■ *■' ,4 "

fe$

. .Journal . .

fflBcst Bustralian
IHatural Ibistory Society

WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED

£foe fll>ueller Botanic Society.

Vol. *2_

No. II. -MAY, 1905

fl>ettb :

V. K. JONES & CO., PRINTERS, ST GEORGE'S TERRACE, PERTH

•iAT^ChAL wuSfc

fiUTtulW*. SW4U-* *lchpou,, +

• » . 4 • ; * " 1 •• " ‘ *

West Australian Saturat Sistorn Socictn

(With which is incorporated the Muelier Botanic Society.)

patrons :

His Excellency the Governor & Lady Bedford.

president :

Cecil R. P. Andrews. M.A.

IDice^presibents :

F. Tratman, M.D. Lond. B. H. Woodwood, F.G.S., C.M.Z.S.

Alex. Purdie, M.A.

Council :

Alan F. Crossman A. VV. Milligan

E. W. Hursthouse Justice McMillan

A. Gibb Maitland H. C. Prinsep

JEbitors of Journal:

Cecil R. P. Andrews, M.A. & A. F. Crossman.

•Librarian & {Treasurer:

Alex. Purdie, M.A.

Bubitors :

J. W. Langsford & H. R. Coombs.
Secretary :

F. S. Dobbie, 17 Queen Street, Perth.

♦ ♦

Journal

♦ ♦

Hirst Australian Manual History Society

(With which is incorporated the Mueller Botanic Society.)

No. II.

May, 1905.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

Annual Report ... ... ... ... 3

Recent Discoveries regarding the Fauna of Western
Australia

(By Bernard H. Woodward^ B .Z S , C.M.Z.S.) ... 7

Some New Species of West Australian Plants

(By W. V. Fitzgerald , F.S.Sc ., Lond., F.R.H.S., Engl.) 21

Salient Geological Features of New Guinea

(By A. Gibb Maitland , Government Geologist of
Western Australian) ... ...

Two New Species of Archidace^e from Western Australia
(by Cecil R. P. Andrews , ALA.)

57

Jlnnual Eeport 1904.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The past year has been one in which much good work
has been done by our Society, it was thought advisable to in-
crease our usefulness by enlarging the scope of our work by
including other branches of Natuial History in addition to
Botany. For this purpose the name was altered to “ The
West Australian Natural History Society,” with which is in-
corporated “ The Mueller Botanic Society.” By this move we
gained a large number of Scientific Members, by whose work
and co-operation we shall become a useful and influential
scientific Society. We are in communication with kindred
Societies in Europe, America, and Australasia, to whom we
send our Journals, receiving their own in exchange. The
Journals, which constitute our chief expense, are issued as
we have material to fill them. This year only one has been
issued, but this is an exceedingly good one, and will be a
proof to all who wish to know, that we are doing sound
scientific work. The Government grant of £75 has been
continued, subcriptions have been coming in freely, and our
financial position, as you will see by the balance-sheet, is a
good one. The retiring officers have maintained their interest,
and their attendance at Council Meetings has been exemplaiy.

FRANK TRA TMAN, President.

.

.

7 ll! »q ?qflM1 •

Recent Discoveries regarding tlie Fauna
of Western Australia,

By BERNARD H. WOODWARD , F.G.S . , C.M.Z.S., etc., Director of
the Western Austtalian Museum.

iu

U

■ J

i 1

At the Meeting of the Western Australian Natural History Society,
on Tuesday, the 7th March, 1905, I showed specimens and said a few
'words about some of the recently discovered new mammals, and refer-
red to the increase in our knowledge of some of those previously known,
however, for the Journal, I think it will be better to quote more fully
the original descriptions of these, which appeared in the Proceedings of
the Zoological Society of London, in “ Novitates Zoologicae,” and other
Journals, as I consider it to be a matter of great importance to have
descriptions of our Fauna published locally, and I trust that in future
this Journal will be recognised as the proper medium for the notification
of new species, as well in the Fauna as in the Flora of Western Aus-
tralia.

U , Of the greatest importance are Mr. Thomas’ remarks on the
Kangaroos popularly called “Wallaroos,” of which hitherto only two
were known — Macropus robustus and M. erubescens. It will be noticed
that for the new species he has adopted the trinomial plan, calling
them all Macropus robustus with a third name added to show that they
are very closely allied and all belong to one Macropine group.

In the birds Dr. Hartert has adopted the same plan, for instance
in the “Bush Larks” — Mirafra javanica has its nearest allies named
M. j. horsfeldi , , M. /. secunda , and so on ; although in one way this
system is rather cumbersome, yet in genera containing numerous
species, it is a great convenience to have them arranged in groups.

The descriptions of the birds were compiled by Mr. C. P.
Conigrave, who read the notes on them and showed the specimens at
the meeting on 7th March,

8

ON SOME KANGAROOS AND BANDICOOTS
FROM BARROW ISLAND, N.W. AUS-
TRALIA & ADJOINING MAINLAND.

By OLDFIELD THOMAS , [Nov Hates 7,oologicce , Vol. VIII . , /go/).

In connection with the determination of some Kangaroos from
North-Western Australia sent home some time ago by Mr. B. H.
Woodward of the W.A. Museum, a question arose as to the characters
of the Kangaroo described by Gould as Macropus isabellinus , on an
imperfect skin from Barrow Island, off the north western coast of
Australia. That skin, preserved in the British Museum, had remained
unique up to the present time, and therefore Mr. Woodward, with
great enterprise, got up, last year, an expedition to Barrow Island in
order to obtain topotypes of this little-known animal. His collector,
Mr. Tunney, was successful in obtaining a number of specimens, besides
examples of Lagorchestes conspicillatus (Gould), and of the Bandicoot
described below. A series of these species has been generously
given to the National Museum by the authorities of the W.A. Museum.

The head is without any of the characteristic markings of M. rufus ,
and the skull shows all the structural characters of M. robustus , but is
much smaller, as might have been expected from the insular habitat of
the animal. It is also noticeably stouter and more heavily built. The
hind feet are remarkably short, measuring only 250 mm. in an old
male. The tips of the ears behind are brown or blackish, those of all
the related continental forms being reddish or sandy, like the rest of
the head.

Further details on this subject are to be found in a paper which
Mr. Waite has recently written on a specimen in the Sydney Museum,
collected by Mr. Tunney, and also received from the W.A. Museum.

The more accurate hnowledge now, therefore, available about
M. isabellinus enables me to give an opinion about some other N.W.
Australian Kangaroos received previously from Mr. Woodward.

These are — firstly, a set of four, two males and two females, from
Yalgoo, Murchison District, Western Australia. The females are the
specimens on which my Macropus robustus cervinus was founded, the
males, owing to an error in labelling, having been thought to be
M. rufus , of which specimens were sent home at the same time. For
these males the name cervinus is, unfortunately, not very suitable, as
they are of a deep rich rufous, similar to, but richer than the ground
color of M. isabellinus . The head is of the same color as the back,

9

not markedly greyer, as it is in the female ; but the muzzle is incon-
spicuously browner. The hairs of the ears are rufous, like those of the
crown. In all, males and females, the fur of the nape and fore-back
slopes evenly backwards, there being no trace of a whorl in the region
of the withers. This is only the case in M. isabellinus. The skull of
the male, like that of the female, closely agrees with that of the true
M. robustus ..

A second set of four, two males and two females, obtained like
the previous ones through the kind agency of Mr. Woodward, are from
the Grant Range, in the Kimberley District, North-West Australia.
These specimens, which could not be distinguished from M. isabellinus
until proper material of the latter form was available, I now think to
represent another distinct sub-species of the robustus group, and I
have ventured to name it in honor of Mr. Woodward, to whose assist-
ance the British Museum owes the whole of the material referred to
in the present paper.

MACROPUS ROBUSTUS WOODWARDI, sp nov-

Fur shorter, thinner and harsher than in cervinus. Fur of nape
and fore-back more or less reversed forwards from a dividing whorl
situated on the withers.

Male. — Bright rufous, nearly matching that of M. isabellinus above
throughout, the head, ears and back being all of this color, as are also
the middle line of the tail proximally, and the outer side of the limbs,
Digits indistinctly blackish. Remainder of limbs and tail and under
side of body dull whitish.

Female. — In general color more or less fawn ; otherwise similar
to male. One of the two species is of a pale sandy fawn, the other a
deep fawn like the female of cervinus ; the former appears to be in
summer, and the latter in Autumn or Winter pelage.

Habitat . — Grant Range, S.W. part of Kimberley District, North-
Western Australia.

Type. — Old male, B.M. No. 0611 ; Co-Type . — No. 085 — W.A.M.
Collected by J. T. Tunney.

The whole of these red forms of the Macropus robustus group were
unknown when the catalogue of Marsupials was published, so that the
imperfect type skin of M. isabellinus was not unnaturally considered to
be related to M. rufus , but there is now no doubt that it is a stunted
insular form of the same group. To Mr. Woodward alone is due the
credit of this very considerable increase in our knowledge of the
Western Macropodidcz ; the verification of the occurrence of M. rufus
in Western Australia, the discovery of both M. robustus cervinus and

IO

woodward i, and the more accurate knowledge of M. tsabellittus , are all
due to Mr. Woodward.

Still further north-eastwards from the range of the present animal,
in the Northern Territory of South Austrrlia, occurs M. antilopinus
(Gould), which is of a somewhat similar color and general appearance,
but differs markedly by the pecular inflation of the sides of the muzzle.

1 he hair of its nape slopes uniformly backwards.

MACROPUS ROBUSTUS ALLIGATOR IS, sub-sp., nov-

Type. — No. 1445. July 2nd, T903. South Alligator River.

“ Chackaru ” of Natives. Iris-brown. J. T. Tunney.

Fur nearly as short and close as in M. r. woodwardi , much
shorter than in the other sub-species.

N.B. — This species does not occur in W.A., but is included in
this list as it is so near a neighbour and belongs to the group described
above.

PRELIMINARY DIAGNOSIS OE A NEW GENUS
AND SPECIE S OE K ANGAROO.

By the HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD, M.P., PA. D., &>c.

Novjtates ZoologicjB, 1903, Vol. x., pp. 414 and 543 ; 1904,

Vol. XI., pp. 225. r

rr

DENDRODORCOPSIS, sp. nov.-

This genus is closely allied to both Dorcopsis and Dendrolagus,
and in many respects stands intermediate. It differs from both in its
much more hairy rhinarium and very short claw to middle toe of
hind foot, which is concealed by the hair of the foot above, and only
exceeds the pad of the toe in length by 6 millimeters. The naked
pad ot hind foot large, strongly rugose and extending up the back of
hind legs as in Dendrolagus. Hind leg much longer than fore leg, as
in Dorcopsis. Tail considerably shorter than body, covered with
short, flat, and straight hair as in Macropus. Mr. Oldfield Thomas
has examined the skull of this curious new kangaroo, and finds that
its essential generic characters (especially the absence of the canine
teeth) do not differ from those of true Macropus. This makes the
genus much more interesting, as the external generic characters show
almost conclusively that it is aboreai as well as rock-hunting in its
habits, which fact would account for its modified outward resemblance
to the l Inlanders and T. ree- Kangaroos, while it nevertheless retains
the essential macropine cranial characters.

nr

DENDRODORCOPSIS WOODWARDI, spec. nov. -

Size larger than Dendrolagus bennetti , ears long and very hairy.
Color above and below sooty brownish black, fore legs and lower half
ot hind limbs and tail deep black. Total length, 1,530 mm. ; tail,
700 mm. ; head and body, 830 mm. ; hind foot, 250 mm. ; ear,
80 mm. Macropus bernardus Rothsch. (see below). Difficult to
procure.

Habitat. — Granite Ranges, head of South Alligator River.

Type. — No. 170-1046, 17, V. 1903; Co-Types , Nos. 6720 and
6721 W.A. Museum. — Collected by J. T. Tunney.

NOTE ON MACROPUS BERNARDUS (DENDRO-
DORCOPSIS WOODWARD!).

By the HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD, ALT., Ph. D., &c.

When I published (antea, p. 414) a preliminary description of the
above very distinct Kangaroo, I stated that the cranial characters
were identical with Macropus. Mr. Oldfield Thomas, when writing a
paper on the collection made by Mr. Tunney on the Alligator River,
has pointed out to me that my new genus cannot stand, as even the
external characters are more Macropine than I at first thought. I
therefore, as there is already a Macropus woodward /, propose for this
new species the name of Macropus bernardus , instead of Dendrodor-
copsis woodwardi.

The skull is very like that of M. robustus ; it is, however, more
lightly built.

It is, however, none the less a most striking and remarkable dis-
covery, the finest that has been made in Australia for many years, and
the organisers of Mr. Tunney’s expedition are to be congratulated on
so valuable a result

PETROGALE ROTHSCHILDI, spec, nov —

Size about as in P. lateralis. Fur rather shorter and thinner in
that species. Fur of nape reversed forward from withers ; general
color of back dull vinaceous brown (“Mars brown”) lightening to
brownish white (near “ ecru drab ”) on the nape.

Habitat . — Cossack River, north of Western Australia.

Type. — Female, No. 157. — Collected July 23rd, 1901, by J. T.
Tunney.

I have named this fine and distinct Rock Wallaby in honor of
the Hon. Walter Rothschild, by whom Mr. Tunney’s collecting expe-
dition has been mainly supported, and whose scientific interest in the
Macropodidcz is well known.

P rothschildi is most nearly related to P. lateralis , but is readily
distinguishable by its dark head and uniformly dark ears, the absence
of either nuchal dark stripe or whitish flank patch, and by its shorter
thinner fur.

Oldfield Thomas (Nov. Zool. Vol. XI , pp. 335, 1904).

PERAMELES BARROWENSIS, sp. nov. (Thos.)-

A small insular representative of the continental P. obesula . Size
markedly smaller than in P. obesula. General color, strongly lined
black and buffy, the individual hairs grey, basally darkening to black,
which latter may either continue to the tip or replaced by buffy ;
woolly under fur, grey basally, whiter terminally. Head like back, or
slightly darker ; upper lip whitish ; no darker markings round eyes.
Ears short, rounded, closely covered with fine, buffy hairs. Under-
surface dull whitish, not sharply defined, the hairs whitish to their
roots. Arms externally like the body, darkening to brown on the
metacarpals ; the digits white. Hind limbs similar, but the digits also
brown. Tail of medium length, grizzled brown above, whitish below.
Skull, although conspicuously smaller, agreeing in all details with that
of P. obesula.

Type. — Male, B.M., No. 1528 ; original number, 3290. — Col-
lected 6th November, 1900, by Mr. J. T. Tunney.

DESCRIPTION OE A NEW PHASCOGALE PROM
NORTH WES TERN AUSTRALIA.

By EDGAR R. WAITE , F.L.S., Zoologist to the Australian Museum.

Records of Australian Museum, Vol. V., Pt. II., 1904.

Type 5372 and 5373 W.A. Museum.

PHASCOGALE BLYTHI (Waite)-

In January, 1902, Mr. A. C. Blyth, of this city, invited me to see
three small mammals which he had just brought alive from the
Pilbarra District, North Western Australia.

I found them to be an adult pair and a half-grown example of a
species of Phascogale. Mr. Blyth told me that on passing through
Western Australia he had also left two examples with the Director of
the Western Australian Museum and Art Gallery. In April, Mr.

i3

JBlyth kindly placed his animals in my charge for observation, but as
I was at that time unable to give them the necessary study, they were
returned, to await a more favorable opportunity. This proved a dis-
astrous proceeding, lor within a week the animals escaped and were
not again seen.

Two months later, Mr. B. H. Woodward, Director of the
Western Australian Museum and Art Gallery, asked me to examine
the examples which he still had alive.

During the two or three days I had Mr. Blyth’s animals in my
possession, I found them to be very tolerant of the hand, having been
accustomed thereto by their owner, though he told me that at first he
had received some sharp bites from them.

I several times liberated them in a closed room, but by approach-
ing gently had small difficulty in securing them again. When startled,
say by clapping the hands, they would make a spasmodic spring of two
feet or more.

In response to any inquiries regarding the behaviour of the
animals in captivity, Mr. Woodward writes: — “The only habits I
noticed were the wonderful quickness and skill in catching beetles, of
which they were very fond. They always avoided the light as much as
possible.”

CERCHNEIS UNICOLOR (Milligan) Western Kestrel-

Type Male, No. 6667 in W.A. Museum. — Yalgoo.

This bird was captured alive at Yalgoo, in the north-western por-
tion of this State (where it is said to be a very common form) and sent
to the Zoological Gardens, South Perth. Ihe Director, Mr. Ernest
Le Souef, and the head-keeper of the Gardens, Mr. Giles, were, on its
arrival at the Gardens, at once struck with its diminutive form and
general rufous coloration as compared with living forms of Cerchneis
cenchroides (Vig. and Hors ) which they had in the Gardens. On its
death it was sent to the Museum and examined by Mr. Milligan, who
stated that the new bird differs from the common form in not posses-
sing any white or pale feathers on the under parts of the body, those
parts being a decided cinnamon pink, and thus very distinctive. In
addition, the tail is not grey, but rusty-cinnamon, and the legs pea-
green and not orange yellow. The bird also is much smaller.

14

MALURUS EDOUARDI (Camp.) Black and White Wren

Type. — No. 3326 ; Co Types , Nos. 3227, 3228 in Western Aus-
tralian Museum, Perth. — Barrow Island, N.W. Australia. — Collector,
John T. Tunney. January, 1901.

“Victorian Naturalist,” April 4th, 1901, Vol. XVII., No. 12,
page 203.

The discovery of a black and white Malurus in Australia was of
considerable interest to Ornithologists. The only other pied species
of this genus, M. albiscapulatus , is found in New Guinea, from which
the Australian species differs in having the upper wing coverts and inner
secondaries, in addition to the scapulars, white.

For the new bird, Mr. A. J. Campbell proposed he name Malurus
edouardi , in honor of His Majesty King Edward VII., this being the
first Australian bird discovered during his reign.

This new wren was discovered by the collector of the Western
Australian Museum, Mr. John Tunney, amongst spinifex on Barrow
Island, off the north-western coast of Australia, in December, 1900.

Only three specimens were obtained, and they are all male birds,
in various stages of plumage. Mr. Campbell predicts that the female,
judging by analogy, will doubtless be brownish ; paler on the under-
neath part, and owing to its environments will probably be more rusty
colored than the females of the other members of its genus.

MALURUS PULCHERRIMUS (Gould)—

Type in British Museum.

The “ Blue-breasted Wren,” Malurus pulchernmus , although not
new, is worthy of mention because from the time when it was dis-
covered by Gilbert, the collector, in the Woongan Hills in 1842 (see
Goulds figures in his “ Birds of Australia”), not another specimen was
obtained until Messrs. A. W. Milligan and C. P. Conigrave, in the
month of October, 1902 (after a lapse of 6 j years), during a scientific
expedition to the Stirling Ranges in the South, secured five speci-
mens, and in the following year they obtained 13 skins in the Woon-
gan Hills, the site of the original discovery.

SPHENURA LITORALIS (Milligan)-

Lesser Rufous Bristle Bird. — Cape Mentelle, S.W. Australia.

October, 1901. Collector, Mr. A. W. Milligan.

“The Emu,” January, 1902, Vol. I., part II., page 17.

Type.— Female, No. 4355 in Western Australian Museum, Perth.

The discovery of a new species of Sphenura was made by Mr.
Milligan on the 12th of October, 1902, in the dwarf coastal shrubs at
Ellensbrook, in the south-western division of this State, about midway
between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, whither he had gone in
the hope of obtaining specimens of Atrichornis clamosa.

The new bird resembles Sphenura broadbenti, and at first sight
was thought to be that form, or a western variety of it, but after
examination of a skin of the eastern form belonging to the Geelong
Museum, kindly lent by Mr. W. Mulder, Mr. Milligan had not the
slightest hesitation in differentiating it from that species.

The chief differences are that the new species is much smaller
than S. broadbenti , that in the former the rufous or chestnut head is
brighter, and the under surfaces lighter than in the latter, and that the
yellow gape and triangular loral spot present in S. broadbenti are
absent in S. litoralis.

1 he bird has two distinct calls, viz., an alarm note it utters when
closely pursued and pressed, resembling the words “ pink, pink, pink,”
and a song consisting of a series of clear, liquid, thrush-like notes.

The bird is very shy, is very seldom to be seen, and most difficult
tc flush. On the fourth day Mr. Milligan saw one running at top
speed across one of those rounded sand hills (which abound on the
coasts), with its tail depressed below the plane of the body, and its
dwarf rounded wings used as an aid to its running, its toes just touch-
ing the ground, and its neck stretched to the utmost, when tne bird
reminded him very much of the action of the Lyre Bird in similar
circumstances.

The food of the bird, as revealed by dissection, consisted wholly
of land snails, which are found in abundance on the coastal limestone
hills.

i6

AMYTORNIS HOUSEI (Milligan), Black Grass-Wen.

Kimberley. Collector — Dr. F. M. House

“ Appendix E to Report on Kimberley Exploring Expedition,” page 8.

Types. — (Nos. 4766 and 4768 — Male and Female. Co-type — 4767
Male) in W.A. Museum, Perth.

This handsome bird was discovered by Dr. F. M. House, Medical
Officer and Naturalist of the exploring expedition that vis ted Kim-
berley in 1901, and in his honor it was named by Mr. Milligan.

The predominating hues of the plumage are black and deep
chestnut, relieved on the head, neck, throat and chest with regular
silky white longitudinal striations.

The new bird affords another instance of what is known as
“ protective coloring,” as its habitat is amongst the piled up masses of
red and black sandstone found in the region traversed by the expedi-
tion, and with these colored rocks the plumage of the bird harmonises
so perfectly that the birds are quite indistinguishable while motionless.

AMYTORNIS GIGANTURA (Milligan), Western Grass-Wren.

Mount Magnet, Murchison, Nov., 1899.— Collector, John T. Tunney.
“Victorian Naturalist,” May 7th, 1901, Vol. XVIII, No. 1.

Type. — (No. 1529) in W.A. Museum, Perth.

ACANTHIZA PALLIDA (Milligan), Pallid Tit—

Wurarga, Yalgoo goldfield, Murchison, September, 1903.— Collector,

F. Lawson.

“ * he Emu,” Vol. Ill, 1903, page nr.

A new Acanthiza was secured by Mr. Fred. Lawson at Wurarga,
Yalgoo Goldfields, in September, 1903. Wurarga is about 100 miles
inland from the western coast, well beyond the confines of the char-
acteristic lain belt and in about the same latitude as the boundary line
between Queensland and New South Wales. The new species is
closely allied to Acanthiza chrysorrhoa , and bears affinity in the same
degree to that species as A. tenuirostris does to A. reguloides . It is in
fact, a pallid and miniature form of A. chrysorrhoa. Mr. Milligan did not
declare it to be the Western form ol the latter species, as our coastal form
in tempoiate districts much resembles the Eastern one, but rather
regarded it as the Northern and interior one.

i7

ACANTHIZA ROBUSTIROSTRIS (Milligan), “Thiek-billed Tit.”

Woongan Hills.; — Collector, A. W. Milligan.

“The Emu,” vol. Ill, July 1903, page 71.

Types. — (5546 and 5548) in Western Australian Museum, Perth.

Acanthiza robustirostris belongs to that section of the genus in
which the dark tail band occupies nearly the terminal half of the
feather, and the base of the tail is bright colored like the rump and
upper tail coverts. It was discovered in May, 1903, at Day Dawn,
Murchison, by Mr. Frederick Lawson. The bill is remarkably robust
for an Acanthiza. The general color of the upper surface is much
more sombre than usual with this genus. The “scaling” or shell-
marked feathers of the forehead, present in many members of the
genus, are absent in this one. Above the rump is a conspicuous patch
of white silky feathers, and the rump and upper tail coverts are snuff-
colored, as also is the basal half of the tail. The sub-ocular and
auricular regions are evenly and regularly “ rippled.”

MEGALURUS STRIATUS (Milligan), Striated Grass-bird.—

Lake Yanchep, miles north of Perth ; Dec., 1902. — Collector,

A. W. Milligan.

“The Emu,” April, 1903, Vol. II, part 4, page 201.

Type. — (527 8) Male, in Western Australian Museum, Perth.

The type specimen was shot at Lake Yanchep, 35 miles north of
Perth, by Mr. A. W. Milligan, in December 1902. It was compared
with specimens of Mtgalurus gramineus from Victoria and Mandurah
Estuary, some 40 miles south of Perth. Little difference exists between
the Victorian and Mandurah skins. On the other hand, the difference
between those skins and the Lake Yanchep skin is most marked. The
latter is very much smaller and in addition, lacks the fulvous color of
the upper surface, sides, flanks, and tail coverts of the former, and in
lieu, has these of a dullish, lustreless smoky-brown.

The notes of the new bird are two melancholy ones, resembling
in sound the syllables “tee tee.” In the protected area of the Swan
River, in Perth, the local bird has three notes — “titty tee tee.” The
birds were numerous, but difficult to flush owing to their secretive
habits.

CALAMANTHUS MONTANELLUS (Milligan) Rock Field-Wren

Type. — No. 5340, Male. Type 5341, Female, in Western Australian

Museum, Perth.

Stirling Ranges. Collector, C. P. Comgrave.

“The Emu,” April 1903, page 200.

The new bird was found in the sterile stony tracts on the north or
sheltered side on the Stirling Ranges. Its song is a series of musical
warbling notes, which it utters either on the ground or in low bush.
It runs along the ground like a mouse, and is very difficult to flush.
The birds were very numerous in the sterile places indicated, but very
difficult to secure.

XEROPHILA CASTANEI VENTRIS (Milligan) Chestnut-bellied

Whitetaee—

Types. — 5521 and 5524 Male and Female in Western Australian

Museum.

Murchison District.

“The Emu,” Vol. III., July, 1903, page 70.

Obtained at Pindar, in the Murchison District, by Mr. J. T.
Tunney, in 1902. A careful examination by Mr. A. W. Milligan dis-
closed that major differences existed between it and the already
described species of the genus Xe 7 'ophila.

It may be distinguished from ( a ) X. leucopsis by the presence of a
thicker bill and of deep dull chestnut rump, flanks and sides, and a
chestnut and white abdomen, and white chin, throat and chest, and by
the absence of the faint subterminal cross bars on the breast ; ( b ) from
X. pecto 7 ‘alis principally by the absence of the chestnut-brown back
and the well-defined pectoral band of cinnamon-brown and the chest-
nut and white flanks, which in the new species are almost uniform
chestnut ; and (c) from X. 7 iigricincta by the absence of the narrow
black pectoral band and the cinnamon back which distinguish that
species. The new species appears to occupy an intermediate position
between X. pecto 7 'alis and X. nigricmcta.

The following field notes by Mr. Lawson regarding the new
species are of interest : — “ The cinnamon flanks are a consistent
feature. The call note is musical, though rather plaintive. They
love rocky places, and are ground feeders. They are fairly common
and usually to be found in company with Sericornis bru 7 i 7 iea and
Acanthiza pyrrho pygialisP

i9

MELITHREPTUS LEUCOGENYS (Milligan) Western Brown-headed
Honey-eater—

Types. — S3 01 an d S 3 00 Male and Female, in. Western Australian

Museum, Perth.

Stirling Ranges. Collector, Mr. A. W. Milligan.

“ The Emu,” Vol. II., page 160.

This bird was secured in the Stirling Ranges by Mr. A. W. Milli-
gan in September, 1902. It resembled in some respects the Victorian
bird, M. bremrostris , but on full examination there were found to be
specific differences between them, which may be summarized as
follows : — (a) The new bird is less robust generally, and the bill in
particular is shorter and more slender ; (b) the bare spaces surround-
ing the eye are orange and bluish emerald ; (c) the blackish chin is
* distinctly marked, as also is the greyish breast ; ( d ) the cheeks are
white ; and ( e ) the head is blackish brown.

PTILOTIS NOVA2-NORCIA3 ( Milligan), Western White-eared
Honey-eater—

Type. — No. 6309, Male; Co-Type, No. 6310, in Western Australian
• Museum, Perth.

Woongan Hills. Collector, Mr. A. W. Milligan,

“The Emu,” Vol. III. (1904) April, page 226.

One ol the novelties obtained during an expedition to the Woon-
gan Hills in October, 1903. At first sight Mr. Milligan pronounced
it, but with reservation, to be Ptilotis leucotis , although it appeared to
be much smaller and not so brightly colored as the Eastern form.
On subsequent comparison, Mr. Milligan noted distinct modifications
in structure and other disposition, and consequently he decided
it was a new species.

MIRAFRA JAVANICA WOODWARDI (Milligan), Bush Lark-

Onslow, N.W. Australia. Collector, John T. Tunney.
“Victorian Naturalist,” May 7th, 1901, Vol. XVIII., No. I., page 25.

Type. — No. 3452 Male, in Western Australian Museum, Perth.

GYMNORHINA LONGIROSTRIS (Milligan), Long-billed Magpie.—

Ashburton River N.W. Australia. — Collector, Mr. John T. Tunney.

Type No. 3602 in Western Australian Museum, Perth.

During the course of a systematic examination of the bird skins
in the Western Australian Museum, Perth, Mr. Milligan's attention was

20

attracted to five Magpie skins which had been obtained by the
Museum Collector, Mr. J. T. Tunney, on the Cane and Ashburton
Rivers, North-Western Australia, and which bore at firs sight, a
striking resemblance to Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham) of Eastern Aus-
tralia, except for their conspicuously long and narrow bills,

A closer examination and comparisons with a pair of mounted
specimens of G. tibicen in the Museum, and with recorded scientific
descriptions of that species disclosed so many points of difference as
to warrant the separation of the Western form, and therefore Mr.
Milligan declared it a new species His grounds for separation were
briefly as follows: — (a) The Western bird is longer; (b) its bill is
longer; (c) its tail is shorter; ( d ) its tarsi are shorter ; and (e) the thigh
feathers are not black, but wholly white for the upper portion, and
noticeably so for the lower. In addition, the plumage generally does
not present the striking and decided contrasts of glossy bluish-black
and snowy white that mark the Eastern forms. Mr. Milligan assigned
to the new species the scientific name of Gymnorhina longiroslris , and
the vernacular one of the Long-billed Magpie, bu the was aware that in
the latter respect he was appropriating the vernacular name given by
Mr. A. J. Campbell to his G. dorsalis. However, as such a vernacular
name is not the translated equivalent of his specific name ( dorsalis ), and
as the vernacular “ long-billed ” is the leading characteristic of the new
species, he asked Mr. Campbell to waive his prior right, and suggested
substituting the vernacular name of the “Varied-back Magpie,” which
Mr. Milligan thought would better indicate one of the chief char-
acteristics of the adult female and the young of both sexes of G.
dorsalis.

21

Seme New Species ol West Australian Plants.

By W. V. FITZGERALD , F.S.Sc., Lond ., F.R.H.S . , Engl.

SAPINDACEiE.

DODON^A HACKBTTIANA, Sp. nov.

SPREADING shrub of 6-10 feet in height, and 12-15 feet
IT across ; branches and branchlets almost or quite terete ; more

j or less invested with a white or brownish tomentum ; the

young shoots viscid. Leaves glabrous or slightly villous,
lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, obtuse, much attenuated at the base,
copiously gland-dotted, margins flat, entire or repand, mostly i^-if
inch long, the midrib alone evident. Flowers dioecious, greenish-
yellow, few or many in terminal or axillary racemes, much shorter than
the leaves. Pedicels slightly villous, viscid, almost filiform, 2-3 lines
long. Male flowers : Sepals 3, rarely 4, ovate, obtuse, scantily
tomentose and viscid without, villous within and on the margins, about
1^- line long. Anthers 6, seldom 8, obtuse, about as long as the
sepals. Female flowers : Sepals 3, ovate, obtuse, sparingly tomentose
and rigid without, villous within and on the margins, about 1 line long.
Ovary, 3 celled, on a short thick stipes, rigid and slightly villous ; style
thick, shortly trilobed, at least 3 lines long. Fruit with the wings
rounded and continuous from the base to the style, the wings attaining
a circumference of 4-5 lines, and a width of \\-2 lines. Seeds about,
1 line, dull grey, minutely reticulate or rugose.

Locality . — King’s Park, Perth, among limestone. — J. Sheath
August 1904.

Remarks . — This new species is readily recognised from forms of
D. viscosa , Linn. andZ>. Attenuata , A. Cgh., by the villous indumentum,
the calyx of the male flower being mostly 3-partite, the stamens 6, rarely 7
or 8, the female flower constantly 3-merous and the style long. In
aspect, the plant somewhat resembles forms of Rhagodia Billardieri ,
R. Br., with which it is associated, and to this may be ascribed its
non-discovery until it came under the notice of Mr. Sheath, the
Superintendent of King’s Park.

22

The new plant is named out of compliment to I)r. J. VV. Hackett,
M.L.C., Chairman of the King’s Park Hoard, a gentleman who takes
an active interest in any subject having for its object the advai cement
of natural science.

LEGUMINOSiE.

ACKSONIA MOLLISSIMA, sp. nov.

An erect, dense, heavy looking shrub of 8-12 feet in height. The
branches, branchlets, pedicels, and calyxes closlely invested with short
appressed silky hairs. Branches prominently angular or almost winged;
Phyllodineous branchlets linear to linear-lanceolate, straight or falcate,
almost pungent pointed, of rather soft texture in the specimens seen,
simple, flat, i-i-£ inch long, central nerve prominent. Flowers, solitary
or in pairs near the base of the branchlets, or scattered singly along
their edges, sometimes forming irregular terminal racemes through
branchlet-suppression. Pedicels nearly as long as the calyx, with
minute bracteoles below the middle. Calyx 3^-4 lines long, not angu*
lar in the bud, the segments persistent. Petals as long as the calyx,
the standard and wings bright yellow ; keel purple. Ovary distinctly
stipitate, tomentose, 2-ovulate. Pod oblong, falcate, almost acute,
somewhat turgid, tomentose, 5-6 lines long, on a stipes of about x line.

Locality . — Margaret River, on hills overlooking Ellensbrook Farm,
f miles from the coast, in sandy soil overlying limestone. — E. W.
Hursthouse, March, 1904.

Remarks . — The ovary and pod of the new species are quite those
of J '. horrida , DeCandolle, but in other characters it more closely
approximates J. sericea , Benth. ; differing, besides in the ovary and pod,
chiefly in the longer flat phyllodineous branchlets, and the pedicels
and petals proportionately longer as to the calyx.

MYRTACEJE.

MICROMYRTUS HURSTHOUSEI, sp. nov.-

An erect glabrous shrub, of about 2 teet in height, with slender
twiggy branches. Leaves decussate, loosely imbricate on the short
branchlets, ovate, obtuse, thick, concave, keeled, f-i line long. Flowers
small, white, sessile, 1-3 together in the upper axils and forming ovate
heads or spikes. Bracteoles persistent, linear to linear-spathulate,
concave, membranous, ciliate, at least as long as the calyx-tube. Calyx-
tube cylindrico-turbinate, 5 streaked, about J line long; lobes short,
orbicular, herbaceous, with membranous finely denticulate margins.
Petals orbicular, f line diameter. Stamens 5, opposite the petals;
filaments short, filiform ; anther cells globular, opening in terminal
pores. Ovules 2. Style very short, glabrous ; stigma minute. Fruit-
ing-calyx of soft texture.

2 3

Locality . — Murchison District, in sandy soil. — E. W. Hursthouse,
October, 1902.

Remarks . — This new plant differs from M. Dmmmondii , Benth.,
orincipally in the foliage, the flowers sessile and seldom solitary in the
txils and in the conspicuous persistent bracteoles. From the other
fipecies having 5 stamens it is still further removed.

8EAUFORTIA ERIOCEPHALA, sp. nov-

A low spreading shrub of about 18 inches high, the branchlets
md leaves invested with woolly white spreading hairs, rarely quite
glabrous. Leaves opposite, spreading or erect, linear to linear-lanceol-
ate, obtuse, shortly petioled, concave, keeled, 3-nerved, 3-4 lines long.
Bracts broadly ovate or almost orbicular-cordate, with 5-7 nerves,
reticulate-veined, all shorter than the calyxes. Flowers rather small,
in dense globular or ovoid white woolly heads, the axis soon growing
out; rhachis woolly tomentose. Bracteoles subulate, black-pointed.
•Calyx woolly tomentose, the tube about one line long ; lobes subulate,
•erect, glabrous within, about as long as the tube. Petals as long as
ithe lobes, red, ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, keeled, the back and edges
woolly tomentose. Stamens scarlet or reddish purple, 4-5 lines long,
in bundles of 5 ; claw narrow, densely woolly-tomentose, as long as or
shorter than the glabrous filaments. Anther cells orbicular. Ovary
/very short, with one perfect ovule in each cell ; style long, filiform.
Fruiting spikes ovoid, \ inch long.

Locality. — Moora, in ironstone gravel. — E. W. Hursthouse,

► October, 1903.

Remarks . — Before expansion, the flower-heads form an ovoid
woolly mass, with the black points of the bracteoles and calyx segments
protruding. The species is allied to B. purpurea , Lindley, but is
easily distinguished by the woolly white hairs on the foliage and in-
florescence ; bracts all shorter than the calyx ; petals not shorter than
the calyx segments ; the woolly-tomentose staminal claws, etc.

COMPOSITE.

BRACHYCOMIE CILIOCARPA, sp. nov-

A glabrous annual, with erect or ascending often much branched
stems of 4-6 inches high Leaves pinnate, with few to many narrow
linear segments. Flower heads rather large on long slender peduncles.
Involucral bracts ovate, thin, with membranous slightly serrulated mar-
gins. Ray-florets (white?) with a limb of above ^ inch in length. Disk-
achenes much compressed, wingless, the edges ciliate with long white
silky hairs, the faces quite smooth and glabrous. Ray-achenes turgid,
obovate, laterally compressed, with a slightly raised line in the com-
pression, which is ciliate with long white silky hairs, the faces of the

24

^chene smooth and glabrous, each face with a raised median line. All
achenes bearing a conspicuous pappus which blends with the marginal
cilice.

Locality . — Cue, January, 1903. — J. R. P. Andrews.

Remarks. — This new species very closely resembles.#. iberidifola,
Benth., but in that plant the achenes of the disk are angular, those of
the ray corky and differently shaped. Neither of the achenes develops
a conspicuous pappus nor marginal ciliae.

ANGIANTHUS CONNATUS, sp. nov.—

An erect or ascending usually much branched annual of 3-6 inches
high ; stems glabrous ; flowering branches and heads invested with a
white wool. Stem-leaves opposite, connate, linear, obtuse or shortly
acute, -J-f inch long. Clusters of flower-heads turbinate-obovoid, about
3 lines long. Floral leaves few, alternate, lanceolate, obtuse, tapering
at the base, reticulate, 2-3 lines long, the inner ones terminating in
scarious tips. Receptacle slightly branched, subtending bracts broadly
spathulate, of firm texture, reticulate-veined without, shorter than the
partial involucres and terminating in small scarious tips. Partial
involures shortly stipitate, 1-3, usually 2, within each subtending
bract and consisting of 2 outer keeled and 3 inner flattened scarious
bracts, all linear and with the tips often expanded into small mem-
branous appendages. Florets solitary, 5-merous, scarcely thickened
at the base. Pappus a ring of scarious scales, connate at the base
and falling off with the corolla. Achene smooth, bearing near summit
a quantity of long white wool.

Locality . — Minginew. — W. V. F., September, 1903.

Remarks. — This species appears to be correctly referable to
Angianthus , but is without immediate ally. The wool on the achene
occurs in A. demissus , Benth. In Gnephosis arachnoides , Turcz. often
occur several partial involucres within one subtending bract.

GNEPHOSIS EXILIS, sp. nov.—

An annual with slender, erect, scantily-woolly stems, much branched
from the base, mostly 4-6 inches high. Leaves linear to filiform under
f inch long. Clusters of flower-heads globular, about 3 lines diameter,
the florets conspicuous, surrounded by a involucre of several rows of
shining yellow, woolly-ciliate scarious bracts, much shorter than the
partial involucres. Receptacle small, convex, glabrous, the bases of
the floret-heads prominent. Partial involucres slightly compressed,
bracts scarious, scantily woolly at the top, bearing small ovate pale
yellow laminae, the subtending 1 and 2 outer ones narrow and keeled,
the three inner ones broader and almost flat, all very deciduous.

25

Florets solitary, 5-merous. Pappus a ring of short bristles, dilated and
. connate at the base, and usually falling off with the corolla.

Locality . — Minginew, September, 1903. — W. V. F.

Remarks . — Closely allied to B. skirrophora , Benth., differing in
more slender habit, the not hirsute receptacle, in all the partial in-
volucral bracts bearing laminae and in the pappus.

HELIPTERUM PACHYCH^TUW, sp. nov —

An annual more or less invested with crisped woolly hairs, with
several slender, almost simple branches ascending from the base, all
specimens under 6 inches high. Lower leaves lanceolate-oblong,
almost opposite, f-i-J- inches long, upper linear, smaller and degenerat-
ing to small leafy bracts on the peduncles. Involucre hemispherical,
3-I-4 lines diameter. Bracts in few series, ovate, with a firm lanceolate-
ovate centre, tinged with purple and excepting a few of the outermost,
all membranous-margined and terminating in deltoid-ovate hyaline
laminae of not more than one line in length on the inner bracts.
Florets 20-25, slightly hispid, all hermaphrodite, and, excepting 2-3 in
each head, all fertile. Achenes compressed, comparatively broad,
densely silky-villous. Pappus of 15-20 plumose bristles, all equal and
longer than the floret, rigid, much thickened downwards and united
at the base, forming a short tube.

Locality. — Jacup, 50 miles west of Phillips River, among grass in
shade of trees, October, 1903. — C. R. P. Andrews.

Remarks . — This species has the habit and involucre of some forms
of H. hyalospernium , F. v. M., with almost the achenes of H. rubellum
Benth In the shortly connate pappus bristles, it approaches H.
Troedelii , F. v. M.

GOODENIACE^E.

GOODENIA DECURSIVA, sp. nov.—

An erect shrub with stout branches and, excepting a little wool
in the axils of the leaves, bracts, and bracteoles, quite glabrous, the
lower portion of the branches covered with the persistent bases of
the leaves. Leaves crowded in the upper portion of the branches,
sessile, stem-clasping and shortly decurrent, ovate to ovate-lanceolate,
obtuse, or hardly acute, distantly and irregularly toothed, rather
firm, from 1 to 1 \ inches long, the floral leaves gradually smaller,
from narrow-ovate to broad-lanceolate and entire. Flower white
or tinged with purple, in a narrow racemose-panicle, the flowers in
the lower half 2-4 on short secondary peduncles, the upper portion
of the inflorescence simply racemose, the whole 3-4 inches long ;
primary peduncle not much shorter, stout and quadrangular. Bracts
narrow-ovate to lanceolate ; bracteoles linear-subulate. Pedicels short.

26

Calyx lobes linear-subulate. Corolla glabrous without, more or
less hirsute within, about 8 lines long, the lobes nearly equal and
narrowly winged, with purple streaks at the base and in the throat, the
adnate portion of the tube with an obscure saccate protuberance. Free
portion of the ovary and the style invested with white spreading
bristly hairs. Dissepiment reaching almost to the summit of the ovary,
ovules numerous (16-20) in each cell, in 2 rows. Indusium scantily
hirsute on the back, margin ciliate. Stigma rather large, divaricately
bilobed. Young seeds with broad membranous margins.

Locality . — Sandy ground on the side of granite hill, Esperance,
October, 1903. — C. R. P. Andrews.

Remarks . — The following comparison will serve to distinguish the
new plant from its nearest congener : —

Section —
Monochila .

Goodenia Scapigera , R. Br.

Leaves from linear to
ovate, petiolate or simply
sessile.

Secondary peduncles
long, with several some-
times many flowers.

Bracts narrow-subulate.

Dissepiment of the
ovary reaching slightly
above the middle.

Indusium glabrous or
scantily ciliate.

Seeds with thickened or
scarcely membranous mar-
gins.

G. decursiva , W. V. F.

Leaves ovate to ovate-
lanceolate, amplexicaul
and shortly decurrent.

Secondary peduncles
short, with 2-4 flowers.

Bracts narrow-ovate to
lanceolate.

Dissepiment of the ovary
reaching nearly to the sum-
mit.

Indusium conspicuously
ciliate.

Seeds with broad mem-
branous margins.

EPACRIDEAE.

LECOPOGON DENTICULATUS, sp. nov-

Shrubby and apparently erect, the branchlets scabrous or shortly
pubescent and angular. Leaves all opposite and decussate, imbricate
in 4 rows on the branchlets, distant on the branches, erect, ovate,
obtuse, broadly sessile, concave, rather thick with denticulated margins,
1 - 1 "2" lines long, prominently keeled, with 2 conspicuous nerves on each
side of the keel. Flowers few, in short terminal spikes. Bracts and
bracteoles resembling the leaves, but smaller, apparently all opposite.
Calyx herbaceous, about i-| lines long, the sepals lanceolate, near the

27

: summits keeled and terminating in callous apices, margins ciliate with
short woolly hairs. Corolla white, hardly 2 lines long, the lobes
slightly longer than the tube. Filaments adnate above the middle of
the anthers, the latter dark-colored, ovate, with small white recurved
sterile tips. Hypogynous disk of free ovate scales. Ovary glabrous,
turbinate, slightly ribbed, 2-celled ; style very short. Fruit slightly
exceeding the calyx, obovate, longitudinally striate, 1 -seeded by abor-
tion.

Locality. — Near Albany, October, 1903. — C. R. P. Andrews.

Remarks. — Independently of carpological differences, this new
species can be distinguished from it nearest ally as follows : —

Section —
Perojoa

Series —
Oppositifolice

L. oppositifolius , Sond.

Leaves narrow to
broad-linear, carinate,
magi ns entire.

L. denticulatus , W. V. F.

Leaves ovate, promi-
nently striate, margins
denticulate.

Sepals colored, simp-
ly obtuse.

Sepals herbaceous,
carinate and callous at
the apices.

Anthers with promi-
nent sterile tips

Anthers with minute
sterile tips.

Hypogynous disk of
connate scales.

Hypogynous disk of
free scales.

LEUCOPOGON MINUTIFOLIUS, sp. nov.—

An undershrub with numerous slender erect stems arising fiom a
thick stock, all under 1 foot in height, corymbosely branched above the
middle, the branches pubescent. Leaves imbricate, ovate to ovate-
lanceolate, very obtuse, concave, thick, line long, strongly keeled,
with several obscure parallel nerves. Flowers small, in headlike
spikes. Bracts leaflike, slightly membranous-margined ; bracteoles
ovate orbicular, obtuse, ciliolate, concave, prominently keeled, not half
as long as the calyx, Sepals lanceolate ovate, very obtuse, purplish,
ciliolate, slightly above 1 line long. Corolla 2\ lines long, the lobes
much longer than the tube. Anthers rather broad, the filament
attached immediately below the prominent recurved sterile tips.
Hypogynous disk truncate. Ovary glabrous, 2-celled, slightly dilated
at the summit, the style short and thick. Fruit cylindrical, slightly
exceeding the calyx, truncate, i-seeded, the style persistent.

Locality . — Sand plain East of Stirling Range, October 1903. —
C. R. P. Andrews.

28

Remarks — This pretty little species belongs to the section Perojoa ,
series Concurvce , and does not appear to have any near ally among the
species included in that section. The leaves are among the smallest
in the genus.

LEUCOPOGON BREVISTYLIS, sp. nov.

A shrub with stout branches, invested with coarse white spreading
hairs. Leaves alternate, mostly clustered beneath the inflorescence,
erect, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, tapering into a callous point,
margins serrulate, mostly 4-4^- lines long, concave, scabrous and
strongly striate. Flowers sessile, forming short headlike spikes,
terminal and in the upper axils on short leafy branches. Bracts
minute ; bracteoles hyaline, cordate-ovate, obtuse, about as long as
the calyx, keeled and scantily ciliolate. Sepals hyaline, ovate-
lanceolate and somewhat cordate, obtuse, slightly above 1 line long,
ciliolate. Corolla 2% lines long, the lobes longer than the tube.
Anthers attached to the filaments immediately below the bases of the

LEUCOPOGON MINUTIFOLIUS, sp. nov.—

An undershrub with numerous slender erect stems arising from a
thick stock, all under 1 foot in height, corymbosely branched above
the middle, the branches pubescent. Leaves imbricate, ovate to
ovate-lanceolate, very obtuse, concave, thick, -±-f line long, strongly
keeled, with several obscure parallel nerves. Flowers small, in head-
like terminal spikes. Bracts leaflike, slightly membranous-margined ;
bracteoles ovate-orbicular, ciliolate, concave, prominently keeled, not
half as long as the calyx. Sepals lanceolate-ovate, very obtuse,
purplish, ciliolate, slightly above one line long. Corolla 2% lines long,
the lobes much longer than the tube. Anthers rather broad, the
filament attached immediately below the prominent recurved sterile
tips. Hypogynous disk truncate. Ovary glabrous, 2-celled, slightly
dilated at the summit, the style short and thick. Fruit cylindrical,
slightly exceeding the calyx, truncate, i-seeded, the style persistent.

Locality . — Sand plain east of Stirling Range, October, 1903. —
C. R. P. Andrews.

Remarks . — This pretty little species belongs to the section Perojoa ,
series Concurvx , and does not appear to have any near ally among the
species included in that section. The leaves are among the smallest
in the genus.

LEUCOPOGON BREVISTYLIS, sp. nov.—

A shrub with stout branches, invested with coarse white spread
ing hairs. Leaves alternate, mostly clustered beneath the inflorescence,
erect, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, tapering into a callous point,
margins serrulate, mostly 4-4^ lines long, concave, scabrous and

29

strongly striate. Flowers sessile, forming short head-like spikes, ter-
minal and in the upper axils on short leafy branches. Bracts minute ;
bracteoles hyaline, cordate-ovate, obtuse, about ^ as long as the calyx,
keeled and scantily ciliolate. Sepals hyaline, ovate-lanceolate and
■somewhat cordate, obtuse, slightly above i-line long, ciliolate. Corolla
.2\ lines long, the lobes longer than the tube. Anthers attached to
tthe filaments, immediately below the bases of the conspicuous sterile
itips. Hypogynous disk sinuate-dentate. Ovary glabrous, 2-celled,
-dilated at the summit and then abruptly tapering into the very short
style.

Locality , — Murchison, October, 1902. — E. W. Hursthouse.

Remarks. — The new plant differs from L. Gilbertii , Stsch., in the
presence of hairy vestiture, broader striate leaves, proportionately
shorter cordiform hyaline bracteoles, broader sepals and in the ovary.
From M. gnaphalioides , Stsch., it is principally removed by the
differently shaped and proportionately shorter bracts and bracteoles
and the very different sepals and ovary.

MYOPORINE^E.

EREMOPHILA (Pholidia) Seaberula, sp. nov-

A low growing, almost procumbent heath-like shrub, the branches
with raised decurrent lines from each leaf-stalk and along with the
foliage scaberulous and scarcely viscid. Leaves rather crowded, spread-
ing or incurved, linear or almost subulate, obtuse, attenuated into a
short petiole, entire, thick, flat above, the midrib prominent beneath,
2-4 lines long. Flowers purple, solitary, on thick axiiliary pedicels of

1-2 lines long. Calyx glabrous, about 2 lines long, the segments

lanceolate-ovate and terminating in subulate recurved points. Corolla
5-6 lines long, tube not longer than the calyx, the obliquely broad
campanulate portion longer ; lobes broad and rathei short, the upper
ones connate high up and recurved, the lower middle one bioader and
longer than the others, quite glabrous without, slightly woolly within.
Stamens included. Ovary glabrous, scarcely rugose, slightly laterally
compressed, cylindrico-conical, 2-celled, each cell 2-ovulate. Style
slender, glabrous, hooked at the end, exserted. Fruit narrow-ovate, not
longer than the calyx, rugose and usually 4 celled.

Locality. — Moora, growing in clay or rich loam in flat country. —
E. W. Hursthouse, October, 1903.

Remarks.— This new species approaches Eremophila ( Pholidia)
microtheca , F. v. M., differing principally in the branches and foliage
bein 0- scaberulous, not plumose-pubescent ; shape and arrangement of
the leaves ; calyx-segments glabrous, not plumose-pubescent, also in
the shape of the corolla and less rugose fruits.

30

PROTEACE^.

GREVILLEA STENOPHYLLA, sp. nov.-

An erect bushy shrub of 6-8 feet in height; branchlets compressed
and along with the young leaves sericeous, at length glabrous. Leaves
linear-filiform, mucronate acute, often unciate, doubly grooved beneath
by the thickened revolute margins and prominent midrib, slightly
channelled above, simple or rarely bilobed, mostly about 3 inches
long. Racemes rather dense, ovoid, under 1 inch long, on peduncles
of 3-6 lines, several together forming short term nal paincles. Rhachis
tomentose. Pedicels silky hairy 2-2-J lines long. Perianth white,
silky hairy without, almost glabrous within and with a ring of woolly
hairs about the middle ; tube not very narrow, slightly dilated below
the middle, about 2^ lines long, revolute under the globular limb.
Torus straight ; gland semi-annular, prominent. Ovary glabrous, on a
stipes of 1^ line long ; style slender about 4 lines long, hardly
thickened under the lateral orbicular stigmatic disk. Fruit not seen.

Locality. — Minginew, September, 1903. — W.V.F.

Re?narks . — As regards its floral character, the new plant hardly
differs from G. coimnutata , F. v. M., excepting in the slightly dilated
perienth-tube, but the foliage is markedly dissimilar from that of any
forms of the Murchison River species.

GREVILLEA BRACHYCLADA, sp. nov — -

A shrub with numerous short twiggy branches, glabrous or scantily
hairy. Leaves not numerous, often clustered at the nodes and on short
branches, entire, narrow-linear, obtuse, shortly petiolate, margins
refracted, silvery silky on both sides, f-i^ in. long, the midrib con-
spicuous beneath, with 1-3 longitudinal nerves more or less evident
above. Racemes terminal, on short slender silky hairy peduncles,
umbel-like and consisting of few small flowers. Pedicels 1^-2 lines
long, silky hairy. Perianth pale-colored, invested with silky appressed
hairs without, densely woolly within, especially below the middle, the
tube very slender, under 3 lines long, recurved under the globular
limb. Torus nearly stiaight ; gland large for the flower, semi-annular.
Ovary glabrous, conspicuously stipitate. Stigmatic cone short, with a
prominent margin. Fruit obliquely ovate, about 3-1 lines long, smooth
or slightly muricate.

Locality . — Greenough River, July, 1903. — C. R. P. Andrews.

Remai'ks. When in fruit this species would be readily taken for
a depauperated form of G. Endlicheriana , Meiss., but the perianth and
style are very different. It does not appear to have any immediate ally.

EUPHORBIACE^E.

BERTYA ANDREWSII, sp. nov-

A shrub, very viscid, and excepting the flower and underside of
the leaves, glabrous or slightly velutinous. Leaves scattered, narrow
to broad-linear, obtuse, shortly petiolate, mostly 4-6 lines long, margins
imuch refracted, slightly velutinous underneath. Inflorescence a small
terminal leafy raceme consisting of 1 terminal female flower, and 2 or
3 males, axillary lower down, all on short thick pedicels, lengthening
iout to 2 lines when in fruit, and much dilated upwards. Bracteoles
lllinear, persistent, shorter than the calyx segments, usually 2 only under
nthe female flower, none under the males. Male flower : Calyx seg-
ments 4, broadly ovate, obtuse, f-i line long, but not seen fully
-expanded, puberulous within and on the margins, the base of the
staminal column and itself invested with dense tufts of white silky
hairs. Female flower: Calyx segments , 5, ovate to lanceolar-ovate,
obtuse, pink, puberulous on the margins, at least 2 lines long, enlarged
under the fruit. Ovary surrounded at the base by a ring of white
silky hairs, which extends | of the way up, the remainder of the ovary
glabrous ; stigmas 3, fully f line long, each cleft to § of its length into
2 divisions, which are linear and simple, or broad and again shortly
bi-or trilobed. Fruit globose, slightly verrucose, 3 lines diameter, very
obtuse, obscurely 6-angled. Perfect seed, 1 only, narrow-ovate, brown
and smooth without.

Locality . — Between Esperance and Norseman, October, 1903. —
C. R. P. Andrews.

Remarks . — From the new species, its two West Australian con-
geners chiefly differ as follows : —

B. dimerostigma , F. v. M., in being quite glabrous and not con-
spicuously viscid, in the small acute pale-green leaves, sessile axillary
flowers, female perianth segments much shorter and narrower, in the
stigmas being constantly cleft to the base into 2 linear divisions and in
the ovate pointed fruit. The male flowers of this species have not
been described. It was discovered at Victoria Springs by Giles.

B. quadrisepala , F. v. M., differs from the new plant in having
longer velutinous leaves, male flowers forming a terminal raceme,
female solitary and almost constantly 4-merous, the margins of the
segments conspicuously bearded, in the stigmas being 3-cleft, and in
the broader spotted seed. The species was first discovered by
Dempster, near Esperance, and at Fraser’s Range.

32

The Salient Geological Features

OF

British New Guinea (Papua).

By A. GIBB MAITLAND.

Government Geologist of Western Australia and formerly of the Geological Survey

of Queensland.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Introduction.

Previous Observations.
Coral Reefs, Coral Islands, &c.
Igneous Rocks.
Sedimentary Formations.
Gold in New Guinea.

INTRODUCTION —

“ A glance at the map,” writes a well-known traveller, “ will show
hovering as it were over Australia, a great island which in appearance
resembles a bird. The portion to the north-west may be considered
the head, McClure s Inlet the mouth, the rugged mountain ranges
which separate Gleevink Bay from the Arafura Sea, the neck the part
extending to the south from the DeGroot River to the Papuan Gulf
and from the Amberno River to the Astrolabe Gulf on the north, the
body, while the long tapering peninsula may be designated the ’tail
If in addition to this, we legard the islands of Talbot and Saibai as
the feet, we shall then have an interesting specimen of a rara avis.
This huge bird extends for a distance, in an oblique line from the ex-
treme north-west to the extreme south-east, of 1,200 geographical
miles, whilst its extreme breadth reaches 380 miles.”f Small wonder
therelore, that the eyes ot certain, farseeing Statesmen were longingly
cast upon this gigantic bird, which in the possession of unsympathetic
owners might be used for purposes not conducive to the well being
and peace of mind of those residing in Australia. B

fExplorations and Adventures in New Guinea.— Captain J. Straclian.

33

After years of anxious waiting, the whole of the south east portion
of New Guinea was taken possession of by Sir Thos. Mcllwraith in
1883, in the name of the Sovereign, but it was not until 1888 that
British New Guinea was formally annexed to the Crown by Sir Wm.
McGregor, a trusted official of the Colonial Office, and who for many
years afterwards occupied the position of Administrator. Finally the
territory passed into the possession of the Commonwealth of Australia
towards the close of 1901.

It seemed to me that some account of the geology of British New
Guinea might prove not uninteresting to the Society, the members of
which, federation being now an accomplished fact, may claim as
taxpayers to have a more than passing interest in our first Possession

My own interest in New Guinea began twenty-five years ago, after
reading D’ Alberti’s delightful work of travel, “ New Guinea — What
I did and What I saw ; ” but it was not until the year 1891 that I had
the good fortune to set foot in the country, when the then Queensland
Minister for Mines, the Hon. W. O. Hodgkinson, acceded to the re-
quest of Sir Wm. McGregor that I should be permitted to spend
some months in the Possession.

During my visit unusual opportunities of examining into the
geology of a considerable portion of the country were presented. The
Government steamer, “Merrie England,” was employed as a means of
locomotion and a base of operations, as many instructive sections
were best seen along the coast, these were examined by means of
native canoes or boats, and when opportunity offered, traverses were
made on foot for considerable distances inland. With very few ex-
ceptions, it was found that the coastal districts and many of the
adjacent islands were occupied with a number of extinct volcanoes,
deposits of lavas and ashes, and more particularly on the North-East
coast and the Louisiade Archipelago, with a large area of nearly
horizontally bedded coral limestones, in fact, upraised reef masses. A
large portion of the backbone of the mainland is composed of ancient
crystalline rocks, which, wherever exposed, were seen to be either
vertical or inclined at very high angles. These “ foundation stones ”
of New Guinea are continuous through the islands of the D’En-
trecasteaux and Louisiade Group, which latter forms the extremity
of that submarine ridge which trends in the direction of the north
island of New Zealand.

New Guinea rests upon a submarine bank bounded by the 2,000"
fathom line, which bank includes the islands of New Britain, the
Solomon Group, Santa Cruz, New Hebrides and the Fiji Archipelago ;
these islands are connected by an arm stretching so far southward as
to embrace the Tonga and Kermadoc Groups. This large
submarine bank, which has been aptly termed the Melanesian

34

Plateau is separated from another upon which rest the

islands of Norfolk, Lord Howe, New Zealand, Chatham, &c., by a
deep abyss of over 2,000 fathoms, which heads in the Gulf of Papua.
The course of the northern portion of this submarine valley agrees in
its general trend with that of the Fly River, after its divergence to the
eastward by the rocky islands of Torres Straits, which are merely the
northern projection of the Peninsula of Cape York. In the centre of
this valley, there appears a bank upon which rest New Caledonia and
the Loyalty Islands. From Norfolk Island northwards, the plateau is
connected with the Great Barrier Reef by numerous islets, reefs and
quays, just appearing above the tidal mark, the summits, I take it, of a
submerged range. What may be called the New Zealand fork of the
Melanesian Plateau is separated from the Continent of Australia by
another deep valley heading somewhere near Sandy Cape, on the
Queensland Coast.

From these data we are enabled to trace an approximate parallel-
ism between the mean trend of that arc which includes the Barrier
Reef and the north-west island of New Zealand, and that which may
be appropriately designated as the Papua-Fijian arc. A careful
study of the deep-sea soundings reveals the presence of folds
in the earth’s crust of which the continents are merely such
portions as are elevated above sea level ; these continental masses
have formed a nucleus around the old outlines, of which the principal
changes in configuration have taken place. The broad problems raised
by a study of what may be called this ancient geography, which has a
fascination peculiarly its own, find in geology much of their final solu-
tion, hence the light thrown upon the evolution of this portion of the
earth’s surface by an account of the salient geological features of a part
of one of the islands of the rim bounding the Australian Continent, may,
perhaps, be of additional interest to those of the Society who find a
little of their private pleasure in matters scientific.

PREVIOUS OBSERVATIONS.

As far back as the year 1844, Mr. J. Beete Jukes, the Naturalist to
H.M.S. “hly,” visited, in the course of his travels, a portion of New
Guinea at the head of the Papuan Gulf, but the absence of any men-
tion of geological facts in the record of the journey is probably ex-
plained by the following passage by Mr. J. MacGillivray, summarising
the results of the work of the “ Fly ” : —

“This country presented a great sameness of aspect ; low muddy
shores covered at first with mangroves, and further back with dense
forests, were lound to be intersected by numerous channels of fresh
water, the mouths, there is reason to suppose, of one or more large

35

rivers, of which the great extent of country is the Delta. Great mud
banks, extending from ten to twenty miles out to sea, prevented
approach except in boats.”!

The geological pioneer of what is now British New Guinea was
undoubtedly Mr John Macgillivray, the Naturalist, who accompanied
H.M.S. “ Rattlesnake/’ on board of which Professor (then Mr.)
Huxley was Assistant Surgeon, to New Guinea and the Louisiade
Archipelago in the year 1846 to 1850. From the pen of this traveller,
a man of true scientific insight, we have the first account of the
geological features of a part of the coast line and some of the islands
of the Louisiade Archipelago.

In 1877, the late Mr. C. S. Wilkinson, Government Geologist of
New South Wales, described a collection of geological specimens col-
lected by William Macleay from the coasts of New Guinea. \ The
collection contained oolitic limestone from Bramble Bay ; yellow
calcareous clay from the Katau River ; and yellow and blue calcareous
clay from Yule Island and Hall’s Sound. The fossils, the large num-
ber of which were obtained from Hall’s Sound, proved to be of Tertiary
Age, and assumed to be on the horizon of the Lower Miocene of
Australia.

In 1885 Dr. Haacke, the Geologist and Zoologist to the expedition
fitted out by the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, visited the
Strickland River, an important tributary of the Fly, but so far as I have
been able to learn, this observer does not appear to have published
any account of the geology of the district travelled. The specimens
collected by the party were entrusted to the late Mr. C. S. Wilkinson,
Government Geologist of New South Wales, who in his report* * men-
tioned that a number of travelled boulders were obtained from a spot
called Observatory Bend, 75 miles above the confluence of the
Strickland with the Fly River. Amongst the pebbles were “ red and white
marble limestone, altered slate with quartz veins (Silurian), brown
jasperoid rock, quartz syenite, dense basalt, vesicular basalt, scoria
and pebbles, indurated calcareous shells containing beautiful casts of
Ammonites , and other fossils of Cretaceous Age.” These fossils were
submitted to Mr. R. Etheridge, Jun., who recognised among them
“ four, more or less, recognisable species, or at any rate species which

+J. Macgillivray. “Voyage of H.M.S. “Rattlesnake.” London, 1852.

Vol. I., pp. 179.

4 Proc. Linn Soc., New South Wales, 1877, I., part 2, pp. 1 13.

* Trans, and Proc. Royal Geographical Society, Australasia, New South Wales.
Vol. III. and IV., pp. 203-206.

36

can be referred to one or other of the sections into which the old
genus Ammonites is now broken up, and the facies of which is suffi-
ciently clear for broad generalisation.”!

In 1892, a series of petrographical notes upon some of the
volcanic rocks from New Guinea, were contributed by the late Mr.
A. W. Clarke, at one time Mineralogical Lecturer to the Queensland
Government, to the Geology and Palaeontology of Queensland by
Messrs. Jack and Etheridge ; whilst the reports by the different mem-
bers of the Geological Survey Staff of Queensland, on specimens sub-
mitted by the Administrator, have added a little further light upon the
petrology and geology.

CORAL REEFS, CORAL ISLANDS, &c.

The coral formations of British New Guinea present features of
unusual interest. The up-raised reef masses and the associated
deposits took up the great portion of the time I was enabled to devote
to this subject ; these occupy a considerable portion of the north-east
coast, the Louisiades, and some of the adjacent islands. Ail grada-
tions from reefs only a few feet above the water up to 2,000 feet above
the level of the sea were noticed.

The rocks, of which these up-raised reef masses are composed,
present pretty much the same lithological characters throughout, viz.,
very hard and sonorous compact limestones, of a whitish color ; some
varieties, however, have a distinct yellow or reddish-brown hue. Coral
fragments do not appear to be very common in the raised reefs ; this
scarcity need excite no surprise, for recent researches have shown that
corals play but a subordinate part in the building up of coral reefs,
and that calcareous a l gee, foraminifera echinodermata , polyzoa ,
lamellibranchiata , and other organisms form by far the large portion of
the rocks. Some of the up-raised reefs masses examined were found to
contain numerous molluscan remains, but up to the present time, no
opportunity of critically examining these fossils has presented itself.

It was found in the majority of instances that the limestone of
the elevated reefs was seamed with veinlets of carbonate of lime ■
generally speaking, it was found that the coralline structure had been
almost obliterated by the changes which the limestones had undergone
since their formation. This alteration had not, however, proceeded
throughout the whole thickness of the rock, for in one of the islands,
Misima, the base of one of the up-raised reef masses was found to con-
sist of a chalky limestone, in which the remains of corals still exist.

f Etheridge- Palaeontology of New Guinea, Records Geol. Sun New South Wales.
Vol. I., part 3, pp. 175.

37

In most of the islands and the localities examined, these elevated
ireef masses, when viewed at a distance, presented the appearance of
"vertical walls and almost horizontal terraces, stretching often for con-
siderable horizontal distances. The faces of these cliffs are some-
Itimes covered with vegetation to such an extent as to present the
sappearance of huge walls of foliage. The reefs raised only a few feet
;above the sea level, present along the shore white perpendicular cliffs
<of varying height, above which is an almost level tableland, very
broken and rugged, and with a very uneven surface. Gigantic
swallow holes and enormous caves have been carved out
of some of the limestones, and are lined with stalagmites and
stalactites ; the faces of the limestone cliffs are weathered into most
rugged and sharp-edged forms, and often present features of great
beauty. The thickness of these reef masses I had no opportunity of
ascertaining; it is, however, improbable from their mode of occur-
rence that their vertical thickness can be very great.

In the majority of cases wnich came under my notice, the various
limestone terraces were horizontal, though at Ware (Teste Island), a
marked and significant peculiarity of the reef limestones was their arrange-
ment in a series of gentle folds, the axes o'f which trended roughly north
and south. In the Island of Einauro(Cette Island), two miles distantfrom
the mouth of Losoa Doudou (Millport Harbour), the cream colored
limestones had a dip of 50 degrees to the west-north-west.

In a few cases only wasthebase cf the up-raised reefs seen. At Ware
(Teste Island) it rests upon a leaden-grey, slightly calcareous breccia, con-
taining fragments of olivine. On the Island Misima (St. Aignan) an
interesting section in one of the largest caves showed the base resting
upon the up-turned edges of the crystalline schists, with the interven-
tion of a small thickness of what appears to be a partially consolidated
volcanic ash ; in another portion of the island, the base rests directly
upon the ancient schists.

From Losoa Doudou (Millport Harbour), I had an opportunity of
paying a somewhat hurried visit to the Island of Einauro — Cette
Island, of the Admiralty Charts — distant about two miles from the
mouth of the bay. Viewed from a distance, this island presents to the
east an nlmost vertical cliff of some considerable height, and of a
“ basaltic ” appearance. On examination, however, the cliffs were
found to be composed of a dense, sonorous, cream-colored limestone
which showed no trace of coral origin to the eye. Occasionally
the solid limestone was seamed with calcite or aragonite. The whole
surface of Einauro was apparently of similar limestone. Einauro may
be regarded as an elevated coral island.

In the isthmus dividing Tauwara (Milne Bay) from that of Pouro
(Mullen’s Harbour), another elevated reef mass resting upon andesitic
lavas and agglomerates was noticed.

38

Leaving Samarai, Louisiade Archipelago (said to have been
discovered in 1606 by Louis Vaez de Torres), our course was generally
south east. We passed between the Lebrun Islands and the Bell Rock,
and anchored for a while off the north coast of Ware (Teste) Island.
When approached from the north-west, Bell Rock, as its name implies,
presents the appearance of a gigantic bell. The islet, the altitude of
which according to the Admiralty Charts is 420 feet, rises abruptly
from the water which varies from 16 to 30 fathoms in depth. The cliffs
are perpendicular, and those on the north appeared to be absolutely
inaccessible. Bell Rock is composed of a yellowish white brecciated
limestone, dipping at a low angle to the north. This island is a raised
coral reef. Cliffy Island, adjoining, in reality a low elongated rock,
was of a similar nature.

The north western end of the island of Ware shewed a long es
carpment of a hard cream colored sonorous limestone, resting on a
calcareous breccia, containing fragments of olivine, derived in all
probability from the olivine-basalt which forms a portion of the island.
Skirting the north coast, Ware (Teste Island) appeared to be of
coral limestone also. A marked peculiarity was the disposal of the
beds, when viewed as a whole, into a series of gentle folds, the axis of
which trended roughly north and south.

Leaving this interesting island we anchored in the Bagavarina
(Conflict) Group for the night, and on the following morning steamed
slowly through the group, heading for the Pannaet (Deboyne) Islands.
Eventually we dropped anchor in a channel between the reef (west of
Panapompom) which encircles the Deboyne Group. Approaching
the island from our anchorage, in a whale boat, we had to pull over a
tract of very shallow water about a mile in width. A considerable
portion of this shore platform appears to be laid bare at low water.
The seaward face of the platform plunges down very rapidly into very
deep water. The first feature that attracts the attention of a geologist
on landing is a conspicuous, white, perpendicular cliff from 7 to 10 feet
in height, continuous along the whole length of the beach. The cliff
is composed of a white coral limestone, which weathers into curious
cavernous forms. The limestone contains fragments of coral and
shells ; in one piece an unnameable brachiopod was collected. The
summit of the cliff forms a low tableland of great extent, upon which
natives have erected their gardens and homes. The rest ol the island,
the highest summit of which rises to 1500 feet above sea level, is made
up of ancient crystalline schists. The neighbouring island of
Panapompom, about 4 square miles in area, and having an altitude ol
500 to 600 feet, I found to consist of dark basic crystalline schists, in-
clined at a low angle to the south-east.

39

Kimuta, a well grassed island, the largest of the Renards, was
also found at Mguoa, on western end, to be formed by a raised coral
reef. The reef is composed of a cream colored, fossiliferous limestone,
seamed with veinlets of carbonate of lime.

The island of Misima (St. Aignan), which I visited after leaving
the Renards, is perhaps one of the most interesting and instructive to
the student of coral reefs. Misima is about 22 miles long and varying
from 1 to 10 miles in breadth. The highest peak, Mount Lakia, rears
its summit to 3,500 feet above sea level. The wild and romantic
character of the scenery of Misima leaves an indeliable impression
upon any traveller who sets foot on the island, and can scarcely be
rivalled in any part of this portion of New Guinea. A fringe of raised
coral reef exists around the east coast of the island, presenting a
perpendicular face to the sea. I first set foot on Misima near

Bagoiya, where the temporary quarters of the Resident
Magistrate of the ' Louisiade Group were situated, and had
an opportunity of examining the coast line in the vicinity
of the mouth of Gumonina Creek. Gumonina Creek has a

generally southerly direction, and enters the sea somewhere between
the villages of Gaibobo and Labbipi. * The coast consisted of an
almost flat terrace, a little above high water mark. From this rises
a white vertical escarpment of about 20 or 30 feet in height, forming
another similar terrace. The face of this cliff is weathered into
curious cavernous forms. Through this mass of upraised coral reef,
Gumonina Creek has cut a channel for itself to the sea. The platform
upon which this elevated reef rests consists of vertical crystalline
schists, the prevailing strike of which is paraded to the length of the
island itself. These schists are intersected by pale grey granite, and
contain numerous quartz reefs, which no doubt is the parent source of
the gold for which the island is famed. From Gumonina, the whole
of the coast line, as far as the native village of Tenoklamana, was
fringed with similar coral limestones, which were observed forming
terraces at all elevations above the sea level No further opportunity
of examining the elevated reef masses of the south coast than was
afforded by a traverse along the coast from a point near the village of
Lagira to Bagorya presented itself. The character of the limestone
was the same throughout; no organic remains were noticed ; in all
probability the structure of the corals may have been obliterated.
The north-east coast of Misima, in the vicinity of Treachery Bay,
there were several instructive sections which showed the relation sub-
sisting between the elevated reef masses and the underlying rocks
From Sagara, the coast as far as Gulewa Creek was traversed, and for
some distance the track skirted the foot of cliffs of white limestone.
When approaching Gulewa, bold cliffs of coarse volcanic conglomerate,
full of pebbles of acidic lava were encountered ; interstratified with
these were thin lavas of a distinctly trachytic type. The elevated reef

40

masses rested upon these volcanic rocks. From Gulewa I waded
waist deep up the creek (there being no other way of getting up), until
a huge vertical wall of limestone was encountered, the base of which
was ioo feet above sea level. From beneath this escarpment the
waters of the creek issued with a deafening noise. On scaling the
cliff, I found myself on the dip-slope of a bed of limestone, full of
gigantic swallow holes ; at intervals in the cliffs could be seen the en-
trances to (as yet unexplored) caverns, from the roofs of which pen-
dant-like masses of carbonate of lime depended. My native guides
eventually led me to the edge of a gigantic swallow-hole, at the bottom
of which water could be heard flowing. A perilous scramble down the
face of the cliff, over 130 feet in height, brought us to the bottom of
the hole. The section en route showed the coralline limestone resting
upon a coarse volcanic conglomerate. At this point the waters of
Gulewa Creek emerged from beneath a cliff of volcanic ash capped
with limestone, entered a cavern 80 feet high, and disappeared from
view with a most unearthly roar. '1 he cavern, about an acre in ex-
tent, present a fairy-like appearance, on account of the presence of
numerous beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. The stalagmites
rested upon a foundation of sand. The limestone of the Gulewa Cave
contains numerous corals, the structure of which had not been en-
tirely oblitered by the chemical changes which rock had undergone.
I was unable to ascertain, owing to linguistic difficulties consequent
upon requiring at least three interpreters, whether the cave visited by
an earlier explorer, Mr. Basil H. Thomson, was the one I visited
This gentleman, in his “ Narrative of an Exploring Expedition to the
Louisiade and D’Entrecasteaux Islands,” says : — “ The limestone hills
which compose the centre of the Island of Misima are honeycombed
with caves. Near a spot called by the natives Kaiaba, a stream, after
taking its rise from a great wall of limestone, plunged into a great
cavern in the opposite cliff. The mouth was a perfect arch, 150 feet
from floor to roof. At the far end, the river thundered down into a
dark tunnel, through which it passed under the range, emerging into
daylight alter some three miles of darkness.”

Such limestone caverns are common in the other areas of up-
raised reefs, viz., the Solomon Islands, the Tongan Group, &c.

The north-east coast has a large development of elevated reef
masses. The vicinity of the village of Awaiama is a conspicuous cliff;
Garirura presents to the sea a bold escarpment of white coralline
limestone, which rises to altitudes reaching as much as 100 and 120
eet in height.

Leaving Gariruru, the coast was skirted, and after passing
Emurimuri Point, the anchor was dropped off the village of Tauputa.
A traverse some distance inland exposed horizontally bedded basic
lavas, which, at an attitude of about 800 feet above sea level, were over-

4i

laid by white limestone. Alternations of these lavas and coral lime-
stones were observed up to a height of 2,000 feet ; at this point a bed
of white coral limestone was encountered, forming a conspicuous cliff
called by the natives Korada. From Tauputa, I skirted the coast as
far as Agonai ; there was practically no beach, for the land plunged
down suddenly into deep water. The coast in this neighbourhood
being practically timberless, the bold cliffs afforded splendid
opportunities of studying the geology. I could see from the boat
several conspicuous limestone escarpments at all attitudes above sea
level.

IGNEOUS ROCKS.

Next to the elevated reef masses, the volcanic phenomena of
British New Guinea arrest the attention of the observer. With refer-
ence to this subject, I cannot refrain from quoting a passage from
Macgillivray’s “Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake,” in which it is
observed that : — “The fact of the existance of several active volcanoes
on islands immediately adjacent to the north-east of New Guinea (first
made known by Dampier), and the circumstance of volcanic bands
traversing the length of many of the great islands of the Malayan
Archipelago and others, as far to the southward as New Caledonia and
New Zealand, rendered it extremely probable that we should have
found indisputable signs of comparatively recent volcanic action in the
south-east part of New Guinea. We saw no volcanoes, however, and
the great central mountain chain appeared to me to be probably
granite.” On a later page, in the second volume, remark is also made
of “ the total absence of signs of volcanic agency” in the Louisiade
Archipelago. Observations, however, showed that both active and ex-
tinct craters in addition to other manifestations of volcanic activity do
exist all over the Jolony, though in localities which, however, could
hardly have been examined by Mr. Macgillivray.

My first acquaintance with the volcanic phenomena was made
during a traverse from Port Moresby to the Astrolabe Range. This
range, which forms a tableland at the foot of the backbone of New
Guinea, appears to have been first described by Macgillivray. He says : —
“ Mount Astrolabe differs in character from any other of the New Guinea
mountains seen by us, indicating a different geological formation.
The summit extends thirteen miles, running parallel with the coast
line, and distant from it about eight miles. Viewed from the south-
westward, the outline is irregular, exhibiting a series ol nearly flat tops
with slight interruptions, but trom the southward it appears as a suc-
cession of terraces or projecting cliffs, precipitous in front near the
summit, with a long, steep slope below, probably the debris, while the
flat top slopes backward with a very gentle declivity.”!

t Macgillivray, J. Voyage of H.M.S. “ Rattlesnake,” Voi. II., p. 60.

London, 1852.

42

From Port Moresby to the foot of the Astrolabe, the staple for-
mation consists of sandstones, shales and limestones, often inclined at

high angles to the horizon. The basement bed
of the volcanic rocks was found to rest upon
the up-turned edges of reddish shales at an
altitude of 2,060 feet above sea level, the lower
most member of the series consisted of a fine
grained much weathered volcanic ash. From
base to summit, this portion of the range con-
sists of nothing but an enormous thickness of
coarse volcanic conglomerate. On reaching
the edge of the tableland, and proceeding to
the village of Tabouri, some miles distant, the
track passes over nothing but coarse con-
glomerate. From the village to Warino Creek,
which rises in the range to the south, nothing
but sheet upon sheet of horizontal volcanic
conglomerate is visible. The pebbles of the
conglomerate are subangular, and naturally
vary very much in size ; in composition they
vary but little, and consist for the most part of
conglomerate. Between the Warino Junction
and the Falls of the Laloki, the river forms a
series of picturesque rapids, due to the water
falling over the outcrops of some of the
irregular bands of fine ash, which are inter-
stratified with the coarser materials. Many
fine perpendicular cliffs in the Laloki Canon
give a good idea of the structure of these
enormous ash beds. At the Laloki Falls the
river, which previously has flowed over the sur-
face of these horizontal beds, suddenly plunges
over the perpendicular escarpment, 300 feet in
height, and flows down a magnificent canon for
over a mile, after emerging from which it enters
the comparatively open country. I climbed,
accompanied by three natives, to the verge of
the canon, at a place called Babera by the

guides, in the hope of being able to trace the course of the escarpment
northwards, but a Scotch mist effectually prevented my so doing.
Looking down the valley from my coign of vantage, a bold scarp,
seveial hundred feet in height — Hombron Bluff — was seen to form the
north-eastern end of the Laloki Canon. Prom Tabouri the country to
the south-east was traversed ; to the divide between the headwaters of
the Laloki and the Kemp Welch Rivers, the whole section proved to

43

oe identical with that hitherto seen. From the highest point I
ascended in the vicinity of Tabouri, I could see tier above tier of
.either lava or conglomerate in the hills to the north-east, which I took
.to be the Richardson Range of the Charts.

This volcanic plateau presents many features in common with
Ithose extensive deposits occurring in different portions of the northern
portion of the Australian Continent, with which I am familiar.
Passing along the coast from Port Moresby to Milne Bay, an excellent
^opportunity for examining many of the hills, which familiarity with similar
types, enabled me to recognise as being undoubled volcanic foci was pre-
sented. The small island of Dobu (Goulvain) lying in the straits separa-
ting Duan and Moratau in the D’Entrecasteaux Group, is from four to
five square miles in area, and exhibits manifestations of volcanic
activity. Approaching Dobu from Dawson Straits, the island was seen
to possess that graceful contour which distinguishes many volcanic
cones, and when viewed from the anchorage off Boduwagui Point, the
highest summit seemed to be a truncated cone, having an almost level
top, with numerous spurs running down to the beach. The seaward
face of the cone is deeply furrowed by wooded ravines. In landing, I
walked along the coast to the northward as far as certain points from
which steam was seen issuing. The cliff sections showed nothing but
brownish stratified sand and gravel, containing subangular pebbles of
glassy lava and pumice. Some of the gravel is solidified into sand-
stone, through which so called “ springs ” issue below high water mark.
My first visit was paid at about the time of high water. There were
several orifices extending over an area of about ioo yards, from which
water issued at an average temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit
The gas, which was given out copiously, had a strong sulphurous
odour.

A second visit to the locality at low water showed that the so-
called “ boiling springs ” were merely fissures to which sea water had
access. The sides of the fissures were encrusted with deposits of
flowers of sulphur. A few yards behind the fumaroles was a whitish
grey cliff, exhibiting undoubted evidences of solfataric action. In the
caverns in the cliffs, there occur large deposits of yellow and greyish
brown sulphur commonly massive, but here and there in the form of
acicular crystals. These caverns, many of which I discovered when
breaking down the cliffs with my hammer, were found to have a very
high temperature

Near the centre of the south-east end of the island is an extinct
crater ; what now remains of it is a lofty circular wall, roughly estimated
at about 100 feet in height. A lava stream, rising in the crater, has
eaten its way through the wall, and enters the sea opposite the island
of Mekumara. I scrambled along the crater wall (upon which a few

44

native villages had been built) for some distance, and was able to
obtain a view of another crater to the south, containing a small lagoon
within.

From Dobu, I had an opportunity of examining ti e coastline of
Moratau, the largest island of the D’Entrecasteaux Group, from Ebeoa
Point to Girigiria, and in crossing the bay the crateriform shape of
Diau could be easily seen. Steam could also be seen rising at several
points on the land to the north. My first landing place on Moratau
was on the beach, protected by a shore reef, between the two points
Atawaina and Rawia. The bold headland Atawaina consisted of a
finely banded lava, in which small but perfect sandine crystals could
be seen by the aid of a lens. The grassy timberless hill which slopes
gradually down to the sea at Rawia, is formed of similar rocks to that
of Atawaina, and represents the surface of a lava flow.

After procuring a fresh supply of water for the launch at Meku-
mara, I steered for the small bay surrounded by a crescent-shaped
wall to the north-west of Rawai Point. Its peculiar scythe-shaped
form pointed to its being the segment of an ancient crater, and an
actual examination confirmed this view. Manifestations of solfataric
action were evident on the face of the cliff. I landed on a coral reef
which fringed the foot of the cliffs, and found the sea quite hot,
owing to the streams of almost boiling water, which flowed down from
the hills behind. I ascended the crater wall to the spot from which
water vapour could be seen issuing in a long straight column. The
crater was formed of andesitic lavas of the prevailing type. The one
main vent — there were several minor ones from which steam and gas
with a strong sulphurous odour were emitted — was surrounded by a
large area of red and yellow clay, resulting from the decomposition of
the lavas. There were all gradations from a perfectly unaltered
sandine lava to a pure clay.

The morning subsequent to my visit to this place, I chartered a
cata.maran and landed at a village in a little bay south-east of Diau ;
having piocuied native guides with whom I could only converse by
signs, I ascended the top of the crater, the summit of which rose to
900 feet above the beach. I he ascent was made up a gully carved
out ol a blackish ash containing fragments ol pumice and volcanic

glass. From the summit an excellent view of the cone— a tuff cone

and its associations could be obtained \ its south-eastern face is
hollowed out into numerous ravines, in which occasional sections show
stratified ashes. J he crater wall has been breached by a lava which
has flowed to within a short distance of the beach near Worua Island,
d his lava has a suitace ol indescribable roughness, rendering locomo-
tion on its surface somewhat precarious, and amateur boot repairing
an imperative necessity. I followed the edge of the lava flow from its

45

-ource to its termination, and was enabled to ascertain that its general
character was similar throughout. From the summit of the crater, the
emanation of vapour water could be seen over a large area of country
:o the north.

On the mainland of New Guinea on the north-east coast, several
large extinct craters were noticed, the most conspicuous being that of
Mount Dayman, which reared its summit to over 9,000 feet above the
llevel of the sea. I had an opportunity of obtaining an excellent view
«of this huge volcano, when on an expedition, endeavouring to reach
tthe summit of Mount Suckling, whose highest point reached over
it, 000 feet above the beach at Collingwood Bay. Our progress to the
summit was effectually barred at about 8,000 feet by an inaccessible
precipice of quartz schist, which we aptly named Disappointment
Rock. From this coign of vantage, it could be clearly seen that
Mount Dayman, which was separated from us by a low divide, was the
remains of a huge volcanic cone. This cone had been breached by a
lava, which had flowed downwards to the north-east coast, and the
lower portions of which we had traversed at considerably lower alti-
tudes. Part of the crater wall is still extant, and from Disappoint-
ment Rock, I could look right into the crater. Some of the Cloudy
Bay lavas on the south coast in all probability emanated from the
Mount Dayman volcano. The active volcano of Mount

Victoria, which could be seen from Disappointment Rock,
bore 352 degrees 30 minutes. In the year 1890 the Admin-
istrator, in his inspection of the north-east coast of the
Possession, viewed this mountain from Keppel Point, and gave an in-
teresting description of it in the following terms : — “ This mountain is
very steep and rugged, presenting towards the top great masses of bare
rock. Its altitude is probably from 3,500 to 4,000 feet. Its sides
were scored and marked by brown lines from near the summit to its
base ; these at first looked as if caused by lava running down the
mountain, but the closest inspection could detect no presence of lava,
so that it was concluded that the lines had been caused by recent great
earth slips. Some of the fishermen occupied near the Sydney Islands
spoke of a smart shock of earthquake that had been felt about three
weeks before in Collingwood Bay, so well marked that one man was
thrown off a camp stool on the ground. A shock was felt on the
mainland about the same time as far as Port Moresby. . . . The
summit of the mountain was not visible from near Keppel Point on
account of a dense cloud which rested upon it, when .he tops of
Mount Suckling (11,000 feet) and Mount Trafalgar (4,000 feet) were
quite unclouded. A column of steam could, however, be seen rising
out of a ridge not far from the top of Mount Victoria, and in a few
days later we had an opportunity in the early morning of seeing
numerous columns of steam rising, some from the very tops of the two

46

crests of Mount Victoria, others from spots a considerable distance
from the highest points, issuing from crevices and hollows all round
the two peaks. By 7 or 8 o’clock this steam always formed a dense
cumulus over and about the top of the mountain, which looked like a
thundercloud, and completely hid it from view. . . . Flame was

not at any time seen by us on Mount Victoria, nor could we obtain
from the natives any information regarding it.”

This district was visited by Captain Moresby and his officers, who,
after rounding Cape Nelson before nightfall on 5th of April, 1874,
“ w ^re very much impressed by the fine picturesque appearance of
Mounts Victoria and Trafalgar.” They do not appear to have noticed
the emanation of either steam or smoke.

At several places, and at different times during our Mount Suck-
ling expedition, volumes of steam and smoke could be seen issuing
from both the sides and summit of the mountain, and upon two occa-
sions the clouds, hovering over the summit, were brilliantly illuminated
after nightfall. The earth slips described by the Administrator are
probably the narrow gullies excavated ont of a mass of fragmental vol-
canic material ; such gullies I found to be characteristic of those tuu
cones which I examined in the islands of the D’Entrecasteaux Group.

From the previous descriptions, we thus see that the volcanic
phenomena of British New Guinea present all phases, its produces arc
scattered over almost the whole length, and in one or two cases, over the
whole breadth of the Possession. It may be interesting to note that
Vulcan Island (Long. 145 E.) on the north coast of New Guinea was
active when Dampier passed in 1700; D’Entrecasteaux found it
fuming in 1793 i but in D’Urville’s time, 1827, it was extinct, and I
can find no record of its having made itself felt since that time.

THE SEDIMENTARY FORMATIONS.

If the elevated coral reef masses and the volcanic phenomena of
New Guinea are such as to first command the attention of the geologi-
cal observer further consideration very soon relegates them to a
subordinate position.

The various sedimentary rocks of British New Guinea are well
developed in many portions of the territory, but with few exceptions
they do not appear to have been very much studied, hence their
mutual relationships are not as yet fully understood. Like all other
scientific work in extensive and partially explored countries, geological
enquiry is bound for a long time to result in neither more nor less than
a series of unconnected observations, which, as systematic geological
surveys proceed, will be co-ordinated, and gradually fill up the blanks

47

xisting. The solution of many important economic questions in-
-olved in stratigraphical research, apart from the study of the evolu-
tion of this portion of the earth’s surface encourages the hope that an
;arly investigation of these sedmentary rocks of Papua will be under-
;aken by some competent observer.

So far as at present understood, the sedmentary formations of
British New Guinea are as follows : —

1. Kevori Grits. — Post Tertiary , Grits, Sandstones and Con-
glomerates.

2. Port Moresby Beds. — Pliocene Tertiary , Greenish Sandy
Shales, Limestones and Siliceous Beds of Port Moresby.

3. Boioro Limestones of Undetermined Age , Greyish Lime-
stones, etc., of Boioro and the Coast.

4. Purari RiVEk Beds. — Cretaceous , Blue Limestones and
"Green Sandstones of the Purari River.

5. Strickland River Shales. — Jurassic Indurated Calcareous
Shales of the Strickland River, an important tributary of the Fly River.

6. Tauri Limestones. — Devonian Limestone.

7. Metamorphic Rocks, Crystalline Schists, etc.— Age un-
determined ; Archaean ?

1. Kevori Grits. — In the Kevori District, which is situated to
the north-west of Hall’s Sound, are a series of sandstones, grits, and
conglomerates. The strata consist of fragments of quartz, slate, and
volcanic rocks, cemented together by carbonate of lime. Some of the
sandstone strata are much more calcareous than others, dhe strata
appear to have suffered but little disturbance since the date of their
formation. They dip at a low angle to the north-east ; and as they
are followed westward, the strata pass into conglomerate, consisting of
slate, quartz and volcanic rock, cemented by carbonate of lime.

It is not with any definite intention of correlating similar beds
that it is stated strata of an identical physical aspect are known to me
at the following places in New Guinea : — Mailu ( 1 oulon Island), the
divide between Tauwara (Milne Bay) and Pouro (Mullen s Harbour),
and Redcliff, on the north-east coast of the Possession near the
German frontier. The Kevori grits yielded no fossils to me, hence
the only clue to their age is the fact that they rest upon strata of
Pliocene Tertiary Age. It may be noted that the gasteropod, Neritina
Gagates , was met in the Post Tertiary rocks of the Aird Hills in the
Douglas River, and that this species was obtained in the living state by
Mr. J. Brazier at the Katau River, in the “ Chevert ” expedition.

4 8

2. Port Moresby Beds. — The Port Moresby Beds occupy a con-
siderable area of country fringing the coast from Caution Bay south-
eastward to McFarlane Harbour, and extending inland for about
twenty miles up the Kemp-Welch River ; they also occur in the main
range north of the Purari Rivei, about 130 miles from the sea. The
beds in the neighbourhood of Port Moresby consist of sandy lime-
stones (containing foraminifera) and fine grained calcareous shales, with
thin bands of a buff color. Black and yellow lenticular nodules of
flint, with chalcedony are of common occurrence. The beds are
generally vertical or inclined at high angles. In Camp Creek, a
tributary of the Laloki, the Port Moresby Beds rest directly upon a
coarse granite rock.

Similar strata to those of Port Moresby occur in cliffs along the
coast as far as Kerepuna, but they yielded me no fossils.

At Helena on the south side of Hall Sound, the bay at the mouth
of the Paumomu (St. Joseph), the strata are represented by buff-
colored calcareous shales, sandstones, conglomerates, thinly bedded
and massive limestones, which yielded fossils. It was in this neigh-
bourhood that fossils were first discovered by D’Albertis and Macleay.

The Macleay collection comprised : —

Echinoidea. Temnechmus Macleay ana .

Pe 7 'onella Diagonalis .

Gasteropoda. Dolium Costatum.

'Jt-'V) Vo hit a Macroperla.

and an internal cast of Stronibns ( Gallinula ) Campbelli , a
species now living in the Australian seas,

Roro or Yule Island, charted by the H.M.S. “Rattlesnake” in
1849 I visited, and examined the geological sections seen in the cliffs
on the South-East coast. A section of this is depicted hereunder : —

s.w.

*" SECTION AT the SOUTH WEST ErtO OE RQROy^yuLE /SU>»P)
A CaJumrtruj SasLcCf&ruiu* _B 7 ZeUsecL JBecic/,;

C. &cukzituy LaMdy

(a) consists of a series of fine grained calcareous sandstones
dipping at 20 to 30 degrees to the north-east. These beds contain
fossils which proved to be too fragmentary for transport. From one
bed I was successful in securing a Pecten . Interstratified with these
beds are coralline limestone (“Coral Rag”). Many contain numerous

49

fragments of coral, a few pebbles of quartz and of some basic volcanic
crock. The two small chains of hills running along the entire length
oof the island, referred to by D’ Albertis, are formed by the outcrop
cof some of the beds of this series which are better able to resist
idenudation.

(£) is the remains of a raised gravelly beach, the base of which
is 4 or 5 feet above high water mark. The gravel is of a leaden-grey
"color, and is crowded with fossils, a collection of which I made, but
;as my native carriers did apparently not appreciate geological speci-
mens, these, along with some other valuable collections, disappeared.

(c) is a basaltic lava seen on the beach ; this lava appears to
emanate from one of the high hills which stand out prominently
between the two escarpments of the sedimentary rocks. I had no
other opportunity of examining the structure of the island.

At the village of Delena, on the south side of Hall Sound, I
examined a section in the cliff’s to the north. A sketch of this is
given below : —

SECTION AT c>£ LENA (//*£/ SCUHP)

/ T^uffshales. & Ce-nx/brrrxjes'eiGBs 2-. FcrO^i CtafJsSuxlc.

3 T/ll/tlylrGcLdjecL, 4 MczA+ivc’ Co-raLLifi&s L csriju>lxrri£^.

FF. Fczctita /. z. 3-4- Pcnrt Merely Q&LO.

In this section —

(i) consists of buff shale, sandstone and conglomerate dipping
north-east, separated by a fault (/) from (2) buff-colored clay shales
containing fossils. Proceeding northwards along the coast, the beds
become almost vertical, and another fault (/) divides them from
(3) a mass of thinly bedded limestone with bands of clayey shales.

These limestones yielded the following fossils : —

<

Gasteropoda. Conus Turrit ella .

Lamellibranchiata. Cardita.

Marginclla . (?)

Pecten.

Pectunculus . (?)
and Venus.

In the upper portion the clay shales predominate ; these also
yielded a suite of, as yet, unnamed fossils.

5 °

(4) At the north end of the section is a massive white coralline
limestone, separated by a fault (/) from 3. The limestones of Delena
are crowded on their weathered surfaces with organic remains, corals
being, as a rule, conspicuous by their comparative rarity. This sec-
tion is of importance, as showing that in post-Pliocene times earth
movements of considerable intensity took place, which possibly formed
part of that which resulted in the elevation of the lofty range which
forms the backbone of New Guinea.

The Maiva District, south-east of Cape Possession, which I had
an opportunity of examining, also contains representatives of the Port
Moresby Beds. Beneath the Kevori grits a coralline limestone, pass-
ing into a fossiliferous marl, emerges. Frcm the appearance and
position of the Maiva limestones, I incline to the belief that they are
identical with those of Delena.

“ The collection of the Queensland Geological Survey has been
enriched by the presentation by Mr. E. Edefeldt of specimens of
brown or yellow marl from Maiva Village, found at a height of about
200 feet above sea level. The marl has plentifully scattered through it
the remains of small shells in the form of internal casts, and a few
fragmentary corals.”! Among the Maiva collection, species of the
corals Alveopora , Leptona , Galaxea and Deltocyathus were recognised.
The collection, however, was of “ too limited a nature to permit any
definite statement to be made as to the age of the beds ; but they are
either younger Miocene or Pliocene, probably the latter.”!

3. Boioro Limestones. — The Boioro limestones are best ex-
posed in that headland in Launoka Doudou (Mayri Bay), from which
the beds are named. At Boioro, the limestones are of a dull leaden-
grey color, and are seamed with veinlets of carbonate of lime ; the
weathered surfaces present a curious brecciated aspect difficult to
describe. The bedding planes, marked by lines of brecciated frag-
ments are inclined to the north-west at angles varying from 30 to 45
degrees. A vertical dyke of dolerite was seen to penetrate the lime-
stones in the precipitous cliffs of Boioro. Eastwards from Boioro, as
far as Nobanoka Bay (Port Glasgow), the country was found to be
occupied by similar beds of limestone. The Boioro limestones yielded
no fossils to me. Similar limestones were found at Rogea (Heath) Island,
and on the mainland north of Samari in the vicinity of Waiera Creek.
The Rogea limestones are arranged in thin beds in a small synclinal
trough. The limestones of the mainland are identical in every way
with those of Rogea. In neither place did they yield any organic

tR. Etheridge, Junr., Our Present Knowledge of the Palaeontology of New Guinea.
Records Geol. Sur. New South Wales, Vol. I., part 3, pp. 177.

+Loc. Cit., p. 178.

5i

remains. The limestones of the mainland are penetrated by dykes of
dolerite, and sections are visible showing what have every appearance
of being interbedded dolerite sheets. From the sections seen at
Losoa Doudou (Millport Harbour), it is evident that the Boioro lime-
stones have a thickness of at least 800 feet.

There is no evidence as to the age of the Boioro beds ; from their
position they appear prima facie to lie beneath the Port Moresby
beds, and they have a totally different lithological aspect to that pre-
sented by the latter. It is possible that the hard leaden-grey Boioro
limestones may be of a similar nature to the Globergerina limestones of
the Solomons and New Caledonia.

4. Purari River Beds. — In the year 1893, a series of blue lime-
stones and green ( ( glauconitic ) sandstones were met with in the Purari
River, at 120 miles from the coast, and lying at altitudes reaching up
to 3,000 feet.

The Purari River enters the Gulf of Papua by several mouths, in
East Longitude 145 0 13' and was traversed by the Administrator in a
steam launch to something like 120 miles, and the traverse was con-
tinued for four days in a river boat as far as a point called Biroe. From
the head of the gulf, the Purari wended generally northwards as far as
S. Latitude 7 ° 54' where it was joined by an important tributary called
the Aure, flowing southwards from the mountains of the interior. The
Aure measured from 80 to 100 yards wide, and had a depth from one
to two fathoms. From the junction the Purari River trended west-
ward along the foot of a lofty escarpment 3,000 or 4,000 feet in height
formed of sandstones. The main range, as seen from Biroe, lav about
15 miles distant, and presented the appearance of great toothed and
nearly perpendicular peaks. At Bitoe, S. Latitude 6° 54', about one
degree south of the German frontier, the river had not perceptibly
diminished in size, but was much broken up by large islands. Below
the Aure junction, observations were made as to the dimensions of the
Purari ; the width at the spot selected was 265 yards, the mean depth
22 feet, and the speed of the current almost 5 miles per hour. Past
this spot there flowed 64,624,700,000 gallons of fresh water per day,
or in other words, sufficient to supply 43 gallons of water per day to
every person of the population of the globe during the year these
observations were made. The Purari River thus proves to be the
second largest river in the Possession, being more than one-third, and
less than one-half, the size of the Fly River, which latter discharges
180,000,000,000 gallons per diem. To put it in a simple form, and
to make the significance of these figures more comprehensible, the Fly
River discharges fresh water enough to supply twice the population of
the globe with 60 gallons per day.

5 2

The Purari limestones contained numerous fossils, but only one
proved to be in a condition to be recognised, viz., the phragmacone of
a Belemnite , characteristic of the Cretaceous rocks of Europe and
Queensland. This formation was met with between 96 and 120 miles
up the river, and at altitudes up to 3,000 feet.

According to the latest observer, Sir William McGregor, a man of
true scientific insight, these beds (sandstones) at the east of Naivaia
have been thrown into a series of folds. The beds in the range at
Naivaia were observed to dip at about 30 degrees to the south-east, or
east, whilst at some spots they proved to be practically horizontal.

Several fragments of coal were met with in the muddy sand and
shingle of Abukuru Island, which is in the Purari River, about ten
miles above its confluence with the Baroi. As the coal, states the
Administrator, “was in sharp, clean, crystalline masses in some of the
specimens, it does not appear likely that the pieces could have
travelled far.”!

Twenty-one samples were collected, and of ten a proximate
analysis was made by the Government Analyst of Queensland, Mr. J.
Brownlie Henderson. The composition is as follows : —

TABLE OF ANALYSES OF PURARI RIVER COAL.

Moisture

Volatile Hydrocarbons

Fixed Carbon

Ash

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

Av’ge

15*4
366
40 '3
77

15-8
397
39 '0
5‘5

163

34 '9
42 0
6'8

i7'o
39'i
39 '9
4'0

19*1

36’3

36'2

8-4

I9‘6
327
43 '6
4*1

I9’9
37*5
397
2 ’9

I5‘8
38 ’9
35 '9
9 ‘4

i8’i
39‘i
37 '9
6’9

i8'o
39'5
3i7
10 '8

i6'5
37 ‘2
38 '6
6.6

IOO'O

IOO'O

IOO’O

IOO’O

IOO'O

IOO'O

IOO’O

IOO'O

IOO'O

IOO'O

Remarking on the quality of the coal, Mr. Henderson says : —
“ I he composition of the coal has probably been altered by long ex-
posure to running water and air, so that it would be impossible to
judge accurately ol the coal in the seam, from which this was derived.
Still, it seems evident from the analyses, which show the samples to
come from different parts ol the same seam, that the coal will be a
good one for heating purposes.”!

The greenish-grey sandstones and the blue limestones very likely
belong to one and the same lormation. It would appear

X Despatch 2, 1894, par. 7.

fR. L. Jack and W. Ii. Rands, Reports on Geological Specimens. Appendix B.B.
Annual Report, B.N.G., 1893-94, Brisbane. By Authority, 1894, pp. 91-96.'

53

\

,lthat the formation must attain a thickness of at least 3,000
I feet, which, of course, would leave room enough for the
s intercalation of coal seams. The carbonaceous markings on the sand-
stones point to a certain amount of plant life, and it is possible that
"during the period represented by this formation, plants may have
; accumulated sufficiently to form seams of coal. It is unnecessary to
-add that the occurrence of a coal-field might exercise a great influence
on the future of the Possession/’

5. Strickland River Shales. — The Strickland River is an im-
portant tributary of the Fly, which it joins neat the eighth parallel of
latitude, and was explored in 1885, and was named after the late Sir
Edward Strickland, K.C.B., the President of the Society which
despatched the expedition.

A series of specimens collected by the Naturalist of the party, Dr.
Haacke, at a spot 75 miles above the confluence of the Strickland and
the Fly Rivers, among them a series of indurated fossiliferous cal-
careous shales. These Mr. Robert Etheridge, Junior, examined and
recognised the following ammonites : —

Stephanoceras , allied to *S. lamellosus .

„ „ „ blagdeni .

,, ,, ,, calloviensis.

and an ammonite allied to Ammonites lingulatus .

These observations demonstrate the occurrence of strata some-
where in the watershed of the Strickland, which correspond homotaxi-
ally with strata of Oolitic Age, and possibly on the horizon of the Upper
Oolites.

6. Tauri Limestones. — In 1893, at a spot on the Tauri River
lying to the east of the Purari, and 29 miles from the coast, the
Administrator collected a fossiliferous limestone, in which the coral
Heliolites porosa was detected. 1 his observation indicates the occur-
rence of beds of Devonian Age in the locality. Unfortunately no
further particulars as to these beds are obtainable.

7. Metamorphic Rocks, Crystalline Schists, etc. — The
metamorphic rocks and crystalline schists, which are presumed to be
of Archaean Age, form the axis of the mountain chain of New Guinea,
and are contii uous through the islands of the D’Entrecasteaux and the
Louisiade Groups. An immense area, extending for a few miles back
from Port Moresby, nearly to the eighth parallel of south latitude (the
German frontier), is occupied by these crystalline and metamorphic
rocks Another large area occurs on the mainland to the east at
Mount Suckling. The greater part of the intervening district, and, in.
deed, probably the greater part of the highland interior of the Posses.

54

sion may be conjectured to be of similar constitution. The rocks cam
be broadly separated into two totally distinct divisions ; the first in-
cludes what may be called the crystalline schists ; and the second allll
those other rocks in which the transmutation has not gone on suffi-
ciently for to conceal their derivative nature. Since no fossiliferous.
beds are known of earlier date than Devonian, it is evident that the
age of these crystalline and schistose rocks is, at the best, very uncer-
tain. These metamorphic rocks and crystalline schists are of con-
siderable economic importance, in that they form the original matrices
of those deposits which have yielded the quarter of a million pounds
worth of gold, officially recorded from the Possession.

GOLD IN NEW GUINEA.

The list of minerals of economic importance hitherto met with in
British New Guinea is small ; considering, however, the enormous area
of, as yet unexplored, country and the comparatively small number of
persons who have hitherto made the search for minerals the object of
their visit, and the fact that the natives of the country do not make
use of the more important minerals, this scarcely excite no surprise.
A fair quantity of gold, as may be seen by the table attached, has been
obtained from the Possession, mainly, however, from alluvial deposits.
TABLE SHOWING THE YIELD OF GOLD FROM BRITISH NEW GUINEA.

YEAR

YIELD OF GOLD.

VALUE OF GOLD.

(Financial)

Ozs.

£ ■

1888-9

3*850

i 4 , 3 8 7

1889-90

3.470

I 2,440

1890-91

2,426

8 , 37 i

1 89*1-92

1 . 2 35

4 , 3 22

1892-93

582

2,236

1893-94

1,128

3,906

1894-95

728

2,565

1895-96

J .373

4,735

1896-97

7^48

25,018

1 897-98

6,830

25,612

1898-99

I 2,012

44,185

1899-00

9,256

32,478

1900-01

9, 188

32,646

1901-02

1 1,881

42,214

1902-03

Not Available

1 903-04

Not Available

Total

3 I > I0 7

230,728

55

The earliest record of the discovery of gold in British New Guinea
is thai contained in Vol. II., p. 69, of Mr. John MacGillivray’s work,
“Narrative of the Voyage of H.M.S. Rattlesnake,” published in 1852.
The author says : — “ That gold exists in the western and northern
portion of New Guinea has long been known ; that it exists also on
the south-eastern shores of that great island is equally true, as a speci-
men of pottery procured at Redscar Bay contained a few laminar
grains of this precious metal. The clay in which the gold is im-
bedded was probably part of the great alluvial deposit on the banks of
the rivers, the mouths ot which we saw in that neighbourhood, doubt-
less originating in the high mountains behind part of the Owen
Stanley Range.”

The next reference, 24 years later, is that contained in a letter sent
to “The Times ” newspaper by Captain Moresby, on his return to Eng-
land from a surveying cruise in “ H.M.S. Basilisk.” This letter, re-
published as an appendix to Moresby’s “ Discoveries and Surveys in
New Guinea,” bears no date, and beyond the bare statement that some
of the ship’s company found “ auriferous quartz in Fairfax Harbour,
Port Moresby,” no details are given.. Writing in 1882, Mr. A. C.
Locket, as to this find, says that some of the crew of the “ Basilisk ”
picked up a piece of auriferous quartz from the bed of a stream in
Moresby Island flowing into Pitt Bay, but a second could not be
found.”

The year after Captain Moresby’s letter was made public, it was
announced that gold had been discovered by the Rev. W. G Lawes,
of the New Guinea Mission on the Laloki River, at no very great dis-
tance from Port Moresby, and by a party working under the direction
of the late Mr. Andrew Goldie (a well-known trader), on a tributary of
the Laloki, which now bears his name. The specimens passed through
the hands of the late Mr. C. S. Wilkinson, Government Geologist of
New South Wales. The announcement of the discovery by Messrs.
Lawes and Goldie, Mr. Wilkinson stated, was confirmation of the con-
clusion to which arrived from “ an examination of the rock specimens
already obtained from New Guinea by the Hon. W. Macleay, M.L.C.,
during his voyage of exploration in the “ Chevert,” and by Mr.
D’Albertis on the Fly River.” Mr. Wilkinson, however, stated that the
prediction of the possibility of auriferous deposits occurring in the
Colony was not made public from humane motives.

The first party organised for purely prospecting purposes was that
which left Australia in the spring of the year 1898 in the “Colonist.”
The members of this party examined the country drained by the

f A. C. Locke. Gold : Its Occurrence and Extraction. London, 1882, p. 479.

5 6

Laloki and the Goldie, but do not appear to have met with any very
encouraging results, for it is stated that “ the total distance traversed
by the party during their three prospecting trips was 370 miles, and
throughout the whole of that distance not a grain of gold was dis-
covered.”! The late Mr. Richard Daintree, formerly Government
Geologist of Northern Queensland, writing in 1870 on the metam-
orphic rocks of that State, and the occurrence of gold in New Guinea
remarked : — “ It would seem, therefore, that the rock formation of the
three largest northern diggings, the Peak Downs, and a portion of the
Gilbert, is largely represented at the south-eastern extremity of New
Guinea, with an authenticated trend and strike which, if continuous,
would give such rocks a large development in the interior, and so af-
ford a fair promise of goldfields when colonised.”*

Results have shewn that Daintrees’ prognostication has in some
measure been fulfilled.

* R. Daintree, General Report on the Northern Districts of Queensland, Brisbane

By Authority, 1870, p. 8.

+ Nature, Vol. xix., 1878, p. 15.

57

Two New Species ol Orchide® from Western Australia,

By CECIL R. P. ANDREWS , M.A.

>iq

I'PTEROSTYLIS SARGENTI, sp. nov.—

Radical leaves withered beore flowering, and not seen. Scape-
1-2 flowered, 3-5 inches high. Leaves or empty bracts lanceolate,
f-i^inch long, clasping the stem with rounded auricles, the lowest one
or two reduced to sheathing scales. Galea about -J- in. long, curved
forward; dorsal sepal ending in a short up turned point 1-2 lines long;
lateral petals very shortly pointed, their junction with the dorsal sepal
marked by lines of white hairs inside the galea. Lower lip ^ inch
long, pointing downwards, the entire part as long as the lobes, which
end in filiform points about 2 lines long and are separated by an acute
sinus. Labellum on a broad claw, glabrous, 3-lobed ; the middle
lobe triangular, about 2 lines long, with a ridge down the middle ;
lateral lobes 1 + lines long, linear-lanceolate, slightly curved, produced
at the base into erect thick clavate dark-brown appendages fully 2 lines
long and recurved at the top. Column nearly as long as the galea,
with short, almost orbicular, wings on either side of the rostellum ;
the wings with a very short point at the upper outer angle. Anther
short, not acuminate.

The specimens were sent to me by Mr. Alex. Purdie, who re-
ceived them from Mr. O. H. Sargent, of York. Mr. Sargent found
them flowering in July and August, T904, within a few miles of York.

The species belongs to the section Calochilus , and in habit and
general appearance, is not unlike small specimens of P. longifolia ,
R. Br., though the curve of the galea is different and the lower lip is
more like that of P. rufa , R. Br. The labellum and its appendages
are quite distinct from those of any other species, and the column
wings have no lower lobe. I have not seen the lines of hairs inside
the galea in any other species.

THELYMITRA PSAMMOPHILA, sp. nov.—

Stem 5-8 inches high, slightly flexuose. Leaf narrow-linear, 1-A--3
inches long; empty bracts 2 or 3, leaflike, but only inch long.
Flowers 2 to 4. Sepals and petals ovate, more or less acuminate, 3
to 5 lines long, yellow Column-wing continued behind, but shorter

58

than, the anther, with a broad rounded middle-lobe, and narrow tri-
angular lateral lobes, dark reddish-brown in color. Anther-connective
produced slightly beyond the cells, broad and obtuse.

I found this species in flower on sand plains near the Upper Kal-
gan River and Stirling Range in October, 1903.

In appearance, this plant is very much like T. antennifera , Hook,
f., though the stem is less distinctly flexuose, and the flowers lack the
red coloring on the outside of the sepals, which is generally character-
istic of the latter species. The sepals and petals are broader in pro-,
portion to their length than those of T. antennifera. The column
wing places the new species in the section Macdonaldia , but is quite
unlike that of either of the two species (T. carnea , R. Br. and T.
flexuosa, Endl.) previously included in this section.