HORN KXPKDITION NAIMiATI VK. 29 



Uui- black Ijoy sliowcd us the root of a tree [Lcsc/iai/iaiil/in divaricata) wiiicli 

 tlie natives put into the fire and tlien scrape so as to oljtain a resinous malcrial 

 wliith can h(> used for fastening pieces of flint on to the handles of spear-thro weis, 

 etc., though in all the implements which we saw it was the resin obtained from the 

 Porcupine grass {Triodia) which was used for this purpose. 



Tlicre were just a few tussocks of Porcupine grass about, but we were not as 

 yet in the true Porcupine country. 



On the sand were the little crater-like pits and tracks of ant lions (Myi-nieleon). 

 The w.ay to iind the animal during the day-time is to follow up a, track leading 

 away from a crater until it comes to a- sudden stop, wliirh indicates tliat here the 

 larva is at rest an inch or two boneatli the .sand. Only rarely during day-time can 

 they be found at the bottom of the little craters, which are probably used a,t night. 

 At first we had searched unsuccessfully below them, but a, black boy on being 

 asked to show us wiiere the ant lion " sa,t down," as he calhnl it, at once started 

 away from the crater and followed up the track wliich is a \'ery distinct groove on 

 the surface made liy the animaJ as it di'ags its body along. The aid of the l)la,i-ks 

 is simply indispensable in procuring specimens, .sometimes they are at a loss, but 

 very seldom, and as a general rule not only recognise each individual track, but 

 from the appearance of the marks at the mouth of a buri'ow, will .at once tell you 

 whether the animal is in it or not. 



For miles ahead from any slight rise we could see the track looking like a, 

 clean cut line in the scrub rising and falling over the low sand ridges. We camped 

 for the night not far to the east of Mount Daniel, th(! highest point of a low lying 

 range up which in the morning Messrs. Horn, Watt and Winnecke I'ode to 

 endeavour if possible to gain some idea of the country away to the West in the 

 direction of the Ayers Range, which according to the first plans drawn up it had 

 been intended that we should visit. The rest of the party crossed a stony I'idge 

 covered with Giddea scrub and came down ii^to the valley of the (ioyder, where we 

 camped by the side of a well dug in the middle of the channel, which was of cour.se 

 quite dry save for a small watei-hole. As a general rule water may be obtained in 

 these sandy beds by sinking to a depth of from thirty to forty feet, though to 

 obtain anything like a permanent su])ply they must be suid< to a- greater depth 

 than this, and the South Australian Government to .secure a water supply for 

 parties ti'aversing the overland track has sunk a series of these wells at int<M-\als, 

 without the existence of which it would, in seasons of drought, be very difiicult to 

 cross the country. 



