192 NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



Mr. C. Hedley communicated the following Note: — 



A South Sea Island canoe was cast up on the beach on the 

 night of January 21st, 1896, at a point five miles south of Cape 

 Byron, N.S. Wales. It was at once photographed by Mr. R. A. 

 P. Goodwin, in whose possession it is, and to whom I am indebted 

 for this information. A copy of that photograph I now exhibit. 

 An account of the circumstance was published in the Evening 

 Neivs (Sydney), 8aturda|?y July 4th, 1896, together with a drawing 

 of the vessel. A few months ago I enjoyed an opportunity of 

 inspecting the canoe. From sundry peculiarities of construction, 

 I was enabled to identify it with confidence as New Caledonian. 

 On it was a cluster of barnicles, identified by Mr. Whitelegge as 

 Lepas kiilii. 



The incident is not unique in my experience. Mr. R. Paterson, 

 lessee of Curtis Island, Queensland, informed me that a South 

 Sea canoe was washed ashore about twelve or fifteen years ago on 

 the eastern beach of that island, near Cape Capricorn. 



The flotsam cast on the Australian coast is of considerable 

 interest, both from an ethnological and zoological aspect, and is 

 worthy of being carefully chronicled. Coconuts, the fruits of 

 Barrhigtonia bulonica, Nautilus shells, always, so far as I know, 

 X. pompUias, and pumice are fairly plentiful. Mr. T. Whitelegge 

 has shown me pieces of pumice which he gathered on Maroubra 

 beach, to which are attached small corallia of a species of 

 PociUopora. This \'ery interesting find confirms similar observa- 

 tions of Guppy and Saville Kent, and indicates an unexpected 

 method of transport of corals to distant localities. 



Mr. Palmer showed four curiously carved Boomerangs from the 

 Queensland coast between Bundaberg and Port Mackay. Also 

 from Lawson, Blue Mountains, abnormally developed flowering 

 and fruiting specimens of Cosmos and Zea; a coral-like fungus, 

 not determined; and a Coccus (Pufvinaria tecta), very common 

 this year on indigenous shrubs on the Blue Mountains. 



[Printed off July 25tli, 1899.J 



