9 Q 93.Tle '^""*"""'™™'«y Library Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Club EASTER CAMP, 1922 ADVENTURE BAY, BRUNY ISLAND, TASMANIA. GENERAL ACCOUNT By Clive E. Lord, F.L.S. BOTANICAL NOTES By I. Rodway, C.M.G., Govt. Botanist. ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES By S. W. Crane, R.A.O.U. USES OF A CAMERA By J. C. Breaden. GEOLOGICAL NOTES By A. N. Lewis, M.C., LL.B. ZOOLOGICAL NOTES By Clive E. Lord, F.L.S. EXAMINER PRINT Tas* Field Naturalists' Club, OFFICE-BEARERS 1921-1922: Chairman: MR. A. N. LEWIS. Vice-Chairman : MR. R. A. BLACK. Hdii. .Secretary and Treasurer: MR. CLIVE LORD. Hon. Assistant Secretary and Treasurer: MR. M. R. S. SHARLAND. CAMP MISS O. BARNARD MR. J. C. BRAEDRN MISS D. BROWNELL MISS M. BROWNELL MR. W. A. BELCHER MR. W. F. D. BUTLER MR. F. B. CANE MISS J. COLLIER MISS "CORDELL MR. S. W. CRANE MR. J. CRA'Vi^.FORD MR. E. GRuicKSHANIJ.. MR. G. DAVIES ( MRS. C. T. HARRISSOTsr MR. E, p. HARRISSON AIR. C. HARRISSON* MR. L. HARVEY MR. R. C. HARVEY MR. E. HERITAGE MR. F. J. HEYWARD MR. A.O. GIFFORD MISS R. GREUBER MR. D. GUILBERT , MEMBERS, 1922: MR. B. GURDON MISS J, KNIGHT A^R. G. W. KNIiGHT MISS G. LAMPRILL MISS L. LAMPRILL MR. A, N, LEWIS MR. C. E. LORD MR. G. LORD MR. F. AIORRISBY MRS. F. MORRISBY MR. H. P. ONSLOW ^ MRS, H. P. ONSLOW MR. T. ONSLOW illSS A. REID MR. J. REYNOLDS MR. W. ROBERTS MR. H, SARGISON MR. R. STOPS COLONEL L. THOMAS MR, D. URQUHART MR. F, WAKEFIELD MR. G. WEYMOUTH Assistants; MR. W. WOODWARD & SONS (2) MR. F. H. LONG 3 z K n W H & o ...* : f ;:^!3SlKli Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Club. Easter Camp-Out at Adventure Bay, 1 922. By Clive E. Lord, F.L.S. Around the coasts of Tasmania there are many beauty spots which offer a haven to naturalists or other Icindred souls to whom the call of the open is not made in vain. Each Easter, for 18 yearg past, the Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Club has organised a camping trip to one or other of the coastal bays. Here the scientists can pursue their studies amidst i\ature's realm, and the less scientific members can spend their time admiring the ways of the wild without probing too deeply into its secrets. Various localities have been visited, and the romance of the state's early history gives an added interest to such camping sites as Adventure l^ay, Port Arthur, and Eaglehawk ISTeck; whilst for charm of scenery. Wineglass Hay, on Freycinet Peninsula ("The Sohout- ens"), will ever be remembered. It wa=; here in 19M that the record camp of one hundred members was held. The war era and the resultant economic position^ however, have had their effect on the club's activities, add it has been found impossible to charter a steamer and have her at our disposal for the whole of the holidays. Within recent years, there- fore, the club has had to conduct its icamps nearer home. 'Last year Adventure Bay was chosen, and the locality proved BO suitable that, in response to the ex- pressed desire of many members, th"! committee decided to holl the camp there again this year. The success of th3 camp justiiied the selection. For many weeks before Easter the organisation work was in progress, as there are many details to be arranged be- fore a large camp can be held, and on Wednesday morning, April 12, the ad- vance party of eleven members set out to prepare, the camp for the main party who were to follow on Thursday evening. The s.s. Togo arrived oS the camp site — liast Cove, in Adventure Bay— soon after midday, and the work of getting the CKinp impedimenta ashore immediately commenced. Owing to a strong westerly breeze, accompanied by rain squalls, the work was one of difiiculty, especially when landing the luggage amidst the brealcers on the shore. Whilst a section of the party assisted with the unloading, another section made a start to erect a few of the tents in order to provide shelter. Owing to the fact that the creek was in flood, it became necessary to carry a small dingy into the creek, and with the aid of several long battens and table top 3 a rough bridge was improvised, and the camp material carried across. Fortunately the rain gradually passed off, and except for a few showers littl? incon- venience was e.xperien e:l during the con- struction of the camp. Hy the time darkness fell about a third of the tents had been erected, and a halt wa? callel until next day. The evening meal was appreciated by all, and "blanket bay" was sought early. On the following niorning the noisy notes of the wattle- birds were heard in the banksias around the camp, and soon after sunrise billies \ycre being boiled for the early morning cup of tea. The camp site was the same as last year, with the exception that the large dining tent and camp kitchen were erected further to the east, and the club is once again indebted to Mr. Uor- lofl' for permission to camp on his pro- perty. East Cove is the small sandy bay at the eastern end of Adventure Bay. At its western end there are sand dunes rising from the sea beach, whilst half-way along Providence Eivulet cuts into the si;nd dunes, and then turns to the east, eventually reaching the sea at the eastern end of the cove. Between the . angle ot the ereek and the hills, which rise at the siile of the bay, there is a sandy flat, and it wa.s here that the main eamp was situate.l. On th.3 western side of the creek, in a sheltered hollow in the sand dues, the ladies' tents were pitched. 'On Thursday morning th.a work of completing the camp was proceeded with, and tlie first work undertaken was the construction of. a, bridge across the cre?-k This was done by falling a suitatle tree^ splitting the trunk in half, and th=n haul- ing the timber to the creek, where they were rafted to the correct site and placed in position, A few spars and a rope hand rail comipleted this engineering effort, and allowed the creek to be ne.^oti- ated with ease. Although the flood waters in the creek subsided very rapidly, the bridge was found very useful during the camp. During the day "Canvas Town" gradually grew, and by lunch time all the tents, with the exception of the large dining, one, were in position. During the afternoon the work was completed, and numerous small details were attend- to. The advance party did full justice to the evening meal, as one member had brought down a turkey, which was roasted in the camp oven, and partaken of with truo "bush relish." An hour or so later a large signal Are was set going in order to act as a guiding light for the Togo, and by 9.30 p.m. she had arrived. The main party were soon ashore, enjoying tea and hot cross buns, before being conducted to their several canvas homes 'neath banksia and eucalyptus. Before proceeding with the details ot camp routine, it may be as well to pay some attention to the geography and history of Jhe locality of the camp. The outlines of the early history of Adven- ture Bay were given in last year's report, so there is no need for repetition here beyond recalling the salient facts relating to the work carried out by eaich explorer. The work of Captain Eligh will, however, be dealt with in a more detailed manner, as his Avork merits more attention than has been pai-l to it in the past. tthen Tasman discovered Tasmania in lfi-12 he attempteH";to anchor in Ads;- venture Bay, but was driven to sea by a nor'-west gale, ■ Tlie French explorer, Marion du Fresne passed along the south coast in 1772 without investigating the coastal bays, and it was not until March, 177S, that Captain Furneaux, in the Ad- venture, ai'iohored in the bay and gave it the name of his ship. Captain Cook touched here in !777, and eleven years later the First Fleet sailed past Storm Bay on their voyage to found the first settlement in Australia. Captain BligJi, who had previously visited the bay as Cook's sailing master on the Resolution, anchored . the 'Bounty here in August, 17S8, and a. year later Captain Cox, in the brig flfercury, passed along the south coast 'on his voyage of exploration. In 1792 B'ligh once more anchored in the bay, and in the following year D'Entre- casteaux, who had discovered the Chan- nel a few montHis after iBliglrs visit, an- chored in Adventure Blay during the cotirse of bis second visit to Tasmania. Hayes (179'.'?) and Flhiders and Bass (1798-99) both passed by Adventure Bay without anchoring there, btit the French explorer .Eaudin in 1S02 remained here for a few days in the Geographe. With regard to Bligh's visits to Ad- venture Bay, the fact must be recalled that Bligh's work has to a large extent been forgotten. This is due to some extent to the after affects of the mutiny on the Bounty, and also to the fact that in later years, when Bligh was appoint- ed Governor of "STew South Wales, he was deposed by the military. It is often stated that the latter event was caused by the seAerity of Bligh's rule, but an unbiassed critic must ta-ke into considera- tion the manners of the period, and also the rather deplorable state into Avhich the youuG- colony 'h.ad grown. The stir created by the revolt of the military in New South Wales caused the home au- thorities to take action, and, to quote Dr. Watson, the able editor of the His- I'orical Records of Australia, "it forced them to immediate reforms. It indirect- Iv caused the 'CPan of the New South ^^'ales Corps, whfph, by long residence, had become the most powerful, and per- haps the most evil factor in the com- munity. It indirectly led to the reform of the law courts, to the removal of the restrictions on trade and commerce, and to the ,a'eneral betterment of the condi- WATERCRESS VALLEY. THE MOUTH OF THE CREEK. tinns of life i" tlie folony." lu short, Uligh's l>eriod of fJovei'iiorsliip tidvaiiccl the progi-ess of Australia in a very rapid manner, and tlic indii-cct results mark- I'l! the dawn of a new era. It is with added interept, tlierefore, that we may recall, certain oi tlie details relating to fjis earh' voyages 6f discovery and ex- ploration. AsiBligli liad, previously touched at Ast end. of the beach, near where the Wcsent jetty stands. Present-day charts refer to this locality as Quiet Corner, owing to the sheltering effect of the high stone bluff which projects into the hav at this point. The stone (forming the headia-nd is remarkably rectangular in certain positions, which accounts for Kligh naming this point llewnstone Head. The water was obtained from a gully a.hout sixty yarcls fr^lJ.m the Beach. Bligh states tihat the water was good, but was "merely a collection from the rains; tUe place is always dry in sumer for we found no water in it when 1 was hei'e with Captain Oook in -January, 1777." N"c\ertheless, Bligli saw fit to chart the small creek which meanders to the, beach at this localitj' by the name of Bounty Rivulet. ■Resolution River, -where Cap tain Cook obtained water in 1777, was further to the north. Owing to t.lu surf which broke on the shore consider- able diflicvilty was experienced in .getting; ofr the wood and water. "Whilst this work was in progres.s David Xelson and William Brown, the botanists of the ex- pedition, made large coller-tiojis during their excursions along the sliore and amid the hills. .-V number of Iriiit trees ■were planted, including three young ap- ple trees, nine vi^nes, si.x plantain trees, a number of orange and lemon sceo.a, clierry stones, plum, pcacli, and apricot stones, pumpikins also two sorts of In- dian i?orn. as M'ell as apple and pear kernels. The trees in the \icinity were also marked, and Kelson followed tho circuit of the bay, planting in such situa- tions as appeared suitalble. Unfortu- nately the exact positions of the planta- tions ^^•ere marked up'on Bligh's cluirt of Adventure Bay, which was lost in the mutiny of the Bounty, but from his sub- sequent chart of 17f)2. together with the detailed description in t/he log of the Providence, certain of the localities can be fixed. Near the watering place of the Bounty, which was at the head of the cbvp how known as (Juiet Corner, potatoes, onions, and cabbages were planted. On "the first of September some natives were seen in the distance, and hopes wtre en- tertained that they vvould come towards the ship. Their non-;inpearar.i?e on' the following day caused Bliffh to go in a boat towards Capo Frederick Henry, where he had an inter\'icw with a pArty of aborigines. Later in the same day Bligh visited the high land above Pen- guin Island and obtained a view of a sec- tion of Strait now known as 'D'Entrecsts^ teaux Channel. Owin.sr to the error cvf Furneaiux, Bligh considered this to be the Frederick Henry Bay 'of Tasraan, The Bounty sailed from 'Adventure Bay oii September 4 in continuation of her voy- age to Tahiti. Some months later the famous mutiny occurred, which led to Blich's voyage of 3600 miles tlhrough un- charted seas in an open boat. Upon Bligh's return to England it was not long before he was placed in com- mand of a second expedition. This time two vessels, the Providence, 420 tons, and the Assistant, 110 tons, were given to Bligh to cimmand. It is of interest to note that ilitthew Flindei-s, who was liter to play such -a prominent part in Australian exploration, was a mid-hip- nian on the Pri.viden:e. On the 0th of T'ebruary. 1792. the tAvn vessels anchored :n Adventure Bay, and as soon pb the ships were moored Bligh went ashore to select the best places to secure his wood nnd water from. He decided to obtain thi5 from Bounty Eivulet, as it w?,s ca'ie.- AT CAPE CONNELI.A. ALONG THE SHORE. to obtain (here than at Resolution itiier. Xear the latter p'a-e cne of the rough shelters built 1 y the aborigines was no- ti.ed, and also other indications which sjiowed tliat th? natives had recently been in the vicinity. Tha botanists of Bligh's second expedition were Messrs. Wiles and Smith, and thoy dill a large amount of collecting worlc. JNelson, the t.'otanist, who had vi iied Adventure Hay with Cool'C in the R;solution ana Jiliga in the Bounty, ha'l survived the perils of the mutiny and the boat voyage, but died of fever at Timor. A prjminent hill near Adventure Bay was named Nelson's Hill by Bligh, in honour of the late botanist, as he was the first to ascend it. The description given of the locality in the log is as follows :^"The hill lies S. lOdeg. E., three miles distant as a bird flies, from the west end of the beach. The top is covered with sm ller trees than the parts below, but non3 of the forest kind, so that the sumihit oi it appears to bs bare. On the top of the hill is a large oblong rock, on which a dozen men may stand with ease." Tills is evidently the hill which is at tlip present day locally known as Cook's Look-out, but there appears to be no valid reason why the original designation of Nelson's Hill should not be reverted to. During the stay of the vessels in the bay Bligh had a small boat belonging to the Assistant carried into what he called "the lake.'' This is now known as Cook's Creek, a rather misleading de- signation, as Cook's shore parties were engaged further to the north. In re- ference to the nomer.clature of Adventure Bay in general, it might vvell be noted that the glamour of Captain Cook's re- putation has overshadowed all other ex- plorers, without regard to the true facts of the case. "Cook's Creek," "Cook's Look-out," and the so-called "Captain Cook's Tree," arci cases in point. Owing to the rough weather experienced, the work of obtaining wood and water from the Bountiy and Kesolution Rivulets h^d to be discontinued, and on the 14th of February Lieut. Portloek was sent to examine East Cove (th3 bay whic'i is now generally spoken of as Uorloff's Beach). As the surf was les| here, the wooding and watering jarties' were sent 10 this locality on the following day in order to complete the supplies. The bad weather meant more to Bli,nh than he realised at the time, for he states that had the weather been fair he would have taken the Assistant round in order to examine "the bay of Frederick Henry." Had he been able to do so he would have forestalled the discoveries of U'Entre- casteaux. During the stay in the bay a numler of trees and seeds were plant- ed, ir.icluding 'nine fine young oaks about b ini>hes high. They were planted in East Cove, on the slope of the hill on the left-hand side of the flat as you land about 200 or SOD yards from the water- side. A little l^ielow the oaks are plant- ed five fig trees,, three pomegranates, three quinces, alid 20 strawberry. On Penguin Island and Grass Point we sQwpcl fir seed, apricot and peach stones." The ships sailed from the lay on the 22nd, but returned owing to a mishap to the Assistant, and , it was the 24th of Feb- ruary before Bligh sailed from Tasmania in continuation of his voyage, which was to prove successful as far as the intro- duction of the '■ bread fruit to the West IndiEs was concerned. The locality of East Cove, therefore, is clearly of historic interest, and this, added to the charm of the scenery, makes the locality an ideart icamp site. Fri- day morning gave promise o£ a fine day, and plans were made for the camp- ers to visit localities of interest. The main party went out to Gape Connella, whilst smaller parties preferred to spend the day fishing' or on excursions to places nearer the camp. The track to Cape Connella follows the mill tram line for some distance, and then branches ofl; through some dense forest country, where the tall and slender king ferns (Cyathea) are to be seen to advantage, and the more common form of tree fern (Dicksonia) is to be seen in hundreds. 'We were fortunate in having as our ,guide Mr. P. ^Y. Kellaway, of Bruny, Vho has recently opened up this and several other tracks in the vicinity, and was therefore able to point out the vari- ous beauty spots as we strolled through the c!ark aisles of this cathedral of na- ture, itr. ICellaway has a distinct eye for the beauties of nature, and, further, has a great faith in the isle of Extmy. ■THE tHEl'. THE LOCAL GUIDE. Tbe cheery optiiuism of our guiJe wa- a source of pleasure to all the camp- ers. After wending its way ami'st the giant ferns and the towering trunks of the euicalypts, the trade emerged mto more open country, and gradually a vista of the coast was obtained— these, rugged walls of diabase which protect the land from the relentless forces of the southern oceans. Steadily rising, tht- track finally emerges at the summit of Cape Connella, and one can look down a thousand feet to where th; waves lap against the foot of the cliffs, A ston3 thrown over by one of the party mei the water with such force that the soupd i echoed and re-echoed amidst the eiverns in the cliflF face. It aroused a sea eagle (Haliaetus), and sent it flapping out to sea, where the gannets could lie seen diving for their prey, and' ocicasionally a wandering 'albatross, with its immense wings, would sail past in the course of it=i graceful flight. Limch was partaken of amidst fhi 1 nv scrub at the top of the clirt's.Far be- low the waves surged at our feet, and beyond the blu? oc;an stretched away, until it merged into grey, and the distant mists made it difficult to judge the ex- act horizon of sea and sky. To the west wprc th'.' mountams, and the.'e af- forded food for discussion concering the exact locality and nomenclature of thb imoro .distant peaks. After lunch some of the party visited the blowhole, whilst others wandered along the i:liffs before starting en the journey back to camp. iW the time that the autumn evening was settin;; in all had returned to camp and gathered around the acetylene' flares of the din- ino- tent where the evening meal \\'as served. In the evening a larje fire Avas set alight, and a campfire conrert was held. > On Saturday a number cf p.irties were formed. 'Some preferred a quiet day by the sea shore, whilst others cho.^c tiie mountains, and were guided to the sumriiit of Mount liruny by Mr. Kella- way. Smaller parties visited "The Xeck" — ^the picturesrfue sandy- strip co-n- necting South and- Xorth Bruny. ' On the following day the majority of tin- cam.pers spent the day at Grass Point near Penguin Island. Some visited the island, and also examined the cliffs near Fluted Cape. After lunch an im- promptu crii'.'ket and baseball match was played, the balls being cut out of the roots of bull dcelp and the bat from the bough of an eucalypt. ilucli amuse- ment was 'caused owing to the uncon- vential nature of the game. In the vicinity of Grass Point it is of interest to note the remains of the old whaling stations— another historic link with the past. On 3,Ionday numerous parties were organised. ( )ne section paid a visit to the Adventure . Bay sports, where we were glad to meet our old friend Mr. Pybus, who had charge of the proceed- ings. So eaich day p'assed, and as the w-eather was tine the campers were able to make the most of their stay. Such k.'jalities of -Mavista Waterlfall were visited by sections of the camp from time to time, and places further afield bad due attention paid to them, even Alonnah and Lunnawanna being reach- ed by several of the members .dui'ing their day excursions. At the close of the day members would assemble to do justice to the eflTorts of "Ohef" Wood- ward, and his assistants, after which an adjournment would be made to the beach, where the usual c-ampfire con- cert would be held. In addition to several able vocalists, an excellent phonograph (kindly brought by ilr. Sar- gison) contributed to the success of these evening "sing-songs." Several short Impromptu lecturettes on histori- cal and natural history sulbjeets were given by mem;bers during the course of the evening socials. On Tuesday morning it became neces- sary to prepare for the departure, and during the day the camp was disma/ntled and the impedimenta carried to the small jetty at the east end of the -beach as a strong wes'erly wind was blow- ing, A\hich would have made the worlc of boating all the camp gear oil the beach a difficult task. It was late in the afternoon before the Togo arrived, and the boats were soon busily engaged in transporting the passengers and cargo to the steamer. All were safelv on 13 NELSON'S HILL (Commonly called "Cook's Look-Out"). m i '^ A -^^. ^9 if-;- ^ ™" ' -^ Jl i V Sv ^■H • 'j 1 3 '^91 *^*!M1K^ ^ks ^^^l^ ^(f^ ..-w**^ 4^ ... 1 i^^ ^' ^'^,. "r^Hi H^a^ ^^gi^, ^^ ^-j '4fi^^^^^P B^^^^^'^^^SB^^^ Mfc. J6«*?& A GLIMPSE OF PENGUIN ISLAND. board before dark, and the journey to Hobart eomment^ed. Apart from a slight roll when crossing Adventure Bay the return trip was a calm one, and the camp songs were once more sung to while a,way the .time until the city was reaiehed shortly after' nine. Last year, when concluding the camp report, I expressed the hope that a year hence many familiar faces would be grouped around the campflre at some chosen spot on our Tasmanian coast. That hope has been fulflled, and I de- sire to express it again with regard to next year. For 18 years past the Tas- manian Field Naturalists' Club has or- ganised an Easter camp. TheSe out- ings afford members a chance of pur- suing their collecting work, and the social side of the outings form an agree- able holiday. To carry out such camps many things are necessary. Apart from the organisation work there are numer- ous duties entailed by camp life together with the worli of constructing and after-' wards, of breaking up, camp. This work is almost invariably entered into in the true camping spirit by all the members, which fact tends greatly to the success of the outings, and gives promise that tlie camps of the future may be as enjoyable as those of the past. f\OVENTUREr T.SD ^p^ 8KETCH OiF SOUTH EKD OF ADVENTURE BAY, BASED ON BLIGH'S CHART 0iF 1792. SOME OF THE CAMPERS. ^. "THE CHIEF.'T ^\* ' ^A^/f'«',V, -^/ ^ " ;m^ m^' -f 'Jk S' ..- '^< ;'.i BOl'ANICAL NOTES. By L. RoDWAY, C.M.G. In our last L'amp at East Cove we 'ex'plered forests of Beech, which ^\e reached by the old, half-hurnt traiinvay. This Heer.'h is evergreen, wliile we have another species, which is common, from Lalce Fenton to the West (.'oast, tliat slieds its leaves in winter. Tliis habit of shedding leave's is generally ascribed to jieriodic periods of dryness. Some s,pec-ies ol Australian figs, which are evi- .■dently warm land iplants, shed all leaves enguin (G. chryso- eome) having been caiptured there. This bird is extremeily rare in Tasmanian waters. The only other really authen- tic specimen was one captured at Dev- onport. A few fairy penguins (E. minor) still inhabited the rookeries at the north end of tlie bay. but tlie vast major- ity bad finished their nesting duties for the year and gone. A fine sea eagle (H. le'ucogaster) was observed flying round the cliffs near Cape Connella, while further out the wandering (V. exu'.ans) and black-brow- Ed albatrosses (D. melanophrys) shim- med over the waves in their iiiimit- tuble fashion. The clean-cut gannet (S. Australia) plunged from aloft with vary- ing success, and blacl-; (P. carbo) and pied cormorant; (P. gouldi) were also busy diving for fish. A few black sw'ans (A. atrata) were seen flying in their characteristic ^^ formation, and a couple of pairs of white-fronted her- ons (N. novae-Hollandiae) or b'lue cranes frequented the quiet baclvwaters, whence they lazily flapped away on being dis- turbed. 19 %' NEAR. CAPE CONNELLA. Tile I'acilic gull (G. paciHcus), both in the smart black aii'. that those who toolc photographs and had pictures to show the other campers, were very proud of the work that was produced from J;he camp, and the memory of the places and views will long remain Avitli all of us. as of a most happy experience, _ and one which not one of the campers - would have missed. 23 MAVISTA FALLS. GEOLOGICAL NOTES. By A. N. Lewis, M.C, LL.B. Aseopncl visit by the Field Naturalists' 'Club to Adventure Bay has given the geological section of the members an op- portunity to follow up many of the ob- servations made last year, an outline of which I had the privikge to contribute to the camp report of 1821, where I gave a general idea of the stratography of -Adventure Bay. Further investigations of this branch of geology were cai-ried out this Easter ;by momibers, and included in theobserva- ^tions made was the locating of the beds of marine fossils in the lower coal mea- sures of Adventure Bay mentioned, BnA ■ described by R. M. Jiohnston, but which n e leould not find last year. However, as I summariS'3'd the features of the strato- graphy lof the district last year, and as these features have been very fully de- ■soriibed 'by the late Mr. E. M. Johnston in his "Geology of Tasmania," and a paper published on the geology of Adven- ture Bay in the Papers of the Royal Ko- ciety of Tasmania for 188R, and as the geological survey will probably publish some further observations in the near future I shall confine my remarks m these notes to the development of the topography of tb? area. Here, as throughout Tasmania, the dia- base is the key to the topography. The Director of the geological survey, and Mr. Nye in his Underground Water Papers, have given a key to the mechan- ism of the diajbase intrusions in the cen- tre of Tasmania, but their idea of a 400Wt. vertical uplift, followed by hori- zontal intrusions on a vast scale hardly explains many of the diabase occurrences m the south. The great question is this:— Is the diabase that forms Fluted Cape, for example, a laterally intruded sill from the great uplifting mass that formed Mount Wellington, or is it the top of a huge vertically thrusting mass that has not been pushad to the heights of the great masses inland? We may have theories, but the mschinism of the yreat diabase intrusions has yet to -be worked out. However it occurred, the boundar- ies of the diabase did not extend far to the south-east of the present shore hue of South Bruny. Looking south Irom Cape Connella small patches of sedimen- tary rock can be seen still remaining in shelt=Jed corners, just as it can be traced in tiny patche.5 on Betsy Island, Tasman Island, and here and 'there in corners among the diabase cliffs of southern and south-eastern Tasmania, Evidently the intrusion of diabase either stopped near the present shore line, and for some distance to the south- east the land surface was continued by sandstones, or else in the uplifting of the present land surface liv the intruding diabase, great blocks of sandstone were carried from; the floor of tlie sea. The action of the restless Southern Ocean has effaced most of the softer sediments, leaving only thin patches in sheltered corners. The erosion-resistina diabase has fared better, and, Avith the sandstone cleared from its face 'by the action of the waves, now stands in hold hc.idlands rising- ilCflOft. sheer from the sea. O'iven this iron wall of diabase is yielding to the resistless action of the elements. JJany jutting- prom-inenc-es show the level where once the line of cliffs stood. The sea. by eating into crat-ks and lines of weaikness, has cut great gulches into the cliff f K-e, and in places ]ias entirely isola- ted columns of rock which now stand as outliers or sea-worn monunrents, one of which, rising- several hundreds of feet from the sea's edge, beneatli Cape Con- nella, closely resembles the Pillar on the Cape of that name, discernible Ivi miles to the eastward. The original face of the diabase was very irregular, and doul)tless many of the bays that indent the southern coast were caused mer ly by the sculpturing) of softer sandstones by the waves wliich were rebutted when they had eaten through to the solid diabase. Traces of metamorphic rock found in the passage separating Penguin Island indicate that lu-rp -»\-avcs have eaten out a softer bed of rock and isolated the diabase island. "THE CHAPERONES." "IT IS NICE TO GET UP IN THE MORNING" (Camp Song). A wonderful diabase sill, some 20Utt. high, capped \\'ith the same thickness of sedimentary rock, stretches from the mainland at Passage -feint right down the eastern coast line of North -Bruny, doubtless underlying much of that island; There the diabase appears to disappear, or not to rise so high for the il4 miles or so of Adventure Bay, and it reappears again at Fluted Vnpe. In the gap formed between the last-named cape anfi Cape ]?rederick Henry the waves have cut out the land surface of soft sand- stones and formed the wide sweep of Ad- venture Bay. The "fluted" or "organ .piiDe" structure of many of the prominent diabase head- Ifi'nds forms .i strikin-s? sceBic feature. From a distance the diabase appears to have formed in columns, as is frequent svith the 'basalts of the lava flows, but looking closer it is soon seen that the "columns" are usually irregular in shape; .size, and angles. Most are roughly quad- rilateral with the inner side merged in the general mass of the icliff. Often the edges are rounded oiT, and other geomet- rical figures are formed. But probably this columnar formation is not structural in origin, as with the basaltic columns of iBurnie. "The Giants Causeway," Ire- land, and elsewhere, but are merely due to erosion. These cliffs exposed to the ,sei. are continuially dripping with sea mists and vapours, and are exposed 'to the full effects of the hot sun, and the penetrating frosts. These great agents of erosion crack the rock surfaces along lines of weakness, which, in this diabase, appears to be in vertical lines through the mass at intervals of from two to six feet — ^lines of weakness caused, no doubt- by tensional stresses when the mass was cooling. In the solid diabase there is no trace- of icolumnal structure, but as the agents of erosion eat into a cliff face the cracks are widened, and deepened until a series of furrows are cut into the cliff. These give the columnar appearance from a dis- tance. 'N-ear the top of the cliff, or on the outer edge of prominences, these eroi sion cracks meet at right angles to the cliff face, and so complete the column. Jn many cases on most diabase headlands residuals of diabase stand up often to -50ft. as columns. These have been iso- late.! by the en'argement of cracks until th3 surrounding rook has vanished. 'I'hese columnar erosion resiiuah are to.b:' seen Lest on the end of Cape Kaoul. There- are alsD several ^ood specimens along the tcp of the cliff face from Penguin Island to Cape Connella. A \ ery noticeable feature of tlie topo- gi-aphy of the district is the way in which the diabase prominences of Fluted Gape and Cape Oonnella, after rising lOO'O feet sheer from the sea floor, slope very rapidly down nearly to sea level half a mile inland, forming in section, a ])yramid with its highest point on the top of the cliffs. This coastal bat- tlement of rock is not a, feature that nlay be expected, but it is found else- where around Southern Tasmania, al- though nowhere else is it so pronounced. A more usual development would be a gentle slope from the centre of the island to the sea, with perhaps a line of cliffs at the sea border down to which the land sloped. The explanation of the reason fc- the sea edge being the highest land in the vicinity may be found in the de- velopment of the topography of the island. Almost certainly the diabase lifted great thicknesses of sedimentary rock, which after its intrusion lay above it, but have since vanished. Streams worked down this uplifted plat- eau in accordance with drainage levels- caused by the uplift. Tliey ate rapidly through the soft sandstones until they struck the harder diabase below, but then they had formed valleys from whicji they could not escape, and therefore ha-j to keep on cutting through the harder rock. In time the softer O'verlying sandstones were entirely removed by tributary rills and rain wash, but the ri'^lers had to keen on flowing in the original channels formed. when they were eating through tlie sandstones. They are thus what are called "consequent" streams. With the removal of the sandstones the intrusions of diabase stand out as residuals. These the rivers have little affected beyond generally rounding their contour. While the sandstones still covered the island the three creeks that flow northward into the south of Ad- venture 'E'ay captured most of the drain- age of the plateau. They were pro- 27 .^ NEAR THE SUMMIT OF FLUTED CAPE. MEMBERS OF THE CAMPING PARTY. bably assisted in this work 'by the dia- base ridges raising the land over where now run the ilount Bruny range aiid the land over Fluted Cape to a higher level than the land In the centre. These streams have pushed their tribu- taries right to the eastern edge of the ii island on, the chit faces, a,nd well to vthe south alsio. They have captured ftU the drainage of any rills that llow- ed seaward over the cliffs, and have carved the la.idscape into a basin around their heads, with its rim and highest "^edge running round the cliffs on the - east and south, and along the LVlount Bruny range on the north. Out of this basin' ridges and points of diabase rise where the streams have not completed their work of removing the harder rock. These streams are still in the juvenile J stage, but ha\i3 cut well below the ground water le'vel, and are good per- manent flows of water, cutting into rocky beds with many waterfalls, and running in steep-sided gullies. There is ample evidence at the mouth of these rivulets of a recent change in land or sea level. (Each flows from its narrow mountain valley out on to a flat alluvial plain. The old sea ed?e can ibe traced passing inland some dis- tance in large 'bays, the position of the shores of which can be traced where the hillsiSes rise steeply from the flats surrounding the mouths of the streams. Into these bays the rivulets have car- ried much sediment. T.ater the land has risen some 2.5 to .50 feet, or the sea has sunlc to the same amount, and these accumulations .of sediments have been ' left bare as delta-shaped flats filling the bottoms of vaJleys that Were, apparently, bays of the seashore. Then the streams winding across these fertile flats with many a loop and bend ■ have cut down ten or more 'feet to the new level of the sea, and the winds from the north have piled vip new sand dunes .icro's the levelled front of the new seashore. By the south-eastern end of the lagoon that forms the mouth of Cook's iRivulet can be clearly seen a line of old sand dunes, now half a mile inland, and covered with a layer of pfeat, on which heaths, grasses, and flowers are growing to-day. These sand dunes are formed by the action of the tides and estuary currents, wliich wear away the prominences of the coastline as they surge past, and deposit the grains of rock in the' quiet ibays, where their speed is check- ed. The wind catches the sand grains where the .\vaves leave them, and piles up the .great dunes which fringe all' our coastal bays. The wind can drive' these dunes inland, spreading; desola- tion over the most fertile country, and- the only protection for land behind dunes is a good binding of living vege- tation on the dunes. The greatest care must be taken never to destroy vege- tation on a dune, as the smallest gap rhay let the sand through to the destruc- tion of the farms behind, and there is- nothing more difficult to stop than a mioving sand dune. Fortunately, in .Quiet Corner, sheltered from severe winds, the sand dunes do not appear to be dangerous. The narrow neck which joins North and South Bruny is proba'bly merely a sand dune formed by the deposition of sediments carried 'by the tide into the bay where it was origina'lly checked in its flow hetween the two land masses of the north and the south island 'by the drag of the neighbour- ing shores and by the shallow water between. The tide gradually filled tip this shallow water, and the wind raised the dunes of the Ne.ck, which are held in position by vegetation, but prevent- ed from growing higher .by the action of the wind. It is possible that a severe change in tidal or ocean currents would destrov the narrow connection. ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. By €j*vv£ E. Lord, F.L.S. ■As regards general zoology, the vicinity ■of tlie cami) did not vield a large per- centage of the higher forms.. Thi.-j is doubtless due to the advance of settle- ment and its resultant effects upon the fauna. The foregoing thought leads one to recall the fact that our marsupials are a steadily decreasing race, and it be- hoves students to take every oppor^ tunity they can in order- to study the species as they exist to-day.. The fate ■of the Tasmanian emu and the rareness of our forester kangaroo serve to recall the serious nature of the position. tt must not be .forgotten that the Austra^ lian realm is unique in the zoogeographi- cal Sense: in fact, it has been termed' "the fossil continent." There exist to- dav in Tasmania animals which are found onlv in a fossil state in other parts of the world. "Between such diver- aent types as the marsupial wolf (Thyla- chiu'.s eynocephalus), which still roams in «r.iall numbers amidst tlie rugged wilds of our western highlands, and the moun- tain shrimp (Anaspides tasmanica), which is to be found in our alpine tarns, there -existis n range of .unique species of ab- ■sorbing interest to the scientist. The entire Tasmanian land mammalian fauna is composed of marsupials, tlio only ■exception being the cosiiiifpo'litan bats tChiropteva) and fine species of indigen- ous rodents. The monotremes, of course, also stand apart, but they only serve to accentuate the unique charafcter of our fauna. Where else except in the Aus- tralian realm are found suich primitive animals? ilammals whi?h lay e.a'gs! A"\ hen we recall the fact that the llrst recrrd of a monotreme heing taken in Tasmania is that made Iby Bligh's expedi- tion to Adventure Bay in 1792 our in- terest is quickened. >ro wonder that the porcupine antea ..er (Tachyglossus) which was secured by 'Lieiut. Guthrie on Kebniary 7, 1792, appeared to puzzle tlie ■sailors, and was referred to as "an ani- mal of very odd form." lllad Bligh's men secured a platypus (Ornithorliyn- ^Ims) — -the second and only other repre- sentatiire of the monotrem'ata class — they would ha\e donotless- hften, still fur- ther puzzled at the strange aataHtls which oecvirred in the land of Van Die- men. It is impossible within the limited space available to describe in detail any mem- lier of the species met with, considering the fact that the title of these notes ojiens up the whole field of the Zoologi- b41 cosmos. No attempt will he, made to do so, but a few outline notes on the higher marsupials of the Tasmanian zone may prove of interest and serve to arousa interest in our decreasing indigenous fauna. The existing forms of our marsupials fall readily into two sections — the Dipro- todontia, which have two large ineisoi teeth in the lower jaw, and the Poly- protodontia, which have numerous in- cisors in the mandible. The kangaroos, wallabies, and rat ■kangaroos, together with the wombats and the so-called Aus- tralian opossums (Phalangeridae), con- stitute the diprotoiidiints. The polypro- todonts which occur in the island are the native cats, the marsupial wolf, the Tasmanian devil, the bandicoots, and the marsupial' mice. Of the kangaroos, it is regr^table to notethat these have so far decreased in numljp.rs as to be almost forgotten 'by the average Tasmanian. The largest of the wallabies (M. bennetti) is the common "kangaroo." The scrub wal- laby is the only other large member of the Sfacropodidae which occurs in Tas- mania. ' The bettong' (B. eunieulus) and the rat kangaroo (T. tridactylus) are fairly common species in most districts suitable for their methods of life. The wombats (■Phascolomys) — tliosa massive "underground engineers" — are still common in many parts. l^ese ani- mals are often ■called "b.adgeTs,' because they happen to resemble, in a super- ficial manner, a carnivorous animal of the old world which has totally different economic haibits. The phajangers, which are generally called "opossums," owing to the superficial resemMance to the true 30 •opossum of Centra] Amevha. liave been greatly reduied in minii'oeis owiiia to tl'e commoi-cial value of Uicir fui-. Two spe^,. -eies occnr — the brush (T. vulpeculii'i,' which may be either black or grey in colour, and the "ringtail" (P. cooki), which is noted for the wliite tip on its tail. The first "ringtail" of which we have record as being' secured by the early explorers was the one obtained during the early expedition of Captain Cook to -Adventure Bay. As regards the second siib-elass, the polyprotodontia, there are two species of "native cats." The large tiger cat, of brown colouration, with white spots which extend over the body and also along the tail. A smaller species, the common "native cat," lai^ks the spots on the tail, and may be either black or brownish yellow in colour. The thyla- cine, or marsupial wolf, is now rare, l)nt the Tasmanian devil (Ursinus harrisi) is to tie met with in the more rugged parts of Tasmania, the one place in the world where these living forms can be found to-day. They have been found in a fossil state on the mainland, and a -fossil form closely allied to thylacinus has ibeen found in the tertiary deposits of Santa Cruz, in South America. 'L'his forms one link in the chain of evidence ■which serves to show that Australia and ScmtU America were at one time con- nected land masses by means of the great continent of Antanitica. (-)f the remainmg polyprotodonts, the bandicoots (P. obesula and P. gunni) are fairly common, but the marsupial mice, by reason of their habits, are naturally seldom obser\ed. In Tasmania there is a wealth of species, especially of the lower orders, awaiting investigation, but the larger marsupial types ^\hich still roam amidst the eucalypts and beeches of our forests are worthy of more de- tailed study. Every fact that can bq gathered in rei;ard to such forms as Thy- laijinuB .and Ursinus should be not only noted, but recorded, so that the infor- mation may be of service to science in general. We have been granted a magnificent heritage, and therefore owe a duty to posterity to see that ^yc do not treat it unworthily. Apart altogether from the strictly scientific aspect is the great econoniii^ 'Value of our national fauna. Much could be written in this regard, but space forbids. It is to be hoped that the foregoing brief notes will serve in some small way to lend an added in- terest to native marsupial fauna, and that those who follow "the open ■way,." and spend certain of their days amidst Nature's realm, wiil carry on the work of advancing the knowledge concerning the furred and feathered inhabitants of our bush. m