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A RAMBLE NEAR SYDNEY. 

 By David G. Stead. 



Perhaps few cities are so admirably situated as Sydney, 

 placed as it is upon the shores of that much-talked-of, much 

 admired, but never adequately described harbour, Port Jackson. 



To the ordinary resident in Sydney nothing is more welcome 

 than the advent of a holiday, for then full advantage is taken of 

 the wondrous plenitude of resorts lying in the many arms and 

 indentations of the harbour ; these, from their number alone, 

 making the ever arising question, " Where shall we go ?" quite a 

 knotty problem, which at times is not easily decided. 



The naturalist — especially the marine zoologist — who, of 

 course, looks at things in quite a different light, is still at times 

 considerably puzzled, on account of the multiplicity of places of 

 interest to be reached comfortably by coach, rail, or boat within 

 the scope of one day's wanderings. 



What is undoubtedly the most popular resort of Port Jackson 

 is Manly, " the Brighton of the South," which on one side faces 

 the harbour, and on the other the Pacific Ocean. The harbour 

 side forms a veritable " happy hunting ground " for the zoologist, 

 as around the rocks and amongst the dense seaweed with which 

 they are clothed a great variety of animal forms — chiefly Crustacea 

 and many-hued fishes — is to be found. 



My reason for giving this short preamble, is, that I wish 

 to introduce to our readers a realm that is overflowing with 

 interest to the zoologist, and one that has been the scene of 

 many of my wanderings, including the one now described. But 

 as very few will be familiar with the locality, and as most naturally 

 wish to know a little about any place under consideration, I feel 

 some justification in thus introducing it. 



I may add, that, as the following observations have been 

 quoted almost verbatim from my note-book, they are necessarily 

 of a somewhat general nature, though chiefly — as in this case 

 they should be — zoological. 



