•] Barnard, A Day on Mounl Disappointment. 



Vol. XX VI r. 



grass tussock. It proved to be a specimen of our smallest 

 marsupial, Acrobates pygmcBus, the so-called " flying mouse," 

 remarkable lor its feather-like tail. It was quickly transferred 

 to the collecting bottle, as being of value at the National 

 Museum. I felt sorry for the poor little creature in happening 

 to go for a drink at such an unlucky moment, as these animals 

 are said to be nocturnal in their habits. It had ventured out 

 rather early that evening, for it was then barely five o'clock. 

 We now turned homewards, and, excepting the excitement 

 of seeing a Brown Snake at Syphon Hill, which was too quick 

 for us, and got away in the long grass, we reached Whittlesea 

 about half-past six. I am still dissatisfied with the natural 

 history of the Toorourrong basin, and hope, at no distant date, 

 to try the head waters of the Eastern Plenty, when possibly 

 I may have something of greater novelty to record. 



BOOK NOTICES. 



A Guide to the Natural History of the Isle of Wight. 

 Edited by Frank Morey, F.L.S. London : W. Wesley and 

 Son. 560 pp. (8J X 5j), with map and about 30 illus- 

 trations, diagrams, &c. los. 6d. 

 The editor, in an interesting introduction of about 20 pages, 

 relates how^ the idea of a complete guide to the natural history 

 of the island grew upon him, and how he set to w^ork to secure 

 the assistance of specialists and enthusiasts in the different 

 branches of science. He points out what numbers of different 

 forms of animal or vegetable life must exist in any given area, 

 and how little is known about them. He has something to 

 say on the question of our right to collect and preserve 

 specimens of natural history, maintaining that, in the majority 

 of gi'oups, the average collector does little or no harm by the 

 few specimens he manages to secure out of the many thousands 

 by which he is surrounded. But it is to the general plan of 

 the work attention is directed. The Isle of Wight is a well- 

 known part of England, situated off the middle of the southern" 

 coast, in close proximity to Bournemouth, celebrated as a 

 health resort on account of its genial climate, and not far from 

 that entomologists' paradise, the New Forest. The Solent and 

 Spithead, separating it from the mainland, are comparatively 

 shallow, and only from three to six miles in width. The 

 island covers about 93,000 acres — slightly smaller than our 

 Wilson's Promontory National Park — and in form is somewhat 

 lozenge-shaped, with a coast-line of about 60 miles, the longest 

 axis (about 20 miles) being from east to west, while from north 

 to south, at the widest part, is about 13 miles. The country 

 is undulating, averaging about 200 feet above sea level ; there are, 

 however, two or three elevations of 450 feet, and one of 667 feet. 



