PREFACE. VII 
and possess full command of all the conveniences and appliances of up-to-date 
civilisation. 
An element that will highly recommend the Abrolhos Archipelago to the 
attention of many biologists is the circumstance that notwithstanding the predom- 
inating tropical nature of the marine fauna, the Islands are situated so far south 
that the climate is temperate and consequently exempt from those conditions which 
are a serious deterrent to investigators of tropical marine life. 
The few data chronicled in this volume concerning the remarkable inter- 
blending of a tropical and temperate marine fauna that occurs at Houtman’s 
Abrolhos will serve to accentuate the desirability that exists for their further 
systematic investigation. The question of fully exploring and working out the 
indigenous faune of isolated or otherwise remarkable islet areas is at the present 
time commanding a large share of attention in scientific circles the world over. 
Among the multitude of counsellors upon whom will devolve the responsibility of 
electing which regions shall hereafter receive the advantage of such systematic 
attention the author would earnestly advocate the undoubted claims upon their 
suffrages that are possessed by this, biologically speaking, most interesting assemblage 
of Islands on the western shores of Australasia. 
The author has various and sundry obligations to chronicle with relation 
to the production of this volume. To the Western Australian Government in 
general and to its enlightened Premier, Sir John Forrest, in particular, ic. is 
indebted for opportunities and facilities afforded for acquiring the information herein 
recorded concerning the marine and other natural history products of that important 
colony ; and to Dr. Ernest Black, Mr. John Brockman, Dr. Williams, Mr. G. S. Streeter, 
Mr. W. Male, Mr. R. C. Hare, Mr. Broadhurst, and others, for individual assist- 
ance towards the acquisition of specimens and for facilities for making studies 
or taking successful photographs of many of the Western Australian objects 
illustrated. 
To Prof. T. Jeffry Bell, Mr. Boulanger, Mr. Edgar Smith, Mr. R. I. Pocock, 
Dr. Murray, and other officers of the Zoological and Botanical Departments of the 
