40 



limits of your patient henring. It will suffice to observe, that 

 every animal group, from the lowest Protozoa to the highest, is 

 represented in the Torres fStraits district, by form-< of special 

 interest to the biologist. It is not even necessary to except from 

 this category the crowning work of creation — the genus Homo. 

 A.S has been proved by the excellent work recently accomplished 

 by Professor Haddon, with reference to the customs and folk lore 

 of the various tribes inhabiting the Torres Ntraits Islands, in the 

 neighbourhood of Thursday Island, the anthropologist will also 

 find here a mass of the rarest material for investigation. 



One small honne houclie I have reserved for the termination 

 of this discourse. The delicacy known as Palolo is probably 

 not unknown to many Queenslauders. It is a small marine 

 vi^orm, allied to the genus Nereis, that at a certain season of the 

 year appears in vast shoals on the surface of the sea, in the 

 vicinity of fSamoa, Tonga, Fiji, and other of the Pacific Islands, 

 and is regarded by the natives as one of the daintiest luxuries 

 that their teri'itories produce. The epoch of its appearance is 

 reported to be confined to two days only, in the months of 

 October and November, and these being the day before and the 

 day upon which the moon enters her last quarter. In anticipa- 

 tion of the forthcoming feast, the natives assemble in numbers, 

 the night previously, at the localities among the reefs where the 

 Falolo is to be obtained most abundantly. At dawn of day on 

 the following morning the woi'ms make their appearance in 

 countless myriads, sport on the surface of the water for two or 

 three hours and then mysteriously disappear. On the second 

 day, they appear at the same time in even greater quantities than 

 on the first one, and are ladled into the canoes with the hands, 

 nets, baskets, bowls, or any other available utensils. They are 

 eaten both raw, and tied up in bread-fruit leaves and baked, while 

 large quantities are sent inland by way of barter, or as presents 

 to those who are unable to take ])art in the fishery. 



I am by no means beyond hope that Palolo may become a 

 Queensland standard dish 8oon after daybreak, on one of the 

 reefs at Thursday Island, — I might intimate, that it is the early 



