s freak
of hers cost me five pounds.

PECULIARITIES OF THE WILD DOG.

In cold weather her coat was always best, and the brush on her tail most
perfect. She was of a light tan colour, with a little white on the tip of
the tail, and a few black hairs sprinkled in the brush; there was a
little black also about her face. Her step was light and stealthy; and in
her eye meekness and cunning were curiously blended. Though very shy of
man, when once taken up in the arms she lay as quiet as a cat; but with
all dogs she was very quarrelsome, fighting savagely with a greyhound
bitch I had on board, and several times nearly killing a small dog. It
was always difficult to catch her, as she would generally manage to
escape either between the legs or by springing over the shoulders, except
when we were going on shore; then she would allow herself very quietly to
be put into the boat; but on our return the difficulty was how to get her
off, and it became necessary to pounce upon her suddenly. She was never
heard to bark, the only noise she ever made being the dismal howl
peculiar to her breed, and this only when tied up, which consequently,
for the sake of peace, was but of short duration, and always had to be
done with a chain, as she would instantly bite through a rope. Her
mischievous propensity was remarkable, as she often stole into the
officers' cabin and pulled books down from the shelves, tearing the backs
off and then destroying the leaves. As an instance of her sure-footedness
and activity I may mention that I have seen her leap twice her own height
from the stem of the midship boat, in endeavouring to seize fowls or meat
that was hung on the mainstay, always alighting on the point she sprang
from. At other times she would attempt to crawl up it like a cat, in
order to steal what was there. Her proneness to thieving was very great;
I have frequently seen her eating stolen things when she would refuse
what was offered her; it was never safe to take her near poultry.

GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.

Whilst in this locality I may take the opportunity of introducing a few
notes on the geological formation of the country in the neighbourhood of
Swan River, furnished by Mr. Bynoe:

The most remarkable feature is the absence or scantiness of the secondary
and transition rocks; all the tertiary appears to be of the newest kind,
and to lie in juxtaposition with the primary. This character forms the
sandy margin from the Darling Range,