~— — - aie 
THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 127 
One of the latter, Murray Island, was visited last year by a 
party from the Australian Museum in charge of the lecturer. 
The extinct crater of Murray is one of the largest in Australia, 
being about five miles round. It is built of ash, ejected steadily 
and continuously for a long period. A flow of lava concluded 
its activity. The influence of the trade wind on the crater lip 
is:peculiar. Since there is never a south wind the lip on the 
north: side is wanting, while the .south-east trade has, on the 
opposite side, piled the culminating point, and the north-west 
wind, which only endures half the time, has produced a lower 
hill of corresponding height and position. Hnclosed masses 
of coral .sh 
ow that the volcanic pipe burst. through a sunken 
reef. f 
The whole aspect of the island is foreign. Australian vege- 
tation is absent; indeed, this is the least Australian of any 
land within the Commonwealth. Its appearance is rather that 
of one of the South Sea Islands. 
- PRIMITIVE MAN: HIS FOODS, MEDICINES AND 
' CHARMS, FROM AN ENTOMOLOGICAL 
: STANDPOINT. ; 
(Abstract of Lecture by W. J. Rainbow, F.L.S.) 
In introducing his subject, Mr. Rainbow said this was an 
address that might with propriety be termed “ An Hthno- 
Entomological Study,” since it dealt with certain habits and 
customs of primitive man. By primitive man the-lecturer 
meant all those races of mankind, past or present, who had 
lived, or were now living, in a.state of barbarism or semi- 
barbarism; but the term “ Hntomological” had to be accepted 
in its broadest possible sense, because it would be necessary 
to include such animals as Scorpions, Spiders and Centipedes, 
which, strictly speaking, were not insects at all.. 
- Savage man, either from necessity, habit or taste, had applied 
certain invertebrate animals to his use, either as food, medicine, 
ornament, or charm, and these were included in a wide range 
of species. Civilised man had also found some insects of the 
greatest economic value to him. There were, for instance, the 
honey-bee and the silkworm, both of which he had gone so far 
to domesticate and improve by artificial selection. And some 
others, which he had not domesticated, were also of important 
economic value to him, such as, for instance, the cochineal 
insect—Coccus cacti, and the Cantharids, or Blister-flies.. From 
the first of these a harmless colouring ingredient was obtained 
for giving an artistic effect to confectionery, whilst the latter 
are to this day prescribed at times by medical men for blistering 
purposes, and in some diseases as a medicine to be, taken 
internally. ° 
