IIOUN KXPHDITION NARRATIVE. SIJ 



is ycui'cc, so tlicsc ants store uj) lioiicy, not in combs, Lmt in the liodics of ecu-tain 

 meuihcrsof tlic eonniuinity. The head and thoi'ax of the animal remain unelian^eil, 

 bub th(; crop lying in the abckunen becomes enormously inflated, and it is in this 

 that the honey is stored up When lecjuired for use the other ants are said to 

 come and tap the sides of the swollen abdomen with their feet, and in response to 

 this stimulus the honey is passed in drops out of the mouth of the modihed honey 

 ant and is then eaten by the others. 



In the water-hole close to our camp large tadpoles were swimming about. 

 There was no sign of any adult frog to be seen or heard, but of course they must 

 have been in hiding somewhere not far off as there was no permanent water 

 within uune than eighty miles and no frog could possil)ly live in the sterile desisrt 

 country which stretches far out in all directions around the Rock, and the 

 distance was far too great for the eggs to have been cai-ried Ijy birds. The 

 tadpoles belong to the species Heliopont^ pictiis, which in these parts, as elsewhere, 

 burrows and so can afford to wait ([uietly during the intervals, often lasting 

 several months, which elapse between successive rainfalls and during a part of 

 which time — how long will depend entirely upon the length of the drought — thei'e 

 can be no water at x\yers Rock. 



The water sheltered in the deep chasm was so cold tliat the rate of develop- 

 ment of the frogs would be very slow, and this very coldness of the spot antl 

 consequent slow rate of evaporation would allow a much longer time for 

 development than if the water were more exposed and consequently evaporated 

 more rapidly, as it does in the pools on the open Hteppe lands. 



Towai'ds evc'uing we climbed a little way up the face of the rock at the 

 solitary spot where the slope is sutticiently gradual to allow of an ascent being 

 made for even a short distiince. 'I'he only white man wdio has ever scaled the 

 rock is Mr. Gosse, and the climb is at best a perilous one as the least slip is fatal, 

 and there are only thin scales peeling off' which afford any surface lough enough 

 for holding on to by either hands or feet. How steep the slope is can easily be 

 realised by reference to the illustration. 



We were looking out to tin; west : at our feet the sandy plain was dotted 

 with thin scrub and away in the distance it was crossed by dark patches, 

 where mile after mile, the thick Mulga scrub stretched aci'oss. The level line etf 

 the horizon was only broken by the great, dome-shaped masses of M(junt Olga, 

 behind which the sun was setting. Foi' a short time the harsh features of the 

 desolate ))laius were softened by the warm colours of the after glow, and Mount 



