158 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



of what is known as native tobacco, and tlien passes for a few 

 miles on to the sea-shore, which is here skirted by sand-hills. 

 A mile to the south of the river is an outcrop of limestone on 

 the shore, but so covered with sand that only very small portions 

 of it can be seen, and similar to that already mentioned as 

 occurring at Wickham. In this part also are found the calcified 

 remains of tree roots, matted together and projecting from the 

 side of the sand-hills in close proximity to the limestone from 

 •which the material giving rise to them has first of all been 

 dissolved by percolating water. The limestone, so far as could 

 be discerned, is deposited in almost horizontal beds. Sand- 

 hills, covered with smoke-bush, pig-face, oily bush, and currant 

 bush, extend as far south as Porky Creek — a river of clear water, 

 some twenty yards wide at its mouth, which has received its 

 name owing to a former prevalence on its banks and the 

 district through which it passes, of porcupines, of which only 

 one specimen was secured from this part of the island. 



Inland about four miles is Porky Lagoon — a sheet of water 

 covering twenty acres, and lying to the north of the creek. Its 

 south-eastern bank is covered with tall swamp ti-tree ; its north 

 and west is timbered with white gums, a few blackwoods, and 

 boobyalla ( Myoporum ) Around the lagoon are outcrops of 

 limestone. In its water eels are abundant, and it is frequented 

 largely by wild duck and teal. In the gum woods some of the 

 best insects captured on the island were taken. The wattled 

 honey-eater of Tasmania and the spine-billed honey-eater were 

 ■secured here. 



Between the lagoon and the shore is good t^rassy countr}^ 

 comparatively open and hilly. Eastward the land is good, dark 

 coloured and loamy, with a considerabe amount of large timber. 

 Large tracts have been burned, the charred trunks alone remain- 

 ing. In the centre of the island are large, open, heathy, and 

 grassy plains. These flat tracks are impassible in wet weather, 

 and are, doubtless, the origin of the numerous streams running 

 east and west. Southwards from Porky the land is hilly, and 

 covered simply with a great growth of long, w'iry grass; then 

 comes better land in a large district known as Man Trap. It 

 received this curious name owing to a vessel's hatch falling 

 down upon the hunter who had set it up for shelter in stormy 

 weather. Cultivation has once been attempted here, but in 

 only a rude manner, and the land is certainly rich enough to 

 give very good crops if properly dealt with. 



Passing further south still, fern land and then dense scrub is 

 reached, of ti-tree and acacia. The ground, very dark coloured, 

 is often swampy, and the track under water. Holes of the boring 

 astacus are frequent, tliough, probably owing to the very slight 

 amount of traffic, very few real crab-holes are seen, and only the 

 small; rountl openings and characteristic castings indicate the 

 presence of this land crustacean, which has taken on such a 



