96 THK VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



CPsses shades of beauty and peace. In its open glades floods of 

 sunshine and glory. Beautiful dragon-flies dance over the babbling 

 brook, (iay-bodied flies or gentle bees hum in time to its peaceful 

 uiunnurs. Swallow-tailed moths disturbed from their silent day- 

 dreams soar to the trees for a safer shelter. Pretty birds chirp, 

 and golden pigeons bark like dogs in the branches overhead. Crimson- 

 winged bombyces feed on the choicest fruits. Delicious perfumes 

 gladden the senses, lovely fairyland delights the heart. But, ladies 

 and gentlemen, words would fad to pencil the landscape ; imagery 

 would be futile to reproduce the scenes. And so, till next we meet, 

 I can but wish you pleasant dreams, and snatches of ideal enjoyment 

 from this earthly paradise. 



ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE. 



Just now the subject of Animal Intelligence is receiving a severely 

 scientific, and therefore hopeful, treatment at the hands of Dr. G. 

 J . Romanes. To this eminent Biologist, well-known for work iu 

 comparative physiology, Darwin made over " all the notes and clipp- 

 ings" on the subject which he had been collecting for forty years. 

 This mass of material formed a substantial basis of facts ; and 

 weekly almost in " Nature" appear guaranteed observations from 

 nearly all parts of the world. Dr. Romanes' first volume has been 

 published in the International Scientific Series, and will be probably 

 soon followed by another 



The intelligence of some groups of Vertebrates can be better 

 studied in Australia than anywhere else. Not a word occurs in Dr. 

 Komanes' book on the intelligence of the Platypus or Echidna, and 

 a page suffices for the marsupials. It would be a great gain to 

 science, (and incidentally to the pages of the " Naturalist,") if 

 squatters and other country readers of this journal could supply 

 well-authenticated instances of "sense" shown ly any of these 

 creatures. As the lowest mammals, their minds are of particular 

 interest Tamed, and so trained, individuals would be most likely 

 to furnish such instances. 



Again, the education of parrots from early infancy is practised 

 by numbers in this colony, and is impracticable in Europe. Careful 

 observations, soberly narrated, would yield information which those 

 working at home would thank us for extremely. 



We shall be very glad to receive and publish any such facts which 

 might throw light on this fascinating and really important 

 subject, — Ed. 



