220 PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS ON A NATURAL HISTORY 



ship at Port Darwin, until November 14th, when I had to bid 

 the vessel adieu and return to the northern colonies. On my 

 journey to and from Port Darwin via Queensland coast, per the 

 China Navigation Company's Steamer " Tsinan," such opportuni- 

 ties as presented themselves of adding to my collections and 

 store of information were readily embraced, and the result 8 

 accomplished may be appropriately chronicled in connection with 

 the major portions of this report. 



The materials amassed were naturally associated chiefly 

 with the various sections of marine zoology, and in the accumu- 

 lation and conservation of which I am greatly indebted to the 

 able assistance of Dr Barnes, who has moreover since remitted 

 me a collection of specimens made by himself in the vicinity of 

 Port Kssington shortly after my departure As opportunities 

 occured a small collection of reptiles and also of bird skins was 

 got together. Mr. Charts De Vis, M.A., the Curator of the 

 Queensland Museum, has kindly undertaken the identification of 

 these two sections, and has supplied the accompanying lists. 

 With respect to the birds 1 may suitab'y mention here that 

 Lieut. W. O Lyne, B A., of H.M S. *' Myrmidon" was one of 

 the most extensive contributors Among the specimens that fell 

 to his gun is a species of owl, which has proved to be an abnor- 

 mally pale variety of the Blinking Owl, Mnox connivens. A 

 somewhat rare form shot by myself among the mangroves in 

 Cambridge Gulf is a female specimen of Pdcht/cephala lanuides. 



The reptiles, Mr De Vis informs me. include a species of 

 snake differing in important structural details from those 

 recorded in any accessible work on herpetology, and apparently 

 new to science, this acquisition I leave to Mr. De Vis to describe. 



Of the class of lishes over sixty species were collected ; from 

 Mr. Paul Folsche, P.M , and Dr. Wood the Government Medical 

 Officer at Port Darwin, I received material assistance towards 

 forming a collection of the fish of that district. The majority 

 of these have been previously catalogued in Sir W. Macleay' g 



