Natural Features of the Islands — Animal Life. 199 



Booby Island. In geological formation they are all much alike, 

 a quartzite or quartz porphyry being the prevailing form of rock. 

 The land is covered with rank grass, and is for the most part 

 lightly timbered with gum-trees. On the latter a parasitic plant, 

 resembling mistletoe, is commonly met with. Water is scarce, 

 and during a great part of the year some of the islands are 

 practically without any. In searching for water-holes or for damp 

 spots, where water has at some period of the year been present, 

 Pandanus trees are in many instances considered to be a safe 

 guide. The rule, however, seems to be that where moisture 

 habitually collects, Pandanus trees will be found growing, and 

 not the converse. Attached to rocky surfaces, and to the bark 

 of trees in shady places, the eye is frequently arrested by the 

 sight of most beautiful orchids, principally of the genus Dendrobium. 

 These orchids are objects of much concern to the more enterprising 

 colonists, as there is an oft-repeated story that some years ago a 

 white-flowered Dendrobium was found on Goode Island, and on 

 being sent to England was sold for ^"200. Consequently everyone 

 collecting orchids is supposed to be in quest of the famous white 

 species. 



Lizards are abundant, especially a large Monitor, which, when 

 disturbed, astonishes one by the noise which it makes in scampering 

 over the stones and dead twigs to its burrow, or if this be not at 

 hand, to seek the protection of some friendly tree, up which it 

 climbs with extraordinary facility. They are easily shot. When 

 first I saw their burrows, I considered them to be the work of 

 some burrowing marsupial, and accordingly set a cage-trap opposite 

 the entrance of one. On returning next day, I found, to my 

 surprise, a large Monitor coiled up inside the trap, whose 

 dimensions were so small in proportion to the size of the 

 reptile, that the wonder was how he ever managed to stow 

 himself inside. We encountered few snakes, and from inquiries 

 were led to believe that few, if any, poisonous ones existed. 

 However, they are said not to show themselves much during 



