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NATURALIST

May, 1969

Vol. 86, No. 5

Published by the
FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA

In which is incorporated the Microscopical Society of Victoria

Registered in Australia for transmission by post as a periodical

45 cents

Stand of Messmate Stringybark and Manna Gum—Mt. Cole State Forest.

FORESTS COMMISSION
VICTORIA

Bw “

OE Wel DZ preserving the beauty of our
forests for your enjoyment.

118 Vict. Nat.—Vol. 86

The

Victorian Naturalist

Editor: G. M. Ward
Assistant Editor: P. Gahan

Vol. 86, No. 5 ; 8 May, 1969

CONTENTS

Articles:

Wandering o’er the Mallee and Riverina. By Margaret Sympson ..
Mating Call as an Aid to the Identification of the Frogs of the Melbourne
Area. By M. J. Littlejohn and A. A. Martin a
A Day-tour to Dutson. By Ellen Lyndon ..
Our Vanishing Geological Monuments. By J. A. Blackburn se
Prostanthera schultzii seen in Flower for First Time. By J. H. Willis ah
Some Fossil Bird Tracks. By K. N. Bell and J. A. DeMerlo
Archidoris kerguelenensis Bergh, the First Record of a Nudibranch from
Macquarie Island. By W. Merilees and Robert Burn . te Mee

Features:

Readers’ Nature Notes and Queries

Book Reviews:

Periwinkle Press Series ..

Country Club News:
Benalla F.N.C.; Western Victoria Field Naturalists Clubs Association

Field Naturalists Club of Victoria:
General and Group Reports
Diary of Coming Events

Front Cover:

The photograph is of Soft Coral (Siniularia), taken at Gantheaume Pt., Broome,
by Alan Owen.

May, 1969

120
126
128
130
132
134

137

136

138

144
147

W.A.

ye

Wandering o’er the Mallee and Riverina

It was rather gloomy on 12 October
as we ieft Melbourne in the morning
for the north. When Bendigo was left
behind, it was getting much better;
with a cloudless sky, and being much
warmer. Nearing Kerang, stretches of
water were apparent in the paddocks;
and when we saw a large congregation
of white birds over one of these, we
stopped. White and strawnecked ibis
were feeding quietly on the edges of
the water, silver gulls were swimming
and strutting about aggressively. A
Gull-billed Tern, Marsh Terns, and
White-winged Black Terns were flying
around a great deal, and diving for
food in the shallow water; whilst
White-headed Stilts were more sedate
about their feeding. The one and only
gull-billed tern gave us some very
interesting views of itself as it dived
very close to where we were.

Our destination that night was Mys-
tic Park, so we pressed on, arriving
in good time to find a camp site, and
put up our tent. Next day we called
on friends nearby, who grow grapes
and citrus fruits, as well as lovely
roses; and are also renowned bird
watchers. Mr. Vic Lowe and his son
Tom, took us off to Lake Tuchiwop
before lunch to find waders. This lake
is filled with salt water, which is being
drained into it by canals bringing this
salty water from a nearby river, which
in turn flows on to the Murray. This
scheme is to prevent it from polluting
all other water courses into which it
might seep. We saw the usual sand-
pipers and stints, but nothing uncom-
mon. Tom Lowe suggested we try and
find an Orange Chat, which we had

120

by MARGARET SYMPSON

never seen, sO we drove over a low
salt bush incline from the lake, and
almost immediately saw this bird! It
was a most brilliant creature, with
flowing orange head and shining yellow
breast, plus a black throat. Here, on
another bush was a female; and over
there, another male! This was truly
exciting. They were fitting about this
place, showing not the slightest fear
of us. After a few minutes of good
observing from the car, we moved off,
because we thought this may have
been their chosen nesting site.

Then, as I announced that I had
never seen a Crimson Chat either (my
husband had), off we went to higher
more grassy ground, and sure enough,
there they were, quite a flock. They
are equally as beautiful, but have more
brown with their crimson. Later on,
further north in N.S.W., we saw many
more Crimson Chats, but only one
more Orange Chat near Lake Cargel-
ligo; again inhabiting salt bush and
box thorn in an open paddock.

We parted at lunch, to meet again
for the evening. Our hosts suggested
we drive through their series of
marshes. As we had an area map we
set off looking for Australian Dot-
terels, which we did not find. However,
we found other things. We were par-
ticularly pleased with seeing three
species of wood swallows, the White-
browed, White-breasted, and Black-
faced that afternoon. The _ only
eucalypts that I knew of, growing in
these swamps, was the Black Box
confirmed by Mr. Lowe. Not all these
swamps have water in them, and

Vict. Nat.—vVol. 86

some were just filling because the
rivers were overflowing for a change.
Among the birds we most enjoyed
were the two species of chat, the Blue
and White Wrens, Regent Parrots,
Black-fronted Dotterels, Blue-billed
Ducks on Kangaroo Lake, Striped
Honeyeater in a nest like a silk purse
in Mr. Lowe’s garden, Tawny Frog-
mouth nesting nearby over our tent
in a weeping willow tree. Brown Song
Lark, large flocks of Cockatiels, Bud-
gerigahs and Banded Plovers.
Altogether we totted up 73 species
for our week-end at Mystic Park.
Next morning we said good-bye to
the Lowes, who were out early in
force, harvesting their lemons. They
loaded us with oranges and grapefruit
most generously, and waved us off.
Later on, when we struck a heat wave,
how thankful we were to have them.
Our final destination was Round
Hill Faunal Reserve, 30 miles from
Lake Cargelligo, and 17 miles from
Mt. Hope. To get there we crossed
the river at Barham, stopped near

Deniliquin with more friends for the
night, and proceeded north through
Jerilderie, Griffith, Rankin Springs,
Lake Cargelligo, and then north-west;
crossing the Lachlan river, and another
Creek, which was

called Booberoi

Camp-site amidst Wilgas (left) and Callitris.

May, 1969

about 20 miles from the camp. As we
journeyed on from Deniliquin, the
temperature became hotter and hotter.
A long, hot plain, covered with yellow
and white helichrysums, led us to Dar-
lington Point on the Murrumbidgee.
After Griffith, the countryside became
more Mallee covered, with ranges of
low hills on the horizon, rising straight
out of the plain. These hills seemed to
be rocky, rather than sandy. From
Rankin Springs, very large tracts of
forest emerged, all of the Callitris
species. Round Hill is also of the
same quartz type of rock, rising out of
flat, red Mallee sand.

We camped in an area of semi-
cleared “Wilga” (Geijera parviflora),
and Callitris species. Attempts had
been made years ago to graze animals,
but the dams dug were not able to hold
water—such a pity, so well dug, too.
Surrounding this area, the Mallee euca-
lypts stretched to the edge of the
Reserve, which occupies about 25,000
acres. The road cuts diagonally through
the Reserve, one side being now
covered with low regenerating mallee,
which was burnt 10 years ago in a
bush-fire, and the other side, apparent-
ly saved, was still virgin. It was once
the haunt of the Mallee Fowl, but
none has been seen since those fires.

photo: Author.
(VPA)

The company of bird watchers as-
sembled, about 30 in all, did several
beats through the scrub to see if we
could find anything. Several very old
spreading mounds were found, but not
a sight of any Lowans. However there
were plenty of other species seen. The
R.A.O.U. were particularly keen on
finding nests, so campers looked for
them every day as well as checking
on the ones already found.

As the temperature was over 100°F
every day, and the flies excrutiatingly
irritating on our bare skins, it was
quite an effort to leave a shady tree
to look for a nest, let alone lift binocu-
lars to scan the trees. After 9 a.m. I
usually sat myself in a chair, and
watched from under a Callitris tree,
and observed Western warblers nesting
nearby, a pair of Red-capped Robins
carrying food, Jacky Winter, Owlet
Nightjar looking every now and then
from its day roost in a hollow spout,
Ring-neck parrots, flocks of Apostle
Birds noisily passing through, and
White-winged Trillers.

On our first day we came upon two
Spotted Bower Birds making a frightful
din near a bower. When they saw us
they flew away, so we inspected the
bower and found a very nicely made
one under sapling Callitris trees still
in their juvenile blue stage. Small paddy
melons, and green and blue pieces of
glass were decorating the outer plat-
form at one end. Another one was
found nearer the camp, where photo-
graphers in the party put up a hide.

After three days my husband and I
decided we must go into Lake Cargel-
ligo, the nearest town 30 miles away,
and have a bath and a change of
clothes. The journey back was so dusty
that we really felt we had never had
the bath. However, on a vast flat plain,
again covered in yellow and white
helichrysums, we found three pairs of
Australian Pratincoles fraternizing
with 12 Banded plovers. The pratin-

122

coles were again a new bird to me.
Crossing a small bridge where box
thorn and salt bush grew, were blue
and white wrens, crimson chats and
one orange chat mentioned earlier. The
Booberoi Creek was a pleasant spot
to stop and have lunch, and dabble hot
feet. Red gums lined the banks, which
were filled with twittering and jostling
budgerigahs, continually diving into
the water to drink, and even have a
splash. There was a pair of Rufous
Song Larks singing nearby. It was a
very pretty song; and they paused
now and then to eat large grubs found
in the tree. A Black-tailed Native Hen
was finally flushed from the bull-
rushes where it had been trying to
hide from us for some time. Next
minute there was a lot of scratching
noises behind us, where an enormous
brown and yellow tailed goanna went
shinning up a tree. Further along the
road back to camp, Blue Bonnet Par-
rots were seen flying across open
paddocks dotted with Wilga trees, to
settle amicably with Galahs. When we
were going through the reserve, we
stopped to watch a very large flock of
Masked Wood Swallows diving about
over the regenerating Mallee, and call-
ing to each other continuously. One
bird was beautifully patterned with
white spots along its wings and over
its back. It turned out to be a well
grown fledgling still being fed. Also
among them were White-browed Wood
Swallows but not many.

Another new bird for both of us,
found at the camp, was the Black
Honeyeater. It was first seen on a
tall orange-red flowered eremophila
bush, almost a small tree. The long
tube flowers were most popular also
with the Yellow Plumed Honeyeater,
White-eared, Spiney-cheeked, and
White-faced Honeyeaters. The Black
Honeyeater was later found to be nest-
ing. The male is a most striking little

Vict. Nat.—Vol. 86

Booberoi Creek,
20 miles from
Round Hill.

photo: Author.

bird, with black head and white body;
while the female is just a brown bird.
There was another eremophila bush
flowering in the area, a big low spread-
ing bush with dark green leaves and
a short red tube on the flower. The
yellow and white helichrysums were
again all over the camp site, which was
very dusty and dry. There were dis-
appointingly very few wild flowers, as
one would expect in the spring in
the Mallee. I was looking forward to
a much better display. There was only
one flower that was flowering in
spectacular proportions, and that was
an enormous area of Brunonia austra-
lis. I came across it on the slopes of
Round Hill, quite off the road amongst
outcropping rock. It was the most
beautiful patch of blue I have seen.
Wahlenbergia consimilis was fairly
widespread but sparsely growing.

The weather was continuing to be
so hot, that we left on the 21st October.

Australian Dotterels were mentioned
as being found on Tchelery Station
south-west of Hay, so we thought we
might try to find them. The first place
after Round Hill was Mt. Hope, a
copper mine. We found a rather dere-
lict hotei, and a smarter store. We
chose the store for a drink of pine-
apple juice which was cold from an
overworked refrigerator. Mt. Hope

May, 1.969

looked a pretty grim place on this day
with the wind blowing as if from a
furnace, with the area being tree-less
and dusty. Perhaps when it is colder
in winter, any greenness might com-
pensate for its desolateness. After this
cooling interlude, we pressed on to
Hillston, 48 miles west.

This stretch of vegetation was mostly
Callitris forest; here and there being
cleared for grazing; but with no ani-
mals in sight. This lack of animals was
remarkable, with not even wild ones
on all those vast empty plains. Some-
times, cleared parts had a crop planted,
but there did not seem much hope of
fruition if no rain fell before Decem-
ber. The Hay plain which started at
Hillston, was dead flat, with no trees
except those away on the horizon
lining the Lachlan River, low salt
bushes, and helichrysums. Hillston did
get some irrigation from the Lachlan,
and therefore looked quite green and
lush. We stopped by the river to have
lunch, watching Sulphur-crested Cock-
atoos in the Red Gums. The sky had
clouded over by now, but it was still
ver, hot, and the wind had become
very strong, making it difficult to
hear any bird calls.

Booligal was a very lonely township,
but we had another cold drink and
went on.

123

We came across Banded Plovers and
Australian Pratincoles standing on the
road. One plover insisted on staying
on the road, and when we stopped to
look closer, we saw a baby plover
running on the road, too, in a most
irresponsible manner. Also Chats flew
up in front of the car, from where you
could have sworn there was nothing
previously. We stopped for a few
minutes to look, and found several
Crimson Chats in the salt bushes, and
a family of wrens without a male.
There was also a Horsfield Bush Lark
sitting on a twig, singing its heart out
for fully five minutes as we approached
closer and closer. Further along this
plain we came upon road building
where the workmen had dammed up
water for their purposes, and let it
seep into salt bush away from the
road on both sides. This seemed to
have caused good conditions for
waders, for there, to our amazement,
we saw Sharptailed Sandpipers in
amongst the bushes growing in the
water. There were at least 12 of them.

We stayed at Hay for the night,
when the wind changed to the west.
It was so cold now, we had to rug up
whenever we got out of the car.

We headed west from Hay towards
Balranald, but turned south half-way,
and went towards Moulamein, but did
not go near that town. On this lonely
open road, there were still no animals
to be seen; just dead flat country,
daisies and salt bush. Excavated heaps
of soil from dams were the only
eminences on the horizon. The dams
all seemed to be empty of water ex-
cept one—the Tchelery Station dam,
and that did not look as if it would
last the summer. There was, of course,
not an Australian Dotterel to be seen
around here, but we found a marvel-
lous little oasis nearby. For some dis-
tance we noticed on the horizon what
looked like a line of trees, as if along
a river, but it turned out not to be so.

Zt

It was actually a dry water course,
seemingly draining off a paddock
which was denuded of vegetation. The
wind was removing sand from it quite
considerably. However the trees were
seized upon by the birds as the only
shelter for miles. Numerous Crimson
Chats, a few White-fronted Chats,
Red-capped Robin, two Masked Wood
Swallows building a nest, six Black-
faced Wood Swallows, Willy Wagtails,
White-winged Trillers, Blue Bonnet
Parrots, Budgerigahs, Galahs, Mag-
pies, Australian pipit, Wedgetailed
Eagle, a dead Brown Hawk, a dead
Raven, two Zebra Finches, Blue and
White wrens, Nankeen Kestrel, and a
sign of an Emu. The salt bushes were
quite big thickets here. The eucalypts
were fairly stunted, not a Mallee, but
about the same height, not straight
growing, and with blackish bark. I
was sorry I did not know the species.
On the map, this part of the world
seems to be full of named “Tanks”,
but there is nothing there of course,
except the empty dam. Windouran
Tank actually turned out to be the
Station homestead itself, on the road.
It. was on the Moulamein River, so
was irrigated, and looked nice and
green with the river Red Gums grow-
ing round the house. We came to
the river, and thought it looked so
pleasant, that we decided to boil our
billy. A very pleasant flat bank enabled
us to walk quite a way before moving
on. Sacred Kingfishers, Galahs, Par-
dalotes, Starlings, White-faced Herons,
Musk Duck, Grey Teal, Maned Geese,
Moorhens, Reed Warblers, Little Pied
and Large Black Cormorants, Brown
Tree creepers, Black-faced Cuckoo
Shrike, Eastern Rosellas, and our old
friend the White-plumed Honeyeater.
There was also a water rat swimming
at great speed in the middle of the
river, disappearing into reeds; and a
large goanna in a tree. A young
kookaburra sat on a fallen branch,

Vict. Nat.—Vol. 86

and did not fly up, so I slowly went
up to it and stroked its head. It did
not seem to mind, but of course it
could have been trembling inwardly.
I have done this with young magpies,
too. They have probably just been
pushed out of the nest by their
parents and are not sure of flying yet.

Our destination was Barmah Forest
that night, so we went on, arriving in
time to put up our tent before dark,
and delighted to find the dilapidated
_ old car ferry was no longer at Barmah;
but instead, a most imposing new
bridge. The Murray and Broken Rivers
were well up over their banks, so we
had to be sure our tent was out of
reach of any further rising water. It
looked lovely over the Moira Lakes,
with many White Herons and Egrets
flying over the reeds. Very strong wind
was still blowing next day, but it was
fine with patches of sun. We tried to
get along a car track through the
forest, upstream, to where I had been
before, but the water had come so
far in that we could not proceed.
What a sight all these beautiful Red
Gums made, standing in water.

The second day, the weather be-
came very dull, and by nightfall it
started to rain. The third day started
fine, but came on to rain again. We

went off for a drive to the Goulburn
River, but it rained in misty drifts, so
that we gave up and went back to our
camp, by which time it was raining
heavily. We packed up our gear and
stayed in the Barmah Motel for the
night, fearing the track out of our
camp on the river might become soft
and slippery by morning.

Among the 31 species of birds
we saw, were Noisy Friar Birds,
Little Friar Birds, Yellow Rosel-
las, many White-winged Trillers,
White Ibis, Striated Pardalote, Eastern
Rosella, White Egret, Red-backed
Parrots, Dusky and White-breasted
Wood Swallows, Pelicans, Rainbow
birds, and again many Crimson Chats,
right amongst the trees. A White-faced
Heron put herself at a tremendous
height on her nest, in a tall thin red
gum growing in water. Taking no
chances it seemed.

Wahlenbergia consimilis was again
the only wild flower about, even grow-
ing under water near the banks. Be-
cause of the wet conditions we left
Barmah a day earlier. As we ap-
proached Melbourne in the afternoon,
the weather improved of course, but
we were told it had been very cold,
too, after a warm spell.

F.N.C.V. Publications Available for Purchase

FERNS OF VICTORIA AND TASMANIA, by N. A. Wakefield.
The 116 species known and described, and illustrated by line drawings, and

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VICTORIAN TOADSTOOLS AND MUSHROOMS, by J. H. Willis.

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Payments should include postage (9c on single copy).

May, 1969

12>

Mating Cali as an Aid to the Identification of the
Frogs of the Melbourne Area

by M. J. LITTLEJOHN and A. A. MarTIN*

Littlejohn (1963) described and
figured adults of eleven species of
frogs then known to occur in the
Melbourne area (i.e. within 25 miles
of the Melbourne General Post
Office) and provided some informa-
tion about their life histories and
distributions. A key to living adults
was also included. Martin (1965) des-
cribed and figured the tadpoles of
these species and also provided a key
to aid in their diagnosis. Later, an-
other species was added to the list
(Hyla lesueuri) and the available
information about it published, to-
gether with a key to the eggs of the
twelve species (Martin, Littlejohn
and Rawlinson, 1966). One important
aspect of frog biology remains to be
considered as an aid to diagnosis—
mating calls—and the aim of the pres-
ent account is to provide a key to this
character, and thus to complete this
series of articles on the natural his-
tory of the frogs of the Melbourne
area.

The mating call is produced by the
male and functions to attract a breed-
ing female of the same species to it.
In general, each species of frog has a
characteristic and most distinctive
mating call, particularly where the
species breed in the same places at
the same time. Accordingly, this be-
havioural attribute can be of consider-

able value in the field identification of
frogs.

While it is often difficult and un-
satisfactory to provide written des-
criptions of sounds, we feel that if
they are used in conjunction with
other biological data, particularly male
calling site and breeding season, they
will assist in species identifications.
The ambient temperature can have a
considerable influence on the structure
of mating calls. As the temperature
falls, the calls usually become longer
and more slowly repeated, and the
pulse rates (“trilling”) slow down.
The accompanying key is designed to
work over a temperature range of
about 45-65°F. and allowance should
be made for observations outside these
temperatures.

Detailed accounts (including physi-
cal analysis) of mating calls of some
of the frogs which occur in the Mel-
bourne area are provided in the fol-
lowing references: Littlejohn (1959,
1964)—Crinia_signifera; Littlejohn
and Martin (1964)—C. victoriana;
Littlejohn (1965a)—Ayla ewingi and
Hl. verreauxi; Littlejohn and Martin
(1965 )—Limnodynastes dorsalis, L.
peroni, and L. tasmaniensis. General
information on frog calls is provided
by Littlejohn (1965b, 1968).

* Department of Zoology, University of Mel-
bourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052.

KEY TO THE MATING CALLS OF FROGS OF THE MELBOURNE AREA

1. Call consisting of single, short notes separated by long intervals... .. .. 2.
Call consisting of a series of rapidly repeated notes... ........ .. .. 4.
2. Calling in still water; late spring—summer............ .. .. .. 3.

Calling on land; harsh, grating

“cre-e-eck”’;

autumn only: Pseudophryne

bibroni (Bibron’s Toadlet); Pseudophryne semimarmorata (Southern Toad-

let).
126

Vict. Nat.—Vol. 86

3. Banjo-like “plonk”:
Soft, explosive “whuck”:

. .. Limnodynastes dorsalis (Bull Frog).
_ Limnodynastes peroni (Striped Marsh Frog).

Loud, sharp “click” as when two stones or coins are struck together:

Limnodynastes tasmaniensis*

4. Notes of two distinct kinds ..
Notes all the same ..

(Spotted Marsh Frog).

Ste ae
410%

5. One to three long, rasping introductory notes followed by a series of short,
musical notes; calling on land; autumn only: Crinia victoriana** (Smooth

Froglet).

Very long, modulated growl followed by a series of grunts; calling in open
water; spring—summer: Hyla aurea (Green and Golden Frog).

6. Notes in groups separated by long intervals... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2. 7.
Notes in a continuous sequence, not in groups .. 8

7. Short, musical trill of about 10-15 very short notes (pulses); heard through
most of year, especially after warm, heavy rains; calling floating in open
water: Neobatrachus pictus (Spadefoot Toad).

Long, harsh call of about 5-12 notes:

“wirr-wirr-wirr’, etc.; may call on

land, in emergent or marginal vegetation or while floating; heard throughout
the year: Hyla ewingi (Brown Tree Frog).

Long, whistling, musical call of about 15-25 notes; calls on land; spring—
summer: Hyla verreauxi (Verreaux’s Tree Frog).

8. Rapidly and regularly repeated short, grating, pulsed chirps;

usually on

land at edge of still water; heard through most of the year: Crinia signifera

(Brown Froglet).

Regularly repeated, soft, fast-pulsed trill; calling on land along shallow,
rocky streams; late spring—summer: Hyla lesueuri (Rocky River Frog).

REFERENCES

Littlejohn, M. J., 1959. Call differentia-
tion in a complex of seven species of
Crinia (Anura: Leptodactylidae). Evo-
lution 13: 452-468.

, 1963. Frogs of the Melbourne

area. Vict. Nat. 79: 296-304.

, 1964. Geographic isolation and

mating call differentiation in Crinia

signifera. Evolution 18: 262-266.

, 1965a. Premating isolation in the

Hyla ewingi complex (Anura: Hyli-

dae). Evolution 19: 234-243.

, 1965b. Vocal communication in

frogs. Austr. Nat. Hist. 15: 52-55.

, 1966. Amphibians of the Vic-

torian Mallee. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict.

79: 597-604.

* Southern Call Race of Littlejohn (1966).

, 1968. Frog calls and the species

problem. Austr. Zool. 14: 259-264.

, and Martin, A. A., 1964. The

Crinia laevis complex (Anura: Lepto-

dactylidae) in south-eastern Australia.

Austr. J. Zool. 12: 70-83.

, and Martin, A. A., 1965. Mating
call structure in three sympatric species
of Limnodynastes (Anura: Lepto-
dactylidae). Copeia 1965: 509-511.

Martin, A. A., 1965. Tadpoles of the
a ae area. Vict. Nat. 82: 139-

49.

, Littlejohn, M. J., and Rawlinson,

P. A., 1966. A key to the anuran eggs

of the Melbourne area, and an addi-

tion to the anuran fauna. Vict. Nat.

83: 312-315.

** Formerly C. laevis, in part; see Littlejohn and Martin (1964).

May, 1969

127

A Day Tour to Dutson

On the last Saturday in September
1968 the Latrobe Valley Field Natu-
ralists Club arranged an excursion to
the Dutson area, south-east of Sale,
where wildflowers still make a won-
derful display each season. Permission
was requested to enter the Latrobe
Valley Sewage Disposal Farm and
this was not only granted but a guide
supplied to lead the party to the best
Thryptomene and Calytrix areas on
the farm. The weather was kind but
the mosquitos less so. As the excur-
sionists left the shelter of their cars
they were literally “browned off” by
the hungry hordes that instantly set-
tled all over their persons. The pleas-
ant scent of leafy bush soon gave way
to that of a well-known brand of re-
pellent.

It seemed hard to bypass the plenti-
ful bird life on the sanctuary of the
Sale Common and the adjacent moras-
ses, teeming as they were with tall
white Egrets and Spoonbills, Pelicans
and families of young Swans. The
whole of this country is at its natural
best this spring with large expanses
of weedy shallow water in which the
young Red Gum forests appear to be
thriving. Some two miles out from
the junction of the Dutson Road with
the Seaspray Road there is an iso-
lated patch of the small grey Grevillea
lanigera on the edge of the south table
drain. Seedlings are appearing along
the drain but one wonders if the plants
occur there naturally or accidentally,
With increasing settlement the road-
sides have lost much of their former
interest but here and there the blue
of Indigo and Comesperma and later,
the creamy whiteness of Wedding Bush
brighten the brown Bracken.

Just west of Carr’s Lane the richly
pink Boronia anemonifolia, massed

128

by ELLEN LYNDON —

along the road verge under the phone
lines in company with the golden
brown pea Bossiaea cinerea, made a
wonderful display. The fence of the
newly cleared paddock is new and
where the earth has been scraped clean
of shrubbery, hundreds of Boronia
seedlings are striking freely. On the
Opposite roadside thick shrubbery of
Banksia serrata association still per-
sists, sheltering more Boronia and Bos-
siaea, Aotus, Pimelia, Stackhousia,
Hibbertia species and others, with a
few common orchids, Glossodia, Cala-
denia and Pterostylis.

The entrance to Carr’s Lane from
two directions has left a substantial
wooded triangle that has been severely
burned, perhaps many times. Bracken
is refurnishing the bare earth under
Banksia and Peppermint and many
flowering shrubs are making a come-
back. Leaves of half a dozen species
of orchids were noted, including Ly-
peranthus nigricans. New netted fence
lines supply shelter and support for
many of the flowers mentioned pre-
viously and naturalists were able to
walk the cleared tracks and see them
growing under what amounted to
garden conditions. The lane itself
harbours a wealth of shrubs that thrive
in the clean white sand. One of the
Star-hairs, Astrotricha parvifolia,
grows freely here and others noted
were Stypandra, Kennedya prostrata,
Platylobium obtusangulum and Xan-
thorrhoea australis as well as all of
those growing on the main road. It
was not far from this spot and on the
same sand ridge that a former member
of the F.N.C.V. established a wonder-
ful garden that he called “Chorizema”.
Mr. Robinson was a school master,
who, on retirement, bought a tract of
this poor but floriferous Dutson bush-
land where the flowers appeared na-

Vict. Nat.—Vol, 86

turally. He died in 1943 at the age of
91. The garden still survives in other
hands. Amongst a wealth of shrubs
and trees both native and _ exotic
there is still a fine collection of showy
West Australian Banksias.

The attentions of the mosquitoes
moved the party on from here and
short stops were made where the
water race from the Dutson Springs
crosses the road in two places. Coral
Fern, Gleichenia circinnata, fights a
- losing battle along the fence line, amid
clumps of the feathery Tassel Cord-
rush, Restio tetraphyllus. Various
water plants and sedges and rushes
make this fast little stream interesting
and where it enters the paddock it
gives a distinct impression of flowing
uphill. Bursaria spinosa grows to tree
size here, with rugged bark and few
prickles. The Black She-Oak over-
hanging a bend of the road bore as
many galls as it did healthy cones and
caused some confusion, as the galls
are beautifully formed wooden ros-
ettes. With Casuarina littoralis grows
the Drooping Sheoak, C. stricta, often
so symmetrically shaped and rounded
in this country that it could well be
named the Shapely Sheoak.

The road through the Sewage
Farm skirts many swampy depressions
that have now become lakes. Nest
boxes are provided for breeding ducks
and are reported being put to good
use. Hundreds of acres of scrubby
bush have already gone under the
plough but there are still some excellent
wildflower areas well worth preserving
in their natural state. Throughout the
day’s tour several wattles brightened
the roads and the bush, mainly A.
oxycedrus, A. verticillata and A. dif-
fusa. The small Beard-heaths L. vir-
gata and L. ericoides misted the
thickets of Calytrix and Thryptomene
micrantha; there was blue of Dam-
piera; purple cart wheels of Harden-
bergia; Showy Bossiaea and another

May, 1969

with tiny notched leaves and many
spines, B. microphylla; Pulteneas and
Dillwynnia; Astroloma, the Pine
Heath; Red Correa; drifts of the pink-
tinged Silky Teatree and the bolder
white of Manuka. Racinocarpus, the
Wedding Bush. Though we saw none
of it this day, one of the finest of
the Mint Bushes, Prostanthera denticu-
lata, is found occasionally on Dutson
Downs. A short visit was paid to the
reserve on the road to Golden Beach
resort where flowers were colourful
amongst the clumps of Hypolaena, the
Tassel Rope-rush. Mosquitos too
were larger and fiercer hereabouts and
as there were no entomologists in the
party an early start was made for
home, with time in hand for a little
bird-watching along the way.

Our own way that weekend lay
along the new sealed highway that
connects Dutson district with Seaspray
township, formerly only a rough sand
track along the narrow sand strip be-
tween the sea and Lake Reeve. Lush
coastal vegetation has healed the
road-making scars, making it a drive
of uninterrupted peace and beauty, at
least in the cooler months. Beach Tea-
tree was in bloom and Swainson’s Pea
trailed purple colour across the sand.
One could wish that this ribbon of
woodland could have been spared for
the people for all time, instead of
falling into the hands of the sub-
dividers as it has. However, given
time, and the complete banning of
harmful pesticides, it might yet revert
to the winged denizens of our fair
land. There is evidence that the first
inhabitants made frequent use of the
area, for the road cuts many old
kitchen middens. A local resident told
us of a big box tree on “Dutson
Downs” with the scar clearly defined
where an aboriginal had taken the
bark for a canoe—the only such ex-
ample he had come across in a life-
time of roving the bush thereabouts.

129

Our Vanishing Geological Monuments

In the name of progress many of
our geological monuments are being
bulldozed out of existence or “im-
proved” beyond recognition by land-
scaping. Some of this is justified. The
Clifton Hill quarries, world famous
for Zeolite minerals, and the Bruns-
wick brick pit which produced some
remarkable fossils, have been infilled
with garbage.

Many other quarries which are a
blot on the landscape must suffer the
same fate to be redeveloped for public
use. However the geological facts dis-
closed therein should first of all be
placed on record. Some years ago the
Royal Park railway cutting, which
has been the training ground for
generations of students of geology,
had one face completely covered with
foreign material transported from
some distance away at considerable
expense. The purpose was to eliminate
water erosion along the top of the
cut. This could have been effected
more economically by far less drastic
measures.

Some of our natural monuments
have had lucky escapes. The famous
columnar basalt “Organ Pipes” at
Sydenham were saved by government
action when their conversion into a
road-metal quarry was imminent. Re-
presentations made to the M.M.B.W.
have resulted in minor modifications
in the re-alignment of the Moonee
Ponds Creek made necessary by the
Tullamarine Freeway project. This
will preserve and make more access-
ible the cliff of fossiliferous Silurian
sediments just north of Brunswick
Road which is described and _illust-
rated in “The Geology of Melbourne”

130

by J. A. BLACKBURN

by G. B. Pritchard (1910) and numer-
ous other scientific papers.

Proposed foreshore development at
Point Gellibrand, Williamstown, if
carried out, will mean the end of an
interesting lava blister, illustrated, but
not described in detail in “Physio-
graphy of Victoria” (fig. 251) by E.
Sherbon Hills. This blister, some 19
feet long and 12 feet wide, was form-
ed by steam pressure when hot, and
still plastic lava, flowed over water.
The top has been removed by marine
erosion so that it is not readily located
among the sea-scattered boulders of
basalt which make up Point Gelli-
brand. As no published locality des-
cription is known to me I would like
to place its precise location on record.

It lies at high tide level, adjacent
to a military reserve known as Fort
Gellibrand. The south-west side of the
military reserve is separated from the
Williamstown Cricket Ground by the
unmade extension of Twyfold Street.
It is bounded on the north-west by
Morris Street and on the north-east
by Railway Crescent. The seaward
boundary is defined by two straight
lengths of 8 feet high woven wire
fence with the angle well to the west
of the centre. This angle post is 436
feet eastward along the fence from
the east side of Twyford Street exten-
sion. From another post 544 feet
eastwards from the angle it is 93 feet,
in a southerly direction to the centre
of the blister and 85 feet northerly
back to the angle post. The most con-
venient means of access is via Rail-
way Terrace to the sea, and thence
about 1000 feet westward along a
rough car track to the angle post.

Vict. Nat.—Vol. 86

The lava blister
at Williamstown,
referred to in
text.

Photo: Author.

Provided that the fence, which is pre-
sumed to be on the title boundary,
remains, this description is quite ade-
quate. If the fence is removed it will
still be possible to re-establish the
location of the blister, but only by
means of an intricate survey.
Published locality reports may
prove to be inadequate for several
reasons. The initial description may
have been incomplete or misleading
(possibly due to the isolation of the
area, the absence of suitable land-
marks or maps available at that time).
Landmarks may be demolished or
disappear, names changed or forgot-
ten. Modern earth-moving equipment
can completely alter the appearance
of an area. Thus many areas of inter-
est, thoroughly investigated in the
past, or merely recorded, may be lost
for ever. They should be revisited and
the locality description brought up to
date by measurements from street cor-
ners or crown allotment boundaries.
This is a task well suited to the
enthusiastic amateur. At the same
time he can keep his eye open in
temporary excavations and place on

“Wildlife”

information of what
may eventually prove to be of import-
ance to a professional geologist. With-
out his effort this information would
probably be lost.

record factual

Genery’s
Scientific Equipment
Supply

183 Little Collins Street
Melbourne

(one door from Russell Street)

Phone 63 2160

Microscopical stains and mountants.
Magnifying lenses and insect nets.

Excellent student microscope with
powers from 40X to 300X, resolution:
20,000 lines per inch. $29.50.

Standard laboratory equipment, ex-
perimental lens sets, etc.

Index

The indexes to the Ist and 2nd volumes of Wildlife, edited by P. Crosbie
Morrison, are now vailable at a cost of 30 cents from the F.N.C.V. Book Sales table.

May, 1969

al

Prostanthera schultzii seen in Flower for

the First Time!

It all began in the middle of 1886
when Rev. W. F. Schwarz of the Her-
mannsburg Lutheran Mission, Cent.
Aust., climbed to the top of Mt. Sonder
(4417 ft.), gathered some foliage of an
unknown shrub and sent it off to Baron
von Mueller in Melbourne. Noticing the
strong resemblance to Round-leaved
Mint-bush, Mueller wrote on the label
“Prostanthera schulzii’—a mark of hon-
our to Schwarz’s co-worker at Hermanns-
burg, Pastor Louis Schulze who may
even have shared the climb on Mt.
Sonder.

Eight years later, in June 1894, Pro-
fessor Ralph Tate of Adelaide also visit-
ed Mt. Sonder while participating in the
Horn Scientific Expedition. He collected
a better piece of the same shrub, but
still without any sign of flowers, and in
his botanical report of 1896 he published
the following very brief description:

“Differs from Prostanthera rotundifolia
R.Br. in smaller, less crenate and
thicker leaves—Flowers and fruit re-
main unknown. Higher slopes of Mt.
Sonder.”

Tate ascribed the name to F. Mueller,
but unfortunately mis-spelled the species
epithet as “schultzii’—with a “t” before
the “z”. It so happens that there was an
M. Schultz who made extensive collec-
tions around Darwin in the 1860's, but
he had no connection whatever with the
L. Schulze of Hermannsburg.

So the matter rested for half a century,
and P. schultzii continued to be some-
what of a mystery plant. Other botanical
visitors to Mt. Sonder certainly saw it
from time to time, but failed to find
flowers. The only hope seemed to be
that of getting the shrub into cultivation
somehow. When Alan Morrison and I
climbed Mt. Sonder in July 1966 we
secured plenty of cutting material. This,
alas, had to be carried around with us

* Assistant Govt. National MHer-

barium, Melbourne.

132

Botanist,

by J. H. WILLIs*

in plastic bags for a couple of weeks
and, by the time it reached Melbourne,
was in very poor shape—none of the
cuttings struck. A year later, in winter
1967, Misses Laura White and Jean
Blackburn of our Club also had the
opportunity of getting to Mt. Sonder.
Very thoughtfully, they asked were there
any botanical items needed from there
by the Royal Botanic Gardens. At once
we said “Please”, try to get more fresh
sprigs of Prostanthera schultzii, and it
is much to the credit of these two co-
Operative ladies that excellent material
reached the Botanic Gardens by air-mail
from Alice Springs.

Earlier this year our Gardens propa-
gator was able to announce that several
cuttings had struck and were growing
well. Then there was exciting specula-
tion: would the plants flower, and would
the flowers be mauve as in P. rotundi-
folia? Well, they did burst into bloom
last month, and—wonder of wonders—
the flowers were small and white, in very
dense little cone-like heads much re-
sembling marjoram, but quite dissimilar
to any known mint-bush. In fact, it was
immediately obvious that the Mt. Sonder
bush was no Prostanthera at all—it had
only two stamens instead of four! What
other genus could it possibly belong to?
The most likely one seems to be Wrix-
onia, Which is at present known only by
a single species, W. prostantheroides,
from the arid Austin District of Western
Australia. The very isolated Mt. Sonder
population would constitute a second
species of Wrixonia, bearing somewhat
the same relationship to W. prostan-
theroides as Prostanthera striatiflora, say,
does to the twiggy P. spinosa. It was
Mueller who also published Wrixonia
(1876), thus honouring Sir Henry John
Wrixon (1839-1913) who was Solicitor-
General for Victoria in 1870 and Attor-
ney-General in 1886. I am ignorant of
his claims to botanical immortality, but
I suppose that is of no consequence.

Vict. Nat.—vVol. 86

Book Reviews

Australian Spiders

by J. CHILD
(Published by Cheshire-Lansdowne in the Periwinkle series)

Lightweight cardboard cover, approx. 5” x 7%”. 99 pages with 15 of colour plates,
19 half-tone plates, and 35 in-text line drawings. Price $1.25.

As with the other titles in this series,
this revised edition has been enlarged
with the assistance of many good
colour photographs. These do help
with the general identification of spe-
cimens for which this book is intended.
The text is clearly written and gives
a good introduction to this topic. The
level of difficulty is such that the be-
ginner can understand the terms and
classifications without being misled by
scientific inaccuracies. This does hap-
pen in many books where the author
attempts to simplify the text into lay-

man’s terms. There is, however, one
point where Mr. Child could bring the
classification of the Arthropods up to
date. The class Myriapoda has now
been divided into two classes—the
Diplopoda (millipedes) and the Chilo-
poda (centipedes).

It is the photographs and the illus-
trations especially which assist in
making this book most useful for the
quick identification of this group of
arachnids.

NEIL W. MORLEY,
Education Officer.

Australian Insects

by J. CHILD
(Published by Cheshire-Lansdowne in the Periwinkle series)

Lightweight cardboard cover, approx. 5” x 73”.

109 pages with 16 of colour plates,

20 half-tone plates, and many in-text drawings. Price $1.25.

The new edition of this book has
been made most presentable by the
excellent colour photographs. These
enhance the text which still gives a
good general coverage for the non-
expert in entomology. The introduction
is good and easily read while the brief
descriptions of each order and typical
species provide sufficient information
for this level of study. Mr. Child does
manage to keep the organization of
the book at a fairly general level with-
out the loss of scientific accuracy.
These good points more than balance

May, 1969

out many annoying errors or omis-
sions in the lay-out of the book.

Such things as incorrect keys (page
54), family headings on the bottom
of a previous page (page 39), photo-
graphs of species not described, e.g.
Bush cockroach and lack of cross-
referencing do detract from an other-
wise useful book for the study and
identification of this important group
of animals.

NEIL W. MORLEY,
Education Officer.

133

Some Fossil Bird Tracks

by K. N. BELL and J. A. DEMERLO

This is a note to describe a set of six imprints believed to be fossil bird

tracks.

1. Imprints

The imprints were discovered by
Mr. V. J. A. DeMerlo, one mile south
of Hamilton’s Creek, Tarwin Lower
(see map).

The tracks are on a block of
aeolianite (consolidated dune lime-
stone) and are shown in Plates | and
2. Five of the tracks are in a good
state of preservation but one is badly
weathered. They are 5 inches long
(from rear toemark to front toe-
mark), with 6 inches between each
pair, and average 10 inches between
each set. The imprints are approxi-
mately + inch deep, but some of this
depth may be due to selective erosion
since the block of aeolianite was ex-
posed.

The type of bird which left these

INV E RLOCH.

Site of
bird tracks.

CAPE
LIPT RAP

1:34

marks is not known. By the nature of
the tracks, a hopping bird with a
prominent rear claw is indicated. As
there is no indication of any webbing
between the toemarks, a sea _ bird
would seem to be excluded.

2. Age of the Tracks

The age of the tracks can only be
estimated roughly. Aeolianite deposits
are very common around the coast-
line of Victoria, for example, The
Bluff at Barwon Heads, the coastline
from Warrnambool to Portland, and
the Nepean Peninsula. These are all
considered to be of much the same age
—namely Upper Pleistocene.

The original dunes are thought to
have formed when the sea level was
much the same as at present (Bouta-
koff, 1963). Up to five soil horizons

SCALE of he

Gres 10

FOSTER

CORNER
INLET

WILSON’S
PROM.

Vict. Nat.—Vol. 86

are known in the aeolianite deposits
indicating a long time interval be-
tween the formation of the first dune
and the last dune with its associated
soil horizon. As it is not possible at
present to state from which dune
formation the aeolianite containing the
bird tracks came, the age must be left
within the wide limits of the Upper
Pleistocene—about 150,000 years to
30,000 years ago.

3. Other Fossils in the Aeolianite

Other imprints have been found in
the aeolianite deposits of Warrnam-
bool, for example, those of Mr. E. D.
Gill, as reported in the Herald, Janu-
ary Ist, 1968.

Vertebrates have also been found
in the aeolianite. Gregory (1902) and
Gill (1954) have both described bones

Plate 2

Close-up view
of Centre Pair
of Tracks.

photo: K. N. Bell

May, 1969

Plate |

Set of Bird Tracks
in Aeolianite.
(Note—Lens cover
is 2 in. diamater.)

photo: K. N. Bell.

of giant extinct kangaroos found in
the deposits on the Nepean Peninsula.

It is therefore likely that many
imprints and other remains are still
to be found and anyone visiting the
seashore where these aeolianites occur
could make an interesting contribu-
tion to the rather poor knowledge of
Late Pleistocene—Early Recent life
in Victoria.

REFERENCES

Boutakoff, N., 1963. Geology and Geo-
morphology of the Portland Area.
Memoir 22, Geological Survey of Vic-
toria.

Gill, E. D., 1954. Extinct Giant Kanga-
roo from the Nepean Peninsula. Vic-
torian Naturalist, Vol. 70 (11).

Gregory, J. W., 1902. Some Remains of
an Extinct Kangaroo in the Dunerock
of the Sorrento Peninsula, Victoria.
Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict., 14 (2).

i335

Readers’ Nature Notes and Queries

These columns are available for all members, young and old, to bring
before others their own observations in nature. Correspondence may be sent
to the Editor, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg.

Brown-headed and Tawny-crowned
Honeyeaters

Mr. Victor Jacobs again sends some
observations from Narre Warren.

At Longmeadow the autumn flush of
flowers on the Grevilleas has brought the
Brown-headed Honeyeaters back again,
and they were observed in the mini wood
insect hunting. There are some quite
young birds in the flock, and it was pos-
sible to approach them closely.

In mid February this year a different
slim, medium-sized honeyeater perched
on next door’s power wire. By the time
I had collected the binoculars it had
disappeared and I returned to the type-
writer. A few moments later Simone
called, “Your bird is back!” and I went
to the kitchen window in time to see it
land on our wire a mere four yards dis-
tant. Brown back, yellow-orange crown,
vivid white underparts, a black line
through the eye that followed the neck
line down to the chest to appear like a
doctor’s stethoscope, and a white spot
within the black line at the rear of the
eye. It was not difficult to find in the
books — the Tawny-crowned Honey-
eater—but rather unexpected as the last
one that I saw was at Pink Lakes north
of Linga. According to Wheeler’s Hand-
list of the Birds of Victoria it has a
distribution which includes the coastal
margin. Has anyone else seen it in this
vicinity? If the first visit was accidental
the visits on the following two days were
quite purposeful, for it spent minutes at
a time feeding from the orange bells of
a succulent which I think is Cotyledon
orbiculata.

Toads and Termites

Mr. A. G. Fellows recalls this in-
cident which occurred on his property
in Charters Towers, Queensland.

While high up a ladder doing needed
roof repairs, I looked down to see an

136

unusual sight not far from the ladder’s
base.

Being late evening and heavily over-
cast, following a recent rain, the dim
light showed five objects in a ring that
had not been there when I ascended the
ladder.

Finishing the job on hand rather hur-
riedly, I descended to investigate, and
when three feet from the five objects,
they were recognized as large toads. My
eyes were used to the half-gloom by now,
and I was surprised to see all the crea-
tures facing the centre of the ring. As
I watched—and by now I was two feet
from the toads, squatting there myself—
I saw a strange occurrence repeated at
intervals of a few seconds.

A toad would quickly “bow” or
“curtsy” to the others, recovering its
natural posture just as quickly. A pause
—then another did the same thing, and
so on. This required investigation; and
now that the daylight was practically
gone, a hurried departure on my part to
obtain a flash-light was the order of the
night. Thus armed, a return to the spot
showed a continuance of the ceremony,
plus an explanation of the toads’ pre-
sence.. A tiny straw-sized opening in the
earth showed the hurried appearance of
female termites, one at a time—a pause
to spread the wings—a “bow” from a
toad (never two toads at once inciden-
tally)—a lightning flash of a tongue—a
withdrawal of same—and one less alate
to set forth as a potential queen. For
once J gave full marks to the toad popu-
lation in doing such a useful job as that.

I still wonder, however, why no dis-
putes occurred over the termite meal.
The quick “bow” and tongue-flash were
extremely rapid, and the distance of each
toad from the escape-pipe of the termites
was uniform, as was their spacing around
the hole.

This incidentally, reinstated for me
the toads’ status somewhat; having acci-
dentally stood bare-footed on one some
time previously in the dark. The same
toads then received many names other
than Bufo marinus !

Vict. Nat.—Vol, 86

Archidoris kerguelenensis Bergh, the First
Record of a Nudibranch from Macquarie

Island

by WILLIAM MERILEES* and ROBERT BURNT

The Australian Government has
maintained a base at Macquarie Island
(54°30’S., 159°O0’E.) since 1948.
During this time there has been no
- extensive survey of the subtidal mol-
luscan fauna. Powell (1955, 1957)
has examined, described and brought
up to date the molluscan material
collected by previous expeditions, and
Dell (1964) has published an account
of the collections deposited in the
National Museum of Victoria by
members of the Australian National
Antarctic Research Expedition since
1948. Visiting oceanographic vessels,
notably the USS Glacier and the
USNS Eltanin, have taken small sam-
ples at the Island during their brief
visits but the results of these collec-
tions have not yet appeared.

On 16 June, 1967, while examining
rocky tide pools in conjunction with
studies being conducted on the feeding
ecology of the Dominican Gull (Larus
dominicanus), the senior author col-
lected a large dorid nudibranch in a
pool just north of Garden Cove on the
north-east side of the Island. Subse-
quently the specimen has been exam-
ined by the junior author, who has
identified it as Archidoris kerguele-
nensis Bergh (1884), a species origi-
nally found at the Kerguelen Islands
and more recently at Heard Island
(Burn, ms.). This is the first record
of a nudibranch from Macquarie Is-
land and brings the total number of
molluscan species recorded to 43
(Dell, 1964: 300).

* A.N.A.R.E. Biologist 1967-8.
+ Hon. Associate in Conchology,
Museum of Victoria.

May, 1969

National

Briefly the specimen may be des-
cribed as follows. Medium sized dorid,
broadly oval in shape, 28 mm. long
and 16 mm. broad, plump, with thick
tuberculate notum and wide hypo-
notum, wholly light yellow in life.
Branchiae nine in number, bipinnate
and crowded posteriorly. Head with
tumid angular oral tentacles. Radula
with simple hamate teeth, the formula
22 x 29.0.29. Male copulatory organ
small and conical.

The original specimen trawled by
the “Challenger” from 25 fathoms off
Royal Sound, Kerguelen Islands, was
45 mm. long and 18 mm. broad with
a narrow thick hyponotum. Heard
Island specimens comprise both forms,
that is broadly oval with wide hypo-
notum and elongate oval with narrow
hyponotum. The radula of the origi-
nal specimen had 27 rows of 40.0.40
teeth, in the largest and smallest Heard
Island specimens the counts are 24 x
36.0.36 and 22 x 30.0.30; in each case
the shape of the teeth is consistent
with the present specimen. The small
conical male copulatory organ is con-
sistant throughout the original, Heard
Island and present specimens.

This specimen does not differ in any
major characters from the original
description or Heard Island speci-
mens, hence it must be identified as
Archidoris —_kerguelenensis — Bergh
(1884). This, and a second specimen
taken at the same locality on 24
March, 1968, by Miss Isobel Bennett,
will be described in detail in a paper
by the junior author.

eS

Archidoris
kerguelenensis
Bergh, from
Macquarie
Island.

The addition of this species to the
Macquarie fauna strengthens Powell’s
claim that Macquarie Island has much
in common with Kerguelen and Heard
Islands which he united in his con
cept of Faunal Provinces under the
name of Kerguelenian. Dell remarks
that this concept loses sight of the
high degree of endemism and diverse
origins which set Macquarie quite
apart from the other two Islands in
this province; but until a much more
extensive survey at Macquarie Island
is completed, the zoogeographical pic-
ture will remain fragmentaary.

Acknowledgement
We are indebted to the Antarctic

Division, Department of Supply, Mel-
bourne, for the black and white print
used in this paper and for permission
to publish this account.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Berg, R., 1884. Report on the Nudi-
branchiata. Rep. Sci. Results Challenger
Exped., 10: 1-154, pl. 1-14.

Dell, R. K., 1964. Marine Mollusca

from Macquarie and Heard (slands.
Rec. Dom. Mus., 4 (20): 267-301.

Powell, A. W. B., 1955. Mollusca of
the Southern Islands of New Zealand.

N.Z. Dept. Sci. Ind. Res. Cape Exped.
Bull., 15: 1-151, pl. 1-5.

Powell, A. W. B., 1957. Mollusca from
Kerguelen and Macquarie Islands.
B.A.N.Z.A.R. Exped., B6: 107-149.

Correction

In the Victorian Naturalist for last month (86, 4—pp. 98 and 99) the credit
for the two photographs should have read W. Tothill; not Author as printed.

138

Vict. Nat.—vVol. 86

Country Club News

Benalla F.N.C.

Seventh Annual Report,
November, 1968

Extension. Best news for us in 1968
has been the formation of the Upper
North-Eastern Field Naturalists’ Club
under the leadership of Mr. Goode.
We have been represented at their
first meetings and excursions, and wish
them every success.

Exhibitions. This year we exhibited
at the Benalla Technical School Hob-
bies Day, where Junior member Bill
Osborne’s lizards were a centre of at-
traction. The Club exhibitions of
native flowering plants at the Benalla
Agricultural Show, and the Benalla
Rose show brought much admiration
and many queries were put to our
able botanist and President, Mrs. G. D.
Brooke.

Meetings. The average attendance
at meetings this year showed a slight
gain, to be 25 members. The Juniors,
under Vice-President Mr. Harrison,
continue to play an active part in our
Club, and their keenness is reflected
in attendance, and the special lines of
study they are following.

Conservation. The Club has formed
a Conservation Committee. Many
areas near Benalla require survey work
to be done, so the case for their con-
servation may be put. Our native
shrubs at the Say Memorial are doing
well, and we have offered our services
to the City to help in planting a pro-
posed River Walk.

Guest Speakers. We are grateful to
these learned gentlemen—

“May, 1969

Mr. P. Lawson—Several subjects be-
fore he left to continue study in the
U.S.A.

Mr. R. Birchill—Exotic species.

Mr. E. Goode—Observation
memory.

Mr. I. Harris—Spiders.

Mr. N. Wakefield—Cave excavations.

Excursions. An Ibis Rookery at Goo-
malibee.

The Reef Hills for wild-flowers.

Tatong for wild-flowers. birds
animals.

With the Upper N.E. Naturalists to
several locations.

We hope to arrange more excursions
in 1969.

and

and

Exhibits at meetings have ranged
from a bandicoot eating grasshoppers
to carpet snakes and feather-tailed gli-
ders. More specimens of the squirrel
glider have been discovered.

Membership. We have gained some
valuable new members, but we are
losing our Treasurer, Mr. Jack Cum-
ming, and his wife, Alma—Librarian
P.R.O., and their children, Anne,
Graham and Robert. They leave us
for Khancoban. We are grateful for
the hard and willing work they have
done for the Club over a period of
years, and will miss their cheerful
personalities at our meetings. Our
friendship will persist, and we hope
they can visit us.

R. R. BarBer, Secretary.

139

Western Victoria Field Naturalist Clubs Association
Report of Activities of individual Clubs for year 1968
(Compiled by J. Lineker, Hon. Secretary, Portland F.N.C.)

ARARAT FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB

President, Rev. C. Burtt. | Membership 20 Meets First Monday, C. of E. Hall

During the year the Club exhibited a box of wildflowers from the Ararat
district at the Barrier Field Naturalists’ Show at Broken Hill and at the Nature
Show at Melbourne Town Hall.

Members have given talks with slide illustrations at the Warrak Road
Prison.

Club members participated in a day’s outing with 94 children from the Forest
Hills School area, conducting them on a Nature Trail in McDonald Park. A visit-
ing member of Ballarat Club—Mrs. Strange—gave an entertaining slide night.

Members have attended meetings at Mildura, Wyperfeld and the Annual
Meeting of the Association at Hamilton.

Sec., Miss Z. Banfield, 7 Ligar St., Ararat.

CRESWICK FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB

President, Mr. E. Stewart. | Membership 18 Meets Third Thursday, Wesley Hail

Meetings were well attended throughout the year. Guest speakers—Mr. A.
Chapman, Geelong, whose movie films included the life cycle of the Wanderer
butterfly; Mr. J. H. Willis, an illustrated address, “A Botany Trip of Victoria”;
Mr. J. Ryan, of the Sirex team, who told of his experiences of this wasp; Mr. A.
Sonsee, who presented the story of the Eyesight of Birds. Two members’ nights
proved very interesting with some fine papers prepared and presented. Two special
nights were held and wer wll patronisd by the public.

Excursions included a survey of fauna and flora in a local forest area; this
is to be continued with many regular trips this year.

The effect of control burning was investigated by a visit to the Wombat
Forest, and another highlight was the visit to Mt. Beckwith, where a great pro-
fusion of wildflowers was found.

Sec., H.L. Barclay, Raglan St., Creswick.
DONALD HISTORY AND NATURAL HISTORY GROUP

President, Mr. R. P. Falla. Meets First Friday at State School Centre

Guest speakers for this year have included Mr. Ian Searle, “Cloud Seeding”;
Mr. Ian May, an officer of the Fisheries and Wildlife Department; Mr. Keith
McRae, St. Arnaud officer of the Forests Commission; Mr. Aldo Massola, “Aus-
tralian Aborigines, with particular reference to the tribes of the Donald district’.

Excursions were made to the Grampians and Mt. Cole area in the company
of members of Stawell Field Naturalists Club, and to the Wedderburn Goldfields
district, under the leadership of Mr. Ian Maroske, Head Master of Wedderburn
High School.

A Natural History Exhibition in aid of the Donald Scout Troop, designed to
promote the interest of young people in their native plants and animals was held
in October. This suggestion and a future project to have Mt. Jeffcott area fenced
and proclaimed a National Reserve, were the ideas o four late highly respected
member, Mr. Jim Barrance, and we hope to carry out his plans in the future.

Our Club has been well represented at Mildura and Wyperfeld National
Park and Hamilton meetings of the Association.

Sec., John Hollis, Corack East, 3477.

GEELONG FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB

President, . Membership 391 Meets First Tuesday
This year has been one of gratifying enthusiasm amoung members, with
well-attended monthly excursions and meetings and an increase of membership
by 20. The “Geelong Naturalist” has now a mailing list of 379.
Two weekend trips have been included during the year, and three Sunday
excursions by chartered buses had upward of 100 members attending.

140 Vict. Nat.—Vol. 86

Another very successful tree planting was held, in conjunction with the Bird
Observers’ Club, at the You Yangs.
Conservation projects were actively supported by the Club and several are
on the programme for the coming year.
Sec., Gordon McCarthy, 26 Fairbrae Av., Belmont.

HAMILTON FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB

President, Mr. Murray Gunn. Membership 30 adults, 7 juniors
Meets Third Thursday at State School

Trips were made during the year to survey remaining areas of Crown Land
in southern Victoria Range, Sierra Range and the County of Follet.

A start was made on mapping fossil beds in the Grange Burn. Individual
members’ projects included detailed study of Mt. Napier (Mr. Elmore), Flora
lists of the Victoria Range (Mrs. Corrick), Bird banding (Mr. Gunn).

Guest speakers were exchanged with Horsham and Portland Clubs, and our
Club President has addressed pupils at a number of schools during the year.
' Members have attended all WVFNCA meetings, and Hamilton was host club for
the Annual Meeting in October.

Sec., John James, 2 McDonald Av., Hamilton, 3300.

HORSHAM FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB

President, Mr. Con. Kroker. Meets Fourth Thursday

The usual Club activities this year have been highlighted by three important
projects—

1. Golton Gorge, Grampians. The request for valuable land here for a
commercial arboretum was strongly opposed by the Club, and after several ex-
cursions was finalised by the Wimmera Shire Council who refused to permit any
development of the area.

2. Lower Glenelg and Little Desert proposed National Parks. Protest letters
at the area suggested by the Government were duplicated and distributed through-
out the district to interested persons. These were then sent to the Minister for
Lands.

3. Kiata Sanctuary. The Club took an active part in collecting money and
foods for the mallee fowls and other native birds when an appeal was made for
assistance due to drought conditions.

The Club has had a cleaning-up session at the John Smith Memorial Sanc-
tuary, and a public appeal was held for money towards the fencing of the 20 acres.

Guest speakers provided a variety of worthwhile programmes. These included
Miss Ina Watson, illustrated talk on Birds; Miss Jean Lineker, slides and talk about
the proposed Lower Glenelg National Park; Lyle Murphy, an underwater photo-
grapher, slides of the Barrier Reef; Mr. Luff, Lecturer at Longerenong Agricultural
College, Microbiology; Mr. Roy Cooper, slides of water birds seen on his overeas
tour.

Club members have attended Association meetings at Mildura, Wypefeld and

Hamilton. Sec., Miss S. Robertson, 24 Albert St. Horsham, 3400.

Mip-MURRAY FIELD NATURALISTS TRUST

President, Mr. B. Curtis. _ Membership 34 adults, 13 juniors Meets Third Friday

Regular monthly excursions included a Camp Out at Wathe Fauna Reserve,
and several to the last large area of virgin mallee in the Eastern Mallee, which
contains many mallee fowls and rare plants. This is private land, but many diffi-
culties are in the way for it to become a Flora and Fauna Reserve.

Regular monthly Executive and General Meetings have been held, with guest
speakers, movie films and nature observations.

Interesting and exciting finds have been varieties of spider, greenhood and
sun orchids, found in a small area at Wood Wood; these are new to the area.
Also, the discovery was made of three groups of Mallee Bottlebrush bushes in the
district. Some are 20 ft. high and very, very old. (These are thought to be a
rarity, and the Club would be interested to know the mallee location of any
others of these bushes.)

Projects include: 1—Flame Robin Survey with several sightings near river.

May, 1969 141

2—Check-list of all birds seen in Swan Hill Shire; 3—Butterfly banders actively

at work; 4—-Setting up of a local Natural History exhibit in the schoolroom at the

Swan Hill Folk Museum; and 5—the making of a Herbarium of local plant life.
This year has also seen the publication of our Magazine, “The Mid Murray

Field Naturalist”. Sec., Miss G. Willoughby, Nyah West, 3595.
MARYBOROUGH FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB

President, Rev. E. Deutscher. Membership 42 seniors, 13 juniors
Meets First Monday at High School

Good attendance has been noted, with an average of 23 members, at all
meetings, with interest well maintained in all activities and monthly excursions.
The News Letter continues to be presented twice yearly, and efforts to attract and
interest junior members have resulted in an increased membership.

Special activities have included planting a native garden at State School 2828,
primarily to interest the children in native flora. In an endeavour to preserve a
“Green Belt” around Maryborough, further study of local areas has been carried
out.

First Camp Out was conducted in October in the Pyrenees Ranges. '

In conservation efforts for flora and fauna, protests were lodged with Fisheries
and Wildlife Department against shooting of kangaroos in the Newstead district;
to the Premier of Victoria and Minister for Lands concerning reduction in area of
proposed Lower Glenelg National Park; and to the Minister for Electrical Under-
takings concerning the destruction of trees in this area by the S.E.C.

Two birds new to the district have been reported—the Pink Robin and Spiny-
cheeked Honeyeater. For the first time in 60 years Crimson Chats have appeared,
and 12 nests were found.

: Sec., Mrs. M. L. Courtney, Carrick St., Maryborough.

PORTLAND FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB

President, Miss I. Watson. Membership 45 adults, 5 juniors
Meets Second Friday at Town Hall

Meetings: The short (S5-minute talks by a Club member on a specific subject
haye remained popular this year.

There has been a speaker each night, three from Club members and eight by
visiting speakers. These latter were—Miss H. Aston (Melb.), “Bird Watching in
Thailand”; Mr. and Mrs. Corrick (Hamilton), “The Victoria Range”; Mr. ©. Kroker
(Horsham), “Natural History through a Camera”; Mr. G. Beaton (Colac), “Fungi”;
Mr. K. Morrison (Heywood), “Local Eucalpyts”; Mr. P. Sawyer (Portland), “The
Abalone Industry”; Mr. P. Roache (S.A.), “Frogs”; Mr. N. Wakefield (Melb.),
“Cave Deposits”.

There was a film night provided by the State Film Centre.

Co-operation with public: The Club acted as hosts for members of a party of
the Commonwealth Study Group for the whole of one Sunday they had in the area.

Members helped with tours by people from surrounding districts, of the pro-
posed Glenelg National Park, and actively supported the Western Victorian Con-
servation Committee in its campaign. It helped make a relief map of the Park,
which was the centre of the display directed towards the Case for the Park, which
was staged at the Trade Fair in conjunction with the local Camera Club.

General: A Newsletter has been produced each month.

The Club acted as leaders for the visit of members of the National Parks Assuci-

ation in August. Sec., C. Kaer, 3 Shevill Court, Portland, 3305.

STAWELL FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB
President, Mr. I. R. McCann. Membership 26 adults, 7 juniors

Meets Fourth Monday, Technical School

Visiting and local speakers provided interesting subjects at meetings and outings
of one full day an done half day each month included Cave of Serpents, Mt.
William; Roses Gap and McKenzie Falls; Mt. Zero; Mt. Abrupt and Mt. Sturgeon;
Granite quarry in Black Ranges and Barbican Rocks; Rheola and Melville Caves;
and Tree Fern Waterfalls and Mt. Cole Forest.

A series of working bees have cleaned up and fenced the Sanctuary in Crow-

142 Vict. Nat.—Vol, 86

lands Road. Slide nights are again being held at Halls Gap over Christmas to
finance the fencing of the 3-Jacks Sanctuary.
The F.N.C.V. trip to the Grampians included visits to Stawell and surrounding
area.
The Club members have attended all Association meetings this year at Mildura,
Wyperfeld National Park and Hamilton.
Sec., Neil Bennett, P.O. Box 10, Stawell, 3380.

SUNRAYSIA NATURALISTS’ RESEARCH TRUST

President, Mr. J. Hobbs.

1968 has been yet another exciting year. Research projects, notably studies
undertaken by individual members relative to reptiles, spiders, Wanderer Butterflies,
etc., have continued thoughout the year and, judging by the reports furnished by
these workers from meeting to meeting, steady progress is being made in all of
these fields.

The Botany Group (with which is incorporated what was at one time the
_ Group for Growing Australian Plants) has pressed on with unababated enthusiasm.
In addition to field excursions and to the publication of much valuable material
relative to our local flora, several new plants have been added to both our District
and to the State List. The Group has also co-operated (and is still co-operating)
with Mildura City Council in certain of Council’s Parks and Gardens planning.

Our Nature Photography Group continues to do sterling work, and thanks
to its efforts, sufficient money was raised during the year to enable the Trust to
purchase its own 35 mm Colour-slide Projector.

It has also been a successful year where birds are concerned. Our ornithologists
—notably our President, Mr. J. Hobbs—have once again added new birds to the
Sunraysia List; a remarkable achievement when one considers the tremendous
amount of ornithological work that has been done in this district over the past 50
or 60 years.

Thanks to the efforts of our Programmes Secretary, regular field outings have
been held during the year, and Guest Speakers at our General Meetings have all
been outstanding prsonalities in their respective fields.

On the more serious side, our Trust’s Board of Management has, as usual,
done a fine job; its efforts in the matter of conservation have not gone unrecognized
and its cordial relations with Government Departments, Municipal Bodies and the
like, have been consistently maintained.

Sec., H. F. Thomas, Box 763, Mildura, 3500.

WARRNAMBOOL FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB

President, Mr. W. Alford. |. Membership 53 seniors, 13 juniors
Meets Fourth Wednesday, C.W.A. Rooms, Kepler

Activities: Guest and member talks, specimen identification, bird, bat, echidna
and butterfly banding. Field outings with promotion of knowledge and protection of
flora and fauna and habitat wherever possible.

Guest Speakers—Miss B. Dale, Town and Country Planning Board; Miss I.
Watson, Association and Portland President; Mr. Neil Douglas, Artist; Mr. John
Landy, Naturalist; and Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Bray, Yirrkala Mission.

This year saw the introduction of the Club Newsletter and its exchange with
other Clubs.

The main project was a survey of the flora and fauna in the Sherbrooke River
Pine Plantation with the object of having this area included in the Port Campbell
National Park when the Forest Commission reliquishes control in 1973. Club mem-
bers have attended meetings at Mildura, Wyperfeld and Hamilton.

Sec., Mrs. N. Alford, Grassmere, 3279.

WIMMERA FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB

President, Rev. C. Mannering.

Although a small Club, regular monthly meetings have been held with slides
or films, presented by a number of Guest Speakers.

Excursions have been organized throughout the year, and one of the most
successful was to the Crater area of the Little Desert, which is to be proclaimed

a Reserve. Sec., Miss Alison Jordan, “Lister Vale”, Kiata.

May, 1969 143

Field Naturalists Club of Victoria

Excursion Secretary’s Report

There was a full programme of ex-
cursions during 1968, and once again we
are indebted to those who helped, par-
ticularly to the country clubs for their
hospitality and assistance. There was an
Easter excursion to Bright which included
a trip to Mt. Hotham, a week at the
Grampians in early spring, where the day
excursions were led by members of the
Stawell, Ararat and Horsham F.N. Clubs.
In addition to the wildflowers members
were very interested in aboriginal paint-
ings, and botanists were intrigued with
a clump of rare Skeleton Fork-fern
(Psilotum nudum).

A week-end visit to Wytchitella Forest
was led Mr. I. O. Maroske, and local
residents who are anxious to reserve this
interesting area where Mallee fowl can
still be found.

The Boxing Day-New Year’s Day ex-
cursion was centred on Traralgon and
day tours made to Mt. Baw Baw, Bulga
Park, Tarra Valley, Golden Beach, and
Walhalla. These were led by members of
the Latrobe Valley F.N. Club, and mem-
bers were impressed by the areas it is
hoped to reserve. Two plants seen by
many for the first time were the Elbow
Orchid (Spiculaea huntiana) and Sower-
baea juncea, although geologists preferred
the fossil plants remains near Narracan.

Day excursions were varied, and in-
cluded Phillip Island, Anglesea, Morning-
ton Peninsula, Lerderderg Gorge, King-
lake, Riddell, Dandenong Ranges, and
Healesville.

General Meeting—14 April, 1969

The Herbarium Lecture-hall was full
with members and friends, and the Presi-
dent, Mr. E. R. Allan, was in the chair.

He announced that Mr. R. W. McKel-
lar was in hospital, and that the good
wishes of the members for his recovery
would be sent.

Seven new members whose names ap-
pear in the April Naturalist were elected.
Mr. R. W. Bond was elected as an
honorary member on the motion of Mr.
Garnet and Mr. Morrison.

The Secretary read a letter from Mrs.
N. North drawing attention to the ex-
cellent help by Mr. D. McInnes in
beginning the Montmorency Junior
Naturalist Club and bringing miscro-

144

scopes and equipment for the meeting. |
One hundred juniors and thirty adults
attended. Mr. McInnes was thanked with
acclamation.

A letter from Mrs. J. Law, of the
Anglesea and Airey’s Inlet Conservation
Society announced a meeting in the
Anglesea Hall on 27 April to discuss the
preservation of the natural environment.

The Secretary announced that Dr.
Norman Tindale, to whom the 1968
Field Naturalist Medallion has been
awarded, will be present at the May
meeting when the medallion will be pre-
sented. He will lecture on the 700 or
so authentic aboriginal tribes, once in
Australia.

Forms for new nominations (to be in
by 30 June) for the 1969 award were
available. These show the _ current
nominees.

The Secretary also announced that the
Native Fauna Conservation Society lec-
ture in the Herbarium Hall on 28 May
will be given by Mr. Claude Austin on
Odd Pictures and Odd Places in Victoria.

He also announced that the Nature
Walkabout pictures by Vincent Serventy
would be shown at Hawthorn Town Hall
from May 12-16 at 8 p.m. and 1.45 p.m.

The Council’s suggestion to the Bird
Observers’ Club that they might stage
the central exhibit at the September
Nature Show has been agreed to.

The subject for the evening was “High-
ways and Byways Adelaide to Broome”
by Mr. J. Ros Garnet.

Mr. and Mrs. Garnet travelled for
two months over 11,000 miles by rail
and car. Maps illustrated the route taken.
In South Australia they visited the Sir
John Cleland Flora and Fauna Reserve
with Mr. Bill Gasking in charge. They
went to Telowie Gorge and Alligator
Gorge National Park, and to Port Lin-
coln, seeing along the way a Lowan
pecking on the road. They travelled
through Coffins Bay and Kellidie Bay
National Park, where orchids and Tem-
pletonia were abundant, and then past
Streaky Bay and Ceduna, to the Nullar-
bor, showing a crop of spear grass and
many wattles. On the road were hairy-
nosed wombats killed by night traffic.
At Eucla there is a desalination plant
and a grand new motel. After going
through Norseman to the ghost town,

Vict. Nat.—Vol. 86

Coolgardie, and to Kalgoorlie and
Kanowna, which has one sign and two
inhabitants, a shattered wind screen sent
them to Perth.

The route from Perth to the north
revealed a wealth of unique native plants
through Geraldton to Kalvarri National
Park—the largest in the state. There
are proposals for taking in more area
along ihe rivers. A Ross Graham Park
commemorates a keen teacher in that
area.

Beautiful colour slides showed the
grandeur of red sandstone cliffs and
pools, and flowers from Carnarvon; the
Gascoyne River; the Kennedy Range
_and Mooka Springs. Passing through Ex-
mouth and the Cape Range National
Park (and on to the River Ashburton
and Onslow and inland from Roebourne
to the Millstream Fauna Reserve and the
magnificent Wittenoom Gorge and Dale’s
Gorge), they crossed plains and fields of
wild flowers to Port Hedland; and thence
400 miles to Broome and Roebuck Bay,
passing Palm Springs. Returning from
Broome, they went inland to Marble Bar
and back through Mundiwindi, Meeka-
tharra, Cue, and past a beautiful lake
to Mt. Magnet. The last part of the
journey went south to Esperance and
Albany.

We look forward to a separate article
by Mr. Garnet on the details of this
wonderful journey. Magnificent colour
slides were projected by Mrs. Garnet.
The President thanked Mr. Garnet for
the most interesting talk, and this was
supported by enthusiastic acclamation.

Exhibits

Mr. Garnet—Jasperite (Marble Bar),
Corals (Point Murat-Exmouth Penin-
sula), ornamental river tumbled stones
(Wittenoom Gorge), Chalcedony (Gas-
coyne River), Blue asbestos crocodilite
(Wittenocm Gorge), Laminated stone
(from river bed of Wittenoom Gorge),
Greenstone showing flecks of gold (mine
shaft near Mt. Magnet), Permian lime-
stone and Brecciated Permian limestone
(Cape Range, National Park, Exmouth
Peninsula), fragment of Mookaite
(Mooka), tuberculated surface rock,
probably magnesite (Agnew), Mookaite
chalcedony (from Mooka Springs, Ken-
nedy Range), Fruits of woody pear
(Xylomelum angustifolium), Watheroo,
W.A., Fibre balls (Arne Bay, S.A.),
Cowries (Onslow), Marine Shells and
Sponges (Pt. Murat, North-west Cape,

May, 1969

Exmouth Peninsula), Hakea platy-
sperma—largest Hakea cone (near Sou-
thern Cross), pressed specimen of Ses-
bania grandiflora, Calytrix, Teuchiniums,
Hibsicus and Erythrina vespertilio.

Mr. E. R. Allan—Coral from Cer-
vantes, W.A., growing under a_ ledge
from the roof of a cave at a depth of
14 ft. under water.

Mr. K. Trotter—A collection of tek-
tites—Australites (believed originating
on the moon) and microscope slides of
fine sand of Port Phillip Bay.

Miss V. Balaam — Big seeds of
Buphane lily (germinating) from South
Africa.

Mr. I. Morrison — Platysace hetero-
phylla.

Mr. A. J. Swaby—1. Enormous hang-
ing nests of a fierce, venomous, intro-
duced wasp. These nests are _ like
honeycomb and are enclosed in masti-
cated wood. These wasps are increasing
in eastern suburbs.

2. Avicennio marina (White Man-
grove), young plant in the seed is green
and sturdy, ready to root at once in the
mud when dropped.

3. Crinum flaccidum (Murray “lily”’)
seed germinating. A trunk from the seed
bends over to enter the soil and form
the bulb. On the “trunk” the stem will
grow (Murray flats, Vic., S.A., N.S.W.
Family Amaryllidaceae).

4. Calostemma luteum (Yellow gar-
land “lily’) seed germinating. The
trunk has entered the soil and the first
leaf seen (Flinders Range, S.A. Family
Amaryllidaceae )

A report that cattle egrets had been
seen along the Yarra was given by an-
other member.

A relief map, contoured to scale, was
shown and explained by Dr. M. Wanliss.
This was made by the Western Victorian
Conservation Committee. A red colour
showed the Government plan to develop
some for farms in the Little Desert, and
the blue colour outlined the conserva-
tionists’ idea.

Miss Jenny Forse of the Hawthorn
Junior F.N.C. spoke at some length from
her well-prepared notes devoted to the
current topic of the Little Desert de-
velopment project. The meeting agreed
to a motion put by Barry Cooper, that
Council consider the matter, and ap-
proach the Government Departments
concerned, in order that a revision of
the project might be made to abandon
the development.

145

Botany Group
13 March, 1969

Eighteen members and friends were
present with Mr. Fairhall in the chair.
The speaker for the evening was Mr.
Bruce Fuhrer, whose subject was “The
Wildflowers of the Grampians”, illustra-
ted with quite outstanding slides. Mr.
Fuhrer said that Mr. Cliff Beauglehole
was making a plant census of the Gram-
plans, revising early work and_ re-
establishing the existence of a number of
species, formerly thought erroneously re-
corded; e.g. Juncus ingens, the largest in
the world, and described by Wakefield
as reaching 15 feet in E. Gippsland. Also
Lycopodium carolinianum has now been
recorded from the Grampians. This is
also found in Gippsland. Leptospermum
nitidum is another plant occurring both
in the Grampians and Gippsland. Only
a short time ago Leucopogon neurophl-
lum which is endemic to the Grampians
was known only from Mt. William, but
now it is found on the Mitchell plateau
and abundant and making almost a pure
stand on Victoria Range.

Mr. Fuhrer’s slides included a large
number of orchids, which represent 10%
or more of the species in the Grampians.
A highlight of the slides was an area on
Mitchell Plateau apparently covered with
Sprengelia incarnata and Melaleuca
squamea. Mr. Fuhrer ended his talk with
beautiful slides of birds’ nest fungus,
coral fungus, and a superb picture of a
koala in a manna gum tree. Mr. Fairhall
called for a vote of thanks to Mr. Fuhrer
and this was carried by acclamation.

An excursion was arranged for Sunday,
30 March, meeting at Darebin station at
10.30 am., proceeding to Mr. Ivo
Hammet’s garden in the morning, and
after lunch inspecting the native plant
nursery of Mr. and Mrs. Cleeves, who
always bring in to our meetings an in-
teresting selection of their plants.

Geology Report—2 April

Thirty members and visitors attended
with Mr. Davidson occupying the chair.
The speaker for the evening was Dr. D.
Spencer-Jones, of the Mines Department

of Victoria. His talk was entitled. “The
Grampians Range of Western Victoria”.
He began by giving a brief historical
account of the area. He said there has
been much evidence of aboriginal occu-
pation around the northern end of the
Range, patriculary in the Victoria Range
where shelters and cave paintings are to
be found. However, the first white man
in the area was Major Mitchell, who
climbed Mt. William in July 1836. Since
then, he said, the Grampians have be-
come a mecca for botanists, geologists,
naturalists and tourists. He said that the
oldest rocks are Greenstones of Cam-
brian age which underlie Graywackes
and Siltstones of Lower Ordovician age.
In the Middle to Upper Devonian times,
Rhyolites and associated acid lavas were
extruded. These are basal to the Con-
glomerates and to the Sandstones which
constitute the main formations of the
area. These are considered to be of the

Upper Devonian-Lower Carboniferous
age. In the Middle Carboniferous,
Granites intruded the existing rocks.

These grade from Hornblende-Diorite at
the northern end to Soda Granites at the
southern end. The speaker said that the
spectacular escarpments to be seen in
the Grampians are the result of high
angle thrust faults. He said the huge
Upper Dev-Lower Carboniferous de-
posits were laid down in swamps and
lakes, and appear unfossiliferous. How-
ever, the sea invaded the area on at
least one occasion, as a band of marine
deposits contain a species of Ligula, a
marine brachiopod. The speaker also
said that the rocks have become indu-
rated, and this is very noticeable at
McKenzie’s Falls area, caused by in-
duration of Rhyolites into sedimentary
rocks. Dr. Spencer-Jones accompanied
his talk with an excellent series of slides
of the various formations. Mr. Davidson
thanked Dr. Spencer-Jones for a most
interesting and informative talk.

Exhibits

Mr. Blackburn. — Basalt, showing
tachylitic selvedge and decomposition to
palagonite.

Mr. Dodds. — Fossil shells, corals,
haematite from Moonlight Head-Worm
Bay area.

“Odd Pictures of Odd Places in Australia”
This lecture, to be given by Mr. Claude Austin, in the National Herbarium

at 8 p.m., is on Wednesday, 28 May.
146

Vict. Nat.—Vol. 86

F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS
GENERAL MEETINGS

Monday, 12 May—Annual Meeting at National Herbarium, The Domain, South

Yarra; commencing at 8 p.m.

1. Minutes, Reports, Amendments. 2. Correspondence.

3. Subject for evening—‘“Distribution of Australian Aboriginal Tribes”, by
Dr. Norman B. Tindale, who will also be presented with the 1968 Natural
History Medallion.

4. New Members

(a) Ordinary:
Rev. J. C. W. Brown, 93 Station Street, Malvern 3144. (Interest: Photography

of Victorian flowers and fungi.)
Miss A. Rangott, C/o Box Hill and District Hospital, Nelsen Road, Box Hill
128

3128.
(b) Joint Ordinary:
Mrs. B. M. Timms, Zoology Department, Monash University, Clayton 3168.
Mr. and Mrs. H. F. Janssen, 29a Myrtle Grove, Blackburn 3130. (Mammal
Survey.)
(c) Country:
Major R. P. Webb, School of Signals, Balcombe Military P.O. 3935.
Mrs. Alice G. Price, Private Bag, Hopetoun, Vic. 3396.
Mrs. L. A. Moroni, 84 Napoleon Crescent, White Hills, Bendigo 3550.
(d) Junior:
Mr. Anthony J. Simon, 38 Madden Street, Maidstcene 3012. (Mammal Survey.)
Mr. Paul C. Carswell, 192 Rathmines Road, East Hawthorn 3123. (Natural
History generally.)
Mr. Peter J. Thomas, 79 Mountainview Parade, Rosanna 3084.

5. General Business. 6. Nature Notes and Exhibits.

GROUP MEETINGS

(8 p.m. at National Herbarium unless otherwise stated.)

Wednesday, 14 May—Microscopical Group.

Friday, 30 May—Junior Meeting at Hawthorn Town Hall.

Monday, 2 June—Marine Biology and Entomology Group, at National Herbarium.

Wednesday, 4 June—Geology Group.

Thursday, 5 June—Mammal Survey Group, at Fisheries and Wildlife Dept. Library,
Flinders Street Extension at 7.45 p.m.

Friday, 6 June—Junior meeting at Rechabite Hall, 251 High Street, Preston, at
8 p.m.

Thursday, 12 June—Botany Group. “Orchids”, by Miss C. E. Gray.

Friday, 13 June—Montmorency District Junior F.N.C., held in Scout Hall, Petrie
Park, at 7.30 p.m. “Frogs and Tadpoles of the Melbourne Area”’.—Graham
Watson.

F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS

Sunday, 11 May—Botany Group excursion to Ferntree Gully to see what regrowth
has occurred since the fires. Meet at Ferntree Gully station at 10.15 a.m.
Sunday, 18 May—Dandenong Ranges. Ferns and general nature. Leader: Miss M.
Lester. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. Fare $1.50, bring

one meal.

29 August-21 September—Western Australia. The party will leave Melbourne by
train on Friday evening, 29 August, and arrive in Perth Monday morning,
1 September. A coach will meet the train and take members to Jurien Bay,
then Northampton, where they will stay for three days with day trips to places
of interest. From Northampton the party will travel south as far as Albany,
across to Manjimup and Busselton, visit Augusta, and arrive back in Perth
on Tuesday, 16 September. Wednesday there will probably be an optional trip
to Rottnest Island and the party will leave Thursday evening on the train for
Melbourne, arriving Sunday morning. Cost is approximately $260.00 with
deposit of $50.00 to be paid when booking, and the balance before 1 August.
All cheques to be made out to “Excursion Trust”, and sent to the excursion
secretary, Miss M. Allender, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, North Caulfield, 3161. At
present the excursion is booked out, but names will be taken in case of can-
cellations. The excursion secretary would be pleased to receive advice of items
of natural history interest along the route, and hopes Western Australian
naturalists in these areas will contact the party and, where possible, join in
the excursion.

May, 1969 147

Field Naturalists Club of Victoria

Established 1889

OBJECTS: To stimulate interest in natural history and to preserve
and protect Australian fauna and flora.

Patron: His Excellency Major-General SIR ROHAN DELACOMBE, K.B.E., C.B., D.S.O.
Key Office-Bearers, 1968/69

President:
Mr. E. R. ALLAN

Vice-Presidents: MR. JEFFS, MR. T. SAULT

Hon. Secretary: Mr. D. LEE, 15 Springvale Road, Springvale (546 7724).

Hon. Treasurer: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Road, East Malvern, 3145
(211 2427)

Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. Warp, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg, 3084.

Hon. Librarian: Mr. P. KELLy, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South
Yarra, 3141.

Hon, Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield 3161.

Subscription Secretary: Mrs. N. E. Lewis, 1 Billing Street, Springvale 3171.
(546 4649).)

Sales Officer: Mr. B. FUHRER, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, Sth. Yarra.

Group Secretaries:

Botany: Miss M. BuTcuaRT, 23 Loch Street, Hawthorn East 3123 (82 1616).
Geology: Mr. T. SAULT, 9 The Avenue, West Rosebud.

Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy Street, East Brighton (96 3268).
Mammal Survey: Mr. P. Homan, 40 Howard Street, Reservoir 3073

Entomology and Marine Biology: Mr. J. W. H. STRONG, Flat 11, “Palm Court”,
1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena 3163 (56 2271).

MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the F.N.C.V. is open to any person interested in natural
history. The Victorian Naturalist is distributed free to all members, the club’s
reference and lending library is available, and other activities are indicated in
reports set out in the several preceding pages of this magazine.

Rates of Subscriptions for 1969

Ordinary Members .. wi sa an Be oe NS 8 os is ae ae $7.00
Country Members .. te ae ae et oe Be Be ae the ive ai $5.00
Joint Members Ay! ane ae ie sit its aie ae ic oe ae ate $2.00
Junior Members : We We ais ae AY Fee ay ive $2.00
Junior Members receiving Viet. "Nat. | a sts aie ae age ai ah we $4.00
Subscribers to Vict. Nat. ie ais ous ae age aie ay ar divs om $5.00
Affiliated Societies is ie ae a atte it's ME $7.00
Life Membership (reducing after 20 years) os ; See axe Ae -- $140.00

The cost of individual copies of the Viet. Nat. will be 45 canes

All subscriptions should be made payable to the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, and
posted to the Subscription Secretary.

Brown Prior Anderson Pty. Ltd. 5 Evans Street Burwood 3125

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

"WN.

8 01226 973