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Mr. Gason gives the native names and excellent descriptions of other animals and products, many of which will be referred to elsewhere.

There is scarcely any subject more worthy of engaging the attention of the man of science than the indigenous food-resources of a country; and every fact bearing on the various methods of treating the native roots, tubers, seeds, and pods, by those who can have had no enlightenment from civilized peoples, is also of singular interest, as showing how, by slow steps, a kind of knowledge of the nature of the changes that take place during maceration and desiccation must have begun to grow in the minds of the more able amongst the Aborigines. The keen observation of the Australian savage could not fail to be exercised when he was soaking a bulb in water, and he would know that the vegetable would undergo some change, but his untrained intellect would not enable him to reason on the results of the process.

I have already stated that by far the most important of the edible fruits of Australia are found in the northern parts of the continent; and as the fullest and clearest information respecting such of those as are eaten by the natives of Northern Queensland is given by Mr. A. Thozet, I think it right to quote his notes and catalogue. It will be observed that the native foods referred to in the catalogue were prepared under Mr. Thozet's superintendence for the Melbourne-Paris Exhibition.

NOTES ON SOME OF THE ROOTS, TUBERS, BULBS, AND FRUITS USED AS VEGETABLE FOOD BY THE ABORIGINALS OF NORTHERN QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA.— (By.)

For the occasion of the forthcoming exhibition, specimens of the various native foods have been carefully prepared under the superintendence of the compiler of the following catalogue, who deems the present a good opportunity of drawing attention to them by a few remarks.

Our pioneer explorers and travellers, in passing through trackless paths previously untrodden by the foot of the white man, in their praiseworthy efforts in the cause of civilization, often die of hunger, although surrounded by abundance of natural vegetable food, in the very spot where the Aborigines easily find all the luxuries of their primitive method of life, and not a few, unacquainted with the preparation which several of the deleterious plants require, lose their lives in venturing to use them. These martyrs to progress