VEGETATION OF LORD HOWE ISLAND. 1 59 



gelatinous glairy fluid, mingled with a quantity of very fine grey 

 sand, whfle the food in the stomach consisted of finely-comminuted 

 matter, entirely structureless under the microscope. It is probable, 

 that Regalecus finds its food in the minute animal forms, or debris, 

 among the fine sand at the bottom of still, deep "waters. 



As was found in the gigantic skate recently thrown on the 

 Sumner coast, this Regalecus was infested to an extraordinary degree 

 with intestinal worms, thousands extruding themselves from the 

 liver as it lay on the table. They were found in the assophagus also. 

 Perhaps these fishes become infested during the winter season with 

 those parasites, and in their desire to rid themselves, it may be that 

 they seek shallower water and are thus thrown on our coasts, by 

 currents, in a dying state. 



I have to record my thanks to Mr. Warnes and the syndicate 

 exhibiting this fish for their extreme courtesy and good nature in 

 allowing myself and my assistant to intrude on their show whenever 

 we desired, in order to make the notes recorded above, and especially 

 for their kindness in permitting us to remove the fish from its stand 

 for the purpose of obtaining a photograph of it. 



I am indebted also to Mr. Sparks, the taxidermist of the 

 Museum, for his help and care in taking the measurements. 



VEGETATION OF LORD HOWE ISLAND. 



BY W. BOTTING HEMSLEY. 

 (From " Nature," April 16th, 1891). 



There is nothing absolutely new to announce concerning the 

 flora of this remote islet but what has been published in the form of 

 Government reports, which have a comparatively restricted circulation, 

 and many persons who would be interested in their contents are 

 unaware of their existence. And even when one knows of the exis- 

 tence of such reports, it is often difficult to procure them. Through 

 the intermediary of Sir Saul Samuel, Agent-General for New South 

 Wales, the library of the Royal Gardens, Kew, has just received a 

 copy of a report on the state and prospects of Lord Howe Island, 

 with a number of photographic illustrations of the scenery and vege- 

 tation of the island ; and it is on account of these illustrations that I 

 have thought it worth while making known to the readers of Mature 

 the existence of such a report, though it was published as long ago as 

 1882. Unlike the majority of such documents, this report is too 

 meagre: "Thompson's farm" and other matters being mentioned 

 and illustrated in such a manner as to take for granted an amount of 

 previous knowledge that very few readers could possibly have 

 possessed. 



Although so remote and so small, Lord Howe island supports an 

 indigenous flora of a highly interesting character, especially inte- 



