BY J. J. FLETCHER, M.A., B.SC. 533 



or two, the milky perivisceral fluid wells out of the dorsal pores in 

 considerable quantities. When put alive into spirit it conies out 

 in jets, which are rendered visible by the coagulating effect 

 of the spirit. Occasionally when an extended worm is touched 

 unexpectedly the perivisceral fluid is squirted out in jets, but 

 this is most noticeable in the brush worm, which does it almost 

 habitually when irritated. This may perhaps serve some defensive 

 purpose, but it seems to be due rather to the sudden contraction 

 of the body, and this view seems likely because the body-wall of 

 the brush worm is more than usually thick and muscular, and the 

 animal is capable of contracting its body into a remarkably small 

 compass. Professor McCoy says that the Gippsland giant worms 

 are brittle, that when alive they emit an odour resembling that of 

 creosote, and that fowls will not eat them even when chopped up. 

 The Burrawang worms will stand a considerable amount of 

 hauling without damage, they are quite free from any offensive 

 smell, and poultry eat them greedily. 



The other locality, Mt. Wilson, is about 3,400 feet above sea- 

 level. Except for the spur which the road follows, it is entirely 

 surrounded by a labyrinth of gullies, and the country round is of 

 avery barren and rocky description (1). The Government Geologist 

 says of it : — " At Mount Wilson near the Great Western Railway, 

 an intrusive mass of dense augitic basalt containing crystals of 

 oligoclase has burst through the Coal Measures and Hawkesbury 

 sandstones and flowed out and covered the latter. Wherever 

 patches of this trap rock occur the soil resulting from the decom- 

 position supports a most luxuriant growth of vegetation, including 

 tree-ferns and splendid timber trees of Eucalypti. These patches 

 of dense vegetable growth amidst the rugged Blue Mountains are 

 in striking contrast with the stunted timber and scrub seen almost 

 everywhere upon the sandstone formation." (2) 



(1) A general account of Mt. Wilson will be found in Mr. Trebeck's paper, 

 ante p. 491 ; also from the pen of Mr. Du Faur on p. 58 of the "' Railway 

 Guide of N. S. W." 



(2) Notes on the Geology of N.S.W., p. 62. By C. S. Wilkinson, F.G.S.r. 

 F.L.S. 



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