128 
(Clarke . — Naturul IlegioiiH in Wi\sicrn Australia. 
Murchison, being here only sporndic. Tlie nortlierii boundary of the 
Mulga is approximately (Gardner, 192:i-2.'), Vol. VII, p. 256) 
marked by a line from the junetion of the Lyons and Gascoyne rivers 
to Wiluna. The Bpiiiifex is largely of the ^^soft” variety, ■which 
I am told by Mr. C. A. Gardiier is ])rol);ibly a different species from 
tlie “Imck” s])initex {Triodea pungens) and which has eonsideralde 
fodder value. However, tlie comjiarative absence of shrulis and trees, 
edible or shade-giving or both, makes this region far less drought- 
resistant than the ^turchison. Water is obtained from -wells and 
pools ill the watercourses; there is no artesian water in the region. 
The chief industries of this ai'ea are and will continue to be 
])astoral and mining, although, according to the inaj) (1924) issued 
liy the Department of the North West, the coastal portion may be 
suitable for tropical agriculture under irrigation. 
12. Canning llegUyn. Almost all our knowledge of this region, 
called after iVIr. A. W. Canning, who laid out a jiracticable stock 
route across it, is derived from Talbot’s report (1910). Geologic- 
ally it is an area of Permo-Carboniferous and older sediments, ar- 
ranged ill gentle folds. These rocks are largely masked l)y a cover- 
ing of sand-dunes. How far it extends eastward is unknown (Clapp, 
p. 22(>). As already noted, this i-egion is distinguished from the 
Carnegie by its Hj)rinkUng of “native -wells” which, though perhaps 
mostly mere “soaks,’’ at any rate indicate a more accessible Avater 
su])])ly (cp. (*la]tp, p. 250). The most hopeful feature of this Region 
is that it is an artesian ])asin (Maitland, 1919 c., pp. 4 and 5), and 
may, tlun-efore, become sjiarsely settled by })astoralists. Of late, also, 
it has been reported to possess some of the structural characters of 
an oil -bearing region. 
Wallal tiub-Uegion. This narrow belt of sandy country border- 
ing on the “Ninety-Mile Beach” has been mat>ped as Tertiary and 
Recent in age. Tot>ogra])hically it seems distinct from the Canning 
Region, from Avhich it also differs in that its ground Avater is vshalloAV 
and abundant, and by the fact that it supports a good growth of 
couch-like grass. This sub-region is all selected by pastoralists 
(Station ^lap, 1924), in striking contrast to the Canning country 
inland. Further descri])tioii Avill be found in Clapi) ’s paper ([>p. 212, 
228, 229, 250). 
The portion of the State Avhich still remains to be regionally 
classified is the Kimberley Land DiAusion. For the Avesterii part Ave 
have recent l)otanical reports by Gardner (1925 and 1925, Vol. VIII), 
Avho recognises soA^en ])lant formations: — 
(a) SaA'annah Woodlands covering country cast and north of 
the King Leopold Range except that occupied by (d). 
