23 



of the Sassafras, at one of the head gullies of a tributary of the 

 Yalwal Creek, proliably the Bundundah Creek. It would appear 

 to have been placed on its back, a rather uncommon position 

 amongst the aborigines of N. S. Wales, lying on the 'possum 

 cloak, the pattern of which Mr. Roberts says was at one time 

 plainly visible. The corpse was disembowelled, and the abdominal 

 cavity filled with Eucalyptus leaves, a constant custom with the 

 Braidwood blacks. The recess containing the remains was some 

 five to six feet from the ground, and of small dimensions, and the 

 bones of the limbs had to some extent been disturbed, but con- 

 sidering the long number of years since the body was placed in its 

 then position, it was surprisingly perfect, all the bones being present 

 except the left fibula, part of the sternum, and most of the hand 

 and foot bones. The skull is in excellent preservation, and the 

 teeth very sound. In addition to the severance above the knee 

 of the right femvir, the left ramus of the lower jaw, under the 

 last molar, and in advance of the angle, is fractured. The 

 fracture seems too clear to be the result of a blow, still it may 

 have been. The right zygomatic arch has unquestionably been 

 smashed in by a blow, as tJie malar bone is caved-in longitudinally 

 in its widest part, just posterior to the orl)it. 



No implements or weapons were found with the skeleton. Two 

 excellent tomahawks found in the district were presented ; one 

 from the Endrick River, by Mr. Mark Piercy ; the other from 

 the Sassafras itself by Mr. F. West. The former is a narrow 

 o1)long weapon of a dioritic rock, ground to a cutting edge on 

 both faces. The latter is much heavier and larger, of the same 

 material, similarly ground, and oval and smooth on one face, 

 fashioned on the other. Both were pebbles. 



Zoology. — The neighbourhood of Mayfiekl, hitherto so prolific 

 in 3Iarsupial life, was found to be practically deserted. We saw 

 individuals of Macrojnhs major, Shaw, and Ilcdmaturus ruficollis, 

 Desm. We obtained the black variety of Dasyurus viverinus, 

 Shaw, a female with five young in the pouch in an early stage of 

 development. The Wombat {Phascoloniys Mitc/ielli, Owen) was 

 at one time an inhabitant of the Saassafras Tableland, a few 

 burrows being observed here and there, but it is reported not to 

 exist now. In the dense scrub a Paddymelon (Halmaturus 

 thetidis, F. Cuv.) was secured, and its young with it. These 

 small graceful Wallabies appear to keep closely within the thick 

 vine scrub, and are difiicult to obtain. This specimen is of great 

 interest as illustrating the large size, as compared with that of 

 the mother, to which the young grows before quitting the pouch, 

 in this case twenty inches from the snout to the tip of the tail. 



Throughout the journey Birds were not found to be by any 

 means plentiful. At Mayfiekl the Cuckoo (Cnculus inornatus, 

 Gould) was observed, and this would appear to be rather early 

 for this bird, as frosty nights still prevailed, and even snow fell 



