38 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Apeil 19, 1859. 
when fresh is very tender and savoury ; its muscular fibre is very 
short, and easily masticated. To persons suffering from weak 
stomachs the dugong meat would prove a very nutritious and 
easily-digested article of diet. With such an animal, and such a 
climate as that of Moreton Bay, what more could an invalid 
require ? The mode of capture for commercial purposes is by 
loDg nets ; but when sport is the object, the harpoon is used. It 
is whaling, in fact, on a small scale; and, as a sport, it is as 
exciting as fox-hunting, without the noise. The oil procured 
from this animal is very sweet compared with other animal or 
fish oils; and although no one would take oil from choice, yet, 
compared with cod-liver oil, and other medicinal remedies, it is 
palatable. Its principal action is that of a tonic in the debility 
occasioned by chronic disease, or in general constitutional debility 
of the young or aged.-—( Sydney Morning Herald.) 
Extkaohdinaky Discoyeey. — About ten days ago, the 
navvies excavating for a cutting at about a mile on the extension 
of the Newcastle Railway line, struck, at a depth of sixteen feet 
six inches below the surface, upon a small block of sandstone, 
which was broken by one of their picks. To their surprise, it 
was found to contain a tortoise alive, and when exposed to the 
air, exhibited lively symptoms of animation. Its mouth was 
firmly closed, as if cemented ; its means of sustenance will, there¬ 
fore, be a matter of curious inquiry. It was closely imbedded 
in its little case, without the smallest room for movement, the 
sandstone being strongly marked by its claws. In the sandstone 
in which this small cave was discovered, there were also found, 
imbedded around it, a number of fossils, upon which were 
curious figures of leaves, plants, &c., most of which were un¬ 
known to the various scientific gentlemen who, immediately on 
the report of this singular discovery being made known at New¬ 
castle and Maitland, hastened to the spot. Amongst these was 
Mr. W. Keene, a geologist of some authority, who has devoted 
much attention dining the last few r years to the fossils found in 
the bed of the valley of the Hunter. He pronounces this to be 
a discovery which will raise many new disquisitions as to the 
age of this continent, aud one which will (indeed, if that were 
needed) entirely disprove the theory of the author of the 
“ Vestiges of Creation.” Mr. "Whitton, Engineer-in-chief of the 
Department of Internal Communications, took charge of the 
thrtoise, and showed it to Sir Daniel Cooper, who immediately 
took it to the Governor-General. His Excellency reported the 
discovery to Mr. William Macleay, and requested his opinion 
upon it. Mr. Macleay describes the tortoise to be one of a 
Species very commonly found in many parts of the colony; and 
he adds, that it has every appearance of being young; another 
singular feature in the matter. Sir William has had the tortoise 
placed in the aquarium at Government House, where it is as 
lively as any of it3 companions. The portions of its little cave 
were taken possession of by several of the savans who were 
attracted to the spot when the discovery was made known. His 
Excellency, however, has sent peremptory instructions to have 
all the pieces restored, with a view of their being carefully 
examined, and placed in the Australian Museum. From the 
Careful inspection made by Mr. Keene, and other gentlemen, not 
a vestige of the most minute opening in the stone is discernible; | 
but as further inquiries and examinations will be made when the 
portions of the little cave are brought to Sydney, together with 
the fossil specimens found on the same spot, and as the official 
report will then be published, it would be useless at present to 
indulge in speculative opinions. We should have mentioned I 
that one of the navvies, working near the same spot, came upon j 
a lump of quartz, in which he found a spec of gold .—{Sydney \ 
Morning Herald, Feb. 2.) 
Decay oe the Tasmanian Natives. — In the year 1815 the 
number of aborigines in Tasmania was estimated at about 5000 ; 
and in five years they were reduced to 160 females and 180 
males. In 1831, when Mr. Robinson undertook to conciliate i 
them to the protection of the Government, there were 100 males 
aud 96 females. In four years he had succeeded in inducing all 
to give themselves up ; and they had been forwarded by Govern¬ 
ment to a station specially provided for them on Flinders’ Island. 
But during that period 73 died : and when, in 1847, the remnant 
was removed to Oyster Cove in D’Entrecastaux’s Channel, they 
numbered only 45. Three years ago only 16 were left. Of 
these, 11 w'ere women, their ages varying from 30 to 55; three 
men aged respectively 30, 55, and 30; and two boys about 16 
years each. It is, therefore, more than probable that, in a few 
years, the race will be altogether extinct. Of these people the 
only knowledge we possess is derived from a few imperfect 
articles that have appeared in portions of the public press, and 
some scraps in a magazine formerly published in connection with 
the Royal Society; although, to a recent date, the secretary of 
that Society, Dr. Milligan, held a Government sinecure worth 
some £400 a-year as superintendent of the aborigines ; and there¬ 
fore it was reasonable to suppose that, through the medium of the 
Society, some valuable information would be given to the world. 
—(Sydney Morning Herald.) 
Teak ( Tectona grandis). —This invaluable wood has occupied 
at least two-tliirds of my own time during the past year. Along 
the whole length of the Malabar coast, from Goa to Cochin, there 
is now very little of this wood in a ripe state on Government 
land below the ghauts ; and there are only three localities above 
the ghauts where I found Teak in abundance, and of good 
size—viz., 1st.The AnamallayForest, in Coimbatore; 2nd.Wynad 
and Heggadevincottah (partly in dispute between Mysore and 
Malabar) ; 3rd. Goond Tableau, North Canara, near Dandellie. 
The Anamallay Forests have been the subject of annual Reports 
to Government since 1848, when their importance was first de¬ 
clared by Captain F. C. Cotton ( Madras Journal). The forests 
of Wynad and Heggadevincottah Teak, on the borders of Mysore 
and Malabar, are of great value, and stand second in importance. 
The average price of Teak at the quarterly auctions held at My¬ 
sore has been almost exactly the same as at Anamallay—about 
one rupee per cubic foot. The Canara Teak is of much smaller 
scantling than that of Wynad. It has the advantage of water- 
carriage to the coast, not possessed by the tw r o last; but it has 
for some years been chiefly obtained for naval purposes from the 
banks of the Kalla Nuddee, where it emerges from the Soopah 
Hills, and the supply has gradually been sent down from more 
distant localities, as in Malabar, where the Teak is now cut by 
the Teroopaud of Nellumboor, just under the Neilglierry Peak. 
The Goond Forest is the chief remaining reserve in Canara. I 
saw here several thousand trees on an elevated plateau with pre¬ 
cipitous sides. The trees are well grown and ripe, conserved by 
their inaccessible position, which lias heen rarely visited by 
Europeans.—Boon spars ( Sierculia foetida) are becoming very 
scarce, and, consequently, are perhaps more valuable than Teak; 
young ones, especially such as are in accessible places, are most 
carefully preserved.—Blackwood ( Dalbergia sissoides). This 
valuable wood has risen much in price. Indents were received 
during the year, both from Madras and Bombay gun-carriage 
manufactories, each for five thousand cubic feet. There is not 
much Blackw’ood remaining in the Anamallay Forest; but there 
is a considerable quantity in the escheated forest of Chennat Nair; 
and it is abundant in the "VVynad and Coorg. 
Sappan Wood ( Ccesalpinia Sapp an). —This important dye- 
wood has engaged my attention. It appears to grow with great 
luxuriance in South Malabar ; and is cultivated rather extensively 
by the Moplahs, who plant a number of the seeds at the birth of 
a daughter. The trees require fourteen or fifteen years to come 
to maturity, aud then become her dowry. I saw more on the 
banks of the Nellumboor river than any where else; why it should 
be there in particular is not obvious, as Malabar is generally uni¬ 
form in its character. A better system of cutting and cultivating 
the Sappan is desirable; and the dyewood is damaged, I believe, 
by being allowed to float in salt water.—The Sandalwood tree 
(Saltanum album) in Mysore, Canara, Coimbatore, Salem, and a 
little in North Arcot, has received much attention. It would 
appear that the spontaneous growth of this tree has increased to 
a considerable extent.—The “ Gutta Peruha tree of the Western 
Coast ” ( Isonandra sp. ?), so called, has been traced from Coorg 
to Trevandrum. All the reliable information procurable has 
been condensed into a memorandum; aud a large sample has 
been transmitted to England for report as to its suitability for 
telegraphic and other purposes.-—Catechu ( Acacia Catechu). The 
enhanced value of cutt has caused an unusul destruction of the 
tree — {Dr. Cleghorn in Scottish Gardener.) 
* 
GREEN FLY, AND ITS DESTRUCTION IN 
THE HOP PLANTATION. 
The cry we hear in all quarters, “ Have you heard of 
anything new P” is not confined to one particular class. 
A hunting after novelty seems as much the rage of the 
present day as it was amongst the Grecians of old. New 
discoveries in science or travels, new applications of the 
arts, new plants introduced, and, it may be, new diseases, 
