119 
yii. 
. THE FAUNA OF WOOROONOORAN. 
In a preliminary passage to tlie report on the zoology of the 
Bellenden-Ker expedition, Mr. De Vis, the able Curator of the 
Queensland Museum, embodies the following observation : — " There is 
probably no part of Australia, certainly no part of Queensland, which 
at present excites the interest of the naturalist so forcibly as the 
district extending from Cardwell northwards for some distance beyond 
Cairns and inwards to the western slopes of the E-azor-bacl?: Eange. 
In this limited tract of coast country we find a concentration of forms 
of animal life elsewhere (in Australia) unknown. It has peculiar 
mammals^ peculiar birds, peculiar reptiles, molluscs, insects, and in 
many cases these strangers to the rest of the land are derivatives, not 
from the surrounding Australian stock, but from the Indo -Malayan 
fauna on the one hand, and the Papaun on the other. 
" The cause of the phenomenon is a problem of much interest in 
its bearing on the distribution of the lower animals, still more in its 
probably being an important factor in the history of man. But before 
attempting its explication, it is advisable that we should know^ as fully 
as possible the extent to which the peculiarities of this remarkable 
region are carried.'* 
My two visits to the summit of Bellenden-Ker were during two 
entirely different seasons^ and on each occasion there was a distinct 
flora and fauna. 
Whelan, Barnard, and myself camped on the south peak on Sunday, 
the 3rd of Pebruary, and the scientific expedition arrived the same 
year at the same spot on the 22nd of June. The first ascent was in 
the heat of summer, the second in the coldest period of winter. The 
reptiles and insects of the 3rd of Pebruary were invisible on the 22nd 
of JunCj and the beautiful butterflies of the one period were totally 
absent in the other. So far as insects were concei^ned, we gave little 
or no attention, the season being entirely unsuitable. Among the 
shells collected are two which Mr. Hedley, of the museum, has 
declared to be new to science — one being a Nanina and the other 
a Selix. Eeferring to two new lizards, Mr. De Yis has the 
following observation : — " The discovery of two species of lacertian 
reptiles, both of them additional proofs of the statement previously 
made that an importation of extra Australian forms of life into this 
locality has, by some means, been brought about. These lizards can 
only be referred to the genera 'Perochirus (belonging to the Geckoes) 
and Tro'pidop'horus (a genus of Seines) found in Indo-China, Borneo, 
and the Philippine Islands, and not previously known to extend their 
range beyond those limits. Under the methodical names of Tropi- 
dophorus queenslandice and Perochirus mestoni these lizards have been 
described in the Proceedings of the Linnsean Society of New South 
Wales." Thege two lizards were discovered by me on the Barron Eiver 
in the early part of last year and presented to the museum. Doubtless 
they would be found in summer time in country traversed by the 
expedition. Among the thirty-three different species of insects was a 
new ChilocJiorus, or ladybird, of remarkable peculiarities. The others 
may be passed over as known forms, though some are rare and 
interesting. Insects were of no account in our exploration. Principal 
of the mammalian specimens were two aboriginal skulls from defunct 
