Chap, xiv.] NATIVE GRAVES. 313 



the hard porphyry rocks, and recalled to one's mind forcibly 

 the extinct Hippurites. 



The hills of the island are covered with a scrub, nowhere 

 very dense or high, whilst there are small mangrove swamps at 

 the edge of the mud flats. The low sandy tracts are open, 

 covered with scattered gum trees with long grass growing 

 beneath them, just as at Cape York. The long grass and 

 bushes were parched and dry, and burnt rapidly when we fired 

 them. On the shore were an Oyster-catcher, a small Plover, 

 and a Sandpiper, in flocks. The few Land-birds seen, were 

 Cape York species, the common Bee- eater, little Ground Dove, 

 Artainus^ White Cockatoo, and a Brush Turkey. 



Close to the shore were two native graves, and the remains 

 of shelters made of branches, and of fires. The island is often 

 visited by the natives of the Straits when on their voyages, but 

 is not permanently inhabited. There were two graves placed 

 side by side, consisting of oblong mounds of sand, each with 

 six wooden posts placed regularly at the corners and middles 

 of the longer sides. The posts had many of them large shells 

 placed on their tops as decorations ; the mounds were decor- 

 ated with ribs of Dugongs, placed regularly along their sides 

 and arching over them, whilst Uugong skulls, all without the 

 tusks, and large shells adorned their summits. 



In dredging in shallow water off Wednesday Island, a mon- 

 ster Starfish was obtained, apparently a species of Oreaster ; it 

 measured i ft. 9 ins. from tip to tip of its arms, and 5 inches 

 in the height of its central disc. 



Booby Island, Torres Straits, Sept. 9th, 1874.— On the fol- 

 lowing day I landed on Booby Island, which acts as a sign-post 

 to ships entering the Prince of Wales Passage from the Arafura 

 Sea, on the other side of lorres Straits. The island is of the 

 same coarse quartz and felspar rock as AVednesday Island ; it 

 is only about two-thirds of a mile in circumference, and 30 to 

 40 feet in height. The greater part of the rock is white with 

 the dung of sea birds, the Booby and the " Wideawake," 

 which frequent it in vast numbers. The birds were, however, 

 not breeding here at the time of our visit : one egg of the tern 

 only was found. Hence these birds were shy, and left the 

 rock on the approach of the boat, and remained flying round it 

 until our departure. 



Most astonishing is the number and variety of land-birds, 

 which is to be found on this small island. It is so small that, 

 when the boat party had landed and had spread over it, it 

 became almost dangerous to shoot in any direction, for fear of 

 hitting some one. Yet here I shot seven species of land-birds, 

 and saw three others. 



