THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



307 



In the reef-pools, sea-slugs, or beche-de-mer iHolothurians) 



were seen crawling over the sand. Some species are black 



and slimy, others coral pink or red. 



[Photo.— ('. Barrett. 



l)lack and .slimy, were covered in sand 

 grains ; others were red and shiny, 

 with blunt spikes on their leathery 

 bodies. When I touched one of the 

 sUmy " slugs," it contracted, and 

 ejected scores of thread-like filaments, 

 white and sticky. Among the coral, 

 cowries, giant clams (Tridacna), ear 

 shells (Haliotis), and many other kinds, 

 were discovered in abundance. The 

 gem of the garden, for me, was a 

 disc of Fungi a coral, quaint but beau- 

 tiful, and with a fairy-tale life history. 

 But indeed, all the 

 corals are wonderful, 

 though the "toiling 

 coral insect " is no 

 longer praised by 

 preacher and moral- 

 ist, who, like the rest 

 of us, have now a little 

 knowledge of marine 

 zoology. 



TURTLES AT HOME. 



The green turtles 

 [Chelone mydas) fre- 

 quent Dunk Island 

 waters, and their ways 

 have been described by 

 " The Beachcomber." 

 My own acquaintance 

 with them was made 

 much farther south, 

 among the Capricorns. 



On Masthead Island 

 beaches they were often 

 seen, and at North-west 

 Island I counted more 

 than one hundred, ashore 

 or in the lagoon. It was 

 easy enough to enjoy a 

 turtle ride, if one caught 

 a re]itile napping. Only, 

 the ride was short, and 

 exciting when the turtle 

 reached the sea. I never 

 could gain De Rouge - 

 mont's skill and guide 

 my steed, or kee|) its head 

 above water when it en- 

 tered the lagoon. 



On the northern isles, 



green turtles make their 



nurseries. The eggs are 



deposited in hollows 



scooped in damp sand, on the fringe of 



the scrub. They are covered deep, the 



sand is smoothed down, and the turtles 



return tothe sea. Whenthe eggs hatch, 



the baby turtles must make a perilous 



passage to begin their aquatic Ufe. 



Crossing the beach, numbers must fall 



victims to birds of carnivorous ta&tes. 



When the net was drawn near the 

 boatshed, strange fishes often were 

 revealed. Some were good eating ; 

 and others, bizarre in shape and col- 

 oring, most suitable for an aquarium, 



The Green Turtle (Chelone mydasi frequents these waters and 

 nests on some of the coral beaches amongst the isles. 



[Photo.— ('. Barrett. 



