HORN EXPEDITION — NARRATIVE. 120 



amongst which were a few \ery small and shallow water-pools, Wliite stennned 

 gum trees {^E. feniiinalis), a large species of Melaleuca, with papety bark and 

 reaching a height of forty feet, and shruljs such as Cassia i^/uiinosa with its yellow 

 flowers, and GrevilUa agrifolia with clusters of red hlossoni were growing amongst 

 the rocks and filling up the small space left between the precipitous clilFs, the sides 

 of which were studded with pines and cycads. 



The animal life was just the same as that to which we had grown accustomed 

 around the water-holes amongst the ranges. A few species of beetles and 

 myriapods, and the little frog Hyla rubella were abundant under tlie stones close 

 to the water. On the hill sides rock wallabies were numerous, but there was the 

 same disappointing absence of anything like a I'ich and varied fauna. Stones 

 couhl be turned up, flowering slirul)S shaken, and bark stripped off trees houi' after 

 hour without finding anything to reward one's lalwur except perhaps a, new 

 mollusc sheltering in the dcliis lieneath the fig trees, or hiding in crevices amongst 

 the stones. I gave up finally all idea of finding any sucli thing as Peripatus, or a 

 land planarian, or anything more than a stray earthworm in a country where it 

 may be for months together the only moist place lies actually in a water-hole. 



It was only the quiet accumulation of specimens gathered day after day which 

 resulted in the finding of as many forms of animal life as we did but the total yield 

 was in no degree commensurate with the amount of time spent in obtaining it, and 

 the most galling thought was that just a day or two's rain would bring out from 

 their .secure hiding places so many animals of whose existence not a trace was now 

 to be seen. At the same time I sliould be much surprised if even after rain such 

 soft-bodied animals as land planarians or slugs were to be found as the class of 

 country is pre-eminently unsuited to them. 



We could not help being sti'uck with the dominance of particular forms 

 amongst both animals and plants. Amongst the former of course ants were the 

 most notable, but in addition to these which were found under every stone or log — 

 I doubt if ever we turned up one without finding an ant except such as were right 

 at the water's edge and even here they were .sometimes to be seen — there were 

 other dominant forms sucli as certain species of Carabidn^ and more especially of 

 Curculionida\ At the time of our visit the latter was, apart from flies and ants, in 

 point of number of specimens by far the most extensively represented family (^f 

 in.sects whilst amongst the amphibia the little Hyla rubella was found at every 

 water-hole from the Adminga Creek in the south to Alice Springs in the norlh, and 

 westwards ri^ht throughout the ranges. 



