INDEX 



341 



extraordinary contrast of in pre- 

 historic times, 323 



Spencer's Gulf, cornfields with poppies 

 at, 95 ; appearance of country near, 

 101 ; shores of gulf a reedy mud- 

 waste, 102 ; Lakes Torrens and Eyre 

 probably formerly a part of, 112 



Sperm whale, school of in Australian 

 Bight, 119; dull of sight and hear- 

 ing, 119; sometimes seen and cap- 

 tured in King George's Sound, 154 



Spider-crab. See Crab 



Spinifex, an intolerable nuisance near 

 Lake Torrens, HI ; kangaroos avoid 

 it, in ; sand hills covered with, in 

 interior, 161 



Spiny devil, spines protective, 98 ; 

 apparent case of mimicry, 98 ; animal 

 harmless, 98 ; size and weight, 98 ; 

 food, 99; called "mountain devil" 

 in Westralia, 192 ; numerous in 

 western deserts, 192 



Spiny-tailed lizard, curious, of Abrolhos, 

 205-206; lives amongst coral, 206; 

 food and habits of, 206 



Sterna australis, 135 



Stipiturus malacurus, 82 



Stork, Mycteria australis, most gre- 

 garious, 52 ; preys on fish and small 

 mammals, 52 ; flight and habits, 53 ; 

 nesting and habits of the white heron, 

 53 



Storm-petrel, plentiful in Great Bight, 



136 ; with us during perilous voyage, 



137 ; satisfaction of sailors at presence 

 of, 136-137 



Straitsmen, island kings, 134 ; exter- 

 minated the seals on Bass's Strait, 



134 



Striated cliffs, 3, 102, 108 ; singular 

 near Dover Point, 123 



Stump-tailed lizard, one of strangest 

 creatures in Australia, 240 ; sluggish 

 habits of, 241 



Sula pi^catrix, 213 



Sun-fish, weighing 400 pounds taken 

 in King George's Sound, 155 



Surinlhopsis murina, pouched-mouse, 60 



Swamson's loriquet, 9 ; in suburbs of 

 Sydney, 9 ; feeds on honey, 9 ; 

 habits, 9 ; number in flock, 9 ; in 

 snow-storm, 10 ; breeding, 10 ; a 

 noisy bird and bad talker, 10 ; dis- 

 tribution, 11 



Swamp-oak, a useful shrub to natives, 

 212 ; uses to which bark is put, 212 



Swan, white swans and black, 33-34 ; 

 nesting of, 34 ; black swan a shy 

 bird, 102 ; at King George's Sound, 



153; migrate, 153; black swans on 

 Swan River in 1 890, 158 



Swan, cutter-yacht, purchase and out- 

 fit of, 113; crew, 114; adventurous 

 voyage, 114, 131 ; difficulties of 

 navigating, 115, 128-129; could only 

 sail seven knots per hour, 129 



Swan River, lake-like above Perth, 158 



Swan River district, prevailing winds, 

 climate, and rain, 156 ; interior a 

 plain with a few scattered hills on it, 

 163 ; mirage in the desert, 163 ; 

 conical hills with wall-like cliffs, 163 ; 

 waterless interior, 162-164 



Syncecus australis, 118 



Tea-tree, in river-bed, 193 



Tecoma australis, a large trumpet- 

 shaped flower, 89 ; climbs gum-trees 

 to great height, 89 



Tern, Australian, 135 ; found all round 

 Australian coasts, 136 ; asleep on 

 back of turtle, 137-138, 317 ; breeds 

 on Barrier Reef, 318 



Thalassochelys caret/a, 316 



Thee la quereus, 83 



Thorn bushes, troublesome at head of 

 Australian Bight, 121 



Torrens, Lake, See Lake Torrens 



Tortoise, C. oblonga, and others, fre- 

 quently found in mud of rivers, 209 



Townships on the Darling, 44 



Trachysaurus rugosus. See Stump-tailed 

 lizard 



Tra\el, dangers of, a personal adven- 

 ture, 21-29 ; perils of the Swan, 127; 

 necessaries for a journey in the bush, 

 160; troubles occasioned by desert 

 storm, 165 166 ; conditions of in 

 Australia now quite altered, 1 71-173 ; 

 no interest in explorer unless he goes 

 for gain or a wager, 173; from natives 

 in Port Darwin district, 230; long 

 solitary rides, 236 ; flood dangers, 

 338-339 ; hardships and amenities of 

 bush life, 247-248 



Trees, scattered on Riverine plains, 20 ; 

 tree-belt, on Darling, 44 ; on Mount 

 Kosciusko, 54, 56 ; in Victoria, 67- 

 68 ; English trees, 74, 76 ; larg 

 trees in the world, 86, see Big trees ; 

 celery-pine in Adelaide district, 96 ; 

 very few near head of Australian 

 Bight, 118 ; English trees quite alter 

 appearance of country about King 

 George's Sound, 149 ; scattered about 

 desert interior of Swan River district, 

 162 ; on high bank of river, 18 1 ; 

 belts of in Swan River desert, 182 ; 



