Journals of Expeditions of Discovery into Central Australia and Overland from Adelaide to King George's Sound in the Years 1840-1: Sent By the Colonists of South Australia, with the Sanction and Support of the Government: Including an Account of the Manners and Customs of the Aborigines and the State of Their Relations with Europeans — Volume 01Eyre, Edward John
History
Journals of Expeditions of Discovery into Central Australia and Overland from Adelaide to King George's Sound in the Years 1840-1: Sent By the Colonists of South Australia, with the Sanction and Support of the Government: Including an Account of the Manners and Customs of the Aborigines and the State of Their Relations with Europeans — Volume 01
Eyre, Edward John
Australia -- Discovery and exploration; Ethnology -- Australia
I. It was formerly believed, that all the Mammalia inhabiting the
Australian continent, but the wild dog, were marsupial; but as the
natural history of the country is better known, we are becoming
acquainted with nearly as many native non-marsupial beasts as there are
marsupial; but they are certainly, generally, of a small size, such as
bats, mice, etc., as compared to the kangaroos and other marsupial genera.
Some years ago, in the Proceedings of the Geological Society, (iii. 52.)
I described a species of RHINOLOPHUS, from Moreton Bay, which was
peculiar for the large size of its ears, hence named R. MEGAPHYLLUS; the
one now about to be described, which was found flying near the hospital
at Port Essington, by Dr. Sibbald, R.N., is as peculiar for the
brightness and beauty of its colour, the male being nearly as bright an
orange as the Cock of the rock (RUPICOLA) of South America.
THE ORANGE HORSE-SHOE BAT, (RHINOLOPHUS AURANTIUS.) t. 1. f. 1.--Ears
moderate, naked, rather pointed at the end; nose-leaf large, central
process small, scarcely lobed, blunt at the top; fur elongate, soft,
bright orange, the hairs of the back with short brown tips, of the under
side rather paler, of the face rather darker; female pale yellow, with
brown tips to the hair of the upper parts.
Inhab. Port Essington, near the Hospital, Dr. Sibbald, R.N.
The membranes are brown, nakedish; the tail is rather produced beyond the
membrane at the tip; the feet are small, and quite free from the wings.
Male. Female.
The length of the body and head 1.10 1.10
The length of the fore-arm bone 1.11 1.10
The length of the shin-bone 8 8
The length of the ankle and foot 4 4
II. In Captain Grey's Travels in Western Australia I gave a list of the
different species of Reptiles and Amphibia found in Australia. Since that
period the British Museum has received from the different travellers
various other species from that country. The lizards have been described
in the catalogue of the Museum collection, recently published, and are
being figured in the zoology of H.M.S. Erebus and Terror. Two of the most
interesting specimens lately received, belong to a new genus of frogs
which appear to be peculiar to Australia, which I shall now proceed to
describe:--
GENUS PERIALIA. FAM. RANIDAE.--Tongue nearly circular, entire; palate
concave, with two groups of palatine teeth between the orifices of the
internal nostrils; jaw toothed; head smooth, high on the side; mouth
large; eyes convex, swollen above, tympanum scarcely visible; back rather
convex, high on the sides; skin smooth, not porous; limbs rather short;
toes 4.5, tapering to a point, nearly free, the palms with roundish
tubercles beneath; the fourth hind toe elongate, the rest rather short;
the ankle with an oblong, compressed, horny, sharp-edged tubercle on the
inner side at the base of the inner toe; the male with an internal vocal
sac under the throat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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