its jurisdiction, decided to construct a pathway in the Mammoth Cave in
the Margaret River district. During the execution of this task a large
mass or boss of stalagmitic material was encountered, which gave no little
trouble on amount of its compact nature and the great resistance it
offered to the tools of the workmen. The material was partly used to
construct a footway and partly thrown aside to be disposed of in the most
convenient manner, little notice having been taken of the many fragments
of bone that bristled from every piece of rock.

Mr. Le Souef, of the Zoological Gardens, having heard of the find,
proceeded to the spot and managed to secure numerous specimens, which he
had conveyed to Perth. He examined the fossil remains, and after assuring
himself of their scientific value handed them over to the Caves Board
officials, who in turn forwarded these cases of fossilised bones, etc., to
the Western Australian Museum. Some time afterwards Mr Le Souef sent to
the offices of the Board several other specimens which he had retained,
having identified them as portions of the lower jaw of an extinct
marsupial-sthenurus, thus making an interesting discovery which
unfortunately did not receive the publicity it deserved.

In December last the Board handed these few fragments to Mr. L. Glauert,
F.G.S., the palaeontologist to the Geological Survey of Western Australia,
who took the matter in hand. After the specimens had been freed from the
coating of stalagmite, etc., he examined them carefully, his
investigations and researches leading him to the conclusion that he was
not only dealing with the lower jaw of a long extinct cousin of the
kangaroos, which had not previously been recorded in this State, but
proving to him without a doubt that the form represented was one very
different from the various species previously known in the other States of
the Commonwealth. In order to mark its place of origin he, in his report
to the Board, suggested that it should bear the name of Sthenurus
occidentalis (the western sthenurus), and gave his grounds for considering
this a new form of the family.

To those who have heard and read of the extinct monsters of the other
continents—the mammoth and mastodon of Europe, the gigantic bird-reptiles
and dinosaurs of North America, the great sloths and armadillos of South
America, the sivatherium of Asia, and the huge moas of New Zealand, it
will not come as a surprise to learn that Australia, too, has its “dragons
of the prime.”

For nearly a century the huge diprotodon—a kangaroo with a head as large
as an elephant’s—was known to have existed in this southern continent ages
ago, for traces of it have been found in all the States, including Western
Australia.

The late Mr. E. T. Hardman, F.G.S., who did much excellent pioneering work
in the Kimberleys, came across bones of this extinct monster in the
Lennard River. Prospectors recovered a portion of a lower jaw (now in the
Western Australian Museum) near Lake Darlot, while the bones were so
common round about Balladonia that they were used as garden ornaments or
thrown away as utterly useless and uninteresting by the settlers in that
southern district. Slightly smaller in size was the nototherium, which
also had a general distribution throughout the continent.

Sthenurus cannot attempt to compare with either of these genera, but still
it was a tremendous animal when placed alongside even the great grey
kangaroo of to-day, which we all know, rivals a man in stature. [?] the
“old man” sthenurus was provided with long hind legs and a strong tail,
receiving his name “strong-tail” for that reason, but on the other hand
the bones which have been identified as being his show that, comparatively
speaking, his forelegs were longer than those of the national animal of
Australia. Like the kangaroo the sthenurus was a vegetable feeder, for his
teeth prove that he was not built to enjoy animal food. Even a casual
glance at his jaw would convince the merest tyro that the animal was used
to hard fare. The teeth are all of much greater size than those found in
the “great grey,” and bear traces of much rough usage and hard chewing, as
would be the case if the animal had to subsist upon nuts or the tougher
branches of trees and shrubs. The kangaroo, which feeds upon softer
herbage, has a slender jaw, and teeth which, through being continually
forced forward from behind, drop out, so that an old individual often has
only two cheek teeth on either side of his lower jaw in place of the
original five. With the sthenurus it was quite different. The large amount
of work which his teeth had to accomplish made it imperative that they
should all remain in his jaw to the very last, and so we find very few
examples of sthenurus jaws with fewer than the normal number of teeth,
excepting, of course, those cases where the teeth were broken or decayed.

The kangaroos, owing to the fact that the two halves of their lower jaw
are not fused together, are able to move the incisors with a kind of
scissor-like action, so that they can “eat very close.” Such a quality not
being necessary with sthenurus we nearly always find [that] [two] halves
united in the adult animal [and] often, too, in a younger example.

Very little else is known of this extinct marsupial, but it is considered
possible, and perhaps probable, that might be shed upon the subject if a
careful search were made in the Mammoth Cave, where all the factors are so
promising and all point to the chance of a rich store being unearthed if
the right locality be struck. That caves similar to the Mammoth Cave are
the store-rooms of fossil bones has been proved time after time, even in
this continent, as it is from such places that nearly all the recorded
specimens of sthenurus have been obtained.

In the early thirties of last century Sir Thos. Mitchell, in the course of
his travels, struck the first sthenurus bones in the Wellington Valley
Caves of N.S.W., whilst the Rev. J. E. Woods described the discovery of
similar bones in the Mount Bun Caves of South Australia some 30 years
later. Should a careful examination be undertaken in the Mammoth Cave it
is believed that the results will add fresh interest to those romantic
beauty spots which rival any in the southern continent, and which receive
all too little attention from tourists and the public at large....

2. From Woodward to Curator, Australian Museum, Sydney, 14 July, 1913, Consignment of specimens 10th June list, has arrived safely. 1 p.
3. To Woodward from Yngve Laurell, Naturhistorika Riksmuseets Etnografiska Afdelning, 21 July, 1913, Einar Lonnberg, Director of Zoological Museum,  the Swedish Kimberley-Expedition, 1911 reminded about collection of Swedish old peasant work he has been collecting for W.A. Museum. 2 p.
4. To Woodward from W. T. Calman, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London, 21 July, 1913, glad to have freshwater crayfishes from W.A., offering return of any local species of Crustacea. 1 p.
5. To The Director from James May Young, Meredith, Victoria, 6 August, 1913, sending package of Tertiary fossils, when land shells return from Sydney would like any species you have to spare. 1 p.
6. To Woodward from S.L. White , Belltrees, Scone, 10 August, 1913, sending case of skins, would like clutch of West Australian Wedge Tailed Eagle eggs, offering an Eastern set in exchange. 1 p.
7. To Director from R. Etherington, Australian Museum, Sydney, 14 August, 1913, forwarded Echidna bone casts as requested, will be glad to receive replicas of South West form. 1 p.
8. To Director from R. Etherington, Australian Museum, Sydney, 14 August, 1913, list of specimens sent, 5 casts of Fossil Echidna owenii, Krefft, Syn. Echidna ramsayi, owen. 1 p.
9. To Woodward from John S. Clark, Greenough Road, Geraldton, 19 August, 1913, as an experienced collector, offering a collection of 250 Queensland beetles and becoming a serious local collector for the museum. 4 p.
10. From Woodward to John S. Clark. Greenough Road, Geraldton, 21 August, 1913, glad to receive any W.A. insects, sending you a couple of entomology books, local natural history specimens most acceptable, 1 p.
11. To Woodward from John S. Clark, Greenough Road, Geraldton, 25 August, 1913, thanks for books, made new case for W.A. beetles will send 2 specimens of each when possible, made a case for them to send. 2 p.
12. From Woodward to Curator, Australia Museum, Sydney, 1 September, 1913, received list of casts of Fossil Echidna which arrived safely, 1 p.
13 .To Director from Albert E. Brookes, Allendale Road, Mt. Albert, Auckland, New Zealand, 15 August, 1913, when visiting Rottnest got 2 specimens of a large Patella 3 inches across, as I now have a keen interest in Molluscs, I am writing to ask you the name of the species. If you would like a collection of N.Z. shells all correctly determined in exchange for same from W. A. 1 p.
14. To Woodward from Einar Lonnberg, Vetenskapsakademien, Stockholm, 21 August, 1913, sending the reptiles
and frogs, lemmings not seen by us at present. 2 p.
15. From Woodward to H. L. White, Belltrees, Scone, 21 August, 1913, posting a birds' nest sent from Ednie Hassel, Warriup, Cheyne Beach, near Albany, feathers correspond with Dudley Le Souef's Noisy Scrub Bird "Atrichornis clamosa" but these eggs are similar to the eggs you kindly presented "Bericornia barbara" whose habitat was Queensland and Victoria. Please return them with your opinion as they are on loan. 1 p.
16. From Woodward to Albert E. Brooke, Allendale road, Mt. Albert, Auckland, N.Z., 3 September, 1913, informing you that on Rottnest and Harden Islands there are 2 species of Patella, neglecta and zebra, a problem. Would be very happy to receive a set of N. Z. Shells offering an exchange later in the year. 1 p. 
17. To Woodward from H. L. White, Belltrees, Scone, 6 September, 1913, about eggshell is of opinion that they eggs are those of Sericornia maculata. 1 p.
18. From Woodward to Hillson Beasley, Public Works Dept., Perth, 4 September, 1913, received examples of building stone from N.S.W. Technological Museum, send W.A. specimens. 1 p.
19. To Curator from A. J. Williamson, Bank of Victoria, Dunolly, Victoria, 9 September, 1913,1 year since sent specimens, please send Dentalium and Teredo shells. 1 p.
20. From Woodward to H. L. White, Belltrees, Scone, 11 September, 1913, case of skins arrived in splendid condition, trustees sending special vote of thanks ; getting you a clutch of Wedge-tailed Eagles' eggs. 1 p.
21. To Woodward from H. L. White, Belltrees, Scone, 29 September, 1913, waiting for good coloured hawks' eggs. 1 p.
22. From Woodward to A. J. Williamson, 22 September, 1913, sending specimens of Dentalium and Toredo. 1 p.
23. From Woodward to H. L. White, Belltrees, Scone, 9 October, 1913, getting eagle hawk's eggs from Dirk Hartog Island in North-West, send set within 3 months; keep eggs in dark as spots fade under light. 1 p.
24. From Woodward to Einor Lonnberg, Royal Natural History Museum, Stockholm, Sweden, 13 October, 1913, frogs and reptiles arrived in good condition. 1 p.
25. To Woodward from H. L. White, Belltrees, Scone, 19 October, 1913, photos of his eggs in The Emu. 1 p.
26. To Woodward from W. T. Calman, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London, 23 October, 1913, fine box of Crayfishes arrived, will send adequate return in exchange. 1 p.
27.  To Woodward from W. T. Calman, British Museum (Natural History), 2 December, 1913, packing up exchange of Crustacea without Bathynomus (v. rare), Homarus (common no permission to buy), Eupagurus (v. poor specimens), added 4 specimens from the "Discovery" Expedition. 1 p.
28. To Woodward from Waldemar Fridoline, 4 Rue Condorcet, Grenoble, France, 4 December, 1913, offering exchanges of collections of butterflies as detailed. 5 p.
29. From Woodward to Dr. R. Gestro, Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genova, Italy, 23 December, 1913, re Chiroptera sent to late Prof. Giglioli, referred by Prof. Rosa of Florence, to be returned. 1 p.
30. From Glauert to W. D. Campbell, South Perth, 30 December, 1913, director sanctions exchange discussed, show stone tomahawk next time at museum. 1 p.
31. From Woodward to W. C. Calman, British Museum (Nat. Hist.), Cromwell Rd., London, 10 January 1014, received box of specimens all new to collecton, v. valuable. 1 p.
32. To Woodward from R. Rathbun, Smithsonian Institution, U.S. National Museum, Washington, 13 January, 1914, thanking for corrected list of marsupials' names. 1 p.
33. To Woodward from H. M. Foote, Foote Mineral Company, Philadelphia, 29 January, 1914, received sample of Stibiotantalite sending in exchange specimen of Sylvanite from Cripple Creek. 1 p.
34. To Curator from Harold Schrader, Church Street, Parramatta, NSW, 18 February, 1914, seeking exchanges of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera collections from W.A.. 2 p.
35. From Woodward to Harold Schrader, Church Street, Parramatta, 27 February, 1914, thanking for offers to exchange but shortage of staff difficult. 1 p.
36. From Woodward to Foote Mineral Co., Philadelphia, 23 March, 1914, thanking for specimen of Sylvanite, 1 p.
37. From Woodward to Albert E. Brooks, Allendale Road, Mt. Albert, N. Z., 31 March, 1914, received box of shells, will send Patella as soon as possible but are mostly packed up now. 1 p. 
38. From Woodward to Superintendant, Indian Museum, Calcutta, India, 24 March, 1914, thanks for sending the records and memoirs as requested, will send crustacea and sponges and a publication. 1 p.
39. From Woodward to Superintendant, Zoological Section, Indian Museum, Calcutta, 2 April, 1914, enclosing list of crustaceans forwarded. 1 p.
40. From Woodward to H. M. Wallis, The Museum, Reading England, 4 May, 1914, glad you were pleased with the Aboriginal implements, we have a good collection of English flint implements. 1 p.
41. To Director, Colonial Museum, Perth, from H. M. Wallis, Public Museum and Art Gallery, Reading, 27 March, 1914, very pleased to receive parcel of Native Australian implements, stone, glass & porcelain. 1 p.
42. To Woodward from Eric Georg Mjoberg, Academy of Science, Stockholm, Sweden, 15 April, 1914, wanted fossils or Dromicia on loan or for sale or exchange. 4 p.
43. To Woodward from Gregory M. Mathews, Hassall St., Parramatta, 12 May, 1914, please get man to go to Rottnest and get a series of Sericornis, send them to England ASAP, as he is going to America.
44. From Woodward to Gregory M. Mathews, Langley Mount, Watford, 11 June, 1914, can't afford man to go to Rottnest, sending 3 specimens from the Reserve Collection enclosed with the other birds. 2 p.
45. To Gregory M. Mathews, Langley Mount, Watford, Herts., 15 June, 1914, List of birds sent. 2 p.
46. From Graham Kerr, Natural History Department, University of Glasgow, 17 June, 1914, asking for specimens of Chlamydosaurus, please send an exchange list. 2 p.
47. From Woodward to Eric Mjoberg, Academy of Science, Stockholm, Sweden, 19 June, 1914, will receive specimen of new genus of Phalanger, send fossils for Glauert to classify. 1 p.
48. To Woodward  from James Hay Young, Meredith, Victoria, 20 June, 1914, intend to include W.A. species in my list of Australian Land shells tertiary fossils. 1 p.
49. To Woodward from H. M. Wallis, Public Museum and Art Gallery, Reading, 3 July, 1914, pleased with Aboriginal implements, Mr. Alexander asks for crab, crayfish, shrimp etc. difficult to send wet. 1 p.
50. From Woodward to Starr Jordan, Leland Stanford University, California, 27 July, 1914, sending list of W.A. fish as requested, Hippocampus and Platycephalus not yet included, would welcome Pacific fish. 1 p.
51. From Woodward to H. M. Wallis, Reading Museum, England, 17 August, 1914, have good collection of English flints, British birds. 1 p.
52. From Woodward to R. Etheridge, Australian Museum, Sydney, 24 August, 1914, sending casts of right femur and right tibia of Zaglossus hacketti, hoping to send fossils from Mammoth Cave in South-West. 1 p.
53. To Woodward from R. Etheridge, Australian Museum, Sydney, 15 September, 1914, received fossil casts. 1 p.
54. To Woodward from C. H. Ostenfeld, Danish botanist, 29 September, 1914, visit to Cave House, Yallingup, missed because of accident but identified samples of vegetation, visit herbariun possible. 2 p.
55. From Woodward to C. H. Ostenfeld, 1 October, 1914, offering visit Museum's collection of plants. 1 p.`
56. From Woodward to Gregory M. Mathews, Langley Mount, Watford, Herts., 15 October, 1914, Lipfert has list of birds wanted but no money for expedition, 25 pounds. 1 p.
57. From Woodward to Edwin Ashby, Wittunga, Blackwood, S.A., 15 October, 1914, have specimen Porphyrio bellus from Southwest,promised to forward the other birds but we can't afford staff to do any collecting. 1 p.
58. From Woodward to H. L. White, Belltrees, Scone, 15 October, 1914, not yet able to get clutch of Wedge-Tailed Eagle eggs, try again next season. 1 p.
59. From Woodward to C. H. Osterfeld, handing 58 species of dried W.A. native plants for exchange. 1 p. 
60. From Woodward to Albert E. Brooks, Allendale Road, Mt. Albert, Auckland, N.Z., 19 October, 1914, sending 3 specimens of Patella neglecta, Gray, from Garden Island, off Fremantle, not yet able to send 57 specimens. 2 p.
61. To Woodward from H.L. White, Belltrees, Scone, 25 December, 1914, will send set of Eusterio eggs if supplying them later ; received beautiful specimens from H.G.Barnard, West Coast of Gulf of Carpentaria. 1 p..
62. Invoice of 21 American bird specimens from Smithsonian Institution, 9 January, 1915, 1 p.
63. To Woodward from R. Rathbun, Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum, Washington, D.C., 14 January, 1915, received bird skins, sending you a box of 21 bird skins & 6 mammals. 2 p.
64. From Woodward to H. L. White, Belltrees, Scone, N.S.W., 3 November, 1914, retain new eggs now. 1 p.
65. To Woodward from Geo. L. Fisher, Herbarium, Houston, Texas, 13 February, 1915, send Australian plants for Herbarium. 1 p.
66. To Woodward from Eugene Le Moult, Cabinet Entomologique, Paris, March, 1915, offering insects from French colonies in exchange for W.A.  species. 1 p.
67. To Alexander from John S. Clark, Greenough Rd., Geraldton, 29 May. 1915, collecting local insects, bird and animal parasites and hosts, need to send some to be classified, name and date. 1 p.
68. From Alexander to J. S. Clark, Greenough Rd., Geraldton, 2 June, 1915, glad to have bird and animal parasites, flies, short of staff for classification of flies, some groups classify butterflies, moths, wasps. 1 p.
69. To Alexander from J. S. Clark, Greenough Rd., Geraldton, 7 June, 1915, sent Cicadas, Hymenoptera to East, will send to you in future,also skins from which I collected parasites. 3 p.
70. To John S. Clark, Greenough Rd., Geraldton, 12 June, 1915, specimens sent to Natural History Museum labeled "Natural History Specimens" are travel free, formalin cheap, glad to receive skins. 1 p.
71.From Alexander to E. Le Moult, 4 Rue Dumeril, Paris, 7 July, 1915, Unable to exchange, passed on to local collector. 1 p.
72. To Alexander from James May Young, Meredith, Victoria, 8 July, 1915, sent 3 packages containing nearly 100 species of land shells, Woodward offering his land shells presently on loan to Hedley at Sydney Museum, which would be sent on to Young when returned. 2 p.
73. From Alexander to Professor Starr-Jordan, Leland-Stanford University, California, 16 July, 1915, 1 year since sent you collection of W.A. fish, expecting papers written on  fishes of Pacific in return. 1 p.
74. To Alexander from C. H. Ostenfeld, Botanical Myseum, Kobenhavn, Denmark, 19 July, 1915, sent W.A. specimens by ship from Fremantle to Denmark, arrived safely, glad to work, will send duplicates. 2 p.
75. From W.B.A. to James May Young, Meredith, Victoria, 26 July, 1915, Woodward, now retired, said impossible to pick out shells until named and few specimens available, no field collector at present, will send specimens available. 1 p.
76. To Museum from James May Young, Meredith, Victoria, 6 August, 1915, satisfied with specimens offered & now available. 1 p.
77. To Alexander from Thomas Hudson Beare, University of Edinburgh, 12 August, 1915, in W.A. Coleoptera fauna, returned to G.B. without visiting Java, meeting of British Association in Australia. 4 p.
78. From Alexander to C. H. Ostenfeld, Museuminspektor, Kobenhavn, Denmark, 1 September, 1915, unable botanical collecting, no skeleton of Myrmecobius available, could send skin & skull, echinoderms. 1p 
79. To Museum from A. Eland Shaw, Wynnum South, Queensland, 1 September, 1915, returning Blattidae and other specimens of cockroaches, Zonioptera alutacia, Platyzosteria to W.A. 2 p.
80. To Alexander from David Starr Jordan, Stanford University, California, 2 September, 1915, seeking in another department collection of fishes sent, will send my papers and return series of specimens. 1 p.
81. To Alexander from David Starr Jordan, Stanford University, California, 4 December, 1915, enclosed letter from Customs Office shows why we coud not find your fishes, hoping to get them some day. 1 p.
82. To Alexander, a copy of letter from U. S. Customs Service received by Stanford University, 3 September, 1915, they have no record of the shipment of fish sent to Unversity. 1 p.
83. From Woodward to James Hay Young, Meredith, Victoria, 9 September, 1915, sending specimens of 4 land shells. 1 p.
84a. To Secretary of W.A.Museum from Colonel C. E. Shepherd, 34 Brunswick Gardens, Kensington, London, 3 September, 1915, offering fossil otolites from  English Eocene strata in exchange for Gonorhynchus Greyi, Monocentris stella maris, Cyttus australis. 4 p.
84b. From C.E. Shepherd, 13 December, 1915, arrangements to send Gonorhynchus and Cyttus. 7 p.
85. To R. Rathbun, U.S. National Museum, Washington, 23 September, 1915, no skull with specimen 61356 Cynomus ludovicianus, enclosing list of N. American species wanted and W.A. vertebrates available. 1 p.
86. List of North American vertebrates desired by W.A.Museum : Mammals, Birds, Reptiles. 1 p.
87. Lists of Polyzosteria species and Platyzosteria species, Zonioploca pallida, Periplaneta concolor duplicates. 1 p
88. To A. Eland Shaw, Wynnum South, Queensland, from Keeper of Biology, sending lists of Polyzosteria and Platyzosteria duplicates and others needing identification. 1 p.
89. From Alexander to M. W. Elliott, Dumbleyung, 23 September, 1915, specimens identified: Cacomantis rubricatus (Fantailed cuckoo), Malurus pulcherrimus, (Red-winged Wren), Acanthiza apicalis (Broad-tailed tit), egg of Bronze Cuckoo (Chalcococcyx plagosus) 1 p.
90. From Alexander to J. A. Kershaw, National Museum, Melbourne, 23 September, 1915, wanting skeletons of Native Bear and Wombat to decide which species local notes have seen, or exchange for W.A. zoological evidence found. 1 p.
91.From Alexander to J. Hudson Beare, Edinburgh University, Scotland, 2 October, 1915, sending a few Cetoniadae species, would like any showy beetles, either tropical or British. 1 p.
92. To Alexander from C. H. Osterfeld, Universitetets Botaniske Museum, Kebenhavn, 27 October, 1915, Professor Jungersen asks for a skin and skull of a Myrmecobius (Numbat), also Report on the Forests of W.A. by J. Ednie Brown. 1 p.
93. From Alexander to C. E. Shepherd, 2 November, 1915, can supply heads of 3 species of fish requested but no funds for postage at present. 1 p.
94. From Alexander to A. M. Clark, secretary to Chancellor, Leland-Stanford University, California, 22 November, 1915, Shipping Agents F. Cadd say the collection of fish sent by Wright Heston, shipped on SS Mattai, 7 November, 1914 to H.D.Greedhood, Sacramento St., San Francisco. 1 p.
95. From Alexander to President Starr Jordan, Stanford University, California, 22 November, 1915, regrets about collection of fish sent to A. M. Clark, to whom we have sent shipping details, thanks for series of papers on fish. 1 p.
96. To Alexander from Henry K. Coale, Ornithological Collection, Birds of the World, Highland Park, Illinois, 24 November, 1915, interested in Australian birds, sorry unable to get W.A. species at present. 1 p.
97. To Alexander from J. Hudson Beare, University of Edinburgh, 24 December, 1915, thanks for box of specimens badly damaged in transit, loss of staff by war service. 2 p.
98. From Alexander to J, S. Clark, Greenough Road, Geraldton, sends list of names of beetles identified. 1p.
99. List of duplicate Western Australian plants (Herbarium specimens) in the W.A. Museum of Perth., Dec. 1915. 3 p.



 



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