11.  Although there is a considerable variety of reptiles, snakes do not appear to be very numerous.  The common brown snake and death-adder are found; carpet snakes (a kind of ’boa’), appear to be the most common, and grow to a large size.  They have been very troublesome by killing our poultry at night.  They seem to be bloodthirsty creatures, frequently killing much larger animals than they can possibly swallow, and are not satisfied with one victim at a time.  One which was killed in my fowl-house had three half grown chickens compressed in its folds and held one in its jaws.  A short time since I was roused in the middle of the night by the piteous cries of a young kangaroo dog, and on running out found it rolling on the ground in the coils of a large carpet snake.  The dog was severely bitten in the loin, but in the morning was quite well, proving that the bite of this reptile is innocuous.  This snake measured nearly twelve feet in length.

12.  Crocodiles are found in numbers in the Kennedy River and a lagoon, which has communication with its estuary.  They are also seen occasionally in the bays in Albany Passage.

13.  Of the aborigines of Cape York I can say little more than has already been so often repeated in descriptions of the natives of other parts of the Australian continent.  The only distinction that I can perceive, is that they appear to be in a lower state of degradation, mentally and physically, than any of the Australian aboriginal tribes which I have seen.  Tall well-made men are occasionally seen; but these almost invariably show decided traces of a Papuan or new Guinea origin, being easly distinguished by the “thrum” like appearance of the hair, which is of a somewhat reddish tinge, occasioned no doubt by constant exposure to the sun and weather.  The color of their skin is also much lighter, in some individuals approaching almost to a copper color.  The true Australian aborigines are perfectly black, with generally woolly heads of hair; I have however, observed some with straight hair and features prominent, and of a strong Jewish cast.  The body is marked on each shoulder with a shield-like device, and on each breast is generally a mark in shape of a heart, very neatly executed.  The large cicatrices which appear on the bodies of the tribes of Southern Australia are not used here; nor is a front tooth taken out at the age of puberty.  The ‘septum’ of the nose is pierced, and the crescent-shaped tooth, of the dugong is worn in it on state occasions; large holes are also made in the ears, and a piece of wood as large as a bottle cork, and whitened with pipe clay, is inserted in them.  A practise of cutting the hair off very close is followed by both sexes, seemingly once a year, and wigs are made of the hair.  These are decorated with feathers, and worn at the ‘corrobories’ or gatherings.  The women hold, if possible, a more degraded position than that generally assigned to them among the Australian aborigines.  They are indeed wretched creatures.  The only covering worn by them is a narrow belt of twisted grass, with a fringe of strips of palm leaves in front. the men go entirley naked.  The aborigines make no huts.  In the wet weather a rude screen of leafy boughs, with palm leaves—­if any happen to grow in the neighbourhood—­is set up as a shelter.