October, 1929 
The Queensland Naturalist 
49 
• common, namely an acid reaction and a deficiency in 
lime. These two features seem to be characteristic of all 
soil processes formed under humid conditions whatever 
the rainfall. 
Let us briefly consider the nature of the soils formed 
under conditions of light to intermediate rainfall. Here 
the characteristic features are lack of acidity and the 
presence of lime in the soil, often in the shape of con- 
cretions which are restricted to a well-defined horizon. 
The soils formed under these conditions are for the most 
part wonderfully good. It is interesting to note that 
where conditions of rainfall are ideal for plant growth, 
the intrinsic value of the soil is poor, and that where 
the rainfall is light the richest soils are produced. 
The best known and most characteristic soils of the 
latter group are the famous tschernozems or black earth. 
These occur in the belts of relatively intermediate climate 
that separate the semi-arid from the humid lands in both 
the middle and low latitudes. They are what Glinka 
terms soils of scanty or moderate moistening. The rain 
is sufficient for the development of a rich growth of grass 
in the spring and early summer. Summer drought suc- 
ceeds and the soil conditions are so dry that bacterial 
• decomposition of plant residues is hindered by lack of 
moisture. For this reason humus accumulates in con- 
siderable quantities. That part of the humus which is 
oxidised completely supplied abundant carbonic acid, 
which in its turn forms carbonates, especially lime car- 
bonate. This is deposited as a discontinuous layer in the 
rsoil, the drier the climate the more nearly this layer 
.approaches the surface. This accumulation of lime 
• occurs regardless of the character of the parent rock. 
It may be truthfully said that not much has been ac- 
complished by these methods beyond the description of 
numerous soil profiles and the interpretation of the 
various soil processes in terms of chemical reactions, but 
I am of opinion that in the end the pedologists will arrive 
.at the goal before the empiricists in spite of the “short 
cuts” of applied science and the fact that they have had 
.a start of several thousand years. 
0 
FUNGI FROM DUNK ISLAND, NORTH 
QUEENSLAND. 
By Miss Maud M. Duke, Royal Botanic Gardens, 
Kew, England. 
[During a visit of students of Biology of the Queens- 
land University to Dunk Island in August, 1927, one of 
