228 
NALURE 
[JANUARY 7, 1897 
and from which, through the conservation of specimens 
in suitable receptacles in the adjacent stream, every 
essential developmental phase was successfully recorded. 
The time spent in waiting for the spawning of Ceratodus 
was fully occupied by Prof. Semon in accumulating zoo- 
logical material of every available description. His book 
constitutes also a full and interesting narrative of his 
experiences as a “new chum,” or novitiate in Australian 
bush life, together with an abundance of information 
on colonial matters generally, in so far as they relate to 
Queensland. In this manner his descriptions of the 
fauna and flora are liberally interspersed with popular 
accounts of cattle mustering and branding, meat freezing 
works, sugar and gold-mining industries, and even dis- 
sertations on sports and politics. The pages of Prof. 
Semon’s volume abound with illustrations, photographs 
of his camping stations and their environments, of the 
deterred by counter-attractions from devoting special 
attention to this subject—that phenomenal formation the 
Great Barrier Reef. Prof. Semon concludes his dis- 
cussion of the Darwinian and newer theories that have 
been advanced concerning its origin, by a declaration 
(p. 273) altogether in favour of the Darwinian or sub- 
sidence interpretation, as applied not only to the Aus- 
tralian, but to most other Barrier and Atoll reef 
formations. 
Leaving Australia and having visited New Guinea, 
M. Semon extends his travels to Java, Celebes and 
Ceram, devoting a considerable time at Amboyna to 
exploring and collecting in the life-teeming coral seas of 
that district. A special object of his ambition in these 
latitudes was the investigation of the developmental 
history of Wautilus pompilius. Unfortunately the time 
of his visit was not favourable for the acquisition of the 
Buddhist Temple of Boro Budor, Jaya. 
semi-civilised natives in his employ, and the animals 
characteristic of the district. It is to be regretted, being 
as demonstrated an expert with the camera, he should, 
as is conspicuously evident, have contented himself with 
reproducing the portraits of the animal forms from 
mounted or preserved specimens only. 
From Southern Queensland, Prof. Semon travelled 
northward, making a stay of some weeks in the plains 
and scrublands inland from Cooktown, intent on the 
collection of marsupial embryological material, and also 
at Thursday Island for the acquisition of the abundant 
marine zoological products of Torres Straits. The 
chapters devoted to these selected centres of investi- 
gation constitute, it might be added, a comprehensive 
gazetteer to the townships of the East Queensland coast. 
The nature and configuration of the associated coastline 
receives also a share of notice, including—although 
NO. [419, VOL. 55] 
desired material, the Nautili being then in deep water. 
Inquiries elicited the fact that it is only during the south- 
east monsoon, from May to September, that this Cepha- 
lopod enters the shallow coastal waters for the purpose 
of depositing its spawn. By leaving suitable materials 
for their conservation, a consignment of half-a-dozen 
examples of this, in the flesh, rarely-obtained species were 
subsequently remitted to M. Semon from Amboyna. 
The latter portion of Prof. Semon’s book abounds with 
admirable photographs of the characteristic landscapes 
of the tropical districts visited and described. Mingled 
with these are a few notable Oriental architectural and 
social scenes, that of the Javanese rock-hewn Buddhist 
temple of Boro Budor, shown in the accompanying illus- 
tration, being especially fine. With the exception, how- 
ever, of a drawing of the Robber Crab (Birgus latro), 
no zoological subject is figured, and one is somewhat 
