c&fo AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM GAZINE EDITED BY C. ANDERSON. M.A.• D.Sc. Australian Mammals: Why They Should be Protected - D r. W . K . Gregory Some Famous Diamonds and Their Story - The E dttor A Naturalist on the Great Bar- rier Reef - E.A.Br£ggs,B .S c. The Spider-eating Insects oE Australia G. H. H ardy Primitive Magic and Sorcery W m. W . Thorp~ Electric Rays • A. R. M cCullo ch Vol. 1. No. 3. DECEMBER. 1921. PRICE ONE SHILLING.· . THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM College Street, Sydney. BOARD OF TRUSTEES: President: T. S'l'Oam DasoN, li.B., Ch.,M., Knight of St. John. Crown Trustee : JAJDS :MoKnv. 08icial Trustees : His HoNOU. TD emu JUBTIOB. Tu HoN. TD P'usmBNT Ol' THlll LmrsLATIVB Cou•OJL. Tn HoN. ~ CoLONUL SEOUT.ABY. T.m: HON. THB A'l'TOBNft-GEND.AL. To HoN. 'l'RB Oor.olfuL TUASUREB. THE HoN. THE SECBJ:TaY roa PUBLic WOBES AND MmlsDB rol\ RAILW-AY&. Tn HoN. TRB MmrsTD or PUBLic lNsTRUC'l"'OB'. Tm: AUDITOB-GBNUA.L. THE PusiDENT 01' TBB N.S. WALES MnrCAL B<wm (T. SoroBIE DIXSoN, M.B., Ch.M.). TlB Su.VEYOB-GENR.lL .urn emu SUBVBYoa. TRI C.OWN SoLIOITOB. Elective Trustees : PaoF. W. A. HAsWELL, M.A., D.Sc. F .R.S. 1 EBNES'l' WUNDWOR. PROF. Sm T. W. E. DAvm, K..B.E., C.M.G., B.A., F .R.S. G. H. ABB<>'l'T, B.A., M.B., Ch.:M. w. H. HARGRA.VES. J. VERN6N. ERIC S INOLAIB, M.D. TBJD HoN. D. l&vY, LI;.B., M.L.A. CoL. THE HoN. Sm JAS. BUBNs, K.C.lrLG., lrLL.C. J. J. FLX'l!OBD, :M.A., B.Sc. J. R. M. RoBEB'l'SON, :M.D., CJL G.. MoR.u. Director: CHnr• Alm:oaox, K.A.., D.Se. (JlinM'CIZogilf). Principal Keeper of Collections : C1Jum.g HDm, (Ocmc1wilogi8f). ' Scientific Staff: ALLA.N R. MoC'D'Lr.ooH, Zoologist, m chMge of Fuhu. Wn.xJAv W • •THOBPE, El'hnologisf. REL w. BBE'l'NALL, Zoologist, m o"hm'ge of Lo1Der ltWerlebrates. ANTHoNY Musmu.n:, Entomologist. J. Rov Kmomnm, Zoologist, in ohMge of Birds, Bepeile., CltWi AmpiKbians. ELLIS LE G. TBOUGHTON, Zoologist, in o114rge of Mamt'IWIJr and Skelefom. F. A. MoNEILL, Zoologisl, m oAarge of Oru.sfaoea. T. Hooo• SKITH, .A11istt~~tt m Miuralogy. Librarian: Aeeountant: W. A. RAINBOW. J. A. TBIKBLI. Table of Contents. THE 'f"\ ' MA NIAN TIGER OR "'OLF . F rontispiece EDITORJ AT~ .• ti3 AUS 'l'RALIA ~ 1\IA:'VHLALS : 'VI-I\' TH~Y S HOULD B E P RO'l 'J<.:C'l'KI>- Dr. H '. K. Gregory .. G5 SoME F AMOUS D r.nrox Ds A ~D THEI R STOR\-The E ditor . /5 A NATU RALIST o ~ THE GREA'L' BARRI E I~ R eeP--E. A . Brigg.~, B. c. ID THE SPIUER E ATrxc; r~sEC ' L'R OF Au T~\ Lu-G . JI. IIardy .. 8-! THE R.A.O.ll. C'o xFE REK C ~: A ~o :MusEU:\L \'. PRl\'..:l.'l'E COLLEC'l'IOXF-J. R. Kinghom . (i PRn OTrn; ~L\{ a c AXD OR<'I-: RY- ll'm. 11'. Th Qrpe 87 PECULUR A GENCIES OF AN IMAL DrSTRIBUTr ox- F . A . Jfc.Yeill .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 88 E LECTRT H A Y s-.~. R. Jfd 'ulloch 89 NOTEs AND N r-: w. ...... 90 ffl j---! I:Q tt:J [/)~ H ~ > ~ I> ~ 1,;::<1 ~ cj [/) t;j Cl ?' ~"'-\ !;:>o...... I> The Tasmanian Tiger. or Wolf, a_s it is ;rariousl{' called, is the most pow.erful of the ~eSh-eating. marsupials. !t 0 is restricted to Tasmanta, though tts fosstl remams are founq on the mamland. It pas a dog-hke form, and m I> its evolution it has closely parallelled the European wolf and other ca·rnivores, i·ts teeth in par:ticular bein~ similarly N,__ modifi:d for rending fle sh (see also figures of skulls in text). z · Copyright phqto frpm lik-H. Burrell. t:l Published by tlte ...tu stralian lllw eum - College ,o..,·t reel, ,·'ydney. Eclitor: C. ANDER ·ox, M.A., D.Sc. Annual Subscription. Pos-t F ree. 4 -!. \'OL. 1. No. 3. DECE:'IfBEH. 1921. EditoriaL THE ni..e\GazixE. tists from other State!' and countries_ Dr. J. V. Danes, Con. ul-General for The Australian Museum Magazine, of Czerhoslovakia. lectured on "The Phy­ which this is the third number, has met siognlphy of Czeehoslo,•a.kia.'' Dr. W. with a flattering· reception; the first K. Gregory, of the American ")Iuseum number was sold out in a few weeks, of Natural History, on "Australian and the second (of twice the number Mammals and why they are worth pro­ of copies) is at the moment of going· to tecting." and Captain A. R. \\bite, of press almost exhausted. This shows South Australia, on "The Economic that there is a considerable demand for Value of our Birds.'' It is hoped tht a pnblication of this kind, and is Yery this innoYation will bcc·ome a regular gratifying to the tru. tees. No effort .feature. will be spared to maintain, and, if pos­ sible, to raise the standard of the Mag·a­ WILLIA.J.[ STREE'l' FRONTAGE. .zine, which we hope will continue to ob­ Plans ha,-e been adopted for the im­ tain tbe public support which is essen­ proYement of the William Street fron­ tial to its continued success. tage, which has been an eyesore e\-er M usEU:\[ LEC'rUREs. sitH·e the City Council l'esumed part of t:JP Museum premises for the purpose of These lectures are increasing· in po­ widening tlle street, and the work will pularity, and are now a well established bt proceeded with Yery shortly. It is­ feature in the intellectual life of Syd­ proposed to erect a retaining wall along ney. From quite modest beginnings they \\illiam Street, to leYel the ground on have grown until the lecture theatre is the northern f1·ont, and to tenace the all too small for our needs. At the re­ ra~tern end, where also a roadway will gular lectm·es held this year the ac­ be eonstructed to giYe access to the commodation has been taxed to the ut­ back of the Museum premises. \\hen most, and mo1·e than once we ha\e bad the work is completed it will enhance regretfully to c·lose the doors and leave the appearance of the building, and many would-be hearers outside. Mr. also improve the lighting and •entila• A. R. McCulloch's lecture, "Lord Howe tion of the basement 1·ooms. hland; A South Sea Tragedy," was so ELECTRIC LIGllTJNG. popular that it had to be repeated. 'rbis year we have been able to add The north wing is Yery badly lighted,. sotne extra lectures to the ordinary particularly on the ground and first course, and to place the Lecture Hall floor , where on a dull day the exhibits at the disposal of distinguished scien- arc seen to •ery poor adYantage. It 64 THE AUSTR.ALL~~ )fUSEU:\1 l\IAGAZlNE. is now proposed to instal electJ:ic light­ thus been able to secure valuable ma­ ing in these rooms, and also in the Lec­ teri:ll for our collections. ture Hall, where its inh·ocluction will be M USF:Ul\[ GROUPS. a great boon. At the same time the lion group and the Antarctic tableau The Museum staff have been busily will be electrically lighted, with, it is engaged for some time past in prepar­ hoped, a great inercase in effectiveness. ing groups for exhibition. A flying fox group is nearing completion; a large COLLECTIXG. number of these bats will be shown Recognising that closer settlement is clinging in characteristic attitudes to the slow !~· but ~nrely depleting om native branches of a tree. fauna, and that our collections are still AnotlJer interesting exhibit will be a sadl~r deficient in material suitable for pool showing the celebrated lung- fish modern study, the trustees have wisely ( N eoceratodus) of Central Queensland; deeided that the :i\fnseum should take a a number of casts of this interesting fish more acti,·e interest in field collecting. ha,·e ah·eady been prepared by Mr. C. In furtherance of this policy )fessrs. E. Glutton, and these will be coloured from Le G. Troughton and J. H. Wright studies made on living specimens. haYe been sent to South and Western Early in January some members of An5-tralia to obtain specimens of some the staff will proceed to Lord Howe Is­ of the rarer An tralian mammals and land to obtain the materials and make birds, and Messrs. H.' S. Grant ana J. the necessary sketches for a coral reef H. \\l'ight wm subsequently proceed gt·onp, and a cliff scene with nesting to the Recherche Archipelago, south of boatswain birds and wide-a-wake terns. Esperance. W-estern Australia, with an l\fr. A. E. Phillips has generously pro­ expedition led by )fr. A. F. Basset Hull, mised a donation of £20 towards the who is collecting and observing on be­ expenses of this expedition, if four ha!f of Mr. H. L. White, of Belltrees, others will present a like amount; Sir l\cw South Wales. It is a pleasing J ames Burns, trustee, has, with charac­ dc.ty to express our appreciation of the teristic generosity, agreed to make one pul·hc-spirited action of Mr. Anthony of the four. Horci':!ro, who has kindly made avail­ able part of t be Hordern and Le Souef NEED OF FUNDS.