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SMITHSONIAN JLILSNI NVINOSHLINS S3tYVYGIT LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTIC WS “y ARIES SMITHSONIAN NOLLOLILSNI NOILNLILSNE NOILALILSNI INSTITUTION NOILNLILSNI NVINOSHLINS Sa1uVvug S3IUVYSIT LIBRARIES INSTITUTION INSTITUTION INSTITUTION VLILSNI SJINVYEIT LIBRARIES gh hip ARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILNLILSNI NVINOSHLINS S3tuvut SMITHSONIAN INSTITUT! NVINOSHLIWS Saiuvyail LIBRARIES NVINOSHLINS SMITHSONIAN SMITHSONIAN SMITHSONIAN nf Zz a = fa ra) SOK tJ WO: LJ VSVA4 wim vie oe 7. t\ «x /o \ = Nam & /S \ The Victorian Naturalist The Magazine of the FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA in which is incorporated THE MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA Vol 87 January —December, 1970 Editor: G. M. WARD MELBOURNE : JENKIN, BUXTON & CO., PTY. LTD. 1-13 Abbotsford Street, West Melbourne, 3003 n tee VICTORIAN NATURALIST Vol. 87, No. 1 January, 1970 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 tr Magnificent stand of White Mountain Ash, Eucalyptus regnans, in the Marysville State Forest FORESTS COMMISSION VICTORIA ee ght, eee OneSeROLIIG the beauty of our forests for your enjoyment. 2 Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 The Victorian Naturalist Editor: G. M. Ward Assistant Editor: P. Gahan Vol. 87, No. 1 8 January, 1970 CONTENTS _ Articles: Notes on the Aborigines of the Stawell District. By Aldo Massola 4 Notes on Australian Pigmy-possums. By N. A. Wakefield ..... ...... ...... 11 Some Species of Asterina from Flinders, Victoria. By A. J. Dartnall 19 Feature: incagers’ Nature Notes and Queries 2... i200 S00 Geb i cel Cue he seen 10 Book Review: Binds;ot the New Zealand Shores. oe ie de ee sae eb ke eee 23 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: General’ and Group Meeting Reports 0... 2.5. cc ie eee cee cote teen 24 Diagy Or Coming EVENts) ci hia lee weed a wane ala ke awe ul ee, woe. OM Front Cover: Female Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans incubating at Half Moon Bay, Macquarie Island, 1965. ANARE photo by Ken G. Simpson. January, 1970 3 Notes on the Aborigines of the Stawell District* By ALDO MASSOLA+ The most noteworthy physical feat- ure of the Town of Stawell is Big Hill, rising as it does more than 200 feet above the township. The hill is rich in go'd mining history, for it was there that the “Reefs”, which contributed so lergely to the 70,000 oz. average year- ly gold output of the district was first discovered. History relates that prior to this discovery the locahty was known as Pleasant Creek, and that it formed part of the Congongella selection, first occupied by John Allen in 1841. This pioneer sold to a Dr. Blundell in 1844, and it was one of his shepherds, Wil- liam McLaughlan, who in May 1853 first found gold at Pleasant Creek. Further back in time the district was traversed by bands of Aborigines during their seasonal movements be- tween the camps on the Wimmera River and the rich hunting grounds on ~ foothills of the Grampians, or when on their way to the ceremonies which must have been performed at the Black Range. Big Hill must have then been an important landmark. Its native name was Kobram, meaning Head, but sig- nifying Hill, Elevation, and it no doubt enabled the Aborigines to correctly choose their direction. It is doubtful, however, that they would have camp- ed in its vicinity, unless by necessity. This was because “water was scarce and what was available was anything but good . .. and the country was covered by timber of little use for anything else but firewood and dwarf scrub of no value’’, as is described in the 1947 official Home to Stawell pub- * These notes formed part of a lecture delivered before the Stawell Historical Society and the Stawell Field Naturalists’ Club on 20/8/69. + 4/18 Wolseley Street, Mont Albert, 3127 4 lication. Under those conditions the natives would find hunting difficult, and it is even probable that the district was regarded as a no-man’s-land, and that it was a boundary between two groups of tribes. The Black Range, which they called Burrong, and which strangely enough me2ns Dark, Black, was also a boun- dary. In the case of this range, how- ever, it seems that it was periodically visited by the tribes from the north, at least for the performance of certain religious ceremonies. This fact is evi- denced by Bunjil’s Cave, where there is the only known representation of Bunjil, the Great Man of many of the Victorian tribes. The locality must have belonged to, and the figure of Buniil must have been painted by, members of the northern group, since the people of the south believed in another Great Man, or at least had an- other name for the same one. Also the art style of Bunjil’s rendition differs greatly from that of all other known Grampian paintings, and it must therefore be assigned to a different art tradition. There were probably other mytho- logical features in and around the Biack Range. That singular group of rocks known as the Sister Rocks, time weathered and impressive, until their stark and gaunt forms were made to look like Piccadilly Circus by vandals, could not have escaped the Abo- rigines’ notice; nor could have Pan Rock, which dominates the flank of the range and is credited with refiect- ing the moon’s light by an ethereal glow said to be visible for a distance of 30 miles. Unfortunately any legend or tradition connected with these feat- ures has been irrevocably lost. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 On the Black Range, water was no problem; there are still dozens of springs scattered through the hills. One, on the eastern base of the range, was known to the natives as Mit-cat- catchin. I cannot work out the mean- ing of Mit-cat, but the second part of the name, catchin, is generic for “spring of water”. It would be diffi- cult to pin point this spring, since there are three large ones on the east- ern base of the range — Fisher’s, Ludwig’s and McLean’s — any one of which could well be Mit-cat. Water was also available from two rock wells, one situated close to the summit of Flag Staff hill and the other near View Rock, on the eastern slopes of the range. They are both good ex- amples of those natural reservoirs sometimes found in granite country. Impurities in the rock were softened and washed away by Nature, and the waternolding hollow thus formed was deepened by the ever observant Abo- rigines. Often, as in these two cases, the hoie became the mouth of a vast amount of water collected under- ground, the pressure of which causes it to rise to the opening in the rock. Aborigines were in the habit of keep- ing the mouth of these rock wells covered with a flat stone to prevent leaves and dirt, and animals, from falling in and thus polluting the water. The names of most of the tribal groups around Stawell are known. To the north, the Wimmera River at about Glenorchy (Djarrah, a job, work) was the home of the Murra-murra-barap. Their nearest neighbours were the Djappuninyou, of the Richardson River, whose headquarters seem to have been on the site of Carr’s Plains homestead. There was a large water- hole on the river close by, which, it has been recorded, they called Engot- tenenurmwurm, a name that to me does not even sound Aboriginal, ex- cept that the ending Wurm does mean Shelter, therefore denoting a camping place. This large hole, said to have been about 20 feet deep, is now silted up through the building of a dam further down the river. The Black Range from Big Hill, Stawell. January, 1970 photo: Author = Both of these groups belonged to the Muk-jarawaint, one of the Wot- jobaluk tribes of the Wimmera and Mallee, and both certainly attended the great tribal gatherings at Lake Buloke at the end of the Richardson _and Avon Rivers, and at Lake Wirren- gren, at the end of the Wimmera River system. South and south-west of Kobram (Big Hill), the country was well watered and game was plentiful. Lake Lonsdale (Djakil, Pelican), Lake Fyans (Martang, the Hollow), Hall’s Gap, and the watershed of Mt. Wil- liam Creek belonged to the Knindo- wurong, a group of people which I find difficult to place within the Wot- jobaluk, as is claimed by some writers. The suffix Wurong, Lip, i.e. Speech, is common amongst the Western District tribes, and because of this I would make the Knindowurong a group of the Tjapwurong tribe, of which the next group to the east, centred at about Moyston, (Jaraughi-djakil, Peli- can’s Place) was the Nutcheyong. The Tjapwurong belonged to the Mara group of tribes. There seems little doubt, however, that perfect amity existed between the northern and the southern people. It is even most probable that they tradi- tionally exchanged sisters for wives, and that the northern people did take part at the great tribal gatherings of the southern tribes at Lake Bolac (Boluk, Swamp, and by anology Bull- frogs) during the eel season, and that they were frequent visitors at the large campsites on the sand cliffs on the northern shore and on the Sand Bar of Lake Lonsdale. Possibly there, they exchanged the produce and manufac- tures of their own country for stone axe-blanks which the Knindowurong quarried from the greenstone outcrops occurring amongst sandstone on the south-east and south-west flanks of Mt. Dryden, where there are accumu- lations of chips and flakes half-buried in the grass and soil, close to the pro- truding masses of greenstone, denot- ing where the axe-blanks were shaped. The Knindowurong also quarried this mineral (diabase) from another, but smaller outcrop, on the late Mr. Hate- ly’s property, near Juluka. Mt. Dryden (centre) from Lake Lonsdale campsite. Grampians are to the right. photo: Author Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 The way of life and the customs and beliefs of all these groups differed but slightly from that of the other tribes of south-west Victoria, any difference being dictated by local conditions of food and terrain, and not by mentality or race. All these tribes were divided into two intermarrying classes and counted descent through the mother. A man did not generally have more than one wife, and she had to be from the opposite class to himself and preferably not from the same locality as his mother. No one had prior access to the wife, and strict fidelity was ex- pected from her; nor was she ever lent to friends or visitors as was done amongst certain other tribes. When deemed old enough the boys of the tribe were initiated, which meant that they were taken into the bush by some of the men and made to witness a number of ceremonies during which the earthly activities of the ancestral or totemic spirits and the traditions of the tribe were ex- plained. The boys had also to submit to the painful rite of depilation, during Native diabase quarry on S.-W. flank of Mt. Dryden. photo: Author January, 1970 which every hair from the boys’ face and body was plucked. The ceremonies terminated with a “smoking” over a fire made with green leaves. The boys were then ready to sit at the men’s councils, where as yet, and for some time to come, they were not allowed to speak, only to listen and learn. The dead were either buried, cre- mated, exposed on a rough platform constructed on a tree, or secreted in hollow trees. Their religious beliefs centred around a good spirit called Bunjil (Pirn-mehial by the southern tribes) who had made the earth and all upon it, and caused certain spirits to punish evil doers. When a man died his soul (Kol-kon) went to a happy land beyond the sky which was never short of water and where food was plentiful, and his spirit (Gulkan- gulkan) went to the totem centre, from which he looked out for a pass- ing woman, whom he would enter, and having lodged in her womb was reincarnated. The Aborigines had devised a sys- tem of life eminently suited to the environment. Their weapons and uten- sils were ingeniously made from avail- able materials, such as stone, wood, reeds, and animal fur and bone. All that nature provided was_ utilized. Food was plentiful and varied; seeds and edible roots were collected and animals were speared, netted and trap- ped. One of the few men who wrote of the Aborigines of the early period was C. B. Hall, of Hall’s Gap. In letters from Victorian Pioneers he _ relates that he saw many signs of Aboriginal industry, and he remarked upon the numerous fish weirs made with sod banks extending across the shallows of the rivers, with apertures at intervals, at which were placed long, circular reed baskets, shaped like huge stock- ings, into which the fish piled. Heaps ot mussel shells, remains of meals were abundant on the edges of the swamps, and old deserted mia-mias were a common sight. Native tracks were clearly defined. One, about 15 miles north of Mt. William led to the sources of the Glenelg River. Further south many others were in evidence, denoting that the Grampians were crossed in all directions. However, as happened in all other districts, the coming of the white man disrupted the traditional way of life. The white man occupied the most ad- vantageous positions to build his huts; his sheep and cattle foraged upon the edible roots which were the main stay of the tribes; the kangaroos and other native game were shot because it was believed that they competed with the sheep for grass; the water holes were taken over, and the sacred grounds were not respected. The tribes, who at first appeared to have accepted the coming of the white man, became troublesome and soon every station had some tragic tale to tell; hut keepers murdered, utensils and rations stolen, cattle speared or driven off, and sheep slaughtered. But no settler admitted to the indiscrimin- ate murdering of whole groups of men, women and children, or to the assaults perpetuated upon the persons of the unfortunate native women, many of whom were kept in a state of slavery. Eventually the Aborigines accepted the inevitable. With their tribal terri- tory and their tribal organization gone with most of their elders and able bodied men dead, with their women only giving birth to half castes; they gave up the struggle. Already by the mid-1850s many groups had become extinct, and the sad remnants of others spent their time pitifully wandering from station to town, often looking for bread and being given rum instead, for no better reason than for being amused at their drunken antics. By 1863 the entire native population of the Richardson River, Lake Buloke, and Morton Plains was recorded at 52 men, women and children. In 1866 the last of the Fiery Creek group, Jimmy Ware, died, and the total rem- nants of the Mt. Sturgeon, Hopkins River, and Mt. Cole tribes were count- ed at 36 men, women and children. In that year remnants of tribes, from far and wide, amounting to 30 men and 26 women, gathered at Mt. Cole for a last corroboree. In reporting the event, the Ararat and Pleasant Creek Adver- tiser states that: . somehow grog was supplied to them, and the friendly dance finish- ed in a most discourteous distribution of blows and a free use of waddies. The assembled parties separated all the worse for their failure. However, a second attempt at the corroboree was made. King Koona- warn and his consort, “Granny”, ac- companied by 7 or 8 retainers arrived at Ararat from Mortlake, on their way to either the Hopkins River or Opos- sum Gully, where 100 Aborigines Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 were expected to congregate. Unfor- tunately I cannot find any record that the corroboree was held. If it was, this would certainly be the last general gathering of the Western District tribes. King Koonawarn, or to give him his full name, Kaawirn Koona- warn, Hissing Swan, was one of the main informants of James Dawson, the only white man who took the trouble to record the way of life of the south-western tribes of Victoria. Pathos is sometimes clearly seen in these early accounts. Such is the case of Peter, a powerful and _ fearless Aboriginal of the Moyston group. When under the influence he was feared by the people of that town; and the streets were cleared when he ap- peared. Four years of dissipation, however, reduced him from an athlete to a broken man, skulking about for drinks, shorn alike of strength and courage, and only concerned with evading the police. Sensationalism, too, is occasionally met in the old records; but fortunately at least in the Ararat and Pleasant Creek Advertiser, this type of journ- alism is not frequent. In the 26 March, 1857 issue the following appears: A few days since, a _ party of Wimmera Aborigines, fully equipped and in war costume descended upon the Richardson tribe at Carr’s Plains and stole a_ beautiful lubra. The Wimmera coolie is a handsome man, but the Richardson tribe will, in ac- cordance with immemorial custom, try to rescue the dusky one. Though not at all romantic, it is possible that a bottle of P.B. will settle the dispute. The following letter to the Editor of the newspaper, which appeared in the 2 April issue, precludes any com- ments on my part as to the possibility of the above happening in 1867. The letter was from Holford H. Wetten- hall, owner of Carr’s Plains, of whom it may be said that he was one of the few settlers to treat the Aborigines January, 1970 eh Han ps : hil: “King” of Buninyong. Reproduced photo. Author sil Johnny, like human beings, and to befriend them. The letter reads: Your Glenorchy Correspondent seems to have a_ very romantic imagination, for in your issue of the 26th inst. I see an account of the Wimmera blacks having stolen a young and beautiful lubra from this place. Such, I beg to say, is com- pletely erroneous. A few of the Wimmera blacks were here, and stayed several days, and had a cor- roboree with the Richardson ones and then returned. King Johny taking a niece with him to visit an aged rela- tive, and is to bring her back shortly. A few only of the Richardson tribe did not want her to go, but no theft was attempted. By inserting these few lines you will much oblige the blacks and myself. King Johny, who was the principal head man of the Lake Buloke group, died on 29 January, 1883 and was buried at the Donald cemetery. He therefore outlived by many years his Mt. Cole counterpart, King William, who died at Beaufort on 9 January, 1869. 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. Those Glands on Wattles Mr. A. J. Swaby sends on this re- port made in response to his earlier notes on wattles, Vict. Nat. 86 (7) (8). Mr. C. Cane, Maffra, is an experienced keeper of bees and careful observer. He reports that bees in east Victoria where Sunshine Wattle abounds, collect the exudation from the glands and can turn it into honey. The eastern apiarists de- pend on that when growth is active. That calls for closer notice in other localities. Are metropolitan bees un- sophisticated? Someone in wattle country may be interested in continued study of the re- lations between the plants, ants and bees. Does the sticky substance on upper leaves (phyllodes) of Varnish Wattle come from glands? Is it attractive to insects? Two By A, 3, On the Black Range, western Grampians, we _ frequently caused excitement among ants. They were a little smaller than the red meat ants that form large mounds and worn tracks. But they were black and did not form large colonies. The most interesting feature was a change of colour on the hind-body when disturbed. Just as if two seg- ments were parting a patch of yellow- grey showed up. Someone with a microscope may complete the story. 10 Wombat Note Mrs. Ellen Lyndon sent in the fol- lowing note which may prompt a re- ply. A very sick and mangy wombat was seen beside the Promontory road through Yanakie Run on June 4th, soon after midday. The animal appeared to be quite blind with eyelids closed and almost cemented together. It was in very poor condition, its skin hanging in loose bald folds. It allowed itself to be stroked and discussed but when startled proved to be still fairly nimble and determined. In its efforts to climb up the road bank it fell helplessly and rolled over and over down the slope. However, it eventually climbed over and crossed the roadway as if head- ing in a definite direction. It is probably starving to death and it would have been a kindness to put it out of its misery. It is not unusual for mange to sweep through the fox population and leave weak and dying animals, but it is news to me that wombats can be similarly affected. Ants SWABY In 1962, a wet year, we found small black ants in nests on sedges just above water level in a swamp between Sheet of Water and Forest Lodge, Grampians. How did they know the flood was coming and what the height would be? Or did they move the nests up as the water rose? Several times since, search has not revealed any of the abovementioned ants. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 Notes on Australian Pigmy-possums (Cercartetus, Phalangeridae, Marsupialia) ABSTRACT Note is made of recently proposed revisions involving family and ordinal taxonomy of marsupials. Distribution- al data and questions of subspecific taxonomy of species of Cercartetus are discussed. Five nipples and a litter of five are recorded for C. nanus. Details are given of observations of captive specimens of Cercartetus, which indic- ate that dormancy is correlated with rainfall and availability of food, and it is suggested that this demonstrates an adaptive advantage of dormancy. The validity of Cercartetus Gloger as the generic name for four species of Australian pigmy-possums was dis- cussed previously in this journal (Wakefield, 1963). CLASSIFICATION In a classification of marsupials, based on serological studies, Kirsch (1968) proposes to exclude Cercar- tetus and certain other genera from the family Phalangeridae and to place them in the family Burramyidae. The title of this paper has retained the broader application of the name Phalangeridae. In a classification proposed by Ride (1964), the name Marsupialia is given superordinal status, several orders of marsupials are recognized, and the family Phalangeridae is placed in the order Diprotodonta. * Biology Department, Monash Teachers’ Col- lege, Clayton, Victoria. January, 1970 By N.A. WAKEFIELD* DISTRIBUTIONAL DATA Cercartetus nanus It was noted that O’Reilly (1940) mentioned the finding of a “dormouse possum” in the Macpherson Ranges, S.E. Queensland, and an enquiry to the Queensland Museum brought the following reply (A. Bartholomai, letter 217 5/ 1965): The specimen mentioned in Bernard O’Reilly’s Green Mountains has been located, labelled Dromicia unicolor and registered J5861. It is a female spirit specimen, and was obtained from Robert’s Plateau, Lamington National Park, S.E. Q., donated by M. O’Reilly, on 7/1/1936. The specimen was examined and its identity is Cercartetus nanus. There is now a second example in the Queensland Museum (reg. no. J13580) from the same area. It was sent to the museum by David Fleay, and the date recorded, 9/2/1966, evidently refers to the registration and not to the original discovery. The specimen is a young adult female, with the M3s not fully erupted. The deeply bifid P4s establish the identity as Cercartetus nanus, although it had been reported in a newspaper (The Courier Mail, Brisbane, page 8, 18/1/1966) as being Cercartetus caudatus, the Long-tailed Pigmy- possum of N.E. Queensland. The previously recognized most northerly occurrence of C. nanus was in the Newcastle area of New South Wales (Wakefield, 1963). Green (1969) provides data of the occurrence of C. nanus on Flinders Istand, Bass Strait. 11 Cercartetus concinnus Bolam (1923) reports the finding of a specimen of C. concinnus at Fisher, about 5O miles west of Ooldea in the far south-west of South Aust- ralia. The locality is towards the middle of the 600-mile gap between the known ranges of the western and eastern races of the species (Wake- field, 1963), and it is in the mulga- saltbush vegetational association (ref. Wood and Williams, 1960), in which the species is not otherwise recorded. Lundelius (1957) records remains of C. concinnus, of presumably Recent geological age, from Miurraelellevan Cave, in the far south-east of Western Australia, approximately in the centre of the distributional gap between the two races. The cave is at about the limit of the vegetational formation identified by Wood and Williams (Joc. cit.) as semi-arid mallee, a normal habitat of the species. The age of the cave remains has not been determined. Cercartetus lepidus A prepared skin and skull of C. lepidus was presented to the South Australian Museum (reg. no. M6338), and the donor reported that the spec- imen had been found, alive, on Kangaroo Island, South Australia (Aitken, 1967). The local climate and the sclero- phyll mallee vegetational formation of that island (ref. Wood and Williams, loc. cit.), make it extremely unlikely that an indigenous population of the species occurs there. Cranial characters and teeth of M6338 have been measured and com- pared statistically with those of a series of modern Tasmanian specimens of C. lepidus. Ten probability values, obtained from T tests for eight linear dimensions and two proportions, all lay mi the range 0.21 to 0:95. This suggests strongly that the Kangaroo 12 Island specimen belongs to the Tas- Manian population. Accidental transport of pigmy-possums It has been reported that two spec- imens of Cercartetus nanus were inadvertently taken away, in packed clothing, from a seaside cottage at Tamboon Inlet, eastern Victoria, and that specimens of C. concinnus have been found secreted in farm mach- inery both in western Victoria and lower South Australia (Wakefield, 1963), Green (1969) records the accident- al transport of a specimen of C. nanus from Flinders Island in Bass Strait to Tasmania. It was found in a torpid condition when a recently shipped bag of wool was opened in a Launceston wool store. Episodes of this kind indicate the possibility of accidental transport of a specimen or family of the Tasman- ian C. lepidus to Kangaroo Island, thus providing the South Australian Museum specimen; and a similar ex- planation could apply to Bolam’s spec- imen of C. concinnus at Fisher. SUBSPECIFIC TAXONOMY Cercartetus nanus Wakefield (1963) suggested that a single mainland race, C. nanus uni- color (Krefft), should be recognized, as distinct from the Tasmanian race, C. nanus nanus (Desmarest). This was based mainly on the consideration of geographical distribution. Subsequent craniometric study of subfossil and modern series has de- monstrated (a) that the mainland population is bimodal as regards size, with specimens from S.W., C. and N.E. Victoria smaller than those from E. Victoria and E. New South Wales, and (b) that the locally available Tasmanian cranial specimens (four in number) are insufficient to demon- Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 strate difference from or affinity with either of the mainland populations. A suitably large series of Tasmanian specimens, and further study, are needed to resolve the matter. Cercartetus concinnus If there is a continuous distribution of this species from South Australia to Western Australia, as is suggested by Bolam’s Fisher specimen (see above), or if further cave deposit data show that such distribution did occur in Recent times, then the distin- guishing of the eastern Australian population as C. concinnus minor (Wakefield, 1963) must be questioned. In any case, proper statistical compar- isons of adequate series from the two populations should be made. Cercartetus lepidus Measurements of the fossil speci- mens from Wombeyan Caves, New South Wales, and of the subfossil material from the Pyramids Cave, E. Victoria (ref. Wakefield, 1963), have not demonstrated any significant dif- ference between this Australian Pleist- ocene population and the modern Tasmanian one. The Pleistocene ma- terial is too fragmentary for satisfac- tory diagnosis. C. nanus WITH LITTER OF FIVE On September 17, 1963, a female of C. nanus was found by D. Pepper near Mount Drummond, 15 miles west of Stawell, W. Victoria. With this species the normal number of nipples is four (Wakefield, 1963), but this specimen had a litter of five half-grown joeys. Examination of the pouch showed that she had five nipples. Apart from the supernumerary nipple, this observation is of interest because the mother had _ produced more than the normal four pouch young. Small dasyurids (Antechinus spp. and others) have been found to January, 1970 have about twice as many embryos in utero as there are nipples for their accommodation (P. Woolley, pers. comm.). This over-production of young is apparently an adaptation to offset possible loss of new-born indiv- iduals which do not succeed in reach- ing the nipple area. Evidently this applies also to Cercartetus nanus, and it may be general among small mar- supials. DORMANCY Introduction Hickman and Hickman (1960) record observations of dormancy made over a 12-month period with captive specimens of Cercartetus nanus and C. lepidus. Two females of each species were involved, and these results were obtained: There was no prolonged hibern- ation; the longest period of dormancy was 12 days for C. nanus and 6 days for C. lepidus. During full dormancy (also referred to as torpor), body temperature was about equal to air temperature, and, during arousal from torpor, that of C. nanus rose 31°C in 3 hours and that of C. lepidus 32°C in 2 hours 40 minutes. Activity tended to be longer and dormancy shorter during the half-year September-February, and the reverse applied to the period March-August. At temperatures between about 4°C and 18°C no direct correlation was apparent between temperature and the activity or dormancy. C. nanus was sometimes active at temperatures less than 2°C, but C. lepidus was not active when temperature was below 4°C. C. nanus was not dormant at tempera- tures above 18°C, and for the two specimens of C. lepidus the limit was 19°C and 15°C respectively. There were individual differences in each species both in total number of 13 days of activity and in maximum duration of periods of activity. Bartholomew and Hudson (1962) provide results of study of the physi- ology of Cercartetus nanus, including data of its metabolism during dorm- ancy. As well as reduction of body temp- erature during dormancy, breathing rate, oxygen consumption and _ heart rate were all much less. These authors remarked that, in laboratory condi- tions, dormancy was independent of season, time of day, environmental temperature, or availability of food. They found that any isolated and undisturbed animal sooner or _ later became dormant, that duration of dormancy was irregular, that dorm- ancy tended to be most common during the early morning hours, and that, at temperatures below 15°C, some animals remained dormant for several days. Food Availability and Dormancy In winter 1962, at Noble Park, Victoria, observations were made of the dormancy, under various cond- itions, of three specimens of Cercar- fetus concinnus trom the vicinity of the Little Desert, western Victoria. An adult male and an adult female (re- ferred to as M1 and F1) were housed together in Cage 1 from June 2 to August 6, and another adult male (M2) was kept in Cage 2 from July 4 until August 6. Food was supplied in the form of a honey-water mixture and cooked corn- meal-sugar-egg-milk custard. At cer- tain times, all food was withheld for periods of 2 to 4 days. Nest compartments associated with the cages had lids which allowed ob- servation of the occupants with a minimum of disturbance. Record was kept of periods of activity and of dormancy, as far as these could be determined by frequent inspection. 14 Environmental temperature was re- corded when inspection was made. Subsequently, rainfall records were obtained for weather stations at Springvale and Dandenong, and the daily falls were averaged to provide approximate data for Noble Park, which is situated between the two stations. Table 1 shows details, for the 56 days, of availability of food in each box, periods of dormancy and activity of each specimen, and rainfall. Specimen F1 provided an activity score totalling 39 days out of the 56. This was evidently excessive, for she remained in poor condition and event- ually died. She was dormant for 84 of the 42 days (= 20%) when food was available, and for 84 of the 14 days (= 61%) when there was no food. Specimen M1 was active for a total of 123 days of the 56. He remained in good condition, with considerable accumulation of subcutaneous fat. He was dormant for 314 days (= 75%) of the periods when food was avail- able, and for 12 days (= 86%) of the periods when it was not. Specimen M2 was active for an aggregate of only 3 days of the 34 days of observation in his case. His dormancy amounted to 26 of the 29 days (= 90% ) when food was avail- able, and for the whole of the 5-day period when it was not. When combined, these three sets of data indicate dormancy for 58% of the periods when food was available to the respective individuals, and for 77% of the periods when food was not available. A similar analysis for the 38 days from June 12 to July 19 (to avoid complication with the very rainy phase of late July and early August), provides figures of 40% dormancy when food was _ available and 70% dormancy when it was not. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 TABLE 1 Record of dormancy of Cercartetus concinnus in relation to food availability and rainfall. a Box 1 a" Box 2 e Box 1 = Box 2 = & 2 fs % 5 uo) es Mo) 5 gg meee |e) ele a ele |e)" ) 2/8 June July 12 A (D) 10 A D-A N D 13 A D 18 11 N D D D 14 A D 6 12 N D D N D 15 N A D-A ] 13 N D D N D 16 N A A 14 14 A (D) 4 D 17 A A 9 15 A D D 18 A A 16 A A D 19 N A D 16 17 A A D 20 N A D-A 3 18 A D A-D 21 N D-A D 3 19 A (D) D 22 A D 20 A D 7 D 23 A D 21 A D 17 24 A D 3) 20 (D) D 5 (D) 25 A D 23 23 N (D) D 127 D 26 A D 24 N D D 55 D 27 A D 25 N D D 3 D 28 D-A | D-A 26 N D D 2 D 29 A A 27 27 A (D) 1 D 30 A A 1 28 A D 1 D July 29 A D-A D 1 N A-D D 2 30 Db D 11 D-A 2 N D-A D 31 D D 8 D 3 A D 13 Aug 4 A D 2 D 1 D D Ws (D) 5 A D-A A 2 D D 4 D 6 A A A 3 D D 19 D i A A D 4 D D 10 D 8 A D 2 D 5 D D D 9 A D-A N D 6 A D 3 D Food—N indicates that none was available; otherwise it was present. Rainfall—The record shown for each day is based on records for the 24-hour period to 9 a.m. the following day. The state of each specimen is shown thus—A, active at each inspection for the day; D, dormant at each inspection; A-D, active at first, dormant later; D-A, dormant at first, active later; (D), dormant, but at some stage not fully torpid. (See text for key to individuals. ) January, 1970 15 Further correlation between dorm- ancy and food availability is indicated by the fact that two periods (3 days and 2 days) of absence of food coin- cided with the initial stages of much longer periods of dormancy (734 days and 5 days respectively) of specimen M1. Rainfall and Dormancy For days when rainfall was less than 6 points, the three specimens of Cer- cartetus concinnus produced a record of 59% dormancy and 41% activity. For days with rainfall in the 6 to 40 points range, dormancy was 63% and activity 37%. And for the three days when rainfall exceeded 50 points for a day, there was 100% dormancy. The female Cercartetus nanus and her five joeys were observed from September 28 to October 18, and again from November 5 to November 9, 1963. During those times, honey- water and mealworms were continu- ously available to them. The environ- mental temperatures which were noted ranged from 46° to 68°F (9-20°C), and the possums were sometimes dormant at the higher limit. Except for a single occasion, when one indiv- idual was active and the others dorm- ant, all six were either all active or all dormant whenever observed. During the 21-day period, there were two phases of heavy rain: over 2 inches between 6 p.m. on September 28 and 9 a.m. on October 2, and approximately an inch from October 11 to 14. The remainder of the period was almost or quite fine. The possums were dormant throughout the first phase of rain and during almost all the second phase. They were active at all other times of inspection. On November 5 they were found to be dormant and they remained so until about noon on November 8. This 16 dormancy was correlated with an ag- gregate of approximately 70 points of rain between November 2 and 7. The cages housing the three speci- mens of C. concinnus and the family of C. nanus were kept during the periods of observation in the room of a house and thus were not in direct contact with the weather. The reaction of the animals to the occurrence of rain indicates that they were sensitive to the associated humidity. Recovery from Torpor On each of a number of occasions when specimens of C. concinnus were removed from their nest boxes and taken to a heated room for purposes of photography, the period of recovery from full torpor to full activity was approximately 30 minutes. Plate 1 comprises a series of ten photographs taken during one such period of re- covery from torpor. Conclusions A positive correlation has been demonstrated, both with Cercartetus concinnus and C. nanus, between eriods of dormancy and the occur- rence of rain, and, with C. concinnus, between dormancy and non-availabil- ity of food. It is logical that such patterns should have evolved in re- sponse to the selective advantage of energy conservation when food cannot be obtained either because it is absent or because weather conditions prevent foraging. REFERENCES Aitken, P. F., 1967. Cercartetus lepidus (Thomas) an addition to the fauna of Kangaroo Island. Rec. S. Aust. Mus., 15(3): 575-6. Bartholomew, G. A., and Hudson, J. W., 1962. Hibernation, estivation, tempera- ture regulation, evaporative water loss, and heart rate of the pigmy possum, Cercaertus nanus. Physiol. Zool. XXXV(1): 94-107. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 PLATE 1 a NS SS NS Recovery from Torpor innus Cercartetus conc otographs was taken over imately 30 minutes. quence of ten ph a period of approx The se 17 January, 1970 Bolam, A. G., 1923. The Trans-Aus- tralian Wonderland. Barker & Com- pany. Melbourne. (p. 28.) Green, R. H., 1969. The birds of Flinders Island with references to other eastern Bass Strait islands and annotated lists of other vertebrate fauna. Rec. Queen Vict. Mus., N.S. no. 34. Hickman, V. V., and Hickman, J. L., 1960. Notes on the habits of the Tas- manian dormouse phalangers Cercaer- tus nanus (Desmarest) and Eudromi- cia lepida (Thomas). Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 135(3): 365-74. Lundelius, E., 1957. Additions to know- ledge of the ranges of Western Aus- tralian mammals. West. Aust. Nat., 5(7): 173-82. O’Reilly, B., 1940. Green Mountains. W. R. Smith & Paterson Pty. Ltd., Brisbane. (p. 21.) Kirsch, J. A. W., 1968. Prodromus of the comparative serology of Marsupialia. Nature, 217: 418-20. Ride, W. D. L., 1964. A review of Aus- tralian fossil marsupials. J. Roy. Soc. W. Aust., 47(4): 97-131. Wakefield, N. A., 1963. The Australian Pigmy-possums, Vic. Nat. 80(4): 99- 116. Wood, J. G., and Williams, R. S., 1960. “Vegetation”, in The Australian En- vironment, Ed. 3, pp. 67-84. CSIRO, Melbourne. 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 30 photographs. Price 7Sc. VICTORIAN TOADSTOGOLS AND MUSHROOMS, by J. H. Willis. This describes 120 toadstool species and many other fungi. There are four coloured plates and 31 other illustrations. New edition. Price 90c. THE VEGETATION OF WYPERFELD NATIONAL PARK, by J. R. Garnet. Coloured frontispiece, 23 half-tone, 100 line drawings of plants and a map. Price 31.50, Address orders and inquiries to Sales Officer, F.N.C.V., National Herbarium, South Yarra, Victoria. Payments should include postage (9c on single copy). ENTOMOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT Butterfiy nets, pins, store-boxes, etc. We are direct importers and manufacturers, and specialise in Mail Orders (write for free price }ist) AUSTRALIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SUPPLIES 14 Chisholm St., Greenwich Sydney 2065 Phone: 43 3972 18 Genery’s Scientific Equipment Supply 183 Little Collins Street Melbourne (one coor 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, experi- mental lens sets, etc. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 Some Species of Asterina from Flinders, Victoria By A. J. DARTNALL* SUMMARY Asterina atyphoida H. L. Clark and Asterina scobinata Livingstone are recorded from Flinders, Victoria. Hermaphrodism of the latter species is recorded and the distribution of herm- aphrodite species of asterinid sea stars considered. Introduction Twelve nominal species of the sea star genus Asterina are known from Australia (H. L. Clark, 1946). Three species are found on the south-eastern corner of the continent viz. Asterina atyphoida H. L. Clark, 1916; Asterina inopinata Livingstone, 1933 and Asterina scobinata Livingstone, 1933. The size of sea stars is expressed by measuring the major radius (R) and the minor radius (r). The outline shape of the animal is expressed as a ratio R:r. Asterina atyphoida H. L. Clark, 1916 Fig. 1 Arms five, pentagonal in shape. Retr = 13:1 Maximum R ='12 mm. Actinal intermediate plates usually with a single short blunt spine. Colour “pale cream, yellow or light brown”, (Shepherd, 1968). The single speci- men collected at Flinders was pale cream with a dark grey smudge at the centre of the disc. The specimen was female and the bright orange gonads showed through the oral surface. The gonopores are orientated orally. Range: From the South Australian Gulf to Flinders, Victoria. Also re- corded from ‘Tasmania _ (Dartnall, 1969). Asterina scobinata Livingstone, 1933. Fig. 1. Arms five; body stellate. R:r = 2:1. Maximum R = 15 mm. Actinal intermediate plates carrying groups of fine spines. Colour pale cream or light brown. January, 1970 Range: The single specimen col- lected from the edge of the rock reef at Flinders constitutes the first record of this species from Victoria. Until then Asterina scobinata was known only from Tasmania. Asterina scobinata is secretive in its habits and is found under rocks and in crevices in the lower littoral zone. The type specimens of A.scobinata had five pairs of small, non-calcified spots in the actinal interradial areas (Livingstone, 1933). The presence of these spots was com- mented upon by H. L. Clark (1946) who wrote that they could “be made out with more or less difficulty” in the specimens available to him. Remarks: Twenty-three specimens from eight localities around Tasmania and one in Victoria (fig. 2) are held in the col- lections of the Tasmanian Museum. Four specimens are preserved in fluid fixatives, the remainder are dried specimens. The material to hand matched the original description in all pertinent characters except that pores, not spots, are present in the interradii. Dissection revealed that the pores are orally orientated gonopores and that the species is hermaphrodite. Examination of the gonads showed subsequent sectioning of the gonads a preponderance of female tissue, the eggs being c. 0.3 mm. in diameter. * Keeper of Invertebrates, The Tasmanian Museum, Hobart, Tasmania. 19 Male tissue was confined to a small area near to the base of the gonoduct. It would appear that, as in some other species of the Asterinidae, the ova are released to the substrate and are not pelagic. Whether the territorial hermaphro- dism observed is but one facet of a sexual polymorphism is unknown. oral spines 25 wv oY Asterina scobinata } ees Sy ord] spines === == Asterina atyphoida Little can be gained by temporal stud- ies of the small amount of material available which was collected in Jan- uary, March and June of different years. Difficulties of collecting and scarcity of material may prelude adequate investigation of the reproduc- tive biology of Asterina scobinata for some time. \\ LQ \\ \ we ' \\ Ss ANY nr & — wt gonopore Fig. 1. Diagramatic representations of body outline and spinulation of the actinal surface in A. scobinata and A. atyphoida. 20 Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 Bass Strait Fig. 2. Stations from which A. scobinata has been collected. The specimens from Port Davey, S.E. Tasmania (marked with a star) are held in the Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston, Tasmania. January, 1970 21 Distribution of Hermaphrodite Species of Asterinidae. Five species of the Asterinidae are known to be hermaphrodite and it is of interest to observe their distribution (fig. 3). Asterina gibbosa Pennant and Asterina pancerii Gasco are known from European waters, Asterina bath- eri Goto from Japan and Asterina scobinata and an hermaphrodite spec- ies Of Patiriella are endemic to the Maugean Province of Australia. All have distributions in areas around 40° of latitude north or south. It remains to be seen if factors common to these areas could have resulted in the con- vergent evolution of hermaphrodite forms or whether hermaphrodism is a primitive characteristic of species pushed outwards from a rapidly spec- iating pool of Indo-Pacific asterinid forms. REFERENCES Clark, H. L., 1946. The Echinoderm Fauna of Australia. Carnegie Institu- tion of Washington. Publication 566 Dartnall, A. J., 1969. New Zealand Sea Stars in Tasmania. Proc. Roy. Soc. Tas.; 103: 53-55: Livingstone, A. A., 1933. Some Genera and Species of the Asterinidae. Rec. Aust. Mus. Sydney, 19: 1-18. Shepherd, S. A., 1968. The Shallow Water Echinoderm Fauna of Aus- tralia 1. The Asteroids. Mus., 15(4): 729-756. Rec. §. Aust. Fig. 3. Map to show distribution of hermaphrodite species of asterinid sea stars. 22 Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 BOOK REVIEW Birds of the New Zealand Shore Published by A. H. and A. W. Reed, Wellington, 1968. by BERNARD STONEHOUSE 12 pp. col. and b. and w. pll., and line drawings. $4.95. Shore birds carry a special appeal for both ornithologist and general naturalist. Dr. Stonehouse has com- piled his list on the basis of “shore living species which breed on the main islands of New Zealand.” In brief he includes Penguins, Shags (Cormor- ants), Gannet, Waders, Gulls, Skuas, Terns, Herons, and Spoonbills, but not necessarily all of each group. Rare waders and also marginal species “which raid the shore from time to time” are excluded. New Zealand ornithogolists can safely be left to argue the case as to whether this or that species ought to be in or out. As it is the book is both useful and attractive, the plates being generally excellent. The Penguin keys could be a little more precise about where crests begin, the name Egret could have been mentioned for the White Heron, it would have added perspec- tive to have shown that some species occur as different races in Australia, e.g. Silver Gull and White Egret, and the large line drawings are not always effective. Other minor criticisms of factual matter will be found else- where e.g. N.Z. Listener, 1 Aug., 1969, p. 27, Emu 69 (3). Nevertheless the book provides an introduction to the ecology of a dis- tinctive habitat and bird community, it assists the identification of waders, and it will help Australian readers to a better acquaintance with some N.Z. birds. On a quite different level it is interesting to note the iniection of the companionable style of British nature writing, e.g. herons that “pose in silence like eccentric diplomats in an embassy fishpond” and gannets that flap “their long elegant wings with an unmistakable nonchalance”, that avoids anthropomorphism only by a degree of sophistication. The contri- butions of British ornithologists to the Australasian scene during the past ten years are both varied and unfinished. A. R. McEvey Flowers and Plants of Victoria in Colour Copies of this excellent book are still available, and of course would make a wonderful gift. They are obtainable from the F.N.C.V. Treasurer, Mr. D. McInnes. January, 1970 25 EDITOR’S NOTE Due to a combination of personal difficulties and industrial problems, I unfortunately omitted to include in the December issue of the Vict. Nat., any mention of thanks or seasonal wishes to contributors and readers. I therefore now thank 1969 contributors, and on behalf of Council, express the hope that a measure of peacefulness and rest existed within your lives over Christmas; and that your hopes and ideals are accomplished during 1970. Field Naturalists Club of Victoria General Meeting, 8 December, 1969 Approximately two hundred members attended and the meeting was Chaired by Mr. T. Sault, the Vice-President. An apology was received from the President, Mr. E. R. Allan. The minutes of the last meeting were taken as read on the motion of Mr. J. Strong and Mr. F. Zirkler. Three new members who are listed in the December Naturalist were elected on the Motion of Miss M. Allender and Mr. A. J. Swaby. The Chairman an- nounced that Council had approved the spending of from $750-$1,000 on the publication of Mr. Roy Wheeler’s book “Birds of the Dandenongs”’. It was announced that Mr. Charles A. Gardiner who has been awarded the Natural History Medallion is very ill in hospital. It has been decided to send the Medallion to Perth for pre- sentation to him in hospital. The Secretary has received a letter from the Bendigo Council saying that they will support any action the Club is contemplating on getting the Whipstick made a National Park. Copies of the Victorian National Park project for 2,000 sq. miles of the Vic- torian Alps were available at the meet- ing. The Secretary announced that a Christ- mas Card has been received from Mr. and Mrs. R. Hudson in England. Mr. Hudson was a former editor of the Naturalist and is still a member of the Club. The thanks and good wishes of the Club are extended to Mr. and Mrs. Hudson. The Secretary had been con- tacted by the Bend of Islands Conserva- 24 tion Society regarding the unnecessary destruction of natural bushland in that area due to the overall authority of the “Proper Officer” for clearance of fire hazards. Some properties had _ suf- fered destruction by bulldozing beneath the top soil. The Secretary, Mr. D. Lee, sent a letter and a telegram to the Healesville Council in time for a meeting at which the Bend of Islands Conserva- tion Society would be present. He has had no reply. The subject of the evening was the “Club Excursion to Western Australia, August 1969”. Many of the members provided slides taken on the excursion and the com- mentary was given by Mrs. E. King who traced on a projected map the route taken. The party went by train and be- fore reaching Adelaide got off at Bridge- water, where Mr. Bill Gasking showed the party around the Cleland Native Fauna Reserve where native animals are kept in surroundings as free and natural as possible. Pictures showed Emus with chicks, water birds and several kinds of marsupials. En route to Perth along the Nullarbor Plain, telegraph poles harbored nests. From Perth the party went by bus to Yanchep, to Jurien Bay, then through Geraldton to Coorow, Carnama and Three Springs to Northampton and Kal- barri National Park, and the Murchison River. From Northhampton the route was back to Geraldton and then inland to East Yuna and through Mullewa to Wongan Hills, Merredin, Hyden, Lake Grace, the Stirling Range, Poronguraps, Pallinup River, Albany, Manjimup, Pemberton, Busselton, Port Augusta, Cape Leeuwin and back to Perth — a Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 total of 2,250 miles by bus. From Perth the M.V. “Katameraire” took the party to Rottnest Island for the day, and on the last day in Perth, King’s Park was visited before returning by train. Beauti- ful slides showed masses of flowers in natural gardens and on roadsides includ- ing purple Hovea, pink Calythrix, smoke bushes, rosettes of trigger plants, grass trees, golden Acacias and Synophea, red Calothamnus, blue, red, and yellow and red Leschenaultias, golden Hibber- tias, cream and yellow Conostylis, lilac Hemiandra, blue-violet Thysanotus, white Stenopetalum and Stackhousia, red and yellow Catspaw—Anigosanthos, and black and yellow Kangaroo paw—Mac- ropedia—Salmon gums made fine pic- tures. When the bus driver was investigat- ing a roadside car accident outside Jurien Bay, an oncoming car put the bus out of order by puncturing the fuel tank. The four hour wait was used in investigating the area where the mag- nificant red Verticordia grandis appeared. Outside Three Springs a talc open-cut mine was photographed. At Strawberry Bridge Brachysema aphyllum was. first seen, and near Geraldton the famous leaning Greenough Eucalypt trees ap- peared. From Northhampton the Kalbarri National Park and the Ross Graham lookout over the Murchison River pro- vided magnificent pictures of gorge and Red Bluff and native plants including Golden Loudonia aurea, red and green Kangaroo paw—Anigosanthos maneglesii in masses on burnt out areas, Lamb’s tail Lachnostachys eriobotrya, Greviileas, Hakeas. Melaleucas, Isopogons, Petro- philas, numerous Acacias, the pine like Actinostrobus, lilac Hibiscus huegelii, yellow Labichea, pink Verticordia, many pink-mauve Raeckea or Scholtzia pat- ches and bright Parakeelia near the Murchison River where Coolibah trees occurred. A Moloch horridus lizard was found at Kalbarn. At East Yuna after lunch under the York gums where a stumpy tail lizard co-operated with the photographers, Mr. and Miss McGauran took the party to their bush land and showed many native plants, the high- light being the scarlet Balaustion (native pomegranate). From the Mullewa area fields of yellow, pink, and white and orange everlasting types were shown. Huge portable wheat storases domi- nated many inland towns in the wheat area. Masses of blue Dampiera, varying from pale blue to purple, royal Scaevola, Thomasia, Melaleucas, Hakea bucculenta January, 1970 and H. multilineata, wreath Leschenaul- tia, Gimlet gums, and a fruiting Quan- dong were photographed. The celebrated Wave Rock near Hyden was shown from various angles, up, down, and sideways. _ On the way to Stirling Range, flower- ing Mallees were common and_ also miles of Acacias of many species. At the foot of Bluff Knob, the bus jibbed on a hill, but was ultimately towed up by a road making machine secured by the efforts of Evelyn Jones and Anne Forbes. The pictures of the Stirlings included Banksia grandis in flower and fruit, Beaufortia, Dryandras, Isopogons, Petro- philas and Darwinia leiostyla. In the Porongurups, Karri and purple Hovea were prominent. Red Banksia coccinea, red Leschenaultia and the “Al- bany daisy” Actinodium cunninghamii made beautiful pictures, and orchids included hammer, elbow, spider, jug donkey, cowslip, and pink fairy orchids. At Albany pictures from Frenchman’s Bay included Anthocercis (Ray flower), Xanthosia (Southern Cross). After lunch in Mr. Fell’s garden, the party went by bus to Mr. Lockharts property on an introduction from Mr. Fell. Here pictures of the pitcher plant and the brown boronia and a red Ade- nanthos growing in a swamp were taken. At Manjimup a small native reserve showed black swans and a nesting galah. Near Pemberton is the famous Glou- cester Karri tree with a fire watch cabin 212 ft. up. Giant Karri and Jar- rah trees. Clematis pubescens, Leuco- pogon verticillata, yellow Patersonia xanthina, Kingia grass trees showing round knobs of flowering shoots were shown. From Busselton were views of the old St. Mary’s Church and the first train (made in Ballarat) to run in West Aus- tralia. Other scenes were of the Margaret River Jewel Cave, the lighthouse at Cape Leeuwin where pink Pimelea fer- ruginea bloomed. Along the road were masses Of coral coloured Kennedya cocci- ned. Near Bunbury an open cut ilmenite mine was viewed, and at Dawesville on Peel Inlet three photogenic pelicans posed on a _ post. 25 White Agonis flexuosa in full bloom, mauve Olearia rudis and at a reserve outside Perth the pink Swan _ River myrtle were seen. Lake Bibra, a wild fowl refuge, showed many water birds among _ the paper bark trees. A visit to Rottnest Isiand snowed quokkas being fed after responding to the call of the bus horn. Mr. Sault thanked Mrs. King for the commentary and Mr. Alan Morrison for projecting the slides. _Members showed enthusiastic appre- ciation. Nature Notes Mr. D. McInnes said that the Club excursion on Sunday, 7 December, in- cluded a visit to the 200 acre Nature Reserve from Cuthbertson’s property off Grubb Road near Ocean Grove. (A note on the history and birds and plants of the reserve will be included separately.) Mr. McInnes showed two small poly- chaete worms under the microscope; one a spirorbis and the other surrounded by a sandy tube. These were from Point Lonsdale. Mrs. E. Bennett brought some duck orchids (Caleana major) growing in a pot. They had been in flower since 11 November. Mr. A. J. Swaby said the flowers often stay out to be pollinated by Lissoplumpa semipunctata and remain open if they are not. This insect does live near Mrs. Bennetts’ Sandringham home. Mr. Swaby brought garden grown native plants in flower including Sollya fusiformis (W.A.), Melaleuca hyperi- cifolia, Prostanthera lasianthos, Leptos- permum ericoides, Calothamnus quadri- fida, Haloragis micrantha and also the flattened stem of Homalocladium platy- cladium from which a rare leaf came out. He also showed a large larva of a Wattle goat moth (Xylentes durvillei) the boring by which species killed a wattle tree. Mr. H. Bishop showed under a binocular microscope, a _ hydroid (Claratella prolifera) with 6 arms, each with two parts, one a suction pad to grip for locomotion, and one with stinging cells for capturing prey such as Crusta- ceans. Some of this material from Mr. Bishop’s tank has been sent by Mrs. Jan Watson to the Emperor of Japan who is a famous marine biologist. Mr. Ros Garnet brought a fine flowering Cym- bidium canaliculatum—an epiphyte on 26 many kinds of host trees in Queensland, including iron bark and smooth bark Eucalypts and Casuarinas. Sugar exudes from this plant at the axils of the flower pedicels. Miss M. Allender showed the West Australian Pitcher plant Cephalotus Pye which was gathered in W.A. in 63. Mr. T. Sault brought Alyxia buxifolia (Sea box) with white perfumed flowers and berries forming. Mr. A. Fairhall showed an unusual formation of Calothamnus quadrifidus with a long length of flowers growing evenly around the stem of this so called “one-sided bottle brush”. Marine Biology and Entomology Group Report, 1 December, 1969. This Meeting was Chaired by Mr. R. Condron, 15 members being in atten- dance. The Secretary announced that as usual there would be no meeting in January. Prior to the Group changing their meeting place to the National Museum early in the New Year, the Secretary is to ascertain what parking facilities for cars are available. There will be a F.N.C.V._ outing to the Sorrento area on 15 February, 1970, as there is low water at 2.22 p.m. on that day. Mrs. Zillah Lee showed some beautiful slides taken on various F.N.C.V. trips including areas around Binna_ Burra, Queensland, her photography being up to its usual high standard. Mrs. Lee gave a short talk on each slide, and members thoroughly enjoyed this part of the evening. Exhibits:— Mr. Bishop showed a _ species of hydroid taken from his marine tank. He gave a short talk on this. interesting little Coelenterate. Mr. McInnes showed beetles collected in the Brisbane Ranges area by the Haw- thorn Juniors on an excursion led by Mr. P. Kelly. Also a species of water boatman (back-swimmer), under a Club microscope, and gave a short talk on this. Mr. R. Condron showed some Lycaenidae family butterflies which he had bred out, also some pupae of family Hesperidae. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 12 January—At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, com- mencing at 8 p.m. 1. Minutes, Reports, Announcements. 2. Correspondence. 3. Subject for the evening—Members’ Night. 4. General Business. 5. Nature Notes and Exhibits. Monday, 9 February—““Through the Kimberleys”: Mr. Alan Morrison. F.N.C.V. Excursions Sunday, 18 January—Cumberland Falls. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. Bookings with the excursion secretary. Fare $2.00. Bring two meals. Sunday, 15 February—Marine Biology Excursion to Sorrento area. GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at National Hebarium unless otherwise stated) Wednesday, 21 January—Microscopical Group. Monday, 2 February—Entomology & Marine Biology Group Meeting. This Group will now meet at the National Museum, Russell Street, Melbourne. Wednesday, 4 February—Geology Group. Thursday, 5 February—All future meetings of the Mammal Survey Group will be held on the first Thursday of every month, in the Seminar Room (Ground floor), Sir Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Cnr. Brown Street and Stradbrike Avenue, Heidelberg. Thursday, 12 February—Botany Group. Advance notice of an identification night of Western Australian wildflower slides. Will members with good, correctly identified slides bring a selection to be shown first, so anyone with slides of the same plant can name them, if time is left these will be followed by un-named slides and an attempt will be made to identify them. Please bring any books which may be helpful. January, 1970 27, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Established 1880 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-President: Mr. T. SAULT Hon. Secretary: Mr. D. LEE, 15 Springvale Road, Springvale (546 7724). Hon. a reasurer: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Road, East weal one 3145 11 2427). Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 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 S168. Subscription Secretary: Mrs. N. E. LEWIS, 1 Billing Street, Springvale 3171 (546 4649). Sales Officer: Mr. B. FUHRER, 25 Sunhill Avenue, North Ringwood, 3134. Group Secretaries: Botany: Miss M. BUTCHART, 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 stbhgati es Beal» Gite eee Sa USS ie $7.00 GounitnysMembers. cases Seascale! onsen dete a addin UE ele IN AO ate 3 eee $5.00 Jott Members? jacdie css lassisl! lake thence necalny — cgeltd=(Coessoner ns thea tetas at eee es eet RE gh Oe al $2.00 JUWiniion Members sich test, Skee cascay, as aeelbly Reale RED eB Se a $2.00 Junior. Members receiving Vict. Neat. sss gcse kl ene, fe seth beset ecee! Deecece | cesesgie) 0 coset mage gee $4.00 Subseribers’ to Viet. Nate. 0. nies sec eek coer cee ete Vee Duss Bk ee $5.00 Attiliated’ Societies 40° 5 sxc acc academe $7.00 Life Membership (reducing: after. 20 yeoirs) cis sec nce Ulees Cee Qaeda | circ gmt | seater $140.00 The cost of individual copies of the Vict. Nat. will be 45 cents. All subscriptions should be made payable to the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, and posted to the Subscription Secretary. 2) JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE the VICTORIAN NATURALIST Vol. 87, No. 2 February, 1970 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 Photoflora °70 Competition Wildflower Photographs Screenings of 150 award-winning and accepted colour slides of wildflowers and native plants from Victoria and other States, with a commentary on the plants. MELBOURNE LAUNCESTON BURNIE GEELONG YALLOURN BAIRNSDALE HORSHAM WARRACKNABEAL BOORT SWAN HILL BENALLA FRANKSTON RINGWOOD MARYBOROUGH HAMILTON ELTHAM MILDURA All screenings at 8 p.m. 30 Monday, 2nd March at V.A.Y.C. hall Tuesday, 3rd March Gisborne Street, Wednesday, 4th March East Melbourne Friday, 6th March, at Museum Lecture Theatre, Paterson Street. Saturday, 7th March, at Town Hall, Cattley Street. Wednesday, 11th March, at McPhillimy Hall, LaTrobe Terrace. Friday, 13th March, at Kernot Hall. Saturday, 14th March, at Presbyterian Hall, Main Street. Tuesday, 17th March, at Mibus Memorial Cul- tural Centre. Wednesday, 18th March, at High School, Tre- gear Street. Thursday, 19th March, at High School, Malone Street. Friday, 20th March, at Memorial Hall. Saturday, 21st March, at Town Hall, Nunn Street. Wednesday, 25th March, at Mechanics Hall, Bay Street. Wednesday, Ist April, at Norwood High School, Byron Street. Thursday, 2nd April, at Lower Town Hall, Neil Street. Friday, 3rd April, at Art Gallery Auditorium, Brown Street. Saturday, 4th April, at Youth Club Hall, Youth Road. Saturday, 11th April, at Bolte Gallery, Cureton Avenue. Admission: Adults 50 cents, Children 20 cents Vic. Nat.— Vol. 87 The Victorian Naturalist Editor: G. M. Ward Assistant Editor: P. Gahan Vol, 87, No. 2 5 February, 1970 CONTENTS Articles: The life of the Present and the Life of the Past. By Edmund D. GaN rere ie oe ie co hoe Wet Sica cine ake ORNS 32 Gliders of the Porepunkah District. By Clyde O’Donnell ......... 36 Letter to the Editor. By Aldo Massola 00.0 00 0. ee 39 Australian Natural History Medallionist for 1968. By Hans VAR Rane wha Oe ee Ee cere ae ee eee ee 40 ma -Note* on? Madimadi.* By L..A. Hercus a0). oo ci. i ne all ed 43 Unusually Large Specimens of Topaz and Augite. By A. W. Beasley 51 Feature: eaders: Nature Notes and Queries... 0. 202 fe snl ce a ae es 42 Book Reviews: BIGGSe. OTCIMOS i cc al, akta ce ice abe See a hrf aan ee cee 48 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: GemeralWicetimey-: (2 8 Ese ane Sie co Gam Gua ake. oka? lak ak eet 54 Hawthorn Junior F.N.C. Annual Report 20.0 0. oo ce cee 56 Diaiyenor. Coming: “Hyeiits: NX; ds. ete 5 eh ee ee 58 Front Cover: The pelican in pensive mood was photographed by the Editor at Sir Colin MacKenzie Sanctuary. February, 1970 31 T. S. Hall Memorial Lecture The Life of the Present and the Life of the Past By EDMUND D. GILL* Dr. T. S. Hall studied both the life of the present and the life of the past for he was both a biologist and palaeo- biologist, a teacher of zoology and a research worker in fossils. Life is a continuum, so the life of the present and the life of the past are one. To separate these is an error that seems to have arisen largely out of the severe specialization that the increase of knowledge has forced upon us. Hall took the broad view of life. He studied the extinct graptolites of hundreds of millions of years ago, the Cainozoic mollusca that lead to those presently living, and studied also many forms of living things. For him life was one and indivisible, a philosophy that lies be- hind “Biological Science: the Web of Life’, the book published in 1967 by the Australian Academy of Science. Career of T. S. Hall But let us go back to the beginning of this story. Born in 1858, T. S. Hall was a Geelong boy who did well at school, gaining exhibitions to Ormond College in the- University of Mel- bourne. He took a B.A. with honours in Natural Science in 1885, and a D.Sc. in 1908 when he was 50. The zoology course in the 1880s was no different in principle from that which Charles Darwin did at Cambridge, but the content was greater due to the advances in knowledge between those times. It contrasts strongly with the course of today, which includes evolution and whole new sciences such as genetics and ecology. After a brief time as a teacher at Bendigo, Hall returned to the University, then * National Museum of Victoria. 32 from 1890-1893 was Director of the Castlemaine School of Mines. I imag- ine that it was here that he developed his interest in graptolites because they were so important for the gold mining then in its strength, and because there were sO many well preserved speci- mens to be collected in that area. In 1893 Hall succeeded Dr. Dendy as lecturer in biology. Round about the change of the century was a time when many famous men held chairs in the University of Melbourne — Baldwin Spencer in natural science, Lyell in natural philosophy, Masson in chemis- try, and Ewart in botany. By his training and experience, Hall had a wide interest and considerable competence in natural history as a whole, because the time had not come when _ specialization was important. The many different kinds of taxa that he described, and were named after him because he had collected them, demonstrate clearly his real interest in both the life of the present and the life of the past. But in his own researches he kept mostly to palaeontology. Hall took an interest in the Austra- lian Association for the Advancement of Science and in the Field Naturalists’ Club (which in those days had active support and leadership from_ the University), but especially in the Royal Society of Victoria of which he became a Council member at 38 (1896), then Librarian, and for 15 years (1899-1914) was Honorary Sec- retary. In 1914 and 1915 he was President, but failing health and strength prevented him doing what he wished. He died in 1916. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 Something of Hall’s mental odyssey with respect to research can be fol- lowed by his succession of papers published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. They total 37, of which about one third (12) were in co-operation with other authors, generally Dr. G. B. Pritchard (10 papers). His first effort was on Ordovician sponges published in 1889, which was after he had been a teacher at Bendigo (Ordovician gold country) and before he went to Castlemaine (the same type of country). Next came a paper in 1892 on graptolites, on which group he wrote nine papers. In the same year G. B. Pritchard wrote a paper on these organisms. In 1893 Hall wrote on some Tertiary fossils and soon after Pritchard did so too. Later Hall and Pritchard co-operated in publishing 10 papers on Tertiary formations. Hall’s great breadth of interest is proved by the fact that he described fossil worms, sponges, polyzoa, corals, mol- luscs, echinoderms, crustacea, fish, whales and marsupials. In 1897, in co-operation with Professor Baldwin Spencer as senior author, Hall pub- lished his only paper in the Proceed- ings that dealt with living forms (iso- pods). Hall also wrote many articles for the Victorian Naturalist. They deal with a remarkable variety of subjects — the Buchan Caves, echinoids, eels, lizards, fish, biological nomenclature, glacial beds, musical sands, and many others. Hall gave lectures to the Field Naturalists’ Club and led excursions for them. For example, he conducted an excursion to Mt. William to see the aboriginal axe-stone quarry. It helps us to visualize the very different condi- tions then, when we read that some excursionists went by train to Lance- field the night before, while others “dared the discomforts of the early morning suburban trains” (steam), February, 1970 then caught a country train to Lance- field, arriving at the starting point of the excursion feeling “they had already spent a long day”. That evening, after the main party had returned to Mel- bourne, Hall and Armitage stayed at a local farmhouse, then the next morn- ing went looking for graptolites. In the afternoon they climbed to the top of Mt. William, returning in the evening so as to be ready to start work on Monday morning. That was in 1908 when Hall was 50. In the Argus he wrote a series of “geological rambles’. These were widely appreciated, and sO were supplemented and published as “Victorian Hill and Dale.” Most of Hall’s teaching was neontological, while most of his research was palae- ontological. He thus dealt with the life of the present and the life of the past. Hall’s work gained the attention of the Geological Society of London, which was a real honour for a “mere colonial’. Effect of Evolution The year after Hall was born, Charles Darwin published “The Origin of Species” and Hall’s life was lived in the turmoil that resulted from this vastly different explanation of the ori- gin of the various kinds of life. It was a completely new interpretation of the relationship of the life of the present — to the life of the past. Some accepted the new theory, some rejected it, and some tried to make a compromise by saying that evolution may apply to all taxa except man himself, and that some new principle was needed to ac- count for man, the only self-conscious organism. Here was an effort to break the continuity between the life of the past and the life of the present. Dar- win in his own quiet way expressed the confidence that the gap would be filled, but did not debate it. He pos- sessed a gentlemanly sensitivity with respect to people’s feelings and convic- 33 tions. He did not indulge in mental confrontation as did some of his sup- porters. However, the fill-gap came to be popularly known as the “Missing Link”. It was not till long after Hall had died that Darwin’s prophecy came true. The “Missing Link” was dis- covered in the Australopithecines of South Africa. Indeed, so truly inter- mediate was this subfamily between the ancestors of the apes and present man that the experts argued for 25 years as to whether Australopithecus belonged to the Pongidae (apes) or the Hominidae (men). The genus is now definitely in the Hominidae. Dr. K. P. Oakley suggested that until the anatomical detail has been worked we can think of Man as the Toolmaker (not just tool user, because many animals from ants to apes will take a stone and use it). Man alone makes tools. When the evolutionary idea took hold, there was a reaction against ped- estal-building for man so common in Victorian times. Man was debunked. He was thought of in terms of his physical origins, and was _ regarded simply as the better beast. It is inter- esting to note that within a century the wheel turned a full round, for a few years ago Sir Julian Huxley, in an article in Nature, set up a new Kingdom called the Psychozoa for man alone. He claimed that there should be three Kingdoms — Plants, Animals and Psychozoans, the last containing man only. In the meantime hundreds of fossil men had been found. It was discover- ed that man was far more varied in the past than now. At present there is only one genus with one species, but in the past there were at least three genera (in the modern sense) and quite a number of species. There has been a remarkable impoverishment in 34 the human family. So Darwin’s pro- phecy appeared to have been vindicat- ed, and the gap between the life of the past and the life of the present along the human line had been filled. But many scientists were still un- happy because there seemed to be too much change for the amount of time available. If all this were true, then man had an accelerated evolutionary rate, far exceeding that of other forms of life. Ingenious explanations were of- fered to account for this phenomenon, but the problem has been solved. Radioactive dating has shown that there is far more time than anyone at first contemplated. The human family has been on earth for some 2,000,000 years. In the Olduvai Gorge in East Africa there exists the most complete history of man yet discovered. The layers of rock exposed in the Gorge are the leaves of this history book, and the story is there for all who will to read. Looking through the pages one can see the changing faunas — the evolu- tion of the fauna that inhabits the country now — but associated with these remains are those of man. There is an inbuilt timepiece in this history book — the volcanic rocks whose radioactive minerals can be assayed by the potassium-argon method and so the time calculated. The lowest bed with evidence of man is 1.75 million years, which is obviously not the be- ginning of the story, so we can say in round figures that man has been on the earth for something like 2,000,000 years. This dating is so important that laboratories all over the world have checked it. The fossil evidence is so critical that the best scientists in this field have checked it. This is one of the outstanding discoveries of our cen- tury — that man was once quite varied with different species to suit different environments, and also that Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 man has been on the earth far longer than anyone had dreamed — some two million years. The new idea of evolution was so revolutionary that it led to a certain imbalance in thinking. Through a mis- understanding of the principle of nat- ural selection there grew up the lais- sez faire policies in economics. The argument was that Nature is “all red in tooth and claw”. Unbridled compe- tition is the natural law it was claimed. This led to excesses that obviously needed correction, and modern eco- nomic policies no longer use the laissez faire principle. There is a good deal of control and protection both nationally and internationally. Another result of thinking of man as merely the better beast was a crop of behaviourist and similar philosophies in the field of psychology. In some of these interpre- tations man tended to become an auto- mation, and so with much less respon- sibility for his actions. We hope that our views are more balanced now, but they have not returned to the outlook of Hall’s day. Man was then thought of as tripartite, having “body, soul and spirit’, but nowadays the unity of man is stressed. Man is the self-conscious species, that can foresee, and with memory recall the past. With this range of vision, he sets standards for himself and takes responsibility. He is the ethical animal. However, with the understanding of the fundamental genetic and biochemical make-up of man, there comes the idea of control of inheritance and possibilties are opening up of which the wildest thinker never dreamed in times past. So the gap that existed between the life of the present and the life of the past in Hall’s day has been filled, and there are completely new possibilities in the life of the future. History is change plotted against time, and the discovery of radioactive dating has put perspective into the February, 1970 history of man. Archaeological dis- coveries indicate that man has been a city dweller far longer than previously envisaged — some 10,000 years. New problems arose when instead of small hunter-collector groups there were large numbers in confined spaces. Gradually man organized himself until now he has become the most gregar- ious vertebrate of all with as many as 10,000,000 people in the one city. Variants that would not survive in the wild, survive in the protection and medical care of the city, so that man is gradually becoming different. As primary industry employs fewer and fewer people, because of machines, secondary industry employs more and more because of the sophistication of secondary products. Thus more and more people come to the cities, and because that is where the market is, more and more industries go there. So the countryside is being de-populated and civilized people are becoming pre- dominantly city dwellers. They are be- coming more and more divorced from their natural environment. This has gone so far that in Chicago they have a zoo where children can see what a horse, a cow and a sheep look like. In the Science Museum in Denver a blacksmith gives a daily demonstration of how in the olden days shoes were put on a horse. So the life of the pre- © sent is becoming more and more dif- ferent from the life of the past, not because evolution has gone off in a new direction but because man has determined the direction of his devel- opment, and society evolution has be- come more important than physical evolution. I believe that we will never succeed if we go against natural laws, and therefore for the life of the pre- sent and the future we should make a closer study of biology. This lecture is a tribute to one who appreciated the importance of biology for man in understanding himself and his env- ironment. 35 Gliders of the Porepunkah District The Greater Glider (Schoinobates volans), is to me, the most majestic and graceful of all the phalangers. As they are quite plentiful in my home area, I have taken the opportunity to study in detail, and with pleasure, their natural habits. North-eastern Victoria is an excellent locality for the Greater Glider, especially in the south of the region. However as most of my sur- veys have been carried out in the Upper Ovens Valley, I have not ac- counted for habit variations else- Where. The township of Porepunkah is situated in this valley, surrounded by some of the most rugged moun- tains in Victoria. Extending from the foothills to the west, the granite for- med slopes of Mt. Buffalo rise steeply towards the plateau. The Mt. Porepun- kah range forms the northern slope which rises to some 4,000 feet. AIl- though pine plantations are gradually expanding over the eastern and sou- thern areas, there is still plenty of natural forest land. The natural forest consists mainly of ten species of Eucalypt, including Snow Gum and Woollybutt on Mts. Buffalo and Porepunkah. The majority of the glider popula- tion is found in the Peppermints of the mountain slopes and the Eurabbie (E. bicostata) stands of the gullies. While most of my experience was gained in the field, many interesting facts were learnt from captive speci- mens which were brought to me by forest workers. In such cases the animal was either orphaned or in- jured when its home was destroyed during clearing operations in the bush. When the glider became inde- pendent, it was released, either among Peppermints on our property, or in a 36 By CLYDE O’DONNELL rearby gully where E._ bicostata flourishes. One evening in October of 1967, I set off on a routine glider survey, accompanied by my fellow naturalist, Raymond Carlson from the _ neigh- bouring town of Wandiligong. After carrying the equipment necessary for observations for nearly two miles into the bush, we stopped amidst a group of aging Eurabbies (E. bicostata). Here we made preparations for the fast approaching night by setting up a tape recorder, and selecting spot- lighting positions. As well as our six- volt flashlights, Ray carried a pair of binoculars while I used a small field telescope to gain a more detailed view of the gliders. Our preparations complete, we waited eagerly. As the twilight faded, a male South-eastern Ring-tail (Pseudocheirus laniginosus) was the first to make an appearance. A few minutes later, the female of the species appeared nearby with a ru- fous coloured youngster clinging to her back. The silence of the bush was broken by the usual whispering con- versation. After listening to “Mopoke” some thirty times, a Greater Glider made a sudden appearance on the trunk of a nearby Narrow-leaved Peppermint (E. radiata). Hoping to discover its sleeping apartment, I moved in closer, directing my spotlight on to the hol- low limbs of an old eucalypt nearby. I was surpised to see instead, many tiny pairs of eyes belonging to the elusive Feather-tail Gliders (Acro- bates pygmaeus) assembled at the en- trance of their piped limb home. These tiny creatures measuring a mere four inches from head to tail tip, each in turn spanned the distance of about Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 fifteen feet in prolonged leaps to the nearest tree. As they were smaller than a single leaf they soon disap- peared amidst the foliage. Two more Greater Gliders were sighted, so our attention was turned to them once more. One of the two gliders, a fe- male, climbed high in its nest tree to munch gum tips, and here it was soon joined by the first glider we had spotted. The third animal glided off into the darkness with us in pursuit. The glider, in four successive vol- planes, covered a distance of 220 yards before joining its mate for a quick snack of Manna Gum (BE. vimi- nalis) foliage tips. We later found a four month old young in the females possession. However, it did not leave the nest hollow before 11.30 that night. Only the males appear to make their routine glides in this season, dur- ing which the female carries her young in the pouch. As a means of travel, the female usually makes large leaps and occasionally a very short glide. This is very likely because the young would otherwise be crushed on impact of the mother’s landing. At the age of four months, the young which is still in the suckling stage, may often be found alone at the en- trance of its nest hollow at night; how- ever the parents are seldom far away. This may be an_ instinctive method adopted by the parents to encourage the young in gaining self confidence. On this particular occasion the female ventured no more than 100 yards from the nest, and spent the first one and a half hours in the crown of the nest tree. The male spent much of the night feeding in neighbouring trees of E. bicostata and Narrow- leaved Peppermints (E. radiata). It did not return to the nest that night, thus giving the impression that the young is cared for entirely by the February, 1970 female. As our observations led us farther afield in the following hours of darkness we only noted the time of the males return, which was at approximately 3.35 a.m. As for the Feather-tail Gliders (Acrobates pygmaeus) mentioned ear- lier, I regret to say that when the spot was visited twelve months later, only sixteen lifeless bodies were dis- covered in their ancestral chamber. This is the only colony of the species I have observed in the area. Further inspection revealed a colony of some thirty Little Brown Bats (Eptesicus pumilus) in the hol- low trunk of another tree nearby. On another occasion I studied the gliding habits of the greater Gliders in a nearby fern gully, where there is an abundance of wildlife. School associates Raymond Carlson, and Geoffrey Sparks, assisted in the con- struction of a crude but comfortable log cabin which we concealed be- neath a cover of Soft Tree-ferns (Dicksonia antarctica). It was in late Summer, during our usual ex- cursions on a moonlight night that the Boobook Owl (Ninox boobook) as the soloist, was outstanding and mystical; accompanied occasionally by the eerie cry of the Dingo (Canis familiaris dingo). The measure of time was beaten out by Great Grey . Kangaroos (Macropus major) thump- ing as they passed by. The strolling Wombat (Vombatus hirsutus) was seen, and the cheerful Long-nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta) scam- pered along the moonlit track. But in the trees, the trapeze artists were to me the main attraction. With a loud throaty cough, a Common Grey Brush-tail (Trichosurus vulpe- cula) scaled the trunk of a tall euca- lypt with ease, while higher up in the branches Pseudocheirus laniginosus swung about suspended by their pre- hensile tails. Sugar Gliders (Petaurus 37 breviceps) appeared now and again as they drifted through the air from tree to tree. Then all at once, the bushland or- chestra was interrupted by the start- ling shriek of the Greater Glider. My attention was then concentrated on the great acrobat. After uttering a series of peculiar gurgles it launched itself from a tall gum tree in a long volplane. It then disappeared among some tall Black Woods (Acacia melanoxylon) which obscured its landing. A few minutes later four more Greater Gliders could be heard as they awoke from sleep; and after surveying the surroundings, each animal climbed high in the bran- ches of its tree. Some of the gliders stayed in their home trees where they fed contentedly on the eucalyptus blossoms, while two of them set off towards other feeding grounds. One animal with a long thin tail climbed to the end of a dead bough some ninety feet from the ground, where it sat nodding its head for about fifty seconds, possibly trying to judge the distance for a landing. This is a common occurrence with Greater Gliders. (Care must be taken not to direct a flashlight on the animals while they are gliding, otherwise its landing speed may not be checked in time, resulting in the animal becoming injured.) The glider, after checking the dis- tance, gave a powerful heave with its hind legs, and then glided rapidly downwards at an angle of about 55° before landing with a loud flop on a tree some fifty yards away. I then followed it to an area of Red Stringy- bark (E. macrorhyncha) and Long- leaved Box (E. goniocalyx), the foliage of which it ate. From here I watched another, a fine specimen, make a long and graceful glide across the narrow gully. This animal had a broad brush tail, and measured about 38 39 ins. The most graceful glides were observed across this gully, and the numerous skeleton gums provided ex- cellent launching positions. Some Gliders habitually make rapid glides, while others are slow and graceful. Incidentally, the swifter glides are of- ten made by the animals with thin and longer tails. I also noticed that many of the gliders had well charted air routes along which they travelled soon after emerging from sleep. Some gliders preferred a dead bough from which to glide, while others favoured the fork of a bough either just inside, or at the base of the crown. How- ever the longer glides were usually made from the fork of an isolated bough at the very top of the crown. In such cases the animal after launch- ing, would firstly glide clear of the crown and then dive through an open- ing in the interlocking trees, before gliding horizontally among the trunks. The volplanes observed in the larger stands of E. bicostata were usually short, enabling the animal to land half- way up the trunk. Where specific air routes had been formed however, long distance glides were made, and the glider would land on the base of the tree. Once, while searching for Feather- tail Gliders in a mountain gully, I flashed my spotlight on the glowing eyes of a Greater Glider perched amongst the foliage of a Wonga-vine (Pandorea pandarana). On approach- ing the animal I noticed that it was an albino, only the second I have seen, and like the first albino I observed on Mt. Buffalo, its tail was longer and thinner than usual. For the next three hours I watched the glider closely, and noted its activities. For about an hour it fed on the flower buds of the Wonga-vine; however while in the lower storey it also relished Black Wood (A. melanoxylon) blossoms and the tender flower buds of Hazel Pom- Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 aderris (Pomaderris aspera). Later it glided from the top of a large Black Wood, and gradually made its way to the upper storey where it fed chiefly on the blossoms, buds and foliage of Manna Gum (E. viminalis), Red Stringybark (E. macrorhyncha), Narrow-leaved Peppermint (EF. ra- diata) and Broad-leaved Peppermint (E. dives). Seldom have I seen a Greater Glider in the lower storey of vegetation except in the Black Woods. It was on one of these occasions that I observed the albino again, the fol- lowing week-end, with a drab grey and white companion. Grey and white specimens are a common sight, but most of those seen were the usual colour of dusky black on the upper surface and creamy white underneath. Although many have grey and white tails, some Greater Gliders have a patch of white at the base of the spine. Here the fur is short cropped and usually a soft grey in colour. Certainly, the Greater Glider is one of the wonders of nightlife in the Australian bush. [Due to possible overlapping of species in this area, some con- fusion may have arisen on oc- casions between the Greater Glider and the Fluffy Glider (Petaurus australis). This is in- dicated by the mention of a shriek, which normally emanates from the latter species, the for- mer being regarded as silent — Ed.]. Letter to the Editor Dear Sir, Aboriginal Sacred Rocks on Bald Hill, Clematis. As is well known, the proposed Cardinia Creek Reservoir will submerge a considerable amount of country in the Emerald-Clematis area of the Dandenongs, and when full will reach the 550 ft. contour level. Regrettably, when conserving water for the needs of the community the landscape is always altered and much wild life lost. In this particular instance, moreover, it appeared possible that the sacred rocks representing the Crow and two of Bunjil’s Young Men, which figure so prominently in the legend of how the Aborigines obtained fire, would also be submerged. This would have been a tragedy, since Aboroginal antiquities around Melbourne are few, and these rocks are unique; therefore, after consultations with Mr. D. Lee, Hon. Secretary of the Field Nats, and Mr. G. M. Ward, | Hon. Editor of the Victorian Naturalist, it was decided that I bring the matter to the attention of the Chairman of the Board of Works, so that, if necessary, steps could be taken for the preservation of the rocks, perhaps by constructing a water-retaining dyke or by removing them to higher ground. Field Naturalists will be pleased to know that I found that gentleman and the other Officers of the Board most understanding and co-operative. The position of the rocks was surveyed and I have now been notified that the one representing the Crow will be 34 ft. above and 150 yards, and those representing Bunjil’s Young Men will be 69 ft. above and 300 yards away from the waters’ high level mark. The rocks are therefore safe. For those interested in the description of the rocks and in their associated legend, they were published by me in the Victorian Naturalist, Vol. 78, p. 106, 1961; and a fuller version of the legend, subsequently obtained from an old Aboriginal lady at Coranderrk, was published in my book, Bunjil’s Cave, in 1968. Aldo Massola. February, 1970 39 Australian Natural History Medallionist for 1968. Dr Norman Barnett Tindale by Hans Mincham (Information Officer, South Australian Museum) Norman B. Tindale was born in Perth, Western Australia, on 12 Octo- ber, 1900. In 1906 he went with his parents to Japan where his father was engaged in missionary activity until 1915 when the family returned to Perth. Young Norman’s first teachers were Swiss-French at the Tokyo Grammar School. He next attended the Tsukiji Grammar School run by the U.S.A. community, and _ finally became a student at the Tokyo High School at Yotsuya. Back in Australia he attended the Perth Boys’ School for a year, matric- ulating there. At this stage his father was transferred to Adelaide and by then Tindale, deeply interested in Natural History, was keen to engage in Museum work. No position was available at the South Australian Museum, but he secured a cadetship at the Public Library under an ar- rangement that he could transfer to the Museum if a vacancy arose. In 1919, a year later, his opportunity came and he was appointed Assistant to the Entomologist, A. M. Lea. As a lad in Japan, Tindale develop- ed interests that were eventually to split his scientific pursuits into two very different fields — entomology and anthropology. He was a_ frequent visitor to the Imperial Museum, Tokyo, where he lingered long study- ing butterfly specimens as well as all of the material displayed there relat- ing to the primitive Ainu people of northern Japan. 40 Established at the Museum he pur- sued entomology until 1921, when he went as a member of a party to Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Car- pentaria, at that time the largest un- explored island off Australia. There he spent 15 months. Lea, _ the Museum’s Entomologist, was keen to have insect specimens (particularly Coleoptera) from islands off Australia, but it was felt that Tindale should also make the most of the opportunity to record observations on, and gather material from, the natives of the region, then largely untouched by European influences. To equip himself for this part of the undertaking Tin- dale received some training from Sir Baldwin Spencer in Melbourne. The result of the extended stay on Groote Eylandt (which was made pos- sible by the Church Missionary Society then. concerned with the choosing of a site for a Mission Station) was a remarkable collection — insects of many orders as well as mammal and plant specimens, and a large body of observations on, and material from, several tribes which had _ previously never been definitely noted in litera- ture. This was a very considerable achievement for the young man who spent his 21st birthday on Groote Eylandt. Back in Adelaide Tindale proceeded with his University studies. Because of his work he could take only one sub- ject a year, which he did until he secured his B.Sc. He continued as Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 Assistant Entomologist until 1928 when he filled the newly created position of Ethnologist, but he also served as Assistant Entomologist until 1933, when H. Womersley succeeded Lea who had died in the previous year. In 1929 with H. M. Hale he con- ducted archaeological excavations at Tartanga and Devon Downs on the River Murray and this work, combined with study of rock _ shelter se- quences in the following years, established a cultural sequence cover- ing 12,000 years. He also identified Pleistocene open-air assemblages dat- ing back to 26,000 years ago. Granted a Carnegie Travelling Fellowship in 1936, Tindale spent from June of that year to April 1937 visiting museums in U.S.A. and Europe collating Australian data from no fewer than 58 museums. An enormous mass of notes, photographs, and sketches was the outcome. This research forms the background of much of his continuing work on the Australian Aborigines. Tindale’s knowledge of Japanese made him a useful Intelligence Offi- cer during the Second World War and he served in New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and the United States with the rank of Wing Com- mander. Following the war he spent six months in Japan assessing re- search data for the U.S. Army and then returned to U.S.A. to spend eight months there preparing a tech- nical report for the U.S. Govern- ment and studying in various museums before returning to Australia. In 1959 he made his third trip to U.S.A. to spend that year as visiting Professor of Anthropology at the Universtiy of California in Los Angeles. He travelled extensively during vaca- tion periods. In 1961 Tindale was a special delegate to the Pan Pacific Science February, 1970 Congress held at Honolulu, follow- ing which he carried out a month’s research work in U.S.A and at the British Museum. Throughout his museum career Tindale was actively associated with the Royal Society of South Australia in which he held the positions of President, Secretary and_ Librarian. In 1956 he was awarded the Verco Medale. Other activities he found time for in his crowded career in- cluded lecturing in Forest Entomo- logy at the Adelaide University and in Conversational Japanese for the W.E.A. Following his retirement in 1965 from the position of Anthropolgist at the S.A. Museum, Tindale engaged in field work in the Western Desert and in various areas in Western Aus- tralia in preparation for a new map of the Aboriginal Tribes of Australia. In 1966 he was invited to serve for a year as Visiting Professor of An- thropology at the University of Colo- rado in Boulder where he was awarded a Doctorate in Science (Honoris causa) for research in an- thropology. He then lectured for another year at the University of California in Los Angeles while con- tinuing his work on Australian tribes. In 1968 he returned to Australia with | a Warren Greenfie'd research grant to continue field work and studies for his tribal map. Tindale’s scientific career has in- cluded an enormous amount of field work. The number of expeditions he has taken part in and which led to significant published contributions to anthropology, archaeology and ento- mology exceeds 40. His _ published work includes approximately 120 papers in anthropology and upwards of 40 in entomology. Others range through ornithology, geology and botany. His entomological work in- Al cludes extensive writings on the Moth families Hepialidae and Cossidae and the Butterfly family Satyridae upon all of which he is currently working as a relief from his other studies. His complete bibliography totals 175, in- cluding three books written in coll- aboration with H. A. Lindsay. Such a range of active scientific endeavour was not exceptional in the 19th cen- tury, but it is rare to find a scien- tist in our time who has applied him- self so successfully and significantly in such diverse fields. He .was a worthy choice, indeed, for the 1968 award of the Australian Natural His- tory Medallion. 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. Orchids at Sandringham This heartening note comes from Mrs. Bennett of Sandringham, Vic- toria. It was in 1922 that I first set foot on a block of land in Bay Road, San- dringham. The coastal tea tree, Lep- tosphermum laevigatum was growing freely and among the vegetation were Ricinocarpos pinifolius, Caladenia pater- sonii, Bossiaea cinerea, Bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) which latter grew to a height of six feet on the eastern boundary fence. The property faces north and during 1923 my husband and I built our home there, causing surprise among _ the builders because we would not allow more than was necessary of the native erowth to be cleared for the building. Gradually over the years as the garden was cultivated, a certain amount of the original vegetation was removed or died out and in 1929 half the property was sold and a neighbours home was built. A few natives survived in our garden (mostly tea tree) and a lawn in front continually mowed. A patch of Dichondra repens (Kidney weed) at the edge of the lawn under a hedge of tea-tree (self sown) has always survived despite the mowing, and _ this year was somewhat neglected. To my 42 surprise and delight, among this Kidney weed various grasses and some moss, a colony of greenhoods once common to this district (Ptferostylis curta) was dis- covered. Six flowers were in bloom (20 September) and in all sixteen bloomed. Several small stalks about one inch high suggested that the flowers had been mown off earlier. The last flower is now finished (1 November). The colony of plants, about sixty in all, cover a space at least three feet Square in area. Needless to say the colony is now plainly marked so that observations may be made during the coming year. Diseased Wombats? From Mrs. J. C. Betheras of East Malvern, Victoria, comes this com- ment concerning the Nature Note on the wombat by Mrs. Lyndon in the last issue of the Victorian Naturalist, 87(1) p. 10. I have seen a wombat in a similar mangy state to that described, fumbling about in the daytime at Clematis in the Dandenongs. It was quickly put out of its misery by my late husband’s gun. I have wondered since whether this condition was caused through disease, or merely through old age. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 A Note on Madimadi { A recently published work, The Languages of Victoria : A Late Survey" contains a grammatical sketch of the Madimadi language, as well as some short texts and a vocabulary. Madimadi, called Mutimuti by Tindale*, was spoken in the Balranald district of N.S.W. It is one of the “Western Kulin’? group of languages, once spoken in Western Victoria and in parts of the Riverina, and it is closely related to the other Western Kulin languages that were recorded, namely Wembawemba Additional Vocabulary and Morphology * by L.A. HERCUS* and the Dyadjala dialect of Wergaia (from the Lake Hindmarsh area). Our main informant, Mr. Jack Long, is the last full-blood Madimadi man; he now has little practice in using his language and his recollections, though excellent are fragmentary. During a recent visit he recorded some more linguistic material, and as so little is known of Victorian languages in general, it seemed appropriate to publish these further fragments. (his) mane. This word was previously attested only in buludin- hill. The r was weakly articulated and bubi was also heard. burbi, bubi is equivalent to the word for ‘head’ used without a possessive suffix, exactly like the Dj. word burb ‘hill’, burbug binbayai (my) shin buludu buludin ‘(your) whiskers’. burayngada to snore (cf. WW. bureya ‘to snore’). burbi ‘(his) head’. dadi by and by, after a while. dundada to paralyse. ganagada to take away, to grab (cf. Ma. gananda, WW. ganindja, Dj. ganindjela ‘to steal’). gilbara, magwara, name of the two matrilinial moieties, as in Bagundji. *Australian National University, and Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, Canberra. tIn this paper the same phonemic transcription has been used as in The Languages of Victoria. 4 indicates a velar nasal (like ‘ng’ in ‘song’), a dot under a letter indicates a retroflex sound, and a bar under a letter indicates an interdental; (thus d may be compared with English ‘th’). February, 1970 43 gilu guleda-wil mindai mini muwengada ninan nuluy nunayuy yalinai wuduwarin Simple Sentences yindi nengadi you sit by this one; alternative form for gilay, operative case of the pronoun of immediate vicinity. wild, fierce, (cf. Ma. gulewada ‘to be angry’, Dj. gulien ‘angry’). mythical giant snake, well-known from other Victorian lang- uages, but not previously recorded in Madimadi. The operative case of this word is mindaiu, pronounced [’mtndajU] . Evident- ly after ai, which could easily become [aj] . the operative suffix was -u, aS after consonants. hole. This is the non-possessive form of the word. The possessive form was previously recorded in minu daga ‘hole-his ground-of’, “his burrow’. to take a wife, to marry. this one (object case). This probably is a faulty form based on the false analogy of the personal pronouns jinan ‘me’ and yinan ‘you’. In the Madimadi language material recorded by us all the many different demonstrative pronouns invariably followed the nominal declension and did not distinguish an object case. © from that one; ablative of nuli, demonstrative pronoun of middle distance. from that one. This is the ablative of nuni ‘that one over there, demonstrative pronoun of middle distance. This word clearly indicates that the post-vocalic form of the ablative can be -7yur (as well as -guy). -yuy had been heard only once before in manayunai (mana-yquy-ai) “hand-from-mine’ ‘out of my hand’, and it had not been mentioned as a possible alternative to -guy in the list of case suffixes. © back of my neck (cf. Dj. gali ‘back of neck’). inside you (cf. Ma. wudubar ‘in the middle’). The form wuduwayin ‘inside you’ shows that in Madimadi the possessive suffix was used to express position in relationship to a person, exactly as in WW. warmandag ‘behind me’. nagiladi sit down and watch watch (imperative forms) 44 Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 ——" thas mada yindi gumbi not you sleep (imperative) dadi gini wuduyi bermiladin soon this man sneak-will bugadin _ baibulu took kidney-fat-his galgin wuduwanin budunadin bone-yours inside-you destroyed bambadin jidi buwuga feared I spirit-of jujugadin jidi gini wuduyi dreamt I this man gumbada_ gini wuduyi burargada sleeps this man snores bambada nuluy fears that-one-from jinadu_ beradai mada my younger- not wished brother-mine dirawadin laiur, mada woman, not don’t go to sleep by and by this man will sneak about he took his kidney-fat he destroyed the bones inside you I was frightened of the ghost I dreamt about this man this man is asleep, he’s snoring he’s scared of that man muweygadin laiur married woman my younger brother didn’t want a wife, he never got married. A short story in Madimadi Jack Long related a Madimadi ver- sion of the story of mindai, the ‘maned snake’. This creature is well-known in legends from many parts of Victoria and is variously called ‘myndie’, ‘mindi’, ‘murndi’ in earlier records,’ and it is described as having a huge long body and large head. The Madimadi version _ of the story of mindat is interesting for its linguistic content, and for the way it combines the old legend with newer material. Such adaptations are usually mindai dulaygi. mindai long . nalinanu back-of-neck-from-his made by people to whom the mythol- ogy is still a reality that has to be reconciled with changed circumstances. This version of the mindai story also indicates that the Bagundji (Darling River)® type of moiety system with the division into Gilbara and Magwara extended into the Madimadi area. It had previously been known to exist among the jneighbouring Dadidadi and Wadiwadi.® buludu. mane-his. geyadin grew The mindai was long. It had a mane growing from the back of its neck. February, 1970 45 mindai giaga _ gilbara, giaga magwara. Mindai one Gilbara, one Magwara. One mindai belonged to the Gilbara moiety, the other was a Magwara. gilbara guleda-wil, magwara delgu. Gilbara savage, Magwara good. The Gilbara one was savage, but the Magwara one was tame. bugi gini mindai, dagay lanu. bad this mindai, ground-in camp-his. That Gilbara mindai was bad. It lived in the ground - (but it would get in and out through the water-hole and on fine days it would be out orsitting waiting in that spring). gadinada yengada . bebada gadini. water-in sits . Jumps-up_ water It would sit in the water-hole and the water would then rise up suddenly. binadin ganagadin wuduyi, mujuyguru gagadin ninan, came-out grabbed man, spirit-power-with-his caught him, It would come out of the water, and grab a man by means of its spirit power. dundadin ninan. paralysed him. and then it paralysed him: (- if you got away in time you were all right. It had this power in its eye). mindaiu dagadin, yurgadin. Mindai-by ate, _— swallowed. The mindai then ate and swallowed him. wauwunmadin mindai, delgaiadin bilinu, mandu. full-was mindai, — good-was stomach-his, _flesh-his. The mindai was satisfied then, its stomach and its whole being felt good. bambadin |\nunayuy — wuduni feared this-one-from man. People were scared of it; (- and then one day for the first time this mindaisaw a bullock which had come to the water-hole). gini didi gubiladin gadini. this beast drank water. The bullock had a drink of water. gagadin gilu mindaiu, maygadin gini didi, dagadin. caught this-by mindai-by, took this beast, ate. Then it caught the bullock and took him and ate him. bugi mindai, didi widul. wigadin. bad mindai, beast _ big. died. It was bad this mindai, and the bullock was too big for it, and so it died. waiwulanu nagadin, buwadin gini gadinuy. whitefellow-by saw, dragged this-one water-from. | A white-fellow saw the dead mindai and dragged it out of the water - (he had to use a whole bullock-team to get it out, and it was then that people could see that the mindai was 70 to 80 yards long. That’s how the bad mindai finished. The Magwara one was all right and it may be there yet). , 46 Vic. Nat.— Vol. 87 1. Published by the Australian In- stitute of Aboriginal Studies, Canberra 1969. 2. N.B. Tindale, Transactions of the Royal Society of South Aus- tralia 64, 1940, p.192. . 3. W. Schmidt, Die Gliederung der Australischen Sprachen, Vienna, 1919. 4. The following abbreviations have been used: Ma. Madimadi. WwW. Wembawemba Dj. Djadjala 5. The Languages of Victoria: A Late Survey, p.170. 6. ibid. p.161. 7. R. Brough Smyth, The Abori- gines of Victoria, Vol. 1. Mel- bourne 1878, p.444; also A.C. Stone, ‘The Aborigines of Lake Boga’, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, N.S. XXIII (1911). His ‘murndi’ is only 10 ft. long. 8. A.P. Elkin, ‘Kinship in South Australia’, Oceania, Vol. IX (1938), p.42, and more recently: J. Beckett, ‘Marriage, Circum- cision and Avoidance among the Maljangaba of North-West New South Wales.’ Mankind, Vol. 6, No. 10, p.457 note. 9. N.W. Thomas, Kinship Organ- isation and Group Marriage in Australia, Cambridge, 1906, p.49. Field Naturalists Club of Victoria ANNUAL MEETING The Annual Meeting will be held in the National Herbarium on WEDNESDAY, 11 MARCH, 1970 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, experi- mental lens set, etc. February, 1970 Sydney 2065 ENTOMOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT Butterfly nets, pins, store-boxes, etc. We are direct importers and manufacturers, and specialise in Mail Orders (write for free price Jist) AUSTRALIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SUPPLIES 14 Chisholm St., Greenwich ‘Phone: 43 3972 47 BOOK REVIEWS Birds of Victoria 1 (Urban Areas) Published by the Gould League of Bird Lovers of Victoria. 1% Price $1.50. ks ec Surprising as it may seem, I have friends who although having lived in Melbourne suburbs all or most of their lives, still tend to confuse star- lings with blackbirds, and female blackbirds with English thrushes. I must admit as well, that house-spar- rows and tree-sparrows tend to con- fuse me without some thought on the matter. From now on however, with the in- troduction of this, the first part of the Gould League group of bird books; all this confusion and lack of knowledge about our common subur- ban birds should cease. By skilful arrangement, a tremendous amount 48 2” x 7”, stiff card covers with sewn binding. 72 pp. with 28 pp. of colour illustrations and ecological map of Melbourne area. Paintings by Margo Kroyer-Pedersen. of information about these birds has been placed between the covers of this book. Beginning with an explanation of “What is a Bird’, by Jack Hyett; and continuing with silhouetted bird recognition groups; the ecology of urban areas; the details of individual birds; and finally to a most com- prehensive index and bird list — the book has been remarkably well plan- ned. Indeed, is it any wonder when one realizes the amount of work by so many well known people which has gone into its preparation. Even the birds which do not appear as full color plates; and which are liable to cause difficulty in identifica- tion, have been treated as marginal illustrations to show their distinctive characteristics. If there was a financial reason why previous bird books with hand paint- ings were unable to be bought, there is certainly no such reason in this case. Indeed, my personal opinion is that I would prefer a collection of this type of book, which one can use; rather than the volume which is trans- ferred from bookshelf to table on rare occasions. Future titles to be published include: Birds of the Ranges. Birds of the Ocean, Bays and Beaches. Birds of the Inland Waterways... G.M.W. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 Australian Flycatchers and Their Allies by Brigadier HUGH R. OFFICER with illustrations by PETER SLATER Published by Bird Observers Club, Melbourne, 1969. 108 pp., 12 colour plates, hard cover 10 in. x 7 in. Price $5.00. This is a companion volume to Aus- tralian Honeyeaters by the same author but a higher standard has been achieved. The coloured illustrations of all 66 species make immediate identification a simple matter. In the case of those with similar plumage, a glance at the excellent distribution maps by Alex Stirling or reference to the text should enable identification by even the rankest amateur. Another important innovation is the placing of males and females on separate pages. This is especially use- ful where females of closely allied species — such as the red robins — have the same superficially plain colourless appearance. The inclusion of immature plumage is commendable as there are very few easily accessible sources of reference to this important phase. In the Introduction there is a brief classification of vegetation by Mr. A. R. McEvey of the National Museum. This should greatly assist the bird watcher with little or no know- ledge of botanical terms and perhaps form the basis of a _ standardised habitat reference. Apart from the enormous wealth of information sup- plied, the Brig’s inimical style is a source of delight. Who, for instance, will in future fail to recognise the Leaden Flycatcher when he hears its call of “squank’’? As far as possible the coloured plates are contiguous to the text though [I found it mildly irritating when this was not so, no doubt be- cause of printing limitations. Also the omission of the small spot on the forehead of the Flame Robin should be rectified in future editions. These are minor points which do not detract from the excellence of this book which will be of great value to all bird watchers and to anyone even vazuely interested in birds. Pauline Reilly Orchids of Australia A complete edition drawn in natural colour by W. H. Nicholls. Edited by D. L. Jones and T. B. Muir. Melb., Thomas Nelson (Aust.) Ltd., 1969. Price $30.00. Boxed. Size 13” x 10”. During September 1969 the Sixth World Orchid Conference was held in Sydney. To coincide with this event Thomas Nelson (Aust.) Ltd. pub- lished in one volume the monumental work by Nicholls on Australian orchids, making available for the first time a definitive collection of the authors work. A member of our club, David Jones B.Sc.Ag. Horticultural Research Officer with the Victorian Depart- February, 1970 ment of Agriculture, collaborated with Bruce Muir B.Sc., Taxonomic Botanist at the National Herbarium to edit this work. There are 750 species of orchids in Australia, most of which are en- demic. These belong to 90 genera of which about 20 are endemic. Their unusual flowers are often seen mingled with the herbs of the forest floor or in contrast to the grasses on the hillsides. 49 Will Nicholls’ formal education was only at Primary level. He became a bookbinder, and then a gardener. With a great interest in Australian orchids he felt the need for a com- prehensive authoritative work des- cribing these particular plants. Nicholls realised that a verbal descrip- tion was not adequate for the iden- tification of species, so he taught him- self painting and enough Latin in order to compose formal descrip- tions for the many _ undescribed orchids which he found. It took Nicholls 27 years to prepare the mono- graph, which consisted of 500 orchid portraits, with numerous dissections of remarkably accurate detail. It was intended to produce a total of 600 plates in groups of 24, pub- lishing the estimated 25 parts over a period of 10 years. As publication proceeded the author would continue to draw missing subjects and newly described species. The retail price was to be £7.10.0 ($15) per part. Only four parts appeared as sales dwindled and further publication was thought to be uneconomic. The price for the original work would have been ap- prox. $400 in 1950, certainly far more money than an amateur botanist could afford. This one volume edition naturally has had to be modified to put it into a more realistic price range. The plates, illustrating almost 400 species, have been separated from the text and have been bound together at the back of the book, which makes refe- rence a little more difficult. The captions are printed below the plates which is an improvement on_ the original method of placing them on the opposite page. The paintings in the first part of the original edition were reproduced photographically, whilst in parts 2-4 they were copied by hand on to zinc plates, and then printed by a lithographic process. In 50 the present edition all the plates are reproduced photographically. This method is less expensive, and due to changes in techniques the reproduc- tion in the majority of the plates is superior, with the exception of two or three, which through necessity have had to be photographed twice, making the final print a little fuzzy. Some of the larger plates are double page spreads, and in a few places the centre fold is across sectional details. The colours compare reasonably with the original paintings, which are as near to nature as watercolour pigments will allow, thus affording accurate identification by comparing a speci- men with the plate. There are 476 colour plates, the balance of these from the original work were so incom- plete as to make it unworthwhile in- cluding them in this volume. The text is printed in two columns, making it more compact. It includes units of measurements, abbreviations, and a glossary of terms. There is a key to genera which is most useful, however the keys to species which were printed in the original publi- cation have been omitted. To bring them up to date would have meant a major revision in every genus. Although this volume may seem ex- pensive, the value is in the wealth of information, precise descriptions and the magnificent colour plates. For the identification of the majority of Australia’s orchids, the complete edition, Orchids of Australia, is the only work that you need to consult. No doubt the book will have the ad- ded value of being an important col- lector’s piece of Australiana. A limited De luxe Edition of 150 numbered copies is also available at a cost of $70.00. This edition is fully bound in leather and blocked with an orchid illustration on the face. Rex and Sue Filson. Vic. Nat.— Vol. 87 Unusually Large Specimens of Topaz and Augite By A. W. BEASLEY* Unusual specimens are _ often brought to the National Museum of Victoria for identification, and some are presented to the Museum. This article is concerned with two unusually large specimens of topaz and a large specimen composed mainly of augite in the Museum collection. The largest topaz known to have been found in Australia is in the Museum collection. It weighs 6 lb. 6% oz. and is pale bluish green in colour. This specimen, portion of a very large crystal, was discovered in an old stream gravel at a depth of 60 feet during alluvial gold mining in the Cooyal Creek area near Mudgee, New South Wales. It was donated to the Museum about 100 years ago, and is believed to have been exhibited at the Intercolonial Exhibition of Australasia held in Melbourne during 1866 and 1867. In 1874 Professor Liversidge of Sydney University referred to the existence of this outstanding topaz specimen in the Museum, in a publi- cation entitled “The Minerals of New South Wales”. Although waterworn, the topaz still exhibits some crystal faces. Most probably it did not travel far after it was liberated by weathering from granitic rocks in the area. Much of the specimen is clear and flawless, but there is a well-defined crack which has resulted from the perfect basal cleavage. Topaz, a fluosilicate of aluminium, occurs in coarse-grained granites and pegmatites, and is formed by the action of gases containing fluorine and water vapour emanating from igneous intrusions within the earth’s crust. It crystallizes in the orthorhom- * National Museum of Victoria. February, 1970 bic system, and prismatic crystals occur in cavities in the coarse granitic rocks. Usually one end of the crystal is terminated by pyramid faces and the other is flat as, when removed from the rock, breakage has occurred along a basal cleavage plane. Most Australian topaz is pale blue or colourless, the yellow variety being rare. As it is durable and heavy, topaz is found in sands and gravels derived from the weathering of granitic rocks. It occurs associated with alluvial cas- siterite (tinstone) particularly in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania, where many waterworn pieces of pebble size have been found. The second largest topaz specimen in the Museum collection is a water- worn crystal from near Stanthorpe in Queensland. It weighs 2 lb. 1 oz. and Plate 1: Waterworn topaz crystal from Stanthorpe, Queensland. Weight = 2 lb. 1 oz. Photo: E. R. Rotherham 51 is pale blue in colour. This outstand- ing specimen was found in an alluvial deposit during tin mining and was donated to the Museum about 60 years ago. Although waterworn, much of the original crystal shape is dis- cernible. Topaz is a valuable gemstone, and many beautiful gems could be cut from these two unusually large speci- mens. However, because of their special value as rare specimens, they will never be cut. Other smaller topazes, particularly ones from Oban in New South Wales, have been cut and faceted into quite large gems of fine quality. In April, 1969 an interesting speci- men found on the flanks of Mount Franklin near Daylesford, Victoria was submitted to the National Mu- seum for identification. It was a nodular body with a maximum dia- meter of 45 inches, and proved to be composed mainly of augite. This unusual specimen, discovered by Mr. F. G. Powell of Mount Franklin, was subsequently donated to the Museum. Mount Franklin is a well preserved volcanic cone formed by explosive activity probably about 20,000 years ago (in late Pleistocene times). Dunn (1912) has recorded the occurrence of occasional nodules of olivine, angular fragments of feldspar and small pieces of augite on the crater rim and slopes of this scoria cone. Coulson (1954) has referred to masses of olivine, masses of augite and large phenocrysts of anorthoclase feldspar in the plug of basalt found in the crater of Mount Franklin. Most of the augite found loose on the surface and by digging in the scoria (rough, angular pieces of very vesicular basalt) at Mount Franklin is of small size, and the specimen here described is an unusual one. Presum- Plate 2: Nodule composed main- ly of augite from Mount Frank- lin, near -Day- lesford, Vic- toria. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 Plate 3: Topaz from Cooyal Crk., near Mud- gee, N.S.W. Wt. = 6lb. 64 OZ. Photo: E. R. Rotherham ably it represents a xenolith, ejected with the scoria, which crystallized at a fairly great depth in the earth’s crust. This nodular mass shows three plane joint faces in process of rounding; elsewhere it has been fairly well- rounded, presumably from abrasive action within the vent and from partial melting. Under the microscope thin fragments of the augite appear pale greenish to purplish brown in colour, and they are slightly pleochroic. Xenolithic inclusions are not un- commonly found in Tertiary and Quaternary basalt and basaltic scoria in Eastern and Southern Australia (Green, 1964). Most are composed mainly of olivine, and xenoliths com- posed mainly of augite are much rarer. Some of the inclusions are lava-en- crusted (volcanic bombs) while others February, 1970 are not. Volcanic bombs are not as common at Mount Franklin as at Mount Leura (Camperdown) and cer- tain other volcanic hills in Victoria. They are usually less than 9 inches in maximum dimension at Mount Frank- lin and most of them have a nucleus or core consisting chiefly of olivine grains. REFERENCES Coulson, A. (1954). The volcanic Rocks of the Daylesford District. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 65: 113-124. Dunn, E. J. (4912). Mount Franklin leads, near Daylesford, Victoria. Re- cords Geol. Surv. Vict. 3(2): 179-180. Green, D. H. (1964). A_ preliminary examination of deep-seated inclusions in Tertiary basalts of Eastern and Southern Australia. Abst. Pap. ANZAAS Canberra Congr., 1964. Liversidge, A. (1875). The minerals of New South Wales. Trans. Roy. Soc. N.S. Wales 9: 153-215. 53 Field Naturalists General Meeting 12 January About eighty members were present and the President, Mr. E. R. Allan, was in the chair. He announced that the Secretary, Mr. David Lee was in hospital. The wishes of the members for his recovery were sent to him. Members were pleased to hear that both Mr. G. Hooke and Mr. E. Hanks were recovering from their illnesses. The receipt of Christmas Card greet- ings was reported. These included those from Sir Rohan and Lady Delacombe, Mammal Survey Group, S.G.A.P. and Ringwood F.N.C. Photoflora notices were received for distribution, the dates of screenings being 2, 3, 4 March in Melbourne, Victorian Youth Club As- sociation Rooms; | April at Ringwood; and 4 April at Montmorency. A letter from Mr. Piesse of the Australian Con- servation Foundation asked for infor- mation of all groups concerned with conservation. This will be published early in 1970 and may be purchased. A refe- rence was made to a sacred aborigine rock at Bald Hill near Clematis, which, it was feared, may have been covered with water from the new dam on Car- dinia Creek, but Mr. Massola has been in touch with the M.&M.B.W. and as- sures the club that it will be clear of the water and on the shores of the lake. The President announced that nomi- nations for office bearers were to be received at this meeting. A letter from the Board of Works asks the club to notify them of items of interest, particularly botantical species, in the Yarra Valley. Mr. D. McInnes asked any members who received 2 copies of December Naturalist or 2 copies of January Naturalist, instead of one of each, to return one to the treasurer, upon which they will receive the missing one. The subject for the evening was “Members Night” organized by Mr. J. Strong. Mr. E. Swarbreck showed pic- tures of the old gold settlement of 54 Club of Victoria Whroo now abandoned, and the Nam- ma Water Holes of the aborigines. One picture showed a blazing grass tree set alight by youths who were spoken to by a Field Naturalist Member who was told by a woman to mind his own busi- ness. This was reported to the ranger. Some time later it was learned that the ranger had done nothing because the woman was a policeman’s wife. Another picture of Whroo showed eucalypts which appeared to be burnt but were defoliated by cup moth cater- pillars—“Chinese junks” which swar- med in countless thousands. Another slide showed a nearby sign “Traction engine drivers are requested to whistle here” a reminder of the old days when horseman could be warned of the ap- proach of the engine so that they could control their frightened horses. Another slide showed the red _ pros- tanthera shown to Mr. Swarbreck by Mr. Ken King. Miss Madge Lester showed fine colour slides of a _ large golden orb spider in its web on the top of which was a litter of apparent re- mains of prey. Successive shots showed the small male approaching from above through the litter, very cautiously rushing back when the web was shaken, but re- turning to put its cusps into an open- ing in the large body of the female which was hanging as in a trance upside down. After a few seconds the male came down dithering backwards and forwards. Miss Lester quoted other observers who report that the tiny male makes a small bit of web into which sperm is shed which is then drawn up to the mouth for transferring to the female later. Miss Jean Woollard. showed slides of the Native beech male and female flowers. These may occur on the same tree. ~ Another slide showed the red bottle brush, Callistemon citrinus, which is disappearing in Gippsland due to the systematic burning. Other pictures were of a Goodenia near Lakes Entrance and Caltha flowers at Mt. Buffalo, and fine coast shots of Port Campbell National Park. Miss M. Moon, brought beautiful slides of King’s Canyon, includ- Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 ing masses of Blennodia canescens and a Groundsel after rain near Wallaroo Ranch, with an engaging young kangaroo rescued after its mother was shot. Mulga, thryptomene, cycads,_ ghost gums and river gums were found in the red canyon with its angle turn, steep sides and domes. Mrs. E. Bennett showed slides of Pterostylis curta which had come up this year in her garden behind a native tea tree hedge amongst moss and kidney weed; the first appearance in over 20 years and now showing 60 plants. She also showed a mass of snow daisies from Mount Hotham, and an interesting series of Curly Kale showing beautiful colours and quaint forms in a suburban garden. Mr. Alan Morrison showed a series of the green tree ants and nests from the Northern Territory. He explained that these ants with bottle green abdomens are a little smaller than a meal ant and can give a nasty nip. They make their nests from 3 feet to 20 feet up a tree, and the nests are 4-5 inches in diameter. They pull leaves together and workers grip their larvae and move them back and forward between the edges of the leaf while the larvae spin out silk which sticks the edges together. Those larvae then must pupate without a covering cocoon. One picture showed 7 ants taking a piece of aluminium foil from cheese 15 feet up a trunk of a tree. The president thanked the mem- bers who gave the talks and Mr. A. Morrison for projecting the slides. Mr. J. Baines voiced the appreciation of members for Miss Allender’s organiza- tion of excursions, and noted the honour of M.B.E. conferred on Mr. McKenzie for services to tourism, and whose firm provides the transport for the Club ex- cursions. Miss Allender sent a_ tele- gram of congratulations to Mr. Mc- Kenzie. Mr. W. Woollard renewed an appeal for a better public address system in the hall. By a show of hands he gained the members approval for a request to council to act in the matter. Mr. Swar- breck advised an approach to C.S.I.R.O. Officials at Highett for advice on the pipe of address system suitable for the all. Mr. J. Baines stressed the threat to the Barrier Reef by the proposed oil February, 1970 drilling of Ampol and a Japanese group not far from Mackay. He pointed out that Californian experts, aware of the Santa Barbara oil spillage, had written to Judith Wright who made a trip here to alert people to try to stop the drilling of the reef which doesn’t belong to Queensland, but to the whole of Aus- tralia, and the world. He moved that the Club write to the Premier of Queensland and the Manager of Ampol to prevent the drilling so that the reef will be kept. Mr. Curtis secon- ded the motion which was carried. Miss Moon suggested writing to the Prime Minister also and Mr. Allan said that the Australian Conservation League and the Prime Minister apear to be against the drilling but there was uncertainty about the rights of the Commonwealth and State Governments. Nature Notes and Exhibits Mr. A. J. Swaby brought Crinum flaccidum (Murray Darling lily), Lobelia alata (angled lobelia) and Melaleuca longicoma {W.A.), and rhizomes of Gahnia radula. Mrs. M. North showed Petrified wood, quartz, and jasper from Ela _ beach Port Moresby; and petrified Kauri gum from North Island, New Zealand. Mr. Graham Love showed chrysocolla (Kalgoorlie dolomite) from Darwin; mar- tite (pseudomorphing magnetite—Broken Hill); silver, lead, zinc (Onslow); gar- net crystals (Broken Hill); glacial tillite (Bacchus Marsh); Au-hematite (Tennant Creek); and Arsenic (Tenterfield) which is so dangerous to mine that miners may only work 2-3 hours each day. Mr. D. McInnes brought rock from Pretty Valley area quarry showing the gneissic rock with a band of granidiorite 2 feet into it. He also described pro- jecting tubes 3 or 4 inches high that Mr. A. Godward found at Mt. Beauty. These led into tunnels underneath from which large ant workers and soldiers came out. Mrs. Woollard said that the berries on Dianella tasmanica were very good this year. Some interesting fossils of marine life from Henbury Station Finke River, 90 miles south of Alice Springs were on display. DD Hawthorn Junior F.N.C. ANNUAL REPORT 1969 Key Office Bearers 1969/70. President: Mr. D. McInnes. Secretary: Tim Anderson, 1 Doona Ave, Kew. Treasurer: Jenny Forse. Editor and Club Recorder: Cooper. Barry Excursion Secretary: Pam Conder. Publications Officer: Michael Howes. Membership showed a slight rise during the year, now being about 150: Meeting attendances also averaged slightly higher. Meetings 1969:— 31 January Members’ Holiday exhibits night. “Seals of Western Port”, by R. Warneke. “Tidal Zones along our Sea Shores’, by G. Van “Insects and Quarantine”, by J. Barnes. “Caves and Caving”, by E. Hamilton-Smith “Birds of the Seashore”, by H. Jarman. 28 February — 28 March — = Rompaey. 2 May — “Butterflies”, by C. McCubbin. 30 May — 27 June — 25 July — “The Banksia Family”, by F. Rogers. 29 August — Celebration of our 26th Birthday. 26 September — 31 October — ‘Whales’, by J. Hyett. 5 Decernber — The August meeting was also high- lighted by colour slides of Club activi- ties in the past few years. Excursions :— A record number of field trips were available to members in 1969. These comprised short day or half-day trips, involving car travel; and long nature rambles of up to ten miles. The first included a number of Geology Group outings which mem- bers attended. 1 February—Albert (Pond Life) 29 March—Beaumaris (Fossils and Marine Survey). Park Lake 56 “Beetles”, by P. Kelly. 8 | June—Korkuperrimal Creek (Geology Group). 10 August—Coimadai (Geology Group). 7 September—Coldstream (Gene- ral). 27 September—Laverton (Birds and Pond Life). 9 November—Anakie-Maude (Geo- logy Group). 30 November—Brisbane (Beetles). Long walking trips were an inno- vation in 1969. The trips were originally aimed at providing a dif- ferent type of outing for older Haw- Ranges Vic. Nat.— Vol. 87 thorn Juniors and more energetic F.N.C.V. members. However, many younger Hawthorn Juniors have taken part in the excursions. The Club is grateful to Mr. T Sault, whose en- thusiasm has contributed largely -to the success of these trips held so far. Outings organized were:— 2 March—Moorooduc-Mt. area. 4 May—Diamond Creek-Hurst- bridge. 14 December—Cape Schank-Rye Back Beach. The Club is now planning a five day camp for next Easter, visiting Wyperfield National Park and _ the Little Desert. Eliza Publications: The Club Magazine, “The Junior Naturalist”, has completed Vol. 5. It was again re-organized at the begin- ning of the year, due to Postal regis- tration. Because of stocks on hand, no new booklets were produced dur- ing the year. However, at least three new publications are planned. In May, Council appointed Michael Howes as the Club’s first Publications Officer. Following success at the Nature Show, Michael now also sells nature books, through arrangement with the F.N.C.V. Nature Show:— The club organized the following exhibits in the 1969 show:— Embedding specimens in Plastic— X-ray Animals—Ants (all by Jenny Forse). Skulls—Reptiles (both by John Bevan and Stephen Wilson). Gem Cutting (Gary Wallis). Plant Sectioning (Carl Meyer). Tektites (Barry Cooper). The Show was most successful for the Club, as there was almost a com- plete sell-out of publication stocks on hand. Subscription Concession:— The Club has introduced a Maga- zine subscription of 30 cents per annum. Membership fees remain at 80 cents for Juniors and $1.20 for Adults per annum. Office Bearer Changes: — The Club lost the services of Susan Beattie and Ian Knox as Secretary and Excursion Secretary during the year. The task of Secretary was divided, Rosalind St. Clair undertak- ing to mail “The Junior Naturalist’’. Alan Burns was appointed Assistant Editor. In July, the Club honoured its President, Mr. D. McInnes, with life membership for outstanding service. 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 30 photographs. Price 75c. VICTORIAN TOADSTOOLS AND MUSHROOMS, by J. H. Willis. This describes 120 toadstool species and many other fungi. There are four coloured plates and 31 other illustrations. New edition. Price 90c. THE VEGETATION OF WYPERFELD NATIONAL PARK, by J. R. Garnet. Coloured frontispiece, 23 half-tone, 100 line drawings of plants and a map. Price $1.50. Address orders and inquiries to Sales Officer, F.N.C.V., National Herbarium, South Yarra, Victoria. Payments should include postage (9c on single copy). February, 1970 57 F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 9 February—At national Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, com- mencing at 8 p.m. 1. Minutes, Reports, Announcements. 2. Correspondence. 3. Subject for the evening—“Through the Kimberleys” by Mr. Alan Mor- rison. 4. New Members Those elected during Dec. and Jan., together with those elected in Feb. will be listed in the March Vict. Nat. 5. General Business. 6. Nature Notes and Exhibits. Wednesday, 11 March—Annual Meeting. GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at National Herbarium unless otherwise stated). Thursday, 12 February—Botany Group. Identification of Western Australian wildflowers on slides. Would members with good, correctly named _ slides, bring a selection to be shown first so that those with unidentified slides of the same species can name them. If time allows, these will be followed by un-named slides, and an attempt made to identify them. Books or hand viewers may also prove helpful. Wednesday, 18 February—Microscopical Group. Friday, 27 February—Hawthorn Junior F.N.C. at 8 p.m. in Hawthorn Town Hall. Monday, 2 March—Entomology and Marine Biology at 8 p.m. in National Museum, Russell Street, Melb. Wednesday, 4 March—Geology Group. Thursday, 5 March—Mammal Survey Group at Sir Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, corner of Brown St. and Stradbroke Ave., Heidel- berg. Friday, 6 March—Montmorency District Junior F.N.C. at Scout Hall, Petrie Park, Montmorency. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 15 February—Sorrento area. Subject—Marine Biology. Leader Dr. Brian Smith. Coach leaves from Batman Ave. at 9.30 a.m. Fare $1.50. Bring 2 meals. Good Friday, 27 March to Monday, 30 March—Warrnambool. A coach has been chartered for the period, and accommodation booked. Coach fare $15.00 should be paid when booking. Motel, D.B.B. $6.50 per day (individual payment). Cheques for coach to be made out to Excursion Trust. 58 Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 yf Magnificent stand of White Mountain Ash, Eucalyptus regnans, in the FORESTS COMMISSION VICTORIA . preserving the eauly of our forests for your enjoyment. | February, 1970 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Established 1880 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, 1969/70 President: Mr. E. R. ALLAN Vice-President: 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 @Q1t 2427): Hon. Editor: . G. M. WARD, 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, 25 Sunhill Avenue, North Ringwood, 3134. Group Secretaries: Botany: Miss M. BUTCHART, 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. | 2:00 20S ab la UG EE snes Ga Wha Te) $7.00 Country Members __..... vetece awash ebecat DUEL INL Nacle oi MSGS real Ag oh ge VE 2 Sa $5.00 Joint: (Membersy i S55 TSG accsce, cesccdo ects Boece = cect Usnases OI MURINE corer ee $2.00 Junior Members 000 0 wu wu Te Mea sap a ea RP eS Bes ee $2.00 Junior Members receiving Viet. Naf: oe ee eee eee Soe en, $4.00 Subscribers to. Vict: Nat. id: - cise Gee cee) comet ual nantes Gail we Sn oe Se $5.00 Affiliated” Societies 2.25 seeece. >) Gevesdl ¢ cctesl) yea teal eae $140.00 The cost of individual copies of the Viet. Nat. will be 45 cents. All subscriptions should be made payable to the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, and posted to the Subscription Secretary. G3) JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE the VICTORIAN NATURALIST Vol. 87, No. 3 March, 1970 Published by the FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA In which is incorporated the Microscopical Society of Victoria tered in Australia for transmission by post as a periodical. 45 cents oe Oe Magnificent stand of White Mountain Ash, Eucalyptus regnans, in the Marysville State Forest FORESTS COMMISSION VICTORIA preserving the beauty of our forests for your enjoyment. Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 } ] | ‘| | } The Victorian Naturalist Editor: G. M. Ward Assistant Editor: P. Gahan Vol. 87, No. 3 5 March, 1970 CONTENTS Articles: Natural History Features of North-West Australia. By Elizabeth GRMN na ne Le es a a ee ee 64 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: Miimciicun Annual Report «2... Sees. cae ha wha ee nee 74 Balance Sheet, Statement, and Lunds (ic: ...0 eel ck Gate ee OS 76 emi ainyacremeral NICCtNO Hoa eet ial nak ae eee es BON Rn an 78 DipmvmorComing EVENS i.6 jc willceh ss da ee ame ek Oe ae 83 Front Cover: Sooty Owl (Tyto tenebricosa). Photographed near the Atherton tablelands, Northeast Queensland. (Bird captured as nestling; kept in captivity). Photo: Graham Pizzey. March, 1970 63 Natural History Features of North-West Australia October 1969 NORTHWARDS FROM THE GOLFIELDS INTO THE MULGA Drought conditions prevailed over this fascinating land, as I entered it on 1 October, via Kalgoolie, Menzies, Leonora, Agnew then N.W. to Mt. Magnet, in a comfortable bus, ia the company of 27 other “conserva- tionists” from N.S.W. and Victoria. We travelled north over flat red loam covered with an icing of bluish iron-stone gravel. At first there were numerous Sal- mon gums (Eucalyptus salmonoph- loia) and white-stemmed Mallees, varieties of saltbush (Kochia and Atriplex sp.) and stands of Mulga (Acacia aneura) with silver-grey nar- row leaves all held erect to deflect the sunlight, whereas the Wilga (Geijera) which attains a somewhat similar height and appearance, had _ leaves which pointed downwards. None of the ten different varieties of Mulga were in flower, but later at Wilgia Mia in the Weld ranges we were able to find a few rare trees with seed. There was also a_ fascinating species of Minnieritchie with dark- red bark which peeled in short curls. A couple of miles south of Leonora we passed the old Sons of Gwalia mine and discovered that Herbert Hoover later to become President of the U.S.A. was one of the first mine 64 BY ELIZABETH K, TURNER managers there in 1897-8. His house still stands and the sideboard from this house complete with carved wooden eagle is proudly displayed in one of the public rooms of the Meekathara Hotel. Hoover’s mining engineer, Ag- new, iS commemorated a few miles further north by a town site consisting principally of a dilapidated public house that refused to sell drinks to a thirsty bus load twenty minutes before official trading hours. The country surrounding these min- ing areas was earlier severely denuded of vegetation to feed the gold batteries yet we saw numerous wattles in flower and there were stands of the Bell-fruit tree (Codonocarpus cotinifolius) and Casurina cristata. Duboisia hopwoodii was found in flower and some spec- tacular bushes of yellow Cassia pleuro- carpa and gold and red Petalostyles millefolium as well as mauve flowers of Hemigenia dielsii, and _ several species of Eremophila. At an abandoned gold mine we stopped to collect rose and orange quartz, green chrysoprase and pieces of opalite and chalcedony and moss agate; while nearby was a very large tree, eremophila (E. platycalyx) from which most of the white corollas had fallen leaving rose-red calyces; indeed eremophila in lilac, white, red and often spotted varieties were probably the most spectacular plants for the next 500 miles. Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 Our first overnight camp was on the red sand about 10 miles north of Menzies, and near a large Rottnest Pine (Callitris preissii). Here we were awakened by that most melodious of all Australian songsters, the Pied Butcher bird, (Cracticus nicrogularis) who seems to test each rich flute-like note for in- tensity and echo-quality. At Mt. Magnet the garage attendant told us they had received only 3 inches of rain in the last eleven months but this did not deter the Mullamullas in pink (Ptilotus rotundofolius) and in mauve (P. exaltus) from growing along the dusty road side. Between Mt. Magnet and Cue there is a wide salt lake named Lake Austin, which was dry and covered with salt crystals which had blown on to the surrounding dry country. This area was devoid of vegetation except for the eremophilas, cassias and ptilotis. Near dry water courses we wel- comed the shade of River Red gums (E. camaldulensis) and amongst the mulga we sometimes found Wild Orange (Capparis lasiantha) in flower. Red-fruited Quandong (Santalum acuminatum) was observed and we began here to see our first Snappy Gums (E. brevifolia) of which we saw more as we drove north. Occasional bushes of the Yellow Pennant (Loudonia roeii) lined the road and there was a showy Grevillea (G. juncifolia) with golden flower spikes. In this so-called Eremean Province, we saw many Red Kangaroos, mostly in the early mornings soon after break- ing camp, whilst male emus with large chicks whose plumage had become adult in colour, crossed the road at March, 1970 any time during the day. A _ large monitor, the Perenti of the Centre, but here known as a Bungarra, gave us a slow-motion demonstration of waggly walking — using the opposite hind and forefeet together at each step. Port Lincoln parrots (Barnardius zonarius) seemed to be the only other common bird in this arid region. At Wilgia Mia, north west of Cue, we visited an ochre mine used for centuries by aborigines and now very close to a newly staked copper and nickel mine. Here we filled our bags with bright green malachite, and the rarer deep-blue azurite (Copper car- bonate) all free of charge, whilst at Cue and Meekathara the “rock- hounds” of the party bought samples of local stones including quartzite crystals — smokey coloured, and amethyst, and variously coloured chal- cedonies, cherts, jaspers, tourmaline, and delightful powder-green variscite (Hydrous aluminium iron phosphate). They were also fascinated with the rainbow-coloured Chalcedony, recently discovered at Mooka Station and call- ed Mookaite. Luckily we had a lapid- ary teacher in the party, and she was kept busy answering queries from the deilghted novices. It seems im- possible not to become enthusiastic about rocks and minerals as well as botany in this area of W.A. There was enough water for swimming in the middle branch of the Gascoyne River and near here we stopped to admire an avenue of lilac flowered hibiscus (H. farragei). WE CROSS THE 26th PARALLEL INTO THE NORTH-WEST. 40 miles north of Meekathara we crossed the 26th parallel and so offi- cially entered the north-west, accord- ing to a wayside notice. 1(65 The highest point on the Great Northern Highway (200 feet above sea level) is crossed at the Collier Range, the divide between the Gas- coyne and Ashburton watersheds, 160 miles north of Meekathara. This was the first range that one could say somewhat resembled a range, with a few bluffs and breakaways and on the top, a water tank supplied by storm water from wide V shaped corrugated- iron roofs. Here was a patch of spinifex, and we discovered Corkwood (Hakea lorea) in flower, some Ghost gums (E. gamophylla) and both lilac and deep-violet forms of Keraudrina, as well as a grey-green and lilac labiate (Teucrium sp.) with an aromatic odour. Near here we also found Grevillea excelsior in flower. ACROSS THE TROPIC OF CAPRICORN INTO THE HAMERSLEY IRON PROVINCE Our next delightful camp was in the Opthalmia Range, west of Mundiwindi and almost on the Tropic of Capri- corn. Here amongst the Angopheras, Bloodwoods, Snappy Gums, and Whitewoods (Atalaya hemiglauca) we slept without tents, beneath a starry sky and a three-quarter moon. The absence of mosquitoes or other insects (except scorpions) was remarkable in the north west. We were camped on iron-ore de- posited in layers in Proteozoic times on top of the Archaen jasperlite of the Hamersley Ranges. This enormous iron province occupies 25,000 square miles of territory forming the water- shed between the Fortescue River in the north, and the Ashburton river in the South. 66 These iron deposits are the largest in the world and lie in an area so desolate and arid, as to be unsuitable for agriculture; the rainfall varies from 3 to 30 inches, but often the total annual fall occurs on one day in summer. The winter temperature is said to vary from 75° to 85° but in summer it is always above 90°. We found it hot, and 105° nearer the coast. One of the party had an electric torch with a magnetized patch along the side and when she picked this up from the ground, iron particles were adhering in rust-coloured strands, like coconut fibre, to the patch. Next morning we drove into the smart new township of Mt. Newman where ore of more than 64% iron is being scooped and blasted from Mt. Whaleback. The majority of hill summits are gently domed as the name Whaleback suggests, and they represent residuals of an older land surface. This ancient profile has economic significance as most of the large haematite-goethite deposits are found below this surface. Due to hydration and oxidation over eons of time most of the iron-ore is not magnetic now. We were guided up Mt. Whale- back (2,000 feet high, 5 miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide) on a road with a 7% gradient to allow 120 ton Haul-Paks to carry rock down to the crushing plants. The view over the Opthalmia ranges from the spinifex covered top of the mountain was extensive and one could see the trucks loading below, on a specially built heavy railway line on which the train travels to Port Hed- land 200 odd miles north at a speed Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 of 35 miles per hour, “no more, no less” said our guide. In some areas along the mined cliff face, we were able to obtain samples of dark-red jasperlite, banded with whitish dolomite, a kind of limestone. THE FORTESCUE RIVER AREA AND SPINIFEX COUNTRY. On one of the dry branches of the Fortescue River, we found the lilac Native Rose (Gossypium robinsonii) and Wild Currant (Canthium lati- folum). Also there were Cadjeputs, and Native Willows (Pittosporum phillyraeoides) and the hairy lion- coloured Dicrastylis exsuccosa of the Verbena family. Here we also saw a small rock wallaby with a black tip to his upcurled tail. North of the Hamersleys the plain was covered with small shrubs and spinifex (Triodia pungens) in flower and always along the horizon it was possible to see grey or red spirals of Willy-Willys ascending thousands of feet into the blue. Streams have deeply dissected the old land surface of the Hamersleys and the present streams’ exhibit “valley-in-valley” shape with steep- walled gorges such as those at Wit- tenoom and Dale gorges where active headward erosion is proceeding at the present time. Yampire Gorge looked bright rus- set-red banded with the straw-yellow of the spinifex; here we obtained Blue Asbestos (Crocidolite) from an old mine and we saw the red-flowered Holly-leaved Grevillea (G. wick- hamii) and the white-flowered variety (G. pyramidalis) also bushes of Peta- lostyles, and Cassia (C. pruninosa) as well as many varieties of Ptilotus. Here we photographed two white trunks March, 1970 of E. camaldulensis conjoined by a stout horizontal trunk about 15 feet up. We camped on the pebble-strewn cliff overlooking Dale Gorge, and spent most of the next morning swim- ming in the deep pool below the Fortescue falls. Festooning the wet, rocky walls, was the large maiden-hair fern (Adiantum hispidulum) and Cyclosorus gongy- lodes. There was also the Caustic Vine (Sarcostemma australe) and an attractive creeping Stylidium with bright pink petals, edged with paler pink; an intense blue lobelia, (L. heterophylla) and a deep-purple hairy Pityrodia. We also met for the first time a sky-blue flowered member of the Borage family (Tricodesma zey- lanicum) which we later discovered was common in the north west. Unfortunately, large deposits of pisolitic (pea-sized) limonitic (2Fe:O:- 3H20) ore deposits occur along the branches of the Fortescue River, in- cluding Dale Gorge, and the Circular Pool, and the alluvium-filled valleys beneath the recent detrital veneer; however we hope that the remoteness of this area from the coast may protect these beauty spots from the ore-hungry industrialists. The cappings of mesas and terraces in the low-gradient valleys are of similar ore, which occurs in practically all drainage systems which rise in these mountains, and is already being mined at Mt. Enid on the Robe River to the north west. Bird-life in these gorges was fairly prolific; we saw Golden Whistlers, Pied Butcher-Birds, small doves, the Forest Kingfisher and numerous finches. The township of Wittenoom is about 33 miles north west of Yampire 67 Gorge and stands on the flat at the entrance to the Gorge. The cliffs rise 800 feet above the town which at present is showing signs of decay, many houses being abandoned since the closure of the asbestos mine. Mr. Lang Hancock who owns near- by Mulga Downs and who was the discoverer of iron in this area, has now, with Mr. Wright, formed Han- wright Pty. Ltd. and hope for future employment is returned to the re- maining inhabitants of Wittenoom. Outside the old mine gates are piles of asbestos tailings with a notice erected by the Department of Health warning people against their removal: Asbestosis of the lungs is one of the most dangerous of the chronic in- halational diseases. George Hancock, the father of the present multi-millionaire Lang, named the gorge after the Wittenoom family, original owners of Mulga Downs. A few miles north west along the Fortescue River valley, brought us to the narrow Rio Tinto gorge road which leads to Mt. Tom Price. We turned east for our camp at Hamersley Gorge where the rock colours in the setting sun were more fantastically brilliant than those of Central Australia, and large, red ter- mite mounds resembled the microce- phalic torsos of Henry Moore statues. In the cooler, shaded areas of the Gorge we found fern grottos, Cadje- puts, yellow Hibiscus with a crimson centre (H. panduriformis) and an apricot coloured flowering Corchorus pachyllus as well as River Gums and Snappy Gums. Mt. Tom Price is another modern town with air-conditioning shopping complex, and fountains of water play- ing over rocks in the Square. It is 68 actually situated below Mount Name- less and some miles from the mining area thus avoiding the dust problem which afflicts Mt. Newman when the wind blows in a certain direction. Some miles north of Mt. Tom Price and in front of Hamersley Station near Mt. McRae we punctured a tyre, and thus had our lunch on a shadeless red gibber plain where the rocks were too hot to pick up. From here we followed beside the Hamersley [ron Company’s standard gauge railway out towards the coast, which it reaches after 179 miles at Dampier on King Bay. MILLSTREAM — AN OASIS ALONG THE FORTESCUE Further west along the valley we turned south to Millstream, where a warm spring upstream in the Fortescue River is said to supply twelve million gallons of clear water per day. Giant Cadjeputs (Melaleuca leucad- endron) formed cool shade and luxuri- ant vegetation lined the banks of the deep clear water in which fish could be seen. After digging trenches in the heat to bury piles of empty tins and bottles, left by previous visitors, our con- scientious but hot and annoyed travel- lers swung out into the river by means of a rope tied to an overhanging Paperbark. The splash of the first swimmer caused a flight of corellas to leave screaming, and some black swans hurriedly vacated the oasis while a duck honked off upstream; but a courageous black cormorant sat un- concernedly with outstretched wings on a snag near the opposite bank. Some ‘campers’ discovered some nasty-looking scorpions under their sleeping-bags next morning, but fortu- nately no-one was bitten. Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 Is it possible for birds to mistake moonrise for dawn? I think the corellas did, as at 1.45 a.m. when the moon rose they all woke up and began their feeble, com- plaining gargles, and the swans flew back to the water. At ‘Picaninny’ day- light some ibis arrived and the cadje- puts were soon alive with small green honey-eaters with white eyes. Along the north bank we examined the Native Cabbage Palm (Livistonia alfredii) and near where we slept there grew a large tree with enormous white pea flowers (Sesbania formosa) and wild figs grew on the high red laterite cliffs of the south bank. NorTH TO THE COAST Travelling north we reached the edge of the Hamersley escarpment be- low Mt. Herbert, and near the road we found Python Pool in which we grate- fully plunged to assuage the heat. Further north we passed the fantastic Pyramid and other mesas and noted the patches of black cracked rock on which no spinifex grew, giving an appearance of recent burning. Roebourne seemed to consist of a few tin roofs battened down with iron rods against the cyclones; pitiful but neat gardens surrounded the houses and in the streets there were bushes of Lachnostachys, and a form of the Rottnest Daisy, with white flowers (Trachymene glaucifolia). Across the dry bed of the Harding River were neat cottages inhabited by aboriginals, but their grounds were cluttered with refuse and junk of all kinds, including broken-down motor vehicles and there was never an at- tempt at any gardens. The hotel bar was moderately cool but the fierce dry heat outside registered 105°. March, 1970 A GHosT TOWN VISITED Across the mangrove flats we found the ghost town of Cossack, formerly Tsien-Tsien, established in 1863, where fine stone buildings stand hollow and deserted facing a well-built stone wharf abutting on the blue sea. We longed for a cool plunge, but were warned that bathing is unsafe because of sea-wasps, stone-fish and sharks. The mangroves are of two kinds, one with stilt-like roots (Rhizophora mucronata) and the other with upright pneumataphores poking out of the mud (Avicennia marina). One of the party saw a mud-skipping fish on the mangrove flats. We visited the neglected cemetery where Rattlepods (Crotalaria sp.) grew. One headstone was in memory of a doctor who died on board the ship Saladin in 1893, another was to the memory of the pioneers who had so courageously settled in this area. In 1904 there were still 150 people at Cossack, but then Point Samson be- came the port for shipment of as- bestos from Wittenoom. At Point Samson we saw the typi- cally long pier so necessary in the north because of the tremendous tides; from here some copper and wool is still shipped. Nearby there is a small new settlement of the British Oil Cor- poration. THE NorTH WEST COASTAL HIGHWAY The coast along the north west is flat; mud and. mangrove merge with spinifex and red sand; beside the road are red-black mounds of cracked iron- stone rock. This cracking looks like the hand of man but must be due to the natural forces of baking in the sun by day and sudden cooling during the night. 69 Dampier is about 30 miles west of Roebourne, and is ‘Mt. Tom Price by-the-sea’, as our driver so aptly said. The houses are of new brick with tiled red roofs but no guttering. It is said that each householder receives a lawn- mower as part of his equipment to en- courage the planting of lawns. There is an air-conditioned shopping complex with water with which we were able to replenish our depleted drinking vessels. There was a deep-water harbour and a Japanese boat was loading iron ore from Mt. Tom Price after it had been further crushed to about quarter inch size. More than 20,000 tons per day are shipped from here at present and the amount will increase. Hamers- ley Iron Pty. Ltd. plans to build here the largest metallised agglomerate plant in the world. A few miles further west we found a patch of melaleucas and a few eucalypts beside a sluggish, reedy river —the Maitland, source of Dampier’s present water supply. One of the party caught a large catfish with long whis- kers here. We slept in lines like a dormitory on the red dusty banks of the river which provided fairly level ground; a faint pump worked further upstream and due to our proximity to the sea a dew descended overnight causing the red dust to set in small cakes on our sleeping gear. The vegetation along the coast is rather uninspiring It consists of some patches of acacia, some _ grevilleas, corkwoods and eremophilas, and lots of ptilotis, mostly pale yellow-green, but as we again crossed the Fortescue River we came upon a magnificent bean-tree (Erythrina verspertilio) cov- ered with scarlet flowers. 70 Near Yarraloola we crossed the Robe River which drains the Brock- man Iron Formation including Tom Price. This western end of the Ham- ersleys seems to contain the most ex- tensive deposits of pisolitic iron measurable in thousands of millions of tons of ore containing more than 50% iron. These deposits are terraced along the walls of the narrow gorges, where pisoliths are often mixed with hae- matite-goethite conglomerate. The pisolite also caps the mesas in a thickness of about 50 feet and can be seen as a dark spinifex free cap. Pisolitic ore in this area is said to be higher in silica and alumina than the haematite ore at Tom Price but is lower in phosphorus; it is believed that pisolitic ore represents the end-product of weathering and desilication of jasperlite transported down the river systems, during the long period of erosion. INTO THE ASHBURTON DISTRICT AGAIN Duck Creek drains the western Hamersleys to the south, before flow- ing into the Ashburton. This area also has similar pisolitic ore deposits. We by-passed Onslow, which was said to be ‘very like Roebourne’ by leaving the coastal highway at Peeda- mullah and passing through Nanutarra where the Ashburton River is crossed, and here were some River Gums (E. camaldulensis), Snappy Gums (E. brevifolia) and several others. The flat red plains were often covered with Mitchell Grass (Astrebla_ pectinata) and were said to carry a few sheep. There were no fences, however, and this area has a summer rainfall of less than ten inches and looks like it! We saw stands of Mulga (A. aneura) Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 | | and occasional Whitewoods (Atalya hemiglauca) and Ironwoods (A. estro- phrolata). Around Yannarie we __ passed through Coolibah country (E. micro- theca) and saw a few brown-centred Sturt’s Desert Pea. SOUTH FROM THE TROPICS Just north of the Minilya River the road crosses the tropic of Capricorn and leaves the spinifex plains for a mixed wattle scrub We passed through a series of red sand hills which were most floriferous and it would have been interesting to have explored every one —as it was, we found pink feather-flower (Verticordia forrestii), blue hibiscus (Pinonianis), the calyces only of pink calythrix mucronata, as we!l as white grevillea (G. pyramida- lis) and golden Grevillea stenobotrya, and furry lilac Pityrodia loxocarpa. Near the river we discovered a small air-conditioned road house selling iced drinks and we descended like locusts and drank and drank. South of the river the road was sealed and we made the 91 miles into a caravan park at Carnarvon in 1 hour and 20 minutes. All that I managed to see was the wide, sandy waterless bed of the Gascoyne River, where small ‘spear pumps are used to tap the millions of gallons of fresh water below the sand to maintain heavily- planted banana plantations, which grow on the flats here, not on hill slopes as at Coffs Harbour, N.S.W. The big ‘dish’ of the satellite track- ing station is visible from a long way out on the plains; next day we toured the station which is built on a series of low red sandhills called the Brown range. They told us that Carnarvon is exactly 180° from Cape Kennedy, March, 1970 U.S.A., and that a hole bored directly down through the earth’s centre would come out here. CARNARVON TO SHARK BAY The road south ran straight along a hot sandy saltmarsh, with some mulga scrub for about 120 miles when we re-crossed the 26th Parallel and so Officially left the north-west. At the 490 mile post we found another road house and repeated the locust act. Here was a solar distilling plant for the production of fresh water from salt water and the outhouses were made of blocks of white shell-conglomerate which we later found was cut from the dunes of Hamelin Pool which forms the eastern arm of Shark Bay where we made our next camp. Near the Hamelin Pool Station homestead is an artesian bore which has formed a fresh water lake sur- rounded by vegetation. Here we saw swans and their cygnets, pied duck, banded stilts, and silver gulls, and lying about were bubbly looking red stones, which when cracked revealed rainbow chalcedony, some with red blood-like veins To our surprise we found a lonely post-office behind the dunes and on asking the Postmistress why a post- office should be situated there, she said she had no idea, but it had been there for 80 years. The sea at Hamelin Pool was very shallow and salty and a white cloudy flocculate formed with each step. We were warned about sea-serpents and so did not venture further than a cooling dip in the shallows. There was a hot breeze at night as we slept on the dunes and at dawn some small invis- ible birds in the coastal vegetation called to each other very distinctly ‘I said I would do it’! 71 SOUTH TO THE HEATH SCRUB OF KALBARRI As we drove south towards the Murchison River crossing at Galena, the sand-plain flora began to appear. There were waving pale yellow Grevil- lea leucopteris, orange Grevillea erios- tachya, and whitish Grevillea dielsiana; the Acorn Banksia (B. prionites), blue dampiera sp. and scaevola and copper cups (Pileanthus peduncularis). There were bushes of apricot and green geleznowia, lilac hibiscus, red calo- thamnus and sheets of pink Helichry- sum casiniana, and some almost dead yellow and white cephalipterum. 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, experi- mental lens set, etc. 72 CONCLUSION Our next night was spent at Red Bluff on the coast a few miles south of Kalbarri, where the flora of the sandy scrub is so abundant, colourful and exciting that a whole article could be written on this area alone. As I anticipate that such an article will be forthcoming from members of the F.N.C.V. who visited this area about one week previously, I shall bring my journal of the amazing north west to its conclusion. ENTOMOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT Butterfly nets, pins, store-boxes, etc. We are direct importers and manufacturers, and specialise in Mail Orders (write for free price Jist) AUSTRALIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SUPPLIES 14 Chisholm St., Greenwich Sydney 2065 Phone: 43 3972 Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 Botany Group Announcements Thursday, 12 March. Speaker: Mr. J. Willis. Subject: Botanical Personalities of Australia. Thursday, 9 April. Speaker: Miss M. Lester. Subject: Myrtaceae. Excursions Sunday, 8 March. Mt. Ben Cairn (Healesville to Mt. Donnabuang Road). Meet at Heales- ville Comfort Station at 10.30 a.m. Preliminary Notice Sunday, 12 April. Macedon area. Details and time to be arranged at March meeting of Botany Group. Geology Group Excursions Sunday, 22 March—Geology Group Excursion to Tullamarine (Albion—Reid’s Quarries) and Bulla (Deep Creek). Leader—Mr. R. R. Dodds. Transport by private car (spare seats available). Leave Flinders Street, opposite C.T.A. Building, at 9.30 a.m. Bring one meal. Sunday, 5 April—Geology Group Excursion to Waurn Ponds (limestone quarry) and other localities in Geelong area. Leader—Mr. Stan Rowe. Transport by private car (spare seats available). Leave Flinders Street opposite C.T.A. Building at 9.30 a.m. Bring one meal. Sunday, 10 May—Geology Group Excursion along Maribyrnong River. Leader— Mr. D. McInnes. Transport by private car (spare seats available). Leave Flinders Street, opposite C.T.A. Building at 9.30 a.m. Bring one meal. March, 1970 73 Ninetieth Annual Report 1969 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Nineteen sixty nine will go down as the year that conservation came of age, and was seen by government and politicians as having magical associa- tions with the people and the polls. The public have suddenly become aware of the fast vanishing bushland and in this awareness make demands that find us hard-put to maintain a balance between the study of natural history and conservation and _ its various campaigns. It was expected that we would give advice; expected that we would have a part to play. Indeed it was ever so: ninety years of study, publishing, and advising have made us Nature’s Alma Mater. Inevitably secretarial duties have suf- fered, and reconstruction of the or- ganisation will be necessary to meet the challenge that care of the en- vironment and the study of ecology will impose. More Group Projects are needed; more leaders and an eagerness on the part of members to come forward and be counted among the active ones. Membership Ordinary members 440, Country 240, Juniors 18, Subscribers 144, Affiliated Clubs 29: Of special interest is the entry of the La Trobe University Conservation Society into the ranks of affiliated clubs and we wish them well for the future. Of particular sadness was the death of Mr. R. W. McKellar who together with his wife had for a number of years been on the com- mittee of the Churchill National Park; and -the —passing- of “Mr. 2K. CG. Halafoff, a constant contributor to the magazine. He was well known for his articles on Lyre Birds. 74 Congratulations go to Mr. Bond and Miss Missen for achieving Honorary Membership. Books This year saw the success of Flowers and Plants of Victoria. Published by A. H. & A. W. Reeds in association with the F.N.C.V. it has added to our funds considerably, and our con- gratulations go to the co-authors Messrs. Cochrane, Fuhrer, Rotherham and Willis. Also out this year, pub- lished by ourselves, was an index to Vol. 1 & 2 of Wildlife at 30 cents. In the melting pot are further books, two on flora and one on birds. Nature Show Held in conjunction with the S.G.A.P. and B.O.C., this was as popular as ever and eagerly looked forward to by a large number of people. 3813 adults and 3095 children went through the turnstiles. This was a far larger attendance than the pre- vious year which had been affected by the opening of the new art centre. The Bird Observers had the respon- sibility of the three dioramas which were the central attraction, the theme of which was ‘Birds of Melbourne Suburban Home Gardens’, ‘Birds of the Botanical Gardens’, ‘Birds of the Beaches’. Of special interest was the number of junior clubs taking part. As well as the well established Hawthorn Juniors there are the up and coming Preston, the newly formed Montmorency, and the small but vigorous Pascoe Vale clubs. The display of native plants in flower was, as always, tremendous. Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 Medallion The committee revised the rules to facilitate the administration of the award and it will now be possible to make the award at a set time of the year at the November General Meet- ing in Melbourne. The 1968 award was made to Dr. Norman B. Tindale, formerly Curator of Anthropology at the South Australian Museum and visiting Professor at the University of California. The 1969 award went to Charles A. Gardner of Western Australia, and it is unfortunate that he has had to forego the traditional award cere- mony. He was formerly Government Botanist. Wildlife & Conservation As usual we have been dividing our activities between the two. Again we appear to have been successful in keeping the Wombat off the vermin list, while at the same time came the welcome news that that awful pest Chrysanthmoides monoliferium (South African Bone Seed — Jungle Weed), or whatever you like to call it, has at long last been put on the list of noxious weeds. Our concern at the moment is for some of the smaller animals like Mitchell’s Hop- ping Mouse, which may be in danger because of recent popularity in the press. We have even heard of people digging up their habitat just to photo- graph them. We also hope to get the locality of the recently rediscovered orchid Calochiius richae protected (reference November Naturalist). The success of the Little Desert issue could well have strengthened con- servation, by leaving as a legacy the Bushlands Action Committee, and The Conservation Advisory Panel, which together with the newly formed Conservation Council of Victoria, make an impressive line up for the future. However, let us not feel com- placent; the Glenelg still needs to be resolved and a new National Park an urgent requirement for our Alpine areas. Other issues still to be re- solved are Warrandyte State Park; Gemmells Swamp, a major breeding cround for the Ibis; and Parks for the Brisbane and Otway Ranges to men- tion only a few. For the future here is the question put to an Overseas conservation panel discussing the Politics of Ecology. The answers may well have an ap- plication here. “What specifically, can the concerned citizen do?” The Panel agreed on the following: Stop acting as an individual. Environmental problems are still so new as political issues that they must be patiently explained to legislators — preferably before formal hearings. Every environmental cause must be directly equated with votes for the legislators. Proposals should call for positive ac- tion rather than negative action. Once bills start moving through the legislative machinery, their progress should be widely publicized. Library The library received an unexpected addition with the donation of some parts of Bronofskis ‘Birds of Aus- tralia’, which helps to make the parts that we already have more complete. This, together with the gift of a volume cf Cassels ‘Birds’, came from Mr. S. M. Callaghan of Lorne. Flowers and Plants of Victoria in Colour Copies of this excellent book are still available, and of course would make a wonderful gift. They are obtainable from the F.N.C.V. Treasurer, Mr. D. McInnes. 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Nat. —Vol. 87 76 Sa a Pe I Fc a ee ek 67£ L$ 166 r$ ke soueinsuy = L¢ ae Areiqry ¥Y [[®H Jo way L7Z 6g WRID IsnIpT Weisut ssoq (LE ¢€) GQG a. es oo eer ~ sgsuod -xq dnoig Adaing [ewe LEE Fe a ~~ Jpny OS te QOURISISSY [PILIID Y suldA 1 OSL sete eee eee eee nee sosuod -Xq UOTT[epofy AJOISTIFR [eINIEN th a yay qniog Jones UOSoIg QT suoneuog ‘soot uonelyVy vl sosuddxy =[eIsuey 66 fie 93¥10]S§ IOJ WOOY Jo Judy Or AIOUONLIS 2 SUNULIG 6 guoydaja yw asejsod OLI —sasusdxy SUIYIOM suondriosqns ae ~ JuRIO IsniIp, WeIsUT ssoqT = ( Eb) ag PC Ae sosuodxq [e0up” SV surlysjedsoq 89E Sicaaac. “ santen weedes - wasiace wee sUuleI}SNq[] Oro T Sesisae 0 Salessee: ‘sevisss' eeemclel © ivessan SUNULIG 810 r$ —}SI[VINJEN UBIIOJSI A, 8961 IeoX suo seg LSEL$ v69 SSI v9 66¢ ell ats 619'S$ wed jo yuowAed I0j *9/y puny SUIP[Ing WO} poliojsues JUNOUTY suosuy AIpuns ee rr AdesaT] WSU ‘FL UO WOU}saAUy pee eres daety heet. junos.y yueg Sey hes puny Areiqry —Pdalo00y 1S919}U] pes 1st] -BINJWN UPIIOJIA Ul SUISILISAPY er ysljeinjeN UeLIOJIA Jo sales ~ Sunsoddns jusIIND sIeVeolly —Ppoalosoy suondiiosqnsg s}d1990yf 6961 ‘WAAGWAOAC ISI€ GHANA UVAA AHL YOA SLNAWAVd ¥% SLdIHORA AO LNAWALVLS INNOOOV “IVAHNAD VINOLOIA AO €NTO SLSITVYNALVN GTA 67£ L$ N N March, 1970 FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA BUILDING FUND Amount of Fund at 31st December, 1968 Interest on Investment and from Bank Less Amount transferred to General Account for payment of part rent Amount of Fund at 31st December, 1969 Account PUBLICATIONS FUND Amount of Fund at 3lst December, 1968 Surplus for the year from— Ferns of Victoria and Tasmania Interest on Special Bonds and Bank Account Amount of Fund at 31st December, 1969 $4,298 CLUB IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT Amount of Account at 31st December, Nature Show Profit Profit on Booksales Less Books purchased for Library and 3 spare lamps & 1 projector pointer .. Amount of Account at 3lst December, 1969 General Meeting, 9 February About 190 members and _ friends attended and the President Mr. E. R. Allan was in the chair. The minutes of the meetings on 8 December and 12 January were taken as read. The secretary was welcomed back. A letter was received from Mr. E. T. Muir asking the club to take action about making secure the habitat of the Mitchell’s hopping mouse which has been relocated in the 78 1968 Little and Big Deserts after it was thought to be extinct. Collectors for export in the Commonwealth and Overseas are securing them and it is feared they may soon exist no longer. They should be on the protected list. Mr. Garnet moved that the matter be taken up by the council for sympa- thetic consideration. Mr. Swaby seconded the motion. The President said it was for the Chief Secretary’s department to consider and to declare Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 it to be a protected animal. They would refer it to the Fisheries and Wild Life Department. Mrs. Woollard said that one animal had been sent to Melbourne for the Sanctuary but it had been killed and stuffed. The Secretary has been contacted by Mr. Charles Fleming of Macedon asking for the Club to supply names of members in the Macedon | area for help to try to prevent extensive subdivisions in the Macedon region and to help secure a National Park on Mt. Macedon where there are Koalas and natural vegetation. The F.N.C.V. would like to know where the subdivision is taking place. Anyone living in that area is asked to get in contact with Mr. Fleming. The Secretary also announced that there is to be a meeting of the Con- servation Council of Victoria at Tatura on 25 March to consider mak- ing the swamp at Mooroopna into an aquatic sports lake. The Conservation Council appears to hope to get the birds to transfer to another swamp. Two representatives of the F.N.C.V. are invited to the meeting but it is hard to get anyone there at that time to give the Club’s views on that regrettable proposal. The President announced that Mr. Ernest H. Homan had been a member of the F.N.C.V. for over 42 years and is President of the Latrobe Valley F.N.C. and _ for- merly of Bairnsdale Club. The Coun- cil recommended him for honorary membership. The meeting heartily endorsed this and Mr. Homan was pre- sented with the Certificate of Hono- rary Membership. In responding, Mr. Homan recalled the early days in the Wonthaggi dis- trict where in the heathland between the road and the sea there were acres of wallflower orchids, numbers of March, 1970 spider orchids, and with Mr. Dick Bond he listed over 90 species of orchids in the district. He found the rare endemic Thelymitra murdochae. He joined the club on the proposal of Mr. Pescott, and in Melbourne atten- ded club meetings regularly, and after being in St. Arnaud returned to Gipps- land. He was a foundation member of the Bairnsdale Club and is president of the Latrobe Valley Club. He re- gretted the 1,000 acres of Pinus radiata now in Gippsland. There, no birds sing or flowers grow. He _ stressed that now is the time for conservation to be active—the main objective of the club. The President then gave his last report as follows:— As this is the last meeting of the Club which I shall attend this year, and as your retiring President, I thought that perhaps it would be ap- propriate if I made a few remarks on the affairs of the Club at this point. I think that we have once again had a successful year of activity in 1969. Our General Meetings attended usually by approximately 150 members and visitors have covered a _ wide variety of subjects, and the exhibits have been interesting and informative. The five Club Groups—covering Botany, Geology, Microscopical Re- search, Mammal Survey, Entomology and Marine Biology, have each held regular monthly meetings and many field excursions. We have had general Club excur- sions to 17 different places, including one to W.A. and one to Mt. Beauty, all of great interest and enjoyed by members, apart perhaps from the one to Churchill National Park. We held our Annual Native Show at the Lower Melbourne Town Hall, 7, and once again it was a great suc- cess—an innovation being the B.O.C’s staging of the central exhibit and making a very good job of it. We have continued to publish the Victorian Naturalist, maintaining its high standard of articles and format. A change of printers occurred owing to a considerable increase in charges by Brown Prior Anderson who have printed the Naturalist for us for the past 38 years. After a considerable amount of investigation and discussion by a sub-committee set up by Council arrangements were made with Jenkin, Buxton & Co. to print the Victorian Naturalist at approximately the same cost as applied before the increase made by Brown Prior. The Club is deeply indebted to Mr. Grif Ward, our Editor, who negotiated with the firm and who took such care to have the change-over occur with the mini- mum of inconvenience to the Club. However Council is concerned at the strain this publication makes on the Club finances despite a subsidy from the M. A. Ingram Trust. The high rate of subscription necessary to cover printing costs has I believe resulted in some members feeling compelled to resign. It may well be that before long, we shall be compelled to cease the monthly publication which has continued virtually unbroken for the past 87 years—a great achievement— and perhaps issue the Naturalist every two months instead of monthly. In co-operation with other organi- sations we have endeavoured to carry out the other part of the objects of this Club—1.e., to preserve and pro- tect Australian Fauna and_ Flora, notably in respect of proposed Lower Glenelg National Park, Little Desert, Warrandyte Reserve, Glenwills Swamp and others. The M. A. Ingram Trust, of which three members of this Club are Trus- 80 tees, has arranged to pay the cost of over 3,000 acres of virgin Mallee country at Wandown, east of An- nuello. This is the last remaining area Of Mallee in five thousand square miles of sheep and wheat farms in Swan Hill Shire and the purpose will primarily be to preserve the Lowan. In a survey conducted by the Mid- Murray F.N.C., over 70 mounds were found—21 of them working. This was in June last year, but of course it will provide a sanctuary for emus, parrots, and many other species. Having regard to the foregoing, and I haven’t covered everything, no one could say that we are not an active Club, and I feel that all of you who have contributed in any way, how- ever small to what we have achieved, are to be congratulated and thanked, but particularly our Secretary, Trea- surer, Editor and Excursion Secretary. We could do with more young people having a say in Club affairs, and perhaps next year members will look around to see which of our younger members could be elected to Council. In conclusion I should like to thank you for doing me the honour of being your President. Although I haven't been able to participate in the Club’s activities as much as I had hoped it has been a privilege to be President of the F.N.C.V. All good wishes for greater success in 1970. The Secretary reported that Mr. Charles Gardiner was still so ill, there was no hope of a bedside ceremony to present the 1967 Medallion, but he had been made aware of the award. The subject for the evening was “Through the Kimberleys” by Mr. Alan Morrison. A map showed the Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 extent of the 10,000 mile trip for three cars and two caravans, taking three months, through Port Augusta, Alice Springs, Devil’s Marbles, Mata- ranka, Darwin, back to Katharine, Timber Creek, Kununurra, _ Hall’s Creek, Fitzroy Crossing, Geike Gorge, Broome, Pt. Hedland, Marble Bar, Millstream, Carnarvon, Geraldton, Mt. Magnet, and back to Jurien Bay. Excellent colour slides showed the diversity of the changing scene, from the silicious jasper and agate gibber stones, bright pink Euphorbia and Frankenia flowers, dry water courses with River Red-gums, deep lilac Eremophila willsii, friendly wild donkeys, Ghost Gums and granite tors of the Devil’s Marbles, Major Mitchell Pink-crested | Cockatoos, Topknot Pigeons and the cemetery of the Elsey station where most of the characters of “We of the Never Never” are buried At Mataranka we saw the 80°F spr:ng making a pool emptying into the Waterhouse Creek, and the Roper River showed pink-purple water lilies. Seven inch golden orb spiders, lovely yellow Hibiscus panduriformis, pale yellow Grevillea dimidiata, the colourful Pinkerton Range, red Bra- chychiton paradoxa, golden yellow Cochlospermum,- and a_ remarkable leguminous plant with strange catkins with yellow stamens of male flowers above and white female flowers be- low—Dicrostachys spicata—and the beautiful Victoria River Crossing, gave an idea of the strange and fasci- nating country. Various types of ter- mite mounds were found in different areas. Near Timber Creek, a species of Terminalia tree with tesselated bark bore quandong like fruits demon- strated by an aborigine as edible. Most Terminalia species have winged fruits. March, 1970 The diversion dam at Kununurra abounds in bird life and_ basking crocodiles. The mangroves of Wynd- ham, a strange woolley sundew near Hall’s Creek, 10-15 feet high pink Calytrix microphylla, red flowered Bauhinia trees, flat top mountains, Fitzroy Crossing with a _ concrete causeway, and the beautiful lime- stone cliffs showing fantastic shapes in Geike Gorge were all shown. A pied butcher bird and a trium- phant shot of Ian Morrison with two big Barramundi livened the scene. Acacias abounded—40 or 50 different species, one with red to chocolate flowers. At Derby the Civic Centre showed a bottle tree. These baobabs are extensively distributed. One show- ed an opening in the side. This is said to have been a jail. One slide showed a large creamy flower of a baobab tree. At Broome, an old pearling lugger rested high and dry on the mangroves. A foot-print of a dinosaur, 30 yards out from the shore —left 120,000,000 years ago—was shown in the sandstone. From Broome to Port Hedland, a corrugated 400 mile stretch has no water or provisions. Slides showed blue Cyanostegia, purple-pink Callan- drinia, white Capparis lasianthos, cream Hakea lorea, and Sturt’s Desert Pea with a variety of coloured centres. A thorny dragon—Moloch horridus— proved photogenic. Marble Bar presented a fine figure of an aborigine host-cum-guest at the jail. Beautiful streaky coloured band- ing showed in the jasper cliffs. Dale’s Gorge scenes revealed 4-500 feet deep brilliant red cliffs and green water below. One river gum showed self grafting in its boughs. The Robe River had magnificent paper bark trees, Melaleuca leucoden- dron. 81 As the journey continued from Ash- burton River to the Murchison, slides showed ever changing colour and form of flowers: red, round heads of Gom- phrena, violet Swainsona occidentalis, purple-violet Ruellia primulacea, pink Grevillea petrophilioides, creamy An- thocercis littorea, red Hakea bucculen- ta, blue-purple Stemodia grossa, pale yellow Grevillea dimidiata, a red beady Darwinia and D. neildiana, \emon Melaleuca cardiophylla, blue Calade- nia gemmata, pinkish-violet Melaleuca radula, Hakea_ orthorrhynchus with birdlike capsules, low 15 inch high Banksia laricina, golden Dryandra, scarlet Grevillea dielsiana, and brilliant red Verticordia grandis. The President thanked Mr. Morri- son, and members showed their ap- preciation of the interesting talk. Mr. Tan Morrison projected the slides. Mr. D. McInnes complimented the editor, Mr. Grif Ward, on the current Natu- ralist and its contents. Exhibits Miss K. Hall showed a drawer, one of a pair belonging to a table in a shed with earthen floor at Balnarring. The owners left towels in one drawer and tissues in the other. A mouse— probably a yellow footed marsupial mouse—Antichinus flaviceps, made her nest of leaves and tissues from the next drawer. She had _ several young. Mr. T. Sault brought fossil leaves in Oligocene under basalt from Bun- darrah River and partly silicified wood—probably Hoop Pine from Bundarrah River (Oligocene). Mr. A. J. Swaby showed Fratia sur- repens (alpine Pratia—Lobeliaceae) and Persoonia pinifolia. A huge larva of White-stemmed Gum Moth, Chelepteryx collesi, was displayed as well as two longicorn beetles and a robber fly. 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 30 photographs. Price 75c. VICTORIAN TOADSTOOLS AND MUSHROOMS, by J. H. Willis. This describes 120 toadstool species and many other fungi. There are four coloured plates and 31 other illustrations. New edition. Price 90c. THE VEGETATION OF WYPERFELD NATIONAL PARK, by J. R. Garnet. Coloured frontispiece, 23 half-tone, 100 line drawings of plants and a map. Price $1.50. Address orders and inquiries to Sales Officer, F.N.C.V., National Herbarium, South Yarra, Victoria. Payments should include postage (9c on single copy). 82 Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Wednesday, 11 March—Annual Meeting at National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, commencing at 8 p.m. 1. Minutes, Reports, Announcements. 2. Correspondence. 3. Subject for the evening—‘“Conservation 1970”—Speakers: Ros. J. Garnet, Reg Johnson (B.O.C. Pres.), David Lee (F.N.C.V.). 4. New Members. December ’69; January ’70 (a) Ordinary: Mr. Ross Burgess, 13 Otterington Grove, East Ivanhoe, 3079. (Interest: Geology.) Mr. William A. Davis, 39 Fairlie Avenue, Macleod, 3085. (Interest: Ornithology & Nature photography. ) Miss Alison E. Fraser, Flat 11, 11 Raleigh Street, Windsor, 3181. (Interest: Entomology. ) Mr. Robert J. Lawson, 8 Gwenda Avenue, Moorabbin, 3189. (Interest: Conservation of Australian Birds & Animals.) Dr. Margaret McLeod, Royal Park Receiving Hospital, Private Bag 3, Parkville, 3052. (Interest: All Naturalist Studies. ) Joint Ordinary: Mrs. R. Kelly & Master Andrew Kelly, 4 Trawalla Avenue, Toorak, 3142. (b) Country: Mr. John E. Jamison, 37 Dawes Road, Kyabram, Vic., 3620. (Interest: Conservation of flora & fauna.) Mr. Thomas McK. King, Esmonde Street, Rushworth, Vic., 3612. (Interest: Conservation ot flora & fauna. ) (c) Junior: Mr. L. G. Hodgsen, ‘‘Cambina’’, Calder Highway, Keilor, 3036. Mr. Michael D. Howes, 100 Walpole Street, Kew, 3101. (Interest: Geology.) 5. General Business. 6. Nature Notes and Exhibits. Monday, 13 April—Speaker: Helen Ashton. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 15 March—Lal Lal. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. Fare: $2.00. Bring two meals. Easter: 27-30 March—Warrnambool with trips to Tower Hill, Port Campbell, etc. A coach has been chartered for this period and motel accommodation booked for coach party at $6.50 per day for dinner, bed and breakfast. This is to be paid individually by members and the coach fare of $15.00 should be paid to the excursion secretary when booking, all cheques to be made out to Excursion Trust. The coach will leave Flinders Street outside the Gas and Fuel Corpora- tion at 9.00 a.m., Good Friday. GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at National Herbarium unless otherwise stated.) Thursday, 12 March—Botany Group. Mr. J. H. Willis will speak on “Botanical Personalities in Australia’’. Wednesday, 18 March—Microscopical Group. Wednesday, 1 April— Geology Group. Thursday, 2 April—Mammal Survey Group at Sir Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, corner of Brown St. and Stradbroke Ave., Heidel- berg. Friday, 3 April—Montmorency District Junior F.N.C. Monday, 6 April—Entomology and Marine Biology Group meeting at 8 p.m. at the National Musuem, Russell Street, Melbourne. Thursday, 9 April—Botany Group—Myrtaceae, by Miss M. Lester. March, 1970 83 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Established 1880 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, 1969/70 President: Mr. E. R. ALLAN Vice-President: 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. WARD, 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). Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. B. FUHRER, 25 Sunhill Av., North Ringwood, 3134. Book Sales Officer: Mrs. J. STRONG. Group Secretaries: Botany: Miss M. BUTCHART, 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, se. fc ll oa eee a gaa ee $7. Gountny, ‘Members: < Seo fies cies RA escheat Vaal Ue OE, TE en ee ee $5.00 Joint Members wu. wu u.. $2 Junior Members ......_ ...... $ Junior Members receiving Vict. Nat. OC OY Va RA ees nk | ae Pe $4.00 Subscribers’ to:\Vict. Nat. 3.00 i. ccc Cokes Ge lee Jk. aR) ae? ec i et $5.00 Affiliated Societies cam. ssc | cece Zines eeu _ ceeege iedne nasi) Sua Stee Jee ees aeeiees $7.00 Life Membership (reducing, after 20 years) onc. ccc. _<_———__— Moss Agate 6. ribbon agate iris agate SMOKY QUARTZ CITRINE N.B. MIDDLE ~ TRIDYMITi Agate a. fortification agate d Agote of a deep prussian Fiug 4. CRISTOBAITE La TZ fine wroined T vorives e ec. etc. ROSE WARTZ 100 Vic, Nat. —Vol. 87 "ye agate Agate Is much used for jewellery, and hundreds of names have been given to the different combinations of colour pattern and banding. Three major types of banding are recognized; a. Fortification Agate—the bands form sharp, re-entrant angles. b. Eye Agate—when sectioned, the bands are in the form of a series of concentric circles. c. Ribbon Agate—the bands are Straight and parallel Agate frequently occurs a nod ules” (irregular masses having an un attractive outer surface) in igneous flow rocks such as basalt. Generally the nodules occupy cavities formed by the accumulation of gases as the lava forming the enclosing rock became solid. Usually, agate nodules are less than one foot is diameter but some- KEATITE COESITE STISHOVITE | ] HIGH~CRISTOBALITE LOW~ LOW~ TRIDYMITE Hyalite CHERT Chrysoprase Prase heliotrope, BLUE QUARTZ MILKY QUARTZ be tur is obtained by dyeing April, 1970 Common Opa/ Plasma bloodstone in part CRISTOBALITE OPAL Precious Opa/ NOVACULITE JASPER Heliotrope 101 (— 5a. Sb Figure 5. Sectioned and _ polished agate nodules. Sa. Eye agate from Brazil, South Am- erica. Sb. Fortification and Ribbon agate, from erica. Agate Creek, Queensland. Sc. Eye agate from Brazil, South Am- Photos: Jeffrey Jamieson, National Museum of Victoria. | 102 Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 times may be much larger. Commonly, the nodules have a central cavity filled with quartz crystals; such nodules are called geodes. The best agate in Australia comes from Agate Creek in Queensland; small, beautifully coloured agate nod- ules have been found near Port Aug- usta in South Australia. Greyish-white agate pebbles occur in the Beechworth and Nowa Nowa districts in Victoria. Chrysoprase—a translucent, apple- green, fibrous or granular variety of quartz containing small amounts of nickel silicate. It generally forms veins and cappings associated with weath- ered silica-poor igneous rocks. Chryso- prase occurs near Marlborough, Queensland*, near Kalgoorlie and at Wingellina in Western Australia. Prase—a _ leek-green, translucent, granular variety of quartz, the colour being caused by the presence of inclu- sions of either chlorite or amphibole minerals. Heliotrope and _ Bloodstone are opaque to somewhat translucent, gran- ular varieties of quartz, of a green to greyish-green colour and containing small areas of red or yellow-brown jasper. Bloodstone occurs near Spar- goville in Western Australia. Flint and Chert differ from the other fine-grained forms of quartz in that they may be regarded both as sedimentary rocks and also as min- erals. Both are granular, the grains being somewhat larger in chert. Fossils may be present and _ usually are silicified. Geologists are still undecided about the way in which chert beds are formed. In some cases, the silica has * “Australian Jade’ is a name sometimes given to the chrysoprase from Marlborough. The name is undesirable since jade is an entirely different mineral. April, 1970 been dissolved during rock weathering and carried down to the sea (by rivers) where it is deposited on the sea floor, eventually forming chert beds. In other cases the chert beds appear to consist of silica released by volcanic activity and by the weathering of volcanic ash. This silica may either be deposited on the sea floor or may replace other rocks such as limestone. Flint occurs as irregular nodules less than one foot in diameter and chalky-white in colour. Freshly broken (fracture) surfaces are smooth and curved (conchoidal), generally being dark grey or black in colour. The white outer coating consists either of silica or of calcium carbonate. Chert is a form of quartz having somewhat curved and uneven fracture surfaces. Typically the colour is grey to whitish, yellowish or reddish. As the fracture surfaces become smoother, chert grades into flint. Flint occurs as nodules in limestone (the flint nodules on Victorian beaches have weathered out of the Tertiary limestones near Portland in western Victoria) while chert generally forms large sheetlike, often bedded masses. Chert is found at Heathcote, Victoria and at Kiandra in southern New South Wales. It is common also in many parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Novaculite—a _ white-coloured rock found in Arkansas, U.S.A., and com- posed of interlocking quartz grains. It is thought to be a chert that has been altered (metamorphosed) by heat and pressure. Jasper is an opaque, fine-grained form of quartz containing up to twenty per cent of iron oxide. Generally it is red or yellow (due to the presence of finely divided hematite or limonite respectively), green or even black. 103 Jasper is very closely related to chert but is distinguished by its even fracture and ability to take a high polish. Jasper may occur in either sedimen- tary or metamorphic rocks; waterworn jasper pebbles are common in many Victorian rivers e.g., the Avon and the Stratford. Sedimentary rocks com- posed largely of jasper are common in parts of Western Australia. Fine-grained forms of quartz very frequently are formed by deposition from cold solutions containing small amounts of dissolved silica. Siliceous pseudomorphs are formed when silica- bearing solutions slowly dissolve the objects and at the same time replace the dissolved material with silica. The coarse-grained forms of silica usually form from hot solutions assoc- lated with igneous rocks but some, notably vein quartz, may also be de- posited by cool solutions or may rep- resent resrystallized fine-grained silica. HIGH QUARTZ High-quartz occurs in igneous rocks that have solidified at temperatures above 573°C. e.g., rhyolite and dacite. Very often it has altered to low-quartz and is then generally opaque and of a white or greyish colour. High and low- quartz crystals are very similar in appearance; however, high-quartz crys- tals are terminated by hexagonal pyr- amids and not by positive and negative rhombohedra. High-quartz may be either right or left handed, is usually twinned and breaks relatively easily in two directions. Figure 6. High (B)-Quartz crystals from Bougainville Island, T.P.N.G. Photo: B. Smale 104 Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 TRIDYMITE.. (HIGH-, MIDDLE-, LOow-) High-tridymite is fairly common in silica-rich igneous rocks such as rhyo- lite and dacite where it occurs either as grains or small crystals a fraction of an inch in length, lining gas cavities. The crystals occur as flattened hexag- onal prisms and pyramids, which, when twinned form rosettes called trillings; they are often opaque and of a light grey-brown colour. High-tridymite forms only above 870°C. and alters (very slowly) to ?hexagonal middle-tridymite when cooled below 163°C. On further cool- ing to below 117°C., the middle- tridymite alters to orthorhombic low- tridymite. Consequently, all natural tridymite crystals consist of low-tridy- mite having the same shape as the original high-tridymite. Low-tridymite is transparent and has a glassy lustre. All low-tridymite has formed by the slow cooling of high-tridymite. HIGH CRISTOBALITE High-cristobalite forms at very high temperatures (above 1470°C.) and on cooling, alters at 280°C. to low- cristobalite. High-cristobalite crystall- ises in the cubic system and whilst generally massive sometimes occurs as small, eight-sided (octahedral) crys- tals. Like tridymite it is about 2.2 times as dense as water (low-quartz is 2.67 times as dense as water). High- cristobalite occurs in silica-rich vol- canic rocks that, geologically speaking, are relatively young. Thunder Eggs are hollow, roughly spherical structures which have form- ed in silica-rich volcanic rocks such as rhyolites. They consist of radially arranged feldspar crystals surround- ing steam cavities in the lava, the spaces between the crystals being oc- cupied by high-cristobalite. This high- April, 1970 cristobalite subsequently transformed to the low temperature form as the enclosing rock became cooler. The hollow interior either is partly or completely infilled agate, chalcedony and quartz. Occasionally, minerals such as calcite and hematite are also present. Low CRISTOBALITE Low-cristobalite is tetragonal but almost always occurs as fibrous crusts and veins. It is the form of silica which is deposited by cool or warm water at ordinary pressures. Opal is an amorphous or poorly crystalline variety of low-cristobalite containing up to twenty per cent by weight of water. The colour of opal varies greatly and may be caused by 1. the presence of impurities such as iron oxide. scattering of light rays by small cracks within the opal. 3. diffraction of light rays by regular arrays of silica spheres. The study of the conditions necessary for diffraction to occur, requires a knowledge of advanced physics. A further difficulty is that the sur- faces of both natural and cut opals normally are curved, not flat. This last mechanism is responsible for the “play” of colours in precious opal; regular arrays of uniformly sized silica spheres cause white light to be diffracted or split up into its com- ponent colours. For diffraction of visible light to occur, these spheres must be between 1700 and 3500A* in diameter. The colour of an opal is proportional to the size of the spheres and is blue-violet when the spheres are approximately i) * A = Angstrom unit, a unit of length which equals one hundred-millionth of a centimetre i.e., there are approximately two hundred and fifty- four million angstrom units in one inch. 105 Figure 7. Electron micrograph of Precious Opal section of fossil bone showing the regular shape and orderly array of the silica spheres. The spheres conist of seconday silica aggregates having a central core. Photo: Dr. J. V. Sanders, Division of Tribophysics, CSIRO. 1750A in diameter. Opal having both blue and green “fire” consists of spheres about 2000A in diameter; spheres about 3500A in diameter pro- duce the full play of colours, including red. Work carried out by the C.S.I.R.O. has indicated the conditions under which precious opal may be formed. In the arid parts of central Australia, precious Opal occurs in seams and cavities in flat-lying sedimentary rocks. Cavities in these rocks are filled with groundwater containing small amounts of dissolved silica, any water lost by evaporation being replaced by addit- ional groundwater. As the amount of silica in the cavity increases, the water- rich silica molecules coalesce, forming small spheres. These spheres gradually sink to the bottom of the cavity where they cluster together as aggregates. If the jelly-like fluid at the bottom of the cavity is too viscous, either the aggre- gates will not be spherical or else they will not form regular arrays. In such a case precious opal will not form. Initially the spherical silica aggre- gates are very soft and fragile. As the 106 Magnification 25,000X cavity dries out (largely as a result of the sealing of the lower portions of the walls of the cavity by the jelly-like fluid), the aggregates lose water and become relatively hard. From time to time, more water may enter the cavity and, as it evaporates, the additional silica cements the aggregates together. During the drying process the aggre- gates may either be squeezed out of shape or the space between them may become completely filled with silica. In such a case, the play of colours would be less brilliant or may even completely disappear. When many of the spaces are irregular in form due to their being partly infilled by silica, the opal will have a milky appearance. A layer of opal one centimeter (about 4/10’) thick may require from two hundred thousand to five million years for its formation. To summarise, the size of the silica aggregates determines the colours shown by a piece of opal and the form of the spaces between the aggregates controls the brilliance of these colours. Common opal is formed under con- ditions that do not permit the accum- Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 Be groundwater: contain. 4. ing silica: in’ eatin. : -: Velaystorie’- fo - Wea silica Gaoecties : zs silica ‘Spheres / = bentonite Eesti cies ee: ee cae Present Ground Surface orous* claystoné’ | -- , BF “layer of Figure 8: (a) empty cavity, cavity, INSET. Z =F “allies ‘aggregates Sain a “Bentonite if meee ~Silica-rich | fluid : SHica- om Diagram illustrating the formation of Precious Opal. (b) partly filled cavity at the junction of a bentonite and an overlying claystone bed, (d) opal replacement of fossil, Detailed view of a typical (c) solution (e) joint cavity cavity showing water entering and leaving through fractures in the rock ulation of regular arrays of spherical aggregates of a diameter sufficiently large to cause diffraction of visible light. There are a number of sub-varieties of opal including; Opalised Wood: Wood which has been replaced by opaline silica; the woody structure usually is clearly visible. Opalised Bones and Opalised Shells are replacements of bones and shells respectively. Moss Opal: Common opal con- taining inclusions of manganese or iron oxides. The inclusions often have a moss-like appearance. Hyalite: A colourless, glassy form of common opal, usually occurring as globular masses or crusts. April, 1970 Opal is a very common material; it occurs as cavity and fracture fillings in igneous and sedimentary rocks and also as a porous crusts or “sinter” near many hot springs. It forms the skele- tons of many marine animals and plants and is the main constituent of the rocks known as radiolarite and diatomite. Wood, bones and shells are frequently found to have been replaced by either precious or common opal. The world’s main source of precious Opal is the dry inland parts of Eastern Australia at such places as Lightning Ridge, Andamooka and Coober Pedy. Common opal is found in many places throughout Australia and fine speci- mens are common in the volcanic rocks north of Buchan, Victoria. KEATITE Keatite is a tetragonal form of silica not known to occur naturally. 107 COESITE Coesite is a monoclinic form of silica formed by _ sudden, intense (shock) pressures. It is found at Meteor Crater, Arizona, U.S.A. STISHOVITE Stishovite is a tetragonal form of silica, 4.3 times as heavy as water, which is formed at very high temper- atures and pressures. It is found as microscopic grains at Meteor Crater, Arizona. LECHATELIERITE If molten silica is cooled very quickly there may not be time for it to become crystalline and silica glass or lechatelierite, will be formed. Gen- erally it is formed when quartz grains are melted by either a meteorite impact or a lightning strike. Lightning strikes frequently form long, thin, tapering tubes having smooth inner walls; the outside is coated with ad- hering sand grains. Affulgurite from Goroke, in Western Victoria is more than five feet in length. Lechatelierite may also be formed when plant mat- erial such as haystacks are burnt. Acknowledgements The author is grateful to Dr. A. W. Beasley of the National Museum of Victoria, and to Mr. J. E. Johnson for advice and assistance in the pre- paration of the manuscript. Thanks are due to Mr. J. K. Jamieson for providing photographs of sawn agate nodules, and to the Director of the National Museum of Victoria for per- mission to publish these photographs. The Division of Applied Mineralogy, CSIRO, kindly provided information and the electron micrograph of precious opal. FURTHER READING Many books and scientific papers have been written about the various silica minerals; most of these are available at the State Library in Swanston Street, Melbourne. Frondel, Clifford, Dana’s System of Mineralogy, 7th. Ed. Volume _ III, Silica Minerals. Wiley, New York, 1962. Beasley, A. W., “Some Geological Curi- Osities”. The Australian Lapidary Magazine, Vol. 5 No. 11, pp. 7-9 June, 1969. Darragh, P. J., Gaskin, A. J. Terrell, B. C. & Sanders, J. V., “Origin of Precious Opal”. Nature, Vol. 209, No. 5018, pp. 13-16, January 1, 1965. Darragh, P. J., and Gaskin, A. V.; “The Nature and Origin of Opal”. The Australian Gemmologist, No. 66, pp. 5-9, December, 1966. Darragh, P. J. and Sanders, J. V., “The Origin of Colour in Opal”. Australian Gemmologist, 1965. Bryan, W. H., “The Origin and Nature of Thunder Eggs”. The Australian Gemmologist, pp. 5-9, June, 1964. CORRECTION AND APOLOGY In the Vict. Nat. 87, (3) p. 79 for last month, it was wrongly reported that the Conservation Council of Victoria had called a meeting to consider the turning of Gemmills Swamp into an aquatic sports arena. In fact, it was the Shire of Rodney who called the meeting; and our apologies go to the CCV. {Ed.] 108 Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 book reviews The Last of Lands Edited by L. J. Webb, D. Whitelock and J. Le Gay Brereton. Jacaranda Press Pty. Ltd., 1969 204 + xvi pp., illustrated by 22 coloured, 82 black and white photographs. 1027. x 8". Price: $6.95: This book arose out of a summer school on national parks and conser- vation held at the University of New England, Armidale, in 1964, and em- bodies contributions by an impressive group of collaborating authors cover- ing all aspects of the vital subject of conservation in Australia. The intro- duction rightly claims that conserva- tion ranks with nuclear war and multi-racial strife as the central chal- lenge of our time. Outdated should be “the short-sighted greed (usually eu- phemized as ‘development’)” and the o'd maxim: “If it moves, shoot it; if it stands still, cut it down”. There is a foreword by H.R.H. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the book is dedicated to the late Pro- fessor Jock Marshall, whose book, The Great Extermination, made as great an impact on the Australian scene as the late Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring caused around the world. Part I deals with conservation in general, the ecological aspects being dealt with by Dr: M. F. Day, of CSIRO, Canberra, former chairman of the Australian Academy of Scien- ce’s Committee on National Parks and Reserves; conservation in relation to the land and its use by R. G. Downes, chairman of the Soil Conservation Authority of Victoria, and member of the National Parks Authority; the economic bases for decision-making on conservation by Dr. J. A. Sinden (University of New England) and Dr. W. F. Musgrave (senior lecturer in agricultural economics at the same university); recreational aspects by April, 1970 R. D. Piesse, Director of the Austra- lian Conservation Foundation; man- agement probiems of national parks by Dr. J. D. Ovington, head of De- partment of Forestry, ANU, Can- berra, and an expert on international conservation; the role of public opin- ion in conservation, appropriately by Judith Wright (Mrs. McKinney), writer and poet, president of Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland and former editor of its journal, Wild- life in Australia, and very active re- cently in demanding action to save the Great Barrier Reef; and, finally, international perspectives in nature conservation by Dr. William C. Rob- ison, an American geographer in- terested in national parks and familiar with Australia after several long visits. Part II consists of a setting-out of just what we have that deserves and urgently needs conservation. Austra- lian ecosystems and their origins are discussed by Dr. J. Le Gay Brereton (Associate Professor of Zoology, Uni- versity of New England), Dr. B. N. Richards (Dept. of Botany in that university) and J. B. Williams, ecolo- gist of subtropical rainforests, mon- tane beech forests and the kind of coastal sand-deposit rainforests at present threatened at Cooloola. The Australian flora is dealt with by J. G. Tracey (CSIRO ecologist, Bris- bane), Dr. L. J. Webb (ditto), and Dr. W. T. Williams, ‘the computer botanist’, formerly of the University of Southampton but since of Can- berra and Brisbane, a member of the Fauna and Flora Committee of the Australian Academy of Science. Re- 109 ference is made to Australia’s many primitive plants and ‘living fossils’, and to the unique ‘accessibility’ here of such a wide variety of plant spe- cies, the dominance of evergreens and the absence of succulents. L. J. Webb deals with chemical research on Australian plants. The vertebrate fauna is treated by J. H. Calaby, CSIRO taxonomic mammalogist who has published much about our kanga- roos, and Dr. Elizabeth N. Marks (University of Queensland entomolo- gist, a leading expert on mosquitoes in the tropics) deals with the inverte- brates. Dr. Donald F. McMichael, first Director of the Australian Con- servation Foundation and now Direc- tor of National Parks and Wildlife in New South Wales, takes as his subject marine national parks. Part III consists of a description and assessment of the status quo in each State with regard to national parks and conservation reserves, to- gether with a discussion of current management problems, administration and legislation, and a look into the future towards the achievement of at least a 5 per cent figure of the total land area to be set aside in perpetuity and unassailability. Derek Whitelock, Adult Education Department, Uni- versity of Adelaide (who organized the conservation seminar when doing similar work at New England), de- scribes New England National Park, Gibraltar Range National Park (near Grafton, shockingly ravaged by a fierce bushfire in 1964, but in charge of a typically dedicated ranger) and Dorrigo National Park. New South Wales in general is dealt with by staunch conservationist Allen Axel Strom, Queensland by J. K. Jarrett, secretary of the National Parks Association of Queensland, and Tasmania by Dr. J. G. Mosley, assist- ant director of the Australian Con- servation Foundation. Our own 110 F.N.C.V. council member and leading conservationist, J. Ros Garnet, who has played a leading part for so many years in almost every society working for these aims (such as V.N.P.A., S.G.A.P. and N.P.P.S.), contributes an excellent chapter on the national parks and nature conservation areas of Victoria, telling the story from the sad rape of Tower Hill through the almost inadvertent reservation of areas that were considered useless for graz- ing and the successes of naturalists’ agitation from time to time, down to the present era, with some items on the credit side but considerable debits too. Recommendations for a more representative National Parks Author- ity and the lessening of political in- terference are made. South Australia’s position is re- viewed by C. Warren Bonython, Presi- dent of the Nature Conservation Soci- ety of S.A., Western Australia by Vincent Serventy, present editor of Wildlife in Australia, author of nat- ural history books and widely known for his ‘Nature Walkabout’ television films, and Northern Territory by Colonel Lionel Rose, chairman of the N.T. Reserves Board and author of the hooket on Ayers Rock—Mt. Olga National Park. This is a long review, but its length is justified by the supreme importance of the theme of the book, which it is hoped will have a wide sale be- cause all royalties will be donated to the Australian Conservation Founda- tion. The rate at which destruction is still being carried on, especially in Queensland and Western Australia, is heartbreaking, and the more publicity there is of this type and of the two lavishly illustrated ‘coffee table’ books on national parks recently published the more likelihood there is of a better climate of opinion on the urgent ne- cessity of conservation. J. A. Baines. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 Australian Seashores in Colour by Keith Gillet and John Yaldwyn. A. H. & A. W. Reed, 1969. Pp. 112, 52 col. p11. and numerous b.&.w. figs. $3.95. This is one of the best of these publishers’ series of small natural history books. The text provides de- tailed information on both general Australian marine biogeography and life histories of Australian marine ani- mals, and the plates attain a superb- ness not usually found in works of natural history for the general reader at this price. The opening chapters include maps showing the warm and cool currents affecting Australia and the distribution of the continental shelf. They also give a good introduction to under- standing and observation of the vary- ing waters and shores. The clear and 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, experi- mental lens set, etc. April, 1970 well labelled diagrammatic drawing of a representative animal for each of several groups exemplifies the authors’ aim to instruct as well as captivate. Unfortunately the Phyla are not clearly set out. There is a marked un- evenness of treatment of animal groups, and to illustrate minor short- comings, penguins would be more properly grouped with oceanic than with shore birds. Nevertheless this book has the value of being a reference work as well as one which stimulates interest in a striking fashion pictorially. A. R. McE. ENTOMOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT Butterfly nets, pins, store-boxes, etc. We are direct importers and manufacturers, and specialise in Mail Orders (write for free price Jist) AUSTRALIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SUPPLIES 14 Chisholm St., Greenwich Sydney 2065 Phone: 43 3972 111 FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA General Meeting 11 March The meeting was attended by approx- imately 80 members and friends, and chaired by the Vice-President, Mr. T. Sault, in the absence of the President, Mr. E. Allan, now on an overseas trip. It was moved by Mr. J. Swaby, sec- onded by Mr. Bishop that the Minutes of the General Meeting held on 9 Feb- ruary, 1970 be taken as read. A motion was moved by Mr. Woollard and _ sec- onded by Mr. A. Fairhall that the Min- utes of the Annual General Meeting held 12 March, 1969, be taken as read. Mr. T. Sault extended wishes on be- half of the Club for a speedy recovery to Mr. Hooke, Mr. Hanks and Mr. F. Zirkler who are on the sick list. New members whose names appear in the March, 1970 Vic. Naturalist, were elected on the motion of Messrs. Cooper and Morrison. The Treasurer’s Report was_ present- ed by Mr. D. McInnes, who moved that the Balance Sheet and Statements as published in the Victorian Naturalist be adopted. This was seconded by Mr. J. Willis and carried with the approval of the meeting. Mr. McInnes commented on the deficit shown and said that this was due mainly to loss of membership and consequent loss of subscriptions, also to loss of advertising revenue. The continued excellent work done by Mrs. Strong as Sales Officer was commended by Mr. McInnes. The Treasurer moved that the present Auditors, Danby Bland & Co., be appointed for the coming year. Sec- onded by Mr. Douglas. Mr. T. Sault observed that consider- ing the flood of books dealing with natural history on the market today, and the wide and increasing interest in the subject it would seem that member- ship should be growing. The F.N.C.V. Office-Bearers for 1970- 1971. are:— President: Mr. T. Sault Vice-Presidents: Mr. J. Strong, Mr. P. Curliss Secretary: Mr. D. Lee Asst. Secretary: Mr. R. Condron Treasurer: Mr. D. McInnes Asst. Treasurer: Mrs. E. King Editor: Mr. G. Ward Asst. Editor: Mr. P. Gahan Librarian: Mr. P. Kelly 112 Asst. Librarian: Miss M. Lester Excursion Secretary: Miss M. Allender Residual Councillors: Mr. A. Fairhall, Mr. A. Lewis, Miss M. Morgan, Mrs. P. Strong. It was moved by Mr. A. J. Swaby, seconded by Miss M. Allender that the 90th Annual Report by the Secretary as published in the March, 1970 issue of the Vict. Nat. be adopted. Mr. Swaby brought to the notice of the meeting three points from the Sec- retary’s report for their further consid- eration. These were:— (a) This was the 28th anniversary of the formation of study groups within the Club and more group activity should be undertaken. (b) In answer to the question “what can the concerned citizen do”, there was a need for greater co- operation with country clubs as opposed to individual action. The Little Desert issue is _ not dead. The necessity for continued vigilance and interest in political moves on this subject was para- mount. Mr. Swaby concluded by moving a vote of thanks to the officers and Coun- cil for the past year’s efforts. Seconded by Mr. Strong. (c — Correspondence: A form was received from the Nat- ural History Medallion Secretary ask- ing for a nomination for this year. Council has nominated Miss Jean Gal- braith, and a request for the setting up of a sub-committee to complete a dos- sier was put forward. Support for the Bannockburn Wild- flower Reserve as requested by the S.G.A.P. has been approved. The meeting was informed of the death of Mr. Charles Gardner in West Australia; Mr. Gardner was the recip- ient of last year’s Medallion. It was moved by Miss J. Woollard and seconded by Mr. P. Curliss that the correspondence be received. Subject for the Evening: Under the title of “Conservation ’70”, a panel of three members, Messrs. J. Ros Garnet*, R. Johnson and D. Lee, spoke on different aspects of conservation. * The lecture of this speaker will be printed in full in the Vict. Nat. for May. Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 Mr. R. Johnson, President of the B.O.C. used the title “Conservation — who cares?” for his talk. He stated that Govt. Depts. were required to control large areas within economic terms and although staff were competent, natural history studies were not particularly encouraged. Text books were not made available out of public funds. Do people using National Parks and Reserves care? The heaps of rubbish, bottles, cans, left lying about, lighting of fires, and the vandalism by shooters all contributed to making the rangers’ jobs difficult, leaving no time for other matters. Fraser National Park was an example where two excellent men were doing good work but the pressure of people was becoming too much. Politicians did little more than satisfy their electors to a minimal degree. This was demonstrated recently when only one political party took advantage of help and advice from natural history bodies when a much publicised conser- vation issue was raised. Scientists were usually more con- cerned with research than the subject but a new course at New England University on conservation was a start for greater studies at ths level. The public image of natural history clubs was unfortunate in that members were regarded by many as “cranks”, “bug-hunters”, and “compulsive letter writers”. A new aproach to the public was called for to attract new members by spreading propaganda in the right quarters. This could be done at the Nature Show, and by getting people with commercial interests in towns and country areas conservation minded. As a result the attraction of tourists could be a boost for their areas. Money was found for almost every- thing except reserves, so people had to be convinced of the benefits that would accrue from conservation, the need for an appreciation of the aesthetic values, and the need for the protection of what had been conserved. The Little Desert issue was an example of what could be done. Mem- bers of Parliament were bombarded with the greatest spate of letters and petitions in the history of Victoria and this helped to delay the program. The climate of conservation is very favor- able at present, due largely to interest raised by the Little Desert controversy, making prospects for future projects very good. April, 1970 The third speaker, Mr. D. Lee stressed the need for more active participation by members in collecting data and corre- lating information on certain localities. A mine of information was contained in the Vict. Nat. magazines but it was unavailable in its present form and needed to be collated so it could be used as a reference for particular areas. A case in point was the flora of the Sandringham Heathlands, Brighton and Beaumaris districts. This encompassed 250 square miles and was comprehen- sively described in the Vict. Nat. in 1912 by Dr. Charles Sutton; but none of this area had been preserved. Surveys of areas should be made as informa- tion gained may contain answers as to why pollution occurs and other prob- lems. He concluded by observing that the basis of Natural History was history and members should put “history” back in “natural history”. Questions were addressed to the speakers on the litter problem. Mr. Cooper spoke of the issuing of 10,000 plastic litter bags to visitors over a holi- day period at Wilson’s Promontory. This had been very successful as only 5% were discarded. Mr. Douglas commented on _ the great interest in natural history by the public because of the many letters he received in the course of his work as a journalist. He also made _ reference to the work done by the Mammal Sur- vey Group, who were very active, and the possibility of being able to provide data on the Maribyrnong River Catch- ment Area, required by the Board of Works. Miss J. Woollard suggested more use could be made of radio talk-back pro- grams as an avenue for propaganda. Mr. T. Sault said that greater inter- est should be taken in preserving geo- logical features, many being unique to Victoria. It was desirable that mem- bers should become more active and older members give a lead to _ the younger ones with increased support to junior clubs. Mr. Sault thanked the speakers and was enthusiastically supported by the audience. Mr. J. Willis spoke on a_ project undertaken by Camberwell Boys Gram- mar School pupils during their summer camp at Mt. Disappointment regarding the study of lichen growth and also sug- gested that another area for research was the growth of porcupine grass. 113 Announcements: Mr. and Mrs. J. Strong would be absent for three months during the winter and Miss Mary Morgan offered her services as Book Sales Officer for this period. Mrs. G. Taylor advised that the quarterly meeting of the V.N.P.A. would be held on 23rd March and the speaker to be Prof. Turner whose subject was “Conservation in Great Britain”. The Save Our Bushland Action Com- mittee would hold a film night with an address by Dr. Malcolm Hall on 29th April. The venue was the Assembly Hall, Methodist Ladies College, Fitz- william Street, Kew. Mr. Douglas announced that a society had been formed for the pres- ervation of an area of 8,000 acres at Mt. Macedon and that plans were in hand to begin work on this proposal. Exhibits: A map of the Little Desert Wyperfeld National Park areas tabled by Mr. D. McInnes. Mr. T. Sault showed fan weed, a green algae, under the Microscope. Mr. A. J. Swaby showed a mat plant, Sagina procumbens grown in a_ pot and a seedling of Homolanthus populif- and a seedling of Homolanthus populif- olius, the Queensland poplar. Miss Allender gave details of the Easter excursion to Warrnambool and districts and said that the Warrnambool Club would be leaders. There were still some vacancies. Mr. D. McInnes advised that there were some vacancies available on the camp-out being organised by the Haw- thorn Juniors at Easter to Wyperfeld National Park and the Little Desert. The provision of camp gear and food was necessary. and was Botany Group Meeting 12 February There was a good attendance of 28 members and visitors, with Mr. Fairhall in the Chair. After dealing with various business matters, such as the Botany Group exhibit at the Nature Show (an historical subject, the “New Plants” and the botanists of Captain Cook’s Expedi- tion), and a program of day and week- end excursions for the year, the subject for the evening was introduced—“The Identification of W.A. Wildflowers”. Mr. Fell, who has been living in W.A. for some time, showed slides of beautiful specimens and was able to help with many of the names. He also spoke 114 about and showed slides of the indis- criminate burning and bull-dozing which is occurring in the South-West of W.A. He showed pictures of superb natural gardens near Cape d’Entrecasteaux which were later quite destroyed by burning- off. There were also pictures of the same thing in the beautiful approaches to the Stirling Ranges, due to so-called “protective burning”’. Mr. Alan Morrison showed and named clearly many lovely and uncommon flowers, one being the _ rarely-noticed Lazy Orchid (Caladenia multiclaira). Miss M. Elder, Miss E. Jones and Miss M. Allender also showed interesting and helpful slides. Geology Group Meeting 4 February Twenty two members and_ visitors attended. The newly elected Chairman for 1970, Mr. Blackburn, occupied the Chair. The Subject for the evening was of Holiday Reminiscenses. Members showed slides and exhibited specimens collected during the holiday recess. Mr. B. Cooper spoke about slides taken on a previous excursion to S.A. These in- cluded views of the Pre-Cambrian rocks there, (Adelaide Basement Series), and also Pre-Cambrian Tillite and Permian Tillite. Others included folded Jasperlite (low grade iron-ore) at Iron-Duke. Messrs McInnes and Sault spoke of rocks co llected on the Bogong High Plains and exhibited specimens and microscopic slides of some of these. Also exhibited from this area were fossilized leaves and plant remains in shale underlying a thin seam of coal under Tertiary Basalt at Bundarrah River. Mr. Dodds spoke of Glacial Pavements at the newly built Commadai reservoir. Many of these have now been inundated by the rising waters. He reminded members that anyone wish- ing to collect fossil Ostracods should do so before the winter rains as the bed containing the fossils may be permanent- ly covered with water. Other exhibits: — Miss Pertinac—Tourmaline and Garnet, Wodonga. Mr. Holmes—Fossil shells, (Permian) collected during the Hawthorn Juniors Christmas excursion to Tasmania. Mr. Taylor—Gabbro, Waratah Bay. Chalcedony, Laverton, W.A. Selwynite, Heathcote. Volcanic bombs, Mt. Porn- don. Mr. Dodds—Muscovite, India. Silver- Lead-Zinc Ore, Parnell Mine, Broken- Hill. Opal, Gelantipy. Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Wednesday, 13 April—General Meeting at National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, commencing at 8 p.m. 1. Minutes, Reports, Announcements. 2. Correspondence. 3. Subject for the evening—“From Gibbers to Greenery” (Birdwatching across Northern N.S.W. and Southern Queensland). Tlustrated with colour slides. Speaker: Miss Helen Aston. 4. New members. February and March, 1970 (a) Ordinary: Miss Mary Carlisle, 117 Barkly St., North Fitzroy, 3068. Miss Janey Jackson, 58 Cascade St., North Balwyn, 3104. (Mammals) Mr. David Moore, 6 Kingsley St., Camberwell. 3124. Miss Caroline Mountain, 56 Grosvenor St., Prahran, 3181 (Botany) Miss Jeannette S. Hales, Flat 2/12 Illawarra Rd., Hawthorn, 3122. (Fauna, Flora.) Miss Catherine Kyne, 22 Lambert Rd., Toorak, 3142. Joint Ordinary: Noel Byass, with Mrs. R. Byass, 23 Kingston Rd., Surrey Hills, 3127. Mrs. J. Gilmour, with Mrs. L. Greenwood, 343 Toorak Rd., Burwood, 3125. (Ornithology, Botany) (b) Country: Mrs. D. M. Rasche, Private Bag 10, Ultima, Vict., 3544. Mrs. Helen Begg, ‘‘Arran,’’ Portsea, Vict., 3944. Junior: Harold E. Parnaby, 35 Campbell St., Castlemaine, Vict., 3450. Francis Payne, Flat 299/332 Park St., South Melbourne, 3205. Alan Burns, 11 Ivanhoe Gve., Chadstone, 3148. 5. General Business. 6. Nature Notes and Exhibits. Monday, 11 May—Banksias and their Relations of the family Protaceae. Speaker: F. J. Rogers. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 12 April—Botany Group excusion to Macedon area. Meet 10.55 a.m. at Macedon Station or contact Mr. K. Kleinecke (Phone 25-2415) regarding transport. Sunday, 19 April—Werribee Gorge. Leaders Mr. J. Myers and Mr. D. McInnes. The coach leaves Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. fare $1.60. Bring one meal and a snack. GROUP MEETINGS All members of the club are welcome at Group Meetings. 8 p.m. at National Herbarium unless otherwise stated.) Thursday, 9 April—Botany Group. Miss M. Lester wil speak on “Myrtaceae”. Wednesday, 15 April—Microscopical Group. Friday, 24 April—Junior meeting at Hawthorn Town Hall at 8 p.m. Monday, 4 May—Entomology and Marine Biology Group meeting at 8 p.m. at the National Museum in small room to theatrette. Wednesday, 6 May—Geology Group. Speaker—Mr. K. Hammond. Subject— Basin Evolution. Thursday, 7 May—Mammal Survey, Group Meeting at Sir Arthur Rylah Institute, corner of Stradbroke Ave. & Brown St., Heidelberg, at 8 p.m. Thursday, 14 May—Botany Group. Mr. J. Barnes will speak on The Botany of Captain Cook’s Voyages. ~ (c April, 1970 115 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Established 1880 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, 1970/71 President: Mr. T. SAULT Vice-Presidents: Mr. J. STRONG; Mr. P. CURLISS 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. WARD, 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 3 h61. Subscription Secretary: Mrs. N. E. LEWIS, 1. Billing Street, Springvale 3171 (546 4649). Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. B. FUHRER, 25 Sunhill Av., North Ringwood, 3134. Book Sales Officer: Mrs. J. STRONG. Group Secretaries: Botany: Mrs. R. WEBB-WARE, 29 The Righi, South Yarra (26 1079). 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). Geology: Mr. N. WIGMORE, 56 Brett Street, Murrumbeena 3163 (56 1485). 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 1970 Ordinary WWembers. - acs ec sone sha Gals pdnie Eb ccdts# at chtiae RAST gOSAE oie ington ae $7.00 Country Members eae aren SR Ls REM lr eisai ear RL AMER A cree exer $5.00 Joint: Membernss.-n..0 ts. ed Sites sch tds agit, Seete | cei Rn Fes cl eee agree $2.00 HUmion-Wembensy th29 avi tatcoe: vey, eee estate Sie Ni Shr gpl NE cg Ghats SIN hy et a Sng ea $2.00 Junior: Members: ‘receiving: )Vict:: (Nati... eases See ee ee PA aL EE RE iri Soni $4.00 subscribers) to’ Viet: Nate jc ke ace eee ia Sean See 3 ERS = ee ae eee $5.00 Athiliated= Societies. tien) .82 Rie tbe eh Bayi mene need: tint ateerermmarcttoe careers eeme scle ee nea ig fais. alate $7.00 Life. Membership: (reducing: after -20 years); sacs cs hice cesncte Soctsce, —cectece <)etestg = erect» eseenpid Soest $140.00 The cost of individual copies of the Vict. Nat. will be 45 cents. All subscriptions should be made payable to the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, and posted to the Subscription Secretary. (3) JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE Cr ) ( y J > EEO Sa ee | the VICTORIAN NATURALIST Vol. 87, No. 5 May, 1970 RS 3 SSE FOES SESS 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 F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 11 May—At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, com- mencing at 8 p.m. 1. Minutes, Reports, Announcements. 2. Correspondence. 3. Subject for the evening—Banksias and their Relations of the family Protaceae: F. J. Rogers. 4. New Members. Ordinary: Mrs. Emma M. Adams, 5 Rochester Road, Canterbury, 3126. Mr. John L. Baulch, Flat 6, 10 James Road, Croydon, 3136. (Interest—Mammals. ) Mr. David Pye, 24 Innellan Road, Murrumbeena, 3165. (Interest—Botany and Zoology.) Mr. F. J. C. Rogers, 108 Wantirna Road, Ringwood, 3134. Mr. Gary J. Smith, Monash University Department of Zoology, Clayton, 3168. 5. General Business. 6. Nature Notes and Exhibits. June—‘“‘The Tide will Turn”: Mr. E. G. Wallis. July—“A Biological Survey of Victoria”: Mr. R. T. M. Prescott. Pescott. Group Meetings (8 p.m. at the National Herbarium unless otherwise stated) Thursday, 14 May—Botany Group. “Orchids” by Mr. I. Morrison. The talk by Mr. J. Baines announced for this date in the last Naturalist will be given in June. Wednesday, 20 May—Microscopical Group. Friday, 29 May—Junior meeting at 8 p.m. at the Hawthorn Town Hall. Monday, 1 June—Entomology and Marine Biology Group meeting at the National Museum at 8 p.m. in small room beside theatrette. Wednesday, 3 June—Geology Group. Thursday, 4 June—Mammal Survey Group meeting at 8 p.m. in the Arthur Rylah Research Centre for Environmental Studies—corner of Brown Street, and Stradbroke Avenue, Heidelberg. Friday, 5 June—Preston Junior F.N.C. meeting in Rechabite Hall, 281 High Street, Preston, at 8 p.m. Thursday, 11 June—Botany. “The Botany of Captain Cook’s Voyage”. Speaker Mr. J. Baines. F.N.C.V. Excursions Sunday, 10 May—Botany Group excursion to the Old Black Spur Road. Meet at the Ringwood Station at 10.15 a.m. Bring one meal and a snack. Would anyone going who would be willing to take another member in the car please notify Mr. K. Kleinecke at 8 Oliver Street, Ashburton (phone 25-2415). Sunday, 17 May—Tonimbuk area. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. Fare: $1.70. Bring two meals. Geology Group Excursions Sunday, 10 May—To Airey’s Inlet. Leader: Mr. George Carlos. Sunday, 7 June—Maribyrnong River Terraces. Leader: Mr. Dan McInnes. (Pre- viously advertised for 10 May.) Sunday, 5 July—To Cave Hill (Lilydale) Limestone Quarry. Leader: Mr. J. Dobson. Sunday, 9 August—To Heathcote. Leader: Mr. R. Davidson. Transport is by private car (spare seats are usually available for those with- out their own transport). Excursions leave from the western end of Flinders Street Station, opposite the C.T.A. Building, at 9.30 a.m. Preliminary Notice A camping trip to Wyperfeld and the Little Desert is proposed for the first week in September and the excursion secretary would like to hear from members interested in the proposal. A coach would be chartered but members would be responsible for their own meals and camping gear. 118 Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 The Victorian Naturalist Editor: G. M. Ward Assistant Editor: P. Gahan Vol. 87, No. 5 7 May, 1970 CONTENTS Articles: Oil Glands in the Bark of Victorian Eucalypts. By Stella G. M. Carr Mae: SOAS Mee cara e ee ee ae, eke eh. een ee az aca 8 dls er eee 120 Nature Reserves in Victoria. By J. Ros. Garnet 0.0 000 ke eee 126 Notes on the birds of Big Green Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania. Bye res Normans es = a2 6 oe! 2 Be ae la wee, i ee ea Re ee 131 Obituary: mppreciationv of \Ax ‘Ge HOOKe i ies A swsheane eats aes Gide aoe chee Da ad 142 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: General Meeting and Group Meetings 20... 000 ok. ccc ee cee cette settee eeeee ceeeee seeee 142 Diatyeot Coming Events i860 cos te SU a ee ae 118 Front Cover: The acceptance of a human relationship by some of our marsupials is evident from the photograph of a juvenile Ringtail Possum, which was fostered by members of the Goode family, after the death of its mother. Photo: J. Goode. May, 1970 119 Oil Glands in the Bark of Victorian Eucalypts STELLA G. M. CARR* The use of the common name “scent bark” for Eucalyptus aromaph- loia may give the impression that the species is unusual in having aromatic bark. Costermans (1966) mentions only one other species (E. bridgesiana, “Apple box” or “But-but’”) as having scented bark. At the end of the present paper we list 28 of the eucalypt species of Vic- toria which show this character. The aromatic property is due to the presence of oil glands in the bark (in the Victorian species, in the secondary phloem) of both stems and roots. In the stems they occur in several dif- ferent patterns, either scattered throughout the bark or more or less confined to the phloem rays, which may be considerably expanded in the outer bark (Plate 2, Fig. 2). In some Northern Australian and Western Aus- tralian species the glands occur chiefly in the layers of vertical parenchyma which alternate with the bands of fibres and sieve tubes in the phloem. In the roots they occur mostly in the phloem rays in the Victorian species (Plate 1, Figs. 2 & 3). The oil secreted by the bark glands has the same properties and qualitatively, but not quantita- tively, the same composition as that in the leaves (Smith, 1916 for E. mac- arthurii; Baker and Smith, 1920 for E. bridgesiana; Lassak and Southwell, 1969, for E. crenulata). The Victorian species with bark glands are those included in Macran- therae-Normales with the addition of * Department ot Developmental Biology Re- search School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra. 120 by and D. J. CARR* E.. ovata and E. ovata var. grandiflora from Macrantherae. (Nomenclature in this paper follows that of Johnston and Marryat in Blakely, 3rd Edition, 1965.) That some eucalypts have oil glands in the bark has been known since 1875 when Mozller (1875, 1882) published the results of investigation of specimens of bark of “E. viminalis’’ and “E. stuartiana’ sent to him by Mueller (1879-1884). The identity of the specimens sent is in some doubt, as pointed out by Welch (1922). Mueller (loc. cit.) was clearly dubious of Mooller’s findings sirce he reports only “kino spaces” in the bark of “FE. viminalis’. Curiously, Mueller also reports of E. globulus that the “middle bark is without reservoirs of oils, resin and kino’’, but says nothing of the older bark. Solereder (1908) was also dubious about the correctness of Moeller’s work—possibly influenced by Mueller’s scepticism. Bark oil glands were re-investigated by Welch (1922) and by Chattaway (1953, 1955). We have recently reported a more complete investigation (Carr and Carr, 1969). The eucalypts which have glands in the bark do not fall into a single bark category in the accepted sense. E. viminalis, E. rubida and E. bicostata are smooth-barked (“gums”). E. goniocalyx and E. bridgesiana have bark resembling that of the boxes. If the species concerned is “half- barked”, i.e., with rough bark at the butt and smooth bark above, glands occur in both types of bark. It is im- portant to note that the glands under Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 discussion are in the phloem or phloem derivatives. All eucalypts have oil glands in the primary cortex of the young stem, but no eucalypts have them in the cortex of the root. After periderm formation, the primary cor- tex is eventually cut off and shed, to be replaced by tissues derived mainly from the phloem which form the ma- ture bark (Plate 1). In the majority of eucalypts oil glands do not form in the bark. In those species which do have them, the time at which oil glands first appear in the bark is very variable. In some_ species (e.g. E. cinerea and E. bridgesiana) glands first appear in the bark of stems which are about three years old, but in species such as E. globulus they may not be formed until the stems are between ten and twenty years old. As a rule, oil glands develop in the root bark earlier than in the stem bark. We have found them in roots only 0.5 mm in diameter and their occurrence in such fine roots means that digging or other soil disturbance, involving damage to root systems, re- leases the essential oil. It is curious that there appear to be no reports of this in the literature. The surest way to test for the pre- sence or absence of oil glands in the bark is to cut thin sections and ex- amine them with a microscope, but much can be learnt from simple field tests. From what has been said al- ready it is evident that one should avoid, if possible, sampling very young bark. It is equally advisable to avoid very old, weathered bark at the base of the trunk, since, even if the re- mains of oil glands are present, they may have lost their aromatic oils and sO escape detection by smell and also be difficult to identify with a lens. Take a small piece of bark from the trunk at about breast height; crumble it between finger and thumb and smell May, 1970 it. If the bark will not crumble easily, rub two small pieces together. Either treatment will damage the glands (if present) and release the oil. It is ad- visable to use dry bark for these tests as the characteristic odour of the oil may be masked or less obvious with very wet bark. The glands, if present, can be seen by examining a cut sur- face of the bark with a hand lens (10x); the cut should be made paral- lel to the surface of the trunk. Al- ternatively, the inside of a flake of outer bark, similarly examined, may show the oil glands or pock marks where they have been (Plates 2 and 3). It is recommended that the pre- sence of oil glands be tested for by both smell and examination with a hand lens since some species which lack oil glands have large stone cells which can be mistaken for oil glands as they are about the same size. How- ever, in practice we have found that in most species the oil glands are readily recognised when present. In some smooth-barked species the pre- sence of oil glands affects the surface modelling of the bark. Small hemi- spherical depressions and projections mark the sites previously occupied by glands. We have examined all the Vic- torian species listed in Blakely with the exception of E. maidenii var. wil- liamsonii (Mallacoota Gum) E. para- doxa (Metung Blue Gum) and E. viminalis var. rhynchocorys (Snowy River). All these forms are placed in Macrantherae-Normales and _al- though their validity as taxa is ques- tionable it would be of interest to examine their barks. E. studleyensis which is presumed to be of hybrid origin (E. camaldulensis x E. ovata) has no glands in the stem bark which seems to suggest that it is closer to E.. camaldulensis than to E. ovata. The red gums have no bark glands. 121 The only two anomalous Victorian species are E. kitsoniana and E. neglecta. In New South Wales, E. quadrangulata is also anomalous. These species have very many fea- tures in common with typical mem- bers of Macrantherae Normales but, as far as our investigations go, the Vic- torian species have no glands in either the stem or root bark, and the case of E. quadrangulata is dubious. Fur- ther investigation in the field is neces- sary to find out whether the absence of glands is a constant feature of these species. Acknowledgments We would like to acknowledge our in- debtedness to very many people, not least Miss P. Carolan, for field collec- tions of bark. Victorian species with bark glands agegregata, aromaphloia bicostata, bridgesiana camphora, cephalocarpa, chapmaniana, cinerea, corticosa, crenulata, cypellocarpa dalrympleana glaucescens, globulus, goniocalyx mannifera ssp. maculosa, maidenii nitens, nortonii ovata, ovata var. grandiflora perriniana, pryoriana rubida smithii, st. johnii viminalis yarraensis New South Wales species (other than any listed above) with bark glands acaciaeformis, angophoroides badjensis, baeuerlenii, banksii corticosa dunnii macarthurii, malacoxylon, mannifera ssp. gullickii, mannifera ssp. praecox nicholti, nova-anglica parvifolia, pulverulenta scoparia Tasmanian species (other than any listed above) with bark glands archeri cordata divaricata gunnii johnstonii morrisbyi rodwayi subcrenulata unialata, urnigera vernicosa Species of Macrantherae Normales, other than those listed above, with bark glands antipolitensis huberana (South Australia) mortoniana 122 Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 Plate 1. Transverse sections of the bark of roots. C = cambium; E = epithelial layer of gland; O = oil gland; P = periderm; R = ray; T = tyloses in xylem vessels; X = xylem. Figure 1. E. cinerea (x 56) (diameter of root = 3 mm.). Figure 2. E. cephalocarpa (x 65). Figure 3. E. aggregata (x 150), to show glands formed from parenchyma of an expanded ray. Figure 4. E. dalrympleana (x 65). May, 1970 123 Mba aL, x: : haan Plate 2. Photographs of surfaces of bark, cleaved parallel to the surface of the trunk. O = oil gland; PF — phloem fibres; R = expanded ray. Figure 1. E. ovata (x 10). Figure 2. E. crenulata (x 10). 124 Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 Plate 3. Photographs of surfaces of stem bark, cleaved parallel to the surface of the trunk. Figure 1. E. cephalocarpa (x 9). Figure 2. E. nortonii (x 6.8). May, 1970 125 REFERENCES Baker, R. T., and H. G. Smith. A re- search on the eucalypts and their es- sential oils. 2nd Edition. Sydney 1920. Blakely, W. F. A Key to the Eucalypts. 3rd Ed. Canberra, 1965. Carr, S..G; -M., and D. J. Carr... Oil glands and ducts in Eucalyptus L’Her. 1. The phloem and the pith. Aust. J. Bot. 17. 471-513. Chattaway, M. M. The anatomy of bark. I. the genus Eucalyptus. Aust. J. Bot. 1. 402-433. 1953. II. Oil glands in Eucalyp- Aust. J. Bot. 3. 21-27. tus species. 1955. Costermans, L. F. Trees of Victoria. Melbourne. 1966. Lassak, E. V., and I. A. Southwell. The bark oil of Eucalyptus crenulata. Phytochemistry. 8. 667-668. 1969. Moeller, J. Die Eucalyptusrinden in der Sammlung des Allgemeinen Oester- reichischen Apotheker-Vereins. Zeitschr. allg. oesterr. Apoth.-Ver. 14 and 15, 1875. Anatomie der Baumrinden. Ber- lin 1882. Mueller, F. von. Eucalyptographia. Mel- bourne, 1879-1885. Smith, H. G. On the essential oil from the bark of E. macarthurii. Proc. Roy. N.S.W. 50. 177-180. 1916. Solereder, H. Systematic anatomy of the Dicotyledons. Engl. Edition Oxford, 1908. Welch, M. B. The occurrence of oil glands in the barks of certain euca- lypts. Proc. Linn Soc. N.S.W. 47. 428-438. 1922. Nature Reserves in Victoria How much open space can we afford for the protection of scenery and the preservation of nature? (Text of an address to members of the Field Naturalists’ Club of Victoria, 11 March, 1970, by J. Ros. Garnet) The U.S.A. National Park Service and its svstem of national parks is regarded by many as the model for other countries. Australians in general and Vic- torians in particular are inclined to evaluate their own national parks in terms of the U.S. counterparts and to seek to have them adjusted to the Same standard. But what is the standard? Is it one of quality or quan- tity or both? Whatever the chosen yardstick, one may be sure that, in the eyes of most people our national parks will never quite measure up to it. Perhaps that is as it should be, for thus, there will be always some- thing to strive for. Let us first consider the question of quality. Have we anything to com- pare with the magnificent, spectacular 126 or unique features in the national parks of other countries? The ans- wer will depend upon our interpreta- tion of the adjectives and upon ouf capacity for wonderment. Those who would reply “No” might well consider that were a foreigner to ask himself the same question in his own country he too would, no doubt say “No”. Our attitude is governed by the circum- stance that we, like the folk in other Jands, inhabit a unique natural env- ironment. Our countryside has in- deed its magnificent and spectacular scenery, its elements of uniqueness but, since such attributes are a part of our normal environment, we are apt to deprecate them and, perhaps, even fail to realize that they represent something that is quite peculiar to this great southern continent. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 With this thought in mind we might well ask ourselves whether we have kept intact or, at the very least pro- tected, enough of it from the damag- ing or destroying influences which are part and parcel of the settlement and development of a nation. It is a ques- tion which we should strive to answer. Of course, in the process of doing so, we could be troubled by the thought “Why do we want to preserve or protect these things at all?” Possibly some of those who settled on the banks of the Yarra 140 years ago watched with concern the disappear- ance of their familiar though unique scenery—supplanted bit by bit by all the trappings of a fast-growing human community. Today, who repines the complete suppression of the original native plants and animals that in- habited there? Nobody misses what he never knew and only a few of Melbourne’s present million inhabi- tants will have any conception of what the scene was like so long ago and fewer still, what constituted the Mel- bournian flora and fauna. Anyway, why should we want to preserve such things? A one hundred year old building may easily become an object of vene- ration, a building to be saved for the edification of whom? Posterity? Frankly, I am uncertain whether I can answer the question because I am troubled by the thought that posterity, one hundred years hence, will have at its disposal a collosal number of buildings one hundred or more years old, each with its own special charac- ter, legend or tradition. Such things are the product of the skill and craftsmanship of man. He may re- produce them at will but the in- digenous trees, shrubs, birds and beasts that once were a part of his close environment, are things he can never resurrect although he can and does readily destroy them. May, 1970 We are well endowed with senti- ment (and I use the word in its best sense). Although we recognize that the passing of the last koala, the last kangaroo, wombat, lowan or lyre- bird would not be mourned by the species that yet survived, we ourselves would be deeply concerned should it so happen that the event was brought to our notice. For some 140 years nature lovers have been drawing attention to the gradual extirpation of species of native wildlife and, from time to time, governments have res- ponded by establishing reserves of open space where animals and plants may dwell unmolested and unaffected by the changes going on around them. Those reserves are what we all now recognize as national parks, nature reserves or wildlife sanctuaries—places set aside primarily for the protection and conservation of nature—nature at its best, in its most inspiring garb, in its most interesting and _ spiritually satisfying guise. We, the human ani- mals, are the only creatures that con- sciously want these reserves and we want them only that we may, from time to time, visit them to survey our collective conservation handiwork and thereby gain the desired spiritual satis- faction or the anticipated mental stimulus that they afford. We do in- deed want them. Thousands of people visit them again and again. In fact, so much are they frequented that there is a considerable danger of their being overrun by the human visitors to the detriment of the very things those visitors come to see and en‘oy. The tourist traffic to Wilson’s Promon- tory National Park is now so great as to pose a real problem in maintaining its wilderness condition unimpaired. The problem will be accentuated manyfold in the decades ahead unless the invaders can be encouraged to go elsewhere. But where can _ they go? What has Victoria to offer them 127 in lieu of a relaxed and carefree holi- day on Wilson’s Promontory? — or Mount Buffalo? There is still a lot of unalienated land of great potential for nature conservation and for public recreation but much of it is waiting to be put to other use—the future farmlands, soft-wood plantations and hardwood forests or for the exploitation of coal and other minerals—oil or uranium or anything at all that is likely to put money into somebody’s pocket. Thus we come to examine the implications of the second question. Is quantity a satisfactory yardstick for measuring the degree of sufficiency of our system of nature conservation reserves? At the moment there is little need to use this yardstick in Victoria. We have a long way to go before we need even begin to worry about superfluous acres of national parks. Although we have yet no cause to panic about our deficiencies in nature protection there soon will be if we do not very soon start doing something to remedy them. Victoria’s national parks now oc- cupy 0.9% of the area of the State. However, such a figure is an unreliable guide to the extent of our achieve- ment of a balanced programme of nature protection and conservation. We have no hope at all and, pos- sibly, no need to strive for the 74% of land surface set aside as national parks in New Zealand or the 5% in Tasmania, but there is still the oppor- tunity for us to establish more national parks without detriment to the eco- nomy of the State but with incalculable advantage to its present and future citizens. Where would we look to find suit- able sites? Our thoughts first turn to our north eastern highlands where 1,400 square miles of territory could be set aside now without seriously disturbing any 128 vested interest. The people of Vic- toria and their government have been asked to consider a recommendation by the Victorian National Parks As- sociation that a great Alpine State Park be established without delay. The sense of urgency is dictated by the realization that it is vulnerable to despoliation by mining interests, in- effectively controlled cattle grazing and unplanned tourist development. As a properly managed State Park it could, for centuries, fulfill its vital and present role in preserving the water resources of Victoria! A Kulkyne National Park compris- ing about 117 square miles. of countryside bordered by the Murray River and including one of its greatest anabranch systems was recommended some years ago but the response to the request was the creation of the 68-square mile Hattah Lakes National Park, most of which embraces mallee land with little more than 700 acres of lake. Failure to include the whole of the Chalka Creek anabranch has ten- ded to vitiate this park. The lakes are now dry or almost so and they are likely to remain so unless the normal sequence of flooding is allowed to take place. An extension to Mallacoota National Park by approximately 35 square miles is still under considera- tion ten years after the proposal to extend it was submitted to the govern- ment! So long as this proposal is neglected the Howe Ranges and their amazingly rich rain forest associations will remain in danger of destruction by some commercial interest. Nearly 10 square miles in the Bris- bane Ranges await dedication but pro- gress in bringing the proposal to a conclusion has been so slow that what- ever eventuates will have but little re- semblance to the original conception. It is certain that important biological Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 communities will be lost because of quite needless procrastination. Nearly 136 square miles of that remarkably interesting area — the Little Desert — have now been re- served as a national park but, although its size makes it a significant con- servation area there still remain several extremely important ecologi- cal associations and _ physiographic features in that 600 square-mile “Desert” that lie outside the boun- daries of the new park—simply be- cause those who made the choice never bothered to consult those who knew something about the biological requirements of nature reserves. Even had all the above-mentioned recommendations been adopted in their entirety Victorians would still be far short of a desirable minimum of nature conservation reserves. Where else to look? Or rather, what else in Victoria is so outstandingly significant as to deserve, even require, incorporation into the national park system? Are all the major geological formations in Victoria adequately represented in the present and pro- posed parks? Such formations are the key features we should look for in assessing the deficiencies. Each pos- sesses its own distinctive land forms, scenery and _ wildlife communities. There is no national park in the Central Highlands — the region of our extraordinary mineral springs. There is no national park to embrace the great Carboniferous sandstone for- mation so magnificantly revealed in the Grampians. There is nothing to typify one of the world’s most ex- tensive lava flows—the basalt plains of the Western District and the Keilor and Werribee Plains; little indeed to exemplify the region where occurred Victoria’s most recent volcanic ac- tivity; nothing to remind us of an event that largely shaped the contours May, 1970 of a substantial part of the State some 200 million years ago when _ vast glaciers of Permian times moved across the face of what is now Vic- toria; nothing to help us to cast our minds back to the very beginning of time when the Cambrian and _ pre- Cambrian rocks were laid down more than 600 million years ago. Heathcote is the place to see the phenomenon of such rocks exposed for those who wish to see but there is no national park there. At no point along its long course does our greatest river, the Murray, come within the boundaries of a national park. The proposed Kul- kyne National Park in the form originally planned by naturalists would have remedied that deficiency. There is no national park containing a representation of a drowning river valley with its attendant swamps and lakes. Rather too late it has been found that the draining of almost every available swamp has not been altogether a blessing. And so one could go on—enume- rating land forms and geological for- mations, each with some unique character which we deem sufficiently significant and scientifically important to warrant permanent reservation. They are important because each dif- fering formation is stamped with its own characteristic wildlife pattern. Each has its own distinctive scenery. Is it asking too much to _ invite the people of Victoria to consider seriously the importance of keeping samples of such regions for the “edi- fication, education and enjoyment” of themselves and, as well, those who are to follow. We think not. It is surely better that we reach a decision now because the future may be too late. The things we most admire have a disconcerting habit of vanishing before our eyes. 129 Victorian national parks as at Ist January, 1970 Name of Park Square Acres Rods Perches miles WV WPeTeld ss sce 128 Le. yliat ls 218.375 139,760 Wilson’s Promontory ..... ....... ...... 188.868 120,875 -2 -20 Herttle* Desert... 2..2° 23422 ee 135.734 86,870 Hlattah Lakes «0.005 cc Sie i hak 68.750 44,000 Mount Buffalo 20. 0. nn. 42.630 27,280 Bower Gilenele. io). oa. itae a Bo: 22,400 IKAMPLAKC: onde sand hak ante Megha wie 22.026 14,096 -3 -39 Mallacoota Inlet 20.0 000 uo... 17.539 11,225 GAS CT te esl. ciukn tis See aul hee 122103 7,745 -3 -9 Captain James Cook Memorial 10.469 6,700 PUTCO Wes 08 wns, ea! seks ayed: bate 8.447 5,406 MUN IEAKCSS os ee stan) eu eieae 8.184 5,238 Wingat Tnlet 2... eu. she tap nes {| 4,730 MPMING nee Os i sastion atic tiles eRe 4.503 2,882 Mount Richmond ...... 00. ww. 3.181 2,036 Port Campbell 2.2.23. ease 2.734 1,750 Wount Bccles: :.... 2.6. sun. sans ivy) L522 974 -0 -20 em dree Gully’ 2c. en cenate 1519 oT Ginumetntll, 4.25 ass ets, oe aaah ce 0.745 477 Glenaladale 2.2... i. ca8) cou ce OS 0.630 403 -2 -15 IMIOEWO! (ii. aii isicte sels lle ade BER 0.542 346 -3 -2 Maia) Valley” sic: oc G26. ok nh 0.492 315 -0 -18 PONE DAN OMe ok Bac. Bes. Sash eee, es 0.142 ot Area of Victoria = 87,884 sq. mls. = 56,245,760 ac. Area of national parks = 791.526 sq. mls. = 506,575 ac. = 0.9007% of the area of the State. Significant additions approved by Parliament in December, 1969:— 130 Little Desert 84,000 acres. Yanakie (addition to Wilson’s Promontory) 17,900 acres. Allotment at Refuge Cove (addition to Wilson’s Promontory) 8 ac. 220 p: Rabbit Rock, Ramsbotham Rocks, Dannevig Is., McHugh Is. and Great Glennie Is. (additions to Wilson’s Promontory National Park) 588 acres. Morwell National Park 5 acres 2 perches. Fern Tree Gully National Park 11 acres 3 r. 12 p. Lower Glenelg National Park 22,400 acres. Captain James Cook Memorial Park (Cape Everard) 6,700 acres. Kinglake National Park 3 acres, 3 r. 1 p. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 Notes on the birds of Big Green Isiand, Furneaux Group, Tasmania. 1965-1968 by F. I. NORMAN* Introduction Big Green Island lies three miles to the west of Whitemark, Flinders Island at 41°01’ S. 147°59° E. (see Fig. 1.). The island, of about 240 acres, has been the site of studies of some aspects of the ecology of Puffinus tenuirostris, the Tasmanian muttonbird. The ob- servations presented below, on other species, have been made during the course of this programme. The island was visited for one week each month from October 1965 to May 1968; additional visits were made in February and April 1965 (Table 1). Because of other work it was not possible to cover the island completely each day and therefore some species may have escaped atten- tion. The vegetation and general fea- tures of the island have been de- Basically the island flora is of a grass- land type, Hordeum, Bromus, etc., with the coastal tussock belt (see Plates 1 and 2). There is now no extensive indigenous flora, or scrub, and only about half of the vascular species recorded are native. The island is within the belt of prevailing wester- lies, having an annual rainfall of around 30 inches and mean tempera- tures in the range 5.7 to 22.4°C. The sandy soil, derived from underlying granite and dune limestone, has given rise to a vegetation capable of sup- porting a high stocking rate of sheep which may reach 1,000 in some years though the average lies around 800 (per H. B. Blundstone). Several Bass Strait islands have been visited in the past (e.g. Matting- ley, 1938; White, 1909) but no long- term reports of observations have been scribed elsewhere (Norman, 1966). published. The present observations TABLE 1. Observation periods on Big Green Island. Furneaux Group, Tasmania. YEAR MONTH 1965 1966 1967 1968 January 27-31 5-12 5-12 4-11 February 1-8 3-10 2-9 2-10, 29 March 3-10 3-9, 30, 31 1-6 April 6-13 1-8, 29, 30 1-6 5-11 May 1-5, 27-31 18-25 3-10 Sune 1 15-22 July 5-11 13-19 August 18-25 10-18 September 16-22 7-14 October 7-13 13-21 5-12 November 5-12 12-19 2-9 December 2-9 8-14 1-7 * Senior Research Officer, Fisheries and Wildlife Department. + Finance for studies on certain aspects of the ecology of P. tenuirostris has been provided by the M. A. Ingram Trust and the Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund and is gratefully acknowledged. May, 1970 131 were made both to provide informa- tion on the avifauna of a Bass Strait island and to add some data to the little currently known of passerine migration across Bass Strait. The annotated list given below fol- lows the R.A.O.U. Checklist (1926). Summaries are given excepting when the species was seen on five or less occasions. Additional records for the species recorded in the Bass Strait region are given in Green (1969). Systematic list of species observed R.A.O.U. Number 5. Eudyptula minor. Fairy Penguin. Some 200 pairs nest on the island, mainly on the south-eastern and south- ern end though they are also present amongst muttonbird colonies along the northern coast. 68. Puffinus gavia. Fluttering Shear- water. At least three birds, thought to be of this species, were seen about 100 yards offshore during strong wester- lies in October 1967. 71. P. tenuirostris. tonbird. Large rookeries (nesting colonies) occur over the island (see Fig. 2 and Plate 3) and it is estimated that about 10,000 breed. Campbell (1900) and Lord (1908) suggested that there had been a reduction in area covered by rookery. No native mammalian pre- dators exist on the island, and snakes were removed shortly after the island was inhabited (Brownrigg, 1872). Pacific Gulls and Sea Eagles have been observed eating muttonbirds (see be- low). This predation is light but inter- mittent “birding” (harvesting of young birds by humans) takes place. Birds have been observed offshore in carly September, (€12. Sept. in 1967) and mating individuals seen in October. Tasmanian Mut- 79. Macronectes Giant Petrel. Seen twice only, and 12 Septemebr, westerlies on both giganteus. 20 October, 1966 1967, after strong occasions. 132 90. Diomedea_ melanophris. Black- browed Albatross. Observed only once, 12 September, 1967. However a skull found on the northern end was either this species or D. chrysostoma (A. R. McEvey, in litt.). 91. D. cauta. Shy Albatross. Several individuals were frequently seen feeding offshore after westerlies. They were not recorded throughout the year, and apart from one record in May, sightings were from Septem- ber to December. The largest number recorded was of 100+ individuals be- tween Green, Cape Barren and Chap- pell Islands, in September 1967 after westerly gales. 96. Phalocrocorax carbo. Black Cor- morant. Seen infrequently offshore around the northern end and along the reef during the late spring and summer, the species presumably breeds in the region though not on Green Island. Green (1959) recorded the species as breeding on the south east of Flin- ders Island. 99. P. fuscescens. Black-faced Cor- morant. A breeding species, nesting on the northern reef. 92 nests were found in December, 1965, formed mainly of Posidonia; of these 45 contained young and five had two eggs, the remainder being empty. By October, 1966, there were 69 nests; 16 with one egg, 29 with two and seven with Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 three, the others being empty. By December no occupied nests were present and activity had shifted to a previous roosting area where there were 46 nests, three with one egg, one with two and one with three eggs. Only two young hatched in the new site and it seems likely that heavy seas were responsible for the desertion of the first site and for the low production of the _ second, though human disturbance is not to be discounted. 104. Sula serrator. Gannet. Occasional birds were observed during late spring, summer and early autumn. 106. Pelecanus can. Several birds, with a maximum of six, seen throughout the year. conspicillatus. Peli- ISLAND Whitemark Kangaroo Is. AP Derden Is. 10miles FIGURE 1. Relationship of Big Green Island to Flinders Island, with positions of other islands mentioned in the text. May, 1970 112. Hydroprogne Tern. Three pairs bred on the island. Birds were absent from April to Sep- tember, eggs were laid in November. One nest, of three eggs, was observed in each year and produced two, one and one young respectively. 115. Sterna bergii. Crested Tern. Large numbers were seen through- out the year, with a maximum of 100+ recorded in February, 1965, but no evidence of breeding on Green Island has been found. caspia. Caspian 118. S. nereis. Fairy Tern. Several pairs of this species were seen on the island from September to February. Though no nesting has been observed, the aerial butterfly display, an indication of breeding ac- Reef Py aca | 7 0 400m | FIG. 2. Distribution of P. tenuirostris rookeries on Big Green Island. Furneaux Group, Tas- mania, in October, 1965. (The location of the ‘Bay’ and ‘reef’, mentioned in the text, is shown.) (Scale 1’’ — c.440 yards or 400 metres. ) 133 tivity, has been observed on several occasions. 125. Larus Gull. About 200 pairs breed on the nor- thern end of the island but breeding success appears to be low since few young were seen. Possibly egg pre- dation by the Raven was responsible and young were also taken by Har- riers and adults by Sea Eagles (see below). Though several birds were present throughout the year, there was a marked decrease in numbers after April and a corresponding in- crease in September. 126. L. pacificus. Pacific Gull. At least two pairs breed in the northernmost reef, two young and two eggs being found in December, 1965, two eggs in October, 1966, and one egg and one young in December, 1967. During the November to January period the island received a large influx of young to the extent that, in November, 1966, 70 per cent of the island total of 31 birds were immature. The Pacific Gulls role as a preda- tor of muttonbirds is limited, though it has been observed eating young. An opportunity was taken during the muttonbirds’ 1966-1967 breeding sea- son to assess the predation caused by this species. A rookery was kept under observation for one half hour before dusk and Pacific Gull num- bers noted. It was intended that muttonbird corpses would be counted and expressed as a percentage of the breeding total. None was found and the onlv predation seen, two young taken from burrow entrances, took place in a neighbouring rookery. The patrolling behaviour of gulls, in which burrow entrances are searched, is opportunistic in that only birds immediately at the entrance would be attainable. Insects are also taken during patro'ling activities novae-hollandiae. Silver 134 129. Arenaria interpres. Turnstone. Only two seen during the pro- gramme, on 4 December, 1967. 130. Haematopus Pied Oystercatcher. The island had a breeding popula- tion of about ten pairs which re- mained throughout the year and large flocks occurred during August. Copu- lation has been observed in October and eggs found in November, but apparently pairing-off occurs before this. From July onwards, pairs in- dulge in aerial display. Nests of this species and of the Sooty Oyster- catcher, were found slightly above high water and usually contained three eggs; one, on a sheep track about 20 feet above H.W.M., was not successful. ostralagus. 131. H. unicolor. Sooty Oystercatcher Approximately ten pairs bred on the island in each year. The display flight described for the Pied Oyster- catcher has been observed from Aug- ust onwards and mating seen in Oc- tober. 133. Lobibyx novae-hollandiae. Spur- winged Plover. Considered to be a breeding species though only one flying young has been found. The island population was around 15 with a maximum of 31 recorded in May, 1966; the total fluctuated since the birds moved around the islands and to the main- land of Flinders. 136. Squatarola Plover. Seen once only, on the reef, 15 October, 1966. This species was not recorded for Flinders Island by Green (1969). squatarola. Grey 138. Charadrius cucullatus. Hooded Dotterel. Seen infrequently in January, March, April, November and Decem- ber. Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 PLATE 1. The coastal tussock belt on Big Green Island, south-east coast, January, 1966. PLATE 2. View of the main vegetation type on Big Green Island, grassland on the western side of the island, November 1966. Chappell Island in background. May, 1970 135 140. Charadrius bicinctus. Double- | banded Dotterel. Seen frequently throughout the year, excepting November to February, with maxima of 207 in June and July, 1966. 143. Charadrius alexandrinus. capped Dotterel. Red- Small numbers, never exceeding four, seen throughout the year. Possible breeding occurs since a young-plumaged bird was present in ecember, 1967. 149. Numenius madagascarensis. Eastern Curiew. Present in small numbers in almost every month though not between June and September in 1966 and August to November in 1967. Parties, never exceeding 25, were usually observed feeding in the bay and on the nor- thern reef. 150. Numenius phaeopus. Whimbrel. One seen on the reef in October, 1966. 155. Tringa Tattler. Eight seen in January, 1967, around brevipes. | Grey-tailed PLATE 3. Typical rookery of the muttonbird, Puffinus tenuirostris, on Green Island. Note the the reef and in the bay. Green (1969) did not record this species for Flinders Island. 162. Erolia Stint. Thirteen birds were seen in April, 1966, three in May and 12 in Janu- ary, 1967: 188. Notophoyx novae-hollandiae. White-faced Heron. Small numbers seen throughout the year though only one or two were present from October to January. In May, June and July the island popu- lation in each year sharply increased to a maximum of around 50+ though over 100 were present in May, 1966. The numbers then decreased, possibly indicating a post breeding dispersion. ruficollis. |Red-necked 198. Cereopsis novae-hollandiae. Cape Barren Goose. Guiler (1967) has discussed the status of the species within the Fur- neaux Group. It would appear that he considered that Green Island has about ten breeding pairs of geese (about one every 24 acres) which sochacantinnane utilization of the deeper soils between granite boulders and ridges. January 1966. 136 Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 produce ten chicks. In this regard it is of interest to compare my findings with Guiler’s estimation. In the 1965 breeding season, nests with eggs, and families of chicks were found in October. There were at least 25 young present in Novem- ber. Copulation was first observed in July with nests being formed in Aug- ust, in 1966. Both young and eggs were present during the September visit and a minimum of 18 young were produced during this breeding season. In 1967 at least 23 young were present in November, though nests with eggs and young had been found as early as August. Twelve nests were found during the season and produced, at some stage, 30 young. Since Guiler (ibid.) based his estimation on one visit during Aug- ust, it seems likely that many young resulting from later nesting were missed. During the observation period, es- timates of the maximum number of geese inhabiting the island (during the week’s visit) have been made and these are presented in Table 2. It will be seen that the island carries a goose population through the year though numbers are low around the dry summer period. A peak, which reached 200+ birds in 1967, has ap- peared in both years prior to the breeding season and presumably re- lates to breeding and non-breeding birds moving through the island, possibly from Flinders Island, to nest on outer islands. This movement may be stimulated by heavy rainfalls fol- lowing relatively dry conditions since in 1966 and 1967 the peaks were obvious after heavy rains in Febru- ary, March and May respectively. The mean number present in 1965 was 46, for 1966 the figure was 54, in 1967 the mean was 67 and in 1968 a mean of 82 was recorded. The island, during my observation period, has carried about 12-15 breeding pairs and produced between 20 and 30 young per season. As a feeding area for local migrants, the island reaches its peak importance shortly before the breeding season but supports mainly breeding pairs for the remainder of the year. PLATE 4. Eastern side of the island showing the grassland merging into areas colonised by the alien Lycium ferocissimum, November, 1966. May, 1970 137 Natural predation on the island appears to be limited to egg losses caused by the Raven but young and adults are frequently shot by local residents. 203. Cygnus atratus. Black Swan. Almost all birds were seen feeding on Posidonia and Zostera beds, in the Bay on the north eastern side though swans were occasionally seen on the grass at the northern end of the island. Usually about five or six birds were present but at least 28 were seen in January, 1966, and a maximum of 15 in March, 1967. Ashby (1928) recorded this species as migrating be- tween Flinders Island and the Vic- torian mainland. Small cygnets have been seen dur- ing 1966 and 1967 but since no nest was found on the island it is thought that these were bred on_ Flinders Island. 208. Anas superciliosa. Black Duck. Two birds seen on three occasions, in May and October, 1966, and in April, 1967. 210. Anas castanea. Chestnut Teal. Small numbers seen throughout the year, with a maximum of 31 in May, 1966, and 20+ in May, 1967. every month though totals rarely ex- ceeded ten birds. At least 40 were present in November, 1965, and 30+ in May, 1967 and 1968. 215. Aythya australis. Hardhead. Seen in small numbers around the Bay in most months, though a maxi- mum of 20 birds were present in January, 1967. 217. Biziura lobata. Musk Duck. Two to ten birds seen monthly in the Bay. 219. Circus approximans. Swamp Harrier. One or two birds regularly visited the island, from Flinders Island, dur- ing the September-February period but they were not seen there in the intervening months. Ashby (1928) and Ridpath and Moreau (1966) note that this species migrates across Bass Strait. The harrier was a predator of the rat, R. rattus, on the island and was also observed preying on a young Sil- ver Gull. 226. Haliaetus leucogaster. Sea Eagle. One or two birds were seen on al- most every visit, flying in from or returning to the Strezlecki Mountain region on Flinders Island. 211. Anas gibberifrons. Grey Teal. The species has been seen fishing on Occasional birds seen in almost the Bay; on one occasion caused a TABLE 2. Maximum counts of Cape Barren Geese on Green Island for the period 1965 to 1968. YEAR MONTH 1965 1966 1967 1968 January 70+ 87 60 50 February 62 pag ? 30 March ids 7 48 April 44 £72 60 150 May 86 50 130+ June 36 200+ July 78 ? August 43 100+ September 50 40+ October 37. 28 50+ November 32 ? 40 December 48 30 40 * No estimate made; gaps indicate no observations (see Table 1). 138 Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 Pacific Gull to disgorge a fish which 357. Hirundo the eagle retrieved. In January, 1967, an eagle took an adult Silver Gull from a flock on the water, plucked the prey on a rock at the northern end and then flew towards Flinders, being mobbed by a flock of 200+ Silver Gulls, Spur-winged Plover and a Swamp Harrier. R. Marriott (pers. comm.) has seen adult and young muttonbirds being taken by _ the species in December, 1967, and March, 1968, respectively. 228. Haliastur sphenarus. Whistling Eagle. Seen during February, 1966 and in March, 1968 (eating a rat). 237. Falco peregrinus. Peregrine. One or two birds seen infrequently throughout the programme. 239. Falco berigora. Brown Hawk. Usually two birds seen during each visit, occasionally observed carrying rats. Food passing between males and females have been seen in January and March. 240. Falco Kestrel. This species is not known to breed in mainland Tasmania (Ridpath and Moreau, 1966) but it is present on Flinders Island. One or two were seen over the island in almost every month. 242. Ninox novae-hollandiae. book Owl. Dr. D. F. Dorward recorded one in 1967. 306. Neophema _ chrysostoma. winged Parrot. Two birds seen over the island in November, 1965, were the only re- cords of this species. 337. Cuculus pallidus. Pallid Cuckoo. A migrant species (Ridpath and Moreau, 1966) which surprisingly was only seen once, on 11 September, 1967. conchroides. Nankeen Boo- Blue- May, 1970 neoxena. Welcome Swallow. Small parties of birds have been observed flying north in February, March and April and returning south in August and September. Occasional birds seen in November are, pre- sumably, local breeders. 359. Hylochelidon nigricans. Tree Martin. Mollison (1960) recorded large numbers of birds flying NNE into a wind, between Flinders and Cape Barren Islands in late February. The only records of the species over Green Island support this timing, being of two birds going northwards on 9 Feb- ruary, 1966, and 8 March, 1967. 361. Rhipidura fuliginosa. Grey Fan- tail. Occasional birds were present on the island, feeding around the prickly box bushes, from August to October and again in April, probably on migration, though Green (1969) con- siders that they are common on Flin- ders Island throughout the year. Ob- servations were usually of individual birds but at least four were present in October, 1966. 365. Myiagra rubecula. Leaden Fly- catcher. Single birds seen in March and April, 1966. 382. Petroica Robin. Ashby (1928) mentioned that this species migrated across Bass Strait. Birds, usually single, were present on the island in April (1965 and 1966) or (May 1966) and again in Octo- ber. 448. Ephthianura albifrons. fronted Chat. Though small numbers may breed on the island (birds carrying food have been seen in December), no nest has been found. Chats were seen throughout the year, with a maximum phoenicea. Flame White- 139 of about 20 in March, April and May. Birds have been observed flying out towards Kangaroo and _ Chappell Islands and it seems likely that there is considerable inter-island flight in the species. 547. Artamus cyanopterus. Wood Swallow. A flock of 100+ moved north over the island on 8 May, 1968. 574. Zosterops lateralis. Silver-eye. Ashby (1928) noted that it had been seen crossing the Straits and Ridpath and Moreau (1966) men- tioned its habits of partial migration, with some portion of the population remaining within Tasmania over the winter period. On Green Island, small numbers have been seen in every month except November, De- cember and January, with the majority being present in April. These usually inhabited the prickly-box Lycium ferocissimum (Plate 2). A flock of more than 200 were seen over the island on 12 April, 1965; they were flying (and calling frequently) at about 500 feet towards the south-east, shortly after dawn. In 1966 no birds were present until March, in 1967 only single birds were observed in February and March and in 1968 the earliest birds were seen in April. 647. Anthus Pipit. A few birds, usually less than five, were seen infrequently in_ every month excepting January and Feb- ruary. 64.8. Mirafra Bushlark. Single birds seen during August, September and October, 1967. This was apparently a vagrant since the species is absent on the Tasmanian mainland (Ridpath and Moreau, 1966). 690. Corvus coronoides. Raven. A few birds were seen throughout Dusky australis. Australian Horsfield javanica. 140 the year, often flying between Green Island, Flinders, Chappell or Kanga- roo Islands. Large flocks, up to 34 birds, appear during the lambing sea- son and small parties clean up refuse left by muttonbirders. As recorded by Guiler (1967), this species is an egg predator of the Cape Barren Goose. A pair were observed smashing eggs near a nest on the western side of the island (other nests found with broken eggs were possibly the result of the Raven). The birds also apparently take insect larvae from soil, eat dead rats and sheep and scavenge along the shore. Once a pair were observed eating a dead Con- ger Eel, Leptocephalus wilsoni, which had been stranded on the shore. 696. Strepera arguta. Clinking Cur- rawong. One bird observed on 6 February, 1966, originating, probably, from Flinders Island. Introduced Species 991. Turdus merula. Blackbird. A pair, possibly two, occupied the prickly box thicket on the north east (Plate 4) and it was likely that they bred there. 993. Alauda arvensis. Skylark. Probably a _ breeding species of about ten pairs, though no nest has been found. The island population seems to be constant around 20 birds but influxes occurred in April and May. In April, 1966, about 100 birds were present and were watched leav- ing the island towards the north-east. 995. Passer domesticus. House Spar- row. One or two birds occurred on the island throughout the year, excepting the summer months. 996. Carduelis carduelis. Goldfinch. Generally small numbers through- out the year but larger flocks, of up to 40 birds, were present on the island between August and October. Vic. Nat.—Vol. 87 997. Chloris chloris. Greenfinch. Not uncommon on Flinders Island (Tarr, 1950), the species was seen on only one occasion, 6 July, 1966. 999. Sturnus vulgaris. Starling. A breeding species (two pairs) in 1965 and 1966, though not in 1967. The island was utilised as a feeding area by large flocks of birds from Flinders Island, which reached c.400. The birds roosted on Kangaroo Island and flocks crossed Green Island to- wards Kangaroo before dusk each night in the non-breeding season. Discussion The results presented above, from a three year observation period, indi- cate the limited avifauna of one Bass Strait island. During this study 62 species have been observed, including six exotic species. Of the total, thir- teen species breed on the island, in- cluding Starling, Blackbird and Sky- lark, and another four are thought to do so. Only one native passerine is included in the breeding list. This may be compared with the list presented by Green (1969) in which 88 species have been found breeding on Flinders Island and about 151 species of birds have been re- corded from the Furneaux Group. It would seem that the island has suffered a reduction of scrub since its first contact with white man (cf. Backhouse, 1843 with Norman, 1966). Certainly the native portion of the flora has declined as the island has been cleared and stocked. The decrease of the endemic flora has not benefited native species of birds, excepting possibly the Cape Barren Goose. The increase in alien plant species on the other hand has cer- tainly benefited exotics such as the Skylark and Blackbird, which have colonised the island. Other alien species use the island as a feeding habitat. Final consideration of the impor- tance of Green Island in the trans- Bass Strait migration is limited by the lack of knowledge concerning the overall structure of the migration it- self. It is also limited by the lack of comparative data which are re- quired before generalisations can be made. Abstract Observations of 62 species of birds seen on Big Green Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania, during the period 1965 to 1968 are presented. REFERENCES Ashby, E. 1926: Bird observations in Bass Strait. Emu 27:193-194. Backhouse, J, 1843: A narrative of a visit to the Australian Colonies. Ham- ilton, Adams & Co. London. Brownrigg, M. B. 1872: The Cruise of the Freak. Turner, Launceston. Campbell, A. J. 1900: Nests and eggs of Australian birds. Pawson and Brails- ford. Sheffield. Green, R. H. 1969: The Birds of Flinders Island. Rec. QO. Vic. Mus. No. 34. Guiler, E. R. 1967: The Cape Barren Goose, its environment, numbers and breeding. Emu 66:211-235. Lord, E. C. 1908: Furneaux Islands. Parl. Pap. Tasm. 57. Mattingley, A. H. E. 1938: Birds of the Hogans and other islands of Bass Strait. Emu 38:7-11. May, 1970 Mollison, B. C. 1960: Migration of Tree Martins across Bass Strait, Emu 60: 55-56. Norman, F. I. 1966: A note on the vege- tation of Big Green Island, Furneaux Group, Tasmania, Vict. Nat. 83:293- 299. Ridpath, M. G. & Moreau, R. E. 1966: The birds of Tasmania: ecology and evolution. [bis 108:348-393. Tarr, H. E. 1950: The distribution of foreign birds in Australia. Emu 49: 189-198. White, S. A. 1909. Narrative of the expedition promoted by the Austra- lasian Ornithologists’ Union to the islands of Bass Strait. Emu 8:195-207. 141 Death of Mr. A. G. Hooke Arthur Garnsey Hooke, a Club member since 1920 and its treasurer for 16 years from 1950 to 1966, died on 12 April last. A tribute to Mr. Hooke and his membership and service will appear in a future journal. A note from Mr. J. Jones is published below. [Ed.] Appreciation of A. G. Hooke Garnsey Hooke was a unique man in my experience of many men in natural history, in business, and so- cially. He was markedly different in his personality of gentlemanliness, ob- jectivity, patience, persistence, dili- gence, competence and other quali- ties. Above all he was characterized by gentlemanliness. He was innately courteous, disciplined, scrupulous, never pretentious — a gentleman in true manner. My closest affinity with him was in bushland matters for The Sir Colin Mackenzie Sanctuary, Healesville; particularly in recent years with in- vestigations towards eventual public access to the bushland through a system of walking tracks with natural- history exposition. I first met Garnsey in 1956 when as a member of the Sanctuary’s com- mittee of management I was assisted Fieid Naturalists General Meeting 13 April About one hundred and twenty mem- bers and friends were present and Mr. T. Sault, the president, was in the chair. He announced the death of Mr. Frank Zirkler, and of Mr. A. G. Hooke. Members stood for a minute in silence in respect to their memory. Mr. Sault said that Mr. Zirkler had been in office in the Botany Group and a conspicuous worker in the Nature Shows. He had been active in contacting new members and making them feel at home. 142 by a F.N.C.V. work party, including Garnsey, in establishing a nature trail in the Sanctuary bushland. His in- terest in the Sanctuary persisted and widened, and in early 1961 he be- came a committee member. He was active immediately, continually and effectively in Sanctuary affairs, notably in three areas. His professional ex- perience in accounting, auditing and insurance was applied to finance analysis and budgetary control; he gave close attention to details for fauna exhibition and improvement; and his love and knowledge of the bush made him an ever-willing par- ticipant in exploration and assessment of the Sanctuary’s 380 acres of forest. His service to the Sanctuary was great and I believe irreplaceable in one man. He will be missed, and he will be remembered. —Jack Jones. Club of Victoria Mr. Ros Garnet said that Mr. Garnsey Hooke was one of the most active mem- bers. When in the A.I.F. in Egypt in 1915, he met a Field Naturalist in his Unit who urged him to join the Club. He became a member when he returned home. After years in office he was elected an honorary member because he had given so much service to the F.N.C.V. in his position as Treasurer for many years. As an accountant, he had arranged the financing and production of many of the Club’s works. He represented the Club on the Natural History Medallion Com- mittee. The Club owes a great debt of Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 gratitude to him in helping it through difficulties. Mr. A. J. Swaby also spoke of Mr. Hooke’s help in 1956 in the preparation of Nature Trials in the Sir Colin Mc- Kenzie Sanctuary. He was an Officer on the Committee. The president reported that Mr. Alan Morrison was recovering from a serious eye operation. The good wishes of mem- bers go to him for complete recovery. Miss Florence Smith, a long standing member, who worked with Miss Jean Galbraith, is ill in the Hedley Sutton Hospital behind St. Mark’s in Canter- bury Road, Canterbury. Some members may be able to go and see her. Mr. D. McInnes announced that the Council will invest $1500 in publishing Mr. J. Ros Garnet’s book on the plants of Wilson’s Promontory. The subject for the evening was “From Gibbers to Greenery” (Birdwatching across Northern New South Wales and Southern Queensland) by Miss Helen Aston. Six ladies in two _ ordinary’ cars travelled two and a half thousand miles from 13 September to 4 October, 1969. They carried 22 gallons of water, food, numerous spare parts, petrol and camp- ing gear. Running repairs were executed on the spot with the aid of nail files, a singlet and tape. A map showed the route through Mil- dura to Broken Hill, Milparinka, Tiboo- burra Teurika Homestead, the Bulloo River overflow, east to Wanaaring on the Paroo, up through Hungerford gate in the border fence to Cunnanulla in Queensland, back through Hebel to N.S.W., Lightning Ridge, Walgett and to the Warrumbungles. Colour slides taken by the party show- ed contrasting habitats. Many of the birds seen were shown in slides from Bird Observers’ Collections. Wedgebills and the Red-backed Kingfisher were seen near Broken Hill. North from there pic- tures showed gibber country and Sandy Creek crossings, dry except in rainy sea- sons. These had red gums with Major Mitchell cockatoos and Mulga parrots. Near Packsaddle were Cassias, acacias and casuarinas. Acacia ligulata bushes showed guttering due to wind blowing around. A brown cuckoo shrike was amongst the birds seen. The introduced Nicotiana glauca attracted Yellow Throated Miners and other honey eaters. May, 1970 Also seen were Black-faced Wood Swal- lows, Blue Bonnet Parrots and Crested Bronzewings. The bar of Packsaddle race course was made from cane grass Eragrostis A ustralasica Milparinka showed one composite functional build- ing and ruins of the gold mining town. In 1845 Sturt stayed for six months, his scouts trying unsuccessfully to find other water. Poole died from scurvy. To the north Tibooburra, encircled by low ridges with big boulders, is a fair town with amenities. The gibber bird —a recently described new Australian species was here. Three nights were spent in the woolshed at the Teurika Homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Whitehair. Near the Adelaide gate in the border fence there was low salt bush with Orange Chats and Emu. Water chan- nels had azolla on them and a Pratincole was seen. Cane grass stretched for miles —a very useful thatching and building material for early settlers who used it with mud for walls. The Bulloo River overflow is an extensive area and here were seen Red-Kneed Dotterel, and the Grey Grass Wren first recorded by Mr. N. Favaloro a few years ago. Beyond the Cane grass, Atriplex nummularia (old man salt bush) had Blue-Winged Parrots in numbers feeding on it. Extensive wind blow outs, in places covering fences, exposed aboriginal im- plements, and two big grinding stones with grooves in which smaller stones were rubbed were discovered. Over the gibbers to the Mulga they encountered salt pans, a bearded dragon being seen on the way. Crimson Chats were in the Mulga. Near the Paroo River at Wanaaring were flocks of White-browed and Masked Wood Swallows. Shiny leaved Bimble Box trees were in the black soil and Mudlark, Wood Duck and wild pigs were seen. One pic- ture showed a cluster of Fairy Martins on a dead tree in the water. Ringneck Parrots, Cockatiel, Grey Teal, White- breasted Wood Swallows were seen. Lignum and Box edged the Paroo. Through the Hungerford gate on the border fence into Queensland en route to Cunnanulla there were acacias cassias and everlastings. Double-barred Finches, Black-backed Wren, Chestnut-breasted Quail Thrush, and Hall’s Babbler (recently described as a new Australian species) were seen, 143 and leaving Cunnanulla, Black-chinned Honeyeaters, Orioles, Littlke Wood Swal- lows, Pale Headed Rosellas, Banded Plover and Pied Butcher-bird were re- corded with White Cockatoos back near the border. Lightning Ridge in N.S.W. “Opals iv Sale”. is more attractive towns. Red-winged Parrots, Western Warbler and an Oriole mimicking the Spotted Bower bird were in this vicinity. A Spotted Bower bird’s bower had three sections, a central inner one, a front, and a back. The centre had roof- ing nails and wind screen pieces, the back had vertebrae of animals, and the front had white chalk. Across the Darling River was the Pilaga scrub—a forest reserve with Mur- ray pines. Pictures showed Helipterum floribundum and acres of Carpobrotus. Birds included the Striped Honey-eater. Pictures of the |Warrumbungles National Park showed grand high tops and spires (remains of an old volcano), Bluff Mountain and Mt. Exmouth, just under 4000 ft. The Bread Knife is a very thin long projection. The Park has tracks and markers on trees. Muelenbeckia with reddish leaves, Hardenbergia and Bursaria with anthorr- hoea (grass trees) on the dry slopes were shown. The Turquoise Parrot, Crimson Chats and Apostle birds were here. showed With its vegetation, it than other opal The President thanked Miss Aston for the interesting talk and members showed their appreciation in enthusiastic ap- plause. Mr. I. Morrison projected the slides. Exhibits Mr. I. Cameron brought copper minerals: Malachite (Congo) and Cuprite, chalcocite and azurite from north-west Queensland. Mrs. North—Smoky Quartz (Glad- stone, North-East Tasmania). Opalized wood (Campbell Town, Central Tas- mania). Mrs. Swaby—a collection of fungi— Fomes_ rimosus, Schizophyllum com- mune, Phliota — spectabilis, | Ramaria ochraceo, salmonicolor, Polystictus zona- tis, P. versicolor, Trametes cinnabarina, and a lichen, Usnea florida. Mr. I. Morrison—Larva, pupa and adult Wanderer butterfly (female), Danaus plexippus. Miss I. Dixon—male Wanderer but- terfly and common drown (Heteromorpha merope. Mr. P. Curlis—self-sown fern—un- known parentage. Mr. T. Sault—Rhinoceros bettle. Mrs. McInnes—large shell (Campanile symbolicum) from Albany area, Western Australia. Mr. Gary (Flinders Island). Mr. Ken Strong showed under the binocular microscopes male and female Wallace—fossil wood Genery's Scientific Equipment Supply 183 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000 (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, Experimental Lens Set, etc. 144 Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 1 —_— fig wasps and the head of a female fig wasp from a Moreton Bay fig. Fifteen new members whose names appear in the April Naturalist were elected. Mr. Baines reported that the “Aus- tralian” newspaper had articles on aboriginal art, pointing out the antiquity of the works probably before the current race of aborigines. Dr. Wanliss announced a Fauna Con- servation meeting on 22 April with pic- tures of North-West Australia. Mr. Swaby said that he would have plants of Pratia surrepens to give to any- one who wanted them. Mr. W. Woollard requested action on the public address system which was not functioning. Mr. A. J. Swaby supported the request. Botany Group Meetings 12 March There were 22 members and visitors at the March Botany Group meeting. The subject for the evening was a talk by Mr. Jim Willis, “Botanical Personali- ties in Australia”. The opening remarks dealt with the value of plant specimens for herbarium purposes. There is little value till the name is added. The locality (including habitat) is very important and the date and month of flowering is useful. The name of the collector is less important than that of the deter- minant. When both are the same this adds to the value. For example the Mel- bourne Herbarium has implicit trust in the accuracy of such a collector and determinant as Mr. Cliff Beauglehole. The handwriting and background of travel and experience can be useful. The speaker said he was not going to deal with such well-known names as Brown, von Mueller, Gunn, etc., but with minor botanists who lived and worked (and usually died) in Australia. Of these the “lady-collectors” predomi- nated. From Western Australia there was Miss Sarah Brooks, who arrived in Esperance as a child of four in 1874 and collected in the lonely Mt. Baggett area north of Israelite Bay. Her name is honoured in Scaevola_ brooksiana. She wrote to von Mueller for over thirty years. The second was Miss Annie Cronin, now Mrs. Walker, a matriarch of 99 years and still alive. The third selection was Mr. Charles Austin Gard- ner, born 1896, who died very recently. He came to Western Australia in his May, 1970 twenties and was first a collector for the Forestry Department, then botanist to the Agricultural Department and finally Government Botanist in Western Aus- tralia. By 1965 he had discovered seven new genera, 125 new plants and had a pile of 200 awaiting description. From South Australia, the chosen botonists were Johann Otto Tepper, who was a teacher in the Education Depart- ment for many years and finally became Government Entomologist. Also from South Australia was the Rev. Hermann Kemp, who went to Central Australia in 1875 with the first expedition of Lutheran Missionaries. The Victorian collectors mentioned were first another German, Johann Paul Eckert, who was a musician and artist, leaving a collection of beautiful coloured prints of grasses. He collected in the Wimmera and Glenelg River area (1890’s). The second botanist was F. M. Rieder, an aristocrat who ended sadiy. He was a foundation member of the F.N.C.V. and studied the flora of Studley Park and later the Wimmera, including studies of flowering plants (especially grasses), mosses, liverworts and fungi. One of the “lady-botanists” was Mrs. Annie McCann (nee Mac- Donald) who lived at Granite Flat, Mitta Mitta, ran the hotel, P.O. and_ store wrote flamboyant poems and letters and collected botanical specimens. James Stirling was a geologist in Victoria’s north-east and lived at Omeo. He was a member of the Royal Societies of Vic- toria and of London and was responsible for the opening of the black coal de- posits in the Wonthaggi area and report- ed the Gippsland Brown coal. He wrote on the Phanerogamia of the Mitta Mitta source. Helichrysum stirlingii was named after him. Joseph Milligan, 1807-1884, from whom we get the genus Milligania (Lilicceae) and Helichrysum milliganii, belonged to the Van Diemen’s Land Co. in Tasmania, wes Superintendent of convict discipline, protector of aborigines and was responsible for sending them to Flinders Island. Raleigh Black was an expert Tasmanian botanist, though he left school at 3rd or 4th grade. After various vicissitudes he ended up in the Pivot Phosphate Co. in North-East Vic- toria where Mr. Willis tarvelled with him in 1938, finding him versatile in con- versation and an amiable companion. From New South Wales we have William Lockhart Morton, 1824-1898, 145 a foundation member of the Royal Society, from which he resigned as a gesture of protest against the Burke & Wills Expedition. He travelled and botanised in arid conditions in the Mal- lee and on up to the Mackay district in Queensland. Another from N.S.W. was Wilhelm Bauerelan who was official col- lector for the N.S.W. Museum of Tech- nology and collected thousands of speci- mens. In Queensland, the two botanists mentioned were Karl Heinrich Hart- mann, a nurseryman from Toowoomba, a prolific collector, who collected the type specimen of Sarcochilus hartmannii, and Mrs. Harriet Biddulph, 1839-1940, who at 101 years needed no spectacles and was still a gardener. Hemigeinia biddulphiana was named in her honour. She had collected at Mt. Playfair where she lived in Central Queensland. The bare bones of facts about these botanists were clothed with racy little anecdotes of their occupations, lives and characters, so that the expectant audience of the Botany Group was not disappoint- ed by Mr. Willis’ instructive and highly entertaining talk. 9 April There were 19 members present with Mr. Fairhall as chairman. He reported the death of Mr. Frank Zirkler, who had been an active and keen member of the group, always ready to offer his help when there was work to do and to give a friendly welcome to newcomers. It was decided that the Botany Group should give a book to the library in memory of Mr. Zirkler. Various business matters were dealt with and a proposed week-end excursion to Wilson’s Promontory from 6th to 8th November was confirmed. The subject for the evening was “The Family Myrtaceae” presented by Miss M. Lester. After stating the importance of Myrtaceae to Australia and a brief answer to the question “What is a Family?”, Miss Lester showed slides of familiar Victorian genera. The family characteristics of the flower, fruit, leaves and habit of growth were ex- amined in turn with each main genus. The differences between the genera Eucalyptus and Angophora and between Melaleuca, Callistemon and Kunzea were explained with slides that clearly demonstrated those differences. The genera Leptospermum and Baeckea, and the genera Thryptomene and Micromyr- 146 tus were similarly treated. Lilly-pilly was shown as the only Victorian species with a berry instead of the more usual Australian fruit of woody capsules in Eucalyptus, tea-trees, etc., or the small nut of Thryptomene and Calytrix. Miss Lester concluded her talk by showing slides of two unusual flower forms from Western Australia, a species from tropical South America—the other country that is very rich in Myrtaceae and, finally, Myrtus communis from the Mediter- ranean region. Myrtus is the genus from which the family name is derived. The chairman thanked Miss Lester for her clear, interesting and informa- tive talk and beautiful slides. Geology Group 4 March Fifteen members attended with Mr. Davidson occupying the Chair. The meeting took the form of a members’ night. The short talk on Lateritic de- posits by Mr. Kerry Hammond aroused much interest. He gave the require- ments necessary for the formations of Bauxite, Iron and Nickel under con- ditions. They are as follows— A flat topography, a 75° temperature average, a high average rain fall with a high absorption rate, and a fluctuating water table. The other requirements are—host rocks for Bauxite; an alu- minium rich claystone: for Iron; an iron rich Jaspellite: and for Nickel; a Gabbro-Norite rock. The water table should fluctuate about 25 ft. between wet and dry seasons. This continues to dissolve and redeposit the material from the host rock. The Geological structure must be such that it contains the en- riched material within closed limits. The Bauxite deposits at Weipa are an example of lateritic deposition. Mr. Hammond said these deposits took a_ granular form, often termed Pisolitic. He said also that the deposits at Weipa were initiated in late Cretaceous times and were still continuing. Mr. Davidson gave an account of visits to Queensland and Tasmania and spoke of specimens collected. These included — Opalized Wood; Rockhampton, Qld. Variegated Rhyo- lite; Rockhampton. Hyalite (Colourless Opal); Qld. Crocoite; Dundas, Tas. Serpentine, Stichtite, Chrysotile; Rose- bury, Tas. Mr. D. McInnis showed a_ rock section under polarized light of the mineral Actinolite. Vic. Nat. —Vol. 87 —— Marine Biology And Entomology Group 2 February The meeting was Chaired by Mr. R. Condron, 20 members being in attend- ance. An apology was received from Miss Jenny Forse. It was announced that Dr. Brian Smith would lead the F.N.C.V. Marine Biology excursion to Sorrento on Sun- day, Sth February. The Secretary announced that, as yet, he had been unable to obtain a speaker for the March meeting. Mr. H. B. Wilson, Senior Entomologist, Burnley Horticultural Gardens, will be the speaker at the April meeting, his subject as yet to be decided. The Chairman thanked Dr. Brian Smith for giving the Group Secretary early notice of the availability of a room at the Museum for Group meet- ings. Exhibits Mr. J. Strong—a small black spider with white spots on its abdomen taken at Pt. Addis. Mr. R. Condron—larvae of the Wood White butterfly (Delius aganippe) which he had obtained from Tallarook. Mrs. Z. Lee—some unidentified species of spiders. Mr. D. McInnes showed a species of Ant Lion and a species of Robber Fly. Also a protozoan under his microscope (species: Pixicola), and gave a_ short talk on it. Mr. K. Strong—some beach sand shown microscopically under polarized light. Miss L. White—a species of tick taken from a lizard. Mr. D. Long—some small species of snails collected on the F.N.C.V. outing to Cumberland Falls; and also micro- scovic snails from Tonimbuk. Dr. B. Smith—a marine bivalve from South Australia, a new species, as yet not described. This is one of the “Watering Pot” shells from near Port Lincoln. Dr. Smith said that up to date there were nine species in _ this family, most being dredged from 6-8 fathoms. Mr. J. Selfard—a series of colour transparencies showing the sequence of the emergence of a cicada. Dr. Brian Smith then projected a series of slides on plankton and explain- ed how a method of cultivation of same was being undertaken in England and he described the method of breeding in May, 1970 a laboratory. Dr. Smith also showed some very interesting colour transpar- encies taken from plates of old books on Concology. Many slides of Coelen- terata (jelly-fish) were shown, and Dr. Smith gave a short talk on the habits of them. He also gave a short and very interesting talk on salps. At the conclusion of this talk, Dr. Smith was thanked by Mr. J. Strong. 2 March Mr. R. Condron took the Chair, 22 members being in attendance. The Secretary conveyed the sympathy of the Group to Mr. & Mrs. Long on their recent bereavement. Mr. McInnes spoke on the Club out- ing to Sorrento on 15th February which was led by Dr. Brian Smith, who spoke on the various marine specimens col- lected. Dr. Brian Smith gave a short talk on the effects of D.D.T. on marine life. Exhibits Mr. J. Strong—two species of Nudi- branchs (Ceratosoma brevicaudata and Doriopsilla carneola) which were col- lected on an excursion to Ricketts Pt. by the Hawthorn juniors led by Mr. D. McInnes. Also two species of Chitous (Ischnoradsia australis and Poneroplax albida) also from Ricketts Pt. The anterior valve of the latter species has the insertion plate teeth commonly known as “Mermaids” Teeth”. Mrs. Z. Lee gave a short talk on a Nudibranch which she had observed in the act of laying eggs. Mr. R. Condron—two scarab beetles from Rushworth; also a_ species of dragon fly and saw fly. Mrs. Z. Lee—a marine worm for identification taken at Sorrento. Miss L. White—a species of bug. Mr. K. Strong—silverfish scales under microscopic power. Mr. D. McInnes—Amellid worms of different species. He gave a short talk on these, and described the feeding habits of one species—also an egg mass, possibly of a species of Sea Hare, taken at Sorrento. Dr. B. Smith showed some _ colour transparencies of land snails and gave a short talk on them. He also showed some colour transparencies of a dredg- ing trip for the collection of plankton undertaken by the C.S.I.R.O. last Oc- tober at Morton Bay. Dr. Smith gave a running commentary on the methods of dredging used and the different types of apparatus employed. 147 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Established 1880 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, 1970/71 President: Mr. T. SAULT Vice-Presidents: Mr. J. STRONG; Mr. P. CURLISS 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. WARD, 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). Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. B. FUHRER, 25 Sunhill Av., North Ringwood, 3134. Book Sales Officer: Mrs. J. STRONG. Group Secretaries: Botany: Mrs. R. WEBB-WARE, 29 The Righi, South Yarra (26 1079). 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). Geology: Mr. N. WIGMORE, 56 Brett Street, Murrumbeena 3163 (56 1485). 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 1970 Ordinary:Members ©. \...0° 5 0 nk. ke ee ett Sea aah chur Jah Dy Sr $7.00 Country “Members.- — herve oes maak ase ab moos? “aun TIED We ee ee $5.00 Joint Members 0. ci ne Biss ten gland seid ~ aban’ tRiee: CEES LAs RA cee eek cs ae $2.00 Junior Members 2:0 0 2aS cae cab Gene Ge Hin) eee ee Se $2.00 Junior Members receiving: Viet. Nat. jc.0 cc. Sel) baa ee GE cake 7 eeadll eeet cee $4.00 Subscribers-to- Viet. Nati sce ns fees ee ee I Re ea $5.00 Affiliated: Societies i... hea. Whe cet © hee “Sasi Jats Deno. Gace? ASROSRR, Sar eal ete ees $7.00 Life Membership» (reducing after 20: yecirs) ec © cece (ces sc essa, Sheetiel. ceveee) esse Mteeereigl tesco ener eames $140.00 The cost of individual copies of the Vict. Nat. will be 45 cents. All sukscriptions should be made payable to the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, and posted to the Subscription Secretary. () JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE 6646 ~ he VICTORIAN NATURALIST Vol. 87, No. 6 June, 1970 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 F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 8 June—At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, com- mencing at 8 p.m. 1. Minutes, Reports, Announcements. 2. Nature Notes and Exhibits. 3. Subject for the evening— Tide will Turn”: Mr. E. G. Wallis. 4. New Members. Ordinary: Mr. J. Morley, 8 Mary Street, Hawthorn, 3122. (Interest—Geology. ) Mr. a G. Ni Botany School, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052. (Interest— otany. Joint with Mrs. M. Corrick: Mr. A. C. Corrick, Bank of N.S.W., P.O. Box 66, Moreland, Vic., 3058. Country: Miss Heather Maggs, 12 Allen Crescent, Stawell, Vic., 3380. 5. General Business. 6. Correspondence. July—“A Biological Survey of Victoria”: Mr. R. T. M. Pescott. GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at National Herbarium unless otherwise stated) Thursday, 11 June—Botany Group. Mr J. Baines will speak on the Botany of Captain Cook’s Australian Voyages. Wednesday, 17 June—Microscopical Group. Friday, 26 June—Junior meeting at 8 p.m. at Hawthorn Town Hall Wednesday, 1 July—Geology Group. Thursday, 2 July—Mammal Survey Group meeting at 8 p.m. in the Arthur Rylah Research Centre for Environmental Studies—corner of Brown Street, and Stradbroke Avenue, Heidelberg. Friday, 3 July—Junior meeting in Rechabite Hall, 281 High St., Preston at 8 p.m. Monday, 6 July—Entomology and Marine Biology Group meeting at the National Museum in small room beside the theatrette at 8 p.m. Thursday, 9 July—Botany Group. Mr P. Kelly will speak on Moulds. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 14th June—Botany Group Excursion. Meet at Frankston Railway Station at 10.15 a.m. Anyone prepared to offer transport or desiring same please contact Mr H. Kleinecke (25 2415). Sunday, 21 June—Natural Resources Conservation League Nursery at Springvale and visit to a Nature Reserve. The bus will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. fare $1.20. Bring one meal. Saturday, 29 August — Sunday, 6 September—Wyperfeld National Park and Little Desert camp out. Tentative plan is to travel to Wyperfeld on Saturday, 29 August remaining there until Wednesday, 2 September then going to Broughton’s Waterhole in the Little Desert for the remainder of the excursion. Members will be responsible for their own food and camping gear but there will be opportunities of replenishing food supplies during the week. The coach fare will be $18.00 and this should be paid to the excursion secretary by the end of July, all cheques to be made out to Excursion Trust. Saturday, Sunday 17-18 October—Weekend excursion to Castlemaine details later. Geology Group Excursions Sunday, 7 June—Maribyrnong River Terraces. Leader: Mr. Dan McInnes. (Pre- viously advertised for 10 May.) Sunday, 5 July—To Cave Hill (Lilydale) Limestone Quarry. Leader: Mr. J. Dobson. Sunday, 9 August—To Heathcote. Leader: Mr. R. Davidson. ; Transport is by private car (spare seats are usually available for those with- out their own transport). Excursions leave from the western end of Flinders Street Station, opposite the C.T.A. Building, at 9.30 a.m. 150 Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 The Victorian Naturalist Editor: G. M. Ward Assistant Editor: E. King Vol. 87, No. 6 4 June. 1970 CONTENTS Articles: Bushfire Frequency and Vegetational Change in South-eastern Australian Forests. By N. A. Wakefield hate ci. eo ae oe 152 A Spider and Its Mate. By Madge Lester .. ant a ee dls), The Mitchell River Silt Jetties. By EB: GC. F. Bird os ng Le N62 A Subalpine Occurrence of the Common Mud-mat. By J. H. Willis ne ae ee ae es lef J = GS Plans for a Proposed Census of Non-Marine Molluscs in Victoria By Brian J. Smith we ae sais cae re a io 2ah tea, BOD Arion intermedius Normand, an Introduced Slug in Victoria By David C. Long ue: - 7 oe cae rn soe LO Australian Natural History Medallion Award . . ae a, me ae 173 Obituary: Appreciation of the late Thomas Francis Zirkler oe we 4. LEG Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: General Meeting a fe ee es tee ae oe vee 176 Western Victoria Clubs Ly i oe Tne ee tyes ws, LAD Diary of Coming Events age Ss =e be tes as 22 ASO Front Cover: The enormity of size of the female of the Nephila sp., compared with that of the male, is shown clearly in this photograph taken by Graham Pizzey. (See article on p. 159). June, 1970 151 Bushfire Frequency and Vegetational Change in South-eastern Australian Forests By N. A. WAKEFIELD* INTRODUCTION The article deals primarily with certain forested Crown lands in the northern part of East Gippsland, Victoria. The area concerned is bounded by the Great Dividing Range on the west, the New South Wales border on the north, the Snowy River on the east, and a line approx- imately from the Little River-Snowy River confluence through Mount Seldom-seen on the south. The tract embraces some 250,000 acres, or a little over 400 square miles. The elevation at the Snowy River is about 600 feet and at the Cobberas Mountains about 6,000 feet. The topography is complicated, with deep river valleys intersecting areas of mountain ranges and plateaus. Mean annual rainfall is from approximately 20 inches in the Suggan Buggan valley to over 40 inches about the Dividing Range. Due to variations in soil, pre- cipitation, elevation and aspect, there is a mozaic of different vegetational formations. Of those in the tract which has been defined, the following will be commented upon in this article: (a) Peppermint Forests. These oc- cur mainly in the valleys of the Buchan River and its tributary the Reedy River. (The latter is called “Reedy Creek” on some maps.) They occupy more-or-less steep stony slopes on the warmer aspects, and the dom- inant trees are Broad-leaved Pepper- mint (Eucalyptus dives) and Brittle Gum (E. mannifera). In some places there is, in addition, some White Sallee (E. pauciflora) and/or Candlebark 152 Gum (E. rubida). The main grasses are Danthonia spp. (e.g. D. pallida), Poa spp. and Themeda, but grass is a minor element in comparison with the great bulk and variety of woody shrubs. (b) Gum Forests. The Wulgul- merang Plateau, at about 3,000 to 4,000 feet elevation, and neighbour- ing areas, carries mixtures of White Sallee (Eucalyptus pauciflora), Candlebark Gum (E. rubida) and Mountain Gum (E. dalrympleana). In general there is a medium to thick ground cover of coarse grasses} (Poa spp., Danthonia spp. etc.), which in- termix with sedges in flat wet places. On comparatively dry slopes, espec- ially rocky ridges, there are some patches of shrubbery (Pultenaea juni- perina, Daviesia spp., Acacia dealbata etc.) (c) Box Woodlands. The lower parts of the valleys of the Snowy and Suggan Buggan Rivers, up to approximately 2,500 feet elevation, carry an open woodland of White Box (Eucalyptus albens) and _ fine grasses, mainly Danthonia spp., Poa spp. and Stipa spp.). On some of the northerly and westerly slopes the euc- alypts are replaced by cypress-pine (Callitris columellaris); and _ steep more-or-less rocky hillsides carry Red Stringybark (E£. macrorrhyncha) and coarser grass (mainly Poa). * Monash Teachers’ College, Clayton, Victoria. + Despite the coincidence of genera, the actual species of grasses are generally different in the different forest formations discussed. Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 HISTORY OF CATTLE GRAZING AND BURNING Cattle were first pastured in the Suggan Buggan valley in 1843, and from 1845 onward the Wulgulmerang area was used for grazing by members of the O’Rourke family. Soon after the turn of the century, properties at Black mountain and Wulgulmerang were acquired by J. C. Rogers, and he and members of his family have grazed cattle, in the area defined in the above introduction, for the past 68 years. Usually the forest grazing involved about 300 to 500 Hereford cattle. A general outline of burning prac- tices and their effects on vegetation has been provided by K. C. Rogers, a grazier living in the Black Moun- tain area, in these terms (letter, 30/8/1969): My father came to Black Mountain in 1902. In those days John O’Rourke of Wulgulmerang and others used to tell of the open, clean-bottomed, park-like state of the forests of this tableland and adjacent areas, which they could well remember from _ earlier days. The Pendergasts of Benambra, whose cattle runs adjoined ours at the Dividing Range, told the same story. Over a period of years, before we came to the district, it had been the accepted thing to burn the bush, to provide a new growth of shorter sweet feed for the cattle. As soon as we boys were old enough, we were keen to do the burning. The practice was to burn the country as often as possible, which would be every three or four years according to con- ditions. One went burning in_ the hottest and driest weather in January and February, so that the fire would be as fierce as possible, and thus make a clean burn. As a general practice, in the valleys, we would light along the rivers and creeks, so that the fire would roar up the steep slopes on either side, making a terrific inferno and sweeping all before it. The hotter the fire, the sweeter and better the feed for the cattle after the new growth came. The table- lands received special attention, for the June, 1970 high country, though more tedious to burn, provided the most feed. Should a wet summer occur, the burning pro- gramme was all the more important the following year. In short, the run-holders, until regula- tions prevented, would consistently burn the bush as often as possible. The only area where this procedure did not apply extensively was the White Box country of the Snowy River and Suggan Buggan valleys, for the grass there was sweet without fire. It would seem that the long-followed practice of regularly burn- ing the bush in the hot part of the year has resulted in a great increase of scrub in all timbered areas except the box country. The latter does not burn readily, even if fired, and the forests of White Box remain clean in the bottom. That poses another question, regard- ing the great abundance of the younger group of cypress-pines in the valleys of both rivers, where there are only a scattered few of a much older generation of pines amongst the vast majority of the younger ones. In this case it is hard to credit that fire has been the cause of such an increase in pine population, since they are growing adjacent to, or in association with, the White Box timber. The stands of the younger pines were, to my knowledge, about the same in density and distribution 60 years ago as they are today, but I remember them first as much smaller trees. During later discussion with Rogers, the following specific details were summarized with regard to vegetat- ional growth after firing: (a) Peppermint Forests Fire cleared all minor vegetation and, when particularly severe in steep areas, it burned foliage and small branches completely off the trees. Within a few months Eucalyptus dives cop- piced from the butts and on trunks and limbs. E. mannifera developed shoots on trunks and limbs but less at ground level. There was vigorous regrowth of ground vegetation, (mainly from root stocks) comprising shrubs, herbs and an abundance of grass of many species (including some annuals). Seeds of shrubs, es- pecially Olearia, Cassinia and Heli- 153 chrysum, germinated, as well as those of most eucalypts. E. rubida, when present, germinated very prolifically in areas of fierce fire. After years of firing, E. dives formed dense thickets due to its ability to coppice after fire. Almost impenetrable peppermint scrubs have become quite a feature along ridge tops of the steep Buchan River valley. Grass was most palatable to cattle during the season (spring and sum- mer) following a fire. Danthonia pal- lida, for instance, provided good grazing at first but leaves hardened after 18 months (hence the local name “wire grass’’). By 3 years, shrubbery had matured and ceased growth, grass coverage was smothered and reduced in bulk, and the eucalypt scrub was about 7 or 8 feet high. At this stage, the area was reburnt. (Burning was rotated, so that a third or more of the forest was burnt each summer when con- ditions permitted). (b) Gum Forests In general, an area would be burned over about every four years, but some parts, for example those adjacent to the Black Mountain prop- erties, were generally burned at 3- yearly intervals. Fires were usually not fierce, but occasional fierce bursts occurred, especially on the rougher terrain. Grass was burned back, shrubs and eucalypt scrub killed to ground level, and wattle scrub often killed completely. By the following spring there was regrowth of grass and shrub- bery from the rootstocks, eucalypts had coppiced, and _ seedlings of eucalypts and wattles had appeared. Eucalypt germination, especially of E. rubida, produced dense crops in areas of fierce burns. In some areas Acacia dealbata formed dense scrubs after fires. Grass remained palatable and con- 154 tinued to grow through the second spring-summer season also, but after two years showed little or no further increase in bulk. The pauci- flora-rubida-dalrympleana association was, and still is, on the average, much more grassy and less scrubby than the dives-mannifera association. The escarpment which _ faces southerly on the northern side of the Reedy River valley provides a con- spicuous example of the development of scrublands as a result of firing. Originally there was a _ well-grassed clean-bottomed forest, mainly of Eucalyptus dalrympleana but with some E. rubida. It is now an area of dense scrub. (c) Box Woodlands In general, the country is not sus- ceptible to fire. Lightning fires sel- dom travel far, except in_ steep country. During the past 60 years, no fire has burned down into the more open and level parts of the Suggan Buggan valley, not even the fiercest ones that have swept the surround- ing forests. No attempts were made to fire the open Box Woodlands, but some burn- ing was done on the rougher slopes of Eucalyptus macrorrhyncha, on adj- acent steep slopes of E. albens, in rough creek heads, etc. Such burning generally resulted in marked develop- ment of scrub (Eucalyptus, Helichry- sum conditum, Cassinia spp. etc.), and any further burning that was done tended to increase this shrub- bery. FERAL AND NATIVE MAMMALS Rabbits In the latter part of last century, the O’Rourkes used to run several hundred head of cattle, mainly in the Box Woodland areas of the Suggan Buggan and Snowy River valleys. Rabbits appeared in the country about Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 the turn of the century and quickly reached plague proportions. Hares were numerous up to that time but then disappeared within a few years to the level of extreme rarity. The development of scrub had progressed in the forests (as distinct from the Box Woodlands) before the rabbit came, but not to the extent that it has during the present century. Rabbits did not become abundant enough in the forest areas to have significant effects on the vegetation, but in the Box Woodlands they be- came very numerous and more-or- less denuded the ground of herbage. The stock-carrying capacity of the woodlands was decreased to about one-tenth its earlier level. In 1948, the writer noted that, al- though numerous tiny seedlings of Callitris could be found in the Sug- gan Buggan area, there were no spec- imens whatever between that stage and the small trees estimated at about 50 years of age. Since the advent of myxomatosis, in 1952, and the re- sultant reduction of the rabbit popu- lation, there has been a significant survival of Callitris seedlings and many of the young plants are now some feet in height. The conclusion is that Callitris germinates freely without fire but that subsequent sur- vival and growth is contingent upon lightness or absence of grazing. Ac- cording to ring counts and measure- ments of girth, the scattered spec- imens of old Callitris trees range in age from about 100 to 250 years. Following reduction of the rabbit population, grass growth has increased again in the Box Woodlands. Wild Horses These have usually been present in some hundreds in the area under discussion. They are highly mobile and more nomadic than cattle, and move in force on to recently burned June, 1970 areas, to eat the new grass growth. They crop the herbage closer than cattle do, and thus can feed on shorter and sweeter grass, such as much of that on the _ subalpine meadows. In summer they concentrate on the snow grass on the high moun- tains, whereas cattle usually graze there only after it has been burned, and that is very rarely. Kangaroos and Wallabies The Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) iS scattered but uncom- mon in the dives-mannifera associa- tion; it is more numerous on the plateaus in the Gum Forests. Origin- ally, kangaroos were rare on the higher plateaus but are now not un- common at 4,000 feet and higher. They are plentiful on the fringes of cleared paddocks, which they enter at night to graze on the improved pastures. In the Box Woodlands their numbers have varied in inverse pro- portion to those of the rabbit pop- ulations. The Brush Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) appears to be more numerous now than it was originally. It favours drier slopes of the dives- mannifera association (living in eucalypt and Daviesia thickets) and the more scrubby Gum Forests of the lower plateau country. DISCUSSION The writer, while living and work- ing in various East Gippsland local- ities from the 1920s to the early 1950s, has been acquainted with the practices of graziers in the region and has made both general and particular observations of the vegetation. The history of very frequent firing of forest areas and the change from compara- tively open formations to more scrubby vegetation, as described by Rogers, has applied in general to the dry sclerophyll forests throughout 155 East Gippsland. Various other species of eucalypts have been involved, but patterns have been similar. There is evidence also that development of scrubby forests in south-eastern New South Wales and in other parts of Victoria has been associated with high frequency of bushfires. Graziers’ fire practices in New South Wales, over 140 years ago, are described by P. Cunningham (Two Years in New South Wales, vol. 1, pp. 211-2; 1827): The old withered grasses are usually burnt off in the spring, and often at other periods of the year if you have an extensive run for your stock; and it is astonishing to see how quickly and how luxuriantly the new grass will push up after these burnings, if a shower of rain should happen to follow them. When judiciously accomplished, they certainly produce most beneficial effects, by des- troying all the old grass which the cattle and sheep refuse to eat, and which is therefore only a bar to their feeding. The last sentence of the quote con- forms to the parts of Rogers’ data which note that in the forest areas over-mature grass is not readily eaten by stock. In this connection it is relevant that virtually all the more open forests in south-eastern Australia were included in the runs leased to the original squatters, and that, sub- sequent to that era, most of the forests were again leased more-or-less con- tinuously to graziers. Consistent rot- ational burning was necessary in these grazing leases to keep them functional from the graziers’ point of view. There has been much _ consider- ation recently, by foresters and other interested persons, of the problem of fuel accumulation in southern Aus- tralian forests, and of the question of the use of mild burning, in suit- able weather conditions, to reduce this fuel and thus minimize the risk 156 of very destructive wild fires in the forests concerned. When endeavour- ing to establish an historical back- ground to the problem, authors of addresses and documents on the sub- ject usually advance the hypothesis that the widespread change from open grassy forests to dense scrubby form- ations has been due to infrequency of fires during the era of European settlement in Australia, as compared with the (postulated) high frequency of aboriginal fires. As far as sclero- phyll forests are concerned, such his- tories as that given by Rogers indi- cate that this hypothesis is the opp- osite of actual fact. As regards East Gippsland, and evidently elsewhere in south-eastern Australia, the salient points are (1) that for about a hundred years there was a regime of rotational burning, at 3-4 year intervals, of many or most areas of dry sclerophyll forest, and (ii) that during this regime there was marked increase in shrubby under- growth in these forests. It is significant that such evolution of scrub occurred in areas subjected to maximum. pos- sible fire frequency. This appears to demonstrate, conclusively, that the more grassy and less scrubby forests known to the earliest settlers were not a deflected climax due to high fire frequency but were, on the con- trary, a state of vegetation associated with comparatively low fire frequency. It should be noted that these com- ments are applied to dry sclerophyll forest formations, not to woodlands or wet sclerophyll forests. The main areas of Box Woodlands of north- eastern Gippsland have not had a known fire history nor have they been involved in the problem of ac- cumulation of scrub and other dan- gerous fuels. The wet sclerophyll forests of Victoria, notably those dom- inated by Eucalyptus regnans, have Vict. Nat.— Vol. 87 had quite different histories — in this case involving comparatively infre- quent but very devastating fires. It should be noted also that, in general, the regime of high fire fre- quency in the dry sclerophyll forests of Victoria terminated some 20 years or more ago, with the introduction of certain legislation, the implement- ation of stricter fire prevention mea- sures, and the development of more sophisticated access and fire fighting facilities. During the past two dec- ades, over-mature scrub and dead fuel have tended to accumulate, and there have been some very destruc- tive accidental wild fires, such as those which swept the Wulgulmerang area and neighbouring parts in 1952 and 1965. It is this kind of episode which necessitates the consideration of systematic fuel reduction by con- trolled burning. The point which this article seeks to emphasise, that the increase of scrubby undergrowth in our dry sclerophyll forests was associated with high fire frequency, is of academic rather than practical importance. The forester’s practical problem is to de- termine how to reduce the inflam- mability of the present scrublands, irrespective of the factors which caused their development. The mat- ter of cause however has bearing on the question of aborigines’ use of fire and the frequencies of fires in various formations in Australia in the pre-colonization era. It is proposed to consider these latter aspects in a further article on bushfires in the near future. APPENDIX A draft of the foregoing article was submitted for criticism to certain persons who are actively concerned with problems of forest fires, and those persons made the following suggest- ions: (a) That the burning carried out on the Rogers run had not in fact been as frequent as stated, that fires burning in 3-year-old fuels would not “roar up the steep slopes’, etc., and that such effects would have been observed instead in fuels not burned for probably six years or longer. (b) That, while mild fires at 4- year intervals (and in some places longer) would be likely to change a clear forest floor into a scrubby one, this did not negate the theory that many “clear” forests of the dry sclerophyll types were due to more frequent fires. June, 1970 (c) That if two, three or even four fires occurred in quick success- ion on an area, then those shrub species not able to survive by root stock or seed supply would be sub- stantially reduced and it would take many years for them to recolonize the area, regardless of fire frequency after the “quick” fires. After examination of these critic- isms and comments, Rogers replied as follows (letter, 10/11/1969): I can only stress the accuracy of the statement that we burned the bush as often as possible. Naturally there were seasons when burning could not be done, so that there were instances when certain areas missed out on a burn for six years or more. These naturally were the places that carried the greatest infernos if in steep country, and such fierce fires tended to produce the worst scrub. On the other hand, we burned a lot of the bush every three years. 157 No bushland in this area would ever burn extensively if fuel were only one or two years old. A vivid example of this was in the great 1939 fire which, after burning Omeo, raced on eastward on Black Friday as far as the high exposed ridge known as Fish Creek Top. There the fire was intense and the branches were burned off the trees, whilst in the Fish Creek valley, immed- iately below and on the east side, we later observed that burning air-borne deb- ris had started numerous small spot fires which had then gone out. We had burned out that valley and most of the area eastward to this property two years pre- viously, thus saving our home area from the blaze despite the terrible conditions that day. At three years, if conditions favoured in January and February, fire would sweep over certain areas such as the Buchan River valley at quite a pace, owing to the quantity of dry grass with the scrub. We would also burn a lot of the tableland area, of 3000 to 3500 feet elevation, which surrounds our property, every third year, though this gum forest country is less burnable than the peppermint slopes. Indeed, one summer a number of years ago, during a heat wave, the whole of the tableland along and southward of the Rocky Range, and embracing the heads of Omeo Creek, carried a spectacular fire several miles in extent and severe enough to kill the forest of E. dalrympleana and E. pauciflora. I can vouch for the fact that the same area was all burned three years previously. However, the top shade temperature that day was 98°, which is quite exceptional for this alti- tude, and there was a_ high north- westerly wind with it. It will be seen from the above details that we indeed carried out “saturation burning”, if that term means burning as frequently as possible. It is also evident to me, from results observed, that burn- ing every three years still produces scrub. Most young eucalypt seedlings sprout from the stock when the top is killed by fire. There is also an inex- haustible supply of seed in the ground, which is helped by fire to germinate from burn to burn. This seems to apply to nearly «ll native plants. That is why scrub now infests the forest floor throughout the tablelands and gorges. 158 The criticisms and Rogers’ further comments, which comprise the fore- going part of this appendix, appear to confirm the earlier contention that, in general, a regime of maximum fire frequency was maintained in the forests in question and that this regime progressively increased the scrubbiness of the forests. This leaves unchanged the conclusion that fires due to lightning and aborigines were collectively less frequent than those during the era of colonization. As regards the hypothesis that scrub may be eliminated by very frequent fires, it should be noted that Cas- sinia, Helichrysum and Olearia spe- cies flower and produce their first crop of seeds from 24 to 30 months after germination, and that large shrubby fireweeds (Senecio spp.) seed at 12 to 18 months. Therefore, if fires are to eliminate these species by preventing them from seeding, the habitats would need to be burned reg- ularly at 2-year intervals in the case of the first group, and annually in the case of Senecio. A regular 2-year fire frequency is certainly not possible in East Gippsland forests and is probably not possible in any of our dry sclero- phyll forests. Rogers’ inference that the supply of seeds in the ground does not be- come exhausted despite a series of germinations, is evidently quite valid. In various parts of Victoria it has been noted that areas which have been bare of shrubs for decades, be- cause sheep and rabbits have eaten all seedlings which have been growing over the years, will produce a cover of native shrubbery when those graz- ing animals are excluded. Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 A Spider and Its Mate A ROADSIDE ENCOUNTER by MADGE LESTER In March 1969, en route to Sey- mour via the Hume highway, I stopped for a leg-stretch somewhere the other side of the “Divide”. Wan- dering near the road, I came upon a huge spider in a huge web. The spider was at about head height over a gully- cum-drain, and the web was supported from bushes about 8 feet apart. Never before had I seen such a big spider: a gross, bloated thing, the abdomen being about 1” long, but quite an attractive pale grey colour; while the legs were black and white with touches of yellow. Trussed up in the web above the spider was a sub- stantial collection of queer rubbish, presumably the remains of past meals. I returned to the car for the camera, put it on a tripod and added a ring to the lens with the idea of shoot- ing at about 10” distance. I was try- ing to splay the legs of the tripod to get it steady, when the spider sudden- ly raced across the top of its web. I do not like spiders at any time, and when one the size of a plum becomes very active a few inches from my face, my natural reaction is a sharp withdrawal. Anyway, I could not get the tripod steady so thought I would try round the other side. By the time I had walked round the bushes the creature had settled down again. But it was even more revolting from this side, for there was a big hole—about the size of a match-head in the body, and this side was not the pleasant grey colour of the back. I was struggling with the tripod when I saw something that prevented all further attempts to spread the tripod June, 1970 legs and thereafter I used them to- gether as a single long pin. Coming down through the remains of past meals was a little rusty-red thing. It was the size of a large pea and had very long legs. My total knowledge of spiders was that they make webs, have eight legs. and the male is usually smaller than the female — but I never dreamt there could be so much difference in size as this. But surely nothing but a male of the same species would be so foolhardy as to choose to approach such a monster. The little rusty-red spider came on hesitantly. Accidentally I shook the web and it raced back. But it did not go far, and again advanced down- wards. Having now arrived at the hole in the monsters body, he poked his “feelers” into it (palps is the correct term for those). This took some seconds, but all the time the female was entirely motionless as if in a trance. After he had completed this act, instead of going back up the way he had come, the silly little thing con- tinued on down forwards. He came on cautiously — advancing, pausing, and retreating, similar to but even more cautious than in its earlier ap- proach to the hind end. He looked just as compulsive. It seemed to me that there could be only one outcome, and I was torn between not wanting to see it and wanting to see everything possible. I stood rooted, ready to shoot as soon as the female moved. But nothing 159 happened; whilst the little fellow con- tinued to advance and retreat. Then I realised that I was running late for the appointed lunch, so hastily grab- bed everything and dashed off. I therefore do not know the final out- come! Shae OE se Se These observations made me rea- lise how appallingly ignorant I was, and I began to seek information on spiders. I can thoroughly recommend the book in our FNCV library The World of Spiders by W. S. Bristowe. Bristowe is not merely interested in spiders, he has not merely studied them intensely, he /oves spiders. But Bristowe’s spiders are English. We have nothing so loving or so detailed on Australian spiders. Perhaps Stann- ton’s book is a reasonably adequate introduction. The 96 pages he grand- ly calls All about spiders. He has just one page on Nephila, so my informa- tion of that genus has been gathered elsewhere — from McKeown’s Spider Wonders of Australia in the library and other sources not in the library. This large spider is a Nephila, a genus that occurs throughout Austra- lia. There are about seven Australian species. Some Nephila species have been called bird-snaring spiders, but al- though McKeown gives evidence of small or young birds occasionally be- ing killed by a Nephila, the main food consists of large moths, beetles and crickets. Spiders feed on the juices of their prey, and as Nephila does not remove her web each morning as some spiders do, she seems to find the web a convenient parking place for the husks of her victims. Nephila is also called the Golden Web Spider; the main web being pale yellow, sticky and shining, whilst the strut threads and some in the orb too 160 are whitish — differences I failed to observe. The mating of spiders is certainly peculiar. A few days after its final moult, the male spider builds a tiny web only a few millimetres across on which it secretes some sperm; or, ac- cording to the species, the ground, a stick, or a leaf might serve instead of the tiny web. I do not know what Nephila does. The male then transfers the sperm into its palps, and goes seeking a mate. The palps work something like a fountain-pen filler. The difference in size of male and female is not usually so great as in Nephila. The male might be only a little smaller than the female. Never- theless, mating can be a hazardous business for him and there is usually some sort of courting approach, vary- ing according to the species. With Nephila, this seems to be approach cautiously and run back, approach and run back, until the female has wearied of chasing him away and is ready to receive him. When I first tried to fix the tripod to photograph the back of the female and it suddenly dashed across the top of its web, was it chasing out the male? That is what I suspect from what I have since read, but I did not see the male until some time after I had moved round to the other side. If only I had known then what I know now I might have observed so much more. Also, some books speak of Nephila hanging in the web during the day with the body down, and two photos show the body down position. When I first saw this one, was she hanging body down or head down as in the accompanying photo*. I do not know; and that is very careless observation. One assumes that the head down is a mating position, but is that position *See Cover. Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 taken only when ready for mating; and is thus recognised by the male as comparatively safe? My sources of information do not make that suggestion and it would seem that more observation is re- quired. McKeown says that the male Ne- phila usually lands first on the back of the female, and Graham Pizzey has a photo of one there*. But in my ob- servations the male came _ straight down the front. The male empties its palps into the female body. Bristowe meticulously records whether the two palps are inserted together or one at a time, and whether in one or more actions, as well as the time it takes. I neglected to observe all these fac- tors. But I can make a guess at the time. There was time enough to wind *See Cover. on the film, swing camera slightly and re-focus, so I assume it was not less than 10 seconds and, from recollec- tion, not more than 60. But that’s a pretty wide margin. Graham Pizzey records the process in a Nephila he observed as taking about six seconds, and the female grabbing the male as soon as it was over. But there were many things I neg- lected to register and I feel very an- noyed that a good opportunity was largely wasted. Of course, some of it was due to colossal ignorance — not knowing what to look for or what to expect; but it was mainly due to observation that was far too casual. We need careful, attentive observa- tion — observation that could help to fill in the gaps that still exist in the knowledge of our Australian creatures. 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 30 photographs. Price 7Sc. VICTORIAN TOADSTOOLS AND MUSHROOMS, by J. H. Willis. This describes 120 toadstool species and many other fungi. There are four coloured plates and 31 other illustrations. New edition. Price 90c. THE VEGETATION OF WYPERFELD NATIONAL PARK, by J. R. Garnet. Coloured frontispiece, 23 half-tone, 100 line drawings of plants and a map. Price $1.50. Address orders and inquiries to Sales Officer, F.N.C.V., National Herbarium, South Yarra, Victoria. Payments should include postage (9c on single copy). The Freame Marine Collection It may be of some interest to those members who knew the late Mrs. M. E. Freame of Altona, to learn that her collection of marine specimens has been purchased by the Rosebud Aquarium and Museum. Showcases will shortly be made for its reception. It is expected that it will be on public exhibition later in the year. June, 1970 161 The Mitchell River Silt Jetties by E. C. F. Birp* The origin of the silt jetties built by the Mitchell River below Bairns- dale (Fig. 1) is still controversial. In 1874, Skene and Smyth suggested that they developed in the manner of a digitate delta, originating when the mouth of the Mitchell opened into Lake King at Bairnsdale, and growing first southwards to Eagle Point, then east-north-eastwards to project into Lake King. This hypothesis was generally accepted (e.g., Gregory, 1903), but in 1949 Clifford wrote an article in the Victorian Naturalist suggesting that the silt jetties were produced by partial submergence of a broad flood plain that had been previously built by the Mitchell, with natural levees bordering the river channel, and that below Eagle Point the backswamp depressions flanking these natural levees were submerged to form Jones Bay on the north and Eagle Point Bay to the south. In 1962, after investigating the geomor- phology of the Gippsland Lakes, the present author found evidence in favour of the earlier hypothesis of progressive growth of the Mitchell River silt jetties, but this has been questioned by Jenkin (1968) in a memoir published by the Mines De- partment, and further discussion is now necessary. In 1962 sand and gravel features were reported along the base of the bluffs west of McLeod’s Morass (Fig. 1) and interpreted as shoreline fea- tures indicating that Lake King ex- tended to the base of the bordering bluffs prior to the construction of the * Department of Geography, University of Mel- bourne. 162 Mitchell River silt jetties. It was de- duced that the Mitchell had built these jetties in such a way as to cut off this western shoreline; the Skene and Smyth hypothesis of progressive growth was therefore preferred to Clifford’s hypothesis, which required that natural levees were already present when the last submergence took place. Jenkin (1968, p. 56) rejects the view that the sand and gravel deposit west of McLeod’s Morass is a shore- line feature (1.e., a beach) and de- scribes it as a narrow flat terrace con- sisting of outwash material from the bordering bluffs. Sand and_ gravel downwash (a term preferred to out- wash, which in geomorphological literature is usually applied to material derived from glaciers and ice sheets) has certainly contributed to this slope- foot depositional feature (Fig. 2), but the fact that this feature also extends as a ridge across the mouth of a tributary valley (Fig. 3) and, farther north, projects as a slightly recurved spit, means that some other process has been involved in distributing the downwashed sand and gravel. Jenkin comments that the presence of coarse material (up to cobble size) relative to the available easterly fetch is not consistent with the view that this ridge is a wave-built feature (i.e. a beach ridge), and suggests the possibility of emplacement by river action. This reasoning cannot be accepted. The available easterly fetch here was at least five miles, and there are several sectors of the present shoreline of Lake King where beach shingle, in- Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 cluding cobbles, exists with a much smaller fetch than this: on the north shore of Jones Bay (Fig. 1) for ex- ample. The critical factor is_ the availability on these sectors of the lake shore of coarse material (up to cobble size) for incorporation in beach deposits. This coarse material has come from gravel-capped Tertiary rocks in cliffed sectors of the bordering bluffs. It has certainly not come from the Mitchell River, which carries a load of silt, clay and a little sand, and has built bordering natural levees of this material. The coarse sand and gravel deposits forming the ridge west of McLeod’s Morass are similar in texture and composition to existing beaches on the shores of Lake King, and sharply contrasted with the pre- dominantly silty material in the Mit- chell River levees, as shown by sedi- NAG NATURAL LEVEES & SILT JETTIES | ==522 SAND AND GRAVEL BEACHES June, 1970 mentological evidence in Fig. 4. The ridge west of McLeod’s Morass is therefore not a river levee but a beach formation that extends north- wards as a spit which has grown in the opposite direction to the south- ward flow of the Mitchell River. As Jenkin remarks, deposition of this sand and gravel material west of McLeod’s Morass took place when the water level was at least five feet higher than at present; it is one of several features in the Gippsland Lakes area suggestive of a phase of higher sea level, relative to the land area, during Recent (Holocene) times. Jenkin supports the concept of a mid- Recent sea level 7 to 10 feet above the present, and if this is accepted in local and relative terms (without reference to the controversy over Late Quaternary world-wide sea level MITCHELL RIVER SILT JETTIES 163 Fig. 2. The slope-foot terrace feature west of McLeod’s Morass. fluctuations) the emplacement of the wave-built features west of McLeod’s Morass is simply explained. Yet Jen- kin then proceeds to revive Clifford’s view that the silt jetties are partially submerged natural levees protruding from a drowned flood-plain. There seems to be a contradiction here. If the last change of level has been one of emergence from a mid- Recent higher sea level, it is difficult to sustain Clifford’s hypothesis. The silt jetties do not rise more than 10 feet above present mean lake level, Fig. 3. The beach ridge (arrowed) west of McLeod’s Morass, an extension of the slope-foot terrace feature shown in Fig. 3. 164 Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 and if they already existed in mid- Recent times they must then have been almost completely submerged. As they are delicate features, being rapidly consumed by wave erosion at the present time, it is unlikely that they could have survived such a submer- gence. If they had, it would be neces- sary to consider the present silt jetties as features produced by partial emer- gence, rather than partial submer- gence. But it is much more likely that they developed by progressive growth during, and especially since, mid- Recent times. The difference between the building of natural levees by vertical accretion adjacent to a river channel and the prolongation of silt jetties by forward accretion adjacent to a river mouth is a subtle one. Clearly both processes have been at work, but there is no way of distinguishing them, or de- ciding which operated first, in terms of sedimentological or stratigraphic evidence; there is little variation, later- ally or vertically, within the silt jetties. June, 1970 However, borings in the silt jetties downstream from Eagle Point show that the silt formation is a superficial feature, resting upon a broad and deep expanse of blue clay of estuarine or lacustrine origin. At the Mathieson water-pump, on the northern jetty 250 yards east from The Cut, silt exten- ded to a depth of 6 feet below mean lake level, where it was underlain by 80 feet of dark blue soft clay, resting on gravels, with Tertiary limestone at a depth of 105 feet. The sequence at Letts Bore, farther downstream on the southern jetty, was almost identical”, and the presence of the underlying clay has been confirmed by augering along the lower delta. The clay is similar to lake-floor sediment in Jones Bay and Eagle Point Bay, and is interpreted as material deposited on the lake floor before the silt jetties grew out over it into Lake King. If the silt jetties had originated as natural levees on an aggraded valley * IT am indebted to Mr. M. Hobson of Lakes Entrance for details of these borings. 165 1 a a: a eee Fig. 2. The slope-foot terrace feature west of McLeod’s Morass. fluctuations) the emplacement of the wave-built features west of McLeod’s Morass is simply explained. Yet Jen- kin then proceeds to revive Clifford’s view that the silt jetties are partially submerged natural levees protruding from a drowned flood-plain. There seems to be a contradiction here. If the last change of level has been one of emergence from a mid- Recent higher sea level, it is difficult to sustain Clifford’s hypothesis. The silt jetties do not rise more than 10 feet above present mean lake level, Fig. 3. The beach ridge (arrowed) west of McLeod’s Morass, an extension of the slope-foot terrace feature shown in Fig. 3. 164 Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 and if they already existed in mid- Recent times they must then have been almost completely submerged. As they are delicate features, being rapidly consumed by wave erosion at the present time, it is unlikely that they could have survived such a submer- gence. If they had, it would be neces- sary to consider the present silt jetties as features produced by partial emer- gence, rather than partial submer- gence. But it is much more likely that they developed by progressive growth during, and especially since, mid- Recent times. The difference between the building of natural levees by vertical accretion adjacent to a river channel and the prolongation of silt jetties by forward accretion adjacent to a river mouth is a subtle one. Clearly both processes have been at work, but there is no way of distinguishing them, or de- ciding which operated first, in terms of sedimentological or stratigraphic evidence; there is little variation, later- ally or vertically, within the silt jetties. June, 1970 However, borings in the silt jetties downstream from Eagle Point show that the silt formation is a superficial feature, resting upon a broad and deep expanse of blue clay of estuarine or lacustrine origin. At the Mathieson water-pump, on the northern jetty 250 yards east from The Cut, silt exten- ded to a depth of 6 feet below mean lake level, where it was underlain by 80 feet of dark blue soft clay, resting on gravels, with Tertiary limestone at a depth of 105 feet. The sequence at Letts Bore, farther downstream on the southern jetty, was almost identical”, and the presence of the underlying clay has been confirmed by augering along the lower delta. The clay is similar to lake-floor sediment in Jones Bay and Eagle Point Bay, and is interpreted as material deposited on the lake floor before the silt jetties grew out over it into Lake King. If the silt jetties had originated as natural levees on an aggraded valley * I am indebted to Mr. M. Hobson of Lakes Entrance for details of these borings. 165 floor plain they would instead be un- derlain by a more varied sequence of alluvial deposits. The stratigraphic evidence therefore favours the hypo- thesis of progressive growth of the Mitchell River silt jetties. Clifford (1949) indicated two features that he found difficult to reconcile with the hypothesis of pro- gressive growth. He noted that the meanders between the silt jetties are not reflected in the configuration of their outer (lake) shorelines, and he argued that a growing delta, deflected by Eagle Point Bluff, should have taken the direction of the breach vcs 1 t) °o Cumulative cut through the northern arm of the silt jetties immediately downstream by a flood in 1919. It is likely that initially the river channel between silt jetties growing out into Lake King would have been fairly straight, but there is nothing to prevent the subsequent development of meanders in the delta tract and no reason why such meandering should influence the configuration of the outer shoreline. The Mitchell channel downstream from Eagle Point shows meanders of a type similar to those of the modern digitate delta of the Mississippi, where successive surveys mm. fs % vfs Me Ne silt Yos6 8 y Fig. 4. Grain-size distribution curves of the sand fractions of (A) material from the ridge west of McLeod’s Morass and (B-E) beaches from the shores of Lake King. The original samples included the following percentages of material coarser than 2 mm. (granules, pebbles, D—34.0%, E—23.8%. and cobbles): A—41.5%, B—44.3%, C—28.5%, Sediments A-E are contrasted with the much finer material from the natural levees and silt jetties of the Mitchell River (F, G). 166 Vict. Nat.— Vol. 87 show that channel meandering deve- loped in Pass a Loutre and along South-east Pass within the period 1869-1940 (Fisk et al., 1954; Shepard 1955). The Mitchell at Eagle Point has continued to meander over a similar period, undercutting the river cliff (R on Fig. 1) and, a short dis- tance downstream, migrating north- ward to reduce the width of the nor- thern jetty until it was breached (a process known as crevassing in the Mississippi delta) by a discharging flood (Fig. 5). Meandering since the original formation of the silt jetties has thus prepared the way for a new direction of delta growth, and a small delta has been built at The Cut, projecting into Jones Bay. The fea- tures noted by Clifford are thus ex- plicable, and are consistent with the hypothesis of progressive growth of the Mitchell River silt jetties. At the present time these silt jetties are being destroyed by wave attack on their lake shores, and the con- ditions under which they formed no longer exist. It has been argued that the growth of long, narrow silt jetties out into Lake King was made pos- sible by the presence of shoreline reedswamp (chiefly Phragmites com- munis), which trapped fluvial sedi- ment and protected the depositional features thus formed (Bird 1961). Lake King has become too brackish, following the cutting of an artificial entrance in 1889, for reedswamp to flourish on its shores, and shoreline erosion has become widespread since the disappearance of this vegetation. If the Gippsland Lakes were returned to their earlier relatively fresh con- dition it is likely that reedswamp would revive and the process of silt jetty growth would again be demon- strable. Failing this, the process can still be observed thirty miles away in Lake Wellington, where the water is less saline than in Lake King, and Fig. 5. The Cut, a breach formed in the silt jetty by a discharging flood. June, 1970 167 where silt jetties are growing with the aid of bordering reedswamp at the mouth of the Latrobe River. Acknowledgement: I am_ grateful to N. Rosengren for help with photographic work and to H. Collier for preparing diagrams. REFERENCES Bird, E. C. F. (1961). the Gippsland Lakes. 262-8. Bird, E. C. F. (1962). The river deltas of the Gippsland Lakes. Proc. Roy. Soc. Viet. 75: 65-74. Reed growth in Vict. Nat. 77: Clifford, H. T. (1949). The Mitchell river delta. Vict. Nat. 65: 78. Fisk, H. N., et al. (1954). Sedimentary framework of the modern Mississippi delta. J. Sedimentary Petrology. 24: 76-99. Gregory, J. W. (1903). Victoria. Melbourne. Jenkin, J. J. (1968). The Geomor- phology and Upper Cainozoic Geology of South-east Gippsland, Victoria. Geol. Surv. Vict. Memoir 27. Shepard, F. P. (1955). Delta-front valleys bordering the Mississippi dis- Geography of tributaries. Bull. Geol. Soc. America 66: 1489-98. Skene, A. J., and Smyth, R. B. (1874). Report on the Physical Character and Resources of Gippsland. Melbourne. A Subalpine Occurrence of the Common Mud-mat (Glossostigma drummondii) This minute hairless herb of the family Scrophulariaceae creeps and roots on damp mud, forming moss- like carpets. Interest centres in its three large blunt calyx-lobes and es- pecially in the curious stigma which is flattened and almost _leaf-like, arching over the four microscopic stamens. Glossostigma drummondii occurs through inland areas of all mainland States but has never yet been reported from mountainous terrain along the Great Dividing Range, al- though it does inhabit the margins of temporary rock pools on the arid hills of Central Australia, e.g. at the summit of Ayers Rock. Victorian records were all from the Mallee or Wimmera (an ephemeral population with flowers on slender stalks exceed- 168 ing the foliage); so an undoubted collection, albeit with relatively shorter flower-stalks, by Mr. Keith C. Rogers in the region of Forlorn Hope Plain, 27 January, 1970, is quite important ecologically. He found G. drummondii growing intermingled with diminutive Crassula helmsii, Myriophyllum ped- unculatum, Oreomyrrhis ciliata and Limosella australis on sods of wet black peaty mud, at about 4,000 ft. altitude — a noteworthy addition to Mr. Rogers’s long list of botanical discoveries in East Gippsland. For a general floristic account of this fascinating area, see “Forlorn Hope and Reedy River”, by N. A. Wakefield, in Victorian Naturalist 77:4-11 (May 1960). J. H. WILLIs Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 Plans for a Proposed Census of Non-Marine Molluscs in Victoria by Brian J. SmitH* and Davip C. LAND This short article is intended to let the numerous active field naturalists in Victoria know of the proposal to commence a census of non-marine molluscs of Victoria and enlist the help of any willing person. The object of this census is not only to produce de- tailed distribution maps of all the non- marine molluscs in the State, but also to carry out taxonomic revisions of these various groups and _ subse- quently to publish a handbook of Victorian non-marine molluscs. Coupled with these main objectives, other interesting information will emerge from such a survey— (a) The exact distribution of the introduced snails and slugs (mostly pests). (b) The present distributions of the Australian native species com- pared to their known past distri- butions, as an indicator of the effects of increased land utilization, and other factors. (c) Distribution of the fresh- water snails which act as intermed- iate hosts in the sheep liver fluke life cycle. (d) Detailed data of distributions of land and water populations as a basis for future pollution monitor- ing. This applies particularly to freshwater molluscs. This survey is being modelled on a similar one being carried out in Great Britain and Ireland by the Concholo- gical Society of Great Britain. One of us (D.C.L.) has practical experience of this survey in Britain and we have been promised help and advice by that Society. For the history of the U.K. survey see Kerney (1967). *Curator of Invertebrates, National Museum of Victoria. June, 1970 Collecting. It is hoped that as many people as possible will collect and send speci- mens to the National Museum of Vic- toria for identification and to allow taxonomic work to be carried out. However it is hoped that local col- lectors or group co-ordinators can be recruited from the various regions of the State to learn the methods of identification. Following a recording scheme de- vised for a botanical survey by work- ers at Monash University, the State will be divided into 34 squares of side | degree of latitude and longitude. These large squares will be divided into the census record squares each of 10 minutes side—equivalent to 11.5 miles by 9.2 miles on the ground. This is a more suitable method of gridding than by using topographical features; for rivers can be dammed, mountains quarried away, and so on, whereas latitude and longitude can always be relocated. Every part of the State should be visited more than once, and a system- atic search made of every habitat. For land snails and slugs, which are usually (especially in daylight) retiring, cryp- tic animals, always look under objects such as logs, rubbish, or covers of storm-drains—anywhere where it is likely to be dark and damp. Look in gardens, rubbish dumps, deep forest litter, scrub and heath country and coastal dunes. Be especially watchful for the small snails (endodontids) of Imm diameter. These can be found most easily by collecting a bag of litter or other debris and searching it carefully at home with a magnifier. For aquatic molluscs, look on the 169 undersides of floating weeds for snails, on the stems and leaves of water plants for freshwater limpets and in the mud at the bottom of streams and rivers for bivalves. A very useful freshwater collecting tool can be improvised by attaching a 6” diam. gravy strainer to a broom handle. Preservation and Transport. As stated above it is initially plan- ned that specimens should be sent to the National Museum of Victoria for identification and recording. For this it is probably best to send the speci- mens alive. Put the specimens from each locality into a non-crushable con- tainer in damp grass or leaf litter, pack this container well into a parcel, mark the parcel SCIENTIFIC SPECIMENS and mail it to—Dr. B. J. Smith, Cura- tor of Invertebrates, National Museum of Victoria, Russell Street, Melbourne 3000. Freshwater molluscs (snails and mussels) can be sent in the same way. Do not send freshwater molluscs in water as they die and rot very quickly. Do not put the locality label in the container with the live snails as they will probably eat it. Do not include green vegetable matter with live speci- mens. Attach the label to the outside of the inner container or put it inside in a plastic bag or other protective cover. Put in as much field data as possible. % * If it is impossible or impracticable to send the material live then it should be narcotized and preserved before sending. Land snails and slugs are nar- cotized by drowning in freshwater. To assist this break a cigarette into a tumbler full of water and immerse the snails in this mixture for a few hours. Preferably preserve in 5% formalin neutralized with sodium carbonate or baking soda, or in 70% alcohol or methylated spirits. Put freshwater snails into a small container of water and gently stir in a few crystals of Menthol. Leave for a few hours, then preserve as for land snails. Prop the valves of mussels open by inserting matchsticks and then preserve as above. Put a label with the specimens, wrap them in cotton wool moistened with the preservative, seal in plastic bags, pack securely in a parcel and mail. Helpers and Groups. If you feel that you can help in this work either as a collector, or (if you live in the Melbourne area) as a data collator and recorder, please contact the National Museum of Victoria. REFERENCE Kerney, M. P., 1967. Distribution Map- ping of Land and Freshwater Mollusca in the British Isls—A Brief History and Future Prospects. J. Conch., 26: 152-160. * * Arion intermedius Normand, an Introduced Slug in Victoria by David C. Long Introduced European slugs have been known from Victoria for a con- siderable time (early references are given in Gabriel 1930:86), but only members of the family Limacidae have so far been recorded as estab- lished. The purpose of this note is to 170 record the presence of Arion interme- dius Normand of the family Arionidae as an established introduction in Vic- toria. In the field Arion can be distin- guished from Limacid slugs by the more anteriorly placed respiratory pore on the right margin of the Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 mantle shield, the granular nature of the mantle shield (not concentrically ringed as in Limax and Agriolimax), the wide foot-fringe and the lack of a caudal keel. A. intermedius is small, “about 2cm when crawling. Its colour varies from yellow to grey with the head darker grey or black and there may or may not be body and mantle bands. All these colour varieties may be found living together. A. intermedius is easily distinguished from the young of larger species by the form of the dorsal tubercles which stand up in little con- ical eminences with translucent tips when the animal contracts (Fig. Ib) —hence the popular name Hedgehog Slug. . . . The sole is yellowish-grey and yellow mucus tends to accumulate at each end of it.” (Quick 1961:125). In Europe it ranges from Scandinavia io the Azores, Northern Italy and Russia and has been introduced into North America, Polynesia and New Zealand. Longstaff (1912:448) re- cords it from wild bush in New Zea- land associated with the introduced snail Oxychilus cellarius (Miller). In Victoria A. intermedius has been found in the following localities :— Beaconsfield and Berwick—340312 (Grid reference using the 10,000 yard traverse Mercator Grid, Zone 7— Australia Series)—5.x.1969. Fairly common under rotting logs and bran- ches in partially cleared pasture (open eucalypt forest with grassy ground layer) near Cardinia Creek. Badger Creek—357352—30.x.1969. From wet eucalypt forest under fern trees near creek; 4 found in a bag of ground litter examined at home. Linton Forest (2 miles E. of Lin- ton )— —23.x1.1969. Numerous, under fallen branches on the ground in dry eucalypt forest with a grassy ground layer. June, 1970 Nr. Cape Patterson—365233—4.1. 1970. About 8 specimens seen in an area about 18” square, under long decaying grass on the sea cliffs. San Remo—340249—17.i.1970. Few from rotting grass on the cliff face. Its cryptic habits here are also typical of the slug in Britain. None of these localities is remote from human in- fluence. At all sites, except Cape Patterson, A. intermedius was found with native molluscs, mostly small members of the superfamily Endodon- tacea which are awaiting full identi- fication. They were found with the native slug Cystopelta petterdi Tate at Beaconsfield, Badger Creek and Lin- ton. Introduced molluscs found in association with it were a juvenile lim- acid slug resembling Lehmannia mar- ginata (Miller) at Berwick, and the slugs Agriolimax reticulatus (Miul- ler), Agriolimax sp. and a limacid slug, both awaiting identification, and the zonitid snail Oxychilus alliarius (Muller) at Linton. Specimens of A. intermedius from all the above locali- ties have been lodged with the Nation- al Museum of Victoria. The specimens Figure 1. Drawings of Arion intermedius (a) crawling and (b) contracted, show- ing the characteristic conical emin- ences. 171 found here show a similar range of colour variation to that seen in Bri- tain. Cape Patterson and Linton are about 130 miles apart, so that, con- sidering the small amount of search for this slug conducted so far, it seems to cover a fairly wide area of Victoria and is likely to be an intro- duction of fairly long standing. Earlier workers may have overlooked it on account of its small size and perhaps because it is not obtrusive in gardens as are many of the introduced land molluscs. Finally, a single juvenile specimen of the genus Arion found by a road- side in bushland near Lyonville on 28.1x.1969 appears to be of another species, but for positive identification 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, experi- mental lens set, etc. 172 further material is needed. This speci- men is also lodged in the National Museum of Victoria. Acknowledgements I would like to thank Mr. R. Miller for doing the drawings and Dr. B. J. Smith of the National Museum of Vic- toria for reading the manuscript. REFERENCES Gabriel, C. J., 1930. Catalogue of the Land Shells of Victoria. Pro. R. Soc. Vict., 43:62-88. Longstaff, G. H., 1912. Baten: Hunting in Many Lands. Quick, H. E., 1961. British Slugs (Pul- monata: Testacellidae, Arionidae, Li- macidae) Bull. Brit. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), 6 (3): 105-226. ENTOMOLOGICAL EQUIPMENT Butterfly nets, pins, store-boxes, etc. We are direct importers and manufacturers, and specialise in Mail Orders (write for free price list) AUSTRALIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SUPPLIES 14 Chisholm St., Greenwich Sydney 2065 Phone: 43 3972 Vol. 87 Vict. Nat.— Australian Natural History Medallion Award, 1969 The late C. A. GARDNER, M.B.E. by D. L. SERVENTY It is a melancholy coincidence that what had been intended as a eulogy on the recipient of the 1969 award of the Australian Natural History Medallion should turn out to be also an obituary notice of Western Aus- tralia’s leading botanist of recent years. When advice of the award reached Perth late last year Mr. C. A. Gard- ner lay dying of Parkinson’s disease in the Home of Peace, Subiaco and he was so incapacitated he could only fitfully recognise his friends. Formal presentation of the Medallion, even at a bedside ceremony, was impossible, but it is satisfactory to record he received the Medallion personally and expressed his keen pleasure at the award. He died on 24 February, 1970. Charles Austin Gardner was born in Lancaster, Lancs., England, on 6 January, 1896. He was related on his mother’s side to the well-known early 19th Century English naturalist, Charles Waterton, of Walton Hall, Yorkshire, who is credited with found- ing Britain’s first nature reserve (see Animals, 2 (17), 15 October, 1963; Country-Side, 20 (10), Summer 1967). His family migrated to Western Australia late in 1909 to take up farm- ing at Yorkrakine, near Tammin. He early showed an inclination to botany and art, and studied painting under J. W. Linton, winning a prize for a flower painting at the Perth Royal Show of 1916. He began his career as a clerk with the National Bank but was encouraged in his botanical interests by the late Mrs. Emily Pelloe (authoress of the classic Wildflowers of Western Australia, 1921) and Dr. D. A. Herbert. In 1920 he obtained appointment as a botanical collector June, 1970 with the Forests Department, under the Conservator, C. E. Lane-Poole. In the following year he was attached as botanist to the Kimberley Exploration Expedition under Surveyor W. R. Easton. This resulted in his first scien- tific publication, the substantial ‘“Bot- anical Notes, Kimberley Division of Western Australia,” published in 1923 as Bulletin No. 32 of the Forests De- partment. In the same year he pub- lished the first part of what was to become a lengthy series, “Contribu- tions to the Flora of Western Aus- tralia”, in the Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia. In 1924 he transferred to the botan- ical banch of the Department of Agriculture, under the Economic Botanist and Plant Pathologist, W. M. Carne. When Carne left to join the CSIRO (or CSIR as it then was) in 1928, this office was divided. Gardner was Officially appointed Government Botanist and H. A. Pittman became the Plant Pathologist. The State Her- barium was formally established in that year with Gardner as its first Curator, but, of course, the botanical collections had started accumulating many years earlier. Gardner held this post until 1960, when he reached the statutory retiring age. The office of Government Botanist was abolished when he retired, and his successor as Curator of the Herb- barium, Mr. R. D. Royce, was styled as Officer-in-Charge of the Botanical Branch within the Biological Services Division, whose Chief was Mr. C. F. H. Jenkins (formerly the Government Entomologist). In 1937 Gardner was appointed the first Australian liaison officer to the Kew Herbarium in England and on 173 his return he re-organized the Western Australian Herbarium and began the preparation of a Flora of Western Australia. This had been foreshadowed in his most useful Enumeratio Plan- tarum Australiae Occidentalis, pub- lished by the Government Printer in 1930, and still an important reference among local naturalists. Among other offices he held are the following: part- time lecturer at the University of Western Australia; member of the National Parks Board and Hon. Con- sulting Botanist to the King’s Park Board. In the earlier years of the University Botany Department, before the department was adequately staffed, he was frequently one of the leaders in class field trips in the neighbour- hood of Perth. In latter years, with the growth in popularity of organized wildflower tours in the State, he was engaged two or three times each year as a botanical guide and lecturer by the W. A. Government Railways on wildflower tours in the Geraldton and Murchison areas. He lectured fre- quently to various organizations and was a well-known broadcaster in radio sessions. In connection with his scientific work he travelled widely over the State, and continued field collecting long after his official retirement. He was essentially a taxonomic botanist with ancillary interests in ecology. His publications include a book on the grasses, another on poison plants (jointly with the veterinarian H. W. Bennetts), and before he became ill last year was engaged on two further books—one on the genus Eucalyptus and the other on the genus Banksia. Popular books include the handsome volume, Wildflowers of Western Aus- tralia, published by West Australian Newspapers Ltd. in 1959, illustrated by paintings by Edgar Dell and colour photographs by Gardner himself. His total botanical writings, between 174 1923 and 1962 have been listed by the Department of Agriculture and cover 18 closely-typed foolscap pages (a copy is held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne). He described 8 new genera and some 200 new species of Western Australian plants. Perhaps the most outstanding of these was Pilostyles hamiltonii, the first member of the Rafflesiaceae (hitherto known only from the New and Old World tropics) to be recorded from Australia. It is still only known from South-Western Australia where it is parasitic on the genus Daviesia (Pa- pilionaceae). A remarkable under- ground orchid, discovered at Corrigin, Western Australia, in 1928 was named Rhizanthella gardneri after him by Dr. R. S. Rogers, of Adelaide. His botanical explorations in the Kimberley Division in 1921 gave him a life-long interest in phyto-geography, a subject which figured in numerous papers, culminating in his presidential address to the Royal Society of West- ern Australia in 1942 and his sum- mary article, “The Vegetation of Western Australia’, in the collective work, Biogeography and Ecology in Australia (The Hague, 1959). Among his ecological papers, one on the re- lations between the Western Austra- lian flora and fires (published in the Western Australian Naturalist in 1958) aroused widespread interest and some controversy but most naturalists are generally satisfied at the soundness of his conclusions. As a botanist intimately involved in field work he would naturally be- come very much concerned, virtually obsessed, with problems of conserva- tion. He was unceasing in his advocacy of the creation of large reserves in the various major habitats of the State. Mainly through his own per- sonal efforts he was instrumental in persuading the Government to pro- claim the following five extensive flora Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 reserves: (1) at the lower Murchison River; (2) the Hill River Reserve (Mt. Lesueur); (3) the reserve south of Southern Cross (Lake Cronin); (4) the country between the Gairdner and the Hamersley Rivers (including the wildly picturesque Barren Range), and (5) Cape Arid and Israelite Bay. After his retirement from Govern- ment service he felt freer in making forceful comments on conservation issues and on the misuse of lands in the pastoral areas. He received numerous honours. In 1949 the Royal Society of Western Australia bestowed its Gold Medal on him and in 1961 he was awarded the W. B. Clarke Medal of the Royal Society of N.S.W. He was elected an Honorary Member of the Royal Soci- ety of W.A. and of the Western Aus- tralian Naturalists’ Club (of which he was one of the founders in 1924). In the Queen’s birthday honours list of June 1965 he was awarded an M.B.E. I would like to end with a personal tribute to a close friend of 46 years, in Office, laboratory, the bush and in the home. Everyone had an affection for Charles Gardner and at his funeral, when we gathered for the last farewell, some of his numerous colleagues, many of whom had known him for longer than I had, agreed that anec- dotes about this lovable character would fill a volume. He had his ec- centricities, rather more amiable per- haps than those of his forebear Water- ton. There were irritating frustrations due to his lapses as a correspondent. We recalled how we had to wait determinedly at his desk, refusing to leave until he had identified our col- lections of plant specimens. He ac- complished a lot but we wanted more from him. There was such a lot he knew but hadn’t put on paper, and which now, alas, has gone to the grave with him. In the field he was a con- genial and _ refreshing companion. June, 1970 Even in his latter years he could out- walk almost all of us. Only an emu could keep up with him, it was said. Like many of his generation he did not own a motor car until well on in life and he was a nervous driver in town, though a Jehu on country roads. However in his pre-car days he was a confident motor-cyclist, riding large expensive machines. I recall in the early 1930’s, when I was car-less, be- ing a trusting pillion passenger on his magnificent Brough-Superior. After hours, in his bachelor home, he was always a delightful host. He tended to compartmentalise his inter- ests and segregate his friends, even his family, accordingly. Thus some visit- ing botanists might have considered him as only a self-centred botanist, but he really had an unusual variety of cultivated interests. He was keen on astronomy and surveying. He was passionately fond of good music, a devotee of Bach, had a taste for an- tiques, and was an accomplished paint- er of trees and bushland scenes. A painting of his, of Yorkrakine Rock, a familiar scene of his boyhood days, hangs in Parliament House, Perth. But almost all his paintings he re- tained at home; he was very reluctant to give any away and once confided to me that he dreaded holding an exhibition for fear he might be per- suaded to part with a canvas or two. I am one of the few friends to whom he gave a picture—a pleasant water- colour of a swamp scene near Perth which he promised to me when I went to Cambridge, to remind me of home, but which I never actually got from him until I returned in 1934. His loss is all the harder to bear as it was comparatively sudden. Until about September last year, although he was becoming physically frail, he was up and about and expecting to con- tinue his botanical writings for some time to come. Vo In appreciation of the late Thomas Francis Zirkler The club has suffered a sad loss with the death on 29 March of Frank Zirkler, who joined the F.N.C.V. in 1957, and throughout the succeeding years took a most active part in the club’s activities. In doing so, he endeared him- self to all by his capacity for friendship and his example of willing participation. Regular attendance at club meetings, group meetings, and excursions was supplemented by sterling work for the annual nature shows. In the years 1960 and 1961 he was chairman of the Botany Group, and in 1965 was its secretary. In 1962 he and his wife Jean (both grown up in Kerang, where Frank was born in 1904) enjoyed a trip to England, where they made contact with a number of clubs like ours and took part in outings with them. Frank joined the Kent Trust for Nature Conservation, retaining his membership ever since. While staying in London, they made many visits to Kew Gardens; and another highlight of their English sojourn was Peter Scott’s Slimbridge in Gloucester- shire. Frank became interested in gemstones, gradually acquiring a good collection; and he enjoyed doing his own tumbling of interesting rock specimens picked up on the many excursions he took part in. He exhibited regularly at Geology Group meetings. Among his contributions to the Naturalist were articles on the ‘Welcome Stranger’ and ‘Holtermann’ nuggets of gold. He delighted in recalling incidents on the Tasmanian and Queensland F.N.V.C. excursions. Frank’s paternal grandfather migrated to Victoria as a mining engineer, and his own vocational field was aeronautical engineering. He was a great lover of good music, an interest shared with his wife, to whom the club offers sincere condolences. J.A.B. Field Naturalists Club of Victoria GENERAL MEETING 11 May 1970 The President Mr T. Sault was in the Mr. Garnet said that he had visited chair and approximately 110 members were present. He welcomed Mr Darrell Kraehen- buehl, secretary of the South Australian Field Naturalists. Sympathy was expressed with Mr Har- greaves the Secretary of the S.G.A.P., on the death of his wife. The Secretary, Mr. D. Lee, reported that 10 acres of land at Glen Waverley with almost the original ground cover of trees and shrubs, the only remaining natural locality in the area is in danger of development. Ratepayers want the Council to reserve it. 176 Boort recently, and had seen a lake that had been dry for a long time, now re- filled through a channel. Pelicans have taken over and they had rounded up the red-fin fish, herding them towards the channel in such concentration that the fish had been crushed, and died of suffocation. Trees were labelled “possums nest here”, “hawk’s nest”, “Shield tree”, and a site of an aboriginal camp was in- dicated. Mr Baines pointed out that Boort meant “smoke” in aboriginal. Mr. J. Willis said that he had found the Australian Anchor plant Discaria pubescens fifteen years ago on a basal Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 — —" escarpment near Clunes. It was first noted by Major Mitchell. Yesterday Mr. Willis went back and found the same plants. Mr Jean Woollard mentioned that cobwebs were spread like cloth on bracken on the road to Walhalla where rough tree ferns were well grown and plentiful. The subject for the evening was “Bank- sias and their Relations of the family Proteaceae”, by Mr. F. J. Rogers. The President introduced the speaker and said he was the author of A Field Guide to Victorian Wattles and active in the Society for Growing Australian Plants. Mr Rogers said there were about 650 species and 31 or 32 genera of the family Proteaceae in Australia. With the aid of beautiful colour slides he explained the features of the typical four-partite flower, and contrasted it with a mistletoe flower which also has four flower seg- ments. He illustrated the hard woody seed receptacles in Banksia grandis, Hakea platysperma and the Xylomelum woody pear but in Persoonia the seed is not in a hard case. Some, as in coast Banksia, shed their seed almost immediately, but in many others it is not shed until con- ditions are very dry or after a forest fire as in Waratah and Woody Pear. He showed beautiful slides of many species of the genera Banksia, Hakea, Grevillea, Lomatia, Synaphea, Persoonia, Petrophila, Lambertia, Isopogon, Orites, Franklandia, Dryandra, Adenanthos, Buckinghamia, Stenocarpus, Conosper- mum and Telopea. He recalled that Banks and Solander 200 years ago first collected Banksia serrata, B. integrifolia, and the hand- some B. ericifolia. Recently Mr Willis named B. canei, from Wulgulmerang. Of the more than 40 species of Bank- sia projected on the screen, most striking ones included the beautiful red Banksia coccinia, pink B. menziesii (extensively used for fire wood in W.A.), orange B. ashbyi and B. prionotes, long yellow heads of B. grandis with the massive col- lection of seed capsules. Pendant types included orange B. nu- tans, yellow B. elderiana and B. leh- manniana with large flowers. Prostrate species included red-brown B. prostrata reddish yellow B. repens and B. goodii (named after Good—bota- June, 1970 nist with Flinders 1801-2) and _ the “Cocky’s beak” 8B. candolleana. Low growing B. baueri has a massive head of flowers 9 inches by 5 inches. Cockatoos feed B. speciosa seeds. While the majority of Banksias are in W.A., B. robur is a striking Queensland form and B. spinulosa a handsome Vic- torian one. Of the twenty four grevilleas shown shades of red were most notice- able. Some of the West Australian red forms included Grevillea wilsonii, G. macrostylis, G. tripartita, many of them showing three partite leaves. G. flexuosa is a pink form and G. polybotrya, G. occidentalis, and G. teretifolia white. Red G. punicea, is a N.S.W. species while Victorian forms shown included pink G. confertifolia, golden G. chry- sophea, red G. dimorpha, pink G. bark- leyana red shaded G. alpina; and from Queensland orange G. robusta. The 16 Hakeas shown revealed strik- ing contrasts, the West Australian Hakea victoriae with expanded multicoloured tough leaves sheltering clumps of insig- nificant flowers, and the handsome long pink spikes of H. multilineata and red- dish H. bucculenta, the pink HA. sub- sulcata, red and white H. laurina and “sea urchin” H. petiolaris, and purple H. myrtoides. Red H. orthorrhyncha had red flowers on old wood. H. verrucosa showed spidery red flowers well down amongst widely spread out leaves. From Victoria H. nodosa with small yellow fiowers and pink H. sericea were shown. Other West Australian forms included purple Dryandra erythrocephala and yel- low and red Lambertia inermis, red L. orbifolia, yellow L. echinata and, from N.S.W., red L. formosa (mountain devil). Isopogon drummondii and I. tridens were W.A. forms. Victorian Telopea oreades was out- shone by the 7. speciosissima of N.S.W. — perhaps the most splendid species of the family. Mr. Rogers recommended growing species of Proteaceae in gar- dens. The President thanked Mr. Rogers for the most interesting talk and the slides. Mr. L. Fell pointed out that many of the species could not be grown here except under special care. The Secretary reported that the Ingram Trust has granted funds to print the Nature Show pamphlet which features penguins. He said the C.S.I.R.O. are testing the hall for sound equipment and it is hoped 177 that there will be fixed amplifiers and a movable microphone. Mrs. G. Taylor stressed the impor- tance of the Save the Bushlands Meet- ing in the Lower Town Hall on 19 May. Mr. R. G. Taylor spoke on the danger to one unspoiled area in Victoria from an application for rutile, zircon and ilminite exploration of 100 miles along the coast from Shipwreck Creek to seven miles west of the Snowy River, and for one mile inland all the way. Mr. Garnet said that if mining com- panies get permission it would mean clearing away the top from the dunes by dredges and destroying everything. Mr. Taylor moved that the F.N.C.V. Council write to the Minister of Mines to protest against giving of this permit. Mr. Garnet seconded the motion which was carried. It is regarded as the most serious issue since the “Little Desert’. The Native Fauna Conservation So- ciety meeting will be held on 29 May at the Herbarium. Mr. Keith Dempster of the Fisheries and Wildlife will speak. The Secretary said that if anyone wishes to be met at the corner of St. Kilda and Domain Roads to go to the Herbarium they could telephone 25 2415. Dr. Brian Smith is making a survey of Non Marine Molluscs of Victoria. He appeals for members to assist by send- ing live specimens to the Museum, noting the locality. The President asked for short con- tributions of nature observations to be sent to the Editor. Mr. D. McInnes invited members to a Geology excursion on Sunday, 7 June, to the Maribyrnong River terraces. Six new members whose names ap- pear in the May Naturalist were elected. Exhibits Brent Russell brought three kinds of butterflies showing variation; i.e. Wan- derer, Common Brown and Wood White. Mr. A. J. Swaby had sporophytic buds on Polystichum proliferum and plants of Pratia surrepens — the latter for any members wishing to have one. Also a specimen of Marchantia with gemma cups. Mr. Rogers had a large collection of fruits of the Proteaceae. Mr. J. Morrison showed a _ fungus Amauroderma rude. Mrs. Matches brought wood with blue Mycena interrupta and Xerotus archeri — fungi from near Fernshaw. Other fungi from the Botany Group ex- cursion between Dom Dom and Fern- shaw included: Trametes versicolor; Tyromyces semisupinus; Polyporus camy- tus; Schizophyllum commune; Maras- mius sp.; Paxillus panuoides; Panettus stipticus; Merulius sp.; Hymenogas- traceae (underground); Xerotus archeri. Mr. T. Sault: A box of fungi from Mornington Peninsula and a Chrysalis of a wood white butterfly. Mr. Ken Strong showed a book scor- pion under the binocular microscope. Major H. Ford had a specimen of tachylitic basalt from Maidstone. Mr. Curtis showed a slide of Truga- ninni, the last full-blood aborigine of Tasmania, who died about 90 years ago. This slide was made from a photograph lent by Mr. Vic Miller. Mr. Darrell Kraehenbuehl pointed out that actually the last Tasmanian full- blood aborigine had died on Kangaroo Island, 1884, thus later than Truganinni. Mr. Hanks said that Truganinni had wanted to be buried, but it has been said that the bones were put in a museum to keep them from being stolen. Flowers and Plants of Victoria in Colour Copies of this excellent book are still available, and of course would make a wonderful gift. They are obtainable from the F.N.C.V. Treasurer, Mr. D. McInnes. 178 Vict. Nat.—Vol. 87 Western Victoria Field Naturalists Clubs Association Report on Club Activities for year 1969 (Compiled by J. Lineker, Hon. Secretary, Portland F.N.C-. ) Reports from other Clubs will appear next month. ARARAT President: Mr. Stan. Kelly. Secretary: Miss Z. Banfield. Membership 12 Meets First Monday, C. of E. Hall. The Club held excursions with the Stawell Club and the Ballarat Club to the Mt. William picnic gound. The Club again exhibited a box of wildflowers from the district at the Nature Show in the Melbourne Town Hall, and also at the Barrier Field Naturalists Show at Broken Hill. Club members participated in an outing when 100 school children from Forest Hill school visited the district and were conducted through McDonald Park on a nature trail. The Club has been represented at the WVFNCA meetings at Colac and Kiata, and with Stawell were the hosts at the Annual Meeting at Stawell. During the year the President of the Bird Observers Club—Mr. Reg Johnson—visited Ararat and gave an illustrated lecture—“In the footsteps of Capt. Cook”. COLAC President: Mr. R. J. Dennis. Secretary: Mrs. G. Skinner. Membership 55 Meets Second Friday (Feb.-Dec.) C.W.A. Rooms. Membership has increased this year and the attendance at meetings has improved greatly—attributed largely to the excellent guest speakers, and also the regular monthly excursions. One very pleasing factor is the growing number of school children attending meetings and excursions. Natural history covering fossils, ornithology, reptiles and botany has catered for all interests, and the specimen table has been a source of knowledge and interesting discussion. The autumn meeting of the WVFNCA was held in Colac with our club acting as hosts. The excursions were around the local lakes and a picnic lunch at Beauchamp Falls near Beech Forest. Our interest has been keen in the conservation field, especially the Little Desert and the Lower Glenelg areas; and we have co-operated in a tree planting expedition to the You Yangs. A proposal that we become caretakers of an area of approxi- mately 1/3 acre at Barongarook and develop it as a members’ plantation is receiving enthusiastic support and could develop into a worthwhile project. We have been well represented at the WVFNCA meetings and in conjunction with the Geelong Club have had a series of investigation campouts in certain areas in the Otways with a view to having them preserved as National Park. CRESWICK President: Mr. A. W. Strange. Secretary: Mr. H. L. Barclay. Membership 24 Meets Second Thursday, Wesley Hall, Creswick. Meetings had a high percentage of attendance throughout the year, and various speakers contributed syllabus items. Two highly successful nights were contributed by members who had done much research work in preparation of their addresses. Outings were numerous and well attended. During the year the Club has been successful in having obtained an area of land being held by the Lands Dept. as a Flora Reserve—the Club is working on checking the plant life here with the Plant List of the District. DONALD President: Mr. R. P. Falla. Secretary: Mrs. B. K. Grewar. Membership: Adult 27, Junior 9. Meets First Friday Primary School Centre. Another successful year has maintained the interest and enthusiasm of members and the nine meetings have given an excellent average attendance. A feature of the programmes has been the increased contributions by club members. Represen- tation of members was good at the WVFNCA meetings at Colac and Kiata, and with the Stawell Club an excursion was held through the Barkly and Redbank districts. A local excursion of much interest was to see some of the rarer trees of our own district. A conservation project, in co-operation with the Shire Council, is to have the Mt. Jeffcott area proclaimed a Reserve. June, 1970 179 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Established 1880 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, 1970/71 President: Mr. T. SAULT Vice-Presidents: Mr. J. STRONG; Mr. P. CURLISS 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. WARD, 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... °(52:2749). Subscription Secretary: Mrs. N. E. LEWIS, 1 Billing Street, Springvale 3171 (546 4649). Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. B. FUHRER, 25 Sunhill Av., North Ringwood, 3134. Book Sales Officer: Mrs. J. STRONG. Group Secretaries: Botany: Mrs. R. WEBB-WARE, 29 The Righi, South Yarra (26 1079). 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). Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. 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 1970 Ordinary Members _ ...... dash. a tat 08g tiene Ele phate a tere, am NR Re earns ar Se ose 1 ep ee $7.00 Country Members _..... sd Beech tele. "7 aneeey. lolhelis P cgets-a Aa Meso et 2 UU RUS ee tee rr $5.00 Yount: IMEMBbErsi "scci— cess Rad! See See clk. TERS Le ER ee $2.00 Jumion Members tc sc Stee hin “esaee auth” REQ GRO iiie eielltn eee Sean i $2.00 Junior, - Members receiving. Viet. Nat. (a. au, sc aaneltsa cael, anne ane) Cal ae =e $4.00 Subscribers toi: Viet. Nati. 2200 Gh al aac la: Se a I A ee $5.00 Affiliated “Societies: (24. .8.° 00 Gh eS eee See ee $7.00 Life “Membership (reducing: after 20. years) sc. Gace cad se) cescteed) cotence™e aoe’ zeeeesie) St oan coe $140.00 The cost of individual copies of the Vict. Nat. will be 45 cents. All subscriptions should be made payable to the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, and posted to the Subscription Secretary. (3) JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE 5O5 +949 SES the VICTORIAN ATURALIST Vol. 87, No. 7 July, 1970 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 F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 13 July—At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, com- mencing at 8 p.m. 1. Minutes, Reports, Announcements. 2. Nature Notes and Exhibits. 3. Subject for the evening—“A Biological Survey of Victoria”: Mr. R. T. M. Pescott, retiring Director of the National Herbarium and Royal Botanic Gardens. 4. New Members. Ordinary: Mrs. Alice Ryan, Flat 25, 150 Inkerman Sireet, St. Kilda, 3182. Joint : Messrs. J. B. & R. N. Jack, 9 Glendale Street, Surrey Hills, 3127. (Interest—Geology.) Country: Mr. Peter Robson, Tatong, via Benalla, Vic., 3672 Mrs. D. Algie, “‘Balgowan,’’ Neerim South, 3831. 5. General Business. 6. Correspondence. 10 August — To be announced. GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at the National Herbarium unless otherwise stated.) Thursday, 9 July—Botany Group. Mr. P. Kelly will speak on “Moulds.” Wednesday, 15 July—Microscopical Group. Friday, 31 July—Junior meeting at 8 p.m. at Hawthorn Town Hall. Monday, 3 August—Entomology and Marine Biology Group meeting at 8 p.m. in small room next to Theatrette at National Museum. Wednesday, 5 August — Geology Group. Subject — Koonwarra and the Fossil Feather: Mr. P. Duncan. Thursday, 6 August—Mammal Survey Group meets in F. & W. Research Centre, cnr. Brown St. and Stradbroke Ave., Heidelberg, at 8 p.m. Friday, 7 August—Junior meeting at Rechabite Hall, 281 High St., Preston, at p.m. Thursday, 13 August—Botany Group. Mr. B. Fuhrer will speak on “The Seaweeds of Boags Rocks.” Friday, 14 August—Montmorency and District Junior F.N.C. meets at 7.30 p.m. in Scout Hall at Petrie Park. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 12 July—Botany Group Excursion, Westernport Bay. Meet at Frankston Railway Station. Bus leaves from Station at 11 a.m. if insufficient private transport. Sunday, 19 July—Dandenongs. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. Fare $1.40. Bring one meal. Sunday, 9 August—Botany Group. Wattles at Warrandyte. (Ring Mr. Kleinecke— 25-2415). Saturday, 29 August to Sunday, 6 September—Wyperfeld National Park and Little Desert camp out. The plan is to travel to Wyperfeld on Saturday, 29 August remaining there until Wednesday, 2 September, then going to Broughton’s Waterhole in the Little Desert where we will meet local naturalists who are planning that section of the excursion. Members will be responsible for their own food and camping gear but a larger tent will be taken where meals can be eaten and members gather if it is cold. Food supplies can be replenished during the week. The coach fare will be $18.00 and this should be paid to the excursion secretary by the end of July. All cheques to be made out to Excursion Trust. Camping gear can be hired very cheaply if necessary. Saturday-Sunday, 17-18 October—Weekend excursion to Castlemaine with the Bendigo F.N.C. Motel accommodation has been booked and the weekend should cost approximately $14.00 plus picnic meals Saturday and Sunday. 182 Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 The Victorian Naturalist Editor: G. M. Ward Assistant Editor: E. King Vol. 87, No. 7 9 July, 1970 CONTENTS Articles: Some Observations on the Relative Drought Resistance of Two Eucalypt Species near Airey’s Inlet. By J. B. Kirkpatrick Wolf Creek, Australia’s Largest Meteorite Crater. By A. W. Beasley Mammals of the Riddell District. By J. W. F. Hampton and J. H. Seebeck An Unusual Bridge Support. By Mary Turner Shaw .... Feature: Readers’ Nature Notes and Queries Obituary: The late K. C. Halafoff Book Review: “Australian Opals in Color.” .... Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: General Meeting and Group Meetings Western Victoria Clubs Diary of Coming Events Front Cover: 184 189 192 204 187 188 208 211 182 This skilfully executed pencil sketch is the subject of an article,on /page’204. It was drawn by Von Guerard, and dated 1857. July, 1970 183 Some Observations on the Relative Drought Resistance of Two Eucalypt Species near Airey’s Iniet by J. B. Kirkpatrick* The 1967/8 drought in Victoria was so severe that many eucalypts were damaged or killed. This pro- vided an _ excellent opportunity to study the relative resistance to mois- ture stress of associated species of eucalypts. Where species that are found generally in areas of distinctly different rainfall, occur in association on the margins of their distribution, evidence of drought damage was most likely to be found. Observations of such an ecotonal association were made in May 1968, and again in October 1969, to assess relative damage and recovery. The study area was north of Airey’s Inlet in the Otway Ranges. It was on mud- stones of Jurassic age at an elevation of 400 feet, on the northern slope of the Painkelac Creek valley, on a steeply declining north-south ridge (Figure 2). The stand consisted of an equal mixture of Blue Gum (Euca- lyptus globulus x _ bicostata) and Ironbark (E. sideroxylon) with an occasional Messmate (E. obliqua). Downslope towards both Painkelac * Research student, Melbourne University Geo- graphy Department. Figure 1. The distribution of Blue Gum (dots) and Ironbark (limits shown by dashed line) in the Otway Ranges. 184 Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 Creek to the south and the two ill- defined valleys to the east and west, the Blue Gum became progressively more pure, being replaced on the alluvium on either side of the creek by Manna Gum (E. viminalis). Up- slope the Ironbark was_ associated mainly with Messmate, although an occasional Blue Gum and Scentbark (E. aromaphloia) occurred. On near- by northern aspects Peppermint (E. radiata) formed a sparse low sclero- phyll shrub woodland where an oc- casional stunted Ironbark was _ ob- served. Figure 3 looks south over this association towards Painkelac Creek. The study area is not visible, but similar drought damage is evident in the photograph, directly opposite Figure 2. Detailed distribution of July, 1970 the it on the southern slope of the valley. The Blue Gum in the Otway Ranges is a probable hybrid swarm, showing a complete range of inter- mediates between E. bicostata and E. globulus. It occurs mainly in a relatively narrow coastal strip, but is also found on parts of the more easterly north-facing slopes (Figure 1). Its distribution in the Otway Ranges is disjunct from the nearest occurrences of both putative parent species. Bass Strait and the low rain- fall basalt plains to the north having probably been effective barriers to recent gene-migration. It occurs be- tween the 30 and 60 inch mean an- nual isohyets, mainly on acidic sandy clay loams over mottled yellow clay a a ——/ AIREY®S INLET [[] BLUE GUM FJ RED !RONBARK two species in the Airey’s Inlet region. 185 subsoils formed on Jurassic sandstones and mudstones. Ironbark, in contrast to Blue Gum, is only found in a limited area of the Otway Ranges around Airey’s Inlet on the seaward slopes. The nearest stands are in the Anakie Ranges to the north of the basalt plains. It is found between the 27 and 33 inch mean annual isohyets on both similar soils to Blue Gum and on _ sandy acidic yellow mottled soils, often with embedded ironstone, formed on Tertiary deposits. It associates more extensively with Mountain Grey Gum (E. cypellocarpa) and Messmate than with Blue Gum and also associates ecotonally with Peppermint, Scent- bark, Manna Gum and Swamp Gum (E. ovata). Ironbark and Blue Gum are rarely found growing together outside the Otway Ranges, Blue Gum being a tree of wetter forests than those in which Ironbark usually occurs. In the limited area of the Otway Ranges where both are found both ecotones and abrupt boundaries are observable (Figure 2), depending on the steep- ness of the environmental gradient. The Ironbark stands occupy areas which, compared with Blue Gum stands in the vicinity, would appear to have less available moisture. Thus Blue Gum is found downslope from Ironbark and on the less exposed aspects of hillsides and ridges. 186 Figure 3. A drought affected stand of Blue Gum. shows up as a white strip amongst the dark colour of the © sur- rounding healthy trees at the top left (see text). The stand studied was apparently even-aged, the trees having the ap- pearance of saplings, varying in height from approximately ten to twenty feet. The Blue Gums were almost all taller than the Ironbark. Of the six- teen Ironbark trees only one had even partial drought symptoms, yet of six- teen Blue Gums in the same stand all but one were severely affected, most of them having all their leaves killed by the drought, and no signs of epicormic shoots developing in May 1968. By October 1969 there were epicormic shoots on most of the Blue Gum, but some of the smaller trees had died and none looked par- ticularly healthy. The difference in size between the two species suggests that Blue Gum might suppress Ironbark when there is adequate moisture for Blue Gum to establish itself. The author has seen suppressed Ironbark under Blue Gum elsewhere in the Otway Ranges, which would tend to support this theory. The incidence of drought effects suggest that Ironbark, possibly because of its slower growth rate, has far greater tolerance to drought condi- tions than Blue Gum. Acknowledgements I would like to thank Dr. R. F. Parsons for help with the work and Dr. E. C. F. Bird for critically read- ing the manuscript. Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 Readers’ Nature Notes and Queries Wombat On Vermin List? Here is a note of concern for one of our native animals from Ellen Lyndon in Victoria. Among the various displays touring the country Agricultural Shows last summer, was one set up by the Vermin & Noxious Weeds Destruction Board, dispensing information to farmers on the most effective means of dealing with plant and animal and other pests. At Leongatha Show on 21/2/70 four mounted specimens of “vermin” were on view; the fox, rabbit, hare, and the wombat. As Australians we felt ashamed that a harmless native herbivore should be classed and displayed with the intro- duced pests. Reptilian Memory From Mr. J. C. Le Souef, son of the early Naturalist, Dudley Le Souéf, come these interesting comments on Reptiles and Birds. Although one does not usually as- sociate memory with reptiles, a recent incident at the Rosebud Aquarium and Museum seems to indicate that at least the Amythestine Python from North Queensland does have the ability to recall earlier conditions. One fifteen foot specimen, picked up on the Bloomfield Road, at the Lion’s Den, near Cooktown in July 1968, had spent last summer in a large netted enclosure outside, sleep- ing on cool nights in a box on the ground. During the winter it was housed in a heated case inside the building. It was recently returned to its sum- mer quarters. As soon as the sun had left its basking plank, it at once moved directly to its den on the ground. By its actions, it seemed ob- vious that it was quite familiar with July, 1970 its surroundings in contrast to the usual practice of the new arrival in making a long tour of inspection be- fore settling down to a regular camp- ing spot. Cockatoo Playground The sight of cockatoos “playing”, particularly on telegraph wires, is well known; but the existence of a communal playground, used by two different species seems worth record- ing. Near the Diversion Dam at Kuna- nurra in North West Australia there is a green sward beside a small lagoon with power lines passing behind it. One evening in July last, I spent half an hour watching the antics of some two hundred corellas, part of the tremendous flock which inhabits this area. At first I thought that they were feeding, but a second glance showed that they were having a real “box on”. Everywhere pairs could be seen roll- ing Over and over with much squawk- ing. The twos would separate only to start on another neighbour. The power lines provided a trapeze with a constant stream of birds flying from the ground to the wires, swing- ing upside down on the wires and returning to the ground again. After tiring of the fun, they flew off to neighbouring roosting trees by the water, others coming in to take their places. The population of galahs is not nearly as great as that of the corellas, although there were quite a number about. Early on the same day the local galah population used this same playground for their “daily dozen’’, before setting off for the serious busi- ness of searching for food. 187 book review Australian Opals in Colour by Nance and Ron Perry, F.G.A.A. A. H. & A. W. Reed, 1969. Pp. 112, inc. 86°col._ pli: $3.95: Bert sent down the billy. “Not that,” I shouted. “Send down the four-gallon drum.” Thus was one of the biggest lumps of opal ever found brought to the surface at Coober Pedy; and with a conversational approach this book provides an interesting though in parts somewhat superficial introduc- tion to Australian opal fields, and of the distinctive way of Australian life found upon them. Lightning Ridge, Coober Pedy, Andamooka and Queensland fields are discussed, various facets of their com- munity life illustrated by photograph, and the shadows of outback history lengthened a little in the book’s easy account of opal-miners and their out- look, as well as in its telling of such legendry figures as Isobel MacIntosh the Eulo Queen. Wisely incorporated however are valuable contributions from Gaskin, Darragh, and Sanders of C.S.I.R.O. on opal in general, its nature and ori- gin, and upon synthetic opal research. From the Queensland Mining Journal there is a section on the “Kernal Bands’. Other chapters deal with types of opal mining, how to cut opal, opal doublets and triplets, treatment of opal chips and points on buying and selling. Practical advice given for in- tending travellers includes reference to facilities available in various areas and their likely costs. The inclusion of a list of spare parts needed for vehicles taken into opal country is timely. The authors have a love for this truly beautiful Australian gem, and an awareness of its potential on the Australian scene. The glory of opals emerges from its excellent colour plates. The book opens a door for those unacquainted with opal seeking as a pursuit of increasing popularity and fascination. (A. R. McEvey) 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 30 photographs. Price 7Sc. VICTORIAN TOADSTOOLS AND MUSHROOMS, by J. H. Willis. This describes 120 toadstool species and many other fungi. There are four coloured plates and 31 other illustrations. New edition. Price 90c. THE VEGETATION OF WYPERFELD NATIONAL PARK, by J. R. Garnet. Coloured frontispiece, 23 half-tone, 100 line drawings of plants and a map. Price $1.50. Address orders and inquiries to Sales Officer, F.N.C.V., National Herbarium, South Yarra, Victoria. Payments should include postage (9c on single copy). 188 Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 Wolf Creek, Australia’s Largest Meteorite Crater by A. W. BEASLEY* Few people know that Australia possesses the second largest crater in the world that is definitely known to be caused by meteorite impact. This huge crater is situated near Wolf Creek some 65 miles south of Halls Creek in Western Australia, and is known as the Wolf Creek meteorite crater. In recent years there has been in- creased scientific interest in meteorite craters because of the presumed kin- ship between the craters on _ the earth’s surface and those on the moon. This has resulted in more detailed study of the Wolf Creek and other meteorite craters. The Wolf Creek crater was dis- covered in 1947 by Dr. F. Reeves and Mr. N. B. Sauve of the Vacuum Oil Company during an aerial reconnais- sance of the area. Dr. Reeves reported (Reeves and Chalmers, 1949) that from the air it looked like a huge bomb crater and that, on first sighting, they thought it to be of meteoritic origin. Soon after its discovery, a land inspection was made by Reeves but, during the short time spent at the crater, no meteoritic material was found. During 1948 a geological party from the Commonwealth Bureau of Mineral Resources, headed by R. S. Matheson and D. J. Guppy, examined the crater and discovered evidence of its mete- oritic origin. They found fragments of meteoritic ironstone — scattered around the crater rim, particularly along the southern sector. Guppy and Matheson (1950) gave the first de- tailed description of the crater. July, 1970 The crater is situated in an area covered by loose sand with occasional low dunes and sparse vegetation. Pre- cambrian quartzites outcrop a few miles north of the crater and these rocks are also exposed in the crater walls. Viewed from the land _ the crater appears as a flat-topped hill that rises 70 to 100 feet above the adjacent sandy desert. The outer slope varies from 10 to 15 degrees, and consists of piles of unsorted, broken quartzite. The average depth of the crater below the rim is 160 feet, or an average depth of 70 feet below the general land surface. The crater was originally somewhat deeper, but the inner portion has been partly filled with sediments. The inner slope of the crater wall is steep, ranging from 30 to 40 degrees, and the top 90 feet or so of this wall is composed of angular blocks and pieces of quartzite thrown up by the explosion of the meteor. Below this the quartzite bedrock oc- curs. The quartzites are tilted, gener- ally with an outward dip; this is considered to be due to movement resulting from the meteoric explosion. The crater is almost perfectly cir- cular; the diameter of the floor is approximately 2,800 feet, while the maximum diameter of the crater from rim to rim is 3,075 feet. The floor is essentially flat and is covered with loose sand and light porous gypsum. There is a very slight rise from the central area to the abrupt face of the crater wall. Chemical analysis of a sample of the heavy metallic material found * National Museum of Victoria. 189 around the crater rim by Guppy in 1948 gave 1.9% of nickel oxide, “which is far in excess of what would be expected in terrestrial rock” (Reeves and Chalmers, 1949). An- other specimen of this ironstone, sub- mitted by Guppy to the Western Australian Government Chemical Laboratories, was found to contain particles of metallic nickel-iron. LaPaz (1954) also reported streaks and granules of metal which he considered to be nickel-iron in specimens of this oxidized material. Pieces of this oxidized meteoritic material were once moderately abun- dant around and near the crater rim, but have now been extensively col- lected. They take the form of ball- like bodies of various sizes that range up to 300 pounds in weight (McCall, 1965). Apparently they were formed from the weathering and alteration of meteoritic iron fragments; they are now composed mainly of limonite (hydrated iron oxide). Fig. 1: Aerial view of Wolf 190 Creek Taylor (1965) recorded the dis- covery in 1965 of fragments of typical nickel-iron meteorite around the Wolf Creek crater. Sections cut through these fragments, when polished .and etched, showed characteristic Widman- statten structure. The fragments were found lying on the surface near but outside the crater. Most were of small size. Chemical analysis gave a nickel content of 8.6% and a cobalt content of 0.4%, which is close to the average of all iron meteorites re- ported by Mason (1962). The Wolf Creek crater is the result of a meteoric event which was in every way catastrophic. An unusually large meteoric body, probably weigh- ing thousands of tons, reached the earth’s surface with most of its cos- mic velocity intact. The resulting im- pact had most of the characteristics of a nuclear explosion. Fortunately, very few large meteors penetrate the earth’s atmosphere. Scientists consider that they arrive on the earth probably meteorite crater, Western Australia. Photo: W. Pedersen. Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 at the rate of only about forty every million years. Many of them fall in the sea, and large meteorite craters on the earth’s surface are accordingly rare. Professor N. M. Short (1967b) lists twelve definite meteorite craters and six probable ones formed during the last two million years. The Wolf Creek crater is second in size to Meteor Crater in Arizona, U.S.A., among craters with associated mete- oritic material. Study of the Wolf Creek crater sug- gests that it is geologically young. Sc HALLS CREEKe WOLF CREEK CRATERO WESTERN AUSTRALIA Fig. 2 Map showing location of Wolf Creek meteorite crater. Short (1967b) has listed its age as Pleistocene (between 10,000 and 2,000,000 years old). Preservation of the crater has been favoured by the arid climate. The extent of its erosion is not very great, but the crater de- pression has been partly infilled with sediments. According to Short (1967a) the reason why pieces of meteorite have not been found in great quantity around craters such as Wolf Creek is because such large meteorites become vaporized, fragmen- ted and dispersed during the explo- sion-like impact. REFERENCES Guppy, D. J., and Matheson, R. S. (1950). Wolf Creek meteorite crater, Western Australia. Jour. Geology 58: 30-36. LaPaz, L. (1954). Meteoritic material from the Wolf Creek, Western Aus- tralia, crater. Meteoritics 1: 200-203. McCall, G. J. H. (1965). Possible meteorite craters — Wolf Creek, Aus- tralia and Analogs. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 123: 970-998. Mason, B. (1962). Meteorites. John Wiley, New York. Reeves, F., and Chalmers, R. O., 1949. The Wolf Creek crater. Aust. J. Sci. 1G 154-156. Short, N. M. (1967a). Astroblemes and meteorite craters, in Fairbridge, R. W., ed., Encyclopedia of atmospheric science and astrogeology, Vol. 2 of Encyclopedia of the earth sciences. Reinhold, New York, pp. 40-43. Short, N. M. (1967b). Explosion craters, in Fairbridge, R. W., ed., Encyclo- pedia of atmospheric science and astrogeology, Vol. 2 of Encyclopedia of the earth sciences. Reinhold, New York, pp. 373-378. Taylor, S. R. (1965). The Wolf Creek iron meteorite. Nature 208: 944-945. Flowers and Plants of Victoria in Colour Copies of this excellent book are still available, and of course would make a wonderful gift. They are obtainable from the F.N.C.V. Treasurer, Mr. D. McInnes. July, 1970 191 Native Mammals in Victoria — IV Mammals of the Riddell District by J. W. F. HAmpton* AND J. H. SEEBECK™*T SUMMARY The mammalian fauna of an area of forest in the hills north and west of the village of Riddell in the Shire of Romsey, Victoria, was examined by means of four detailed surveys of representative areas. Thirteen native and four introduced species were re- corded. The effect of the severe drought in 1967-68 on the mammal population did not appear to be as drastic as was expected. The value of the area as a faunal reservoir is discussed. INTRODUCTION About forty miles north-west of Melbourne a complex group of hills, dominated by Mount Macedon, stands up from the flat surrounding plain. The scrub and forest covered south-eastern slopes with the lesser peaks of Mount Eliza, Mount Char- lie and Mount Robertson, form a marked ecological contrast to the open agricultural lands below. The differing soils, rainfall and vegeta- tion on these slopes have given rise to a varied environment and the area has become a refuge for a number of species of native animals. No pre- vious investigations of the mammals present in the area have been re- ported. A preliminary survey of the mammal fauna was therefore carried out by the Mammal Survey Group in order to assess the value of the *Mammal Survey Group, F.N.C.V., c/o Secre- tary, 40 Howard Street, Reservoir, 3073. 192 area as a faunal reservoir before the pressures of urban development be- come acute. This report describes the results of the work of the Mammal Survey Group during the Spring of 1967 and the Spring of 1968. Three surveys were carried out in 1967, and a year later, one of the areas was re- examined in order to try to assess the effects of the severe drought in the Spring and Summer of 1967-68. Additional data collected in the area at other times is also included in this report. The names of the members of the Group whose work provided the data upon which this paper is based are listed in the Authors’ Acknow- ledgements. DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA History Much of the hill country was cleared for farming about 100 years ago, but from about 1890 onwards farms were abandoned and gradu- ally reverted to forest. The surround- ing plain has, however, remained completely cleared, leaving the hills as isolated areas of forest and scrub. Until the nineteen-twenties commercial quantities of timber were being extracted and some tim- ber cutting is still carried out. The area consists largely of privately owned land with some areas of State Forest and water-catchments. {Fisheries and Wildlife Department, Victoria. Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 Geology The geology of the area has been described in detail by Skeats and Summers (1912). The soils in the hills are derived from Upper Devo- nian Kerrie Conglomerates (Surveys 1 and 3) and Upper Ordovician Siltstones (Survey 2) and are gen- erally very sandy and gravelly and of poor agricultural value. Riddell itself lies on Quaternary Olivine Bas- alt and this formation with its deep, rich soils surrounds the hills on their southern and eastern boundaries. Rainfall No official meteorological figures are available for the area which was the subject of these surveys, but the means for Macedon (Forests Com- mission Office, 23 year record) and for Riddell (Miss Amess’s_ records for the past 17 years) are given in Table I in which is also included the rainfall recorded at Kerrie for 1968 only (record from the Best property at Kerrie). This latter was recorded at a point only 1 mile east of the area of Survey 2. During the period of the 1967 surveys the spring rains had failed, the countryside was drying up and the first indications were appearing of the severe drought which was to follow. During the subsequent sum- mer the rainfall in general was the lowest for 30 years. At all three survey sites. the creeks were running at the time of the surveys and it was interesting to find that, though they had all dried up during the summer, the level of water in Main Creek at site 2 was about an inch higher in November, 1968 than in October, 1967. Areas surveyed The method adopted by the Group in making a preliminary survey is to select areas which are represen- tative of the different kinds of habi- tat present and to subject these “sample” areas to fairly intense sur- veys in which the mammal fauna is methodically examined. Three areas were chosen for sample surveys and these are shown on the accompanying map (Fig. 1). They are referred to as Survey 1, on Conglomerate Creek, September, 1967; Survey 2a on Main Creek, October, 1967; Survey 2b, at the same site in November, 1968 and Survey 3, near Charlie’s Creek in November, 1967. Survey I. The first site chosen was on a rocky, predominantly south-facing slope, immediately above the flat cultivated area, at the point where TABLE 1. Rainfall. Monthly mean in inches for Macedon (23 years) and Riddell (18 years) and the 1968 record for Kerrie. ron! iS u ra ss 2 = 1) > ~ > Sete PS ae |e ele eat OZ Va | ee Macedon 1.76) 2.72| 2.00} 2.62 | 3.66] 3.23 | 3.94] 3.78 | 3.69} 3.91 |2.78| 2.32} 36.51 Riddell 1.79] 1.18|2.13}2.42 2.34 3.24] 2.41] 2.45 | 2.78] 2.56|2.28| 1.81] 27.39 Kerrie 0.98| 0.03|0.91| 2.08] 7.11] 2.95]3.80]4.59 | 1.23]2.36|1.92|2.47| 30.43 July, 1970 193 Conglomerate Creek flows on to the plain. The creek at this point runs in a narrow, steep-sided, rocky gully. The forest was predominantly of Messmate, open, uneven and with gaps due to felling. The shrub layer was sparse and the ground cover thin on the east-facing slopes but denser on the west-facing slopes. A detailed description of the vegetation is given in the appendix. Surveys 2a and 2b. The vegetation on Main Creek at this site was in marked contrast to that at Conglomerate Creek and repre- sented the richest type of habitat to be found in the area. There was a layered forest of more complex com- position, up to 100 feet in height, dominated by Manna gum and Mess- mate near the stream, with Black- wood and Silver Wattle forming the understorey, over a dense and varied shrub layer and a dense, grassy ground cover. The vegetation was less dense and differed on the south- ern and northern-facing slopes of the valley. This is described in detail in the appendix. Survey 3. This site, on the northern face of Mount Charlie, represented the driest type of habitat in the whole area and consisted of sparse Mess- mate, a shrub layer of widely scat- tered clumps of young Silver Wattle and very sparse ground cover. The area had been severely burnt two years previously. The forest became more dense on the upper rocky slopes. Most of this survey area has since been cleared. METHODS The methods used in this survey have been described previously (See- beck, Frankenberg and Hampton 1968). Mist nets were not used. Skeletal remains, owl pellets and other similar materials were collected during the survey but these did not provide evidence of any species other than those seen or trapped. RESULTS Details of the survey effort and the crude trapping and spotlighting TABLE II. Summary of survey eftort, trapping and spotlighting data and daylight sightings. 2 i) jee a le : meee Survey No. Date i E 2. =o =e 235 Q, iS) we Og & od a ge | 86 23) |e = ne ns ny Zane Reconnaissance Aug. 1967 — — — 15 2 Survey 1 Sept. 1967 81 4 17 40 10 Survey 2a Oct. 1967 81 25 16 36 5 Survey 2b Nov. 1968 81 ils) 16.2 34 6 Survey 3 Nov. 1967 62 6 15 37 Ti TOTAL 305 50 64.2 162 iy, *Includes daylight sightings. 194 Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 results are given in Tables II and III. A systematic list of the mam- mal species encountered in the area is given in Table IV. Thirteen indi- genous and four introduced species were recorded. Notes on the Species Recorded Specimens which have been re- tained are designated by their regis- tration numbers in the collection of the Fisheries and Wildlife Depart- ment, Victoria. Order MONOTREMATA Family Tachyglosside 1. Echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus Although many diggings and scratchings indicative of Echidna were noticed, only two individuals were seen during the surveys. One Group member (D. Reeves) who lives at Riddell, reports having seen not less than 40 Echidna in the dis- trict in the period 1964-1969. This species therefore appeared to be fairly common. No specimens were collected. Family Ornithorhynchidee 2. Platypus, Ornithorhynchus tinus The presence of this species in the area has been reported to us by several observers although none was seen during the survey period. Mr. H. Wheelwright recorded Platypus in Riddell’s Creek below Yellowstone Farm in 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1954. Mr. G. Douglas, a Group member, reported a Platypus in Sandy Creek, near Ranoch Farm, in 1962 and Mr. A. John, a farmer of “Rocky Creek,” reported Platypus in Riddell’s Creek at Junction Hole in the spring of 1968. ana- TABLE III. Apparent abundance of species (numbers seen or caught) Species Tachyglossus aculeatus Ornithorhynchus anatinus Antechinus stuartii Phascogale tapoatafa Sminthopsis crassicaudata Petaurus breviceps Pseudocheirus peregrinus Trichosurus vulpecula Phascolarctos cinereus Wallabia bicolor Macropus giganteus Rattus fuscipes assimilis Rattus rattus Chalinolobus gouldii Oryctolagus cuniculus Lepus europaeus Vulpes vulpes July, 1970 Survey No. Other 1. 2a. 2b. By Sightings 1 1 See text 1 1 Z 8 3 2 17 32 15 26 1 7 8 6 12 9 10 1 1 3 4 1 9 5 26 15 5 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 195 TABLE IV. Systematic list of mammals of the Riddell area Family Tachyglossidae 1. Echidna Family Ornithorhynchidae 2. Platypus Family Dasyuridae 3. Brown Phascogale 4. Tuan 5. Fat-tailed Dunnart Family Phalangeridae 6. Sugar Glider 7. Ringtail Possum 8. Brushtail Possum 9. Koala Family Macropodidae 10. Black Wallaby 11. Grey Kangaroo Family Muridae 12. Bush Rat 13. Black Rat Family Vespertilionidae 14. Gould’s Wattled Bat Family Leporidae 15. Rabbit 16. Hare Family Canidae 17. Fox 196 Order MONOTREMATA Tachyglossus aculeatus (Shaw) Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Shaw) Order MARSUPIALIA Antechinus stuartii MacLeay Phascogale tapoatafa (Meyer) Sminthopsis crassicaudata Gould Petaurus breviceps Waterhouse Pseudocheirus peregrinus (Boddaert) Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr) Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss) Wallabia bicolor (Desmarest) Macropus giganteus Shaw Order RODENTIA Rattus fuscipes assimilis (Waterhouse) Rattus rattus (Linnaeus) Order CHIROPTERA Chalinolobus gouldii (Gray) Order LAGOMORPHA Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus) Lepus europaeus Pallas Order CARNIVORA Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus) Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 Order MARSUPIALIA Family Dasyuridae 3. Brown Phascogale, Antechinus stuartii This species seemed to be uncom- mon in the area. Only two speci- mens were trapped, one near Con- glomerate Creek and one south of Charlie’s Creek, the latter a lactating female. Both were caught in rather open, dry, areas some distance from creeks in the spring of 1967. In addi- tion, the mummified remains of a third specimen, associated with fox droppings, were found above Con- glomerate Creek. However, most trapping took place during that period of the year at which popula- tion levels of Antechinus stuartii are at their lowest (Wakefield and War- neke 1967). Specimens: Skin and skull: D.7129, 24 Sept. 1967; skin and skeleton: D.708 unsexed, 24 Sept. 1967. 4. Tuan, Phascogale tapoatafa One specimen, a young female, was found at the home of Mr. G. Douglas, at Riddell. Presumably it was killed by a cat. A second speci- men was shot at a fowl-house in June 1969, within a mile of Rid- dell. The Fisheries and Wildlife Department has a specimen from New Gisborne (4 miles west of Rid- dell) and the Department also has records of the species from a num- ber of localities in the Macedon area —Woodend, Lancefield and Romsey. It appears therefore that Tuans were widespread in the drier forest areas of the whole district. This species is rarely seen or trapped in the wild, most specimens being collected by cats or during tree felling. Specimens: In spirit: D.856 9, 4 Jan. 1969; skin and_ skull, D.924 ¢, 23 Jun. 1969. July, 1970 5. Fat-tailed Dunnart, crassicaudata Although this species was not en- countered during the survey period, eight juveniles (4¢ ¢, 499) were collected in the vicinity of Clarkfield, four miles E.S.E. of Riddell, by J. Wombey, a former member of the Mammal Survey Group, in October 1962. This species might therefore also be found in the open farmland surrounding the township of Riddell. Specimens: In spirit: D.473 ¢ ,D.4809, D.4829, D.483 4, 6 Oct. 1962. Sminthopsis Family Phalangeridae 6. Sugar Glider, Petaurus breviceps This species was seen in only one area, on the south-eastern slopes of Mount Robertson, overlooking Con- glomerate Creek. The animals seen were in Manna Gum (Eucalyptus viminalis) and Messmate (E. obli- qua). The presence of Sugar Gliders in this area was indicated by the typically torn and scratched bark of stringybark eucalypts, caused by their search for grubs and other invertebrates. There are specimens in the Fisheries and Wildlife Depart- ment collection from New Gisborne (1966) and from Mount Macedon (1965) and it appears that while the local population may not be high, the species is probably widespread. Owing to its remarkable agility and often cryptic behaviour, this animal is not easily seen by spotlight and is seldom recorded during surveys. No specimens were collected. 7. Ringtail Possum, Pseudocheirus peregrinus Ringtail Possums were apparently the most common phalangerids in the area. Large numbers (relative to the other species encountered) were seen in all areas investigated. AI- 197 though it is not possible to give an estimate of the population level, it may be presumed to have been high. The reason for this relatively high population in the survey areas is not known. Those animals seen were in a variety of trees including Messmate (E. obliqua), Manna Gum (E. viminalis), Peppermint (E. rad- iata), Silver Wattle (Acacia deal- bata) and Black Wattle (A. mearn- Sil). Specimens: Pick up skulls: P. 698 unsexed, P. 699 unsexed, 24 Sept. 1967. 8. Brushtail Possum, Trichosurus vulpecula It is apparent from our survey records and the observations of local residents that Brushtail Possums were not common in the bush areas around Riddell but were more often encountered in the vicinity of the township itself. Only one animal was seen during the survey work, south of Mt. Charlie, in November 1968. However, up to seven have been seen along Riddell’s Creek, mainly in introduced trees such as Hawthorn, Willow and Oak. Single individuals have been seen at other sites within the township. Road-killed Brushtail Possums have also been reported near Sunbury, some nine _ miles south-east of Riddell. No specimens were collected. 9. Koala, Phascolarctos cinereus Relatively large numbers of Koala were observed in all areas examined and many other sightings in the general vicinity of Riddell are re- corded in the Group’s files. At least half the animals seen during the organised surveys were observed in daylight. In addition, the skeletal re- mains of four animals were found. Koalas were seen in Messmate (E. obliqua), Manna Gum (E. vimina- 198 lis), Narrow-leafed Peppermint (E. radiata), Silver-leaf Stringybark (E. cephalocarpa) and Mountain Grey Gum (E. cypellocarpa). Specimens: Pick up skulls: K.179 unsexed, K.180 unsexed, 18 Nov. 1967. Family Macropodidae 10. Black Wallaby, Wallabia bicolor A few individuals were seen in each area investigated. Small num- bers have been reported from the area by locally resident Group mem- bers. The species is apparently wide- spread in the hills above Riddell. Skeletal material identified as Walla- bia bicolor was found on several occasions. Specimens: Pick up skulls: MB.1904 unsexed, 24 Sept. 1967; MB.1942 unsexed, 21 Oct. 1967. 11. Grey Kangaroo, Macropus gigan- teus Pairs and groups of animals were seen on four occasions in daylight and once at night. At one site, near Conglomerate Creek a small group of Grey Kangaroo has been seen regularly over the past few years by local residents. No specimens were collected. Order RODENTIA 12. Bush-rat, Rattus fuscipes assimi- lis With the exception of the area around Conglomerate Creek, close to farmland, where no Bush-rats were collected, this was apparently the most common ground mammal in the area. However, population levels appeared to vary within the areas trapped. At site 2, the number of Bush-rats caught was 3 to 5 times as great as at site 3 where there was much less ground cover. Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 Specimens: Skins & skulls: R.3220 ¢, R. 3221 9, R.3222 9, R: 3223 9, R. 3224 6, R. 3225 9, 22 Oct. 1967. 13. Black-rat, Rattus rattus This species was found only in the rocky gorge of Conglomerate Creek. Few animals were trapped and it seems probable that the _ close proximity of human habitation to this site had enabled R. rattus to spread and apparently to displace native rodents. No Bush-rats were trapped in this area and the only native mammal trapped was one Antechinus stuartii, a species which probably does not compete with R. rattus. Specimens: Skins & Skulls: R.32059, R.3206 ¢, 24 Sept. 1967. Order CHIROPTERA Although many bats were seen in the area, only one was collected. The specialized techniques necessary to assess the numbers and species present were beyond the scope of this survey but there may have been several more species of Microchi- roptera in the area. Family Vespertilionidae 14. Gould’s Wattled Bat, Chalino- lobus gouldii One of this species was shot on the wing just before dusk at site 2. A number of bats were seen in the vicinity. Specimen: In spirit: 9 21 Oct. 1967. Order LAGOMORPHA Family Leporidae 15. Rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus Few Rabbits were seen during the survey period and little sign of their presence was evident within the for- est. Local control measures probably kept the population in check. July, 1970 16. Hare, Lepus europaeus There appeared to be a_ small population of Hares in the grass- land around Riddell. One specimen was seen on the Riddell-Lancefield Road near Bolinda Creek in Novem- ber 1968. The apparent low level of population may be due, in part, to local rabbit control measures. Order CARNIVORA Family Canidae 17. Fox, Vulpes vulpes One Fox was seen near Conglom- erate Creek in September 1967 and droppings were occasionally found, in one case in association with the mummified remains of an Ante- chinus stuartit. DISCUSSION Species present This preliminary survey has estab- lished the presence in this area of thirteen native and four introduced species of wild mammal. Those most frequently encountered were the Ringtail Possum, Koala and Bush- rat, while Grey Kangaroo and Black Wallaby were less frequently seen. The smaller numbers of other spe- cies recorded might not adequately reflect their abundance as these are not as easily seen or caught, espe- cially the Tuan and Sugar Glider. While it appeared that few Brushtail Possums lived in the forested area, they were quite common in_ the settled areas south of Riddell’s Creek, towards Sunbury. Ringtail Possums were very com- mon in the area, much more com- mon than in any other area surveyed by the Group, excepting only the vicinity of the Yarra River in Mel- bourne. No explanation can be offered for this abundance. There was also a flourishing Koala population. This species occurs natur- ally here and, as Koalas are known 199 to move over quite large distances, the local population might have been influenced by animals that have been released in the district by the Fisheries and Wildlife Department over the years. Records of that Department show that six animals were released near Macedon in May 1931, twenty-five at Toolern Vale in November 1943, forty-six in the Black Forest in November 1952 and twenty-three at Hanging Rock in June 1957: Had the survey programme been prolonged or extended into other parts of the hills, other species, not recorded in these surveys, might have been found. Previous records of mammals A useful though incomplete record of the mammals occurring in the region between 1846 and 1900 has been given by Batey (1907). From this account it is possible to see some of the changes that have re- sulted from 125 years of European occupation. Batey lists the following mammals present— Water-rat, Dingo, Tuan, Fat-tailed Dunnart, Swainson’s Phascogale, Quoll, Tiger-cat, Bandicoot (species not indicated but probably Jsoodon obesulus), Koala, Brushtail Possum, Ringtail Possum, Sugar Glider, Greater Glider, Wombat, Platypus, kangaroo and wallaby. Of these, four species, Dingo, Quoll, Tiger-cat and Bandicoot were reported to be ex- tinct, or nearly so, in the area prior to 1907. Tuan, Swainson’s Phasco- gale, Sugar Glider, Ringtail Pos- sum, Greater Glider, kangaroo and wallaby were listed as uncommon, while only the Water-rat, Wombat, Platypus and Brushtail Possum were considered common, although the latter species underwent considerable population variation due to hunting by man. Batey stated that “owing 200 probably to the visits of the Abori- ginals, this animal was not plentiful in the early days, but when they ceased to visit the district, about 1851, Opossums became numerous. Later, when the demand for their skins set in, they became nearly ex- tinct. Of late years they have again increased . i The present survey did not en- counter eight of the species listed by Batey — Water-rat, Dingo, Quoll, Tiger-cat, Bandicoot, Swainson’s Phascogale, Greater Glider and Wombat. The last three species are known to occur around Mt. Mace- don at present, outside the area of this survey, but the first four prob- ably no longer exist here. It is strange that Batey did not record Echidna for this species is now apparently common in the district. Nature of the habitat Detailed examination of the vege- tation showed that a great variety of plant species was present in the hill country, although the vegetation pattern has been considerably altered since white settlement. J. Franken- berg (personal communication), con- siders that changes in the forest have been more in structure than in composition. Timber extraction and clearing for farmland have altered the overall tree height and density and that of the undergrowth, and have produced a characteristic young forest. However, the forest still sup- ports a wide variety of arboreal mammals, unlike the superficially similar northern end of the Lerder- derg Valley, where recent surveys have shown a very sparse popula- tion. This variation is possibly due to the lack of intensive forest man- agement in the Riddell hill country compared with that in the Lerder- derg Valley. The variety and num- bers of mammals encountered in the Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 Riddell hills show that this habitat is such that it has enabled a relatively rich fauna to survive. The effects of drought Quite large differences are evident in the numbers of certain species recorded at the beginning of the drought in October 1967 and late in the following spring, in the re- sults of surveys 2a and 2b. Approxi- mately half as many Ringtail Pos- sums and Bush-rats and twice as many Koala were recorded after the drought as before. However, in order to assess the significance of these differences it is necessary to know what sea- sonal variation in apparent numbers can be expected in normal condi- tions and how accurate our survey methods are. As we have no data on the normal variation in numbers of the species reported in these surveys it is difficult to attach significance to the differences seen. In addition, the interpretation of the quantitative results of these sur- veys suffers a further handicap in that the “efficiency” of both spot- lighting and trapping methods (that is, the accuracy with which these techniques sample the actual popula- tion of animals) is not known and must certainly differ for different species. The lower this efficiency, the less sensitive are such techniques in detecting a change in population. Thus, it is not at present possible to deduce from the differences found, What changes in true population had occurred. The drought certainly did not appear to have such severe effect on the animal population that it could not easily recover. Comment The pressure of peri-urban resi- dential development is now being felt in this area as a result especially of the building of Tullamarine Air- July, 1970 port. The evidence gathered in these preliminary surveys is sufficient to warrant serious consideration being given to retaining at least a substan- tial portion of the area as a faunal reserve. While none of the thirteen native species recorded in this sur- vey is unique to the area or, in- deed, is particularly uncommon else- where in the State, their continued presence so close to Melbourne will depend only on the provision of some form of protection. Acknowledgements The data presented in this paper is the result of the work of the following members of the Mammal Survey Group:— R. Cowling, G. Douglas, J. Franken- berg, R. Fryer, D. Hackett, J. Hamp- ton, P. Homan, A. Howard, C. Hutchinson, W. King (Chairman), A. Lewis, D. Munro, D. Polson, D. Reeves, J. Seebeck, M. Taylor, I. Temby and J. Wolfenden. The Group wishes to acknowledge the major assistance with vegetation analysis given by Dr. D. Ashton and Mr. N. Scarlett of the Botany Department, University of Mel- bourne. Protected species of mammals were handled under the provisions of a permit issued by the Fisheries and Wildlife Department. Our thanks are due also to the Director and staff of that Department who made available unpublished data for inclusion in this report and for co-operation in this work. Equipment used in the survey was obtained with a grant from M. A. Ingram Trust. The map was drawn by Liki Muceniekas; J. K. Dempster, Judith Frankenberg and R. M. Warneke provided much helpful criticism of the manuscript. 201 REFERENCES Batey, Isaac (1907) — “The Animal Life of the Sunbury District Sixty Years Ago.” Vict. Nat. 24, 69-74. McCoy, F. (1865) Note. Quarter Sheet 7 NW (Mt. Aitken) Geol. Surv. Vict. Seebeck, J. H., Frankenberg, Judith and Hampton, J. W. F. (1968) “The Mammal Fauna of Darlimurla.” Vict. Nat. 85, 184-193. Skeats, E. W. & Summers, H.S. (1912) —‘The Geology and Petrology of the Macedon District.” Bull. Geol. Survey Vict. No. 24. Wakefield, N. A. & Warneke, R. M. (1967) — “Some Revision in Ante- chinus (Marsupialia)—2”. Vict.. Nat. 84, 69-99. APPENDIX Detailed description of the vegetation of the areas selected for sample surveys (For these descriptions we are greatly indebted to Judith Franken- berg, D. Ashton and N. Scarlett). Survey 1: The vegetation here was open forest predominantly of Eucalyptus obliqua, S5Oft. high on the lower slopes and 30-40 ft. on the ridges, accompanied by E. dives on the upper slopes and E. viminalis on the lower. The forest had been heavily cut in the past and was of uneven age, with frequent gaps. It was last burnt in 1962 and had a sparse shrub layer, largely comprised of saplings of Acacia mearnsii with occasional A. verticillata and small, heavily grazed Bursaria spinosa and Pultenaea daph- noides. Trees of A. mearnsii, 30 ft. high, were scattered along the creek bed. The ground surface was stony with frequent rock outcrops. The ground cover was grassy, dominated by Poa _ australis, with numerous herbs, scattered Pteridium esculen- tum and occasional clumps of Gah- nia radula. On the western aspect the ground cover was nearly 80% but was much more sparse on the east-facing slopes. Surveys 2a and 2b: The vegetation of this area can be divided into three categories; the creek banks and adjacent flats, the 202 hill slopes of southerly aspect and those of northerly aspect. The creek bank and flats carried a layered open forest (up to 100 ft. in height) of E. viminalis and E. obli- qua with occasional E. radiata. A low tree layer (to 40 ft.) of A. deal- bata and A.melanoxylon was _ pre- sent beneath the eucalypt canopy, with a dense tall shrub layer (to 15 ft.) dominated by Pomaderris racemosa and Acacia verticillata. Shrubs such as Pultenaea angustifolia and Bur- saria spinosa were occasional com- ponents of the tall shrub stratum. The ground stratum was dominated by dense tussocks of Poa australis, associated with species such as Asperula scoparia, Hydrocotyle hirta, Viola hederacea, Acaena anserinifolia, and Adiantum aethiopicum. Pteri- dium esculentum, Blechnum nudum and species of Gahnia and Lepido- sperma formed a field layer in some areas. Climbing plants commonly ex- tended from the ground stratum into the tall shrub canopy, the most pro- minent of these being Tetrarrhena juncea and Clematis aristata. Near the banks of the creek the ground stratum differed slightly, with such species aS Mentha sp., Senecio aus- tralis and Lomandra longifolia be- coming more prominent. The hillsides of southerly aspect were covered, on the lower slopes, Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 — a" a <@Cherokee 387000 MT. TOWRONG ’ = XN Ma \Barringo \ \ ee ~— MT. ROBERTSON by grassy, open forest of E. obliqua and E. radiata with occasional E. vim- inalis growing to 60-70 ft. The ground stratum contained grasses and dico- tyledenous herbs with a discontinu- ous field layer of Pteridium esculen- tum. It was dominated by tussocks of Poa australis associated with plants such as Viola hederacea, Dichopogon strictus, Asperula_ scoparia, Gera- nium pilosum, Lagenophora _ Stipi- tata, Adiantum aethiopicum and in- frequently, Danthonia pallida. On the upper slopes the forest consisted of E. obliqua, E. radiata and E. cephalocarpa reaching a height of 50-60 ft. In the open shrub layer (6-8 ft.), Xanthorrhoea australis was associated with scattered, medium to low shrubs, mainly Acrotriche serru- lata, A. prostrata and Daviesia corym- bosa, with rare occurrence of Bank- sia marginata and Hakea sericea. The ground was dominated by tus- July, 1970 SURVEY RIDDELL AREA ~— socks of Danthonia pallida and Poa australis, with other smaller shrubs such as Drosera auriculata, Opercu- laria varia, Lomandra filiformis and Veronica calycina. Pteridium escu- lentum was occasional over the whole area. The hillsides of northerly aspect carried, on their lower slopes, layered woodland and open forest (50-60 ft. high) of E.obliqua and_ E. cepha- locarpa with occasional E. radiata and E. dives. The understorey of this community was variable in density. On some sites there was a dense tall shrub layer (to 10 ft. in height) of Hakea sericea with a low shrub layer of sclerophyllous shrubs such as Achrotriche serrulata, Epacris im- pressa and Platylobium formosum, associated with tussock grasses and other herbaceous plants. On other sites the shrub stratum was_ less dense and herbaceous plants corres- pondingly denser. The herbaceous 203 stratum on these slopes were very similar to that of the E. obliqua- E. radiata-E. cephalocarpa association on the middle and upper slopes of southerly aspect. There was a gradual change from the lower to the upper slopes, the latter carrying a sclerophyll wood- land of E. dives and E. cephalocarpa to a height of 35 to more than S50 ft., with a medium shrub layer (4-5 ft.) of Hakea sericea and Banksia margi- nata. Low shrubs were prominent and included Xanthorrhoea australis, Pultenaea humilis, P. gunni, Epacris impressa, Hovea_ heterophylla and Platylobium formosum. The herba- ceous stratum was dominated by Danthonia pallida and scattered Poa australis and was often well deve- loped (up to 70% cover). Associated herbs included AHaloragis tetragyna, Drosera auriculata, Lomandra longi- folia aff. and Craspedia uniflora. A comprehensive species list with its ecological associations for this site is lodged in the Mammal Sur- vey Group records. Survey 3: The vegetation of this area, on the northern slopes of Mt. Charlie, was very different from that of both previous surveys. Here the forest was, for the most part, very sparse E. obliqua with less than 1% canopy cover. There were a few thickets of very young Acacia dealbata (to 8 ft.) many Xanthorrhoea australis (some in seed) and some Pteridium esculen- tum. Ground cover was sparse (less than 5%) consisting of scattered small tussocks of dry grass and occa- sional clumps of sedge. The area had been severely burnt 2 years previously. The forest became more dense on the upper rocky slopes (the northern face of Mt. Charlie) with correspondingly thinner ground cover. An Unusual Bridge Support by Mary TuRNER SHAW About 1848 a bridge was built over the Mount Emu Creek, in the Western District, its timbers being carried in the wide fork of a large river red gum. It was probably built mainly for the Rev. William Hamil- ton, first Minister of “the Western Church” (for a time the only church between Colac and Warrnambool, but long since crumbled and gone), so that he could easily ride across to the far reaches of his enormous par- ish. It also served the nearby home- stead of the station which lay on both sides of the creek. Von Guer- ard’s drawing of it is dated 1857. In my own childhood, before the first World War, the bridge was still in daily use. My father, I remember, had it re-timbered, and at _ that time the two grey, iron-hard ends of 204 the branched trunk were sawn back further, and rather inelegantly sheet- ed with iron to keep out rain and decay. In 1939 a bad _ bush-fire which destroyed many of the older station buildings also burnt out the bridge. Revisiting my one-time home in March of this year—1970—I found only the broad, charred stump of the great old tree remaining, but marvelled to see that from its base have sprung long, thin branches, tufted with green leaves. I do not know what is the life expectancy of a river red gum, but surely this is an unusual example of toughness and longevity; possibly even a happy augury for the con- tinued survival of nature over the various assaults of man. Vict. Nat — Vol. 87 — Konstantin Cyril Halafoff The death on 24 April, 1969 of Konstantin Cyril Halafoff brought an end to the career of one of our most colourful and gifted personali- ties. There are not many who, in the course of a lifetime, have encom- passed so many varied activities and achievements. As we knew him in this country during the past fifteen years, he was a kindly man who gave the impres- sion of having only two _ principal interests in life, namely, to protect the lyrebird and to seek peace in the solitude of the forest. Perhaps these interests were a form of dis- tractive behaviour, because his early training and interests lay in very different spheres. K. C. Halafoff was born on 2 April, 1902 in Moscow and may be said to have belonged to the Russian liberal intelligentsia. Following teach- ing by private tutors he went on to high school, whilst taking private tui- tion in the piano. It was his early intention to become a concert pia- nist and a composer. Even as a teen- ager, he had some poetry published. But fate was shaping his destiny in a different mould and, at the age of 17, he joined the White Russian Army in its fight against the Bolshe- vists. After the defeat of the White Russians he was evacuated to Con- stantinople and later to Yugoslavia. Here life began anew, and he started high school at the age of twenty. From high school he went on to the University of Belgrade, where in 1931 he graduated with honours in Civil Engineering. He was retained by the University as an Assistant Professor. Here he met and married a student in architec- ture who was also a Russian of White Army background. July, 1970 His interests linked him with Russian emigre anti-communist orga- nizations, but he found time to write a number of poems which were pub- lished. Perhaps the added responsibilities of marriage caused a minor pause in his wide-ranging interests and he joined the Yugoslavian Government Railways where he was employed from 1932 to 1939 as a structural design engineer. In this capacity he became one of the country’s experts on steel bridge construction. He had left Russia nearly twenty years earlier in quest of peace, but in 1939 was again enmeshed in the web of fate. He joined the Yugo- slav army in its war with Germany. Before long, alas, he was in the hands of the Germans, who sought to utilize his professional skills as an engineer. He was moved towards the Hungarian border, but as the Soviet Army advanced through the Balkans, he decided to endeavour to get away even at the risk of Ger- man forced labour camps, lest he fall into the hands of the Russians, for fear that his anti-Soviet activi- ties might be too well remembered. His aim was eventually to reach the British- or American-occupied area. He joined a refugee train bound for Austria . . . and somehow man- aged to take his family with him. When his disappearance was dis- covered, he was sentenced to be shot by the Germans for desertion; but, with the ingenuity of a Scarlet Pim- pernel, managed to avoid identifica- tion in the chaos of the German forced labour camps in Austria. He was eventually “liberated” by the Americans, but not before he had made another escape from the 205 advancing Soviet Army, this time on foot in the middle of Winter. So this Russian who had estab- lished himself in Yugoslavia now entered a new phase of his life and, after studying English in a Displaced Persons’ Camp, became an_inter- preter to British and American mis- sions in a Resettlement Camp in West Germany. In 1949 he migrated to Australia with his family and, until his retire- ment 18 years later, was employed by the Country Roads Board as a design engineer in the Bridge Divi- sion. During this period he was associated with the design of many road bridges throughout Victoria and, in particular, the strengthening of the Chandler Highway Bridge over the Yarra River and the Glenelg River Bridge at Nelson. Happily, his wife, who was a qualified architect, was also em- ployed by the Board which was thus enabled to play an important part in the further development of this talented husband-and-wife partner- ship. Freed from _ the stresses and strains to which he had been sub- jected in Europe, he now entered a new phase of his life which was perhaps his most rewarding and hap- piest period. It almost seemed as if, all his life, he had been searching for truth, and he found inspiration among the tall mountain ash and fern gullies of Sherbrooke Forest. His love of peace and his early training as a musician, his fine feel- ings aS a poet, and the anguish of the years before, had conditioned him for a warm spiritual response to the charms of Sherbrooke. Before long he had met and, in his own words, fallen in love with Sher- brooke’s_ lyrebirds. As the years passed, he became greatly attached 206 to “Spotty,” without doubt, Sher- brooke’s most celebrated lyrebird. But K. C. Halafoff was not con- tent merely to observe, however en- joyable he found this experience. Before long, his_ fertile, highly trained mind was asking questions about the nature of the lyrebird’s song and he began to apply in a most ingenious manner his training aS a musician and engineer to the analysis of the lyrebird’s song. His researches on this subject were pene- trating and covered a wide field, and brought a harvest of scientific papers on this subject which will always stand as a monument to his brilliant intellect. He did not work in a vacuum and, in the course of his researches, collaborated with the world’s leaders in the field of bird- song analysis, thereby focusing the attention of overseas scientists on the lyrebird—Australia’s No. 1 song- bird. His publications in the Victorian Naturalist dealing with this subject comprise a_ heritage of scientific achievement in a virgin field, for no- one had attempted this work pre- viously. As he says in one of his papers, it was fortunate “that a full realization of the musical value of bird song and subsequent attempt to analyse its musical properties have come so late—on the heels of mag- netic tape and electronic devices which only recently have made it possible to record authentic bird song with all its minute details — tremolos, rapid glissandos, trills and other adornments in which it abounds. Had that analytic work started earlier, on the basis of field notes, all of it would have had to be scrapped now.” Whilst agreeing, we can also add, how fortunate it was for us all that K. C. Halafoff “happened along” at the right mom- Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 — | Leu ent and realised that there was an opportunity for scientific study in what to others had been a transient interest. Among his other interests was the making of a movie film on the lyre- bird, in colour, a task of no small magnitude for him, depending as he did on natural light in a dense forest. In this work, too, he displayed typical pertinacity and produced an excellent film which won acclaim at home and abroad. He also collabor- ated with Mr. Peter Bruce in the making of a record of the lyrebird’s song, which was produced in the United States. But Halafoff will be remembered not only for his scientific achieve- ments. Everybody who has read his papers, and especially the one en- titled ‘“Lyrebirds of Sherbrooke” (Vic. Nat., March 1958, Vol. 74, p.157) will have been moved by his mastery of the English language. He played it as he would his beloved piano and the result is a treasury of English literature. He had the sensitivity to hear the inner voice of the forest and the talent to interpret its message and convey it to his fellow men. Unfortunately, failing health forced his retirement in 1967, but his intel- lect never faltered and he turned to a number of musical compositions, mainly a suite dedicated to J. R. R. Tolkien, based on the latter’s tri- logy “the Lord of the Rings.” He finally succumbed to a heart attack in April, 1969. K. C. Halafoff has gone, but his good works remain for posterity and us. No longer will he be seen quietly sitting on a fallen monarch in Sher- brooke Forest, listening intently to the song of the forest, nor will he be heard urging his fellow men to greater efforts to preserve his pre- cious lyrebirds; but the memories of these events will not soon fade. Those who knew him will re- member him as a vigorous champion of the weaker elements of society and nature which stood in need of protection and as a kindly man whose anger was roused only by some unkind act against those things which could not protect themselves. His scientific works, his poetry, his literature and his example are a valued part of our heritage. He was never content to give anything but his best and his best was _ superla- tively good. Truly, it may be said that Konstantin Cyril Halafoff did not live in vain. L. H. SMITH Geology Group Excursions Sunday, 5 July—To Cave Hill (Lilydale) Limestone Quarry. Leader: Mr. J. Dobson. Sunday, 9 August—To Heathcote. Leader: Mr. R. Davidson. Saturday, 5 September—To Eden Park Fossil beds. Leader: Mr. Barry Cooper. Leave Lalor Railway Station at 2.10 p.m. Sunday, 11 October—M.M.B.W. Trunk Sewer Tunnel. Leader: Mr. Kerry Ham- mond. Limited to party of 20—booked out. No further applications can be accepted. Sunday, 8 November—King Lake. Leader: Mr. George Carlos. Transport is by private car (spare seats are usually available to those without their own transport). Unless otherwise indicated excursions leave from the western end of Flinders Street Station opposite the C.T.A. Building at 9.30 a.m. July, 1970 207 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria General Meeting & June, 1970 The meeting was opened by Mr. T. Sault, the President, with approximately 120 members and visitors present. A welcome was extended to new mem- bers, particularly Mr. and Mrs. R. Gar- rett, from South Australia, who were present. Mr. Sault informed the meeting that the Public Address system had been overhauled and invited comment from the audience as to whether the acous- tics were improved. Sound tests con- ducted in the Hall will be referred to the Council for further consideration. Exhibits: A varied selection was tabled and created interest and discussion. Mr. T. Sault—A brown variety of Common Vegetable Bug (Nezara_ viri- dula), 2 ground-dwelling spiders com- mon to the Mornington Peninsula (un- identified), a specimen of the Twiggy Daisy-Bush (Olearia ramulosa) found growing in sand at Gunnamatta Beach, and under the microscope fossil shells (Foraminifera) from Balcombe Bay. Mr. Barry Cooper — Fossil shells (Brachiopods) in Devonian rocks col- lected at Grants Road, near Woodstock, Victoria. Mrs. North—A collection of polished agates from Lymington Beach, Cygnet, Tasmania. Mr. Haase—A garden grown N.S.W. Waratah (Telopea speciosissima). Mr. R. McGavin—A Fungus (Tri- choloma spp.) from the Lower Kinglake area. Mr. D. McInnes—A_ specimen of basalt showing zeolite crystals, collected on the geology excursion to the Foot- scray Quarry. He suggested that an effort be made to preserve some of the cliff faces in the quarry because of their geological value. They would eventually be lost as the quarry was now being filled with rubbish. A species of rush (Juncus acuta) found growing in polluted water in the quarry was also shown. Mr. Swaby—A selection of native flora and 2 specimens—Austral Adders- Tongue (Ophioglossum coriaceum) and Onion Orchid (Microtis orbicularis), collected and preserved in 1935. 208 Mr. T. Sault and Mr. D. Lee were elected as F.N.C.V. delegates to attend the meeting of the Conservation Coun- cil of Victoria to be held at the Red- mond Barry Building, Melbourne Uni- versity on the 18th June, 1970. A motion was passed that the F.N.C.V. become a full member of the Conser- vation Council and the necessary fees be paid. Mr. P. Kelly, Club Librarian, spoke on the need for more space in the Library and suggested that a number of obsolete books be removed. It was decided that a Council sub-committee be formed to select those books to be discarded, the list to be placed before the general meeting for approval. A storage problem had also arisen regarding photographic blocks and members were asked if they could assist with space and indexing. On behalf of the Botany Group, the President, Mr. A. Fairhall, presented a copy of Nichols “Orchids of Australia” to the Library in memory of the late Mr. Frank Zirkler. 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, experi- mental lens set, etc. Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 The subject for the evening was a film, “The Turn of the Tide” pro- duced and presented by Mr. Ian G. Wallis, of Monash University. Mr. Wal- lis also spoke on the work of the Monash University Westernport Bay Research Team and outlined ways in which club members could assist with this important project. A resume of Mr. Wallis’ talk will be published as a_ separate article in August. Botany Group Meeting 11 June, 1970 The subject for the evening was en- titled “The Botany of Captain Cook’s Australian Voyage.” Mr. J. Baines had prepared a de- tailed set of maps and charts, showing the places named during the voyage along the Eastern Australian coast and the places where the party landed and collected botanical specimens. As well as the charts, there was a list with the up-to-date names of the plants col- lected at Botany Bay. Each person at the meeting was presented with a copy of this list. The voyage further north, through the more tropical parts of Queensland was mentioned in less de- tail. Cook, at some sacrifice to the com- fort of his ship’s personnel, had allowed Banks to join the expedition with his team of botanical workers. To equip and finance this group, Joseph Banks had used his own _ private means. The lecturer described the life of Banks and various members of his team of workers, dwelling especially on the life of the able Swedish botanist, Solander. There were some extremely inter- esting books on view, some lent by the Herbarium Library, some from Mr. Baines’ own collection. Though Banks and Solander des- cribed the plants collected, it was later botanists who published descriptions. Hence many of the names given by these first collectors have been changed. Several of the books contained the beautiful botanical drawings of Park- inson, whose sketches were finished, after his death on the voyage, by four other botanical artists. The chairman thanked Mr. Baines for his unusual talk, which must have entailed an immense amount of de- tailed reading and research. July, 1970 Geology Report 6 May, 1970 Thirteen members attended with Mr. Blackburn in the Chair. The subject for the evening was a talk by Mr. Kerry Hammond on “Basin Evolution.” The speaker began by explaining that his talk was on the mechanism of Struc- tural Geology and its relation to oil formations. The formations of Dynamic basins, he said, resulted from a different struc- tural mechanism to Orogenic basins such as geo-synclinal troughs, which as a rule are not oil bearing. His mention of the fact that oil basins are not con- cave, but convex caused considerable interest and he explained through the aid of diagrams why this is so. He then explained that when oil is occu- pying pore space in very porous rocks, it migrates under pressure from areas of high stress to areas of low stress which are usually on the margins of the basin. He also said that one of the present popular theories on the cause of basin structure was convection cur- rents caused by radioactive elements deep in the earth’s crust dragging down the earth’s crust at regular intervals. He said that no basin or fold structure anywhere on the’ globe exceeded 35,000 ft. This seems to be the phy- sical limit of any structural system. He quoted an area in the South China seas where an oil basin is at present in the process of forming. Mr. Black- burn thanked Mr. Hammond for a very interesting and informative talk. Exhibits. Mr. Angior—Granite with Tour- maline Crystals, Wilsons Promen- tory. Mr. McInnes—Bryozoal limestone, Waurn Ponds, under microscope. Brachiopods, Waurn Ponds. Mr. Blackburn—Fossil Kangaroo Jaw, Fossil bone fragments, Abori- ginal artifacts, and Chippings. Greens Gully, Keilor. Mr. Sault — Hypersthene-Rhyoda- cite, Barnewall High Plains. Cordierite-Nevadite, Eildon. Bas- alt, Eildon. Stibnite in Quartz, Eildon. Marine Biology and Entomology Group 4 May, 1970 Mr. R. Condron chaired the meet- ing which was attended by 19 mem- 209 bers. An apology was received from Mr. and Mrs. Lee. The Secretary reported that he had spoken to the Secretary of the club, Mr. D. Lee, re the taking of marine life from Ricketts Point, and _ that Mr. Lee had said that he would take the matter up with the local council of that area, with a view to having notices put up. Mr. W. McInnes reported that a meeting of the Show Committee was held recently. Unfortunately Mrs. G. Lee was unable to attend. Dr. Brian Smith will be in Queens- land during the Show period, but will arrange with the Underwater Research Group to put on a display similar to that of last year. A suggestion was made that a special feature be made of land and freshwater molluscs. Mr. David Long will be able to arrange this. The secretary read a letter from Dr. Brian Smith stating that a census of land and freshwater molluscs of Vic- toria was to be undertaken as a joint project between the Museum, the F.W.C.V. and various other natura- lists’ clubs throughout the State. Dr. Brian Smith gave a short talk on this project, stating that Mr. D. Long had been involved in a similar project in England and Ireland. He also suggested that on future outings each member be given a plastic bag or collecting bottle, and whilst engaged in other nature activities, keep a lookout for land molluscs. Necessary data re collecting details will be distributed at a future date. Mr. MclInnes_ suggested that one specimen of land or freshwater mol- lusc could be_ described in_ the F.W.C.V. Journal monthly, in order to keep the matter before the notice of members. Dr. Smith asked for assistance in keeping a record of mol- luscs collected. Mr. J. Strong offered to assist. At the April Group meeting Mr. R. Condron was nominated as Chairman of the Group for the ensuing year, and Mr. J. Strong as Secretary. As there were no further nominations the above were declared duly elected. Dr. Brian Smith announced that the next work-in at the Museum would be on Saturday, 16th May, starting at 10.30 a.m. The secretary announced that Mrs. Zillah Lee had very kindly offered to keep the minutes while he was away for three months. Exhibits. Mrs. C. McInnes—some mealy bugs on fronds of a fern. Mr. R. Condron—a drawer of butter- flies of the sub-family Danainae. Mr. Condron stated that the Wanderer was a member of this family, and that this family could be traced through the Indo-Malayan region. Miss E. Dixon—a beetle which was identified by Mr. P. Kelly as Diaphonia dorsalis. This specimen was taken at Northcote. Mr. P. Kelly—a_ spider, Celaenia excavata. This spider is commonly known as the Bird-dropping Spider. Miss L. White—Saw-fly larvae show- ing variation of colour. Mr. J. Strong—a land mollusc—one of the black snails, Victaphanta atra- mentaria, collected at Powelltown. Also two small species of snails collected at Murrumbeena. Some _ leaf-hoppers— black with red markings on _ them. These were also collected at Powell- town, and were attended by ants. Notice to Contributors In order that editing time be kept to a minimum, articles should be preferably typewritten and double-spaced; with a 1” margin on the right. No underlining should be shown. If handwritten, please allow a margin of 1” and write clearly. 210 Vict. Nat. — Vol. 87 Western Victoria Field Naturalists Clubs Association Report on Club Activities for year 1969 (Compiled by J. Lineker, Hon. Secretary, Portland F.N.C.) Reports from other Clubs will appear next month. GEELONG President: Mr. J. Wheeler. Secretary: Mr. Gordon McCarthy. Membership 400 members and subscribers. Meets First Tuesday, McPhillimry Hall. Enthusiastic meetings have been held throughout the year with Junior Meetings held prior to the general meeting. Prizes for the junior projects were awarded at the end of the year. All meetings have been well attended, with 155 members and visitors in December, and a variety of speakers and subjects have been of great interest. A diversity of areas were visited on the monthly excursions, averaging 40-50 cars; and two weekend excursions to Mt. Macedon and Portland were very well patronised. A nature show was held at Freshwater Creek hall for that branch of the Victorian Farmers Union. Some 120 boys from Haileybury College, staying at Anglesea National Fitness Centre were taken on a geology excursion and given a nature evening. A number of Lady Cub Masters at Eumeralla scout camp were similarly entertained. Tree planting in conjunction with the B.O.C. was carried out at the You Yangs and Serendip Wildlife Station. The club has joined with the local branch of the SGAP to try to reserve 200 acres of bush at Bannockburn. A survey group, by a series of 2-monthly campouts, will study areas in the Otway Ranges with a view to reservation. The high standard of the quarterly magazine The Geelong Naturalist has been maintained and it continues to be most popular. HAMILTON President: Mr. Murray Gunn. Secretary: Mr. John James. Membership: Adults 35, Junior 4. Meets Third Thursday, Gray St. State School. The Club has purchased a cabinet for the herbarium, and now has 705 different species of plants filed. Mr. Cliff Beauglehole has presented many specimens and given a detailed index. During the Yulunga Festival in February the Club sponsored a natural history lecture. An exhibit of native flowers grown in members’ gardens was sent to the Nature Show in Melbourne. Approximately 180 trees supplied by the Fisheries and Wildlife Department have been planted by club members at Bryans Swamp. HORSHAM President: Mr. C. O. Kroker. | Secretary: Miss S. Robertson. Membership 40. Meets Fourth Thursday, Technical School. Meetings have been well attended, and natural history specimens are a regular feature. The 7-minute free choice subject talks indicate the high standard of member participation. The club has organised a yearly essay competition for Horsham Primary Schools to stimulate interest in nature study. Monthly speakers included Microbiology by Mr. R. Luff of Longerenong Agricul. College. Slide lec- tures ‘Birds identified on a trip to Cent. Aust.’ Mr. Gunn, Hamilton F.N.C. ‘Birds around the world’ Mr. R. Cooper, RAOU; Audio-visual ‘Frogs of the Horsham District’ Mr. Con Kroker, and Nature Slide Project, Mr. Schick, Horsham. Member nights, question night and screening of nature films were included in our syllabus. Excursions included fungi collection at Troopers Ck. (Grampians), inspection of the Wimmera R. in Horsham conducted by the club representative on W.R. Improvement Committee, Mrs. Jean Hill. An inspection of a swampy scrub area known as ‘Nowhere Else’ near Carpolac resulted in a recommendation for preserva- tion to the Fisheries and Wildlife Dept. Another area of scrub land adjacent to the reserve forest in the Parish of Tooan was also inspected with a view to preservation. Conservation has received active support particularly the Little Desert, Lower Glenelg, and Arapiles. Negotiations with the Arapiles Shire Council for assistance in clearing the fence will push forward the project for fencing the John Smith Memorial Sanctuary. July, 1970 211 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Established 1880 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, 1970/71 President: Mr. T. SAULT Vice-Presidents: Mr. J. STRONG; Mr. P. CURLISS Hon, Secretary: Mr. D. LEE, 15 Springvale Road, Springvale (546 7724). Hon. Treasurer: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Road, East Malvern 3145 Gt) 2427). Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 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. (522749). Subscription Secretary: Mrs. N. E. LEWIS, 1 Billing Street, Springvale 3171 (546 4649). Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. B. FUHRER, 25 Sunhill Av., North Ringwood, 3134. Book Sales Officer: Mrs. J. STRONG. Group Secretaries: Botany: Mrs. R. WEBB-WARE, 29 The Righi, South Yarra (26 1079). 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). Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. 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 1970 Ordinary Members: sce, ic Steele po eae acts Net SS VEE ONS DO Se $7.00 Gountry. -Members: *. c.sc° 225 Gp noe ct a Ie ie nn $5.00 Joint Members’) 8. ck Lok ie ceane jb itncs Se beets geal oT LESH Ry ee i 28 oe thaoe eke $2.00 Junior Members: (ace ai a Ls es ST ye ee eg et cee $2.00 Junior. Members receiving Vict. -Nate 20202. cal ee Ye ae SO $4.00 Subscribers to Vict. Nat. ...... wa Hieljcraslieg ~ sited Tiles Widnes: odie Gee tol bite cle a ae ana $5.00 Affiliated! >Sociéties: «cad. Sh: Secu chdk, + acc CRRA eee Tne a $7.00 Life-Membership (reducing after 20 ‘yecars), cc)