1897. EXPEDITION TO CENTRAL AUSTRALIA. 257 



of the spatulate extremity of the third primary of the wing in the 

 male. 



The Reptiles include fort}'' species of lizards (nine new) and twelve 

 of snakes (one new, the type of a new genus Hornea). The lizards 

 belong to the families Geckonidse, Pygopodidas, Agamida^, Varanidae 

 and Scincidas. A great amount of variation has been shown to exist 

 in many forms, and not a few so-called species are reduced by the 

 authors to varietal rank. The following account by Professor Spencer 

 of the fate of a specimen of Tiliqua occipitalis is interesting: — "Having 

 my hands full of specimens, I asked a black fellow to look after it and 

 not to let it escape, when to my surprise he simply put it down on 

 the hot sand. It was perfectly alive when put down, . . . and when 

 placed on the ground it began to travel at some rate, but after going 

 five yards its movements became slower and before ten yards had 

 been traversed they ceased and the animal was quite dead — simply 

 apparently baked to death by contact with the hot sand." 



The Amphibia, Professor Spencer tells us, are remarkable, firstly 

 for the paucity of species, and secondly for the great number of indi- 

 viduals found at certain seasons. The characteristic forms belong to 

 five species, four of which may be described as burrowing frogs. 

 Hyla rubella is probably a direct descendant of some form which 

 inhabited the region during more favourable climatic conditions ; the 

 other species have probably immigrated from the east or south east. 

 ChiroUptes platycephalus is remarkable for the power of storing up water 

 in its body, on account of which it is sought for and dug out by the 

 blacks in seasons of drought. Hyla gilleni is described as new. 



Of Fishes Mr. Zietz describes eight species, of which six are new, 

 but there are no general notes or discussions of moment. 



The number of Mollusca known to inhabit this region has been 

 increased from three to twenty-five, of which only four extend beyond 

 the area. " The facies of the fauna approximates more to that of 

 subtropical and temperate West Australia than of any other part of 

 the continent, and is in strong contrast with the highly differentiated 

 fauna of tropical and sub-tropical Queensland, situated to the east of 

 the Cordilleras, to which it is geographically equally near. The 

 limited number of genera represented, together with the facts of their 

 geographic distribution, would seem to indicate a primitive popula- 

 tion, which has been maintained in an isolated condition by climatic 

 and geologic changes." Mr. Hedley contributes an anatomical 

 appendix, in which he advocates the view that Xanthomelon should be 

 advanced from subgeneric to generic rank, and removes Microphyura 

 from the Rhytididae to the Endodontida^, remarking that it would 

 seem to be of high antiquity and of antarctic origin and is probably 

 one of the most primitive of Australian snails. 



The Crustacea are dealt with by Prof. Spencer and Mr. T. S. 

 Hall. As regards their habits they may be divided into two groups: — 

 "(i) Those which can burrow and so tide over a certain length of dry 



