March, 1908.] THK VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 167 



A NATURALIST'S HEALTH TRIP TO NORTHERN 

 QUEENSLAND. 



By C French, F.L.S., F.E.S., Government Entomologist, 



Victoria. 

 {Read hefore the Field JSfaticraiists' Club of Victoria, lOth Feb., 1908.) 



Acting upon the advice of Drs. Player and Maudsley, I left 

 Melbourne in September last for a trip to Queensland in the good 

 steamer Wyandra, and proceeded to Cooktown, as the furthest 

 point of my destination, a distance of some 2,000 miles. I must 

 here thank the A. U.S.N. Company for the very liberal travelling 

 concessions made to myself and my wife, who was with me, as 

 in many ways I was unable to help myself, owing to rheumatic 

 troubles; and also the Agricultural Department, for having kindly 

 granted me the necessary leave of absence. 



On the way up to Sydney thousands of Short-tailed Petrels, 

 " Mutton-birds," were to be seen wending their way towards 

 Victoria, but after leaving Sydney we saw nothing more of them. 

 Upon arrival in Sydney I called to see my old friend, Mr. J. H. 

 Maiden, F.L.S., Government Botanist and Director of the 

 Botanic Gardens. It would be needless for me to speak of the 

 magnificent palms, Ficus, and other tropical plants for which 

 these gardens are famous. In Sydney they were having a 

 terribly dry and hot spell of weather, still tlie bedding out and 

 other floral displays were looking well, the gardens, as usual, 

 being well patronized. 



Our next port of call was Brisbane, at which place I was sorry 

 to find the gardens dried up and the famous water-lily lake a 

 mud-hole, with the glorious Bamboos, Strelitzias, Ravenalias, &c., 

 still on its banks defying the drought. The Brisbane gardens are 

 most unfortunate in being either dried up or else flooded to a 

 depth of several feet, so that as a consequence the reputation of 

 the place suffers. It is somewhat astonishing that in and around 

 Brisbane there is hardly a decent specimen of Bunya Bunya Pine 

 to be found, the fine trees of the Melbourne district putting the 

 Brisbane specimens altogether in the shade. 



Some forty miles on the Northern line is a delightful place, 

 Wombye, where occurs a tropical belt, with its Kentia palms, 

 giant nettles, tree-ferns, and orchids in profusion, and in getting 

 there the singular Glass-house Mountain is passed. This spot 

 would appear to be the natural home of the scrub-leech, which 

 is strongly in evidence everywhere, and specimens of which 

 furnished the principal material for the excellent monograph 

 written by our Miss Lambert (Mrs. A'Beckett), and published by 

 our Royal Society. Pineapples are grown to perfection in the 

 district. * 



At Brisbane several well-known entomologists came to see me, 



