212 | JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
GENERAL NOTES. 
SS 
AUSTRALIAN Museum, SypNEy.—The report of the trustees for 
1881 shows that this institution is in a flourishing condition. The 
donations, exchanges, and purchases added largely to the collec- 
tions, and numerous specimens were sent out to museums and 
individuals in other parts of the world. The following figures are 
interesting :—‘‘ The number of visitors was 115,655, being an 
increase of 3,192 on the number for 1880. The number who 
attended on Sundays. was 41,660, being an increase of 8,963 on 
the number for 1880; while the attendance on week-days de- 
creased by 5,771. The average daily attendance on week-days 
was 281, and on Sundays 801.” Appendix XII. contains a list of 
the specimens obtained during the dredging excursion to Port 
Stephens in November, 1880, Ot these all the vertebrates have 
been identified except some small deep-sea fishes; while of the 
invertebrate specimens several species of Pycnogonida, Polyzoa, 
Hydrozoa, and siliceous Spongida have not yet been worked out. 
The Mollusca and Crustacea have received the most close exami- 
nation—the former at the hands of Mr. Brasier, and the latter of 
Mr. Haswell. The 16th section of the report is specially inter- 
esting :—‘‘ The most important work undertaken by the trustees 
during the year has been the renewal of the exploration of the 
caves of the Colony, for which object a special sum of money 
was voted by Parliament. Mr. Jenkins, of Yass, was engaged to 
explore the caves at Coodradigbee. The bones obtained there 
are all of recent origin, belonging to still existing species of the 
kangaroo, wallaby, wombat, opossum, &c. The Siluro-Devonian 
fossils, however, obtained by him from the limestone rocks are of 
considerable interest, and will form a valuable addition to the 
Museum collection. The exploration of the caves at Wellington 
was superintended by the Curator, who frequently visited the 
locality, leaving in charge of them, during his absence, one of the 
Museum employés. The first cave examined was found to contain 
several feet of water on-the floor, and could not be worked 
without very great expense. The second cave showed no signs of 
bone breccia, consequently the search was discontinued. The 
third cave, known as the Breccia Cave, was next examined. Here 
above 1000 specimens were obtained, many of them of great 
interest ; among others an almost perfect ramus of a Thylacoles 
with the articulating condyle; and the toe bones ot a large species 
of Echidna. The fourth cave examined was the large one 
situated at the summit of the ridge. Photographs were taken by 
magnesium light of the walls of this cave, At first no bones 
were discovered; but on sinking a shaft through the floor, the 
tooth of a Diprotodon and some bones of small marsupials were 
found. In some other shafts the bones were larger and more 
perfect than those in the Breccia Cave. Among the most 
important discoveries were portions of the pelvis of an immense — 
kangaroo, caudal and cervical vertebre ; jaws of large marsupials, 
especially five rami of Thylacoles nearly perfect, and many good 
