Blue Mountains in New South Wales. 161 



It is in York Mountain that the Echidna Hystrix of Cu- 

 vier chiefly lives, which the English rear in a state of domesti- 

 city, for the purpose of selling thcni at a very high rate to col- 

 lectors. This animal, which in appearance approaches the 

 hedgehog, has accordingly obtained that name among the colo- 

 nists of New South Wales. It burrows, and does not willingly 

 come out in dry weather ; it is therefore difficult to procure it 

 during several months of the year. According to the accounts of 

 it which I have received from the convicts who inhabit York 

 Mountain, it lives upon insects and legumes, and chiefly on 

 ants, which it gathers with its tongue, after the manner of the 

 ant-eaters. It emits a small grunting sound when disturbed, 

 and its manners, in a state of hberty, are but little known. I 

 could obtain no further intelligence respecting it from the inha- 

 bitants of the country. An Echidna, which I had procured, 

 and which my colleague, M. Garnot, endeavoured to carry to 

 Europe, gave him an opportunity of publishing an interesting 

 note regarding the manners of this animal in a state of capti- 

 vity *. This place, like all the neighbourhood of Port Jackson, 

 and especially the country about Botany Bay, is infested with 

 the black snake, the most formidable reptile of this country, and 

 that whose poison acts with most celerity. A great number of 

 serious accidents are mentioned as having been caused by the 

 bite of this Acanthophis, which is distinguished by the shining 

 black of the upper part of its body, and the agreeable rose-co- 

 lour of the under part. 



We crossed Cox's River, formed by the junction of two 

 small brooks, upon fallen rocks of a very beautiful granite. This 

 river flows from east to west. I procured here the large and 

 small flying phalangers, (^Petaurista taquanoldcs and P. sciurea 

 of Desmarest). At York''s Bridge we killed several species of 

 philedons : they live in flocks in the large eucalyptuses. We 

 procured an undescribed species, as well as the Spotted Phih- 

 don (Certhia Nova-IIollandia, Lath.) the white fronted Phik- 

 dmh the Speckled Philedony and the Black-cap. {Certhia atri- 

 capilluy Lath.) 



On the third of February we reached Fish Biver, where we 

 encamped with the intention of killing ornithorynchuses. The 



• See the Annales ties Sciences Naturelles, for December 1825. 

 OCTOBER DECEMBER 1827. L 



