HORN EXPEDITION — NARRATIVE. 67 



Tlifro avc, liowovor, spots sncli as tlio (!lon of Palms, Ayoi's Roclc, Mount 

 Olga and tho gfn-gos amongst tho Janios and McDonnell Ranges, tlie Keauty and 

 even grandeur of which arc undeniable, and though the interior did not reveal 

 sueli forms of striking interest as we had hoped to find still the animal and plant 

 life with its adaptation to a harsii climate was well worth studying. 



In the limited time at our dispo.sal we did as much as was possible, but we 

 should have been more contented with a much longer time. With regard to this 

 Mr. Horn most generously made no definite conditions, but as the members of the 

 scientific staff could not possibly lemain in the field, owing to University duties, 

 for more than four months it was impoi5.sible for us to do more tlian was done. In 

 Central Australia much depends upon conditions of climate. Especially, so far 

 as the fauna is concei'ned, you need to be there in a wet season as well as during a 

 di'y one. Just before and after the rains animals are in evidence which are not 

 seen at other times, and of course within a short time of the rainfall plants spring 

 up and blossom which are never secui in the dry season. 



Along with the plants go the insects and along with these to a large extent 

 the birds, reptiles, amphibians and smaller mammals. We were not fortunate 

 enough to meet with any rain and our collection suffered in consequence, but 

 thanks to Mr. Byrne of Charlotte W^ater-s, Mr. Uillen and Mr. J. Field of Alice 

 Springs, Mr. Cowle of Illamurta, and to a second visit after the following rainy 

 season I have been largely able to supplement the zoological collection. Much 

 doubtless yet remains to be done, but both as regards Botany and Zoology the 

 important features are now probably known. 



Some twenty miles west of Illamurta we struck the Palmer Iliver close to the 

 Illara water-hole — a deep pool fringed with rushes and hemmed in with high 

 rocks, in the shelter of which close to the pool was a fine growth of the native 

 tobacco plant i^Nicotianiiiii suaveo/ois). At the edge of the water was a dense bed 

 of the curious water plant JVains major, some twenty feet in length, six feet in 

 width, and in the thickest part four feet in height, but unfortunately no fruit 

 was to be seen. A few wood duck were swimming about, and small shoals of 

 Chatocssiis horni and Thcrapon percoidcs were feeding, but were too wary to be 

 caught. To the south of the river was a wide open flat, but the noi-thern l)ank 

 for two miles was hemmed in by an escarpment of rock at the base of which the 

 river ran, that is to say it would run in flood time, after emerging from tlie rocky 

 gorge at the mouth of which lay the Illara water-hole. The bed was filled with 

 ru.shes and contained a ser-ies of shallow wat-ci-pools in which 1 expected to lirid 

 numbei's of frogs, but was disajipointed, as not one was to be seen or heard. 



