MEMOIRS
OF THE
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF VICIORIA
MELBOURNE
(World List abbrev. Mem. nat. Mus. Vict.)
No. 26
Issued Sth May, 1964
J. McNALLY DIRECTOR
Published by Order of the Trustees
MELBOURNE
MEMOIRS
OF THE
NATIONAL MUSEUM (C VICTORIA
MELBOURNE
(World List abbrev. Mem. nat. Mus. Vict.)
No. 26
Issued 8th May, 1964
J. McNALLY DIRECTOR
Published by Order of the Trustees
MELBOURNE 339/63.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF VICTORIA
TRUSTEES
Professor E. S. HI. LS, Ph.D, F. R. S., D.C, D.Sc, F. A. A. (Chairman), HENRY G. A. OSBORNE, ESQ., B. Adk. Sc. (Deputy Chairman). Sir ARTHUR STEPHENSON, C.M.G., M.C. Professor S, SUNDERLAND, C.M.G., D.Sc., M.D., B.S, F. R. A. C. P., F. R. A. C. S. JAMES C. F. WHARTON, Езд., B.Sc. The Hon. Mr. Justice Ab AM, M. A., LL. M. Sir ROBERT BLACK WOOD, M. C. E., B. E. E., M. I. E. Aust. Secretary to the Trustees: WILLIAM MCCALL, E.D.
STAFF
DIRECTOR JOHN MCNALLy, M.Sc.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR A. N. Burns, M.Sc.
ADMINISTRATION Typistes: A. G. PARSONS, G. Mary Kay. J. B. GODDARD. NANCIE WORTLEY. H. J. E. CLARKE, Jov M. DALLI.
SCIENTIFIC STAFF Geology and Palaeontology: Curator of Fossils: E. D. GILL, ВА, B.D., F. G. S. Curator of Minerals: A. W. BEASLEY, Ph. D., M.Sc., D. I. C., F.G.S. Assistants: H. E. WILKINSON. M. J. MOONEY.
Vertebrate Zoology: Curator of Mammals: Vacant,
Curator of Birds: A. R. McEvey, B.A. Assistant: A. J. COVENTRY.
Invertebrate Zoology: Curator of Molluscs: J. HOPE MACPHERSON, M.Sc.
Acting Curator of Insects: A. NEBOISS, M.Sc., F. R. E. S. Assistants: PATRICIA M. HOoGGART. ELIZABETH M. MATHESON.
Anthropology: Curator of Anthropology: A. MASSOLA, F.R.A.I.
Library: Librarian: Joyce M. SHAW, B.A.
STAFF—continued.
PREPARATORIAL STAFF
Preparators: P. C. R. BoswELL—Senior Preparator. M. G. TRAYNOR. L. J. CHAPMAN. A. STEN.
HONORARY ASSOCIATES
Geology and Palaeontology: Palaeontology: A. A. BAKER, Esq. A. C. COLLINS, Esq. B. TINDALE, Esq.
Mineralogy: Dr. GEORGE BAKER.
Zoology: Ornithology: C. AUSTIN, Esq. R. P. Cooper, Esq. N. J. FAVALORO, Esq. Dr. H. N. B. WETTENHALL. Herpetology: C. TANNER, Esq. C. W. BRAZENOR, Esq.
Conchology: J. Crorrs, Esq. R. BURN, Esq.
Entomology: E. T. SMrTH, Esq.
Arachnology: L. S. G. BUTLER, Esq. R. A. DUNN, Esq.
Anthropology: Anthropology: D. A. CASEY, Esq.
Photography: Photography: BALCOMBE QUICK, Esq.
CONTENTS,
Article Paai
1. A New Antemimicking Mirid Bug Wa eee from Victoria, Ну GORDON F. Gross (Plate 1) * + Й
2. A Fulgurite from Karnak, Western. Victoria, Hy А, W, IAN. (Plates 1-11 with Text Figure) 2 i e és wi Ut e on 11
3. Hay-silica Glass from Gnarkeet, Western. Vietoria, Hy Gijon Baket and ALPRED А, Вакен, (Plates 1-Х with Text Figure) T a as Ax: e 21
4. Australites from Nurrabiel, Western. Victorias, By Goran Bain, (Plates I-V with Text Figure) » s nA ‚я ee .. ЈА "m а 17
5. Revision of the Genus Maerotristria Stal—Cieadidae — Homoptera Hemiptera, with Descriptions of New Species, By A, N. Hunna, (Plates I. VII with 6 Text Figuron) T
6, Summary of Entomological Work of C, G, Oke, with Information on Typos now Inoinded in the National Museum of Victoria Collection, Hy А, Мином 125
Te Marins Tricladida from Maoquarie Inland, By FP, R. Nunan (Mrs, P, Н. ALLIRON), (11 Text Figures) š .. .. .. .. Ry s 04
8, A Preliminary Report on ум Polyzoa Collection in the National Museum of Vieboria, Hy IMM VIGELAND А Us E з с es E "197
9, Queensland Нагроопн aed Their Ришар, Ну ALDO MaAnBOLA, (Plates Т-ТУ with Map) oe ° " "m T T .. „ 01 10. A New Species of Tudicula from Northern Australia, By J, Horw MACPHIEHRHON 0 200
11, New Genera of Tertiary Ке поа: from ТШШ, Australia, By H, HBAntACLOUGH. linn, (Plates I-11) ; , He .. ve ЕО 12. Studies of the Genus Katelysia Homer 1857, By BARBANA J. NIELAEN "T sy 219
13. First; Australian Record Meranchua griseus (Bonnaterre) 1780 The Six-willed Hhark, Hy D, D, унон, .. m m m zm ' m n o 200
MEM. NAT. MUS. VICT. 26—1963 7
A NEW ANT-MIMICKING MIRID BUG (HEMIPTERA-HETEROPTERA) FROM VICTORIA.
By Gordon F. Gross, Curator of Insects, South Australian Museum.
Ant mimicry is not uncommon amongst Heteroptera and occurs in several distinct families, but especially in Lygaeidae, Pyrrhocoridae and Miridae. Amongst the Miridae the bulk of the ant mimics and near ant mimies belong to the tribe Pilophorini in the subfamily Orthohylinae as now characterized by Carvalho (1952—1955).
From the Pacific area we have four genera and five species
of the tribe. These are Leucophoroptera Poppius, 1921 (2 species), KAirkaldiella Poppius, 1921 and Myrmecoridea Poppius, 1921 from Australia, and Anthropophagiotes Kirkaldy ’ е •% ДА. ? * y 1 ?
1908 from Fiji. 'lhe only one of these whieh has any really close resemblance to an ant is Myrmecoridea gracillima Poppius.
Amongst a small consignment of Heteroptera sent recently to the author for identification were two specimens of a new genus and species of Mirid which is a very convincing ant mimie. The species belongs to the Orthotylinae as there are arolia present, free, and arising from between the claws; these are strongly convergent towards their apices. There is no pronotal collar, The ant like habitus places the species in the Pilophorini.
MYRMECOROIDES gen. nov.
Strongly myrmecomorphic genus. Eyes medium sized, not projecting. Posterior portion of head including eyes subglobular, but postclypeus (vertex), anteclypeus (frons) and labrum formed into a prominent high semicircular keel which runs longitudinally along the mid-line of the head from the level of the hind margins of the eyes above to the insertion of the rostrum anteriorly. Clypeal keel and labial keel separate structures but contiguous along an obliquely downward directed line. Antennae long and slender, first segment surpassing apex of head, second segment longest, third shorter than second but longer than first and fourth, fourth a little longer than first. Rostrum robust, reaching to about mid coxae.
8 A NEW ANT-MIMICKING BUG
Thorax small and elongate, Pronotum without a collar and divided by a strong transverse constriction behind the middle into two lobes; the anterior lobe subglobular, posterior more annuliform, inclined towards constriction and vaguely flattened above, Seutellum short, rather tumid, triangular, Hemelytra very reduced, seale or flap like, about same length as pronotum, not clearly differentiated into corium, clavus, cuneus, and membrane, Wings absent. Propleurae and pronotum one integral structure, the pronotum flowing into the propleurae smoothly in an even curve. Mesopleurae large and prominent in front of middle coxae, hind margin directed obliquely forwards and upwards. Metapleurae short, obvious only in front of hind сохае and bearing a prominent scent canal on either side which runs up to end beneath a tumid prominence,
All coxae large and longish, All legs slender and long, hind tibiae conspicuously longer than either fore or middle tibiae. Tarsi with two claws from between whose bases arise a pair of well developed arolia which are strongly convergent at their apices,
Abdomen with first two visible segments (actually II, and III.) strongly narrowed to give a petiole like appearance, then the three succeeding segments (IV., V, and VI.) become successively larger and are followed by the three apical visible segments (VIL, УШ. and IX.) which gradually diminish to give a gaster like appearance, Abdomen somewhat laterally compressed so that it is higher than wide; no lateral margin; the dorsal and ventral segments running into one another, forming a depressed area in the region of the junction. which may collapse inwards so as to lower the abdomen,
Genotype MY AM ECONOILDES CARINATUS n. sp. MY RMECOROIDES CARINATUS n. sp.
е Black, eyes grey. Tips of hemelytra, a median band and second antennal segment, the upper margins of true abdominal pleurites IV. VIII., the small anal segment and the hind margin of the true ventral segment III. luteous. First antennal segment, all rostrum except tip, fore femora and tibiae, the bases and apices of the mid and hind tibiae, and the ovipositor when extended brown. AM tarsi, mid femora and head more a piceous black than true black,
General appearance; Almost glabrous with some very fine sparse short white hairs, a little thicker on the edge of the keel on the head and along the tips of the hemelytra, Beneath with some hoary patches.
Length: 5:3-5:5 mms,
J. Ozols, and two paratype females, same locality and collector, November 29, 1959; type and one paratype in the collection of the National Museum, Victoria; the other paratype, No, 120112 in the South Australian Museum, Adelaide.
Locality: Holotype female, Donnybrook, Victoria, November 22, 1959, coll.
A NEW ANT-MIMICKING BUG 9
A satisfactory classification of the genera within the Pilophorini sets a difficult task. In mimicking, the unwholesome insect represented is usually but a single species amongst a family group. Because of this mimicking species, though they may be closely related, must, and do, assume the likeness of quite widely separated and unlike “models”, This great diversity of form and
structure poses a difficult problem when their exact relationship to one another must be assessed.
Myrmecoroides can be distinguished from the other three Australian genera of Pilophorini by this key (modified from Carvalho).
1. Pronotum strong and transversely rugose; rostrum reaching apex of middle сохае . . Kirkaldiella Poppius. Pronotum not rugose or only slightly so U^ ^
2. Second antennal segment as thick as third, or fourth; females usually
brachypterous or with modified hemielytra (short membrane) .. 3 Second antennal segment thicker than third and fourth; females usually macropterous . Leucophoroptera Poppius. 3. Head with a very prominent keel above and in front . Myrmecoroides gen. n. Head without such a keel . . . . . . Myrmecoridea Poppius. REFERENCES.
Carvalho, J. C. M, 1952—Оп the Major Classification of the Miridae (Hemiptera). (With Keys to Subfamilies and Tribes and a Catalogue of the World Genera.) Ann. Acad. bras. Sci., 24 (1), 31-110, pls. 1-4.
Carvalho, J. C. M., 1955.—Keys to the genera of Miridae of the World (Hemiptera). Bol. Mus. Goeldi, 11 (2): 5-151, pls. 1-16, (263 figs.).
Kirkaldy, G. W. 1908b. A Catalogue of the Hemiptera of Fiji. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 33 (2): 345-81, pl. 4.
Poppius, B. and Bergroth, E., 1921.—Beitráge zur Kenntnis der Myrmecoiden Heteropteren. Ann. hist.-nat. Mus. hung., 18: 31-32 (Bergroth), 32—65 (Poppius), 67-87 (Bergroth). Pls. 1-2.
10
A NEW ANT-MIMICKING BUG
Myrmecoroides carinatus new genus and Species. Top, view from above. Below, view from left hand side
MEM. NAT. MUS. VICT. 26—1963 11
A FULGURITE FROM KARNAK, WESTERN VICTORIA.
By A. W. Beasley, Curator of Minerals, National Museum
СУДЕ
of Victoria.
ABSTRACT.
This paper records the discovery of a fulgurite approximately 5 feet long in a sandhill at Karnak, Western Victoria. It has been formed by a lightning discharge penetrating the sandhill and melting the quartz sand along its path. The fulgurite is tubular in form, and is composed essentially of lechatelierite (silica glass) and partly fused quartz grains. Its central cavity is considered to be due to rapidly-developed outward pressure from the expansion of heated gases (steam and air) along the path of the lightning discharge. Probable causes and modes of formation of various other characters of the fulgurite are discussed. New records of Victorian fulgurites are listed from Goroke, Kiata and Glenthompson.
INTRODUCTION.
In October 1959 an unusual specimen was submitted to the Museum for identification. The specimen, found at Karnak in Western Victoria, proved to be a fulgurite fragment. As few fulgurites had been recorded from Victoria, only two fragments being then in the Museum Collection, further search in the vicinity was encouraged. This search resulted in the finding of the fulgurite now described. It is similar in nature to what are called“ sand-tube " fulgurites by Fenner (1949). It has been formed by the melting of quartz sand by lightning, and is tubular in form. The fulgurite is the longest so far discovered in Victoria.
OCCURRENCE.
The fulgurite (see Plate 1) was found by Mr, H. A. Keys in a sandhill on the property of Mr. J. F. Armstrong of Karnak, 9 miles south of Goroke, Western Victoria. This is flat, semi- desert country just south of the area known as the Little Desert. The fulgurite came from allotment 18, Parish of Karnak, County
of Lowan,
12 A FULGURITE FROM KARNAK
RED CLIFFSÓ YARRARA®
OWANGIE @BRONZEWING
@TEMPY
ФКІАТА
VICTORIA
@GOROKE @KARNAK
@GLE NTHOMPSON
SCA Ea Of АНС
Fic. 1.—Map showing Victorian fulgurite localities.
A FULGURITE FROM KARNAK 13
Following the discovery of a small fragment lying on the surface of the sandhill, a number of similar pieces was found scattered about nearby. Several months later, at the same locality, a piece of fulgurite was seen projeeting a little above the sand surface, Armstrong and Keys dug at this point and, on finding that the fulgurite extended vertically downy 'ards, they excavated to a depth of 6 feet and extracted the entire fulgurite from the sand. It proved to be brittle and, in spite of great care, broke into segments up to 3 inches in length during the excavation and removal. Each piece was systematically kept, and the fulgurite has been mounted to exhibit its original form. Photographs (see Plate 2) were taken at various stages of excavation of the fulgurite, which occurred practically vertical in the sand. i
DESCRIPTION.
The Karnak fulgurite has a length of just over 5 ft. 1 in. It diminishes in width vertically from a maximum diameter of 20 mm. at the top to З mm. at the base.
|
At 2 ft. 5 in. from the top, a branch emerges downward at an angle of 20 degrees with the vertical. This branch gradually diminishes in diameter from a maximum of 6 mm. at the top to 3 mm. at the base.
Ul
At a distance of 4 ft. 75 in. from the top the fulgurite bifurcates, the length of each forked branch being 54 inches.
The exterior of the fulgurite is very pale fawnish grey in colour and has a rough surface. There are three or four sub-parallel, discontinuous longitudinal ridges and many small protuberances (papillae and spikes) on this outer surface. It is encrusted with partly fused and adherent unfused sand grains.
The wall of the fulgurite tube averages about 1 mm. in thickness, ranging from 0:5 mm. to 2 mm. The internal opening (lumen) is lined by smoothed and glazed silica glass (lechatelierite) containing numerous gas vesicles. Some of these 'avities can clearly be seen with a hand lens, and thin sections of the fulgurite show that as well as being abundant the gas vesicles are of various sizes and shapes. In colour the lechatelierite is smoky-grey or white to the naked eye, while under the microscope much of it appears brownish. The dark colour is evidently due to impurities such as iron oxides. Flow
11 A FULGURITE FROM КАКМАК
lines are quite conspicuous in parts of the glass, and are frequently parallel to the length of the fulgurite. Passing outwards towards the exterior, partly fused sand grains become common; they are almost entirely quartz grains,
The lumen is subeireular in cross section. It is widest at the top of the fulgurite, where the maximum diameter is 7 mm., and it decreases downward to 1 mm. at the bottom. This tubular cavity was found to be almost completely filled with sand.
The specific gravity of a small piece of the fulgurite, ground to a powder which was boiled in distilled water to expel all air before drying and weighing, was found to be 2:18.
Since fulgurite fragments were found seattered around. the top of the Karnak fulgurite on the surface of the sandhill, the original length was apparently greater than that stated above, At the locality the sandhills are not grassed, and the surface sand is blown about particularly during periods of dry, windy weather, The number of fragments on the surface suggests that the effects of wind erosion have caused a reduetion of at least 1 foot in the length of the fulgurite.
In external shape the Karnak fulgurite closely resembles a fulgurite from Moreton Island, Queensland, described hy Connah, (1947, p. 20).
COMPOSITION,
Microscopie examination has shown that the Karnak fulgurite is composed essentially of lechatelierite (silica glass) and partly fused quartz grains te., it is composed essentially of silica,
Chemical analyses of ** sand-tube 7" fulgurites from different parts of the world show that they are of practically the same composition as that of the sands in whieh they were formed. A meehanieal analysis of the sandy material surrounding the Karnak fulgurite shows that it is made up оѓ:
Sand size partieles-—92* 15 per cent.
Silt size particles—6:19 per cent.
Clay size particles—1:66 per cent. Under the microscope this surrounding sand is seen to be composed almost entirely of quartz. Other minerals, including limonite, felspar, magnetite, ilmenite, leucoxene, tourmaline, aircon, rutile and mica, are very searee. The quartz grains are not greatly iron-stained,
A FULGURITE FROM KARNAK 15 A mechanical analysis of the sandy material from inside the fulgurite tube showed that it is made up of :— Sand size particles—92- 13 per cent. Silt size particles
6:29 per cent. Clay size particles—1-58 per cent.
The mechanical composition is thus almost identieal with that of the sandy material surrounding the fulgurite. Microscopic examination has shown that the mineralogical composition also is almost identical with that of the sand surrounding the fulgurite.
Chemical analyses of ** sand-tube " fulgurites (Fenner, 1949, p. 134) show a range in silica content from 88:46 per cent. to 96-44 per cent. It has generally been found that the fulgurite is more siliceous than the surrounding sand.
FORMATION.
Enquiry has indicated that violent electrical storms are not infrequent in the Karnak-Goroke area of the Western Wimmera and also in the adjoining Mallee district of Victoria. There are many sandhills in both of these districts.
To form the Karnak fulgurite a lightning discharge penetrated the ground to a depth of more than 5 feet, forking twice and melting the quartz sand along its path. A very high temperature must have existed, since the melting point of quartz is over 1,700 degrees Centigrade—although with some materials with fluxing effects present the quartz would melt at a lower temperature.
The internal opening (lumen) is most probably due to rapidly-developed outward pressure from the expansion of heated gases (steam and air) along the path ol the discharge. Exeavation work to extraet the fulgurite from the sandhill showed that the sand became damp at a depth of 3 inches below the surface, and that water was present at a depth of 5 ft. 6 in. Enquiry indicates that the sand remains damp within a few inches of the surface throughout the year, although the water table falls during the summer months. The terrific heat of a lightning discharge in damp sand would produce a large amount of steam almost instantaneously, as well as melting the sand grains. Microscopie examination shows clear evidence ol the flow movements that oeeurred in the once viscous and frothy siliceous mass. Cooling of the melted mass of silica was rapid, the outer
16 A FULGURITE FROM KARNAK
part solidifying first. Pressure mainly from the rapid expansion of the steam would force hot, plastic silica outward, apparently producing a tubular space up which the gas rushed to escape at the top. Sinee the eooling was too rapid for crystallization, the fulgurite solidified as a mass of vesicular silica glass with à tubular form.
The glazing on the surface of the lumen has apparently been ‘aused by the rush of gas upwards through the tube.
With reference to the semi-fused and unfused sand grains, it would seem that they were embedded in the rapidly cooling mass by the external pressure of the surrounding sand.
The water table appears to have been a factor in determining the downward limit of the fulgurite; and the fulgurite's shape is no doubt partly due to differential resistance to passage of the lightning discharge, resulting from variations in moisture content, compaction, «е. of the sand.
Unequal contraction of the fulgurite glass on cooling would produce fine cracks in it. Subsequent weathering would enlarge some of these cracks and, from settling of the sand in the sandhill, there would probably be further fracturing of the thin-walled fulgurite, Some material has probably entered the central cavity through such cracks, although most of the sand inside the fulgurite tube is believed to have entered from the top. Since the fulgurite would be left open at the top on solidification, sandy material might have entered soon afterwards,
With reference to the formation of fulgurites, Simpson (1931, p. 146) has recorded that at West Popanyinning in Western Australia a violent flash of lightning was seen to strike some sandy ground and ** thereafter smoke or steam was observed rising from the ground where it was struck ". He records that on quick investigation the ground was found to be blackened and still hot over an area of about 50 square inches, and digging revealed a “ sand-tube ” fulgurite approximately 3 feet long.
Fulgurites considerably longer than the one here described have been found in various parts of the world. 'lhe force of the lightning stroke, the thiekness of sand, and the resistance to the passage of the electrical discharge in the ground are the controlling factors which determine the length of “ sand-tube ” fulgurites. In considering the formation of fulgurites it is significant to note that, according to Professor L. B. Loeb (1949, p. 22), a temperature of 30,000 degrees Centigrade may be reached in a lightning flash. ‘ š
A FULGURITE FROM KARNAK 17
VICTORIAN FULGURITE LOCALITIES.
In Victoria, fulgurite fragments have been recorded by Fenner (1949, p. 133) from Bronzewing, near Ouyen, in the Mallee distriet. Baker (1959, p. 217) has also recorded them from several places in the Mallee district, viz., at Yarrara, Red Cliffs, Tempy and south of Cowangie.
. As well as at Karnak, fulgurites have recently been discovered at Goroke, Kiata and Glenthompson in Western Vietoria. At these localities they were found mainly as small fragments lying seattered about on the surface of sandhills. However, exeavation in a sandhill near Goroke resulted in the extraction of a fulgurite which persisted downwards for 3 feet. The specimens from these localities are now in the Collection of the National Museum of Victoria. They are similar in nature to the Karnak fulgurite.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
Mr. H. A. Keys and Mr. J. F. Armstrong are to be commended for their enthusiasm and patience in finding and excavating the Karnak fulgurite. The writer wishes to thank them both for information and photographs. The fulgurite has been donated to the National Museum of Victoria (Reg. No. E2710), and is now on exhibition.
REFERENCES.
Anderson, A. E., 1925.—Sand Fulgurites from Nebraska. Neb. St. Mus. Bull. 7 (1), 49-86.
Baker, G., 1959.—Tektites. Mem. nat. Mus. Vict., 23, 1-313.
Connah, T. H., 1947.—A Fulgurite from Moreton Island. Qld. Govt. Мт. J., 48, 20.
Fenner, C., 1949.—Sandtube Fulgurites and their bearing on the Tektite Problem. Rec. S. Aust. Mus., 9, 121-142.
Loeb, L. B., 1949.—The Mechanism of Lightning. Sci. Amer., 180 (2), 22-2T.
Petty, J. J., 1936.— The Origin and Occurrence of Fulgurites in the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Amer. J. Sci., 31, 188-201.
Simpson, E. S., 1931.— Contributions to the Mineralogy of Western Australia; Series 6. J. roy. Soc. W. Aust., 17, 145-146.
339/63.—2
18
A FULGURITE FROM KARNAK
PLATE 1. The Karnak fulgurite mounted for display purposes.
A FULGURITE FROM KARNAK 19
„же Фа
(4-5 Ae pe Lv = J i r “4 a ; a Р - я B m P. У
Fig. 1. Commencement of fulgurite excavation at Karnak, Western Victoria.
„ - . "UT |
Fig. 2. A later stage of the excavation. Note piece of fulgurite in man's hand. РЕАЛЕ 25
MEM. NAT, MUS. VICT. 26—1963 21
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM GNARKEET, WESTERN VICTORIA.
By George Baker, Honorary Associate in M ineralogy, and Alfred A. Baker, Honorary Associate in Palaeontology, National Museum of Victoria.
CONTENTS. PAGE Abstract .. As I Ра. Te ex Зя n 21 Introduction a w. ped 44 Ls T ^ 21 Pasture Plants in the Haystacks .. у; ue d. gm 22 Burning of the Haystacks Fy Ў: alg ja ie 22 Residues on the Burnt-out Sites .. EA T > T 23 Areas of Burnt-out Haystacks 55 c xn AN "n 23 Thickness, General Characteristics, and Amounts of the Residues г 25
The Hay-Silica Glass—
Size and shapes x 2 2 e ЁД zs 26 Alien substances ii К: 255 S T E 27 Composition .. f. i à ВЕ 8 8 s 27 Refractive index, specific gravity, amd hardness .. vr P. 31 Micro-structures А a P ‚+ dm ^R 32 Conclusions T P Б T. мг 3 2 33 Acknowledgments * A EP T B k: 35 References v3 T . da gh; E Ms 35
ABSTRACT.
The burning of two adjacent haystacks in the Parish of Gnarkeet, Western Victoria produced approximately 16 tons of hay-silica glass from some 325 tons of pasture plants. The hay-silica glass resulted largely from fusion and melting of the opal phytoliths contained in silica-accumulator species of plants. The opal was fused in the presence of relatively abundant fluxes provided by K, O, Na,O, CaO and MgO contained in plant ash.
INTRODUCTION.
Two large stacks of baled hay, 15 feet apart on a property in the Parish of Gnarkeet, near Lismore, Western Victoria, were burnt to the ground on 7th March, 1961.
The haystacks were 4:6 miles in a direction 2° south of east, from Lismore Post Office, and were near the junction of Calvert's Road and the Hamilton Highway. The grid reference is 329.162 on the 1" — 1 mile Military Survey Map of Lismore (1138
Lismore, 1943).
22 HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
The two haystacks. only a few feet from the main highway boundary fence (Fig. 1), were construeted of 13,000 wired bales of hay totalling 325 tons in weight. The meadow hay was grown on Newer Basalt soil.
Pasture Plants in the Haystacks.
The principal constituents of the stacks were barley grass (Hordeum | maritimum), туе grass (Lolium perenne), and subterranean clover, with small amounts of oaten straw (Avena sativa) and lesser quantities of a few other plants.
Approximate percentages of plant species in the paddock pastures cut and baled during the 1960-1961 season have been estimated by P. Lang, B.Agr.Se., Ph.D., of Lismore, Victoria as follows :—
TABLE 1.
Approximate proportions of plant species constituting the original meadow hay, Gnarkeet.
~ ^ East and West Paddocks North Paddock UE је А E Plant Species. (totalling 150 Acres). (12 Acres cut). о о
о o Subterranean clover .. ae up to 30* 10 Barley grass £i 5 50 80 Rye grass х7 T up to 20 5 Spear-thistles 3 in few Ls Oaten straw.. JA e. nil 5 Capeweed .. T ا nil trace
* The percentage of clover in the haystacks is likely to have been much lower due to the late date of harvesting (2nd December, 1960) and the habit clover has of wilting away at that time of the year, so that it was beneath the reach of the mower. The haystacks were roughly thatched with oaten straw.
The assemblage of plant species shown in Table 1 constitutes a highly gramineous hay of low nutritive value and high fibre content which is normally concomitant with a relatively high content of plant opal; this is borne out by the large amount of hay-silica glass left in the residues from burning of the haystacks. Burning of the Haystacks,
Burning of the two haystacks occurred towards the end of the summer season, at 2 o'clock one morning. All combustible constituents were burnt except for small bundles of carbonized plant stalks encased in ‘ rolls” (Plate II.) of sintery and vesicular to scoriaceous hay-silica glass (Plates II., IV.-VIL.) up to 2 feet or so in size, which resulted from fusion of the opal phytoliths (plant opal) contained more particularly in species of the gramineae, 2
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA 23
The cause of the fire was unknown; the weather conditions at the time were fine and mild, with no wind. Prior to the fire there had been a relatively prolonged, warm to hot, dry period. Between the time mowing commenced on 2nd December, 1960 and the end of stacking on 5th February, 1961, there had been only 0-13" of rain. No lightning nor meteoritie phenomena were observed, and there had. been no burning off nor naturally caused grass fires in the neighbourhood, while no other haystacks in the district were destroyed by auto-combustion.
Residues on the Burnt-out Sites.
The exposed residues on the sites of the burnt-out stacks consisted of abundant loose, fine, powdery, white to grey ash with partially buried cakes and slabs, and protruding pinnacles of hay-silica glass, relatively evenly distributed over the areas of the two adjacent sites (Plate I.). These products rested on thin layers of medium brown and blackened carbonaceous ash that were hidden from view by the overlying bed of lighter coloured ash and hay-silica glass. The soil beneath the residues was derived from Newer Basalt and was blackened in contaet with the ash in many places.
Areas of Burnt-out Haystacks.
The sites of the two burnt stacks of baled hay (Plate I.) were near the fence dividing Mr. H. A. Bells property from the south side of the Cressy-Lismore portion of the Hamilton Highway in the vicinity of Gnarkeet (Fig. 1).
The two sites differed in length and width, the smaller, more northerly of the two, nearest the highway fence, being 99 feet bv 35 feet. the larger one, 15 feet away on the southern side being 127 feet by 40 feet. The longer dimensions of each site trended practically east-west. A row of twelve cypress trees (Cupressus macrocarpa) 30 feet high were 7 feet from the northern boundary of the smaller northern site, and another row of twelve cypress trees lined the southern boundary of the larger southern site, being 8 feet from its edge. The western edge of the longer southern site extended 28 feet further west than the amaller northern site and was 15 feet distant from a group of sugar gum trees (Hucalyptus cladocalyx) up to 60 feet high. The eastern ends of both sites were in line and six feet away from a group of several sugar gum trees and six eypress trees. These measurements were taken to the trunks of the trees, so that their branches were much closer to the original haystacks and could have touched or overhung them in places.
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
24
`səuoq рошојео JO UOT} BOT рив SISA[BUE 10] po[dures воле Burwous Sous PUB 5991) 8итриполлпз 0} әлцъ[әл syoejsAey jno-juinq JO sens k sang
1334 HAA 21828
„ os oc or ° (u340 аамола мом)
OY 288889 C rod ум” вуна 40° 28030 *
== 7 ATE v
\
/
E XOK S M Í А
te E ln мизнабов saouva)’ _ E Mure И и Qe s Oid O l yowisawn oawung зо aus w aA сир М
XA? w»5OQwv12 sNidAivona зо
X av SfM.dA1w2n3 30 Ns
© 3ON34 AMIN АЫ, Чы аА, 2 М7 ~ 2 1 * — ç В, — ge x 4; (У ~ ug yet ^ M — 1 - 8 9 Q
^ ^ D^ (CIVA химпре зо) у JURYS Nam
g a ae у я ` Que WU3ZHLYON ка - ] |
2. ee > WOVASAVH азынпа зо 3115
„> .
Л, - ; | A А у. AVENUE VEN ~ Z XY 77 * Bees Se 3 < A Pax
Qvou ASS3H2 — 3HOWSI
.
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA 25
a. The fire was confined to the actual sites of the two stacks. This is evidenced by (i) the presence of unburnt grass and fence posts all around the perimeter of the sites, and (ii) the faet that the cypress and gum trees were scorched from top to bottom only on their inner sides (1e. the sides directed towards the sites of the fire). One sugar gum tree situated a little closer to the fire (Plate I., right-hand side) and near the southwest corner of the larger southern site ( Fig. 1) was burnt rather more severely than any of the other seorehed trees. The bark was incinerated on the side that faced the fire and the surface of the trunk was partially carbonized. The residue of clinker at the base of the trunk of this tree was up to 4 inches thiek and vesicular, but much more massive than the bulk of the generally scoriaceous to sinter-like clinker covering the rest of the burnt-out haystack sites. This particular part of the glassy residue occupied an area of some 3 to 4 feet square, and was in direct contact with the base of the tree trunk. It contained fragments of carbonized wood up to 24 inches by 1 inch in size, these representing remnants of fallen branches that became embedded in the hay- silica glass but were not completely burnt to ash.
A few boulders of brownish-grey vesicular basalt on the sites were partially blackened, but not fused,
Thickness, General Characteristics and Amounts of the Residues.
The principal constituent of greatest interest among the residues from the fire was the hay-silica glass (Plates II, to VIII.).
The associated fine ash was not investigated in any detail because it had been too much affected by the weather at the time of investigation two months after the fire,
The Newer Basalt soil at the sites was overlain by approximately 2 inches of moist, fine, carbonaceous powder and a little blackened soil covered with a layer % inch thick of medium brown ash. Above this, an uppermost layer of from 8 inches to 12 inches in depth of white to light grey ash and sintery to clinker-like hay-silica glass formed the bulk of the residues. In this rather irregular layer, the fine ash varied from 2 inches to 6 inches in depth according to the irregularity of the layer of glassy residue on which it largely rested,
The total area covered by the residues was 8,545 square feet. An area of 3 feet by 3 feet representing the average spread. and thickness of the residues was selected from near the centre of the smaller northern site (see Fig. 1). This was sampled of all
26 HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
its hay-silica glass content for weighing and calculation of the approximate quantity of glass produced by incineration of the two haystacks, assuming that little or none on the sites resulted from the scorching of nearby trees. The glass thus obtained ranged from miero-beads (see attached beads in Plate IV.) of 1 mm. average size to lumps, cakes and ** rolls“ (Plates II. and III.) up to 2 feet long by 1 ft. 6 in. wide and 1 to 2 inches thick.
The weight of the hay-silica glass residue recovered from this area of 9 square feet (and about 1 foot deep) was 37 lb. General inspection revealed a relatively even distribution of glass over the combined areas (8,545 square feet) of the two sites, and it has been estimated that the 325 tons of meadow hay constituting the two stacks yielded 15-8 tons of hay-silica glass. This is equivalent to nearly 4-9 per cent. of the original material forming the stacks.
It was impracticable to determine the quantities of the fine, powdery ash types produced by the fire, because the sites were not sampled until eight weeks after the burning of the haystacks. During this period, wind and a little rain had removed some of the lighter ash components; the glassy residue, however, was evidently unaffected to any noticeable degree by the effects of the weather.
The Hay-Silica Glass.* Size and shapes.
The hay-silica glass was formed into various shapes (Plates II. to VIII.). Small micro-beads averaging 1 mm, in diameter occurred both as free entities in the fine powdery ash, and attached to larger pieces of the glass (Plate LV.). Broken pieces of these are very much like the so-called volcanic shards recorded from soils. Several spats, fingers and gobbets ranged in size from under half an inch across to forms three or four inches long, half to one inch wide, and half an inch thick.
Larger cakes, lumps, slabs and “ rolls " (Plate II.) showed varying vesicular (Plate VII.a), scoriaceous, ropy, pinnacle, “© stalagmitie " and irregular ** drip " structures (Plates IV. to VII.). These types ranged in size from a few inches to two or three feet long. Some smaller fragments under $ inch across and some of the micro-beads of the hay-siliea glass were so highly charged with minute bubbles as to be pumiceous and they readily floated in water. | `
* The specimens of hay-silica glass described herein, and the bulk of the materials constituting the representative sample taken for study from the smaller northern site of the burnt-out haystacks, are all registered together as No, E.2741 in the collections of the National Museum of Victoria.
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA 2t
Alien substances.
The iron wire used in binding the bales of hay was still present, partly embedded in, partly protruding from some of the pieces of hay-siliea glass, and sometimes partially rusted. Some of the iron wire had been fused, some acted as the site for accumulation of glass blebs (Plate VIII.) which ran as molten beads down upwardly directed pieces of the wire, and collected into botryoidal and other masses 3 inch to 2 or 3 inches across (Plates УП, VIII.).
In one part of the larger southern site, near its eastern end (see Fig. 1), a few calcined animal bones were located amid the residues from the fire (Plate IX.). Some of these bones were incorporated in the powdery ash, some were partially embedded in the hay-silica glass.
Occasional clots of friable soil up to 2 or 3 inches across, with dark brown crusts and lighter brown cores were embedded in parts of the hay-silica glass and the powdery ash. These, however, have evidently contributed little to the composition of the adjacent glass; none were noted in the area of glass sampled for chemical analysis.
The presence of partially fused iron wire and calcined animal bones no doubt means some local contamination of the hay-silie: lass. Contamination by iron in close proximity to partly fused iron wire is made evident by reddish, greenish-yellow, and pale bluish-green colourations in localized areas of the glass.
Composition.
The greater part of the glass was formed from the melting and fusion of the numerous, colourless, minute opal phytoliths contained in the barley grass, rye grass and oats (cf. Baker, 1960a: 1960b ; 1961) in the presence of fluxes (CaO, MgO, К.О and Na.O) contained in plant ash. It is light to dark grey in colour, becoming black in a few places where significant amounts of carbonized plant material are enclosed in the glass.
A chemical analysis (Table 1), reveals that the hay-silica glass is rich in alkalis and alkaline earths which make up approximately 29 per cent. of the constituents present. Silica is the most abundant constituent and there are significant amounts of phosphorus pentoxide and. manganese. | |
The sample analyzed was made as representative as possible. It was selected from the total quantity of glass collected. and weighed (371 lb.) from the eentre of the smaller northern site. Several pieces of the glass taken at 'andom from this field. sample were broken up into smaller pieces, quartered, crushed to a
28 HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
powder and again quartered until the requisite quantity was obtained for chemical analysis. "The sample so selected showed no obvious nor undue amount of contamination by metals from the iron wire, and was remote from the calcined bones found on the larger southern site.
Other plant-siliea glasses, including hay-silica glass, straw- silica glass, grain-silica glass and wood-silica glass are listed in Table 2 for comparison. These are impure silica glasses produced from the burning of vegetation grown on different soils in different localities, where similar species may therefore secrete different quantities of opaline silica.
TABLE 2.
Chemical analyses of impure silica glasses formed from the natural incineration of silica-accumulator plants.
П 2. | 3. Ë | 4. | 5. 6. 42 | 8. 9. N
% 95 „„ % % % 6 SiO, — 61-7 58-7 | 53-1 | 66-04 | 57-40 (70.311 | 61-4 | 81:03 | 59.3 AO, Ge 1.16 131| 117 1-55] 1-81 0-48 | 2.99 TE Fe,0, 0-83 0-26 0-37 0-59 0:59 |0.72 | 5:8 0-58 FeO 0.98 | 0-03 0-03 e 0-78 ) 41 CaO * 67 | 9-42) 10-93) 6.00| 8:56 | 4-94 | 10.3 8-21 8-2 MgO - 4-88 | 4-59 | 5-50 3-80 | 5-56 | 3-36 2-9 1-15 4-8 K,O .. | 8-53| 12-83 | 13-00 | 11:98 | 13-58 | 8-76 | 10-1 2.07 | 12.0 Na,0 n: 8:73 | 4:77 | 7.97 | 6-88 8-98 7:97 | 2:4 2.34 7-2 TiO, 0-19 | 0-02} 0-02 | | | 0-04 0-34| 01 MnO .. 030] 0-18 Praet | Ere | 0-11 .. | trace | 0-2 ROE) en 0.20| 0-08) 0-57 | 0-02 | H,0 (—) 012 0-02] 0-02 | } TE | $ P,0, T 5:66 | 7:21 6-67 ç x | 1:03 | 7-2 0:24 | 6-4 0 ..| 025| 0,20 030| 2469] 3-16 pw | TEE CO, none none | none | | none 50, trace trace 0:21 | | none | trace Cl, e| 0-08] oo| om| . i „ Li,O none none none | | | Total .. | 99-68 | 99.65 | 99-62 | 99.53 | 99-64 |99-42 | 100-1 99-97 | 100-3
0 0-02| 0-01} 0-05 99-66 | 99-64 | 99-57 -—
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA 29 KEY:
1—Hay-silica glass, Gnarkeet, near Lismore, Western Victoria. Anal. P. J. Sinnott.
2—Hay-siliea glass (sample “ A"), Dookie Agricultural College, near Shepparton, North-Central Victoria, Anal. P. J. Sinnott.
3—Hay-silica glass (sample “ В”), Dookie Agricultural College, North-Central Victoria. Anal. P. J, Sinnott.
S ан glass, O. B. Flat, South Australia, Anal. F. L. Dalwood (see Fenner,
5—Straw-silica glass, Compton Downs, South Australia. Anal. F. L. Dalwood (see Fenner, 1940).
6—Straw-silica glass, Ramona, California, U.S.A. Anal. N. Davidson (see Milton and Davidson, 1946).
7—Grain-silica glass (“ pierres de foudre") resulting from the natural electrical fusion of grain ash (see Velain, 1878).
8—Wood-silica glass, formed from charcoal (boxwood) in the suction gas plant, Stawell, Vietoria, Anal. F. F. Field (see Baker and Gaskin, 1946).
9—Generalized average of Australian hay- and straw-silica glasses Nos. 1 to 5.
near Shepparton,
Although sampling of the Gnarkeet hay-silica glass was so designed as to obtain a representative general sample for chemical analysis (Table 2, column 1), there are obvious macroscopic and microscopic variations from place to place in the glass. This is evident from (i) hand specimen inspection under a x10 pocket lens, (ii) from thin section examination under the higher powers of the petrologieal microscope, and (iii) from differences in refraetive index determinations conducted on the glass from different parts of the burnt-out haystaek sites.
Apart from visual colour differenees in proximity to iron wire enwrapped by the glass, other parts are whiter due to the incorporation, and/or adherence, of non-volatilized fluxing materials from the plant ash. Thin sections reveal that many ervstals of these substances are birefringent under crossed nicols of the petrological microscope, and that there has been variation in the degree of miscibility between them and the constituents of the melt from place to place; it is impracticable to determine how much of the salts of alkalis and alkaline earths, for example, are mechanically entrapped and how much has been absorbed and lies occult in the definitely glassy areas.
Thin sections also reveal variations in carbon content from place to place. Some pieces of the glass contain little or no earbon, others reveal several miero-fragments of earbonized plant remnants enclosed in the glass. On a macro-scale, included carbonized plant fragments are up to 2 or 3 inches across. (Plate VIII.)
Refractive index variations indicate a range in siliea content in different specimens selected from various positions among the residues on the burnt-out sites, and sometimes within the compass of one and the same small fragment of the glass.
30 HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
Some conception of the order of chemical variations within the hay-silica glass from one and the same burnt-out haystack site, is provided by comparison of columns 2 and 3 in Table 2. Here, specimens from different but not widely separated portions of the glass colleeted from the site of a burnt-out haystack at Dookie Agricultural College, near Shepparton, reveal differences of 5*6 per cent. in the silica content. The sample with less silica contains 2:5 per cent, more Na.O, 1:5 per cent. more CaO and 1 per cent. more MeO. It also shows a little more К.О and MnO, but rather less Р.О. Such variations are only to be expected across the site of a burnt-out haystack, in which the glass has been formed by non-controlled conditions under circumstances where
(a) different species of plants of different composition become incinerated ;
(b) the proportions of each species are unlikely to be precisely the same at all locations on the site;
(c) the plants present carry different proportions of opal phytoliths and other mineral matter;
(d) differential loss of more volatile constituents can arise from place to place;
(e) incomplete ignition of some of the plant matter results as a consequence of mechanical entrapment in the earbonized state:
(f) complete miscibility in all proportions does not everywhere occur, because of several factors preventing this—such as (1) differing composition of the plant ash which becomes incorporated in already molten glass, and (ii) greater or lesser opportunity to become mixed according to the length of time the plant ash was in contact with or incorporated in the molten glass;
(g) different quantities of alien matter became entrapped in different parts of the glass—e.g., such materials as the iron baling wire, small clots of soil, individual adventitious mineral particles from dust mechanically entrained with the hay, occasional animal bones, bird droppings, small pieces of rock fractured by heat from boulders used to anchor down thatehing materials or tarpaulin covers and so on;
(h) variable refractoriness of substances entrapped in the glass.
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA 31
Under sueh variable conditions as this, and because the precise compositions of the several types of plant species added to the haystack are unknown, added to the fact that it is impracticable to effect a mechanical separation of birefringent silicates, non- and partially fused opal phytoliths, and actual glass from one another for separate chemical analyses, it becomes difficult to assess— |
(a) the quantity of birefringent silicates present;
(b) the quantity of actual glass present;
(c) the quantity of unfused more refractory substances;
(d) the amount of incorporated, incompletely volatilized plant substances remaining;
(e) the proportion of alkalis and alkaline earths that lie occult in the glass relative to their proportions occurring as mechanically entrapped non-melted, plant ash.
Hence it has not been practicable to assess the likely quantities of К.О, Na.O, CaO, MgO and Р.О», that were lost by volatilization under the circumstances of natural, non-controlled burning of haystacks in the field.
It is concluded that these impure silica glasses, arising from the burning of the pasture plants in haystacks, are generally rich in silica, alkalis and alkaline earths, poor in iron, alumina and water, and that they contain significant quantities of Р.О» and MnO. These features serve to distinguish them from other types of naturally occurring glasses (ef. Baker and Gaskin, 1946), and there is little doubt that their content of 50 to 60 per cent. and over of silica arises almost entirely from fusion of the opal phytoliths precipitated in silica-accumulator plants.
Refractive index, specific gravity and hardness.
The refractive index was determined by the Immersion Method, using sodium light.
One fragment of the Gnarkeet hay-silica glass gave ng, = 1:520 = 0-001, but parts of the same fragment were a little above this value, other parts just below. This was evidently due to incomplete mixing of constituents, for the fragment revealed a partially fused hoat-shaped opal phytolith with ns. less than that of both the hay-silica glass and the immersion liquid. In the same refractive index liquid mount containing several fragments crushed from the hay-silica glass were a few freed
32 HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
opal phytoliths, one of which was a serrated rod, one a part of a sharp-pointed opalized plant hair, and one a thin plate of opal with traces of the cell wall structure from the epidermal portion of a gramineous plant fragment. These indicate that all parts of the burning haystacks were not subjected to precisely the same eonditions, otherwise these phytoliths should also have fused and melted into the glass.
One crushed = miero-bead 2 mm, in diameter gave Nya 1:510 + 0-001, with some of the glass slightly above and some a little below this value; no opal phytoliths or incorporated plant ash constituents were detected as separate entities among the fragments from this micro-bead of hay-silica glass.
Fragments of the glass tested from several vesicular and scoriaceous pieces gave an average nx, of just under 1:510.
The specific gravity of the glass determined in the powdered
.` . ` о 5 71 о о ~ state in distilled water at I 21 C. was 2-58. Из hardness on Mohs’ Seale of Hardness was determined as between 6:5 and 7.
The lustre of the glass is generally vitreous, varying in places to sub-vitreous,
Micro-structures.
Several pieces of the hay-silica glass were suited to rock sectioning techniques. Thin sections revealed isotropic, vesiculated, impure silica glass (Plate X.) containing birefringent small laths, granules and bunches of minute blade-like crystals of silicates of the alkalis and alkaline earths.
Occasional clusters averaging 0:2 mm, across of birefringent needles and/or sometimes ghost-like skeletal growths and more granular erystals, were commonly situated in the glass bordering some of the larger vesicles. The needles were approximately 0-08 mm. by 0-02 mm. in size. They extinguished at angles of up to 45 degrees under crossed nicols, showed low grey and yellow polarization colours of the first order, and had a higher refractive index than that of the glass in which they were embedded. Clusters of these crystals are shown in Plate X. Elsewhere occurred occasional wisps of carbonized plant remnants and a few partially fused and non-fused opal phytoliths.
The glass forming the walls of the larger vesicles 1 to 10 mm.
across often revealed riddling with minute bubble cavities 0-01 mm. to 0:05 mm. in diameter.
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA 33
The remnants of incompletely fused opal phytoliths were scattered sporadically through the glassy matrix. A few retained the forms possessed originally—more particularly smooth, rod-like types.
Particles of more highly refractory, birefringent mineral species little affected by the fire were uncommon and consisted principally of detrital quartz grains. They were evidently derived particles from the various adventitious substances mechanically entrained in the hay during mowing, raking, binding and stacking.
Parts of the glass were streaky in appearance (Plate N.A), largely from the presence of strung-out, minute particles of ‘arbonaceous matter; such areas were a faint smoky grey-brown in colour compared with surrounding translucent more or less colourless glass.
CONCLUSIONS.
Glass can be generated from the burning of grass, but there are many variants in the circumstances of transition under field conditions. The ultimate composition of the glass will vary according to (i) the species composition of a haystack, (ii) the opal phytolith-flux substances relationships from place to place in one and the same or in different haystacks, and (ап) the opportunities for physical incorporation of non-fused fluxing substances in the silica glass formed by melting of the opal phytoliths. The opal phytolith content of the meadow hay as a whole depends not only upon the availability of silica to the plants from the soil on which they were grown, but also upon the silica-accumulator potentials of the different plant species. Plants grown on the same soil do not all secrete precisely the same quantities of silica in the form of opal phytoliths, neither do the same species of plants grown on different soils in widely separated regions.
Estimates of the amounts of impure silica glass residues formed from the burning of large quantities of stacked meadow hav containing a preponderance of high-silica-aceumulator plants (e.g., barley grass) in the Gnarkeet | district, show у that approximately 5 per cent. of glass containing upwards of 62 per cent. of silica ean result from the hay. A further, unassessed, amount of mineral matter remains in the unmelted condition as loose ash (not investigated in detail herein).
Although significant quantities of alkalis and alkaline earths contained in the original hay have been lost to the glass by (a) remaining in the non-fused ash, and (b) by volatilization,
339/63.—8
34 HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
the residual glass is nevertheless rich in such components as К.О, Na:O, MgO and CaO, as well as in P.O, and MnO. Little, if any, of these constituents were introduced from more refractory adventitious mineral matter mechanically entrained as dust particles in the original hay, or added from the soil on the sites of the haystacks,
The geological significance of this glass lies in the fact that older pieces of impure silica glass from previously burnt vegetation sometimes become buried for many years, and on exhumation by ploughing operations or by soil deflation, have been occasionally mistaken for (i) acid, vesicular, volcanic glass, (ii) fulgurites ( lightning tubes ") and (iii) glassy meteorites (tektites). Their chemical composition serves to discriminate them from volcanic glass, while their form and chemical composition distinguish them from both the fulgurites and the glass bodies (tektites) that fell upon the earth in pre-historic times from an extraterrestrial source. (cf. Baker, 1957.).
One aspect of the significance of pieces of hay-silica glass as soil constituents, is that many of the so-called voleanie shards recorded in soils, are often of microscopic dimensions and hence may have been mistakenly identified. The source of these micro-shards need not necessarily be voleanie in entirety; the small pieces of glass recorded as volcanic shards resemble small fragments from the micro-beads of impure silica glass produced by the fusion of the opal phytoliths and fluxing substances contained in gramineous and other plant species. The distribution of micro-shards in various soils is more consistent with an origin from opal-phytolith fusion during serub and grass fires, than with origin as micro-ejectamenta from voleanie vents, The further possibility is not overlooked, however, that a few miero-shardlike bodies might have resulted from the fusion of opal phytoliths by natural electrical discharges, especially as it has now been shown by one of us that opal phytoliths are ubiquitous in atmospherie dust.
The significance of the hay-silica glass from the meadow hav aspect is that the quantity of glass formed indicates that the opal phytolith content of plant feed for herbivorous animals ean be undesirably increased by man through delaying mowing and stacking. Had the meadow pastures been mown three or four weeks earlier, the content of predominant, high silica-aceumulating plant species would have been diluted by more abundant, more nutritious, less opal-bearing medicks and trefoils that had wilted
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA 35
down to such an extent, at the time of mowing, that they were below the reach of the mower.
The results of the various findings set out in this paper make it apparent that the quantity of impure siliea glass produced from the burning of any one haystack, is likely to vary from locality to locality, and from time to time, according to the availability of silica from the particular soils on which the pasture plants were grown.
The meadow hay in the Gnarkeet area yielded 15-8 tons of hay-silica glass on burning of the haystacks. This glass was from vegetation grown on 162 acres of newer basalt soil, so that at least one ton of mineral matter that ultimately went to form the glass, was abstracted from each 10} acres of this type of soil which is situated in a climatieally temperate region. Since the hay-silica glass contains nearly 62 per cent. of silica (SiO:) by analysis, there has been approximately 1353 Ib. per acre of silica abstracted from the Newer Basalt soils during the 1960 pasture growth season. "This figure may be rather low in view of the faet that abundant fine, non-fused ash remained on the sites of the haystack fires, and this ash contained some unfused phytoliths as seen under the petrological microscope.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
We are grateful to P. Lang, Esq. B.Agr.Sei, Ph.D., of Lismore for information relative to the species of pasture plants grown in the paddocks that were mown to provide the constituents ~ н Е Е of the burnt haystacks. We also thank Mr. H. A. Bell of Gnarkeet for granting access to the burnt-out sites and for permission to sample the residues.
REFERENCES.
Baker, G., 1957.—Alleged meteorite from Horsham, Victoria. Mem. mat. Mus. Vict., 21: 72—78.
Baker, G., 1960a.—Phytoliths in some Australian dusts. Proc. roy. Soc. Vic., 12 (1): 21-40.
Baker, G., 1960b.—Hook-shaped opal phytoliths in the epidermal cells of oats. Aust. Journ Bot., 8: 69-74.
Baker, G., 1961.—Opal phytoliths and adventitious mineral particles in wheat dust. Minergr. Tech. Pap., No, 4: 1-12. Р m я
skin, A. J., 1946.— Natural glass from Macedon, Victoria, an
у ES A miis to other natural glasses. Journ. Geol, 54: 88-104.
Fenner, C., 1940.—Australites Part IV. The John Kennett Collection. Trans. roy. Soc. Sth. Aust., 64 (2): 305-324. f |
Milton, C., and Davidson, N., 1946.— Note on straw-silica glass from California. Amer. Min., 31: 495-498.
Velain, C., 1878.—8Bull. franc. soc. mineral., 1: 113.
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
36
элу Əul Jo 91925 ay} Jupe EMOIA UI9]S9AA PSP ədouusri
J 59р15 ay} uo p
‘jaeyaeuy лвоџ
əu
'5МОВ]5БАВЦ
21005 59911 Ss d&
]no-1u.inq
о pue шпа ле8п5 8шашај SufMous шол} SONPISel JO AƏIA үеләпәку—'] 2]D]qd
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA 37
Close up view of sintery and scoriaceous to ropy “roll” of hay-silica glass encasing mass of carbonized plant fragments (in front of white paper placed at rear of specimen), and protruding above the level of the general crust of
Note two blowholes through carbonaceous residue,
some of which has been subsequently removed by wind and rainwater.
Plate П. (x 0:4).
hay-silica glass (at point of pencil).
тв 5 q > ; y Wi Ж [Edo рәп} SUIUTBJUOD UOGIBI snodjsn[ A[udiq Jo ƏDezans Əy} шолу JYST]T JO чоцоәрәл 9uj 01 enp St 541815 1158 рохиодлво әшоз JO 102 SIUM Jui Sao ul 'ogourulre d Jo SM[91S , Pasopuə moys 0} po “(5۰0 X) TII 21D]d + G
"ROM VICTORIA
LASS
` 1
HAY-SILICA C
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA 39
Plate IV. (x 0-5).—Pinnacle of hay-silica glass showing gas vesicles and several
attached micro-beads of the glass. site.
Specimen in situ on the larger southern burnt-out
40 HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
Plate V. (x0-5).—Partially collapsed pinnacle of hay-silica glass pr i
t y-s ss protrudin bove general level of the residues from the haystack fire. Note 5 miss a vesicles, and scoriaceous to ropy structures. Specimen in situ on the smaller northern burnt-out site,
41
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
ens jno-juinq иләцупоѕ ләЗтеү uo тв u мошлоода "1eujoours pue рәрипол әле злоцјо 'ugnod pue daeys әле ѕәоивләдтдолӣ лошш ошоб ‘SyTeIS 9eourureJ8 poziuoqdeo јо sjueuurei роцовује Арча зполошти pue (391 19)
sx[ejs Juerd jo ѕиогѕѕәлаші Чул 55818 voris-Aey јо e[peuurd лејпзолл 'uru) Ајтолцејен (S0 X) IA 22019
42
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
Plate VII.—A. Section through lump of hay-silica glass showing highly vesicular character. Specimen orientated in position as found on the larger southern burnt-out site (approximately natural size).
B. Sintery to ropy hay-silica glass accumulated around remnants of iron wire used in baling the hay. (X 0-7).
43
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
F
‘SSBIS вош5-Авц pouoejje JO sqəlq [eUOISE22O Чим Әдл иол Jo 5јивишол Зитрплода pue (3јәү шојјод) [eooieuo Jo јџошавлј рәррәашә SurLMOUuS
лодлеј JO лоџлоо səmyznos леоџ 221] ums uss Jo əseq шолу Sse[3 вош5-Аен— (6:0 X) "IIIA гђа
"9315 зпо-јилпа uioujnos
44 HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA
Plate IX. (x 0.5).—Calcined animal bones (white) in situ larger southern burnt-out haystack. are embedded in hay-silica glass.
1 Í amid residues from Some of the bones lie in carbonaceous ash, some
HAY-SILICA GLASS FROM VICTORIA 45
Plate X. (x108).— Thin sections of hay-silica glass.
A = ordinary light;
B — polarized light. Showing smoky streaks, small and larger bubble cavities, carbonized plant fragments (black in A) and birefringent crystal clusters (white in B).
MEM. NAT. MUS. VICT. 26—1963. 4T
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL, WESTERN VICTORIA.
By George Baker, Honorary Associate in Mineralogy, National Museum of Victoria.
CONTENTS. PAGE Abstract .. m. v É n JA » К: 47 Introduction o s ја ins T д T 48 Degree of preservation j^ hs а val s T 49 Proportions of shape types represented xi pi КР c 49 Weights, specific gravity values and dimensions n v b» 50 Surface features and characteristics. Pa 1 <s 46 55 Hound forms m е, £A a un МЕ 55 Elongated forms 2 + "x ie T "T 57 Natural fracture fragments т = T ted 6 63 Aboriginal flakes n xà te x ie ia 64 Comparisons with neighbouring regions А n Mo: pu 64 Conclusions Ж pU VA z 2 КУ i 67 References m р i ч e ap a 68 Acknowledgments са А: T e ih x 69 Descriptions of plates 4ء $ Y E. "t T 69 Addendum E 2 "T e x am E 70
ABSTRACT.
Thirty-nine australites (Australian tektite glass bodies) were discovered in 1961 resting upon an old soil horizon exposed on removal of a thin cover of sand by the process of local deflation, at Nurrabiel, 163 miles south-south-west of Horsham in the Western District of Victoria. They reveal most of the characteristic shape types represented in collections of australites from other districts in Western Victoria.
48 AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
Although relatively well-preserved, they are more abraded than specimens naturally released from soils in the Port Campbell district, 128 miles to the south-south-west. but are generally much better preserved than the majority of the more numerous specimens of australites recovered from the marginal lands and more arid regions of South Australia, Central Australia and Western Australia.
Two unusual forms are a thin and slender canoe-shaped australite and an elongated, thin, bowl-like australite, each weighing approximately only 0:1 gms. Features of significance are (i) a clockwise spiral flow ridge on the anterior surface of a teardrop-shaped australite, and (ii) an internal cavity 9 mm. across exposed in one of the gibbosities of a dumbbell-shaped australite as a consequence of natural flaking.
Several of the forms have been fractured and some of these flaked further by natural means, but three fragments reveal evidence of aboriginal manufacture, A complete flange from an australite button, provides evidence of separation as an entire detached entity from the central body portion as a result of natural, terrestrial weathering.
INTRODUCTION.
Thirty-nine australites were discovered during an organized search of a large sand blow on the property of Mr. McDonald 1 mile west of Nurrabiel State School. The search was conducted at the end of April, 1961, under guidance in the field by Mr. Eric Barber, President of the Field Naturalists Club of Horsham. The locality lies approximately 161 miles south-south-west of Horsham in Western Victoria, and 180 miles west-north-west of Melbourne. As a result of two and a half hours searching by seven people, it is believed that all of the australites and fragments exposed at the time, were recovered from the site. Others, however, could be later exposed by further superficial weathering of the surface of the ground. It is notable that the area searched vielded examples from all the usual australite shape types except the lens group.
The australites rested upon the surface of an old soil horizon uncovered by deflation and local wind erosion of a thin cover of drift sand. Once freed of enveloping finer soil components, they were exposed to abrasion by wind-borne quartz sand which has a hardness value slightly greater than that of australite glass. Most of the specimens occurred at the lower (western) end of a gently sloping, wind-swept and rain-washed soil surface approximately 1,600 square yards in area. None was located on the quartz sand accumulations that had drifted across this area.
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL 49
Associated with the australites on the old soil horizon were numerous aboriginal flakes and occasional implements prepared from flint, chert, greenstone and other rocks. There was very little buckshot gravel, which is often a common associate of australites found in situ in various parts of the extensive Australian tektite strewnfield.
| Other australites from areas some 33 miles south-west and 30 miles south-south-west of Nurrabiel have been recently described (Baker, 19555; 1959в).
DEGREE OF PRESERVATION.
The specimens are rather worn compared with many of the well- preserved, excellent specimens recovered from the Port Campbell district (Baker, 1937; 19404; 19408; 1944; 1946; 1957; 19594; 19604; 1960B8; 19614; 1962), and the Moonlight Head district (Baker, 1950) on the south coast of Western Victoria. This is largely because they have been exposed to abrasion by quartz sand drifting over them. Several, however, are in a rather better state of preservation than others, and reveal structural features in part accentuated by solution-etching during partial or complete burial in soils. They match some of the not so well- preserved Port Campbell australites and are better preserved than most of the Nirranda (Baker, 1956) australites. Such specimens were evidently more recently released from the old soil horizon than the abraded specimens.
On the whole, the specimens are in a much better state of preservation than most of the more common and badly weathered australites that have been found in the sub-arid to arid parts of the Australian tektite strewnfield (ef. Baker, 19610; 1961р), such as parts of South Australia, Central Australia and Western Australia.
PROPORTIONS OF SHAPE TYPES REPRESENTED.
Omitting the naturally produced nondescript fragments (see Table 1) and the flakes prepared by aboriginal craftsmen (cf. Baker, 1957), none of which provide sure evidence of derivation from a partieular aust alite shape group, the collection of
Nurrabiel australites is constituted of 57 per cent. of forms that 339/63.—4
50 AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
are round in plan aspect and 43 per cent. elongated forms. The proportion of elongated forms is rather high, for in larger eolleetions and. throughout the australite strewnfield generally, round forms exceed elongated forms in the ratio of 2:4 : 1.
Including the naturally flaked nondescript specimens, but not those flaked by aborigines, 43 per cent. of the collection consists of fragments resulting from the effects of terrestrial erosion. The remainder consists of better preserved, recognisable forms, none of which is entirely complete (note: the complete, detached flange [Table 1, No. 17] is virtually entire in itself, but has broken from an australite button).
WEIGHTS, SPECIFIC GRAVITY VALUES AND DIMENSIONS.
Of the 39 australites found at Nurrabiel, only 34 are described in detail herein. Five specimens remained in the possession of a resident in the Horsham district and were not available for detailed investigations. These five included a large oval core, a badly chipped and pitted flanged button, a canoe-shaped form with flange remnants, and two nondescript fragments.
The weights, Specific gravity values and dimensions of the other 34 specimens are listed in Tables 1 and 2, together with a brief description indicating the australite shape types and the finders of the specimens (in Table 1).
Notes on Table 1.
Specimen No. 25 was obtained from a sand blow, near hall, north side of Noradjuha—Horsham-road, 7 miles south-east of Horsham. All others are from a sand blow one mile west of the State School, Nurrabiel. The total weight of these 34 australites is 63-048 grams.
Arrangement in Tables 1 and 2 is according to different shape groups; the specimens constituting each shape group are listed in order of decreasing weight.
Specific gravity determinations were made on a chemical balance using distilled water (Т = 14-4? C.).
The lowest specific gravity value obtained is for an australite button (No. 1, Table 1). The low value (2-374) may be due to internal bubbles, but none could be detected on holding the specimen to a strong light.
The distribution of the specific gravity values is shown in Figure 1.
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL Di TABLE 1. Weights and. specific gravity values of Nurrabiel australites. к Weight | Specifi | No. Shape Type. Plate No. у AAT. Finder. m 2) 1 Button, with minute flange remnant 2-972 2:374 | G. Baker °| 2 Button, with minute flange remnant І, Капа G 2-563 2-393 | E. Wall a 3 Button, with larger flange remnant 1:910 2-430 | M. K. Baker É 4 Button, with larger flange remnant TELEB 1۰746 2-456 | G. Baker e 5 Button, with larger flange remnant 1:595 2-431 | G. Baker 6 Button, with larger flange remnant II, A-C 0-932 2:491 | M. K. Baker у T Core of button (conical from fracturing) OEE 2-130 2-422 | G. Baker A| 8 Oval, with minute flange remnant TII 3-235 2-427 | G. Baker 2| 9 Oval, with small flange remnants пе 0-879 2-462 | E. Wall = 10 Boat, with flange remnants III, A-C 2-387 2-423 | M. K. Baker E 11 Small boat, with no flange remnants 0-527 2-417 | M. K. Baker = 12 Dumbbell, core with flaked zone IV, X 8-907 2:401 | A. J. Wall 4 13 Teardrop, without flange V, A-C 11۰050 2۰416 | G. Baker A 14 Teardrop, with small flange remnant I, A-C 2:218 2-406 | G. Baker 5 15 Canoe, with flange remnants II, G-I 0-096 2-400 | M. K. Baker Џ 16 Elongated bowl.. II, D-F 0-100 2-422 | M. K. Baker ^ 17 Complete detached flange I, D-E 0-659 2-405 | A. J. Wall | 18 Fragment of button plus flange 25271 2.393 | E. Barber 19 Fragment of button with flange remnant .. 2-255 2-401 | A. J. Wall 20 Fragment of button with flange remnant .. ttt. : " 2 062 2.406 | M. K. Baker | | 21 Fragment of button with flange remnant . 1:047 2-458 | E. Wall | 22 Segment from flanged button 0:906 2-442 | G. Baker 23 Segment from flanged button 0-709 2-400 | G. Baker 2 24 Flange fragment from button 0:378 2-408 | G. Baker Ë 25 Flange fragment from button 0-273 2-459 | G. Baker iz] 26 Fragment of oval with flange remnants 2-028 2-429 | E. Barber 2 27 Fragment of oval with flange remnant 1:758 2-412 | M. K. Baker ni 28 Fragment of boat without flange remnants . . Е 1:081 2-423 | M. К. Baker 29 Nondescript fragment (?from edge of button) 1:077 2:420 | E. Wall 30 Nondescript fragment (?from edge of button) 0:107 2:414 | M. K. Baker | 31 Nondescript fragment (flake—?aboriginal) 0-098 2-420 | M. K. Baker 32 Flake from australite (Aboriginal flake) II, E-M 1:091 2-387 | M. K. Baker | 33 Flake from australite (Aboriginal flake) JL, ¿IS: 0-770 2-428 | M. K. Baker | 34 Flake from australite (Aboriginal flake) . 0:641 2:401 | M. K. Baker V Џ
52 AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
UES А
NUMBERS л
2:38 240 2:42 2:44 2:46 SPIE CIRIC GRAVITY
FIGURE 1.
Specific gravity frequency polygon for Nurrabiel australites.
In Figure 1, the specific gravity values of 34 specimens of australites found in the Nurrabiel district have been plotted, irrespective of whether they are fragments or nearly complete forms. The mode of the frequency distribution (2-42 for the 34 specimens) is a little greater than the arithmetic mean value (2-418).
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL 53 TABLE 2. Dimensions of Nurrabiel australites. n | RB (mm.). mm.). so, Pager Raney ama Kua a к с mm.). Across | Across | Across | Across | Across | Across Di. Wi. Le. Di. Wiis Le. 1 16:5 | 9 10-0 11-2 2 15 | 8-5 9:3 11-1 3 | 14 7:5 2 10-0 9-4 4 15 6 3 13:6 11:8 5 14 P 2 8-6 8-8 6 | 10 6 3 | 6-2 8-6 7 17 8:5 15:4 9-3 8 | 8:5 15 19 9:8 | 10-2 16-0 | 14:8 9 | 5:5 10 11:5 5.8 7:2 9:1 1-4 10 | 6 2:5 йы о 6-4 cx 8:7 | 30:2 11 E 2553] 3 5:8 | 7-4 12-3 | 10-7 12 | 10-5 16 40 9-6 | 15:6 13 | 15:5 | 19:5 31 Just 10-0 14 | 8:5 12 18 65 127 8:5 | 10-2 15 * az 1 4:5 | 16:5 + + КИН 16:35 16 A | 2 2 tó $ | 125 * 4 152 9-7 17 — | 15 l3 3 18 i | 9:5 4 11:6 12-7 19 | 21 8:5 2 11:4 20 18:5 | 9 2:5 13:4 12:4 21 | 7 & 22 4 to 5 23 | 4 24 | 3:5 5 25 | 4 3:5 26 | 9:5 2۰5 15:5 7-7 | 11-0 8*5. | 12-3 27 7:5 Sg] 17 9.5 | 16-7 7:4 | 20-0 28 6:5 10:5 8-0 ex 6:1 9-7 29 T 30 31 32 3:5 10 17 33 А 5 10 13:5 34 TS 4-5 T5| 17 Range.. | 10-21 ioe 1-5 |2-19-5| 11-40 A 2- ip | is 1275 nS Je |
54 AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL Notes on Table 2.
Numbers in the first column refer to the same specimens listed in Table 1.
Measurements of diameter, depth (— thickness), width and length were made to the nearest 0-5 mm. Measurements and calculations for the radii of curvature of the posterior (back — RB) and anterior (front — RF) surfaces of the australites were taken to the nearest 0-1 mm., using enlarged silhouettes (x 7-5) for the measurements (cf. Baker, 19554). Radij of curvature measurements could not be satisfactorily determined on several specimens owing to incompleteness of some due to fracturing, and extensive wear of others due to abrasion and advanced solution-etching. Silhouettes of the better preserved specimens were obtained by adjusting them so that the outline traces would be equivalent to sections through their polar regions.
Measurements of the nondescript fragments (Nos. 29-31, Tables 1 and 2) are not given because they do not appertain to any particular shape group. Measurements of the aboriginal flakes from the australites (Nos. 32-34, Tables 1 and 2) are given to indicate their size as micro-implements (Plate II., Figs. J-M), but again the measurements do not appertain to any particular australite shape group.
« refers to specimens with virtually flat, or nearly flat, surfaces along their longer axes, e.g., Nos. 10 and 28, Table 2 (cf. Plate IIL, Fig. B).
+ = arcs of curvature across widths and along longer axes of posterior surfaces of canoe-shaped form (No. 15, Table 2) and of elongated bowl (No. 16, Table 2) are negative in sense and radii therefore not given (cf. Plate IL, Figs. H and E). Radii of arcs of curvature for the two teardrop-shaped forms (Nos. 13 and 14, Table 2) were determined for the “ gibbose"' portions of the specimens (ie. neglecting the tail“ portions); it was not practicable to measure RB or RF along the length of specimen No. 13 (cf. Plate V., Fig. B), and the smaller "tail" portion of No. 14 (Plate I., Fig. B) was neglected. Ев was determined for the dumbbell-shaped form (No. 12, Table 2) across the bulbous ends, each side of the waist, but RF was not determined because of the naturally flaked character of the anterior surface (cf, Plate IV., Figs. B and C).
Arcs of curvature across the diameters of round forms and across the widths of elongated forms, except where local tertiary modifications of erosion had occurred, satisfactorily coincided with the arcs of curvature of constructed circles (cf. Baker, 19554) having the radii listed in Table 2. Small departures from coincidence along the lengths of elongated specimens, however, occurred in the magnified silhouettes ( X 7-5) in the polar and equatorial regions of the curved surfaces of specimens Nos. 8, 10, 16, 27 and 28.
The ranges and average values of the weight and specific gravity, and the average dimensions of round forms, elongated forms and fragments are shown in Table 3. Average values of the dimensions are not given for fragmented forms as such, except where they reveal some dimensions applicable to the forms from which the fragments were broken.
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL 55
TABLE 3.
Showing ranges and average values of weight and specific gravity, and average dimensions of round forms, elongated forms and fragments of australites from Nurrabiel, Western Victoria.
Fragments | Fragments Nona Ronna Elongated of of 1 9 "orms. Forms. R d Elongated |... ound | Elongated | pragments Number of specimens En Y 7 | 9 9 3 6 34 T TEP RA a | | Range in weight (gms.) .. .. | 0:932 | .0-096 0.273 | 1-081 0-098 0-096 | to to to to to to | 2-972 11-050 2-271 2.028 1:091 11-050 Average weight (gms.) .. Er | 2-064 | 3-265 1:178 1:622 0-631 1.854 | Range in specific gravity ..| 2-374 | 2-400 | 2-393 2-412 2.387 2.374 to to to to to to
Average specific gravity ..
Average depth (mm.) 7 5 7-5 6-5 8-0 T:5 Average diameter (mm.) .. 145 a EE: {> * 15-5 Average width (mm.) w d^ d 11 | TE 13 4 11:5 Average length (mm.) t 8 14 20 | m ox 3 20 Average flange width (mm.) ا Ee | 2-5 3 2.5 2-5 Average Кв across diameter of round |
forms (mm.) .. ду. .. | 10:4 5 12.1 5 ot 10-9 Average Rr across diameter of round
forms (mm.) .. T „ МОй = 12-5 "D As. 10-6 Average Rp across width of elongated
forms (mm.) .. = e LA 7:9 "s 8.4 v" 8.1 Average Rr across width of elongated
forms (mm.) .. Ыл, nA si 9:1 ey. 7:3 zu 8.6
SURFACE FEATURES AND CHARACTERISTICS.
Round forms. Button-shaped forms.
The button-shaped australite shown in Plate J., Figs. F and G is typieal of many that have lost the greater part of the circumferential flange by weathering, leaving only two small stumpy remnants on diametrically opposed sides of the equatorial edges of the form. Their presence serves to classify the specimen in the group of australite buttons. The secondarily developed
56 AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
anterior surface (ef. Baker, 19594) of the form (Plate I., Fig. G) has been further modified by the tertiary effects of weathering, largely solution-etehing (Baker, 1961p) which has accentuated the sub-surface internal schlieren, and removed all but traces of the originally sharp-crested flow ridges that are so well developed on excellently preserved australites (cf. Baker, 1944; 19594; 19614; 1962).
Although collected nearby, within a few yards, the smaller button shown in Plate IL, Figs. A to €, is in a better state of preservation. Much of the flange has been lost by piecemeal fracturing and the still attached remnants subjected to solution- etching, particularly along inrolled planar spiral internal schlieren (ef. Baker, 1944: 1958). However, the posterior surface of the lens-like eore (Plate IL, Fig. B) has been little affected by solution-etehing or by abrasion, and the crests of the concentric flow ridges ( Baker, 1956) on the anterior surface are still sharply delineated.
Comparisons between the specimens shown in Plate J., Figs. Е and G and Plate IL, Figs. A to С, lead to the conclusion that in one and the same relatively small area, different degrees of solution-etching and abrasion can operate to produce differential weathering effects on australites. These two specimens were located relatively close to one another on an area where it is unlikely that either was moved by natural agencies more than a few feet from the original position where they landed upon the earth’s surface. However, one specimen (Plate L, Figs. F and G) was evidently released from its soil environment earlier than the other (Plate II., Figs. A to €).
The anterior surface of a button-shaped australite with minor remnants of the flange still attached in diametrically opposed positions (left- and right-hand sides of Plate III., Fig. E), has been affected by solution-etching to the extent of the development of minute etch pitting and accentuation of occasional flow lines that radiate outwards from the stagnation point region (ef. Baker, 19614) to the equatorial edge of the core. As a further consequence of etching effects, the innermost flow ridges have been reduced to low, vaguely defined structures, but the outermost flow ridge still reveals a sharp, clearly defined crest, in places interrupted in continuity by narrow, slightly overdeepened radial flow lines.
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL 57
Core form.
The core of a round form (Plate IIL, Fig. F) is characteristically conical in side elevation, and thus typical of the manner in which buttons are affected by relatively advanced stages of weathering. The circumferential flange has been totally removed, followed by flaking of adjacent portions of the anterior surface rather regularly all around the periphery of the form. Iuasmuch as the posterior surface, which is a primary feature of australites, has not been flaked away, and the flaked equatorial zone is evidently not an outeome of aboriginal workmanship, it would appear that the conieal core is a stable remnant rather more resistant to terrestrial erosion than are either the secondarily produced circumferential flanges or anterior surface regions of australites,
Complete flange.
Plate L, Figs. D and E shows the smoother posterior and the contrasting flow-ridged anterior surfaces respectively of a complete, detached flange that is circular in plan aspect. It has been separated by natural processes from a central lens-like body core to which it was originally cireumferentially attached to form a flanged australite button. There are only about 30 such complete detached flanges known, most of which (25 well- preserved specimens) are from Port Campbell, Victoria (cf. Baker, 1946, Plate XIII.) and two (poorly preserved examples) are from the Nirranda district (Baker, 1956, Plate I., Figs. 4 and 5), Western Victoria.
Elongated forms. Oval-shaped forms.
The two oval forms (Plate III., Figs. D and G) reveal stages of weathering of a rather different type. Both have lost the greater part of the circumferential flange and all the flow ridges have been obliterated from the anterior surfaces. The larger oval (Plate III., Fig. D) has been dulled by abrasion and shows minor markings probably caused by collisional impact of smaller size material such as wind- and water-borne sand grains. "The smaller oval (Plate III., Fig. G) retains a vitreous lustre due to accentuation by solution-etching, a process that evidently dominated the effects of abrasion.
The fact that circular and slightly elliptical cupules appear on the posterior and anterior surfaces of both the central lens-like core and the remnants of the circumferential flange, is evidence
58 AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
that these features are essentially solution etch pits, for the posterior surfaces of cireumferential flanges and the anterior surfaces of australites in the well-preserved state, are typically free of such pittings. The pits are 0:25 mm. to 1:5 mm. across and range in depth from a fraction of a millimetre to 0:5 mm. Where the shallower pits are more crowded together, their walls meet as low, narrow arétes, and the general appearanee is that of hammered metal. Where flow lines have become accentuated by solution-etching, they can be oecasionally observed trending across smoother, less pitted surfaces and continuing around the walls of the solution pits. Occasionally smaller pits are developed at the bottoms of the larger pits. Evidently these pits result from differential solution-etehing along bundles and small swirls of schlieren trending normal to the surface and dipping into the body of the specimen as part of its complex internal flow line pattern.
Boat-shaped form.
The boat-shaped form (Plate IIL, Figs. A-C) is less- weathered than the two ovals; it shows some signs of abrasion and solution-etehing, and has lost approximately 65 per cent. of its circumferential flange by fracturing. The posterior surface (Plate IIL, Fig. A) reveals an elongated flow-swirled area occupying the greater part of the surface and with its longer axis parallel with the long axis of the hoat-shaped form. In side aspect the flat-topped nature of the posterior surface (left-hand side of Plate III., Fig. B) contrasts with the are of curvature of the anterior surface (right-hand side of Plate III., Fig. B) but in end-on aspect, the appearance is that of flanged buttons such as shown by Plate IL, Fig. B. The anterior surface (Plate III., Fig. C) reveals the concentric nature of the flow ridges which parallel the outline of the boat-shaped form and are crossed in places (see bottom right of Plate III., Fig. €) by flow lines made prominent by solution-etching,
Dumbbell-shaped form.
The dumbbell-shaped form (Plate IV., Figs. A to €) has been subjected to fairly considerable natural flaking of the equatorial regions and anterior surface, producing a marked flaked equatorial zone (Baker, 1940, p. 488) somewhat similar to that of the round core shown in Plate IIL, Fig. F. One effect of the flaking by weathering has been to expose an internal bubble-cavity 9 mm. in diameter in one of the gibbose portions of the dumbbell— (left-hand end, Plate IV., Figs. B and C).
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL 59
The walls of internal bubbles in australites invariably reveal a highly vitreous lustre (** hot polish ") in the freshly exposed condition (Baker, 19594; 19618). The fact that the walls of the cavity in this dumbbell are as dulled as the flaked surfaces, indicates some degree of antiquity since the initiation of flaking and the exposure of the internal cavity. Small amounts of solution-etching have accentuated some of the internal schlieren, producing fine, shallow, narrow depressions along the flow-line directions,
No australite dumbbell has been observed previously with an internal cavity as large as the one in this specimen from Nurrabiel, but larger internal cavities are known in round forms (australite buttons, lenses and cores) and in other elongated forms (australite ovals and boats). Most of the common shape groups of australites are thus now known to contain specimens with relatively large internal cavities, the observed range in size of which is from 5 mm. to nearly 50 mm. (ef. Baker, 19618) across. Internal cavities have so far been more frequently observed in the round forms of australites. Smaller cavities are more common from under 5 mm. down to a fraction of a millimetre in size.
Whereas one gibbose portion of this dumbbell contained an internal bubble of signifieant proportions, it is evident from the normal specific gravity value of the specimen (No. 12, Table 1) that neither the waist region nor the other gibbose portion contains bubbles of any significance. Furthermore, holding the specimen to a strong beam of light does not reveal the translucency that would be expected if large internal cavities were present in such parts. Then again, there is no evidence to show that larger internal cavities were present in either the waist region or in the more solid gibbose portion prior to fracturing. The significance of this occurence lies in the fact that despite the existence of an internal cavity in one gibbose portion and solid glass throughout elsewhere, the dumbbell-shaped form maintained aerodynamic stability in the line of flight during the phase of atmospheric frictional heating. Only under conditions of high entry velocity (cf. Baker, 1958; Chapman, 1960) could this be reasonably expected.
60 AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
The posterior surface of the dumbbell (Plate IV., Fig. A) reveals smooth, flow swirled regions surmounting each gibbosity, with Occasional bubble pitted areas, principally in the waist region. These are original features which have been accentuated in parts and partially to almost completely obliterated from other parts of the posterior surface as a consequence of terrestrial weathering.
Teardrop-shaped forms.
Plate I., Figs. A to € illustrates a relatively well-preserved teardrop-shaped australite on which little of the flange structure remains. It was developed as an apioid of revolution in the primary molten phase when generated in its extraterrestrial birthplace. Its present form is modified on one surface, and it provides convincing support for the contention that australites were not shaped while spinning as completely molten or plastic glass bodies through the earth’s atmosphere. The formative stages of the secondarily produced anterior surface with its remarkable but characteristic features (Plate I.. Fig. С), arose during a phase of atmospherie frietional heating, when, at ultrasupersonie speeds of non-rotary earthward infall, thin film melting occurred on the forwardly directed (i.e. anterior) surface of an originally cold, pre-formed shape that maintained aerodynamie equilibrium while the high speeds of entry prevailed. Temperatures sufficiently high to cause some ablation as well as melting were thereby attained, resulting in obliteration of the primary sculpture, and the generation of new sculptural elements on a surface that had progressively receded all over, including the stagnation point (i.e. front polar) regions right out to the peripheral regions of the form. The development of the anterior surface, with its spiral clockwise flow ridge (Plate I., Fig. C), is thus best explained in terms of the Aerodynamieal Control Theory (Baker, 1958). Considerable difficulties arise if attempts are made to explain such a structure as developing on an imaginary molten or plastic body of tektite glass spinning rapidly during earthward flight. It is observed from Plate I., Figs. A to C, that the clockwise helical spiral shape assumed by the flow ridge is confined to one particular surface only, and that its axis (right to left in Plate I., Fig. B, and front to back in Plate I., Fig. C) is normal to the long axis (top to bottom in Plate I., Figs. A to С) of the original apioid. The longer axis would have been the spin
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL 61
axis of the primary form, hence, even if it is possible, though rather unlikely, for a descending helical spiral flow structure to develop ou a falling, spinning, molten or plastic apioid, it would have to be located normal to the long axis, and situated around the wider, lower end of the gibbose portion, with its point of origin at the bottom of the form, and its trend following around all parts of the gibbosity. Hence it would pass around the regions oecupied by the anterior and posterior surfaces of the form, and there would be no distinetive anterior or posterior surfaces of the kinds shown by the specimen. Since this is obviously not the state of affairs, it becomes apparent that a falling, molten or plastie apioid, spinning about its long axis, would not produce the two differently seulptured surfaces revealed by the specimen, and generate a descending helical spiral flow ridge on one of those surfaces only. It is also inconceivable that rapid spinning of a similar body in either of the two planes normal to that containing the long axis of the specimen, could produce either the observed surfaces and structures, or the configuration of the form itself.
The formation of the helical character of the flow ridge in terms of the Aerodynamical Control Theory of the secondary shaping and sculpturing of australites (Baker, 1958), is best explained in the same way as for the clockwise helieal spiral flow ridge developed on a perfectly preserved, complete, flanged oval australite from Port Campbell, Victoria (Baker, 19614). An ablation pit that was evidently responsible for controlling the helical nature of the spiral ridge on the Port Campbell specimen, is not present on the Nurrabiel specimen. At the level of ablation attained, however, such a pit could have been just obliterated at the moment that the aerodynamical frictional heating effects ceased and the last formed features became frozen-in place.
Furthermore, the primary flow lines revealed on the posterior surface of the Nurrabiel teardrop-shaped australite (Plate I., Fig. A), trend towards the tail of the specimen, while immediately opposite on the anterior surface of the tail region, primary flow lines have been obliterated, the surface is generally smoother with the dominating features being the flow ridge and a few fine, ‘adial flow lines trending across the surface of the intervening flow troughs (Plate I., Fig. €).
The larger teardrop-shaped australite (Plate V., Figs. A to C) does 150 reveal flow ridges on its anterior surface, ( Plate V., Fig. C) like the smaller teardrop (Plate I., Fig. C). If originally
62 AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
present, they have been completely removed by weathering. Well-preserved forms of the size of this larger teardrop are particularly rare and reveal wrinkled and rippled ridges, as on а teardrop nearly 4 cms. long from Port Campbell, Victoria ( Baker, 1959, Fig. 15, p. 67).
The radius of curvature across the width of the gibbose portion of the larger teardrop from Nurrabiel is less for the anterior than for the posterior surface, whereas the reverse holds for the smaller teardrop (ef. Nos. 13 and 14, Table 2). It is five times heavier than the smaller teardrop and has a slightly greater specific gravity. Both the anterior and posterior surfaces of the larger teardrop are equally weathered, and the rim separating these two surfaces (Plate V., Fig. B) is somewhat rounded but nevertheless distinct. There is evidence to show that some of the attenuated tail portion has been broken off, whereas in the smaller eardrop, much of the tail is preserved (Plate L, Fig. A), although not greatly attenuated.
Canoe-shaped form.
Incomplete because of the loss by fracturing of portions of its fragile, upturned, tapering extremities and its thin, narrow flange, the long and slender canoe-shaped australite (Plate II., Figs. G to I) nevertheless has lost little glass by weathering. It is the smallest, lightest-weight specimen (Table 1, No. 15) yet recorded in this shape group of the australites, and is unmatched for delicacy among the 45,000 or so australites known. It is so thin (0:5 mm. to 1:5 mm.) that the tektite glass is translucent throughout the whole of the specimen, even without strong illumination. Weighing 0:096 grams now, its original weight prior to loss of small portions by fracturing would have been little over 0-10 grams for the complete form. Obviously such a thin, elongated, delicate, flanged canoe-shaped form could not have been formed from the rotation of molten or plastie glass falling through the atmosphere. It is best interpreted as the thin end product of an ablated, originally larger canoe-shaped form, that was subjected to the comparable effects of aerodynamical phenomena that shaped and sculptured the other australites.
Fine, long flow lines parallel with the long axis of the form are evident on the posterior surface (Plate IL, Fig. G) but the anterior surface is smooth (Plate IL, Fig. I). The curvature and the backwardly directed nature of the tapered ends is seen in Plate II., Fig. H. in which the anterior surface is uppermost. This is the surface that was directed forward along the flight path during ultrasupersonie transit through the atmosphere.
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL 63
Bowl-like form.
The remarkable elongated, bowl-like form (Plate IL, Figs. D to E) which is pinched-in towards its central regions (Plate II., Figs. D and F), suggesting dumbbell-like characteristics, is likewise not quite complete. It is also thin, translucent throughout, and light in weight (0:10 grams). The walls of the bowl, which are only 0:5 mm. to 0-75 mm. thick, are minutely etch-pitted.
Natural fracture fragments.
The button fragment illustrated in Plate IIL, Fig. H is rather worn and reveals a so-called “ saw-mark " (bottom of photograph) which is actually a curved groove overdeepened and widened by natural solution-etching along bundles of schlieren. It is frequently this type of groove that delineates the surfaces of conical cores (as in Plate III., Fig. F) and segments of buttons that become detached from them.
One of the oval fragments (No. 26, Table 1) reveals an internal eavity 5 mm. in diameter and 2 mm. deep on the fracture surface which trends across the width of the specimen. As usual, the internal eavity is situated nearer to the posterior than to the anterior surface of the specimen (cf. Baker, 19618). The distance from the rear wall of the internal cavity to the posterior surface of the oval fragment is 0-5 mm. (in the narrowest part), whereas the front wall of the cavity is 4:0 mm. from the anterior surface. The depth of the specimen containing the cavity is nearly 9:5 mm. Reconstruction of the original oval form indicates that the cavity was approximately half way along the longer diameter, but it is displaced off-centre along the shorter diameter of the form. Its presence by no means affected the development of the normal sculptural elements, and the form evidently maintained a position of stable aerodynamic orientation while high speeds prevailed.
The remaining incomplete specimens and fragments of australites in the collection from Nurrabiel (Table 1, Nos. 18, 19, 21-95, and 27-31) are not described in detail as they show no important features. Principal interest in them centres around the fact that they are relatively strongly weathered. 'Phey show more or less equally developed etch-pitting on all surfaces of both the flange remnants and the remaining portions of central cores, except where abrasion has been dominant.
64 AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
Aboriginal flakes.
The characteristic conchoidal fracture of the Australian tektite glass is well illustrated on the broken surfaces of the aboriginal flakes (Plate II., Figs. J to M). A subsidiary ripple fracture pattern is evident on some of the conchoidal surfaces, e.g., Plate IL, Figs. J and K, and the relatively fresh appearance and vitreous, only slightly dulled lustre of the broken surfaces, points to no great age since these flakes were deliberately fractured by man from australites.
The specimen illustrated in Plate II., Figs. L and M shows the best re-touching by pressure micro-flaking around its edges; it is evidently a relatively flat, worked flake obtained from the posterior surface region of one of the larger types of australites — possibly a large boat-shaped form. The natural seulpture of the posterior surface of the original australite is preserved, but is rather more weathered than the fraeture surfaces.
The specimen shown in Plate II., Fig. J was likewise derived à . à . è L г . . а from the posterior surface region of an australite. The original surface reveals pitting and an are of curvature suggestive of derivation from an australite button.
The third aboriginal fake (Plate II., Fig. K) was fractured from the edge of an already much worn australite. The rim separating the pitted posterior surface remnant from a weathered equatorial zone, although rounded off by erosion, is nevertheless clearly marked. This fragment was probably derived from the edge of a specimen resembling the conical core illustrated in Plate IIL, Fig. F, Some weathering of the fracture surfaces has resulted in the initial manifestation of the schlieren in the glass as a faint but complex internal flow pattern.
CoMPARISONS WITH NEIGHBOURING REGIONS.
Nearby regions where australites have been found in sufficient numbers (fragments excluded) for comparison with those from Nurrabiel are situated at distances varying from 8 miles to 33 miles to the south, south-southwest and southwest of Nurrabiel. These regions are at Mount Talbot near Toolondo, Telangatuk East, Kanagulk, Balmoral and Harrow. This area of distribution covers some 600 square miles, which is approximately 0:03 per cent. of the total known australite
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL 65
strewnfield, and the number of australite specimens recovered from the area constitutes 0-35 per cent. of the total number found so far throughout the vast strewnfield.
The average weight, average specifie gravity, range in the specific gravity values, and the radii of curvature of the posterior (RB) and anterior (Rr) surfaces of these separated groups of australites are shown in Table 4.
TABLE 4.
Comparison between australites from the Nurrabiel--Harrow-Balmoral regions of Western Victoria.
„ | | | | Round Forms, Elongated Forms. ° rer Average | Range in Average | -— | = ,ocality. SAM. Weight Specific Specific RIT. WDR D 1 Lact (gms.). | Gravity. Gravity. | N | агар nur Ave I | (mm.). | (mm.). (mm.). (mm.). Kanagulk АУ, 29 9:75 | 2.38-2-44 2.40 1241 | 12.2 14-7 12-6 Telangatuk East .. 9 6.69 | 2-38-2-44 2-41 | 13-4 | 13-6 | 11-6 10-8 Mt. Talbot, | Toolondo At n 2.97 2.89-2.42 | 2-41 V7 10-6 Balmoral. . = 8 1:81 2 -36-2 -43 2.41 md- | nd n.d. n.d. Nurrabiel к 16 2-74 2.37-2.46 2-41 11-0 10:5 8-1 8.6 Harrow .. D 33 8-97 2.39-2-47 2-42 | 14.8 (ide | ueste 14-7
Fragments excluded.
Measurements made across the shortest diameter.
Table 4 reveals that, based on average values, larger, heavier forms have been collected at Kanagulk, Harrow and Telangatuk East, while smaller, lighter weight forms occurred at Balmoral, Nurrabiel and Mount Talbot near Toolondo. This distribution of specimen size does not produce any particular pattern in the 600 square miles which it represents in the vast australite strewnfield of 2,000,000 square miles. There is, however, a tendency for lower specific gravity values to occur in the eastern part of the 600 square miles region, and higher specific gravity values (Harrow) to occur in the western part. A similar trend can be detected in the RB values of the round forms. This means that the diameters of the original australite spheres from which australite buttons were produced were lower (22-23 mm.) in the eastern parts and greater (29.5 mm.) in the western parts of this portion of the australite strewnfield.
The distribution of shape types in five of the six australite concentration centres Balmoral details not available) listed in Table 4, are shown in Table 5.
339/63.—5
66
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
TABLE 5.
Distribution of australite shape types at five neighbouring concentration centres in Western Victoria.
| Mt. Talbot, | Telangatuk |
Shape Types.* Kanagulk. Той, | 57 777 | Nurrabiel. | Harrow. Totals. Round Forms. | | | | Buttons. . 10 | 2 | 2 £e | 6 27 Lenses .. 4 | 3 | 1 0 4 12 Cores 5 | 0 2 1 10 18 Discs (flat) 0 0 0 0 0 0 Hollow forms 0 0 0 0 | 0 0 Bowls 0 | 0 | 0 0 0 0 Blongated Forme. V 4
Ovals 2 0 0 2 0 4 Boats 0 0 0 2 1 3 Cores | 7 0 2 1 9 19 Dumbbells | 0 0 1 1 3 5 Teardrops | 0 0 1 2 0 3 ч Aerial-bombs ” | 1 0 0 0 0 T Canoes | 0 0 0 2 0 2 Hollow forms 0 0 0 0 0 0 Plates (flat) 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bowls 0 0 0 1 0 1 Aberrants o d | 0 0 | 0 0 0 0 Complete flange .. 0 0 0 1 0 i Flange fragments 0 | 0 0 2 0 š 2 Round form fragments 2 0 0 6 0 | 8
Round hollow form | | fragments 1 0 0 | 0 | 0 1 Elongated form fragments. . 2 0 0 3 | 1 6 Nondescript fragments 0 0 | 0 87 | 0 8 TorALs 34 5 9 39 | 34 121
* Certain shape types are not represented at any of these five concentration centres. They are included for completeness; all of those listed occur in the Port Campbell concentration centre on the south coast of Western Victoria.
Includes 3 flakes manufactured by aboriginal craftsmen.
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL 67
Table 5 reveals that round forms and round form fragments together constitute 57 per cent. of the total number of forms collected, elongated forms and fragments of elongated forms constitute 36 per cent, and nondescript fragments 7 per cent. Button-shaped australites constitute the greatest percentage (22 per cent.) of any shape types, followed by round and elongated cores which are approximately the same (15 per cent. and 16 per cent.) as each
other. Apart from lens-shaped forms (10 per cent.), all other shape types represented are each less than 4-5 per cent.
The greatest number of shape types is represented among the Nurrabiel australites, there being approximately twice as many as in the other concentration centres, although compared with the rich Port Campbell concentration centre, they contain only approximately two thirds of the known shape types. This may be largely a result of more detailed and more intensive searching in the Port Campbell concentration centre.
CONCLUSIONS.
Although lacking in well-preserved, perfectly complete specimens, the australites from the Nurrabiel district near Horsham nevertheless reveal some seulptural features of real significance that add further support to the ** Aerodynamical Control Theory " of the shaping and sculpturing of australites (ef. Baker, 1958).
Sufficient of their external configuration remains to show that, like several other concentration centres in the more temperate regions of Australia where australites are usually in the better states of preservation than in arid and sub-arid parts of the strewnfield, the characteristic variety of a small number of shape types is represented. This indicates that the assemblage of shape types discovered is more likely an outcome of natural phenomena than of selective accumulation by aboriginal man. Even though found in association with aboriginal flakes and worked implements at Nurrabiel, on a relatively small area formerly under aboriginal occupation, it is considered likely that these australites occurred more or less where they originally fell. Some of the specimens were transported short distances (a few yards) across the slightly sloping surface on which they were found as a result of sheet run-off of occasional heavy rainfall, and a few were evidently used locally by the aboriginal occupants. Other, rather better preserved specimens have been much more recently released by slight amounts of erosion of the old soil surface on which they occur; such specimens were evidently not exposed at the time of aboriginal occupation.
68 AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
REFERENCES.
Baker, G., 1937.—Tektites from the Sherbrook River district, east of Port Campbell. Proc. roy. Soc. Vic., 49 (2): 165-177.
Baker, G., 19404.—Some australite structures and their origin. Min. Mag., 25: 487-494.
Baker, G., 19405.—An unusual australite form. Proc. TOY, BOC, Pie, 92 (2): 312-314,
Baker, G., 1944.—Flanges of australites. Mem. nat. Mus. Vict., 14 (1): 7-22.
Baker, G., 1946.—Some unusual shapes and features of australites (tektites). Mem. nat. Mus. Vict., 14 (2): 47-51.
Baker, G., 1950.—Section on “ australites , pp. 35-36 of Geology and Physiography of the Moonlight Head district, Victoria ". Proc. roy. Soc. Vic., 60: 17—43.
Baker, G., 1955a.—Curvature-size relationships of Port Campbell australites, Proc. roy. Soc. Vic., 67: 165—219.
Baker, G., 19555. Australites from Harrow, Victoria. Min. Mag., 30: 596—603.
Baker, G., 1956.— Nirranda strewnfield australites, southeast of Warrnambool, Western Victoria. Mem, nat. Mus. Fig, 20: 59-172:
Baker, G., 1957.— The róle of australites in aboriginal customs. Mem. nat. Mus. Vict, 22 (8 1-26;
Baker, G., 1958.—The róle of aerodynamical phenomena in shaping and sculpturing Australian tektites. Amer. Journ, Sci., 256: 369-383.
Baker, G., 19594.— Tektites. Mem. nat. Mus. Vict., 20: 5-313.
Baker, G., 19595.—Australites from Kanagulk, Telangatuk East and Toolondo, Western Victoria. Mem. nat. Mus. Vict., 24: 69-89.
Baker, G., 19604.—Origin of tektites. Nature, 185: 291—294.
Baker, G., 19608.—Comments on the recent letter on “ Moldavites and similar tektites from Georgia, U.S.A." Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta, 19: 232-233.
Baker, G., 19614.—A complete oval australite. Proc. То-боо, Vie, 74 (1): 44-54
Baker, G., 19618.—A perfectly developed hollow australite. Amer, Journ. Sci. 259: 191—800.
Baker, G., 1961c.—Australites from Wingellina, Western Australia. Chemie der Erde, 21 (1): 118-130.
Baker, G., 1961p.—Some aspects of the etching behaviour of australites. Chemie der Erde, 21 (1): 101—117.
Baker, G., 1962.— Volume relationships of well-preserved australite buttons, lenses and cores compared with their primary forms. Chemie der Erde, (3/4), 21 (2): 269-320.
Baker, G., and Forster, H. C., 1943.— The specific gravity relationships of australites. Amer. Journ. Sci., 241: 311—406.
Chapman, D. R., 1960.—Recent re-entry research and the cosmic origin of tektites. Nature, 188: 353-355.
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL 69
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. The author is indebted to Mr. Eric Barber, President of the Field Naturalists Club of Horsham for guidance in the field, and to Mrs. M. K. Baker, Mrs. E. Wall, Mr. A. J. Wall and Mr. E, Barber for making available for detailed study the
specimens found by them in the Nurrabiel area, near Horsham. The photographs were kindly prepared by A. W. Hounslow, B.Sc.
DESCRIPTION OF PLATES.
Flate I. Call) 25
A to C—teardrop. A—posterior surface showing flow lines and pits. B—side view showing contrasting structures of posterior (on left) and anterior (on right) surfaces. C—anterior surface showing clockwise spiral flow ridge and radially trending flow lines. (Note: The anterior surface was directed down the flight path during ultrasupersonic flight through the atmosphere.)
D to E—complete flange naturally detached from an australite button. D—smooth posterior surface. E—flow-ridged anterior surface.
F to G—core of australite button with minor attached remnants of circumferential flange. F- posterior surface showing flow swirl and pitting. G—anterior surface showing sub-surface flow line pattern exposed by natural solution-etching.
Plate II. (all x 2-5).
А to C-—small australite button with remnants of circumferential flange. A posterior surface; B— side aspect with posterior surface uppermost; C—anterior
surface. Outer edge of flange jagged (see B) due to solution-etching along inrolled planar spiral schlieren.
D to F—slender, elongated bowl-shaped australite, broken and worn at right-hand end.
D— posterior surface showing bowl-like interior, and narrowing of form at right-hand end;
E—side aspect, showing curvature of anterior surface; F—anterior surface showing minute etch-pits. G to I—slender thin (translucent) canoe-shaped australite.
G— posterior surface showing thin flange partly fractured from body portion at right-hand end;
H— side aspect with anterior surface uppermost; I—anterior surface;
J—Aboriginal flake from an australite, showing conchoidal fracture surfaces with secondary ripple fracturing;
K- Aboriginal flake (?semi-discoidal scraper) from an australite, showing fracture surfaces with vitreous lustre.
L to M—Aboriginal flake from an australite. L—showing fracture surface and re-touched edges of the australite glass;
M—showing portion of the posterior surface of the australite with solution-etch marks.
Plate III. (all x 2-5). A to C—boat-shaped australite with remnants of attached flange.
A- posterior surface showing flow lines parallel with outline of the central core, elongated nature of the form, and more or less straight, parallel flange—core contact on left-hand side;
B—side aspect showing thickness of the form, (anterior surface on right-hand side) ;
C—anterior surface showing elongated flow ridges paralleling the outline of the form, and flow lines cutting across the flow ridges at bottom right-hand side;
D—posterior surface of broad oval-shaped australite with minute attached flange remnant at top right; showing minutely etched surface;
70 AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
E—anterior surface of button core with minor flange remnants (= bulges in outline on left- and right-hand side); showing vitreous lustre and etched surface, with flow lines accentuated but flow ridges almost destroyed by solution-etching;
F—side aspect of conical core eroded from round (in plan aspect) australite. Posterior surface uppermost showing minute pits and sharply defined rim separating posterior surface and flaked equatorial zone;
G—posterior surface of smaller oval showing vitreous lustre and numerous pits; minute remnant of flange at bottom of photograph;
H—posterior surface of broken button showing solution-etch pitting of both central body core and attached circumferential flange. Solution ''saw-groove " (bottom, centre) with infiltrated clay containing fine quartz sand.
Plate IV. (all x 2-5). A to C—worn and flaked dumbbeli-shaped australite.
A—posterior surface showing smoother flow-lined areas, occasional bubble pits, and constricted waist region;
B—side aspect showing waist region and flaked equatorial zone. Posterior surface is uppermost;
C—anterior surface, naturally flaked and eroded to reveal internal bubble cavity (at left-hand end).
Plate V. tall x 2-5). A to C—larger teardrop-shaped australite. A— posterior surface; B—side aspect showing “ right) surface; C—anterior surface. All surfaces are rather worn and have been affected by solution-etch pitting.
tim” separating posterior (on left) from anterior (on
ADDENDUM.
A large, almost round core from the earth bank of a dam at Lower Norton, 8 miles south-west of Horsham, has been recently loaned to the National Museum of Victoria by Mrs. J. Hannan of Horsham. The specimen was kindly made available by Dr. A. W. Beasley, Curator of Minerals at the Museum, for investigation.
It measures 50:5 mm. by 49 mm. and is 30:5 mm. deep. Its weight is 115-92 pu and the specific gravity, determined in distilled water at T =12-5° C., is 2-429. The adius of curvature of the rear surface (Ra) is 89 mm., that of the front surface (Rr) is 45:5 mm.
Both the posterior and the anterior surfaces reveal a number of relatively shallow, circular to semi-circular etch marks 2 mm. to 5 mm. in diameter and resembling the “ hófchen " and “© tischschen '' structures encountered on the surfaces of some specimens of the billitonites ( = tektites found on the Island of Billiton). The specimen reveals a marked flaked equatorial zone (ef. Baker, 19404) that is sharply delineated from the posterior surface by a strongly defined rim, but which grades less perceptibly, without so abrupt a change, into the anterior surface.
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
PEATE E
Т1
72
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
PLATE ДИК
3
7
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL
III.
PLATE
74
AUSTRALITES FROM
PLATE IV.
NURRABIEL
AUSTRALITES FROM NURRABIEL TS
PLATE V.
MEM. NAT. MUS. VICT. 26—1963 77
REVISION OF THE GENUS MACROTRISTRIA STÀL (CICADIDAE-HOMOPTERA-HEMIPTERA) WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES.
A. N. Burns, Assistant Director, National Museum of Victoria.
ABSTRACT.
This genus which until now contained 16 species was erected by Stal in 1870, and until 1900 included three species only. Thirteen more were added between the years 1901 and 1914. So far as is at present known, the genus is purely Australasian, all species coming from the mainland and closely adjacent islands with exception of Tasmania. Most of the species are tropical or sub-tropical, one only being found as far south as Sydney and the far north-west of Victoria. All the species are either large or fairly large in size, M. angularis (Germ.) being the largest with a total wingspan of 175 mm. (5 inches), and M. vulpina Ashton the smallest with total wingspan of 65 mm. (app. 23 inches). All the species are showy insects—which occur during the summer months and inhabit open bushland or savannah forests, Within the genus the species fall into three groups as follows:—
(a) those with infuscation bordering cross veins and terminal branches of veins in forewings,
(b) infuscation bordering cross veins and with a spot at the end of each terminal branch,
(c) no infuscation at all.
Descriptions of six new species are given in this paper, two unfortunately being from single specimens only both of which are females; they are however
quite distinct.
INTRODUCTION.
The distribution of species of Macrotristria is interesting, and ranges over varying types of country, especially in the tropical portions of the Continent where most species occur mainly in areas of rainfall of 50 inches and less. By far the most widely distributed and common species is M. angularis (Germ.) which ranges from the Mildura-Irymple area in Victoria, (the only area in that State where it is known to occur), New South Wales from a little south of Sydney to the Atherton tableland in North Queensland. Most of the other species are very much more restrieted in their range of distribution, several are known only from very few specimens and single localities, All the species have a similar superficial appearance although the range and degree of colouration is very variable, All like to rest fairly high up in large trees and the song of the species of which I have records is loud, shrilling and audible at a considerable distance. Quite a number of species inhabit the dry interior and drier parts of the tropical north and north-west of the Continent, and even in these areas where similar conditions exist over very large
78 REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
areas, are apparently fairly local. This really has yet to be proved because so little systematic collecting of these insects has been done in the more remote parts of the centre and north-west. Normally these are not easy insects to collect as they keep high up in the trees and so elude « capture. To the known list of 16 species six more are now added, which are deseribed and figured in this paper.
SUMMARY OF EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY.
Large to medium sized insects in which the sexes are very similar in appearance. Body robust and fairly long, its length averaging 2] times its width. Width of head equal to length of pro. and 5 wider or equal to but not less than width of pronotum. Length of the latter equal to the portion of the mesonotum from its anterior margin to the proximal margin of the cruciform elevation. Pronotum with three sulci on either side of midline, its lateral margins with an anterior lobe. Head and thorax not strongly ве ulptured, in most species either smooth or slightly *' marbled” ‚ Slighly vermiculate in a few. Frons strongly convex, length exceeding twice its width; rostrum extending as far as the anterior margin of the posterior coxae. Ocelli closely or fairly closely grouped, но ocellus in line with or in front of anterior margin of eyes. Anterior wings three times as long as broad, approximately one and a quarter times body length. Length of posterior wings more than half that of anterior. Front femora only fairly strongly developed and with two large spines and a third very small spine or tubercle; posterior tibiae with five spines, two exteriorly, three interiorly. Cruciform elevation fairly strongly developed, the boundaries of the apex forming either a square or slight rectangle. Opereula at least reaching posterior margin of first abdominal segment beneath, may overlap slightly or have their inner margins close together but never widely separated. Opereular basal spine triangular and well developed, normally directed backwards and slightly outwards. The colour range of species in the genus is fairly wide, the ground colour usually being some shade of light or blackish brown, yellow or greenish ; the head and thorax may be patterned with darker markings or be unmarked excepting for fasciae bordering the ocelli.
KEY TO THE SPECIES OF MACROTRISTRIA.
ЈЕ Anterior wings with infuscation bordering all or some of cross veins and terminal branches of main veins, head wider than pronotum, opercula (males) extending only to posterior margin of first abdominal segment "m fa 5 T 4 2
3. (1)
4. (1)
5. (1)
9. (8)
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE) 79
Frons reddish-brown with a yellow spot on vertex; cruciform elevation reddish-brown, its anterior arms curving inwards in a semi-circle, opercula brownish-black darkening towards base, their external angles openly rounded, internal angles acutely so — .. angularis.
Froas with more than one yellow spot on vertex; cruciform elevation not reddish-brown, anterior arms of latter curving inwards more openly than in a semi-circle; opercula not brownish-black .. 3
Frons deep black and with two small dark-yellow spots on vertex; cruciform elevation orange- brown; opercula yellowish-brown, basally black, their external angles rounded at about 90 degrees, internal about 70 degrees : А .. maculicollis.
Frons not deep black, cruciform elevation not orange-brown; opercula silvery pubescent and only yellowish-brown at base, their external angles obtuse, internal sharply rounded = Ф о dii
Frons dark brownish-black, cruciform elevation dark yellow with brown central marking, anterior arms slightly longer than posterior and almost straight; opercula yellowish-brown, silvery pubescent, their external angles obtuse, internal acutely rounded „+ Julhern.
Frons and cruciform elevation lighter in colour, opercula not unicolorous, their external angles not obtuse А. "ES
Frons light chestnut-brown; cruciform elevation yellowish-brown lined yellow dorsally; opercula yellowish, dark brown basally, their external angles openly and evenly rounded, internal evenly so ..
occidentalis.
Frons and cruciform elevation not light coloured; pseudopercula (female) not yellowish .. ES Me +H „Жы;
Frons blackish-brown; cruciform elevation blackish-brown anteriorly, reddish-brown posteriorly; pseudopercula (female) blackish-brown with external margins yellowish-brown .. manda, sp. nov.
Frons and cruciform elevation not blackish-brown; pseudopercula (female) lighter in colour and graded Л 7
Frons and cruciform elevation reddish-brown; pseudopercula dark brown grading to yellowish-brown basally .. kabikabia, sp. nov. Anterior wings with infuscation bordering all or some of cross veins, terminal branches of main veins with a small infuscate spot adjoining ambient vein .. T p T uh» aie
Frons reddish-brown; cruciform elevation yellowish-brown; opercula dark reddish-brown, silvery pubescent, their external angles openly rounded, internal acutely so ud thophoides.
Frons similar but darker in colour and marked; cruciform elevation not yellowish-brown; opercula with external angles more than openly rounded Me X z pa e
Frons dark reddish-brown with a yellowish-brown marking down front; cruciform elevation dark reddish-brown; opercula dark reddish- brown, silvery pubescent, their external angles obtusely rounded, internal acutely so М hieroglyphica.
Cruciform elevation and opercula not dark reddish-brown 10
80
10. (8)
11. (8)
12. (8)
13. (8)
14.
15. (14)
16. (14)
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
Frons dark reddish-brown, yellowish at junction with clypeus; cruciform elevation yellowish, it posterior arms longer than anterior; opercula black, may be yellowish near external margins, their external angles widely obtuse, internal acutely rounded К; .. godingi.
Cruciform elevation not yellowish, its posterior arms shorter than anterior ‚> " T pe ха ou
Frons reddish-brown with a central black marking on vertex; cruciform elevation cinnamon-brown, its anterior arms slightly longer than posterior - ets м St .. nigronervosa.
Frons slightly darker in colour and without a black marking on vertex; cruciform elevation not cinnamon-brown К 1 b
Frons dark reddish-brown with a yellow patch on vertex; cruciform elevation yellowish-brown; opercula yellow, silvery pubescent, their external angles openly rounded, interior acutely so „ Roddi.
Frons not dark reddish-brown; cruciform elevation not yellowish-brown; opercula not yellow 37 * — 9 ли к]
Frons green on vertex, middle front black, sides tinged brownish; cruciform elevation yellowish-green; орегсша yellowish-green, silvery pubescent, their external angles about 90 degrees, internal evenly rounded s - £: ИЗ .. Sylvara.
Anterior wings without infuscation bordering cross veins; terminal branches of main veins without infuscation or infuscate spots .. 14
Frons and cruciform elevation reddish-brown; posterior arms of the latter slightly paler; opercula pale reddish-brown, silvery pubescent, their external angles obtusely open, internal very acute .. aa
nigrosignata.
Frons not reddish-brown; opercula not pale reddish-brown, their internal angles not very acute d E y AS
Frons yellowish-brown; cruciform elevation pale yellowish-brown suffused pinkish, its posterior arms longer than anterior; opercula brownish-black, lighter near external margins, silvery pubescent, their external angles openly obtuse, internal rounded about 90 degrees A * a 25 .. frenchi.
Cruciform elevation not pale yellowish-brown its anterior arms slightly longer than posterior; opercula not brownish-black, their external angles not obtuse * m ie ve 1б
Frons and cruciform elevation yellowish-brown, anterior arms of latter slightly longer than posterior; opercula pale yellowish, minutely pustulate, their external angles about 90 degrees, internal fairly evenly rounded s < Jg oc .. extrema.
Frons and cruciform elevation not yellowish-brown; opercula not unicolorous nor pustulate .. ad 285 2 TNT
17. (14)
18. (14)
19. (14)
20. (14)
21. (14)
22. (14)
23. (14)
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE) 81
Frons and cruciform elevation dark chocolate-brown; anterior arms of the latter longer than posterior; opercula yellowish, chocolate- brown near basal spine, their external angles about 90 degrees, internal semi-circular T 345 "E. .. vulpina.
Frons and cruciform elevation not dark chocolate brown, arms of latter not of unequal length; opercula with their external angles greater than 90 degrees and internal not semi-circular А 35 i
Frons and cruciform elevation yellowish-green or pale yellowish-brown, arms of latter equal in length, opercula pale yellowish-brown, their internal angles very openly obtuse, internal acutely rounded
dorsalis.
Arms of cruciform elevation not of equal length; internal angles of opercula not obtuse T. >. ii td Soto
Frons and cruciform elevation greenish-yellow; arms of latter short, posterior slightly longer than anterior; opercula yellow, minutely punctate, their external angles openly and gently rounded, internal acutely so * jt > .. kulungura sp. nov.
Frons partly greenish-yellow only; cruciform elevation not greenish- yellow; opercula not entirely pale yellow, their external angles not openly rounded .. 5 15. “ T 2820
Frons yellowish-green, its transverse ridges frontally marked with black; cruciform elevation yellowish-brown, its posterior arms slightly longer than anterior; opercula pale yellow, basally dark brownish- black, their external angles about 90 degrees, internal sharply rounded .. T T. pe .. bindalia sp. nov.
Frons not yellowish-green; cruciform elevation not greenish-yellow or unicolorous; opercula not unicolorous T Ж. Le eb
Frons light reddish-brown; cruciform elevation yellowish becoming reddish at extremities of arms; opercula with inner halves black and outer yellowish, their external angles rounded at about 90 degrees, internal acutely but evenly rounded .. douglasi sp. nov.
Frons not entirely pale reddish-brown; cruciform elevation not yellowish; opercula unicolorous .. m * 22
Frons pale reddish-brown, darker on vertex; cruciform elevation dark chocolate brown, its anterior arms longer than posterior; opercula pale yellow, their external angles about 90 degrees, internal rounded ac Ў. ^ ама .. worora sp. nov.
Frons not reddish-brown; cruciform elevation not dark coloured, its anterior arms not longer than posterior; opercula not unicolorous, their internal angles not equally rounded .. 22 x UE
Frons yellowish, transverse ridges marked with black on either side of mid-line; cruciform elevation pale yellowish-brown, its posterior arms longer than anterior; opercula pale yellowish, dark brownish-black basally, their external angles openly and gradually rounded, internal acutely so sà ва .. intersecta.
339/63.—6
82 REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
Macrotristria angularis (Germar). Cicada angularis Germar, 1834. in Silb. *Rev. Ent." 2: 68. Fidicina angularis Walker, 1850, “ List. Hom. Br. Mus.": 78. Cicada angularis Stal, 1858, “ Eugenies Resa." 4: 269. Macrotristria angularis Stal, 1870, “ Ofv. Vet.-Ak. Forh.": 714. Macrotristria angularis Froggatt, 1895, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S,W.: 529. Macrotristria angularis Froggatt, 1903, Agric. Gaz. N.S.W. 14: 418, fig. 1. Macrotristria angularis Froggatt, 1903, “ Misc, Public. No. 643”: 8, pl. 2, fig. 1. Cicada angularis Goding and Froggatt, 1904, Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S.W. 29: 580. Macrotristria angularis Distant, 1906, * Syn. Cat. Hom." 1: 31. Macrotristria angularis Froggatt, 1907, “ Australian Insects": 350, fig. 157. Macrotristria angularis Ashton, 1914, Trans roy. Soc. S. Aust. 38: 347. Macrotristria angularis Ashton, 1921, Proc. roy. Soc. Vict, (N.S.) 33: 99. Macrotristria anguiaris Tillyard, 1926, " Insects of Australia and New Zealand ": 162. Macrotristria angularis McKeown, 1942, “ Australian Insects": 98.
This is the largest and one of the first species included in the genus. Around Sydney it is commonly called “ Fiddler ” on account of the resemblance of its song to the rise and fall of loud notes of a fiddle. Another reason for that name may have arisen from its habit of sometimes moving its forelegs backwards and forwards as if using a fiddle bow. It is also sometimes referred to as “ Cherry Nose" on account of the reddish colour of the frons. It has a wide range of distribution, could be regarded as the commonest species in the genus, and, with M. hillieri is the only representative of Macrotristria so far recorded from Victoria. It is particularly abundant along a wide coastal strip from Sydney to Brisbane, and its range extends as far north as the Cairns and Atherton tableland districts of North Queensland. Over this wide range it has developed slight colour changes; the typical form (described below) ranges from Sydney to Brisbane. "Victorian specimens (Irymple-Mildura district only) have a slightly “ blacker " appearance due to the darker infuscation bordering the cross and terminal veins in the anterior wings and the paler (creamy-yellow) spots on the head and thorax. Specimens from Mackay and North Queensland on the other hand are considerably paler in colour being brownish-black with larger and sometimes coalescing yellow spots on the head and thorax, and lighter infuscation bordering the cross and terminal veins in the anterior wings. It usually frequents high trees. Average body length, males (10) 45:7 mm., + 1:5 — 3:7; females (12) 46:4 mm.; + 3-6 mm. — 4:4 mm. Head black, almost smooth, with an orange transverse frontal band from eyes to frons, a triangular orange spot on vertex of frons, and a large similar spot adjoining each eye; a fine sulcus on either side of ocelli and medianaily from anterior ocellus to posterior margin. Frons reddish brown, openly grooved medianally from vertical angle to clypeus, transverse ridges normally 14-15 in number. Ocellj pinkish orange vitreous, not equidistant, anterior slightly in front of eyes. Genae dull black or brownish black, lightly golden pubescent, exterior margins carinate and sometimes marked with orange below eyes. Antennae black; clypeus dark brownish black, keeled medianally, half length of frons; labrum shining brownish black, sides planate; labium black, reaching posterior margin of middle сохае, Eyes opalescent brownish black.
Thorax average width, males, 17-5 mm., females 18:9 mm. Pronotum black, almost smooth, three open sulci on either side of midline; median elongate orange spot with a smaller one (sometimes joined) adjoining posterior marginal
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE) 83
band, another orange spot on either side between first and second sulci; posterior marginal band wide, reddish brown or black, without markings, transversely striate; anterior margin dark yellow finely edged black, and with a distinct anterior lobe. Mesonotum black with an elongate orange spot on either side of midline and a more elongate similar spot just above lateral margins. Cruciform elevation reddish brown with anterior arms black from posterior margin of anterior depression. The latter often with a small, trilobed, dull orange spot. Metanotum dull black tinged orange laterally. Wings, anterior, average length, male, 53-5 mm., width 17-9 mm.; females 55-4 mm., 16-7 mm. Clear vitreous, veins yellowish brown, excepting costal which is black. Cross veins from R3 to КА + 5, RA + 5 to М1, M2 to МЗ, М4 to CUla and CU1 to CU2 bordered black or blackish brown infuscation; also terminal branches of R3, R4 + 5, M1, M2, M3, M4, CU12, ambient vein from CU2 to terminal of R2, and portions of R4 + 5 and M1 between junctions of cross veins. Legs dark brownish black, anterior tibiae and tarsi black, anterior femora with 3 spines, anterior at halfway, second near distal, third and smallest almost at distal Posterior tibiae with five spines, two on outer, three on inner margins; the first on outer at halfway, second near distal; first on inner margin opposite first on outer, second slightly less than half-way to distal, third half-way between second of outer and distal. Underside of thorax dull brownish black, silvery pubescent, prosternum yellowish laterally. Abdomen black, lightly invested with brown pubescence. Opercula brownish black gradually blackening towards base; left (seen from ventral) sometimes slightly overlapping right, external angles openly rounded, internal sharply curved, basal spine short, brownish black. Underside of abdomen dark brownish or brownish black, brown pubescence thickest along intersegmental margins and junction of tergites and sternites.
Type: ?
Macrotristria maculicollis Ashton
Macrotristria maculicollis Ashton, 1914, Trans. roy. Soc. S.Aust. 38: 347, pl. 12, fig. 1. Macrotristria maculicollis Ashton, 1921, Proc. roy. Soc. Vict. (N.S.) 33: 102.
This species in general appearance is very similar in colouration to the preceding, but may be at once separated by the four large yellowish spots on the posterior marginal band of the pronotum, its slightly smaller size, and the black frons with one large and two minute yellowish spots on its vertex. I have been able to examine three specimens опу-—(14 277) all are from Dalby in Southern Queensland which may indicate that its distribution is local. These specimens were taken by Mrs. F. H. Hobler a niece of the late W. B. Barnard of Lepidoptera fame, at Toowoomba, Queensland.
Body length, male, 40:5 mm., female (average 2 specimens) 40:25 mm. Head wider than pronotum, deep black, almost smooth, an irregular shaped broad dark yellow band across front from each eye to posterior margin of frons, another large and two minute similar spots оп vertex of frons; a shallow median groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin, and a shallow open groove on either side of ocelli. Frons deep black, with a wide median groove from vertical angle almost to clypeus, transverse ridges normally 15-16. Ocelli pale pinkish vitreous, not equidistant; two posterior separated about one and a half times distance anterior and each posterior, anterior in front of line of eyes. Genae pale yellowish brown with black central patch, silvery pubescent, margin strongly carinate, Antennae black, Clypeus black, silvery pubescent, sharply keeled medianally ; labrum dark brown anteriorly, sides black, planate, grooved medianally; labium black, also grooved, almost reaching posterior
84 REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
margins of hind coxae. Eyes opalescent dark reddish brown. Thorax, width, male, 15-0 mm., female, 15-7 mm., black with dark yellow markings, Pronotum with three sulci on either side of midline, finely and openly sculptured; a dark yellow elongate spot crossing the inner sulcus on each side of median, posterior marginal band very wide, finely striate transversely, two elongate dark yellow dorsal spots and another smaller rectangular spot near each lateral margin; the latter black, carinate, with an openly rounded anterior lobe. Mesonotum black, smooth, two small dark yellow spots close together on mid-dorsal; on each side of these two larger elongate similar spots, one on dorsal the other near the lateral margin which is golden pubescent. Cruciform elevation not large, orange brown with ends of anterior arms black. Metanotum dark brown lined black, Wings, anterior, length, male, 50-0 mm., width 17-0 mm.; female 48.5 mm., 16:5 mm. Clear vitreous with veins dark brown excepting radial which is yellowish brown; cross veins from R3 to Cula and terminals of all veins from these finely margined with translucent dark brown giving a thickened appearance. Posterior, length, male, 27:5 mm., width, 15:5 mm.; female, 18.5 mm., 16:25 mm.; clear vitreous, veins pale yellowish brown excepting 2A and 3A which are brown, margined pale yellowish brown. Legs with femora dark brown, tibiae and tarsi darker. Anterior femora with two large and one very small spine, anterior just before half-way, second near distal, third at distal. Posterior tibiae with five spines, two externally and three internally; first exterior at half-way, second near distal; first interior at one-third, second two-thirds, third almost at distal. Underside of thorax yellow, silvery pubescent, black round coxal insertions and near lateral margins. Abdomen black, smooth, with very light scattered silvery pubescence. Opercula yellowish brown with basal portions black, transversely striate; inner margin of left (seen from ventral) overlapping that of right; internal angles rounded at about 70 degrees, external openly rounded at about 90 degrees. A short pale yellowish brown triangular shaped spine at base of each operculum. Underside of abdomen brown (paler in female) with pale golden pubescence near and on lateral margins of sternites.
It is likely that the song of this cicada is loud and penetrating like that of M. angularis, and that it, too, inhabits tall trees.
Cotypes: 14 Aust, Mus.; 277 S.A. Mus,
Macrotristria hillieri Distant. Macrotristria hillieri Distant, 1907, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (7) 20: 413. Macrotristria hillieri Ashton, 1914, Trans. roy. Soe. S. Aust., 38: 347. Macrotristria hillieri Ashton, 1921, Proc. roy. Soc. Vict. (N.S.) 33: 102.
This is a species of the drier interior and coastal parts of Western Australia where the rainfall probably does not exceed 20 inches. It extends over a wide area though it appears to be rather local in habitat. The majority of the specimens examined have come from the region of Alice Springs-Hermannsburg area; other localities include Mildura, Victoria; Carnarvon, W.A.; Roeburne, W.A.; Charlotte Waters, N.T.; and Flinders Ranges, S.A. It's general colouration is dark chocolate brown with a few fine yellow markings on the head and thorax; in general appearance and size it resembles another dry country species, M. occidentalis Dist. Body length. male, average (14) 32:3 mm., + 2-2 mm., — 2:3 mm.; female (9) 32:3 mm. + 4:2 mm., —1:8 mm. Head blackish or dark chocolate brown, longitudinally striate, considerably wider than pronotum; a narrow yellow frontal band from eyes to frons which is keeled
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE) 85
and narrowly marked yellow at the vertical angle; a small yellow median depressed spot posterior to ocelli, and a smaller similar spot alongside each lateral ocellus; posterior margin with an irregular yellowish marking on either side of mid-line; frons dark brownish black with transverse ridges clearly defined and interstitial grooves silvery pubescent; front below vertical angle almost planate; transverse ridges normally 13-14 in number. Ocelli not quite equidistant, dark golden or pale orange vitreous; anterior well in front of line of eyes. Genae black, densely silvery pubescent, margins yellow, carinate. Antennae with two basal segments dark brownish, others (3) yellowish. Clypeus dark brownish black; silvery pubescent; keeled medianally, slightly more than half length of frons; labrum yellowish, grooved medianally; labium brownish black, grooved as labrum, reaching anterior margin of posterior coxae. Eyes brownish opalescent.
Thorax, average width 13-8 mm.; brownish black or dark chocolate brown, with yellow and lighter brown markings. Pronotum with three sharply cut sulci on either side of midline, raised areas between openly sculptured, depressions with silvery pubescence; an elongate narrow, median yellow marking and lighter brown obscure patches dorso—laterally; posterior marginal band fairly wide, transversely striate; a small yellow median spot on its anterior margin; posterior margin widely lined yellow which extends round laterally to near margins where it widens; anterior portion of lateral margin yellow, slightly lobed. Mesonotum slightly paler than pronotum, almost smooth; depressed areas silvery pubescent; lateral margin yellow, carinate. Cruciform elevation well developed, dark yellow with dark brown central marking, anterior arms longer than posterior Metanotum dark brownish black; finely lined yellow dorsolaterally. Wings, anterior, average length, male, 44-4 mm., width, 14-1 mm.; female 44:1 mm., 14-2 mm.; clear vitreous with veins C, R, M, M1 (to stigma beyond first branch) M3 and CUI (to first forks) yellow; SC, ambient, and remaining portions of all other veins dark brown; cross veins from R3 to CUla infuscated translucent brown. Posterior, average length, male, 26-6 mm,, width, 12-5 mm., female, 25-9 mm., 13:0 mm., clear vitreous with veins RS, M, (to first branch) ambient, 2A and 3A dark brown, remainder yellow; 2A and 3A margined translucent fuscous. Legs dark brown, finely silvery pubescent, marked with yellow at joints, anterior femora, and tarsi. Anterior femora with 2 large and 1 very small spines, anterior almost at half-way, second three quarters, third distally at base of second. Posterior tibiae with five spines, two exteriorly, three interiorly; the first exterior just before half-way, second near distal; first interior at half-way, second at three-quarters, third just beyond second exterior. Underside of thorax brown, thickly silvery pubescent. Abdomen dark brown or chocolate, last two segments floculent whitish, other segments finely golden pubescent. Opercula yellowish brown, whitely pubescent, fairly widely separated; their external angles obtuse, internal sharply rounded. Underside of abdomen brownish, junctions of tergites and sternites with white floculence; basal margins of segments widely yellowish, silvery pubescent.
Type: British Museum.
Macrotristria occidentalis Distant.
Macrotrisiria occidentalis Distant, 1912, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist, (8) 10: 438. Macrotristria occidentalis Ashton, 1914, Trans, roy. Soc. S.Aust., 38: 348. Macrotristria occidentalis Ashton, 1921, Proc. roy. Soc. Vict. (N. S.) 33: 102.
This dry country Western Australian species is apparently not well represented in collections; in all I have been able to examine only five males
86 REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
and two females. 'The following description of the male has been made from a specimen in the collection of the Western Australian Museum and which has been labelled accordingly. It is from Waddi Forest and bears the indentification number 41—249 16. All the specimens have been collected in an area bounded by Mullewa (near Geraldton) in the north, Mt. Jackson in the south, and Dedari in the east., Although I have examined much cicada material from the north-west and centre, no specimen of M. occidentalis has been included from those areas. Unfortunately none of the specimens bears a date of capture, but it is safe to assume that it is a late spring and early summer species. In Distant's original description (1912 (b)) he adds the following footnote: "I have only seen the female sex of this species which may be placed near M. hillieri Distant. Habitat: Southern Cross, W.A., H. Brown (Brit. Mus.). Body length male, average (5) 28-0 mm., + 2:0 mm., — 2-0 mm.; female, average (2) 27-7 mm. + 0:8 mm. — 0-7 mm. Head, including frons, chestnut brown; openly ridged longitudinally; a yellow frontal band, widest near eyes, to frons and extending round posterior margin of the latter as a fine line, and an obscure yellow patch near each eye bordering posterior margin. An open median groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin. Ocelli pinkish brown; vitreous, the distance between anterior and each posterior half that between the two latter; anterior in line with front margin of eyes. Frons light chestnut brown, prominent]y rounded; openly grooved at vertical angle; transverse ridges well defined, 14-16 in number, interstitial grooves silvery pubescent. Genae yellowish brown, evenly silvery pubescent; external margins strongly carinate. Antennae chestnut brown; clypeus chestnut brown, silvery pubescent, sharply keeled; labrum yellowish brown, grooved medianally, sides planate and shining; labium yellowish, tipped brownish, reaching anterior margin of posterior coxae. Eyes opalescent brown.
Thorax, average width, male, 11:8 mm., female 11:5 mm.; chestnut brown, almost devoid of markings. Pronotum sculptured; three deep sulci on either side of mid-line, raised areas between first and second and outer sulcus slightly paler in colour; posterior marginal band fairly wide, yellowish, bordered anteriorly chestnut brown. Laterai margin of pronotum yellow anteriorly and slightly lobed. Mesonotum light brown with darker brown median patch from anterior margin narrowing to cruciform elevation; in this patch a fine yellow line on either side of median curving inwards and reaching mid dorsal. Upper lateral margin thickly silvery pubescent; lower, yellow, carinate. Cruciform elevation yellowish brown, anterior arms longer than posterior. Metanotum chestnut brown, lined yellow dorsally. Wings, anterior, male, average length, 39-4 mm., width, 13-3 mm., female, 39:25 mm., 12.75 mm.; clear vitreous; costal, Sc, R, and CU2 yellow, all others chestnut brown. Cross veins from R2 to CUla bordered translucent brown, also terminal branches of veins R2 to CUla. Posterior, male, average length, 23-3 mm., width, 11-3 mm.; female, 22-7 mm., 10-2 mm.; clear vitreous; veins RS and M to first branches, ЗА and ambient, brown, others yellowish; 2A and 3A widely margined translucent brownish white. Legs pale brown: coxae and femora finely silvery pubescent; anterior femora with two large and one very small spines, anterior just before half-way, second almost at distal, third and smallest at base of second. Posterior tibiae with five spines, two exteriorly, three interiorly; first exterior almost at half-way, second mid-way between second and third interior; first interior opposite first exterior, second at two-thirds, third close to distal. Underside of thorax light brown, silvery pubescent. Abdomen brown wiih wide transverse dark brown median area on each segment; silvery pubescent along intersegmental margins. Opercula not very large, yellowish, widely dark brown at base; interior
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE) 87
margins fairly widely separated, external angles openly and evenly rounded, internal evenly rounded. Underside of abdomen chestnut brown, a wide transverse yellowish median area on each segment; thickly silvery pubescent near and at junctions of tergites and sternites.
Type: Brit, Mus.
Macrotristria nanda sp. nov.
This large and dark coloured species resembles the female of M. angularis (Germar) in size and shape. It is labelled Murchison River district, N. W. Australia, February, 1902. Unfortunately I have not been able to examine a male of this fine species. It is named nanda after the aborignal tribe that inhabited the area near the mouth of the Murchison river. Body length, 42-0 mm. Head equal in width to pronotum; openly striate longitudinally; blackish brown (including frons), a transverse narrow frontal reddish yellow band from either side of frons to half-way to eyes, a small reddish brown patch adjoining posterior margin near each eye; vertex of frons with a sharp groove, another open groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin; ocelli reddish vitreous, closely grouped, distance between two lateral almost twice that between anterior and each lateral. Frons prominent, medianaly grooved from near vertical angle to clypeus. Transverse ridges fairly clearly defined; twelve in number; sparsely golden pubescent. Genae black, golden pubescent; exterior margins widely reddish brown; carinate. Clypeus black, finely golden pubescent; sharply keeled medianally, lateral margins lined reddish brown. Labrum reddish brown, grooved medianally, sides planate; labium (not entire in specimen) dark reddish brown, reaching anterior margin of posterior coxae. Eyes opalescent dark reddish brown. Thorax, width, 19 mm., blackish brown, pronotum scupltured; three sulci on either side of midline; a median longitudinal narrow reddish brown marking from anterior almost to posterior margin; depressed areas slightly golden pubescent. Transverse lateral band fairly wide, transversely striate; posterior margin narrowly yellowish brown, lateral margin lobed anteriorly. Mesonotum blackish brown very finely punctate; an inwardly curving very fine groove on either side of midline from anterior margin to half-way; exterior to this on each side, a slightly paler dorso-lateral patch; upper lateral margin reddish brown anteriorly. Cruciform elevation fairly strongly developed, anterior arms blackish brown, apex and posterior arms reddish brown; depression golden pubescent; area between each posterior and anterior arm transversely striate. Lower margin of mesonotum reddish brown, carinate. Metanotum reddish brown. Wings, anterior length, 56-0 mm., width 20-0 mm.; clear vitreous with costal, terminal branches of other veins, and ambient dark brown; subcostal, radial and other veins to ends of main cells, and basal cell, yellowish brown, external veins of basal celi, black. Posterior, length, 33-0 mm., width 15-0 mm.; clear vitreous with ambient, veins 2A and 3A dark brown, others yellowish brown; 3A widely margined translucent pinkish brown. Legs blackish brown, very sparsely golden pubescent. Anterior femora with two large spines and two minute tuberculate spines; anterior spine not quite at half-way, second at three-quarters; the first of the two minute tuberculate spines near base of second large spine, the second half-way to distal. Posterior femora with six spines, two exteriorly, four interiorly; first exterior at half-way, second three-quarters; first interior opposite first exterior, second close to first, third almost opposite second exterior, fourth midway to distal. Underside of thorax blackish brown. Abdomen uniformly blackish brown, fairly golden pubescent along inter-segmental margin. Pseudopercula (9) blackish brown
88 REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
with exterior margins yellowish brown; basal spines dark brownish black tipped reddish brown, situated at base of posterior coxae. Underside of abdomen blackish brown; very lightly golden pubescent.
Type: S.A. Mus. (Murchison River district, N.W. Australia, February, 1902.)
Macrotristria habikabia sp. nov.
This interesting specimen was included amongst cicada material kindly loaned to me for study from the University of Queensland. At first glance it resembled a diminutive female of M. angularis (Germar), but closer inspection revealed it as being quite distinct from any other species of Macrotristria I have studied. It is labelled " Yabba—6.12.47, A. C. Arvier ", and confirmation of this data from Dr. T. Woodward, Department of Entomology, University of Queensland, reveals that it should read “ Yabba Creek " which embraces an area near Imbil in the Gympie district. As the specimen is quite distinct from any other known Macrotristria, it is named M. kabikabia after the tribal name (Kabi Kabi) of aborigines which lived in that area, Body length, 37-5 mm.; head considerably wider than pronotum, smooth; reddish brown, blackish on vertex and posterior to frons; behind each eye, a creamy yellow spot in the black area on each side of anterior ocellus; exterior to each lateral ocellus two small similar spots, and a medium creamy yellow groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin; on each side near the posterior margin another larger creamy yellow patch. Area behind eyes and extending across posterior margin silvery pubescent. Ocelli fairly closely grouped; pinkish vitreous; anterior in front of line of anterior margin of eyes. Frons reddish brown, slightly darker on ridges and median groove; transverse ridges twelve in number, ciearly defined; interstitial grooves silvery pubescent near lateral margins excepting middle one where the pubescence extends half-way across front. Genae black, almost completely obscured with silvery white pubescence; external margins pale yellow, carinate; clypeus brownish black, sharply keeled, silvery pubescent, not quite half as long as frons; labrum brown, shining; paler near clypeus, grooved medianally, sides planate; labium black, grooved as labrum, extending just beyond anterior margin of posterior coxae. Antennae (last two joints missing) dark brownish black. Eyes opalescent reddish brown. Thorax, width 14-0 mm. Pronotum smooth, reddish brown anteriorly, yellowish brown posteriorly; three sulci on either side of midline, black in depressions and black spots in raised areas between sulci; a medium dorsal black marking from anterior to posterior margins enclosing an elongate yellowish linear marking; posterior marginal band wide, yellowish, transversely striate; blackish along anterior border, the black extending as a band across to the posterior border near lateral margins. Lateral margins of pronotum blackish, carinaie, weakly lobed anteriorly. Mesonotum smooth, yellowish brown; on either side of midline a triangular black marking from anterior margin almost to half-way; exterior to each of these another larger triangular dorso-lateral black marking from anterior margin to anterior arms of cruciform elevation; the latter weakly developed, reddish brown; anterior arms longer than posterior; anterior depression black with a yellowish spot; all these depressions silvery pubescent. Upper lateral margin of mesonotum blackish, silvery pubescent; lower as upper. Metanotum brownish black. Wings, anterior, length, 48:0 mm., width, 14-5 mm.; clear vitreous with all veins brown excepting subcostal and radial which are yellow. Cross veins from R3 — R4 + 5, R4 + 5 —M1, M2, — МЗ, МА — CU1a, and terminal arms of veins R3 to CUla bordered translucent brown; basal cell dark brown; membrane from 1A to body pinkish, Posterior, length, 26-0 mm., width, 12-0 mm.; clear vitreous with
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE) 89
veins yellowish, ambient pale brown, basal third of RS, M, CU1, CU2 and entire length of 2A and 3A edged translucent brown, the two latter margined pinkish. Legs dark brown, finely pubescent; anterior femora with two large and one very small spines, anterior just before half-way, second three-quarters, third and smallest nearer base of second than distal. Posterior tibiae with five spines, two externally, three internally; first exterior about one-third, second three- quarters; first interior half-way, second two-thirds, third close to distal. Underside of thorax yellowish; silvery pubescent. Abdomen dark brownish black; finely golden pubescent along anterior margins of segments. Underside dark brownish black; segments 2-6 inclusive lighter brown mid-ventrally, lateral parts of segments and junctions of tergites and sternites densely silvery pubescent,
Type: Queensland Museum. (Yabba, 6.12.47, A. C. Arvier.)
Macrotristria thophoides Ashton. Macrotristria thophoides Ashton, 1914, Proc roy, Soc. Viet. (N.S.) 27: 13, pl. 2, fig. 1, a. Macrotristria thophoides Ashton, 1921, Proc, roy. Soc. Vict. (N. S.) 332.99.
This large and interesting West Australian species bears a superficial resemblance to M. hieroglyphica (G. & F.) from which it may easily be separated by the infuscation bordering four of the cross veins in the anterior wings, its larger size, and the more reddish colour of the head and frons, I have been privileged to examine the type female from the Australian Museum collection and the single male in the S.A. Museum collection. Description of the male was made from this specimen which has been labelled accordingly. Neither of these specimens bears a date, they were collected at Norseman and Cue, Western Australia, respectively, by the late H. W. Brown. No data seems to be available regarding the habits or time of appearance of this cicada. Body length, male, 38-0 mm., female, 41:0 mm. Head slightly wider that pronotum, smooth; reddish brown (including frons) finely silvery pubescent in depressions; an angular median groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin, and exterior to each lateral ocellus a weak sulcus. Ocelli pinkish brown vitreous, closely grouped, not equidistant; anterior ocellus in line with front margin of eyes. Frons reddish brown, prominent, an extremely shallow and open groove from vertical angle almost to clypeus; transverse ridges 15 in number, clearly defined; interstitial grooves silvery pubescent towards and at lateral margins of frons. Genae reddish brown, densely silvery pubescent; exterior margins sharply carinate. Antennae reddish brown. Clypeus reddish brown; sharply keeled, sides planate; silvery pubescent. Labrum reddish brown in front, grooved medianally; sides yellowish brown, planate, silvery pubescent. Labium pale yellowish brown, grooved as labrum; reaching middle of posterior coxae. Eyes opalescent reddish brown. Thorax, width, male 15:0 mm., female, 17:5 mm.; pronotum dark yellowish brown, finely sculptured on areas between sulci; three sulci on either side of midline, blackish in grooves and silvery pubescent ; a narrow elongate median area enclosed with a fine brownish line which expands into a small patch at anterior and posterior margins; posterior marginal band wide, yellowish brown, finely transversely striate; lateral margins of pronotum yellowish brown, black anteriorly. Mesonotum smooth, brownish black with faint reddish suffusion; two yellowish brown markings on either side of midline, one near mid dorsal, other adjoining upper lateral margin. Cruciform elevation well developed, yellowish brown, silvery pubescent in depressions. Upper lateral margin of mesonotum brownish black, silvery pubescent; lower dark reddish
90 REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
brown, carinate. Metanotum dark reddish brown. Wings, anterior, male, length, 45-0 mm., width, 16-0 mm.; female, 50-0 mm., 18-0 mm.; clear vitreous with veins dark brown excepting costal and subcostal which are pale yellowish brown. Cross veins between R3, R4 + 5, M1, M2, M3, MA, CU1a margined translucent brown; CU1-CU2—faintly and narrowly so; terminal branches of veins from R4 + 5 to CUla each with a small translucent brown Spot near ambient vein. Basal cell brownish. Posterior male, length, 29.0 mm., width, 15-0 mm.; female 31-0 mm., 15-0 mm.; clear vitreous; veins yellowish brown: M, CU2 and 3A, margined translucent brown also margin of cell 3A. Legs dark reddish brown; anterior femora with two large spines and a small tubercle; anterior spine at half-way, second just beyond three-quarters, tubercle at base of second spine. Posterior tibiae with five spines; two exteriorly, three interiorly; first exterior halí-way, second midway between second and third interior, first interior opposite first exterior, second just beyond three-quarters, third almost at distal. Underside of thorax dark reddish brown; densely silvery pubescent. Abdomen dark brownish black, first three segments silvery pubescent mid-dorsally, penultimate segment and posterior margin of one before it, silvery pubescent, other segments finely golden pubescent. Opercula dark reddish brown; finely silvery pubescent, interior margin of left (seen from ventral) slightly overlapping right; margins recurved, external angles openly rounded, internal acutely. Basal spine very short, tipped yellowish. Underside of abdomen reddish brown; silvery pubescent, densely so at and near junctions of tergites and sternites.
Type: (9) Aust. Museum.
Macrotristria hieroglyphica (Goding and Froggatt). Cicada hieroglyphica Goding and Froggatt, 1904, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 29: 581. Rihana hieroglyphica Distant, 1906, “Syn. Cat. Hom." 1: 38. Cicada hieroglyphicalis Kirkaldy, 1910, Canad. Ent. 41: 391. Macrotristria hieroglyphica Ashton, 1914, Trans. roy. Soc. S. Aust,, 38: 347.
This is an apparently rare and local species found in the north-west of Western Australia. It is a large and strikingly marked insect, the patern of markings on the thorax resembling hieroglyphics. As far as І am aware по recorded specimens have been taken for many years. The four specimens (14 399) I have been able to examine were collected between the years 1887 and 1893 and these include the types from the collection of the Macleay Museum, Sydney. No data relating to habits or actual dates of appearance seems to be available.
Body length, male, 34-5 mm., female, 36-0 mm. Head equal in width to pronotum, smooth; dark reddish brown (including frons) faintly silvery pubescent in depressions; a weak sulcus exterior to ocelli on either side and on median groove from anterior ocellus io posterior margin. A greenish brown wide frontal band across head between eyes but not embracing vertex of frons; another suffused yellowish brown marking from each eye along posterior margin of head almost to sulcus near ocelli; the latter closely grouped; dark golden vitreous, not equidistant; anterior ocellus in line with front margin of eyes. Frons dark reddish brown with a wide yellowish brown marking on front from near vertical angle almost to clypeus. Transverse ridges clearly defined; 10 in number; interstitial grooves shallow, silvery pubescent only near junction of genae and frons. Genae reddish brown; densely silvery pubescent, external margins sharply carinate. Antennae reddish brown. Clypeus yellowish brown;
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE) 91
finely keeled, sides silvery pubescent. Labrum brownish; grooved medianally, sides planate; labium dark reddish brown, keeled as labrum, reaching posterior margins of hind coxae. Eyes cpalescent reddish brown. Thorax, width, male, 14:5 mm., female, 14-5 mm., smooth; pronotum reddish brown with three sulci on either side of mid line, raised areas on each side between first and second sulcus and part of first yellowish; transverse marginal band wide; transversly striate, anterior margin reddish brown; latera! margins of pronotum reddish brown; carinate, slightly lobed anteriorly. Mesonotum smooth; yellowish brown, with a triangular median reddish brown marking from anterior margin to cruciform elevation; on either side dorso-laterally another triangular reddish brown marking with the apex meeting the upper lateral margin at extremity of anterior arms of cruciform clevation; the latter dark reddish brown, depressions silvery pubescent; upper lateral margin of mesonotum reddish brown, silvery pubescent, slightly carinate; lower margin reddish brown, finely and sparsely silvery pubescent, carinate. Metanotum dark reddish brown. Wings, anterior, male, length, 41:5 mm., width, 15-5 mm.; female, 43-5 mm., width, 14-0 mm.; clear vitreous with veins M, M1, M2, M3, M4, CUla and cross veins from CU1 to CU2 dark brown; costal, sub-costal, radial, and CU2 yellowish. A very narrow infuscation bordering cross veins from R3 to M3, and on terminal branches near ambient vein; a faint infuscated spot on R4 + 5, M1, M2, M3, МА, and CUla. Basal cell dark brown, semi-translucent. Posterior length, male, 25-0 mm., width, 13-5 mm.; female 26:0 mm.; 12-5 mm.; clear vitreous, veins yellowish excepting ambient 2A and 3A which are brown. Legs, reddish brown, coxae lighter; anterior femora with two large and a minute spine, anterior at half-way, second near distal, minute spine at base of second nearer distal. Posterior tibiae with five spines, two externally, three internally; first exterior half-way, second three-quarters; first interior not quite half-way, second midway between first and second interior; third almost at distal. Unterside of thorax dark reddish brown, silvery pubescent. Abdomen dark reddish brown sparsely palely golden pubescent along intersegmental margin. Opercula dark reddish brown, short silvery pubescent; external angles very openly obtuse, internal acutely rounded; left (seen from ventral) slightly overlapping right; basal spine in centre of posterior margin; lined yellowish. Underside of abdomen dark reddish brown; silvery pubescent mainly at and near junctions of tergites and sternites. Types: Macleay Museum.
Macrotristria godingt Distant.
Macrotristria godingi Distant, 1907, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (7) 20: 412. Macrotristria godingi Distant, 1912, “ Gen. Ins.“ 142: 26, pl. 3, figs. 23a, b, c. Macrotristria godingi Ashton, 1921, Proc. roy. Soc. Wet. N 99.
A large and beautiful North Quensland species which appears to be confined to the coastal strip from Townsville in the south to about Mt. Molloy in the north. I have been able to examine altogether ten specimens (4 à à 6 9 9) and the localities include on label data, Mt. Molloy 1°, Sellheim, N.Q. 288 19, Kuranda, N.Q. 24 4 1 9, Cairns N.Q., 1 ?, and one female labelled “ Hamilton Q.” which is regarded doubtfully as correct. It is a summer species occurring mainly during January. I have no information regarding its habits. Body length, male, average (4), 38:8 mm., + 1:2 mm., — 1:3 mm., female, average (6) 38-2 mm., + 1:3 mm., — 1:7 mm. Head wider than pronotum, smooth; yellowish brown ( excepting frons which is reddish brown) with interrupted fairly wide black fascia surrounding ocelli; a narrow black margin bordering eyes;
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE) 93
Macrotristria nigronervosa Distant. Macrotristria nigronervosa Distant, 1904, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (7) 14: 329. Macrotristria nigronervosa Distant, 1906, “ Syn. Cat. Hom." 1: 31. Macrotristria nigronervosa Ashton, 1921. Proc. roy. Soc. Vict. (N.S.) 33: 100.
I have not been able to see a specimen of this species, but am greatly indebted to Mr. R. J. Izzard of the British Museum (Natural History) for an excellent life sized photograph and detailed description of the Type. Though smaller, this cicada bears a strong superficial resemblance to M. godingi Distant, but lacks the black markings present on the pro and mesonotum of godingi. In his original description, Distant, 1904, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (7) 14: 329 states, “ Allied to M. intersecta Walk. from which it differs by the more prominent face, spotted tegmina, different colour markings, «с. Its habitat is given as North Queensland." I am able to give a description of the female only.
Body length, 41-5 mm., Head, equal in width to pronotum, cinnamon brown (may be green in life), smooth, ocelli surrounded by narrow black fascia. A median groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin, ocelli vitreous amber, grouped rather closely, almost equidistant. Frons prominent, reddish brown with faint central black marking on vertex, transverse ridges eight in number, interstitial grooves finely silvery pubescent. Genae blackish, densely white pubescent. Antennae, dark brownish. Clypeus dark brown, labrum and labium dark brown, the latter reaching posterior coxae. Eyes dark opalescent brown, inner margin from front to half-way lined black. Thorax, width 14:0 mm. Pronotum cinnamon brown with three sulci on either side of mid-line, a small dark central spot adjoining posterior marginal band, the latter wide, yellow and finely striate transversely. Lateral margins unicolorous with pronotum and lobed anteriorly. Mesonotum cinnamon brown, smooth, anterior margin bordered black, on either side of midline a V shaped black marking extending to one-third. Cruciform elevation well developed, cinnamon brown, apex wide transversely, anterior arms slightly longer. Lateral margin of pronotum cinnamon, silvery pubescent. Metanotum blackish with sparse silvery pubescence. Wings, anterior, 44-0 mm., width, 14-0 mm., clear vitreous with veins black, excepting Costal and subcostal which are yellowish, and Radial which is yellowish brown. Cross veins between R3, R4 + 5, M, margined translucent dark brown, and a small similarly coloured spot on the terminal branches (near ambient vein) of R4 + 5, M1, M2, M3, and M4. Basal cell translucent yellowish brown. Posterior, length, 23-0 mm., width, 12-0 mm.; veins dark brownish black excepting M, CUla and 1A which are lighter in colour, 2А and ЗА bordered translucent brown. Legs with femora cinnamon brown, tibiae and tarsi darker brown. Anterior femora with two spines, the posterior, black, near middle, apical near junction of tibia. Posterior tibiae probably with five spines (apparently some missing from specimen), information given reveals two only, brown, one at middle, other near distal. Abdomen black, silvery pubescent, brown at intersegmental margins, broadly so in penultimate segment and preceding one.
Type: British Museum. Label data: North Queensland, Dr. Heath.
The following note is kindly supplied by Mr. Izzard. “Closely allied to M. intersecta Walk, and M. sylvanella (G. & F.) but somewhat larger in size.”
92 REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
vertex of frons with an oval shaped yellowish brown patch in which is a suffused reddish median longitudinal marking; a narrow sharp median groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin. Ocelli bright red, vitreous; very closely grouped, not quite equidistant, anterior ocellus in line with front margin of eyes. Frons prominent, openly rounded, dark reddish brown faintly yellowish at junction with clypeus; front planate towards clypeus and with a faint median groove from about half-way to latter. Transverse ridges clearly defined 12-14 in number; interstitial grooves not pubescent. Clypeus black, not sharply keeled, half length of frons; medianally yellowish brown, sides planate, silvery pubescent. Labrum yellowish, grooved medianally; labium black, sides of upper portion yellowish, grooved as labrum, reaching anterior margin of posterior coxae. Genae black, silvery pubescent; exterior margins yellowish, strongly carinate. Antennae dark brownish black. Thorax, width, male average (4), 16.0 mm., female, average (6) 15-9 mm.; yellowish (may be greenish in life) with black markings. Pronotum smooth with three deep sulci on either side of mid line; irregularly lined black, a median longitudinal rectangular black marking almost from anterior to posterior margin enclosing a wide yellowish brown line; posterior marginal band wide, concolorous with pronotum, finely striate transversely; lateral margins of prenotum anteriorly lobed. Mesonotum slightly paler than pronotum; on either side of midline a black triangular marking from anterior margin to about one-third; from anterior arms of cruciform elevation a black marking extending forwards on each side almost or completely coalescing with the median triangular black markings; dorso-laterally on each side a larger black marking from anterior margin to three-quarters; cruciform elevation yellowish, fairly strongly developed, posterior arms slightly longer than anterior; depressed areas slightly silvery pubescent; upper lateral margins lined black, lower margins yellowish and strongly carinate. Mesonotum yellowish brown. Wings, anterior, male, average length (4) 52-0 mm., width, 18.00 mm.; female, average (6), 50-7 mm., width, 16-6 mm.; clear vitreous with all veins, excepting Costal, Subcostal, Radial and 1A which are yellow, (may be green in life), dark brown; terminals of R4 + 5, M1, M2, M3, M4 and CUla with a faint translucent brown spot near junction with ambient vein. Upper portion of basal cell, yellowish. Posterior, male, length, average (4) 29.0 mm., width 15-3 mm.; female, average (6) 27-3 mm., 14-8 mm.; clear vitreous; veins Rs. M and branches of these, 2A, 3A, and ambient, dark brown, others yellow; 2A and 3A bordered yellowish white, widest basaly. Legs yellowish brown; coxae and femora marked with dark brown, anterior and middle tibiae and tarsi dark brown, posterior yellowish brown. Anterior femora with two large and one small spines, anterior just before half-way, second three-quarters, third and smallest distally near base of second. Posterior tibiae with five spines, two exteriorly three interiorly; first exterior half-way, second just beyond three-quarters; first interior a little anterior to first exterior, second a little more than half-way between two exteriors, third closer to distal than second exterior. Underside of thorax black, silvery pubescent. Opercula usually black, sometimes with a blackish yellow area near exterior margins; right or left may overlap at internal angles; external angles widely obtuse, internal rather acutely rounded; basal spine small, edged yellow. Abdomen dull blackish or blackish brown; very sparsely and finely pale golden pubescent; anterior margin of second segment, and posterior margin of segments (normally) 49 yellow on posterior margins, the width of the yellow increasing on each segment towards apex. Underside of abdomen shining blackish, posterior margins of segments yellowish, finely silvery pubescent near and at junctions of tergites and sternites. Type: Brit. Mus.
94 REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
Macrotristria doddi Ashton.
Macrotristria doddi Ashton, 1912, Proc. roy. Soc. Vict. 24: Macrotristria doddi Ashton, 1921, Proc, roy. Soc. Vict. (N.S.) 33; 101.
This is an apparently rare far northern species described as recently as 1912 from three male specimens collected by the late F. P. Dodd at Kuranda, North Queensland. Ashton states, locality doubtful, either North Queensland or Northern Territory. I have been privileged to examine the Type (Australian Museum) and one one other male only from the collection of Mr. F. E. Wilson (Victoria). Although no date is given the locality is Adelaide River, N.T. (H. W. Brown). The female is apparently uknown. In general appearance it resembles Macrotristria occidentalis Distant, but is slightly larger, the front of the head is less prominent, and the general body colour is darker and more patterned with yellowish brown. The infuscation bordering the cross veins in the anterior wings is much less pronounced. It is probably a summer species.
Body length, male, average (2 specimens) 32-5 mm. Head smooth, slightly wider than pronotum, yellowish brown with a black transverse band below eyes to frons, ocelli reddish orange vitreous, enclosed within a rectangular black central patch which has a line or extension running across head towards each eye and extends round posterior margin as a black line. A very sharp fine median groove runs from anterior ocellus to posterior margin. Frons dark reddish brown with a yellowish patch on vertex which extends and narrows round vertical angle. Transverse ridges well defined, 9-10 in number. Interstitial grooves golden pubescent near outer ends. Width between posterior ocelli almost double that between anterior and each lateral ocellus, anterior in line with front margin of eyes. Genae yellowish, densely golden pubescent, external margins carinate. Antennae (2 basal segments only, others absent from specimens) dark brown. Clypeus dark brownish red, golden pubescent, half length of frons; labrum yellow, finely grooved medianally, sides planate, brownish yellow; labium yellowish, posterior third dark brown, finely grooved as labrum, reaching posterior margins of hind coxae. Eyes opalescent yellowish brown. Thorax, av. width, 12-5 mm., reddish brown with black and yellowish brown markings. Pronotum with three open sulci on either side of midline, raised areas between finely sculptured, a yellowish brown (probably suffused greenish in life) central marking widest at anterior margin, narrowing to posterior margin; posterior marginal band fairly wide, yellowish, its posterior margin black, Lateral margin of pronotum with anterior half yellow, lobed anteriorly, posterior half-brownish black. Mensonotum smooth, yellowish brown, anterior margin black, a black central marking enclosing a small triangular yellowish brown area, this black marking bordered yellowish on either side and contiguous with anterior arms of cruciform elevation; a triangular reddish brown marking dorso-laterally on each side. Cruciform elevation fairly well developed, yellowish brown, pale golden pubescent in depressions, lateral margin of mesonotum reddish brown, pale golden pubescent. Metanotum brownish black dorsally, becoming yellowish brown laterally. Wings, anterior, male length 41.5 mm., width 12-5 mm., clear vitreous with all veins brown, 2А and ЗА margined translucent brown. Legs chestnut brown, joints and anterior coxae paler. Anterior femora with two large and one very small spines, anterior at half-way, second about three-quarters, third and smallest just beyond base of second. Posterior tibiae with five spines, three interiorly, two exteriorly; first exterior just beyond half-way, second beyond three-quarters, first interior before half-way, second at two-thirds, third midway between second of exterior and distal. Underside of thorax yellowish, finely silvery pubescent. Abdomen dark
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE) 95
brownish black, anterior margin of first segment reddish brown, sides of all segments silvery pubescent. Opercula yellow, finely silvery pubescent, external angles openly rounded, internal acutely; margin carinate, left (seen from ventral) slightly overlapping right at interior margin. Underside of abdomen yeliowish brown excepting last two or three segments which are dark brown; pale golden pubescent densest at junction of tergites and sternites.
Type: Aust. Mus.
Macrotristria sylvara (Distant). Cicada sulvara Distant, 1901, Trans. ent. Soc. Lond.: 591, pl. 16, figs, 1a, b. Cicada sylvana Goding and Froggatt, 1904, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 29: 580. Macrotristria sylvara Distant, 1906, “ Syn. Cat. Hom.” 1: 31. Macrotristria sylvara Ashton, 1914, Trans. roy. Soc. S. Aust. 38: 347. Macrotristria sylvara Ashton, 1921, Proc. roy. Soc. Vict. (N.S.) 33: 100.
One of the largest species of the genus which is found from the Cairns district to Cape York in Northern Australia and some of the Torres Straits islands. I have little data regarding its habits, excepting that it is a mid- summer species (December-February) and frequents shrubs locally known as Horse bush " and “ White Currant bush”. The series of specimens I have before me are from Cairns, Kuranda, Barron River (Kamerunga Crossing), Moa Island (Torres Straits), Stewart River, and Coen district, Cape York.
Body length, male, average (10), 39.8 mm., + 2-2 mm., — 2-3 mm.; female, average, (10), 37-5 mm., + 2-5 mm., —5:0 mm. Head considerably wider than pronotum, smooth, green, posterior margin of vertex of frons finely lined black, front of orbits of eyes to vertex lined black, at the vertex the black leaves each orbit and extends a little distance towards posterior margin of head. Ocelli large, not quite equidistant, very closely grouped, yellowish green vitreous, surrounded by black fascia which tend to coalesce, and sometimes a small transversely elongate minute spot exterior to each lateral ocellus; a sharply defined median groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin. Frons green on vertex, middle front from vertical angle to clypeus black, sides tinged brownish, transverse ridges rather regular, fairly well defined, 12-14 in number, interstitial grooves not pubescent; genae black, silvery pubescent, exterior margins pale yellowish green, sharply carinate. Clypeus black, half length of frons, silvery pubescent excepting on keel which has a brownish longitudinal marking about the middle; labrum yellowish brown, grooved medianally, sides planate; labium dark brown near labrum quickly merging into black, grooved as labrum, reaching just beyond anterior margins of posterior coxae. Antennae dark brownish black; eyes opalescent greenish yellow.
Thorax, width, male, average (10), 15-7 mm., female, average (10), 15-7 mm. Pronotum green, smooth, three strongly developed deep sulci on either side of midline, anterior margin slightly carinate, posterior marginal band wide, rather evenly striate transversely, lateral margin of pronotum carinate, lobed anteriorly. Mesonotum green, smooth, on either side of midline fairly close to it, a black inwardly curving depressed line to about half-way, base of anterior depression of cruciform elevation black, the latter yellowish green, fairly well developed, apex broad transversely, posterior arms slightly longer than anterior, depressions silvery pubescent, upper lateral margin of mesonotum silvery pubescent, lower yellowish, carinate, silvery pubescent. Metanotum black.
Wings, anterior, male, average length (10), 57-8 mm., width, 17-0 mm., female, average (10), 50:9 mm., 16:6 mm. Clear vitreous, veins brown excepting costal, sub-costal and radial to branch with R.; cross veins between
96 REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
R3 and R4 + 5, — M1 and M2-M3 faintly and narrowly margined translucent brown, terminals near ambient vein of R4 + 5, M1, M2, M3, M4 and CUla with a brown infuscate spot, basal cell with upper half green. Posterior, male, average length (10), 27.9 mm., width, 14-5 mm.; female, average (10), 27-3 mm., 14-2 mm. Clear vitreous with all veins brown excepting M to first fork and 1A which are yellowish green; 2A and 3A margined dark translucent brown. Legs with coxae and femora green or greenish yellow with brown markings, tibia and tarsi dark brown. Anterior femora with two large and one small spines anterior just before half-way, second three-quarters, third and smallest distally at base of second. Posterior tibiae with five spines, two exteriorly, three interiorly; first exterior beyond half-way, second beyond three-quarters; first interior half-way, second just anterior to second exterior; third midway between the latter and distal. Underside of thorax greenish yellow, densely silvery pubescent, brown round insertions of legs. Abdomen brownish black with anterior margin of second segment brown and a brown transverse dorsal marking on third segment, posterior margins of remaining segments lined brown, widely so on seven and eight, segments silvery pubescent Jaterally. Opercula yellowish green, left (seen from ventral) slightly overlapping right, finely silvery pubescent, external angles almost at 90 degrees, internal evenly rounded, margins recurved. Underside of abdomen yellowish green or yellowish, finely silvery pubescent along anterior segmental margin, densely so at junctions of tergites and sternites,
Type: British Museum.
Macrotristria nigrosignata Distant. Macrotristria nigrosignata Distant, 1904, Trans. ent. Soc. Lond.: 673, pl. 29, figs. 7a, b. Macrotristria nigrosignata Distant, 1906, “ Syn. Cat. Hom." 1: 32. Macrotristria nigrosignata Ashton, 1914, Trans. roy. Soc. S.Aust. 38: 348. Macrotristria nigrosignata Ashton, 1921, Proc. roy. Soc. Vict. (N.S.) 33: 101.
Two specimens, fortunately a pair, in the collection of the Western Australian Museum were included amongst a lot of material kindly loaned to me for study from that institution. In size, colouration, general pattern and appearance, this interesting species very closely resembles M. frenchi Ashton, but may at once be distinguished by its reddish brown colour, in the male by the rather small pale yellowish fawn opercula, and in both sexes by the absence of black fascia bordering the ocelli and the presence of a yellow frontal band on the head between the eyes and frons. The female specimen unfortunately does not bear a date on the label, but the male was taken in January, 1957, so it is a summer species.
Body length, male, 34:0 mm., female, 36.0 mm. Head, wider than pronotum, including frons, reddish brown, openly and slightly ridged longitudinally, a narrow yellow frontal band from eyes to frons where it curves back as a fine line on either side to its margin; a faint yellowish patch adjoining each eye and extending to beyond first sulcus of pronotum. An interrupted groove on each side of ocelli and a rather deep median groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin. Ocelli reddish brown vitreous, not quite equidistant, fairly closely grouped, anterior in line with front margin of eyes. Frons prominent, rather acutely rounded, fainily grooved from vertical angle to clypeus, transverse ridges well defined, 12 in number, interstitial grooves silvery pubescent. Genae reddish brown, silvery pubescent, margins yellowish and strongly carinate, Antennae reddish brown. Clypeus reddish brown, keeled
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE) 97
medianally, sides sparsely silvery pubescent. Labrum slightly paler in colour, grooved medianally, sides very slightly convex. Labium pale reddish brown
With dark brownish black tip, grooved as labrum, reaching almost to middle of posterior coxae.
Thorax, width. male, 14-0 mm.; female, 13:5 mm. reddish brown, concolorous with head. Pronotum with three well defined sulci either side of midline, very finely sculptured (almost punctate), anterior margin finely lined yellow, posterior marginal band very wide, posterior two-thirds yellowish, transversely striate. Lateral margin of pronotum yellowish, slightly and acutely lobed anteriorly. Mesonctum dark reddish brown with a faint, depressed, inwardly curving fine line on either side of mid-line from anterior margin to half-way; upper lateral margin silvery pubescent, cruciform elevation well developed, reddish brown, posterior arms slightly paler, depressions lightly silvery pubescent, two lateral ones transversely striate, lower posterior margin edged pinkish yellow, strongly carinate. Wings, anterior, length, male, 44-0 mm., width, 14-0 mm.; female, 42-0 mm., 14:5 mm., clear vitreous, all veins reddish brown excepting Sc, CU2 and 1A, which are yellowish brown, basal cell reddish brown.
Posterior, male, length 25:5 mm., width, 12-0 mm.; female, 26-0 mm., 12:5 mm. Clear vitreous, all veins reddish brown excepting CU1a, CU1b, CU2 and 2A which are yellowish brown; 3A widely margined translucent brown to half-way. Legs, reddish brown, posterior pair slightly paler, finely silvery pubescent; anterior femora with two large and one very small spines first just anterior to half-way, second at three-quarters, third and smallest at base of second. Posterior tibiae with five spines, two exteriorly, three interiorly, first exterior at half-way, second slightly more than three-quarters; first interior a little anterior to first exterior, second at two-thirds, third midway between second exterior and distal. Underside of thorax light reddish brown suffused yellowish and silvery pubescent. Abdomen reddish brown, silvery pubescent, especially dorso-laterally and laterally. Opercula small, concolorous with underside of thorax, which is pale reddish brown and silvery pubescent, external angles obtusely open, internal very acute, internal margins fairly widely separated. Underside of abdomen pale reddish brown and almost uniformly silvery pubescent, median portions of first three segments widely suffused yellowish, others less so excepting penultimate segment which is almost completely pale yellowish brown.
Type: Brit. Mus. (3)
Macrotristria frenchi Ashton. Macrotristria frenchi Ashton, 1914, Proc, roy. Soc. Vict. (N.S.) 27: 12, pl. 2, fig. 2. Macrotristria frenchi Ashton, 1921, Proc. roy. Soc. Vict. (N.S.) 33: 102.
An apparently rather rare species found only in the north of the Northern Territory and Western Australia; it is similar in shape to M. sylvara ( Distant) a common North Queensland species. It is one of the dullest coloured species of the genus and in general appearance and size comes very close to M. migrosignata Dist. from North Western Australia. I have been able to examine nine specimens only, three males and six females (one being the type), one pair from the type locality (Catherine River, N.T.), one female from Derby,
339/63.—'i
98 REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
North Western Australia, and two males and three females from Tennants Creek, N.T. Unfortunately no information is available regarding its habits, it is a summer species occuring from December to February. Body length, male, average (3), 32-2 mm., + -2 — -2 mm.; female, average (6), 30:6 mm., + 4 — 1.1 mm. Head considerably wider than pronotum, smooth, yellowish brown (including frons) a slight depression on either side anterior to ocelli, and a short open median groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin. Ocelli garnet vitreous, not quite equidistant, closely grouped, surrounded by a narrow dull black fascia. Anterior ocellus slightly in front of line of eyes. Frons, rounded and prominent, openly grooved from vertical angle to clypeus, transverse ridges 9-10 in number, slightly darker in colour, interstitial grooves very finely and sparsely silvery pubescent. Genae dull black, silvery pubescent, margins sharply carinate, yellowish. Antenna with first basal joint brownish, second brownish with apical portion black, remainder dark brownish black. Clypeus pale greenish brown, widely keeled, dark shining brown, silvery pubescent; labrum shining chestnut brown, grooved medianally, sides slightly convex; labium shining chestnut brown, tip blackish brown, grooved as labrum; reaching anterior margin of posterior coxae. Eyes opalescent brownish yellow. Thorax, width, male 32-0 mm., female, average (3), 31-4 mm., dark brown, almost devoid of markings. Pronotum dark chestnut brown, almost smooth, three well defined sulci on either side of midline, a small central oval shaped black marking on anterior margin of posterior marginal band which is yellowish, wide, and transversely striate. Lateral margin of pronotum yellowish, openly lobed anteriorly. Mesonotum very dark chestnut brown, smooth, sometimes its anterior margins bordered black, on either side of median from anterior margin to half-way a fine inwardly curved darker line faintly lined yellowish along anterior margin. Upper lateral margin yellowish, silvery pubescent. Cruciform elevation well developed, pale yellowish brown with a faint pinkish suffusion, posterior arms slightly longer than anterior, depressions silvery pubescent, lower lateral margin carinate and concolorous with cruciform elevation. Metanotum brownish. Wings, anterior male, length, average 42-0 mm., width, 13-5 mm., female, average (6) 41-4 mm., 13-4 mm., clear vitreous with all veins beyond first branch dark brown; Costal, Sc. R. and others pale yellowish brown to first branch. Posterior, length, male, 22:5 mm., width, 10-25 mm., female, average, 22-6 mm., 11-0 mm,, clear vitreous with veins dark brown excepting RS, M, and CUla which are yellowish to a little beyond first branches; 2A and 3A bordered translucent pale brown, 3A very widely towards base. Legs chestnut brown, coxae and junctions of femora and tibiae marked yellowish. Anterior femora with two large and one very small spines, anterior at less than half-way, second (largest) at three-quarters, third and smallest near base of second. Posterior tibiae with five spines, two exteriorly, three interiorly; first exterior at half-way, second close to distal; first interior directly opposite first exterior; second at three-quarters, third closer to distal than second exterior. Underside of thorax dark brownish black, silvery pubescent especially along junctions of sclerites. Abdomen dark brownish black, paler dorsally on segments 1-4, short silvery pubescence along intersegmental margins, penultimate segment with its posterior margin widely yellow. Opercula large, dark brownish black with lighter area towards external margins, finely silvery pubescent; external angles obtuse and open, internal rounded at almost 90 degrees; interior margins not widely separated. Underside of abdomen black, shining mid ventrally, penultimate segment yellowish-brown black; anterior margins silvery pubescent along intersegmental margins, densely so at junctions of tergites and sternites.
Type—(female) Aust. Mus.
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE) 99
Macrotristria extrema (Distant). Cicada extrema Distant, 1892, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6) 10: 56. Cicada extrema Goding and Froggatt, 1904, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 29:: 583. Macrotristria extrema Distant, 1906, “ Syn. Cat. Hom." 1: 32. Macrotristria extrema Ashton, 1914, Trans. roy. Soc. S.Aust., 38: 347. Macrotristria extrema Ashton, 1921, Proc. roy. Soc. Vict. (N.S.) 33: 101.
This species bears a superficial resemblance to M. dorsalis Ashton but is larger; in his note following the original description Distant states, ''This somewhat large species of cicada is allied to C. (Macrotristria) intersecta Walker, and like that species has the pale apex to the abdomen; but C. extrema may be at once recognized by the more robust and less symmetrical body, the head and thorax being relatively wider, the unspotted head and thorax, the longer second apical area to the tegmina, &c." The habitat given is Australia, Swan River. All the specimens I have before me (4 à 4 4 99) are from Fortescue River, Hammersly Road, Western Australia. No dates are given; also 16 from Nullagine, W.A., January, 1957, A. Douglas, and 1? from Derby, W.A., October, 1955, A. Douglas, and Canarvon, W.A., 12. Body length, male, average (4), 31-8 mm., + 0-7 mm., — 0:8 mm.; female, average (4), 30:2 mm., + 1:3 mm. — 2.7 mm. Head equal in width to pronotum, smooth, yellowish brown (including frons) without markings excepting for a fine black line surrounding each ocellus. A weak sulcus exterior to ocelli on each side and a median shallow groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin. Ocelli pinkish yellow vitreous, closely grouped, distance between two posterior almost twice that between anterior and each posterior. Frons concolorous with head, prominently rounded, transverse ridges, 8 in number, fairly well defined, interstitial grooves silvery pubescent only near junction of frons and genae; front of frons not actually grooved but weakly lined darker from vertical angle to clypeus. Genae slightly darker yellowish brown, silvery pubescent, external margins carinate. Clypeus concolorous with frons, keeled medianally, sides planate, silvery pubescent; labrum yellow, grooved medianally, sides planate; labium yellowish, base gradually becoming dark brown at tip. grooved as labium, almost reaching anterior margins of posterior coxae. Eyes opalescent yellowish brown.
Thorax, width, male, average (4), 13:1 mm., female 13-1 mm. Concolorous with head, three well defined sulci on either side of midline, posterior marginal band wide, finely striate transversely, lateral margins of pronotum carinate, lobed anteriorly. Mesonotum yellowish brown very faintly and obscurely marked dark brown, on either side of midline from anterior margin almost to half-way an inwardly curving linear groove; upper and lower margins carinate, finely silvery pubescent. Cruciform elevation well developed, yellowish brown, apex broad, anterior arms slightly longer than posterior, depressions silvery pubescent. Metanotum yellowish brown. Wings, anterior, male, average length (4), 41-1 mm., width 13:7 mm.; female, average (4), 40-2 mm., 13.8 mm. Clear vitreous, veins yellowish (may be green in life) becoming yellowish brown towards first cross veins, beyond these to, and including ambient vein, brown; 1A also brown; basal cell almost all clear vitreous. Posterior, average length, male, 23-8 mm., width, 11:5 mm.; female, 22:8 mm., 11:6 mm. Clear vitreous with veins yellowish becoming yellowish brown towards first cross veins, beyond these brown; ambient vein also brown; CU2, 2A and 3A margined opalescent whitish. Legs pale yellowish or yellowish brown with darker markings mainly on middle and posterior femora and tibiae. Anterior femora with two large and one small spines, first half-way, second just beyond three-quarters, third
REVISION OF MACEOTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE) 101
dorso lateral areas paler chocolate brown. Lateral margin becoming yellow anteriorly and forming a very slight lobe. Posterior marginal band wide, dark chocolate brown, finely striate transversely, posterior margin lined yellow. Mesonotum dark chocolate brown, on either side of midline a fine inwardly curving yellow line to half-way, a little exterior to termination of this line a small obscure yellow spot. Upper lateral margin yellowish, finely silvery pubescent. Cruciform elevation well developed, acutely convex at apex, dark chocolate brown with arms yellowish brown, depressed areas densely silvery pubescent, anterior arms longer than posterior. Lateral margin yellowish, also silvery pubescent. Metanotum dark chocolate brown. Wings, length, anterior, male, 31-0 mm., width 10:5 mm.; female, average (4) 32:7 mm., 10:1 mm. Clear hyaline with veins dark chocolate brown excepting R, M from junction with M1, and terminal portions of R4 + 5, M1, M2, M3 and M4 from discal cross veins to near ambient vein where they become chocolate brown; basal cell translucent brown. Posterior, male, length, 18:5 mm., width 8:5 mm.; female, average (4) 18-6 mm., 8.8 mm. Clear vitreous with most of veins yellow, others including ambient, RS, M, to ends of cells enclosed by them, and basal half of CU2, chocolate brown; 3A widely margined translucent brown. Legs pale chocolate brown, tibiae and tarsi slightly darker, very finely and sparsely silvery pubescent, anterior femora with two large spines and a small tuberculate spine, anterior half-way, second three-quarters, third (tuberculate) almost at base of second. Posterior tibiae with five spines, two externally, three internally; first exterior less than half-way, second just beyond three- quarters; first interior opposite first exterior, second at two-thirds, third midway between second exterior and distal. Underside of thorax centrally chocolate brown shading to yellowish brown towards lateral margins, finely though densely silvery pubescent. Opercula fairly large, chocolate around basal spine, otherwise yellowish; external angles almost 90 degrees, internal semicircular, interior margins close together but separated. Underside of abdomen dull chocolate brown, minutely silvery pubescent, posterior margin of segments yellowish, penultimate segment widely so.
Type, female, S.A. Museum, Cotypes, Aust. Mus.
Macrotristria dorsalis Ashton. Macrotristria dorsalis Ashton, 1912, Mem. nat. Mus, Vict. 4: 30, pl. 4, figs. 1, 2. Macrotristria dorsalis Ashton, 1921, Proc. roy. Soc. Vict. (N. S.) eve pls
This cicada is an inhabitant of Northern Queensland and appears to be found mainly in the Cairns and Atherton Tableland district. Specimens examined have come from Cairns, Mareeba, Herberton, Mt. Molloy, &c. It is not uncommon. I have little data regarding its habits, it seems to be mainly found in places where there is an intermingling of savannah and rain forest, It is quite a pretty species easily recognizable by the triangular shaped black marking on the abdomen dorsally. Ashton (Mem. Nat. Mus. Vict. 1912, No. 4: 30) states that it is allied to M. intersecta Walk. and M. sylvanella G. & F. by its shorter abdomen and overlapping opercula. The latter is not always the case because about 40 per cent. of the specimens examined have the internal margins of the opercula close together but not overlapping. “ Differing from extrema Dist. by the narrower head and thorax; the dark fascia on the dorsum renders it easily recognizable ". The sexes are very similar in size and appearance. Body length, male, average (10) 24:6 mm. -- 2.4 mm, — 1:6 mm.; female, average (10),
100 REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
and smallest approximately half-way from second to distal. Posterior tibiae with fine spines, two exterior, three interior; first exterior just beyond half-way, second just beyond three-quarters; first interior half-way, second three-quarters, third midway between second exterior and distal. Underside of thorax pale yellowish brown, very finely silvery pubescent. Abdomen reddish brown, silvery pubescent, posterior margin of seventh segment and almost all of eighth yellowish. Opercula pale yellowish, minutely pustulate, external angles almost 90 degrees—internal fairly evenly rounded, right (seen from ventral) slightly overlapping left, basal spine long, situated almost at centre of basal margin. Underside of abdomen yellowish brown excepting segments eight and nine, finely silvery pubescent.
Type: British Museum.
It is rather doubtful if the type locality given by Distant (Ann. Mag. nat. Hist., 1892 (6) 10: 56) “ Australia, Swan River" is correct. In recent years a good deal of systematic collecting has been done near Perth and I have been privileged to examine most of the Cicada material from S.W. Australia, but no specimen of this species has been noted from that area. All the above mentioned localities are remote from Swan River districts.
Maerotristria vulpina Ashton. Macrotristria vulpina Ashton, 1914, Trans. roy. S. Aust. 33: 348, pl. 12, fig. 2. Macrotristria vulpina Ashton, 1921, Proc. roy. Soc. Vict, (N.S.) 33: 102.
This is the smallest species in the genus and in general appearance resembles M. occidentalis Distant excepting that there is no infuscation bordering the cross veins or terminals of main veins in the anterior wings. I have been able to examine in all only five specimens; one male and one female from the collection of the late F. E. Wilson, and three females (including Type female) from the S.A. Museum collection. This is essentially a Western Australian species ranging as far as is at present known, from Carnarvon across to Cue and to the coast at Roeburne. None of the specimens bears a date on the labels, so its actual time of appearance is uncertain. I would expect it to be late spring or early summer. All the specimens examined have been collected by the late H. W. Brown. Body length, male, 22-0 mm., female, average (4), 23-6 mm., + 1-4 mm., — 1:1 mm. Head, equal in width to pronotum; including frons, dark chocolate brown, coarsely sculptured, pale golden pubescent in depressions, a frontal yellow band from margin of frons almost to eyes, another yellow spot on vertical angle of frons, a median groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin. Ocelli bright red vitreous, closely grouped, not quite equidistant, anterior ocellus a little in front of line of eyes. Frons prominent, rather acutely rounded, front from vertical angle to clypeus planate, transverse ridges 9-10 in number, fairly well defined, interstitial grooves silvery pubescent. Genae chocolate brown and densely silvery pubescent, lateral margins finely carinate. Antennae chocolate brown. Clypeus chocolate brown, silvery pubescent, finely keeled, a small pale spot in centre of front; labrum yellow, grooved medianally, sides slightly convex; labium dark chocolate brown shading almost to black at tip, grooved as labrum, reaching middie of posterior coxae. Eyes opalescent dark brown. Thorax, width, male, 10-0 mm., female, average (4), 10-1 mm., dark chocolate brown almost without markings. Pronotum with three sulci on either side of midline, the one nearest it being the deepest; anterior margin dark chocolate brown which extends as a wide mid dorsal longitudinal band to posterior margin,
102 REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAE)
25:9 mm. + 1:1 mm. — 4۰9 mm. Head slightly wider than pronotum, smooth, yellowish green and brown (including frons), devoid of pubescence, a weak open sulcus exterior to ocelli on either side and a median fairly open groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin. Insertion of frons dorsally finely lined black, ocelli each narrowly encircled black, usually just exterior to each lateral ocellus a small black irregular marking which occasionally tends to coalesce with the black surrounding these ocelli; the latter closely grouped and nearly equidistant, anterior ocellus in line with front margin of eyes. Frons concolorous with head, prominent and openly rounded, transverse ridges clearly defined, 9-10 in number, interstitial grooves without pubescence; front smooth with a faint median darker line from just below vertical angle to clypeus. Genae black, silvery pubescent, external margins finely yellowish, carinate. Antennae black. Clypeus yellowish with a black marking on either side, usually in upper part, front acutely rounded, sides silvery pubescent. Labrum pale brown, grooved medianally, sides planate; labium pale brown with tip blackish, grooved as labrum, reaching anterior margin of posterior сохае. Eyes opalescent brownish. Thorax, width, male, 10-1 mm., female, 10:1 mm., smooth, concolorous with head; three rather deep well defined sulci on either side of midline, a faint darker median longitudinal marking from anterior margin to posterior marginal band, the latter fairly wide, transversely striate, lateral margin slightly lobed anteriorly. Mesonotum with a triangular black marking (variable in size in different specimens) from anterior margin almost to half-way on either side of midline, the former finely lined black; just in front of each anterior arm of cruciform elevation a small blackish spot. Cruciform elevation well developed, unicolorous with mesonotum, arms short and of equal length; depressions finely silvery pubescent; upper lateral margin finely brown, silvery pubescent, lower as upper, carinate. Metanotum dark brown. Wings, anterior, male, average length, (10), 34.3 mm., width, 11:3 mm.; female, (10), 33:8 mm., 11:3 mm. Clear vitreous, costal, subeostal and radial veins yellow (probably green in life) to junetion with R2 from which they are black, 1A black, others yellowish brown, basal cell infuscated transluscent yellow. Posterior, male, average length, (10), 18:5 mm., width, 9-6 mm.; female, 18-4 mm., 9:3 mm.; clear vitreous, veins yellowish (probably green in life) excepting ambient which is yellowish brown or brown, 2A and 3A margined translucent brown. Legs, coxae and femora yellowish, anterior and middle tibiae and tarsi brown, posterior yellowish. Anterior femora with two large and a minute spine, anterior about half-way, second three-quarters, third and smallest near base of second towards distal. Posterior tibiae with five spines, two externally, three internally; first exterior half-way, second, three-quarters; first interior slightly in front of first exterior, second posterior to second exterior, third almost at distal. Underside of thorax and opercula yellowish or pale yellowish brown. Abdomen yellowish brown, each segment to penultimate with a black dorsal band transversely widest on first and gradually decreasing in width in each segment towards apex thus forming a triangular black dorsal patch, and a row of small black spots on 4—7 inclusive (normally) just above this lateral margin. Opercula with the external angles very openly obtuse, internal angles acutely rounded, margins carinate, basal spines fairly long and, near middle of base of opercula. Underside of abdomen yellowish brown, posterior margin of segments 2-6 inclusive very narrowly lined darker brown; sparsely and finely silvery pubescent at junction of tergites and sternites. This species bears a very close resemblance to M. extrema Ashton, but is smaller, the head less prominently rounded, and opercula with the exterior angles much more obtusely rounded.
Type: Nat. Mus.
REVISION OF MACROTRISTRIA (CICADIDAR) 103
Macrotristria kulungura sp. nov.
Amongst the material before me are 3 ¢ 6 and 799 of this interesting new species which bears a general appearance to M. dorsalis Ashton, but is larger and in shape resembles M. extrema (Distant). It is a coastal species, and the specimens examined are from Port Denison (Bowen) 2 44, Barron R., January, 1 û, one female labelled N.S.W. 11704, 2 ? Mackay, December; Green Island 2 29, December and January respectively; Brisbane 1 9, January; and 1 $, Dunk Island, January. There is some doubt as to the correctness of the two localities, Brisbane and New South Wales. 'The only information I have regarding its habits is that it is found in rain forest. Body length, male, average (3), 31-0 mm.; female, average, (7), 30:3 mm. Head considerably wider than pronotum, smooth, yellow (may be greenish in life), almost entirely without markings. The ocelli are very narrowly margined black, and exterior to each lateral ocellus another very small black spot, posterior margin thinly lined black. A median groove from anterior ocellus to posterior margin. Ocelli fairly closely grouped, pale reddish vitreous, distance between two lateral twice that between anterior and each lateral. Frons concolorous with head, prominently rounded, transverse ridges 10-12 in number, slightly darker in colour, a longitudinal open groove from vertical angle to near clypeus. Genae yellow with inner half-black, silvery pubescent, external margins carinate, clypeus yellow, silvery pubescent excepting on keel, a black triangular shaped marking on either side of keel adjoining frons and extending downwards to about one-third; labrum yellow, grooved medianally, sides planate and shining; labium yellow with tip dark brownish black, grooved as labrum, reaching anterior margin of posterior coxae. Antennae black, eyes opalescent yellowish green.
Thorax, width, male, average (3), 12:1 mm., female, average (7), 12.7 mm. Pronotum very minutely sculptured, concolorous with head, and without any markings, three deep sulci on either side of midline, posterior marginal band wide, transversely and evenly striate, lateral margins of pronotum carinate, lobed anteriorly. Mesonotum almost concolorous with pronotum but a little darker, smooth but faintly and obscurely marked, on either side of midline a slightly inwardly curving fine groove from anterior margin to about one-third, cruciform elevation concolorous with mesonotum, wide across apex, arms rather short, posterior slightly longer than anterior, lateral depressions silvery pubescent, upper lateral margin of pronotum sparsely silvery pubescent, lower carinate and slightly paler in colour. Metanotum yellow or yellowish green. Wings, anterior, male, average length (3), 39-8 mm., width 12:3 mm.; female, average (7), 41:3 mm., 13-6 mm. Clear vitreous, costal, subcostal and radial veins yellow (or green in life), R1, R2, dark brownish black, all others excepting 1A which is blackish, to ends of main cells, yellow (or green),