86 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
August, 1926 
The naturtil histt vy of many ocefinio islriinls has 
studied in this avhv and volumes devoted to the 
results. Yet a similar study of one of those islands of 
Papuan type isolated in the Australian forest etmntry 
would be of equal interest. Tliese Papuan islands, eom- 
lUfudy called “vine scrubs/’ or “tro]ucal scrubs," are sO' 
rapidly disappearing- tlial their study is tiearly as iiro-ent 
as that of the Australian aborio'iual iiimself. Of course, 
even* since the settlement of Queenslatid these scrubs have 
attracted the special attention of naturalists, and their 
fauna and flora are fairly ^vell known, l)ut as far as I 
know tliey have not been treated comi^rehensively and 
sei>arately. but only as part of the y'cneral flora and 
faujia of the State. 1 am not a^vare of any detailed ma]) 
showing- the distribution and ext(‘nt of the true trojiical 
scrubs, tliough tliis would be of great interest to natur- 
alists. Hetwetui those of Cape York and the districts 
about (‘aims a;ul (’ardwcll, and those of South-eastern 
(Queensland and tht‘ Xortluu’n Kivei-s of Nev^ Studh 
AYales, they woubl ap])ea]' to ])(‘ an extensive gap in 
winch true tropical s(*rubs do not occur. This is re- 
flected in tlie distribution of some of the birds of 
Papuan types, for exami)le, Eifle-birds, oui- re])resenta- 
ti\es of the Birds of Paradise. <)nt‘ species, Ptiloris para- 
disea, is found in the scrubs of the northern rivers of 
New South AVales and ranges north to the Bunya 
Mountains and Blackall Kanges. A second, P. victoriae, 
a])pa!*ently extends from about (’ardwell to Cooktown, 
and a third, P. magmifica, is confined to (‘ape Y(u*k. A 
sjjecimen of tlie southern bird Avas o])tained by Broad- 
bent on the Berserker Ranges, near Rockhampton, so 
tliat it is possible that the appartmt discontinuity in 
tlie ranges of the gtuuis is due to lack of knoAvlcdge, 
ami is not a reality. 
The Avord “scrub” is badly ovcrworlu'd in Queens- 
land and is used for almost any dense growth of trees, 
though T haveAiot heard it used foi* mangroves. Tlu^true 
fro|uca] or vine scrubs to which T haA^C'just referred are 
pei-haps moi‘e easily distingtiished by the presence of 
those buttressed trees of Avbich Mr. Francis has made a 
special study. Sonu'wliat similar in many respects, but 
Avitli fcAV or n<i buttressed trees, arc tlie “dry scrubs” 
AAdiich are so characteristic of Central Queensland. From 
these scrubs, also, ])alms are generally lacking, though 
they may occur along the creeks. On the other hand, 
amongst the ti'ees and scrubs which compose them tliere 
