. The Australian Museum magazine. Natural history. In the reef-pools, sea-slugs, or beche-de-mer iHolothurians) were seen crawling over the sand. Some species are black and slimy, others coral pink or red. [Photo.—('. Barrett. l)lack and .slimy, were covered in sand grains ; others were red and shiny, with blunt spikes on their leathery bodies. When I touched one of the sUmy " slugs," it contracted, and ejected scores of thread-like filaments, white and sticky. Among the coral, cowries, giant clams (Tridacna), ear shells (Haliotis), and many other kinds, were discovered in abundance.
. The Australian Museum magazine. Natural history. In the reef-pools, sea-slugs, or beche-de-mer iHolothurians) were seen crawling over the sand. Some species are black and slimy, others coral pink or red. [Photo.—('. Barrett. l)lack and .slimy, were covered in sand grains ; others were red and shiny, with blunt spikes on their leathery bodies. When I touched one of the sUmy " slugs," it contracted, and ejected scores of thread-like filaments, white and sticky. Among the coral, cowries, giant clams (Tridacna), ear shells (Haliotis), and many other kinds, were discovered in abundance. The gem of the garden, for me, was a disc of Fungi a coral, quaint but beau- tiful, and with a fairy-tale life history. But indeed, all the corals are wonderful, though the "toiling coral insect " is no longer praised by preacher and moral- ist, who, like the rest of us, have now a little knowledge of marine zoology. TURTLES AT HOME. The green turtles [Chelone mydas) fre- quent Dunk Island waters, and their ways have been described by " The ; My own acquaintance with them was made much farther south, among the Capricorns. On Masthead Island beaches they were often seen, and at North-west Island I counted more than one hundred, ashore or in the lagoon. It was easy enough to enjoy a turtle ride, if one caught a re]itile napping. Only, the ride was short, and exciting when the turtle reached the sea. I never could gain De Rouge- mont's skill and guide my steed, or kee|) its head above water when it en- tered the lagoon. On the northern isles, green turtles make their nurseries. The eggs are deposited in hollows scooped in damp sand, on the fringe of the scrub. They are covered deep, the sand is smoothed down, and the turtles return tothe sea. Whenthe eggs hatch, the baby turtles must make a perilous passage to begin their aquatic Ufe. Crossing the beach, numbers must fall victims to birds of carnivorous ta&tes. When the net was drawn near the
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