," 18 13, Sydn ey. THE AUSTRALIAN MUSE U M MAGAZINE. 381 A typica l haunt of the Roc k Warble r- Upper Middle Harbou r, Syd ney. T he entrance to the nesting e a v e is s lig htly to left of cross. (Photo.-K. 11. l-Jindwood. extension of the range of the Rock Warbler does not seem possible . The stronghold of the species appears to be the broken and precipitous country surrounding the W ianamatta Shale beds . Its favourite haunts are rocky hillsides contiguous to water and mountainous country, preferably covered with an open Wtanamatta Shales growth of big timber, though somewhat or Sydney Basin barren in aspect and devoid of excessive New South underscrub. The W ianamatta Shale of W ales the Sydney basin occupies a depressed area consisting of undulating country with scant, forest gwwths ; it is oval in shape and extends from Sydney westward to the footholds of the Dividing Range, \ _ Distnbutton of thd ~ ; '~ north to Richmond and south to Picton. Rock Warbler I "-" For apparent reasons it is forbidden territory to the Rock Warbler. 382 THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. THE ROCK WARBLER'S NEST. asunder. Not always does the Rock Warh. ler resort to natural caves to nest ; here The nest of Origma presents an outstanding again it shows exceptional adaptability. example of bird architecture. The method Desirable situations are by no means com by which, under natural conditions, it mon, hence there arc records of many unusual attache. it globular home to the ceiling nesting sites. J. C. Wiburd, 1 'uperintendent of a rock shelter or cave is full of interest. of Caves, and a lover of bird life, has kindly When commencing to build, usually early sent me the following notes from J enolan: in spring, the birds se1ect a small protruding " ... to get the foundation of their nest ledge, showing preference for positions that on the point of a stalactite or from a crevice afford a measure of protection both from in the roof, they do their work upside down ... natural enemies and from the rigours of the .. a pail' built over the dynamo in the engine elements, whilst dismal situations almost shed here, and would rest on the engineer entireJy devoid of light are favoured. and eat from his hand .... one pair built their nest in the carpenter's shop, suspended Collecting silky spider's web of a glutinous from a whitewash brush." nature, they affix it to the rock with their bills. This mass of silken cords, which Personally I have known these charming j de tined to support the nest , appears and trustful birds to hang their nest from a to be covered with aliva where it joins the broken ceiling board in a cottage at Fisher rock ; moreover it is apparent that the man's Point, H awkesbury River, and al o weight of the nest is not borne directly by from a lamp bracket in an old stone house the u::;pen ory material but is broken at at Rosevme. An unusual instance is re the angle where it overlaps the ledge ; thus corded of a pair of Rock Warblers success· is its holding ·trength greatly increased. fully nesting in an occupied tent at Fresh This foundation extends downwards for water, near Sydney. They attached their two or three inches, after which the main nest to a hanging rope end ; this means of structure of root fibre , moss bark shreds suspending the nest is often used and must and gra. s is gradually built ' in. The ex-' eliminate much t hat is arduous in nidification terior of the nest is invariably covered with under natural conditions. The t hree eggs moss and the webs and egg bags of spiders, which constitute a clutch are laid on con the interior being compo. ·ed mostly of grass. secutive days ; their colour is pearly white The nesting cavity i · not made until the and they possess a slight sheen. When ne. t is alrno ·t completed, when it is lined incubation is well advanced they become with fin e gras . talks, hreds of bark, the dull. The duration of incubation ,rarie seed ea. es of 1 cotch thistles or feathers. slightly, but it is generally twenty-three An aYerage ne. t measures about ten inches days, whilst a . imilar period elapses before in length and not above five inches in the young bird leave the nest. The nesting diameter at its wide t part. It will be season extends from early in August to readily understood that the spider 's web November or December , and. should con could not ::;upport any considerable weight, dition be favourable, two broods are reared, o with commcndahJe economy the Rock though I have never kno"vn these birds to ~YarbJcr utilizelj materials that are dry and undertake the responsibj]ity of a second hght ancl which knit moderately well, family in the same year in the neighbourhood though a vigorous l-i hake will destroy a of Sydney. delightfully sheltered home that has taken pm·hap · two or even four weeks to construct. CALL NOTES AND HABITS. Both sexc arc occ upied in the building of the nest , and after they have reared their The melancholy call notes of the Rock offspring they close the entrance to their Warbler seem to express its soJita.ry nature. home ; thii' seems to indicate intelligent The call most frequently used can be likenrd thought, for if undisturbed they will return to "good-bye " ; Another note somcti n1 cs to their old home site year after year, though uttered is a ~ u ccess i on of rasping though seldom doe. the nest remain intact, for slightly liquid not('R. Seldom does onr during the winter months it generally falls observe more than a pair or family of birds THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 383 , An enemy of the Rock Warbler, the Water D ragon (Physignathus lesueri). [Photo.- K. A. Flindwood. in the same locality. Even early Australian In moving over the ground the Rock ornithologist. , in naming the Rock Warbler , W arbler restlessly flit from boulder to were influenced by this t rait. L ewin states boulder ; indeed it is never still, as it explores " inhabits rocks . Frequents caverns ln crevices and cavities in search of small accessible to mankind, and deep rocky insects and spider. . Occa ionally a bird gullies, creeping in the cavities and chasms . will hover in the air and secure an insect This is a shy and wary bird ; its note js from beneath a jutting rock, also it will .harp and shrill. Does n ot migrate."* enter under low , helving rocks, where, becau ·e of the confined space, it is unable *Birds of New South Wo7es. I mp. 4to., 18 pp., to hop ; it then creeps about keeping its I pi., J . W. Lewin, Sydney, 1813. A rare and interesting book, representing the early efforts body low down in the attitude of a rodent. ~f. printing and engraving in Australia ; actually Often a bird will fly to the uromit of a boul 1t 1s a re-issue of Lcwin's Birds of New Holland, der, utter a few notes and then, uddenly. 1808 (the rarest book dealing with Australian. will seemingly falJ backwards and. as though birds), the letterpl'ess for which was set up and the book published in London, t hough the plates wer·e drawn by some magnetic force, will alight engraved and coloured by the a uthor in Sydney. on the vertical face of the same or a nearby The earliest examples of engravin g ever done in rock. One commonly ee Origma hopping the Colony were drawn and engraved by Lewin over the upright faces of cliffs with the during the years 1803-4, and appea1·ed in A. Natural FJ isto?y of the Lepidopte1·ou.s Insects of greatest ease. :\'ew South Wale.s , 18 plates and text, published m London in 1805. IT FOE . Another edition of Lewin's B i1-cl.s of New Sotttlt Wales was issued in 1822, and, later. a reprint The Rock V\Tarbler has many enemies, ?f .this edition appeared, t ho date on ~ho Litle page foremost among them, perhaps, being the >emg 1822, the rm.por, howovoi·, boai·1ng the water 1nark of t.he yoal' J 875. voracious Goanna (Varanus varius). It is 384 THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. an easy matter for these detestable reptiles commonly than is supposed. Fortunately to rob a low-lying nest of either eggs or Rock WarblerR are not uncomru0n a few young. The late A. J. North records having miles from Sydney; a keen observer will seen a large Water Dragon (Phys i gnath~ts always find them at Middle Harbour and lesueri) feasting on the eggs from a Rock Port Hacking. A study of their habits Warbler's nest. Despite the fact that nests will give the naturalist a fuller understand are usually well hidden the Fan-tailed Cuckoo ing of life, for there is at least one (Cacornantis flabell'ljorm is) has developed a philosophic moral we can well consider penchant for the Rock Warbler as a foster from this sprite of the sandstone, namely parent, and foists its eggs upon Origma more harmony with environment. ,1: Notes and News. The Britigh Great Barrier Reef Expedition, collected at Three I sles showed scarcely half having completed an ecological survey of Low a dozen ldnds different from those previou ·ly Island, the coral reef upon which they were secured at Low I sland. Through bad weathel', stationed, determined to make rapid surveys shelter had t.o be sought behind Cape Bed of other reefs for comparison, and Three Isles, ford , and collections were there made, which one hundred miles north of Low Island, are of great interest as showing the great was one of those selected. Mr. Iredale, of difference between the mollusca.n fauna of our staff, was invited to accompany the party, mainland littoral and that of the coral reefs as he had already investigated the mol adjacent . luscan ecology of Low Island last year, a.nd of lVlichaelmas Reef three years ago. 'Mr. Amongst recent visitors to the Australian Iredale left Sydney on April 24th and arrived Museum was Mr. Henry Weed Fowler of back on May 31st. The fauna and flora of the Academy of Natm·al Scjences, Philadel Three Isles were quickly surveyed and were phia, who was returning from the Pa.n found to agree in great detail with those of Pacific Science Congress in Java. He was Low Island, while the formation of the reef must interested in our fish collections and was found to be essentially the same. A has proposed an exchange of Hawaiian and series of over five hundred species of molluscs Melanesian fishes for Australian species. THE AUSTRALIAN l\I USEUM MAGAZINE. 3 5 Microscopic Mites of the Sea. BY ARTHUR A. LIVINOSTONE. HE micro ·copic world of animals is be made up of a number of minute cells and perhaps looked upon by m an y as a such i commonly termed a colonv. Drift T my terious region, unexplored, and weed is particularly suited for th~ growth open only to tho ~e surrounded by glass phials of some types of colonie ·, and after torms and slides, eo. tly apparatu::; and shelves of when the sea-shores are dotted with weed.' leather-bound volumes. Nothing, however, is dragged from their moorings, is without farther from the trnth. To t hose who foster don bt the most profitable time to explore a desire to look into t his fascinating side of for sea-mats. On the roots of nearly every Nature nothing is necessary but an ordinary specimen of t he brown-leaved kelp ( Eklonia low-powered microscope which is sufficient 'tadiata var. exasz)etala) found on the heach to enable the enthusiast to indulge in a pas there will occur glistening white patche , or time not onl y intcre. tinrr but instructive a nd dull yellow nodular growths of ea mat which useful. ~ can be easily removed with the point of a knife. 1\Io t ·pecimen. of ea-mat can be examined quite well without treatment, but there are some, particularly dark yello\v kind , which n eed to be burnt O\er a blue ga flame until they turn white before a clear view of them can be obtained. If placed upon black card board, preferably gummed, the colony will present no di ffic ulty o far as examination j., concerned, but a good light i nece. ary to gain t he bc:t re ·nlts. IIABJT.S A ro GE~ERAL DE ' CRIPTIO~. The young ~·ea- mat , after it. earl.'· em b ryonic and free-swimming pha e, sett}('-; on some s u bmcrgecl object in the form of a .·inglc cell or chamber. A time goe:, on Rt tepora hirsuta. This and a llie d s p ecies of sea lace other crll:-; of a similar kind are formed from abound in the wa ters off our coast, a n d colonies are thi:; primary or original cell and become often to be found wash ed up on b each es after heavy storms. This particular type a dmirably illustrates cemented together side by .idc in an amazinj! the lacy appearance of the colo n y. ly regular manner. Each cell a it form" [ Photo.-G. C. Glutton. a l ·o develop.' an animal. and when the cell or The field is un]imite habit, either single or double layered ; some this hole is covered when t he coJony ia re. are loosely attached to the undersurface of moved from the water, but its position can rocks by means of tube-like rootlets, while be determined by the little chitinous lid others grow tuft-like and resemble strings of which lies over it when the animal is totally semi-transparent beads. Some of the erect within its chamber. Owing to the t hickness and density of the ch amber or cell in the chalk-like calcareous forms, the contained animal is never seen in its entirety. If a living colony, however, is placed in a small dish and covered with sea. water the tentacles at least will be seen to issue slowly from the special aperture at one end of the cell, then with lightning-like rapidity vanish again into the depths of the chamber when the animal is disturbed. The Sea Flowers are the best types for ex. am i ~:.:ation when a full view of the animal in situ is desired . These can always be found in considerable abunda nce attached to wharf piles or such like submerged structures, where Sea Flower (Scuticella margaritacea) . The species de pic ted is of the weed-like variety. Microscopical examination s hows the colony to be made u p of flex ible bead-like branches, the beads , so to s peak, being the cells in which the animals live. [ P ho to.-G. C. Glutton . and branching types present such a delicate formation in their mode of growth tha t they hav~ earned for themselves the particularly applicable name of lace-coral, while others, composed of a chitinous material, are called sea-flowers, on account of their plant-like external appearance. In most kinds t he cells present upon examination a magnificently sculptured sur face, and, as the cells are all the ·ame in ap pearance, the whole field of vision reminds one of some beautifully designed art carp€t . Other colonies are composed of bundles of small delicate tubes of a fTosted white or slightly tinted hue, with a diamond-like glistening urface, which in many species is responsible for a picture of handsome micro scopic ornament. In the prevalent types the cell is like a rectangular box with four sides, a top, and Sea M ats (Ge phyrophora bitunita, and Membr_an~ a bottom. In the top or front wall of each cell pora membranacea). The f o•·m e r s p ecies is •·ecogm<:e by its habit of form in g h·r e gulal'ly c it·cula•· colorued there occurs at one end a small hole or aper ~n weed, while the Ja t te•· u s u.ally e n c•·usts_ a ~f'e a •n s u c h a m anner as t o clothe •t a lmos t entn·el)' Ill ture varying somewhat in shape in the dif cluste!"ing white m a ntle. Both t he s pecies are c olll~ ferent families, and through which the animal mon •n Port J ack son, and, as s h own he•·e, a •·e orte can thrust its feeding apparatus. Usually found g •·owing together . l P holo. - (;, ('. ('/ rtft011· THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 3 7 they appear like weeds swaying to and fro at special cells, differing considerably from those the will of the currents and eddies. A small comprising the colony, will be seen even with branched fragment of such a form when the naked eye, superimposed upon their placed in water under the microscope will be brethren in such a manner as to give the en found to possess almost t ransparent cells, tire mass a conspicuously nodulated appear through which the contained animal can be ance. When examined microscopically this detected and watched with ease. Firstly, it is second type of cell, or ooecium, will be seen the conspicuous " U " shaped alimentary to be usually dome-shaped and situated im canal or digestive system which attracts mediately above the aperture of the ordinary attention, and at one end will be seen the cell, or zooecium, as it is called. In such a circlet of tentacles surrounding the mouth position the ooecium naturally encroaches opening. This end is capable of being thrust upon the front wall of the zooecium _situated out through the small aperture in the front immediately in front of the one wluch gave wall to the exterior, where food is attracted rise to the dome-shave protection to t he inmate1 as do the doors on houses and the flap at the entrance to the Fene$trulina malusii. This species of sea mat, may be found either encrusting rocks or forming fla t and burrow of the trap-door spider. Usually free leaf-like colonies. This photo-micrograph shows the mu_ cular ·ystem operating the lid or oper the externa l appearance of the colony as it would a ppear under the microscope. The largest holes are culum IS very elaborate, especially in many of the cell apert ures through which the aoimaJs of the colony communicate with the exterior. The globular the. calcareous types, where it can be quite cells s ituated on top of the zooecia are the ooecia, in ~a ily ~een when the operculum is lifted with which the embryos undergo a stage of their develop· men t. he pomt of a needle, or t he bottom or basal [Photo.-G. C. Clutton. wall broken or ground away. f Little bristle-_1ike sp~n~s are very often female elements, sperms and ova respectively, ound arranged 111 a semi-Ci rc ul ar row around arc developed by the one animal and are the outside of t he cell apertu r·e and the pres 1 1 sometimes to be found on the funiculus, a ence of such structures, it is assumed gives contractile cord connecting the base of the ~rotect~o n ~o the tentacles when protruded, '' U "-shaped alimentary canal to one of the f n~.ass 1 sts m keeping sand-grains and such 1 cell wall s. When the " eggs " or ova are fer· c~~f gn matter from acciden tally entering the tiliscd they are transferred to the dome shaped cell or ooeeium referred to above to In many colonies found a r·ou nd our shores undergo segmentation and development until 388 THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. they are old enough to be discharged into the which houses and protects the delicate surrounding sea water. ·when liberated the muscles which operate the mandible. embryo is ciliated and capable of swimming Sometimes the avicularium is erect and free from place to place, but :finally settles down and not embedded in t he frontwall ofthecell ' and develops as described in the earlier pages and such types occur most ly among the of this article. branched and weed-like Bryozoans. One particular species, well known to many on In a vast number of species there are struc account of its peculiar avicularia, possesses tures called avicularia, which vary con these curious avicularia in t he form of a bird's siderably in shape and size, and are usually head. The opening and shutting of the man. external in position. In some species they dible is remarkably like the operation of a are moderately chitinised triangular appen bird's beak, and for this reason the form is dages divisible into two sections, the mandible known popularly as the Bird's Head Coral. line. This species ( B ugula avicularia) is not and the mandibular or avicularian cavity. only remarkable in appearance but ex The mandible is usually chitinous, and is cap tremely common in the waters of Port J ack. able of an up and down movement brought son, and, b eing one of the transparent kind, about by a muscle system lodged within the lends itself admirably to the study of the mandibular cavity. The cavity itself is of animal in detail. Like the other types the the same shape as the mandible, whether mandible of B ugula avicularia is operated triangular, semi-circular, or spoon-shaped. by a system of muscles, and to see the work. Within the slight, or sometimes deep depres ing of these fan-like muscles in living material sion, which conforms in shape to the man is well worth the time spent on preliminary dible, is an opening leading to a special cell work. Review. The Pap ~tan Villager, Vol. I., No. l. " This paper is for the people of Papua. 15th February, 1929. Price 3d. Depart I t is not for the white men (they have a ment of the Government Secretary, Port paper of t heir own). It is for the brown men, Moresby , Papua. and it will tell you about the things that His Excellency, Sir Hubert Murray, belong to you. I t is called The Papuan Lieutenant-Governor of Papua, has done Village?' because it tells about the Papuans much during his term towards the enbghten and the things they do in their villages." ing of the Papuans, and, we feel sure, with a "We want Papuans to help t o write their considerable degree of success. :Measures own paper. vVe want them to write 'ar have been t aken for their protection and ticles.' An article may be one of yom old education and to make them self reliant and time stories ; or it may t ell about some o£ self supporting, a policy which has placed t his your village fashions ; or it may tell about administration in t he foreft-ont of those something you have done in the vill age. or directing primitive peoples. on the Government station, or at t he 1\{is::,; ion, The most recent activity in tbis dil'ection or on the plantation." is a pictorial monthly journal, The Pap~tan Villager, 0dited by Mi:. F. E . Williams, the The issue under notice, the first, contains well-lmvwn anthropologist , the first number an article by Nansen K ., a native clerk in of which was issued last February . The t he Magistrate's Office at Rigo, on dugong object of tbis journal j. to provide the natives catching. The other artic les comprisC', "vith a paper of their own , and p erhaps the amo~gst othm· things, legeuds, n. ouo unt~ of best description we can given of it is that tradmQ: operatiom; tcchnolocr n.nd genera l .._, l ~. ' '" a1forded by the following extracts from its news items. Tha.t th0 I' illay< r will b( columns. successful. there can uc liLl l<> doubt.. THE AUSTRALIAN lVIUSEUM MAGAZINE. --- 3 9 Teeth of Mammals. BY C. A~DERSO~ , M.A., D. 'c. EETH are important and interesting The teeth of vertebrates. then. are es ·cn structures on account of their useful T t~a lly dermal structure. and were originally ness in the prehension and mastication sunpJe plaeoicl scales, which differ from those of food, the great variation they exhibit in which cover the bodies o'f ~elac hian fi hcs the different groups of vertebrate (back boned) only ]n that they have been modified through animals and the wonderful examples they change of fun ction owing to their po. ition afford for the study of adaptation . As they in and about the mouth cavity, the gateway are the hardest of the animal ti. sues teeth are to the digestive sy ·tern. frequently pre erved in the fo sil state when the rest of the keleton ha.- crumbled into du t. and on tbi account the study of teeth is of great importance to the palaeontologist, whose ta k it is to de. cribe and reconstruct for us the animals of the past. It must not be supposed that the teeth of a modern mammal such as the horse have al ways bad the complicated structure they present to-day. Teeth, like every other part of the animal body, have had a long period of evolution, and the teeth of recent mammals have attained their form and structure as t he result of many modifications and adaptations extending over millions of years, t he general course of evolution being from the simple to the more complex. The teeth of even the highe ·t mammals are comparable with the placoid scales which COYer the bodie · of the .·clachian fishes, of Premolar of Thylacoleo carnifex, an extinct marsu which the sharks and ravs are familiar pial. The tooth has been sectioned to show its stru c tUI·e. a, enamel; b, den tine; c pulp cavity; example. . These placoicl scales or dermal d fang ot· root; e, por tion of the jaw bone. The denticles (skin teeth) consist of a flattened c~ment whic h in life cover ed the embedded por tion of the root has been r emoved during fossilization. ha e embedded in the ~kin and a projecting Aus tralian Museum specimen. point: in shape they somewhat resemble a [Photo.-G. C. C'uttrnr. drawing pin, or what Americaru· call a thumb-tack. They a rc composed of a bony In fi fo; hcs and amphibians teeth are not con ubstance called dentine or ivory, a nd are fined to the edge::; of the jaws but may also capped with a harder substance which is oectll' in patches on the roof and floor of the called enamel ; as we shall see a typical mouth c:n·it.v. fn reptile and mammals mammalian tooth has exactly the same it iR wmal for the teeth to be restricted to a tructure and composition as a placoid scale. single row in each jaw. Again, in a lower In the selachian fi shes the placoid scales are vertebrate as a general rn le all the teeth are continued over the jaws into the mouth, more or lcs. a like (homodont), and. more which is but an enfolding or j nvagination of over , thc:;e animals possess a com;tant reser the anterior end of a developing vertebrate, voir of tC'et h, so that when one set is worn out and on the rounded surface of the jaws they or lost it is replaced by a re erve set. In become larger and appear as (usualJy) tri mammals, howc,-er, the dentition is typicaUy angular teeth in successive rows. heterodont, that is, not all teeth are alike, 390 THE AUSTRALIAN M USE UM MAGAZI NE. but differ materially in form according to their position in the jaw. :Moreover, t he succession of teeth i very much reduced in mammals, and, generally, they have only two sets, t he milk and t he permanent den tition, and only a certain number of the permanent teeth have milk predecessors. The teeth of reptiles (from which the mam mals are generally supposed to be derived) are usually simple in form, generally con sisting of a single pointed cone. In mammals the most characteristic teeth are much more complicated, t he working surface presenting a number of tubercles, crests, or folds, though certain mammalian teeth are essentially similar to the simple reptiHan cone. T eeth of b oar (Sus scrofa), to sh ow t y pical dentition: STRUCTURE OF A MAMMALIAN TOOTH. the bone h as b een cut a w ay t o exp ose the r oots of the t eeth . i, incisors; c , canines; pm, prem olars; m, m ola r s. It will b e observe d that the in c isors have but A typical mammalian t ooth consists of a on e r oot, tha t the canine is r ootless and that the prem ola r s a nd mola r s, which a r e o f the bunodont crown (the part exposed above t he jaw bone) type, have two o r m or e roots. and the embedded root or roots. The crown [Fr om Flower and Lydekker's Mammalia. is covered with a hard bluish substance, t he enamel, which forms a thin outer layer cover The form of ma mmalian teeth is largely ing a much softer, somewhat yellowish determined by their function. For grasping material called the ivory or dentine. The root and holding prey, simple conical teeth re or em bedded portion is over lain by a rough sembling t hose of reptiles such as t he croco bony substance, the cement, which is in direct dile are t he most useful. If they are to be contact wit h the dentine. In human teeth used as wca pons of d efence, or to remove the cement is confined to the root, but in some obstacles, t hey become elongated and project, mammals it extends on to t he crown , where like t he tusk s of t he boar or of t he elephant. it overlies the enamel. A hollow space in the If the food is varied the teeth are specialized. crown and root is occupied by the pulp, Cer tain of them becom e adapted for seizi~1g , containing blood vessels and nerves, which others for cutting, oth ers again for cruslung enter the tooth through the canals of the and grinding . These operations generally root. In young animals the pulp-cavity is t ake place in different parts of the mouth, large, and the openings at the base of each and we find, t herefore, t hat t he front teeth tooth are wide. but, as the animal grows arc differently shaped from those situated older, the cavitv becomes contracted and fa rther back in t he jaws. The front or the e openings b.ecome narrowed, though in incisor teeth are t y pically chisel-shaped, certain mammab the pulp-cavity remains t heir cutting edges placed transversel:f. In widely open below, t he teeth grow con cisors a re commonly t hree in number m each tinuously, and are said t o be rootless, or to half of t he jaw, a bove a nd below, and are have persistent pulps. usually simple in form and si ngle- rooted. Behind t he incisors is a single canine, usn_ally VARIATIONS IN THE TEETH OF MAMMALS. of a p ointed p iercing type, showing li ttle departure f rom t he reptilia n cone, and also Mammals exhibit an extraordinary range single rooted , thongh r arely it has two root; of variation in t heir dentition, the teeth h av The canine is succeeded by t he cheek tee f ~. ing a close relation to food habits and general typicaJly seven in n umber, of which tho fore skeletal structure. For this reason the teeth most three Ol' fou1· are called prcmolars, the of mammals have always been regarded as of others being known as 1nolars ; chrek tcc~ l : special value for purposes of_ class~cation , usually ha.ve moro tha n on root. Uswl l ) and as important indices to life hab1ts. the teeth in t., ho upper o ml 1 he low01· jnws -'!"HE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 391 SkuU and lower jaw of t h e Tasmanian Wolf ( Thylacinus cynocephalus), illustrating carnivorous dentition. The canines are long and s h arp and the c h eek t eeth p ointed and compressed. Australian Museum specimen. [Photo.- G. C. Clutt011. correspond in number and ]dnd, t hough and the Tasmanian Wolf, Ta,·manian De,·il , there are many exceptions to this rule. In a nd N a tive Cats among mar. upial. , present the higher (placental) m a mmals it is u su al a more or less uniform type. The inci. ors for the incisors, canines, and premolars t o are close set, and adapted for tearing the have milk predecessors; in marsupials, how flesh from t heir victims, t he canines are long ever, only one tooth , a premolar , has a pre and sharp, and tho. e of the lower jaw in ter decessor. lock vvith those of t he upper in order to give In a typical mammal, then , there are us the animal a firm and deadly gri p on its prey. ually three incisors, one canine, a nd seven The cheek teeth are adapted fol' cutting. not cheek teeth in each half of each jaw, making a grinding, and are therefore in general com total of forty-four t eeth, but there a re many pressed and sharp-edged. In each jaw there departures from this rule. Thus cer t ain is generally one large specially modified mammals, such as t he great a n t -eater tooth, called the carna. sial or flesh-tooth, (Mynnecophaga _jubata), and the Australian with a long cutting blade. The teeth in front Ant-eater or E cbidna are t oothless . The of the carnassial are more or less pointed and platypus has true teeth in its y outh, b ut t h ese compressed , while those behind it are broader oon disappear and are replaced by horny and tuberculated. plates. The Whalebone Whales have no teeth in the adult, the small t eeth of t he TEETH OF I~SECTIYO RE S . young being absorbed before birth. On the other hand, some of the dolphins have a I nsecthTorous animals usuaJly ha\e pointed large number of teeth (as many as t wo incisors, the upper and lower· teeth meeting hundred), and these ar e also peculiar in that like a pair of forcep . The canine are they are all similar to one another , and re generally not well developed. while the crowns semble the simple conical teeth of 1·eptiles. of the molars are characteristically studded with numerous short sharp cusps. OARNIVOROlJS D ENTITI ON. .RODENT DENTITION. The teeth of flcsh -eati ng a.nimaJs, such as The teeth of gnawing animals are -very the cats and dogs among pla.contal m a mmals, characteristic. On account of the great THE AUSTRALIAN M USEUM MAGAZ[NK Skull and lower jaw of Wombat (Phas colomys mitchelli). The roots of the lower molars have been exposed to show the le ngth and curvature of these constantly growing tee th. [ P hoto.- G. C. Glutton. amount of wear to which the:v are sub jected reach abnormal dimensions. Or perhaps two the teeth are rootle s and continue to grow opposite teeth do not meet accurately and throughout life. The incisors are well grow past one another. T here is then no developed, and u ually have enamel only on ch eck on t heir growth , t he teeth become very the front of the crown. As a result t he work long and may twist and curve in a manner ing of the upper and lower incisors against w hich must be very inconvenient for the one another develop: and maintains a sharp animal, and may actually cause its death. chisel edge on the front incisors, which are This misfort une seems to be not uncommon said to be scalpriform. Among the marsu among rabbits. pials the ·wombat (Phascolomys) has a ty pically gnawing dentition. strongly resemb TEETH OF UNGULATE ANIMALS. ling that of the true placental rodents. I ts inci.<;ors are reduced to a single pair above Perhaps the hoofed or ungulate animals and beJow. and these teeth have long deeply are the most interesting of all t he mam embedded bases, widely open below. It has malian groups as regards their teeth. par no canine ·. there being a wide space or ticularly the cheek. serie.· . This great order diastema between the incisors and the cheek includes the Even-toed Ungnlates (pigs, teeth. The latter have long roots, which are deer, antelopes, ea ttle), Odd-toed Ungulates strongly curved. the conca,~ity of the upper (tapirs, rhinoceroses, horses), and thirdly. teeth directed outward, of the lower teeth the eJephants. inward. By this device the grinding pressure Of these the pigs and their allies have the does not fall on the growing root, but is simpJe:;t fol'm of cheek teeth, the cro1vns h~\ supported upon the ide of an arch. ing a number of cone-like pt·ominences w]uc~ Teeth which are rootless and constantly somewhat resem blc sma 1l hillocks ; for tlu growing are re.c:;trainecl from over-growth by reason t eeth of this type arc cnlled bunodont mutual attrition of the lower and upper teeth. (Greek bounos, hillock). Other forms now When, howeYer, one of these teeth is lost the extinct show a t ransition to a. type of tooth opposite tooth continues to grow and may in which the cones arc corn prcs:-::C'd n.ud arl' THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 393 ------·--- ranged to form a pattern such tha.t a worn tooth shows a number of crescentic bands of dentine. This type of tooth is said to be selenod.ont (Greek selene, the moon). The cheek teeth of modern deer and cattle are still more complex:. The teeth aro hypsodont, namely, long from t he working surface to the point where they emerge from the jaw bone, as opposed to the brachydont (short-crowned) teeth of their predecessors, and the grinding stu·faces are much more complex. The crescents are higher and ~k~ ll and lower jaw of rabbit. _The rootless. constantly growing there are intervening pockets t n ctsors do not meet, and, the tr growth be m g unrestricted by filled with cement. Su ch teeth mutual wear, t h ey have. b ecome abnormally long and curved. Austrahan Museum specimen. are well adapted to the n eeds of [Photo.- G. C. Glutton. animals which " chew the cud," a process which subjects the teeth to These are very high crowned and resemble excessive wear, which is counter balanced square pillars with fluted side. . The arim1- by the increased height of the crowns. ing surface has attained great compl~xity The complex grinding surfaces form the ridges elevated, cu rved and contorted' an efficient mill by which t he fibres of grass the intervening valleys and cavities deep ancl are reduced to a fine pulp. filled up to the top with cement. When such The second group of ungulates, the tapirs, a tooth wears it presents a surface co n. i ting rhinoceroses, and horses, exhibits a similar of islands and patches of the t\vo . oftcr u b series of changes in the cheek teeth , leading stances, ~entine and cement, separated by from a comparatively simple type in the narrow ndge · of the mu ch harder enamel. tapir, with two transverse folds, to t he The grinder of the horse continue. to grow wonderful grinders of t h e horse and its allies. until the animal is four or fiv e years old. the l ower jaw of sheep. The c h eek t eeth exhibit t h e ct·escentic (selenodont) pattern characteristic of 1·uminatin g anima ls. Australian Museum specimen. ,... [Photo.--".:. C. Glutton. 394 THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZlNE. Lower jaw of horse about four years old, the bone cut away to show the embedd e d portions of the grinding teeth. These are s till open below, the root b eing as yet unformed. The long pillar-like teeth extend downward the full d e pth of the jaw. The third pe1·manent c h eek tooth has not yet replaced its " milk" predecessor and the last mola r is just erupting. Aus tralia n Museum s pecimen. [ Photo.- G. C. Clutt01t. ba ·e extending deep into the jaw bones. of commerce. These teeth are almost wholly The roots then form and the tooth ceases to compo:::;ed of den tine, the enamel being grow, but as the surface wears away by use restricted to a small area on the tip of a the whole tooth moves upwards in its young tooth, removed by wear at an early socket, . o that it. u efulness as an organ of age. There a.re no canines and t he cheek mastication is maintained until old age. teeth are massive structures consisting of The dry, ha.rsh herbage of the plains, the numerous enamel-covered plates of dentine natural food of the horse family, often con surrounded and bound together by cement. tains hard mineral matter such as grains of sand, so that the teeth of the animal are During its lifetime a n elephant has six subjected to wear which would quickly re cheek teeth, with occasionally an additiona.l duce the brachydont molars of primitive rudimentary tooth in front. Only onetootha.nd ungulates to useless stumps. These ances portion of another are in place and in use on tral forms, like the modern tapirs, dwelt in either side of each jaw at one time, but the the forests and marsh lands, and their food whole series moves for ward, and, as t he fore consisted of soft and succulent vegetation most teeth become worn away and shed , the which exerted no great wear on the molar others take their place, the seri es of chang~s teeth. coinciding with t he d uration of the animal s The Proboscidia, of which the African and life. A somewhat analogous forward move Indian Elephants are the only living repre ment of the cheek teeth takes plart~ in the sentatives, have a very specialized dentition. dugong and t he mana.tec, and also in the The two upper incisors attain a great size kangaroos, but in n one of tho mn .mnHlJ~ is it and weight, and furnish the bulk of the ivory so pronounced as in LhP c l cphtli\L:-~. THE A U~ 1., H.AL1AN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 395 Partly worn molar tooth of Indian e le phant. The tooth, which is a very massive structure, cons is ts of a number of parallel la minae with a core of dentine surrounded by e namel, the whole bound to· gether b y cement. Austa·alian Mus e um specimen. [Photo.-(;. C. Glutton. Skull and lowe r jaw of the Babirus a. The uppe r caninas never enter the mouth, but grow u p wards and curl back ove r the fot·eh ead like horns. A ustralia n Museum s pecimen. [Photo.- G. C. Glutto-n. THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. ABNORMAL DENTITION. canin e in the upper j aw, but in Homo of the The Narwhal, one of the dolphins, has a smaller and more primitive mcmhers, $Uch very aberrant dentition. Except for some as the Musk Deer , t h e Muntjac, and t he irregular rudimentary teeth the entire den Chinese Water D eer , this tooth attains a tition is reduced to a single pair, one on each considerable size. In the Chinese Water side of the upper jaw. In the female these D eer in· particular it has t he form of a long remain permanently concealed in t he jaw curving scimitar-like t u sk. Deer with well bone ; in the male the right tooth also usually developed canines have the antlers either remains embedded and useless, but the left absent or small, and in this respect t hey develops into a slender cylindrical tusk, resemble the older members of the family, sometimes seven or eight feet long (more which had no antlers, and apparently relied than half the length of the entire animal), on t heir canines as weapons of defence and combat. its s}lrlac~ marked with spiral grooves and ridges. The use of this peculiar tooth or In the male Babirusa , a wild pig of Celebes " horn " is unknown. I n the female dugong and Buru in t h e E ast Indies, the canine teeth the pair of upper incisors are retained through are ever growing, and develop into long, life, but like the teeth of the female narwhal slender, cuTved t usks r esembling horns. they never cut the gums, although in the The upper canines are directed upwards and male they have persistent pul.ps and project never enter th e mouth, but p ierce t he skin of as short tusks. the face and curve backwards over the In t he deer family there is usually a small forehead. PERRY'S "ARCANA." The Australian Museum has recently twenty years no other copy had come to light acquired a copy of George P erry 's A1·cana, until the one we were so fortunate to procure. or the M·useum of N at'wra.l Histo1·y, a work This copy is in perfect condition, save the issued in twenty-one monthly parts during binding, the plates and pctges being in an t he year. 1810 and 1811 . Thi.· i.· an ex excellent state of preservation. t remely rare publicatjon, only four other 'The publication is of peculiar interest to copies being known. one in the British Australia for many of the plates illustrate Museum (Natural History ), one in the library examples of our fauna and. in some instances, of the Zoological Society of London, one in t hese are the first issued , t he well-known the library of Gregory M. Mathews, the native companion. the brolga, being a well-known ornithologist , and one in the striking instance. Australian zoologists ha,re Royal Swedish Academy at Stockholm. long deplored the absence of this work in The Museum endeavoured to secure the Jocal libraries. Messrs. G. M. Mathews and latter copy when it was offered for sale in Tom Tredale published a complete rest~m e .of London in 1909, but, unfortunately, the the A1·cana in the VictO?··ian N n.turaltsf for great distance between Australia and Britain May., 1912, which, conden 'eel as it ncce;:;sarily placed us at a disadvantage for the Stockholm waf; , ha.· been of great atisist n.ncc to local library had secured it before we were even workers. aware of its existence. In the intervening vr.A.R.