410 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



more peaceful or less likely to do harm ; but woe betide the 

 unlucky and unsuspecting wader or bather who becomes entangled 

 in their tentacles, for, by means of the stinging capsules with 

 which they are studded, they are capable of inflicting the most 

 acute pain and inflammation. These tentacles, which may be 

 drawn close up to the pneumatophore, are capable of being let 

 out to a length of thirty feet or more. 



After collecting a few of these Physalia, I once more resumed 

 my journey, and at last finished this seemingly almost intermin- 

 able beach, and rested myself for awhile at the foot of the 

 landward slope of the headland ("Long Keef"), which here 

 juts out into the sea. I say " rested"; rather should I say I 

 would have, but for the attacks of a relentless little band of 

 mosquitoes which gave me their undivided attention, and 

 seemed bent upon making as close an acquaintance with me as 

 possible. 



I now crossed this neck of land to the next beach (also a great 

 length), and in the distance on the waters of the bay espied what 

 I at first took to be the heads of a great number of the fronds of 

 the large brown seaweed protruding above water (although it 

 struck me as being rather strange that, supposing it to be sea- 

 weed, there was no broken water around, it being in the middle 

 of the bay) ; but, upon drawing closer, I found, to my delight, 

 that it was a large flock — consisting of from eighty to ninety* — 

 of Black Swans {Gygnus atratus), which were resting and pluming 

 their feathers upon the then placid waters of the bay. After 

 watching their movements for some time I marched onward, and, 

 upon reaching the southern extremity of the beach, looked back, 

 and found that they had all betaken themselves to the neigh- 

 bouring "Deewhy" lagoon, which is separated from the ocean — 

 as are most of the lagoons along the coast — by the sand-dunes 

 only. Here it was that I could not help contrasting the head- 

 land (Deewhy Head), near which I was standing, with the one 

 (Long Keef) on the other side of the bay. The former is com- 

 posed solely of the " Hawkesbury Sandstone," and, as a con- 

 sequence, is high, rugged, and precipitous ; while, on the other 

 hand, the latter consists entirely of " Narrabeen Shales," is 



* This was a very large flock, the average consisting of from thirty to 

 forty individuals, 



