J""f'l O'DoNOGUVE, Rambles in Raak. z-x 



1916 J 



lined with a clt)sely-woven, delicate web. Carefully ai)}ilyinf^' 

 tension to the lids, a silken ba^, about eighteen inches in lengtli 

 and one and a hcJf inches in diameter, was withdrawn from the 

 hole, which it fitted i)erfcctly. Slitting up the bag with a knife, 

 we found that its recent occupant had remained in the hole, 

 and that four inches of the end of the bag was wet and dis- 

 coloured. Having no suitable article with us for excavation 

 purposes, we were left to speculate on the identity of the 

 spider that constructed and occupied such a unique habitation. 



During the burning of one very dry clump of spinifex, a large 

 brown cockroach, that was fully two and a half inches in 

 length and one and a half inches in breadth, issued from the 

 grass and hurried towards us. The gigantic insect's approach 

 was watched with close attention and ready collecting bottles, 

 liut before it could cross the danger zone the flames spread 

 out wide and low above it, and in an instant converted it into 

 a scorched and shrivelled semblance of its former self. In all 

 probability it was Geoscapheus gigante%is. 



Later in the day we bore east through the pines in the direc- 

 tion of Nowingi. In the area over which the pines exercised 

 dominion the entire absence of young plants or trees did not 

 fail to excite our attention. During all our extensive wanderings 

 in Raak, as in the neighbourhood of Lake Mourn poul, not a 

 single young plant, if we omit the Weeping Pittosporum, of any 

 of the trees or shrubs met with was noticed. Fire seldom or 

 never ravages the district, and the depredations of stock are 

 unimportant or negligible. One is prompted to ask, Why is 

 this so ? What favourable conditions induced the con- 

 temporaneous growth of the pines and associated vegetation 

 in the past, and, now that they have adapted themselves to 

 their environment, how does it arise that they seem incapable 

 of perpetuating their species ? Among the pines we noted 

 the Red-browed Tree-creeper, Climaderis erythrops, but not 

 elsewhere. The bird is shy, and seems to have acquired the 

 silence of the shady vistas it frequents. 



Maintaining an easterly course, we at length reached our 

 destination — a large lake-bed containing a small area of 

 shallow water. One of the party, discarding his boots and 

 socks, ventured out into the water with a collecting net and 

 bottle, with the view of securing some of its fauna. At no 

 spot was the water of greater depth than two inches, but at 

 every step the pond-life hunter sank knee-deep into the 

 tenacious mud beneath. Subsequently he was obliged to make 

 a lengthy barefooted pilgrimage along a path thickly strewn 

 with the fruit calyces of the Prickly-fruited Salt-bush, Bassia 

 echinopsila, to a small puddle to cleanse his feet and legs. At 

 this small puddle, evidently formed by a recent passing shower, 



