THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 31 



and Kentia. The latter is very common, and usually known as 

 the walking-stick palm. In the scrub were great pine trees, and 

 under the bark stripped off" from these, and lying about in large 

 slabs, I expected to find any number of worms and insects 

 but was much disappointed. Millipedes and scorpions were 

 there, and two large forms of land shells ; but scarcely an insect 

 to be seen, and not a planarian or peripatus. I got a few 

 new species of earthworms, of which, again, the commonest 

 form was Cryptodrilus purpureus ; and in rotten logs, which, 

 unfortunately, were few in number, were large forms of 

 cockroaches. The earthworms formed the best part of my 

 collection here, and comprised representatives of five 

 genera — Perichaeta, Megascolides (one species, the only one 

 found), Cryptodrilus, Perissogaster. and Acanthodrilus. The 

 latter is only recorded, as yet, from Northern Australia, where 

 there are two species, and is characteristic of New Zealand. 

 Perissogaster is peculiarly Australian and has only three species 

 yet known. My specimens were obtained by digging on the banks 

 of a creek at Cooran and were whitish in colour and about i to 

 i^ feet in length. The boys use them for fishing, quite unaware 

 of their scientific value. 



In Queensland, as in Victoria, I could very rarely, indeed, find 

 traces of casts made by worms or of leaves dragged down into 

 the burrows, and it would appear that here, as in Africa, the ants 

 are of more use than the worms as agents in turning over the 

 soil. Under the bark and logs were a few frogs — Pseud ophy rue 

 bibronii and coriacea, Ovinia signifera, and a female specimen 

 of Cryptotis brevis. In certain spots there were great num- 

 bers of trap-door spiders. Some of the tubes, which led for about 

 2-4 inches down into the ground, were an inch in diameter. The 

 top of the tube, with its semi-circular trap-door, projects slightly 

 above the surface. 



One of the most striking features of the scrub were the epiphytic 

 orchids, of which, owing to its size and large pendent masses of 

 yellow-brown flowers, Gymbidium canaliculatum was the most 

 noticeable. In parts the ground was crimson with the fallen berries 

 of a species of Eugenia : we cut one down about 60 feet high, laden 

 with fruit, which has a tart taste, and from its colour and size has 

 caused the tree to be known as the Native Cherry. Another 

 Eugenia has a large purple fruit, and is hence known as the 

 Native Plum. High up, some 50 feet above ground, we saw 

 hanging down clusters of light brown fruit. Luckily there was a 

 hanging vine close at hand and up this George Martin went 

 like a monkey. The fruit belonged to the tree Dysxvylon, ru.fa.rn, 

 and each was covered over with innumerable minute stiff hairs, 

 which pierced the skin in hundreds. . Ocher plants we noticed 

 were the Wistaria, which here grows wild, Dracteia, anjustifolia, 



