104 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



country possessing no rivers or lakes it does seem strange that 

 the natives, many of them brought from far inland, should be 

 such adepts in diving — for adepts they are, as not only are they 

 good divers, but they are able to remain in the water for a 

 considerable period. The greatest depths to which they could 

 dive was on an average eight fathoms, but they occasionally 

 worked as deep as twelve fathoms, and they have been known 

 to dive, but not for shell, as much as fifteen fathoms. The 

 pearl-shell fishing being now nearly all done by the use of 

 diving dresses, the primitive native is abolished ; but in his day 

 he was veryuseful and valuable, and has earned for his employers 

 many thousands of pounds. Sometimes they would swim 

 ashore from the boats and run away, and then there would be 

 the job of following up and bringing them back, the former 

 occasionally being very difficult ; but once accomplished the 

 rest was easy, as the runaways never objected to return — 

 indeed, they had no apparent object in running away, as upon 

 asking for a reason their invariable reply was simply because 

 one of the others suggested they should do so. 



On the pearling grounds, in fact on all the north-west coast, 

 sharks are very numerous, but the natives never seemed to have 

 any fear of them, and but few lives have been sacrificed to their 

 attacks. Indeed, I can only recollect seeing one fatality, and 

 it was then that another of the long cherished beliefs of my 

 boyhood vanished ; for, contrary to what I had been taught^ 

 and until then unquestionably believed, the shark did not turn 

 over in the least to make his attack, but made straight for his 

 victim, who, being unconscious of his approach, was unfortu- 

 nately sacrificed. 



(To be concluded in our next.) 



EXCHANGE NOTICE. 

 Mr. W. B. Waterfall, "Thirlmere," Redland-green, Bristol^ 

 England, is desirous of exchanging mosses with Victorian col- 

 lectors. Genera not occurring in England specially desired. 



In an interesting paper presenting a concise history of the acclimatisation 

 of the Salmonidas in Tasmania, Mr. P. S. Seager claims that success has- 

 been secured in the thorough and unquestioned establishment of salmon 

 trout and brown trout, both of which species are now abundant in Tasmania. 

 The establishment of the true salmon is still to some extent a matter of 

 uncertainty. "It must, however, be borne in mind," says Mr. Seager, 

 •' that more than one specimen submitted for scientific examination to Dr. 

 Giinther and others have been pronounced S. saJar, and that Sir Tlios. Brady 

 has publicly stated his belief that specimens shown to him are of the same 

 species. In speaking of them commercially. Sir Thomas states that such 

 specimens in a salmon-producing country would be accepted as salmon 

 without a doubt." This being so, Mr. Seager is of opinion that the establish- 

 ment of S. salar in Tasmania may almost be regarded as an accomplished 

 fact. — Nature, 



