272 



NATURE 



\_Fcb. 4, 1875 



growth of the Pandanus was not one of the least obstacles 

 encountered in the ascent. One tree fern {Ahophi/a Re- 

 becca-, F. Muell.) and a chmbing fern {Glcichcnin Her- 

 vtaniii, R. Br.), which runs up to a height of 50 or 60 ft, 

 were so abundant that in some places a way had to be 

 cut through them. Alsophila Kcbctac was occasionally 

 so much entangled with other plants, such as Siiiila.v 

 elliptica, R. Br,, FlagcUara iiidica, Willd., &c., that to 

 penetrate them was a work of extreme difficulty. 



The top of the range is 5,300 ft. above the sea-level, 

 and in clear weather, considering its situation, the sur- 

 rounding scenery must be very fine ; at the time Mr. 

 Hill and his party visited it, however, everything be- 

 low was hidden by mist. Though the main purpose of 

 the expedition was the exploring of a certain portion of 

 the north-east coast of Queensland with the view of 

 ascertaining the adaptability of the soil for cultivation, 

 the result was not without interest in a botanical point of 

 view, namely, the discovery of new plants. Mr. Hill 

 records two' new palms, discovered at an altitude of 

 2,000 ft., one of which was a beautiful plant about 20 ft. 

 high, with leaves or fronds about 20 ft. long, and a ftem 

 about 9 in. in diameter ; the other grew about 12 ft. high, 

 and its stem was about 3 in. in diameter ; this appeared 

 to be a species of Kcntia. A fine proteaceous tree about 

 60 ft. high, with splendid crimson flowers, was seen at 

 2 500 ft., and at 500 ft. lower down a beautiful new orchid, 

 a species of Aiucctocliiiiis, was discovered. Besides these, 

 other new plants of more or less interest were seen, which 

 in course of time will no doubt find their way to this 

 country. 



It is not so very long since Baron Mueller recorded the 

 discovery of some colossal trees of the Eucalyptus group 

 in the back gullies of Victoria, trees that rivalled, and 

 even exceeded, in height the largest known Wellingtonia. 

 Now Mr. Hill tells us of a splendid Dammara tree 

 passed by him in his descent from the top of the range, 

 the height of which he roughly estimated at not less 

 than 120 ft., with a trunk 4 ft. through. Dammara ro- 

 biista, C. Moore, is the only species at present recorded 

 in Australia, and this is found rather abundantly in the 

 Queensland forests, and is slated to grow to a height of 

 Tso ft., so that in the matter of height the tree seen by 

 Mr. Hill docs not exceed any previously known, but a 

 trunk 12 ft. in circumference is not a small tree. 



We hope that Mr. Hill will be enabled to make a 

 further exploration of this part of Queensland, and pub- 

 lish the account of his journey in a more detailed form. 

 John R. Jackson 



THE TOCK-TAY, OR LARGE HOUSE LIZARD 

 OF EASTERN BENGAL 



rHlS noisy but harmless animal generally finds a 

 lodgement in the bamboo and mat houses of the 

 district that are anywhere near the jungle. It is also 

 fond of living in hollow trees, which give great resonance 

 to its loud and strongly staccatoed cry of tock-tay. It is 

 of a green tint, mottled over with red spots, and suckered 

 feet like its smaller congener, the Tick-tickee, enable it 

 to run under beams and bamboos. Its cry is, however, 

 very different from the gentle tick-tick of the small lizard, 

 being sufficient at night to awake the soundest sleeper. 

 He begins with a loud rattle as if to call attention ; this is 

 followed by another and more imperative rattle, and 

 when everybody may be supposed to be listening, he 

 strikes in deliberately with toc/c-tay — a icao&n— tock-tay — 

 another moan — tock-tay— 3, last and final moan, with 

 which he winds up, not to be heard again for an interval. 

 In the way of edibles he is fond ol a good crust, and 

 the common dung-beetle frequently furnishes him with a 

 piece ae resistance. That insensate insect becomes an easy 

 prey, owing to his heedless rattle-dum-clash ways ; he is the 



great extinguisher of lights at night in native houses, and 

 Europeans are also familiar with his strong sustained 

 drone, varied by intervals of silence when he has dashed 

 against some rafter or projection, or given himself a heavy 

 fall ; but he is not to be discouraged, and is soon up and 

 droning about as dismally as ever. 



The drone, however, is sometimes suddenly quenched 

 without the consequent thump on the floor, and when this 

 is followed by a crunching sound overhead one may safely 

 infer that it is Tock-tay who has been lying in wait for him 

 and has snapped up his prey. 



These lizards may easily be caught during the day by 

 slipping a noose over their necks while they are asleep in 

 an exposed position ; and when so caught they snarl, 

 growl, and snap at their captor in a very ferocious way. 

 I have not heard, however, that they are venomous. 



C. B. 



NOTES 



The cause "of Technical Education is already much in- 

 debted to Sir Joseph Whitwoitb, who has just added to his 

 former judicious henefactions by proposing to found, in connec- 

 tion with Owens College, Manchester, King's College, London, 

 and University College, London, a certain number of Whit- 

 wortli E.\hibiuons, in order to fit young men having a mecha- 

 nical instinct and some httle experience better to become candi- 

 dates for the Whitworth Scholarships. Competitors for these 

 exhibitions must comply with certain reasonably easy con- 

 ditions, and the successful competitors will be entitled to 

 receive during the two years next following the examination, 

 instruction in all such subjects (being part of tlie course of each 

 College) as shall better prepare them for the Whitworth Scholar- 

 ship Examination — viz., practical plane and solid geometry, 

 machine drawing, mathematics, theoretical mechanics, applied 

 mechanics, and freehand drawing. Sir Joseph Whitworth will 

 pay each College annually for iour years, as a trial of the success 

 of his proposal, the sum of 100/. for or towards, at the oplion of 

 each College, the academical expenses of the exhibitioners. 



The Cambridge Mathematical Tripos has been published ; it 

 contains this year eighty-si.x names, of whom twenty-eight ate 

 Wranglers, thirty-four are Senior Optimes, and twenty-four 

 Junior Optimes. The Senior Wrangler is Mr-. John William 

 Lord, of Trinity College, a son of the Rev. Isaac Lord, of 

 Walton, near Ipswich, lately a Baptist minister in Birmingham. 

 He was educated at Cambridge House, Birmingham, then at 

 Amersham Hall School, near Reading. In 1S6S he obtained 

 honours at the matriculation examination of the LTniversity of 

 Loudon. At the examination for M.A., in June 1S74, he was 

 awarded the gold medal for mathematics. In 1S70 he entered 

 Trinity College, Cambridge, when he was awarded an open 

 scholarship for mathematics, and subsequently was elected a 

 foundation scholar. He was declared equal in merit for the 

 Sheepshanks Astronomical Exhibition with Mr. Lewis, of Trinity 

 College. The Rev. E. W. Blor-e was his college tutor, while he 

 received private tuition from Mr. E. J. Routh, of St. Peter's 

 College. Mr. Lord was distinguished as an athlete, and regularly 

 rowed in his College boat 



The Minister of Finances of France has at last consented to 

 pay into the hands of M. Eichens the money which he required 

 to begin the construction of the meridian telescope presented by 

 the banker Bishofsheim to the Paris Observatory. M. Leverrier's 

 letter noticing the fact was gazetted. , The financial rules of the 

 French Administration are so stringent that they could not be 

 altered for the defence of the country during the Franco-German 

 war ; consequently it is an indication of tlie growing spirit of the 

 times to see they are no longer available for obstructmg the path 

 of science. The opposition of the Minister to the payment of 



