18 RliCORDS OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM. 



Dugong's presence on the coast of New South Wales, i.e., further 

 south than either of those mentioned, are extant, viz., at the 

 Tweed and Richmond Rivers', and Broken Bay, immediately to 

 the north of Port Jackson.^ 



The chief point of interest in connection with these bones 

 from Shea's Creek was the presence of transverse and oblique 

 curved cuts and scars, particularly on the ribs at their outer 

 or distal ends, as if produced by a blunt-edged cutting or cliop- 

 ping instrument. No doubt whatever was entertained by my 

 co-wi'iters and myself that sucli was the origin of these markings. 

 The fact was used as corroborative evidence, pointing to the 

 occupancy of this part of the coast by man at a much earlier 

 date than previously supposed. It was felt at the time that any 

 additional facts relating to the Dugong's presence so far below 

 its usual haunts would be most welcome. 



The fortunate discovery of Dugong bones by Mr. C. A. Rudder 

 in a large kitchen-midden on " Arakoon" at the entrance of the 

 Macleay River, supplies the needed evidence. The midden in 

 question lay about one and a-half miles from the ocean and was 

 in course of removal for the construction of oyster beds. It 

 consisted of shells, black sand, and stones with oysters attached, 

 in diameter about thirty feet, and seven feet in thickness. The 

 bones found near the bottom of the midden are four rib pieces, 

 portion of a lai'ge worn molai' tooth, and a rib of a seal. Three 

 rib pieces exhibit traces of hacking. Like the ribs found at 

 Shea's Creek, one of the Arakoon bones is deeply scarred and cut 

 by some blunt instrument, in fact even more so than either of 

 those from the metropolitan locality, and a second, the most 

 perfect rib (Plate iv., fig. 2), less so. The bones still retain the 

 solid homogenous appearance and weight characteristic of those 

 of the Dugong ; no other objects of interest were discovered 

 duringthe removal of the midden material. One may infer a 

 considerable age for the Arakoon bones from their appearance, so 

 much so that the markings on the most complete rib have nearly 

 disappeared, but not so with the two smaller portions. At the 

 thicker end of one of the latter (PL iv., fig. 1) are several deep sub- 

 parallel cuts lengthwise, united in places by cross-hacking, and at 

 the other end, one or more pieces of bone have been chipped off 



» Ramsay — Cut, N.S. Wales Court Gt, Interiiaf-.Fisheiiefi Exliib. Lond., 

 1883, p. 50. 



^ Etlieridufe, David, and Griiiisliaw — Journ. Roy. So(\ N.S. Wales, xxx., 

 1896, p. 172. 



