118 ON THE LITTORAL FAUNA OF N. E. AUSTRALU., 



coast. When alive it has a dark, but clear green carapace, 

 beautifully mottled and lined into a pretty pattern of lighter and 

 darker spots and cloudings. When dead in cabinets, the colours 

 fade into a redish brown. I could not discover whether the 

 natives used it for food, but it is eagerly devoured by a large 

 Octopus (0. indicus ?J which is common here. 



The settlers gather and use another species, this is Thalamita 

 stimpsoni, with very beautiful blue tips to the claws. It is found 

 under stones, and is very warlike, biting furiously, and holding 

 tenaciously. I noticed two other species, T. sima, M.-Ed., and T. 

 dancd, Stimpson. Both these are said to occur in New Zealand, 

 but I am doubtful about T. sima, which is, as far as I know only 

 tropical in Australia. On the sands of Port Douglas and as far 

 as Cleveland Bay, I noticed Ocypode hrevicornis, I never saw it 

 except on a sandy beach, and when pursued it took readily to the 

 water. 



On all the sandy places on the north side of Island Point a 

 species of starfish, Pentagonaster fStellasterJ Incei, Gray, is very 

 common. I did not notice it on any other part of the coast, but 

 in one spot it is drifted up in dozens at every tide. Here also 

 Fentaceros Franhlinii, was found by me as well as Anthenea tuher- 

 culosa and an Astropecten, which I is^Qio\>Q A. poly acantha. Had 

 I been able to dredge at this spot I have no doubt I should have 

 found many other species from the fragments I saw upon the 

 beach. 



I turn now to the fauna of the mangroves, which is peculiar 

 and entirely different from that of the coast. The creek at the 

 back of Island Point, is a salt water inlet running between the 

 township and the mountain range, which rises about a mile further 

 inland. It is not navigable for more than four miles. Only in 

 the rainy season does it ever bring down much fresh water, but 

 it is always a muddy tidal stream with a coral reef at the mouth, 

 and a dense growth of mangroves on the banks. The common 

 species is the Brugiera Rheedii, with occasionally a fringe of 



