i 88 Cruise of the "Alert" 



inches from the praestomium. Another Annelid (species unknown) 

 was peculiar in having two long barb-like tentacles projecting back- 

 wards from the under part of the head. On examining the pro- 

 boscis of the latter, while it was resting in sea-water in a glass 

 trough, Haswell noticed a number of singular bodies being extruded 

 from the mouth, which he eventually ascertained, to his great 

 astonishment, were the partially developed young of the worm. 



One of the large Asterophytons which came up with the dredge 

 was seen to exhibit nodular swellings on several parts of the 

 arms, but principally at the points of bifurcation. Each of these 

 swellings was provided with one or more small apertures, and had 

 the general appearance of being a morbid growth. On incising 

 the dense cystwall a cavity was exposed, containing a tiny red 

 gastropodous mollusc (of the genus Stilifer), enveloped in a mass 

 of cheesy matter, which contained moreover one or two spherical 

 white pellets of (probably) fcecal matter. Haswell obtained about 

 a dozen specimens of the shell from a single asterophyton. 



Port Denison is only forty 'miles to the northward of Port 

 Molle, so that we accomplished the passage in about six hours, 

 and before dusk took up a berth in the shallow bay about, a mile 

 and a half from the shore, and three-quarters from the end of a 

 long wooden pier, which was built some years ago in the vain hope 

 of developing the shipping trade of the port. The township of 

 " Bowen " is built on a larger scale than " Gladstone " of which 

 we had such pleasant reminiscences but did not appear to be in 

 a -more flourishing condition, a " gold rush " further to the north- 

 ward having drawn off part of the population, and some of the 

 trade which had previously gone through the port. On the out- 

 skirts of the town were some large encampments of the blacks, 

 who lived in a primitive condition, and afforded an interesting 

 study for an ethnologist. Like most of the Australian aborigines, 

 their huts were little better than shelter screens to protect them 

 from the wind and sun. In some instances the twigs on the lee 

 side of a bush, rudely interlaced with a few leafy boughs torn from 



