THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 29 



meaning of these openings. Each one is connected with a gland, 

 and, when irritated, the animal passes out a few drops of a most 

 obnoxious fluid, of a red-brown colour, the function of which must 

 be protective. Whilst on this subject, I may mention that one 

 morning, when Mr. Frank Connelly and myself were digging for 

 worms, we accidentally cut in two a Cockroach. From between 

 the segments in its back it poured forth a milky white fluid, 

 possessing an odour so execrable and pungent that it drove us 

 from the spot. 



Under logs we found, also, of land planarians, Geoplana coerulea 

 and varieyata, and amongst Vertebrata, the frogs Limnodynastes 

 tasmaniensis, which was common everywhere, and Hyperolia 

 marmorata. Of lizards, we secured species of Phyllodactylus, 

 Pygopus, Grammatophora, Hinulia, Liolepisma, and Egernia. 

 Snakes were rare, only the genera Morelia, Furina, and Hoplo- 

 cephalus being represented. Whilst in the scrub I did not see a 

 single marsupial. 



On the road from Biggenden to Gayndah I had been struck 

 with the appearance of two small hillocks capped with basalt. 

 The country all round was thinly wooded with nothing but gum 

 trees but just the tops of these two hillocks were rich with vege- 

 tation, though each was at most fifty yards in width. Dr. Cole, 

 Mr. Illidge and myself drove out to see if there were anything 

 worth collecting. Unfortunately, since I had passed along the 

 country had been fired and everything was as dry and parched as 

 it well could be. However, just the very cap of the hills still 

 formed a strong contrast to the surrounding country and here 

 we found growing — though nowhere else, apparently, except in 

 these two very limited areas — Damara robusta, the Queensland 

 Kauri, Cupania xylocarpa, Micromelam pubescens, Carissa 

 brownii, Citriobatus (sp.), and amongst ferns a rich growth of 

 Polypodium (sp.), and Adiantum (sp.) Animal life was almost 

 absent. We disturbed three Wallabies but except these and a 

 few millipedes and scorpions and endless ants there was nothing 

 to be seen. 



My time was passing by rapidly, and though I would much 

 have liked a few more days in the Gayndah scrub it was a 

 choice between this and two or three days in the palm district 

 between Gympie and Brisbane. Regretfully I left Gayndah and 

 taking the coach back to Biggenden found myself in the evening 

 in Maryborough. In the morning I had about two hours to 

 wander about. Close to the town were camped some blacks. 

 It was curious to note how they had adapted themselves to their 

 environment. They had made their " humpies " out of old 

 sheets of corrugated iron. A semi-clothed native lying down in 

 the shelter of a mia-mia made of English corrugated iron formed 

 as incongruous a mixture as could well be imagined. Early in 



