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AUSTRALIA 349 AUSTRALIA best known varieties), over 20 kinds of bats, a wild dog (the dingo) , and a num- ber of rats and mice. Two extraordinary animals, the platypus, or water mole of the colonist {cyrnithorhynclms) , and the porcupine ant-eater (echidna) constitute the lowest order of mammals {monotre- tnata) , and are confined to Australia. Their young are produced from eggs. Australia now possesses a large stock of the domestic animals of England, which thrive there remarkably well. The breed of horses is excellent. Horned cattle and sheep are largely bredo the first attaining a great size, while the sheep improve in fleece and their flesh in flavor. There are upward of 650 different species of birds, the largest being the emu, or Aus- tralian ostrich, and a species of casso- wary. Peculiar to the country are the black swan, the honey sucker, the lyre bird, the brush turkey, and other mound building birds, the bower birds, etc. The parrot tribe preponderate over most other groups of birds in the continent. There- are many reptiles, the largest being the alligator, found in some of the northern rivers. There are upward of 60 different species of snakes, some of which are very venomous. Lizards, frogs, and insects are also numerous in various parts. The seas, rivers, and la- goons abound in fish of many varieties. Peoples. — The natives belong to the Australian negro stock, and are some- times considered the lowest as regards intelligence in the whole human family, though this is doubtful. They are be- lieved to number between 75,000 and 100,000, exclusive of those in the unex- plored parts. They are of a dark-brown or black color, with jet-black curly, but not woolly, hair, of medium size, but inferior muscular development. They have no fixed habitations; in the summer they live almost entirely in the open air, and in the more inclement weather they shelter themselves with bark erections of the rudest construction. They have no cultivation and no domestic animals. Their food consists of such animals as they can kill, and no kind of living crea- ture seems to be rejected, snakes, lizards, frogs, and even insects being eaten, often half raw. They speak a number of dif- ferent languages or dialects. They are occasionally employed by the settlers in light kinds of work and as horse-break- ers. The weapons of all the tribes are generally similar, consisting of spears, shields, boomerangs, wooden axes, clubs, and stone hatchets. Of these the boom- erang is the most singular, being an in- vention confined to the Australians. Government. — In addition to the cen- tral federated government (see Austra- lian Commonwealth), each colony has a governor, administration, and a Legis- lature of its own. The governors are appointed by the King, and all act: passed by the Colonial Legislatures must receive the royal assent. Each Legisla- ture consists of two houses, a Legislative Council and a Legislative Assembly, the lower house being elected. The legisla- tive power of the Commonwealth is vested in a Federal Parliament which consists of the King, represented by the governor-general, a Senate, and a House of Representatives. The Senate consists of six senators for each of the original states, chosen for six years. The House of Representatives consists theoretically of twice as many members as there are senators. The House continues for three years from the date of its first meeting, unless sooner dissolved. Elections are on the basis of universal suffrage, male and female. The executive power is in the hands of a governor-general, who is as- sisted by an executive council. There is no established Church in any of the col- onies. The denomination which numbers most adherents is the English or Angli- can Church, next to which come the Ro- man Catholics, Presbyterians, and Meth- odists. Education is well provided for, instruction in the primary schools being, in some cases, free and compulsory, and the higher education being more and more attended to. There are flourishing universities in Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide. Industries. — The chief agricultural product is wheat, of which there was a total acreage in 1918 of 9,774,658, with a production of 114,733,584 bushels. Other important crops are oats, barley, maize, hay, potatoes, sugar cane, and fruit. The total acreage of all crops in 1918 was 14,298,982, and the total value of produc- tion in that year was £57,967,307. The production of wool in 1917 and 1918 amounted to 573,864,083 pounds, valued at £37,062,000. The mineral production in 1918 was valued at £26,333,000, of which the gold produced amounted to £5,408,000, silver and lead £6,105,000, copper £4,465,000, tin £1,432,000 and coal £6,124,000. There are about 16,000 manufacturing establishments employing about 330,000 hands. The value of the output in 1917 was £206,386,646. The imports in 1918-1919 were valued at £93,485,050. The exports were valued at £106,805,895. The chief imports were textiles, metal manufactures, wearing ap- parel, drugs and chemicals, and paper. The chief exports were wool, wheat, flour, skins and hides. For more de- tailed information in relation to the