VI PREFACE. 



As was the case with the author's previously published volume, " The 

 Great Barrier Reef of Australia," the camera has been extensively requisitioned for 

 the delineation of the subjects illustrated. These will be found to include, as in 

 that volume, various marine organisms photographed in their native element with 

 possibly an even greater measure of success. The potency of the camera "to 

 hold as 'twere the mirror up to Nature" in almost every conceivable phase and 

 condition of her varying moods and tenses, is indeed established in these pages at 

 any rate, to an extent that should recommend the more universal employment 

 of this instrument for the portrayal of the protean aspects and metamorphoses of 

 living organisms. 



The subjects dealt with in this book include tenants of the sea and shore 

 throughout the entire range of the Australian colonies, from North Queensland, 

 Port Darwin and Thursday Island, to picturesque Tasmania and Bass's Straits. A 

 larger space has undoubtedly, however, been allotted to the products of Western 

 Australia. This colony, although possessing the most extensive land area, has 

 but recently come to the forefront among its compeers, and there has hitherto 

 been but a scant amount of information available concerning its natural history 

 treasures. The marvellous material progress and prosperity that, concurrently with 

 the discovery and exploitation of its auriferous wealth, has so pre-eminently distin- 

 guished this colony's career within the past few years will, no doubt, also speedily 

 bring about an equivalent awakening to and development of its latent scientific 

 potentialities. 



As an indication of the leading position Western Australia is eligible to 

 occupy with relation to one important biological subject, reference may be made to 

 that Chapter which deals with Houtman's Abrolhos. As there demonstrated, very 

 exceptional facilities prevail at that place for the conduct of reef-boring opera- 

 tions and for the prosecution of all methods of investigation relating to Coral and 

 Coral life. The Islands are situated within a day's journey from the metropolis of 

 the colony and a few hours' sail only from the Port of Geraldton. A permanent 

 biological observatory established there would, consequently, be in near touch with 



