NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS, 177 



" Who, for instance, is there but must feel surprise at the 

 absence of Monke) r s and Woodpeckers from its vast forests ; or 

 at the presence there, and there only, of the Platypus among the 

 lower mammals, the Lories among birds, the double-breathing 

 Ceratodus among fish." 



The mammals, which number " not much over one hundred 

 and fifty," are treated somewhat fully, with a list of species 

 given at the end of each chapter. It is quite exasperating, in 

 these days of vanished animal life, to find that the Platypus may 

 be approaching extinction. Although "it is of the few indigenous 

 animals not eaten by the natives," its skin has become a com- 

 modity with the furriers, though " thirty or forty of the animals 

 must die to make even a small rug." " The Platypus is thus 

 becoming lamentably scarce, and many a beautiful stream in 

 Victoria and Tasmania, where whilom it rooted up the larvse or 

 engulfed the floating gnat, knows it no longer." 



The birds have a very strong individuality ; of some six or 

 seven hundred species, some five hundred, u in round numbers, 

 are found nowhere else.'' Like the Platypus, the Lyre-bird " is 

 indeed doomed to extinction, and is already very scarce in the 

 settled districts." Not much difficulty is experienced in tracing 

 a cause. " Not long since, for example, two enterprising 

 brothers emploj'ed a number of men to shoot the luckless male 

 birds, in which, after some practice, they were unfortunately so 

 successful, that five hundred dozen of the beautiful tails were 

 reported to have reached Sydney in the course of a few weeks." 

 This much persecuted bird lays but one egg each season. 



Reptiles and Batrachians have received shorter treatment, but 

 contribute many interesting records and facts, while the fishes 

 of Australia receive more ample treatment. " The most striking 

 characters of Australian sea-fish are their rainbow hues, project- 

 ing teeth, and a tendency to throw out spinous growths that make 

 their safe handling a matter of some difficulty." 



Our author was so fortunate as to witness a combat between 

 the Thresher Alopecias and a Whale. " The best combat of this 

 nature that I ever witnessed was off Moreton Island. We 

 steamed so near, indeed, as to distinguish, with the aid of the 

 glass, the long upper lobe of the Threshers' tails, as two of those 

 unflagging belligerents were falling on their ponderous enemy; 



