A BAMBLE NEAB SYDNEY. 411 



comparatively low, has a gentle slope inland, and has a rapidly 

 disintegrating sea-face composed in great part of fairly soft clays. 

 The hardest part of my walk now began, as I had left the easy 

 slopes of the shales behind. Here amongst the rocks, as would 

 be expected, animal life in the way of birds, reptiles, and insects 

 became more abundant, and I began to keep a sharp look-out, 

 especially for the smaller Reptilia ; nor was I disappointed, for, 

 after turning over a few loose flat stones on the southern slope, 

 I found one under which was concealed an almost typical collec- 

 tion of the "small fry" usually found in these localities. This 

 assortment consisted of — 1, a large flat side-walking Spider ; 2, 

 several specimens of the large black Wood-bug (which, after the 

 manner of its kind, emits at times a most disagreeable odour) ; 

 3, some small prettily marked Cockroaches ; 4, two species of 

 Ant ; 5, a collection of Termites, or " White Ants " ; 6, a small 

 Centipede ; — all these in the way of Arthropoda. Then of Reptilia 

 there were three species, comprising two specimens of a small 

 "Rock-Gecko" (Gehyra variegata), one of a fine mottled Lizard 

 (Egernia ivhitei), which grows to a length of twelve or thirteen 

 inches (including tail), and, lastly, the exquisitely beautiful and 

 agile little Lizard (Lygosoma tceniolatum) . The last mentioned 

 is very beautifully marked, having on its dorsal aspect brown 

 yellow, and white longitudinal stripes running the whole length 

 of the body ; these, — with the exception of one brown stripe on 

 each side which forms a line of demarcation between the dorsal 

 and ventral surfaces, — upon reaching the tail gradually fade into 

 a light yellowish colour. But it is when the sun is shining on it 

 that this little creature is seen at its best, for then the whole of the 

 many-striped body shines again ; and the tail possesses a semi- 

 transparent roseate hue. The little " Rock- Gecko " (Gehyra 

 variegata) also deserves a word in passing. When one is picked 

 up it begins to squirm its subcylindrical truncate tail about in a 

 most ridiculous manner, doubling it up in a somewhat similar 

 fashion to the Scorpion, and seemingly doing all it can to give 

 the impression that the tail is a stinging organ. In man — at any 

 rate, in most cases — it has the desired effect,* and has thereby 

 earned for itself the title of " Rock- Scorpion," this title being 



- ;: I am of opinion that the same effect would be produced upon many of 

 the marsupials or birds that have come into contact with Scorpions. 



