SHELL-COLLECTING.

The Torres Strait rat was exceedingly plentiful here, in hollow trees and logs, also about the roots of the pandanus trees and under blocks of coral.  Our dogs caught many, as they do not show so much agility as is usual in the genus.  The principal bird is the megapodius—­a gecko, and another small lizard are abundant—­of landshells we found a new Scarabus and a small brown Helix, in great abundance under blocks of coral, and on the trunks and branches of trees, a pretty Cyclostoma (C. vitreum) formerly found by the French in New Caledonia, also a new and pretty Helix, remarkable for its angular sinuated mouth and conical spire—­this last has been named H. macgillivrayi by Professor E. Forbes.  The reef furnished many radiata and crustacea, and as usual the shell collectors—­consisting of about one-half the ship’s company, reaped a rich harvest of cowries, cones, and spider shells, amounting to several hundredweight.  One day I was much amused when, on hailing one of our men whom I observed perched up among the top branches of a tree, and asking whether it was a nest that he had found, the answer returned was:  “Oh no, Sir, its these geotrochuses that I am after.”

THE COCONUT PALM.

The southernmost island of the group differs from Number 4 in being higher and more rocky.  Many of the trees here were very large, straight, and branching only near the top.  It appeared to me that they would be highly useful as timber, and so regretted being unable to procure specimens, on account of their great height.  With the exception of a low sandy portion, overgrown with shrubs and small trees, the remainder of the island is quite free from underwood.  Two small clumps of coconut-trees, loaded with fruit, were found on the eastern side of the island, within reach of the spray, in a place where they might have originated from a floating nut or two thrown upon the beach.  This is the only instance in which I have seen this useful plant growing wild in any part of Australia, or the islands strictly belonging to it.  We succeeded in shooting down a number, and I know no more grateful beverage than the milk of a young coconut, especially under the influence of tropical noonday heat, on an island where there was not a drop of fresh water to be found.  As usual the megapodius was plentiful, and one of our party killed six in a few hours.  I also shot a fine large crested pigeon, of a species hitherto considered peculiar to the settled parts of New South Wales, and to which the singularly inappropriate specific name of antarcticus is applied; it thus ranges 380 miles within the tropics.

FITZROY ISLAND.

June 20th.