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FS say Oo AN S Sf WASHIY rs ts oo” 3 = . ~. 3 = ae 3 | ARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILOALILSNI NVINOSHLIWS S31yV = ae = i Zz oO pune oO aus ae Oo EF = = QE = a Pe) = - a = E ss z 7 o ™ 2 2 NVINOSHLINS S3IUYWYGIT_ LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUT NVINOSHLINS S31uUVUa SMITHSONIAN NYINOSHLI SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILNLILSNI NVINOSHLIWS S3alava ” — 2) = wn” = = oc. == 0 a Oe < 3, = < a < 4 | (aed ex =a - a Pe O = O =e ae =o za x J LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUT rad c = 5 FR e) = oO vam = wo = jee] 5 20 = 2 > = = — a = a) 7p) a wo ae mM Mm = w = w RIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILALILSNI NVINOSHLINS S3IUYY . ‘ NVINOSHLINS S3IYVYaITLIBR SMITHSONIAN jp NVINOSHLIWS SMITHSONIAN NVINOSHLIWS . \ LILSNI NVINOSHLINS S3!tYVYaI7T LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUT ss w = wo —_ o uw 5 uw a = a a. oe ae: 4 . & + < * =f Cc : Oo ie oc ae a iS ae) = fea) , a O aN = ww Oo ae fs) Fr ne = = = RIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILNLILSNI NVINOSHLINS S3IY¥YY: = | ie . z= = o = D QQ ° E > 5 = = Ky > = > = Ey = = = & é = : = z z oh Le i we vee pp TIUWYGIT_LIBRARIES, SMITHSONIAN oa at ; = AY YF a VA Uf 3 wy a \ 5 = 2° = = E RIECOC CRAITLICNSIFARD IAIarITriirerta PA ries Haren VES Re D5 Rak oo -< z} @ \r <| < Y flo’ a= NG < ) S = eur) S eu) = SA? 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JES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILALILSNI NVINOSHLINS S3iuvuysg 7p) > wm = wakep ” ya WO 2 w es a. = Ge = a2 <) = < at < oe = O¢ ser 0¢ S yD a 5 a _ i‘ z J Zz a LSNI NVINOSHLINS S3!I¥VYUGIT LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTIC ea = x = 3 e o = wo = wo ed > in > ae oe 2 a o “of 7 = o 3 z oD z o 1ES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILALILSNI NVINOSHLINS S3IuVud ” z wn z w = = = WY, pe = Vy py, & + VE S t OGD: 3 x WS oO a . fo) Uy} fli; r O ae Baya ne, zg oe LSNI NVINOSHLINS S3IYVYSIT LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTI! a : > ” 4 Y a ra pau om ae =n. = < 2 es = = oO oe \ nee 2 ON 9 = -1ES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILOLILSNI SIIUVUE 7 SJIMVUSIT LIBRARIES INSTITUTION NOILNLILSNI INSTITUTION INSTITUTION JLSNI NVINOSHLINS SZIuvVYaIT_ LIBRARIES "8 < y, AR N ° + SMITHSONIAN NVINOSHLINS S3aiuvda SMITHSONIAN NVINOSHLINS SMITHSONIAN SMITHSONIAN Cee, bi fs SH The Victorian Naturalisi The Magazine of the FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA in which is incorporated THE MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA Vol. 92 January — December, 1975 Editor: G. M. WARD Assistant Editor: G. DOUGLAS i) MELBOURNE: ) JENKIN BUXTON PRINTERS PTY. LTD., 1-13 Abbotsford Street, West Melbourne, 3003 INDEX Compiled by J. A. Baines ABORIGINES Aboriginal Man and Environment in S.E. Australia: Recent developments in Vic- torian Pre-history (conference at Mel- bourne University; chief speaker, Pro- fessor D. J. Mulvaney), 247 AMPHIBIANS Anuran Amphibians (Frogs and Toads), The Distribution of, in Victoria (with 32 distribution maps), 104-120 AUTHORS Alderson, John, 71-9, 217-221 Anonymous, 254-5 Baines, James A., 90-2, 124-5, 265-9, 273-4 Beardsell, David V., 244-6 Beasley, A. W., 256-7 Bird, B.C. F.,. 132-141 Bird, Juliet F., 204-8 Boyce, Max W., 193-4, 214-6 Bridgewater, P., 93-5 Brook, A. J., 104-120 Burns, Alex. N., 13-14 Cameron, D. G. (et al.), 258-262 Cameron, Ian, 126 Carr, .G. W. (et al.), 258-262 Corrick, Margaret, 96-8 Covacevich, Jeanette (with G. Ingram), 19-22, 252-3 Dartnall, Alan J. (with R. C. Kershaw), 187-9 Davis, William A. (with A. J. Reid), 60-70, 121-3, 163-171, 194-6 Deerson, D. (et al.), 28-43 Doery, Mary, 98-9 Dunn, R. (et al.), 28-43 Gill, Edmund D., 15-17, 268-5 Heislers, Arnis, 42-3 Ingram, Glen (with J. Covacevich), 19-22 Jones, Evelyn, 216 Kershaw, Ron. C. (with A. J. Dartnall), 187-9 Kirkpatrick, J. B., 180-6 Lyndon, Ellen, 273 17-18, 43-6, 70, 79, 147-150, 190-2, 208-213, McKenzie, Margaret, 272 Parsons, R. F. (et al.), 258-262 Plant, Rhyllis J., 142-6 Porter, J. W., 270-2 Reed, G. F. (with R. L. Wallis), 84-90 Reid, Alan J. (with W. A. Davis), 60-70, 121-3, 163-171, 194-6 Robbins, Frank, 4-8 Rogers,-F. J->@:,)222 Russell, J., 12-13 Smith, Brian J., 47-8 Spittal, D. (et al.), 28-43 Timms, B. V., 156-162 Townsend, S. E., 197-8 Wakefield, N. A. (posthumous), 228-243 Wallis, R. L. (with G. F. Reed), 84-90 Williams, P. (et al.), 28-43 Willis, J. H., 172-3, 189 Young, Lynette, 47 BIRDS Dotterel, Red-capped (Charadrius alex- andrinus) (photo), 57 Elusive Bird Species Photographed, Cape York Peninsula (illus.), 254-5 Frogmouth, Marbled (Podargus ocelia- tus) (photo), 254 Frogmouth,. Tawny (Podargus strigoides) (photo), 101 Honeyeater, Helmeted (Meliphaga cassi- dix) (photo), 201 Miner, Noisy (Myzantha melanocephala) (photo), 153 Photographic Index of Australian Birds, National, 254 Quail-thrush, Spotted (Cinclosoma punc- tatum) (sighted at Kinglake), 272 Somers, Sandy Point, Hastings districts, Westernport Bay, The Birds of the (Victorian Ornithological Research Group Report No. 1, continued) (il- lus.), 60-70, 121-3, 163-171, 194-6 Wombat State Forest, Central Victoria (Bird Species List), 197-8 EXCURSIONS Alexandra, F.N.C.V. Excursion to, 98-9 Falls Creek, 98-9 Studley Park, 126 Yarra Bend National Park (boneseed eradication), 126 FIELD NATURALISTS’ CLUB OF VICTORIA Accounts, 50-4, (Treasurer’s report), 126 Annual Report, 96-8 Articles of Association Amendment, 127 Victorian Naturalists Clubs Association, 23 Western Victorian Field Naturalists’ As- sociation, 198 Ditto (club reports): Ararat, 275; Colac, 275; Creswick, 275 General Meeting reports, 96-8, 125-7, 151, 174, 222, 246, 274 Group reports: Botany Group, 23 Day Group, 223 Geology Group, 98 Entomology and Marin Biology Group, — Field Survey Group, — Mammal Survey Group, — Microscopical Group, — GEOLOGY, PALAEONTOLOGY AND PHYSIOGRAPHY Kangaroo Island, Observations on the Geology of (F.N.C.V. Excursion), 4 Lake Omeo, Gippsland, Victoria, Notes on (illus., and with map and tables), 156-162 Nepean Peninsula, Victoria, The Shaping of the (illus., and with maps), 132-141 Rocks and Very Early Man (in Africa) (illus.), 256-7 Sea as Wrecker and Builder, The, 15-17 INSECTS Beetles, Stag, Descriptions of 4 Species of Lucanidae (illus.), 71-9; Descrip- tions of the Larvae of Ceratognathus niger (illus.), 217-221 Butterfly, Tailed Emperor (Polyura pyr- rhus sempronius) in Victoria, 273 ‘Embedding Insects and other Specimens in Clear Plastic’, by M. S. Moulds, 275 Schrader Collection (Butterflies and Beetles), Wilberforce, N.S.W., 199 MAMMALS Antechinus, Dusky (A. swainsonii), Studies of, and other Small Mammals in an Area of Sherbrooke Forest Park, 84-90 Glider, Sugar (Petaurus breviceps) (photo), 129 Kangaroo, Western Grey (Macropus fuliginosus) (photo), 1 Kangaroo Island Mammals (list of species seen, F.N.C.V. excursion), 11 Lerderderg Valley, Upper, Mammals of the (with maps and species list), 28-43 Pademelon, Red-neck (Thylogale sp.) (photo), 177 Possum, Pigmy, Eastern (Cercartetus nanus) (photo), 25 Quoll, Eastern (‘Native Cat’) (Dasyurus quoll) (photo), 249 Rat, Broad-toothed (Mastacomys fuscus) (photo), 81 MARINE BIOLOGY AND INVERTEBRATES Beach-worm, 146 Bristle-worm (Eurythoeé (illus.), 145-6 Jellyfish : ‘Sea Wasp’ or Box Jelly (Chironex fleckeri), 142 ‘Brown’ Blubber’ Jelly mosaicus) (illus.), 142-3 Portuguese Man-o’-war (Physalia utri- culus) (illus.), 142-4 Mollusc, Caryodes dufresnii, in Tas- mania, The, Part 2 (illus.), 187-9 Molluscs, Non-Marine, Victorian — No. 14: Mulathena fordei (illus.), 47-8 Molluscs, Cone Shells (Conus sp., illus.), 143, 145 Octopus, Blue-ringed (Hapalochlaena maculosa) (illus.), 143-5 Sea-Urchins, 146 Sponges, 145-6 Venomous and Dangerous Animals of ue Seashore, Some Common (illus.), 2-6 complanata) (Catostylus MISCELLANEOUS Australian Natural History Medallion, 1397 2212474 262 Barilla Industry of Westernport Bay, Victoria, The (illus.), 204-8 Dr John Lhotsky’s Two Excursions into the Australian Alps (illus., and with 6 maps), 228-243 Hoe Coast, Nature Notes from the, 13- 1 Honey Production and Rainfall, A Rela- tion between, in Victoria, 270-2 Improving the Quality of Life in Cities, a PERSONAL Ashby, Alison M. (Australian Natural History Medallionist 1975), 189 Guilfoyle, William Robert (biography) (book review), 172-3 Lhotsky, John (alpine excursions, 1834), 228-243 Miller, Victor Henry (died in 99th year) (appreciation), 47 PLANTS Cape Raoul Heaths, Tasmania, The (illus., and with maps and species list) , 180-6 Dandenong Valley Park, Proposed, Plant Survey of, 216 Diuris series at Warrandyte, Remnants of a (illus.), 244-6 Eucalyptus Woodlands in the Eastern Holey Plains, Gippsland, Victoria (with map and species list), 258-262 Generic Names of the Victorian Flora, The Origin of, Part 2 (continued): *Chrysanthemum to *Cucumis, 17-18; *Cucurbita to Diplaspis, 43-6; * Diplo- taxis to Drosera, 70, 79; Drymophila to Erigeron, 90-2; Eriochilus to Eucryphia, 124-5; Eulalia to Gyroste- mon, 147-150; Halgania to *Hirsch- feldia, 190-2; Histiopteris to *Lathyrus, 208-213; *Lavandula to Lycium, 256-9 Guilfoyle, William Robert (biography) (book review), 172-3 Kangaroo Island (flora list from F.N.C.V. excursion, concluded), 8-11 Lerderderg Valley, Upper (vegetation species list), 40-41; (table of history of forest management), 42-3 Mangroves (historical use in barilla in- dustry, Westernport Bay) (illus.), 204-8 Melbourne, Australia, Vegetation in the — South-Eastern Suburbs of: No. 1 — Clayton South (with species list), 93-5 Mint-bush, Blotchy, Prostanthera walteri, Some Notes on, 193-4 New Publications for Naturalists: ‘Ferns of Victoria and Tasmania’, by N. A. Wakefield (new edition, re- vised by Dr J. H. Willis), 253 ‘Flowers and Plants of New South Wales and Southern Queensland’, by E. R. Rotherham, Barbara G. Briggs, D. F. Blaxell and R. C. Carolin, 253 ‘Field Guide to the Flowers and Plants of Victoria’, 273-4 Wattle, Catkin, Acacia dallachiana — The Plant and the Name, John Dallachy, 214-6 REPTILES Bearded Dragon (Amphibolurus barba- tus), A Nest of the (Patho, N. Vic- toria), 12-13 ‘Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia’, by H. G. Cogger (new book), 253 Skinks, Rainbow, Three New Species of the genus Carlia, from Northern Queensland (illus.), 19-22 Snakes, Carpet (Morelia spilotes varie- gata), in combat (illus.), 252-3 REVIEWS ‘Field Guide to the Flowers and Plants of Victoria’, by J. H. Willis, B. A. Fuhrer and E. R. Rotherham, 273-4 ‘W. R. Guilfoyle, 1840-1912, The Master of Landscaping’, by R. T. M. Pescott, 172-3 ‘Wild Food in Australia’, by A. B. and J. W. Cribb, 222 JANUARY-FEBRUARY, 1975 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. Category “B” F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 10 February — At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, commencing 8 pm Subject for evening — ‘‘A Naturalist in Northwest Australia’? — Dr. J. Willis. Wednesday, 12 March — Annual General Meeting and Presidential Address. New Members — Ordinary: Mr John Alderson, 32 Longs Road, Lower Plenty 3093 Miss Cecily Allen, Flat 6, 77 Packington Street, Kew 3101 Mrs Nan B. Clark, Lot 2, Zig Zag Road, Belgrave Heights 3160 (Geology & Marine) Mr Douglas Jinks, 11 Downes Street, Strathmore 3041 Mr Gary C. Lewis, 2/7 Sycamore Grove, Balaclava 3183 (Mammal & Bird Photography) Miss Anne Munro, 6 Magdalen Street, Pascoe Vale South 3044 (Botany) Mr Cameron McConchie, 158 Warrandyte Road, Ringwood 3134(Botany & Conservation) Miss Isabella D. Philips, Flat 4, 70 Hawksburn Road, South Yarra 3141 (Conservation & Botany) Mr Noel Schohnecht, 107 Scotsburn Avenue, South Oakleigh 3167 Miss L. H. Semmens, 2 Milfay Court, North Balwyn 3104 (Botany) Mr Ian Starkey, 5) ROYAL Avenue, Springvale Mr Leon Trembath, 70 Gove Street, Springvale 3171 Mr Brian Weavers, 8 Ashburton Road, Glen Iris 3146 Mammal & ield Survey, Botany) Mr John T. Wright, 10 Mont Iris Avenue, Glen Iris 3145 (Botany) Joint: Mr & Mrs M. A. Marginson, Flat 6, 422 Cardigan Street, Carlton 3053. Mr Gary T. Whipp & Mrs Margaret J. Whipp, McCaughey Court, Ormond College, Parkville, 3052 (Mammal Survey Marine Biology) Country: Mr & Mrs R. A. Chuck, Mt Buffalo National Park, Mt Buffalo 3745 Mr Glen J. Ingram, 17 Winston Street, Rochedale Qld. 4123 Mrs Alma O’Brien, 113 Carpenter Street, Bendigo 3550 (Botany) Mrs Joan E. Sawyer, 3 Verner Avenue, Frankston 3199 Mr P. G. Sheehan, 9 Taylor Street, Wangaratta 3677 Junior: Peter Broek, 4 Cromwell Court, Blackburn 3130 (Victorian Naturalist) GROUP MEETINGS (8 pm at National Herbarium unless stated otherwise) Thursday, 13 February — Botany Group Meeting: Members’ Night. Wednesday, 19 February — Microscopical Group Meeting. Thursday, 20 February — Conservation Group Meeting. Thursday, 20 February — Day Group Meeting: Catch Lilydale train from Flinders St. 10.55 am — meet at Croydon Station 11.30 am. Visit to Warrien Rd. Park. Bring lunch. Thursday, 27 February — Field Survey Group Meeting in Conference Room, National Museum at 8 p.m. Monday, 3 March — Marine Biology and Entomology Group Meeting in Conference Room, National Museum at 8 pm. Wednesday, 5 March — Geology Group Meeting. Thursday, 6 March — Mammal Survey Group Meeting at Arthur Rylah Institute, 123 Brown St., Heidelberg at 8 pm. Thursday, 13 March — Botany Group Meeting: Speaker — Mr. Allan Morrison. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Saturday, 15 march — Botany Group is invited to join an excursion to the Loch Valley, arranged by N.P.P.S. Leader — Mr. F. J. C. Rogers. Meet in Noojee at 10.15 am. continued on page 23 2 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 the Vol. 92,Nos.1-2. 6 February, 1975 victorian ae : itor: G. M. Ward naturalist Assistant Editor: G. F. Douglas Contents Articles: Hunt, for the Upper Yarra Valley and Observations on the Geology of Kangaroo Island By Frank Robbins 4 A Nest of the Bearded Dragon By J. Russell 12 The Sea as Wrecker and Builder By Edmund D. Gill 15 Three New Species of Rainbow Skinks By Jeanette Covacevich and Glen Ingram 19 Features: Nature Notes from the Gold Coast 13 Origin of the Generic Names of Victorian Flora 17 (Part 2) F.N.C.V. Diary of Coming Events 2 Reports 23 The seminar on the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges at the beginning of this month demonstrated clearly the growing concern among the public about planning. More than 500 people attended. After listening to eight speakers on planning needs in the area the assembly broke into a series of working groups, in which all who wished were able to contribute to the discussion. The main matters for consideration were the draft proposals of the Minister of Planning, Mr Alan Front Cover: Dandenong Ranges Regional Planning Authority. Mr Hunt chaired the seminar, and circulated around the working groups. At the end of the day each group reported its ideas on the matiers considered. The most impressive result was the unanimity achieved — with one exception the working groups wanted the proposed municipal representation reduced. There seemed to be an almost universal distrust of local government councillors among members of the general public. There was an equally strong desire expressed for the public to have the right to directly elect a proportion of their representatives on the planning authority. A majority of groups also sought an increase in the proposed representation of conservation interests on the authority, and their was a general desire to see the rural community given special representation. Summing up at the end the Minister gave no precise undertakings on which he could be pinned down, but did say the views expressed would be carefully considered. If this results in even some of the changes in approach to planning the public so clearly indicated they wished to see we can probably look forward to greater consideration in future of the impact planning has on our natural environment. An increasing population brings pressure for development to more areas of the State the need to control it to limit the damage done to our natural history heritage will grow. If this is to be done effectively naturalist clubs everywhere will have to play an active part as watchdogs, providers of information, and participants in planning. The Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) is found on Kangaroo Island as well as in parts of the South-eastern Section of the Mainland. It is difficult to separate from the Eastern Grey except by differences in breeding biology and blood characteristics (A Guide to the Native Mammals of Australia ®W. D. L. Ride) January-February, 1975 Observations on the Geology of Kangaroo Island | F.N.C.V. Excursion 1-8 September, 1974 by FRANK RoBBINS On the map of Kangaroo Island (Fig. 1), note the rough approximation of the 150 foot deep “‘contour”’ line around the island. It is therefore obvious that during the recent ice age, when the sea level dropped by about 250-300 feet (due to formation of large ice caps in the Northern Hemisphere and Antarctica), Kangaroo Island was part of Australia and all St. Vincent’s Gulf and Spencer Gulf was dry land, hence the presence of many animals and plants common to the mainland today. The few species of animals and plants not found on the mainland could have easily evolved since the island was cut off. Also during the ice age when the sea was retreating southwards and westwards, large sandy beaches with abundant sea-shells were left stranded. The wild south-west winds ground up and carried the sand and Shells (made of calcium carbonate or ‘limestone’) far inland forming sand dunes which formed dune limestone. Hence the abundance of limestone surface outcrops (‘calcrete’) which we noted so often along the southern coast. As we walked down the hill from the lighthouse to the Admiralty Arch, we had to avoid the sink holes in the calcrete surface down which water ran to unseen undergound caves. The stalactites near the roof of the Admiralty Arch were formed in this way. In the not so distant past, the southern part of Kangaroo Island was uplifted and tiled southwards along the fault lines A B — C D marked on the map (C D-Cygnet Fault; A B-Snelling Fault). We climbed up the scarp of this Cygnet Fault four times on our trips from Kingscote to Flinders Chase, to Seal Bay and Vivonne Bay, to D’Estrees Bay and to American Bay. We noted that on top instead of the swamp land, we were on a plateau of the “ironstone rubble’ of Ida Jackson’s botany book or ‘buckshot gravel”’ or “‘ferricrete’’ or laterite of the geologist. Wild flowers grew in profusion here. This laterite or ironstone pebbles or nodules is formed everywhere in the world, especially where there is a conspicuous variation in the rain and surface evaporation. Water and carbon dioxide penetrate downwards into the underlying rocks, decomposing and dissolving the iron in them. The water returns to the surface depositing its — dissolved iron as little round brown nodules of hydrated iron oxide and carbonate as it evaporates. The underlying rocks of Kangaroo Island are mostly sedimentary rocks of Cambrian Age (app. 600 million years old), but due to the tilting, there are exposures of the next oldest rocks (upper Precambrian or Upper Proterozoic) all along the southern edge (top edge) of the fault scarp. Of course, the “ironstone rubble” or laterite surface capping, hides these underlying rocks except along the streams which have cut through the cap. Also it is noteworthy that south of the faults the streams or drainage is southwards as would be expected, and north of the faults it is northwards, more or less. It is also significant that these northward draining streams have cut backwards by headward erosion through the fault scarp to its southern side. Thus the Playford Highway or road from Kingscote to the west (Cape Borda) road runs most of the way on the crest of the present watershed, thus avoiding Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 LEGEND ra y a Fs Pn oo t ) , ; haa os : - gree » tt ae / = -— paraWel_ striae geri ee we K , at rack Tet aut Fmdy bedded Soft yenoee clay Dppins aos NS A rN sand sto ne" “th nell ‘Sossl$ ,ate = eek : : ie, over glacial % Spo MatthesFlindes O=- ree AN oEA Bore ; oO ee MIE Arevite ow € 7 / | one! 4 xy? / ea Se ye St gt ee So to , ; we / coe hel et ao ee nes ee eee, quart Dcerop PERMIAN GLACIAL EVIDENCE AT CHRISTMAS COVE | PENNE GHAW. KANGAROO IS. Fig 2 Figure 2 January-February, 1975 constant crossing up and down of the general N — S drainage pattern. We saw the hard, dark grey Cambrian ““quartzites” at the Admiralty Arch floor. Above the south-west dipping (about 30 deg.) floor towered the overlying dune limestone, belonging to the recent Pleistocene Ice Age. Percolating groundwater had dissolved and precipitated the limestone as large stalactites. Nearby two conspicuous islands resting on hard Cambrian “quartzite’’ were still resisting the onslaught of the waves, and along the sea-level here, one could observe the wonderful two sets of vertical joint planes (not at right angles) in the gently dipping resistant quartzites, thus forming parallelogram patterns. Dark coloured Cambrian ‘“‘quartzites’’ were also seen on the shore-platform near Pt. Tinline on the D’Estrees Bay trip. Some of us clambered over these dipping ‘‘quartzites”’ to see the sea birds. The geology map shows several other exposures of the Kanmantoo Cambrian ‘““quartzites’” (more correctly schistose- quartzites), along the southern coast always below the more recent dune limestone and sands. The rugged tall cliffs all along this coast would have naturally been formed by the wave erosion since the last Ice Age as the sea- level gradually rose up over the wide sandy beach which must have stretched many miles further seaward. Another strange feature of this southern coast is the outcropping of perhaps a score of granite areas. The most easterly one is at the Cape Willoughby lighthouse and the most westerly is at Kirkpatrick Pt., aptly called the Remarkable’ Rocks. Wonderful examples of xenoliths may be seen embedded in the granite here, and also a conspicuous dyke (aplitic) about 2 feet (’/2 metre) wide running right across the enormous granite mass. The xenoliths were obviously large chunks of Cambrian rock from the roof of the overlying Cambrian rock into which the liquid granite is supposed to have intruded at some time later than the Cambrian Age, possibly in the Ordovician Age. However, the main interest of our party was how to explain the enormous granite tors with their “hollowed out insides’? and fantastic shapes resting on top of the main granite “bathylith”. This often happens to granite bodies while below the surface covering of soil. The water plus carbon dioxide, seeps down the joint cracks (usually at right angles) and gradually decomposes the granite into quartz sand (quartz crystals) and white clay or Kaolin (from the felspar crystals). The further this ‘deep weathering”’ or ‘“Kaolinization” proceeds, the more the rectangular granite blocks approach the spheroidal shape. However, the time will come when erosion will remove the surface cover and wash away the soft Kaolin and sand grains (Kaolinized granite) leaving the unweathered rounded tors sitting on top of unweathered granite. Of course, this kaolinization below ground level does not always proceed as simply as above, hence hollowed out tors and the weird shapes we saw at Remarkable Rocks. We are now up to the Ordovician Age (400-500 million years ago). A most exciting event occurred about 250 million years ago in the Permian Period, when during the Permian Glacial Age, a glacier or river of ice moved across in a somewhat westerly direction from Cape Jervis or the Fleurieu Peninsula across Backstairs Passage at least to the northern edge of Kangaroo Island at Penneshaw, and from Kingscote to Smith Bay. This all happened at the same time as ice moved over Bacchus Marsh and over the glacial area near Bendigo at Derrinal and Lake Eppalock. The evidence for this glaciation is mostly below grass level; but at Smith Bay, granite erratics can be seen on the beach, and at Emu Bay where granite erratics may be seen resting on top of the short platform of Cambrian sedimentary Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 rocks. At Penneshaw, glaciated rock pavements were identified in the little Boat Harbour of Christmas Cove. At Kingscote, the only evidence noticed was a blue clay just above high tide level along the cliffs below the Island Motor Inn section of the town. It was devoid of erratics or pebbles of any kind, and although the foreshore was searched at low tide level; no convincing evidence of erratics was found apart from a large piece of semitransparent quartz, and a red quartzite somewhat like the erratics of Derrinal. However, Prof. Howchin in 1899 did find sufficient erratics and evidence to conclude that this blue clay was glacial (Permian) in origin. This blue clay (glacial) was covered by up to 100 feet (30 metres) of much more recent rock including a flow of basalt (most recent) on top. A wonderfully clear contact between the basalt and the limestone rock beneath it was noticed on this cliff face. At Penneshaw, the only known glacial pavements of Kangaroo Island are still fairly well preserved on the hard Cambrian ‘‘quartzites’’. On the diagram shown in Fig. 2, the quartzite near the boat jetty was well rounded and grooved and smoothed as if ice had moved up and over it from the east side where the small circular harbour about 200 yards across now is. No very clear glacial scratches were evident on the face, but were excavation below tide level possible, there probably would have been. On moving round the harbour towards H and J, there were numerous small erratics (igneous) and a_ soft conglomerate containing these in situ, probably Permian’ glacial clay conglomerate. At K, there were three huge blocks of granite (one had a metal plate on it commemorating Matthew Flinders) and they were obviously the same granite type, most likely split from one boulder (unless man had put them close together, which seems improbable owing to their great weight). They were obviously erratics foreign to the January-February, 1975 Cambrian era there, and probably of Victor Harbour type. Near J, the glacial conglomerate was overlain by a thin layer of more recent sandy limestone rock with shells in it. However, the really good glaciated pavement began at K, where an almost vertical Cambrian quartzite rounded wall showed excellent scratches crossing each other. A vandal had added a few scratches (alphabetical to commemorate his existence). It seemed that ice had come downhill from the east, colliding with this projecting corner, moving around to the right where it followed a long wall of almost vertical quartzite, polishing and scratching it with almost parallel striae for a distance of almost 100 yards. Although subject to wave erosion, it was still reasonably well preserved for a few feet above the high tide level. The hardness of the quartzite no doubt had saved it, whereas our Derrinal sandstone does not keep its striae very long after exposure. Also very interesting and puzzling was the soft well bedded _ slippery “‘mudstone”’ contacting the pavement wall and dipping at 40 deg. downwards towards the centre of the little harbour. I assumed it was no doubt glacial clay; varved in appearance, but the great angle of dip was puzzling. Usually, glacial beds of Permian Age are sub- horizontal because of tectonic stability since Permian times, and only show dips where slumping and minor subsequent movements, such as ice-shove have taken place. Also noted was what appeared to be a long basic dyke along the bedding just behind the glaciated wall. There was insufficient time to visit the landslide in varved glacial clays further west, but some igneous rocks, obviously glacial erratics were found up on the hill behind the cemetery. At Emu Bay, glacial evidence was found in several granite erratics resting on top of the brown Cambrian sedimentary short platform; and at White Point, where a hurried inspection was made of similar Cambrian sedimentary rocks overlain in one place by a Cambrian conglomerate (Pt. Marsden conglomerate). Finally, a very interesting observation, seen between Smith Bay and Rettie Bluff, were several high flat-topped hills rising far above the surrounding country. These are the remains of the flat-topped basalt flow (late Cainozoic) which once flowed as a stream of basalt along the bottom of a late Cainozoic valley, probably all the way from Smith Bay to Kingscote (or the reverse). Since this buried valley is now hundreds of feet above the level of the surrounding country, it follows that the whole of this part of Kangaroo Island was probably much higher than the “‘flat tops’? when the basalt flow occurred several million years ago, and that gradual erosion of many hundreds of feet of Kangaroo Island has occurred here since the eruption. Although similar high level basalt plains occur in Victoria in rather inaccessible places, this Kangaroo Island occurrence is the best, easily accessible example I have seen anywhere in Australia. Rettie Bluff would be resting on glacial beds, but why did not the “‘flat- tops’? erode away also? The answer is that basalt shrinks and cracks as it cools, and therefore if rain falls, it will percolate down the cracks formed, and run out at some other point. Therefore no streams may ever form on top, and the vegetation on top will hinder the run- off, if any. Gradually, the edges will be undermined where the water comes out and the basalt flow generally shrinks in size, forming isolated flat-topped hills exactly like those you see along the Loddon and Campaspe Valleys, both of which were filled with liquid basalt not so long ago. The foregoing completes’ the geological description of Kangaroo Island, insofar as our bus trips took us. Appendix 2 Continued from Victorian Nat. 91 (12) p 321. FLORA Pteridophyta Cheilanthes tunuifolia Pteridium esculentum Gymnospermae Callitris rhomboidea Liliaceae Dianella revoluta Burchardia umbellata Anguillaria dioica Chamaescilla corymbosa Bulbinopsis semibarbata Xanthorrhoea tateana Iridaceae Orthrosanthus floribundus Amaryllidaceae Hypoxis glabella Orchidaceae Thelymitria leaves Corybas leaves Ancianthus caudatus Acianthus reniformis Leptoceras fimbriatus Caladenia patersonit Caladenia filamentosa Caladenia latifolio Caladenia deformis Diuris longifolia Pterostylis nana Pterostylis barbata Pteroetylis longifolia Casuarinaceae Casuarina stricta Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Proteaceae Petrophila multisecta Isopogon ceratophyllus Adenanthos sericeae Adenanthos terminalis Conospermum papens Hakea meulleriana Hakea vittata Banksia marginata Banksia ornata Grevillea ilicifolia Grevillea halmaturina Grevillea pauciflora Grevillea quinquenervis Grevillea rogersit Polygonaceae Meuhlenbeckea adpressa Santalaceae Choretrum glomeratrum Cheonpodiaceae Atriplex cinerea Rhagodia baccata Salsola kali Suaeda australis Enchylaena tomentosa Arthrocnemum halocnemoides Phytolaccaeae Gyrostemon australasicus Aizoaceae Carprobrotus rossei Disphyma australe Tetragonia amplexicoma Ranunculaceae Clematis microphylla Lauraceae Cassytha glabella Cassytha melantha Cruciferae Cakile maritima Droseraceae Drosera glanduligera Drosera whittakert Drosera pygmaea Drosera planchonii Drosera auriculata Drosera peltata Pittosporaceae Pittosprum phyllyreoides Bursaria spinosa Billardiera scandens Rosaceae Acaena anserinifolia January-February, 1975 Mimosacaeae Acacia armata Acacia acinacea Acadia spinescens Acacia dodonaeifolio Acacia myrtifolio var augustifolia Acacia pycnantha Acacia farinosa Acacia verticillata Acacia longifolia var sophorae Papilionaceae Daviesia virgata Daviesia ulificolia Daviesia genistifolia Daviesia brevifolia Pultenea tenutfolia Pultenea daphnades Pultenea viscidula Phyllota pleurandroides Dillwynia hispida Dillwynia sericea Platylobium triangulare Goodia latifolia Lotus australis Swainsona lessertifolia Kennedya prostrata Hardenbergia violacea Geraniaceae Gerantaceae Geraniaceae Geranium potentilloides Erodium crinitum Zygophyllaceae Nitraria schoberi Zygophyllum billardieri Rutaceae Zieria veronicea Boronia edwardsti Boronia coerulescens Boronia filifolia Carrea aemula Correa pulchella Correa reflexa Asterolasia muricata Eriostemon brevifolia Phebalium hildebrandtii Geigera linearifolia Tremandraceae Tetratheca ericifolia Tetratheca haelmaturina Polygalaceae Comesperma calymega Euphorbiaceae Adriana klotzchii Beyeria leschenaultia Bertya rotundifolia Stackhousiaceae Stackhousia monogyna Rhamnaceae Pomaderris halmaturina Pomaderris obcordata Spyridium thymifolius Spyridium vexilliferum Spyridium phyllicoides Spyridium halmaturinum Trymalium wayii Sterculiaceae Lasiopetalum discolor Lasiopetalum behrii Lasiopetalum bauri Lasiopetalum schulzenii Thomasia petalocalyx Dilleniaceae Hibbertia sericea Hibbertia stricta Hibbertia virgata Hibbertia exutiacies Hibbertia fasciculata Frankeniaceae Frankenia pauciflora Violaceae Viola hederaceae Viola sieberiana Hybanthus floribundus Thymelaeaceae Pimelea glauca Pimelea stricta Pimelea spathulata Pimelea dichotoma Pimelea flava Pimelea serphyllifolia Pimelea octophylla Myrtaceae Baeckea ramossissima Baeckea crassifolia Baeckea ericaea Leptospermum juniperinum Leptospermum myrsinoides Kunzea pomifera Callistemon macropunctatus Melaleuca gibbosa Melaleuca decussata Melaleuca halmaturorum Melaleuca lanceolata Malaleuca uncinata Melaleuca pubescens Melaleuca acuminata Eucalyptus conglomerata Eucalyptus diversifolia Eucalyptus baxteri Eucalyptus cneorifolia 10 Eucalyptus cladocalyx Eucalyptus cosmophylla Eucalyptus camaldulensis Eucalyptus conglobata Eucalyptus rugosa Eucalyptus viminalis var. huberana Eucalyptus fasciculosa Eucalyptus fecunda Eucalyptus obliqua Eucalyptus ovata Eucalyptus remota Darwinia micropetala Thryptomene ericaea Calytrix tetragona Lhotzkya glaberrima Haloragaceae Loudonia behrii Umbelliferae Xanthosia dissecta Epacridaceae Astroloma humifusim Astroloma conostephioides Leucopogon costatus Leucopogon concurvus Leucopogon rufus Acrotriche serrulata Acrotriche patula Acrotriche depressa Brachyloma ericoides Epacris tmpressa Primulaceae Samolus repens Loganiaceae Logania ovata Logania linifolia Logania spathulata Convolvulaceae Dichondra repens Cuscuta glabella Labiatae Prostanthera spinosa Prostanthera aspalathoides Prostanthera chlorantha Westringia grevillina Solanaceae A prickly solanum? Scrophulariaceae Euphrasia tetragona Lentibularaceae Polypompholyx tenella Myoporaceae Myoporum insulare Myoporum viscosum Myoporum montanum Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Goodentiaceae Goodenia ovata Goodenia varia Scaevola aemula Scaevola linearis Dampiera lanceolata Compositae Olearia axillaris Olearia ciliata Olearia rudis Olearia ramulosa Ixiolaena supina Calocephalus brownii Brachycome sp. on coast Senecio lautus Senecio odoratus Urticaceae Parietana debilis FOOTNOTE : ‘Mary Doery discovered a small fungus at Bayles Bay. This was identified by Dr. J. Willis and proves to be the first record of Xylaria readeri outside Victoria. This fungus grows in association with the roots of sedge (e.g. Lepidosperma sp.) and was until this record considered to be endemic to Victoria.” Appendix 3 FAUNA MAMMALS 1. Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeata) A small juvenile sighted crossing dirt road, several miles past Pardana on way to Flinders Chase, Tuesday 3rd September, 1974 2. Kangaroo Island Kangaroo or Sooty Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus fuliginosus) Sooty brown animal is an insular form of the Forester or Grey Kangaroo of the Mainland. 3. Kangaroo Island Wallaby (Dama) (Protemnodon eugenii decres) An insular sub-species of the no longer common mainland species Tammar or Scrub Wallaby. Seen in the lights of coach after dark in Flinders Chase and “‘spotted”’ with torch later walking along road. Said by local people to be numerous and widespread. 4. Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) Numerous over island (sighted as wallaby). 5. Koala (Phascolarctus cinereus) Several, one with young seen near homestead at Flinders Chase. (An introduction from Victoria). 6. Short-nosed Bandicoot ([soodon obesulus) Known to be on island. Bandicoot diggings were observed, but the animal itself was not sighted. 7. Fur Seal (Gypsophoca dorifera) Observed at Admirals Arch. 8. Hair Seal or Sea Lion (Neophoca cinerea) In large numbers on beach, in sand dunes at Seal Bay. REPTILES 1. Black Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus niger) 2. Lace Monitor (Varanus varius) N OTE FROM THEE DITOR To those Contributors who have not received notification of their M/SS having been received, the Editor offers his apologies. Due to personal time being at a premium, and a change in printing further taking toll of time, correspondence has lagged. However the notifications will be done as soon as possible. January-February, 1975 11 A Nest Of The Bearded Dragon, Amphibolurus b. barbatus by J. RUSSELL At two p.m. on 14 October 1973 the writer observed a_ female of Amphibolurus b. barbatus nesting in the middle of a motor track on a sand hill at Patho, northern Victoria, 20 miles west of Echuca. Close observation of the nesting procedure was avoided in the event that the female might be alarmed and abandon her nest. However, the position of the nest was determined and I returned to it at 11 a.m. the following day. The entrance to the nest was easily located; but it would not have been obvious without prior knowledge of its location, or some experience with finding nests. The nest was similar to those of tortoises (Chelodina expansa) which nest in the same general area, inasmuch as the eggs were at about the same depth. It was evident however that the method of excavation was quite different from that of tortoises. Loose sand was removed from the entrance to a depth of three inches; this revealed a tunnel five inches long and two inches in diameter, at a slight downward angle. The tunnel was filled with loose sand and lead to a nest cavity three inches in diameter and four inches below the surface. Thirty-three eggs with parchment-like shells were removed from the nest. Precise measurements of the eggs were not made but most of them were approximately one inch long and 5/8 inches wide, about ten of them being slightly smaller. Most of the eggs were of a regular spheroid shape, but some were packed tightly, had been dented, and had irregular shapes. 12 One egg was retained and the remainder replaced in the nest, which was left undisturbed until 6 January 1974. On that date the nest was opened again. One egg was removed and opened; the live embroy was judged (based on the writer’s knowledge of Chelodina expansa) to be about 70 per cent developed or approximately six weeks away from hatching. The nest was then left undisturbed until 17 February 1974. On that date the nest was reopened and one egg was broken in the process. This egg contained a lizard that was fully or nearly fully formed and I suspected that hatching was imminent. At first there were no signs of life in the young lizard removed from the egg; it was placed upside down on a spoon which was placed in the boot of a car. The next day I discovered that the lizard was alive but was unable to move about because fluid from the embryonic membrane had dried and adhered to the spoon. After a brief soaking in water the young lizard became vigorously active and swam about. On the same day that the broken egg was removed, the nest was securely covered with a ten inch square of fine mesh bird wire. This was designed to discourage predators as well as contain any young which might hatch subsequently. On 22 February a small funnel like depression could be seen under the wire and the snout of one small lizard could be seen in the depression. The wire was removed revealing 16 newly hatched lizards which were then placed in a Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 cardboard box. Four of these hafchlings were very active and aggressive; they would gape widely in a threatening manner at the slightest movement on my part. One of these hatchlings after being placed in the box, would jump two to three inches with gaping mouth as each new lizard was placed in the box. Fifteen unhatched eggs remained in the nest; most of these had a deflated appearance. These were removed and placed in a separate container. One of the eggs was partially ruptured. A claw protruded from the egg and some movement within the egg could be discerned. After two days there was no more discernable activity in the unhatched eggs. All of them were then opened; eight were found to contain fully formed embryos and the remaining seven were addled. Total incubation time for the clutch of eggs observed (14 October to 22 February) was 131 days. The hatchlings varied in total length from 3'% to 4 inches. The eggs were not measured in the course of incubation but it was evident that they increased in size; this was evident on 6 January and even more so on 17 February. McPhee (1966) reported that 9 was the average number of eggs per clutch for this species and that maximum number was 27. Bustard recorded one clutch of 19 eggs and another of 31 eggs (revealed by dissection). It therefore appears that the clutch herein reported is one of the largest on record for Amphibolurus b. barbatus. I extend my thanks to Professor J. M. Legler (University of Utahand University of New England) for reading a preliminary draft of this manuscript and offering helpful comments. Nature Notes from the Gold Coast ALEX. N. BURNS. September For the past three months the weather has, for the most part, been fine and dry with quite chilly night temperatures, and as a result of these conditions, almost the opposite of those for the same period last year, insect and animal life has been very different. The Scrub Turkeys are considerably later in finishing off their nesting mounds, and at the moment egg laying has just commenced in two large mounds under observation. Although conditions have been so dry, natural food has apparently been plentiful because the daily numbers of turkeys coming to be fed each evening has averaged less than usual. January-February, 1975 The Currawongs and Crows which nest each year in the large white barked eucalypts at the bend of the road opposite the National Park are now actively engaged with their nesting problems; these birds too were later than usual this season. For the past three months a large gum tree in the garden has become the daily roosting place for no less than three Mopokes. Two of these roost together on a short dead branch about 20 feet from the ground; the other bird has several roosting places all within five or six feet of the other two. The camouflage presented by these birds is remarkable, especially in the case of the two which camp close together on the 13 dead branch as they sit together touching the large main branch which is greyish white in colour. The wild duck population at the large lagoon at the Currumbin bird sanctuary has throughout the dry weather, increased to well over 300 individuals and is still increasing. Coots and other water-frequenting birds also have become more plentiful. A Coot’s nest with four chicks is at present under observation; this nest is about two feet from the water level in a dense clump of Papyrus. As one approaches, the chicks hop out of the nest and disappear very rapidly amongst the tangled mass of vegetation surrounding it; if one stays quite still the chicks soon wend their ways back through the tangle and into the nest. During the colder weather the Koalas have resorted to the gums on the highest portion of the hill in the National Park. Lately one or two specimens have come to the trees bordering the road. The warmer weather seems to make them extend their range further down the hill. Entomologically at the moment, things are fairly quiet; no doubt on account of the prolonged dry conditions. Many of the usual early season butterflies are absent. Normally at the end of September, large numbers of the common Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui kershawi McCoy) appear, but less than half a dozen specimens have so far been observed. It is however interesting to note that eggs and larvae of the Australian Admiral (Vanessa itea Fab) have appeared in large numbers on the few plants of ordinary Stinging Nettle in the garden. Although plants of this garden weed have been allowed to remain every year, this is the first time that they have been favoured with eggs and larvae of this butterfly. The Australian Admiral is quite a rare species on the coast, but is abundant on Mt. Tamborine and the Springbrook Range. At these localities its larvae feed on a much softer and larger growing species of Nettle. From mid-August and throughout September the Hibiscus bushes have had large numbers of nymphs of two beautifully coloured Pentatomid bugs, the species being the Cotton Bug (Tectocoris lineola Fabr.) and the Pagan Bug (Chaerocoris paganus Fabr.). The former in the adult stage are orange red with metallic greenish-black snots which vary from a number, to complete absence in individuals. The Pagan bug is also orange red with brilliant metallic deep blue markings. In the early nymphal stages both species are gregarious; young nymphs of the Pagan bug are deep blue and present a pretty sight on the hibiscus twigs. Short-horned Grasshoppers (Acridiidae-Orthoptera) have been in evidence almost right through the colder months, and as I write many are already in the adult stage; possibly some of these have overwintered as adults. Hibiscus bushes seem to be one of their favourite foodplants, and it is necessary to spray them every few weeks to keep them looking nice. The large 2’ inch long grasshoppers can very soon consume a lot of leaves and spoil the appearance of the plants. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 The Sea as Wrecker and Builder by EpMUND D. GILL Erosion by the sea became the subject of a strange court case in England in the Middle Ages. In 1223 tidal waters eroded the walls of the Severn River estuary, on which Bristol stands. The Severn Estuary has enormous tides with great erosive power. In places the tidal range reaches 40 feet (12 m). The people who lived in the village of Awre near Newnham were upset because part of their fields was washed away, while at the same time people at Slimbridge further downstream on the other side of the estuary had their land extended. The Awre folk took their case to court, claiming that the build-up of soil at Slimbridge was legally their land. The Slimbridge folk replied that the land in question long ago was eroded from their area and deposited upstream; now they were only getting their own land back. The judge found in their favour. Probably both arguments were wrong, and the judge was avoiding a frightening precedent! Parcels of land are not moved as identifiable bodies of sediment, but this much is certain, the sea both wrecks the land and builds it up. Lost Villages of Morcambe Bay, England In his famous book on the coasts of England, Professor J. A. Steers devotes a section to the lost villages of Morcambe Bay in northwest England. These villages are well known from historical records. There were places called Herte, Fordebottle-in-Furness, Argameles and Arnoldsdale, but they exist no longer. In the literature, no reference to Fordebottle-in-Furness occurs after January-February, 1975 1537. Professor Steers says, ‘It seems to have stood on low ground between Aldingham and Barrow. Herte Island was somewhere on the shore of Dalton parish and probably formed one of a group of islands near Piel. Both villages were definitely in existence at the end of the fourteenth century, but for centuries all record of them has disappeared. There was a severe storm on the coast on 12 December 1553, which is known to have damaged Walney Island considerably, and it is possible that the final disappearance of Herte coincided with it.”’ Professor Alan Wood of Aberystwyth refers to Medieval wells overwhelmed by the advance of the sea, so that the bottom sections of them are now found in shore platforms. Houses and villages associated with such wells must have been destroyed by the sea. Coastal Retreatat Warrnambool, Victoria The city of Warrnambool in Western Victoria, Australia, stands on ancient sand dunes built by Pleistocene onshore winds from coastal shell sand. The dunes are now cemented into hard rock. Since the sea came to its present level about 6000 years ago, the coast has retreated about a quarter of a kilometer. This can be worked out from the fact that a dune stranded by the sea retreating to the low level of the Last Glaciation has been attacked since the sea returned to its present level. The dune is lithified, and the sea has wrecked all the seaward- dipping section. Measurement shows that of the order of 250 m of dune has been eroded away, so the coast has been 15 demolished at a mean rate of about 4 cm/yr. The sea has not béen so successful in its attack on other types of rock that make up the coast west of Melbourne. The felspathic sandstone of the Otway coast has been eroded back at about 0.9 cm/yr, while the accompanying siltstone has worn twice as fast (1.8 cm/yr) and so forms bays and not headlands. The most resistant rock type yet studied is a fresh basalt (dated 300,000 yr) at Port Fairy, which has remained unchanged in its overall geometry during the past 6000 years. Wear has taken place in channels and joint planes, and the basalt has been wave-quarried along joints, but Last Interglacial limestone remaining in cavities proves that the sea has not bitten deep enough to get past the sand left in cracks when the sea retreated. As it was lime sand, it has now been altered to solid limestone. Coastal Recession at Shannon Point, U.S.A. Shannon Point is a cliffed headland on Fidalgo Island, Washington. Dr. Maurice Schwartz of Western Washington State College has studied this area. It is composed of glacial rocks (Vashon drift), and maps are available from 1893 to show the rate at which the cliff has receded. In that time the sea has wrecked over 50 feet (15 m) of land, 1.e. the cliff has retreated at about 0.66 feet a year (20 cm/yr), which is five times as fast as at Warrnambool! The Sea as Builder In England there was a_ Royal Commission on Coast Erosion that issued a report in 1911. It made the surprising statement that in about 35 years 6640 acres had been lost by marine attack in Britain, but 48,000 acres gained! These figures are of course in terms of area and not volume. However, this makes us realise that the sea gives as well as takes, builds as well as wrecks. Professor L. Dudley Stamp reminds us that “‘the coast is not a line fixed on a 16 map, but a zone where there is constant daily interplay between natural forces.”’ In the past year much publicity has been given to the destructive attack of the sea on the Gold Coast of Queensland, because of the threat to property. But the other side of the story is that in other parts of Queensland the land is being built up. Extensive spits and dunes are being constructed, especially at the mouths of large rivers. Dr. David Hopley of the Captain Cook University of North Queensland has described ancient dunes and spits built in Queensland in times long past. Such can be found in many parts of Australia, because one of the functions of the sea is that of builder. What Causes Progradation? To prograde or build out the shore with beaches, sand ridges, dunes and spits required an adequate supply of sand. This comes mostly from rivers, but some comes from the sea’s own breakdown of the land. Where no rivers reach the sea, as in the Great Australian Bight (where the land is arid, and what rain does fall disappears down limestone sinkholes), the sediments are mostly marine carbonate such as the skeletons of shells, foraminifera, bryozoa, coral and such like. In the Warrnambool/Port Fairy area of Western Victoria, river sediments of sand size are mostly trapped behind dunes, so that the beach sands have a high percentage of marine carbonate such as broken up mollusc shells. Where there is a sufficient supply of sand, what causes the beaches to widen, and dunes to appear, so that the coast builds seawards? Two answers have been offered. The first says that as the amount of sand available from erosion increases with time, the sandpile gradually extends seaward. The second answer is that the change in the balance between erosion and deposition that results in progradation is a result of changes of sealevel. If the first answer Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 were the whole answer (and it is indeed a factor), then outward coastal growth would be at a regular rate, but radiocarbon dating shows that prograd- ation has not been regular but in phases. Phases of Progradation Southeast of Andersons Inlet in Eastern Victoria, in an area of ample sand supply, a sandy beach some 20 km long defines Venus Bay. Behind the beach for a considerable distance is a Pleistocene duneline now cemented. On the present coast only sand-dwelling molluscs are present, while on top of the dune-rock fossil cliffs are Aboriginal middens of rock-dwelling molluscs! Therefore when the Aborigines were collecting the shellfish, the sea reached the dune rock where their molluscs grew. In front of the cliff now there is a wide area of hummocky sand ridges and then the modern beach. Radiocarbon dating showed the midden shells to be 2800 years old, so only since then has all the progradation of the sand occurred. A series of radiocarbon dates in the Warrnambool/Port Fairy district suggests that the dunes there built up between 5000 and 3000 years ago, then dune-building slowed down or ceased so that the soil formed on the dunes. Aboriginal middens in_ the © soil commonly date round about 2800 years. Since then the modern beach and dune processes have been active. At present the dunes are being attacked, and this is attributed to a small current rise in sealevel. Earth movements would of course change the coast, but in the areas discussed no measurable movements are known for the period concerned. It is becoming apparent that progradation has occurred in phases, and it is now being investigated how these phases are related to changes in sealevel. Thus the sea is both destroyer and builder. To understand its work is important for the protection and utilization of our coasts, for deciphering the Aborigines’ relationships with the sea, and for many other purposes. The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2 — Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous (continued from 91 (11) ) by JamesA. BAINES * Chrysanthemum. Gk _ chrysos, gold; anthos, flower; the first species described by Linnaeus having flowers of golden hue. Victoria has 4 species, all introduced, Ox-eye Daisy, Portuguese Swamp Daisy, Feverfew and Tansy. (Feverfew means febrifuge, i.e. a chaser-away of fever, and Tansy is an aphetic form of athanasia, meaning immortality, therefore having affinities with Immortelle and Everlasting, common names of other composites.) Chthonocephalus. Gk chthon (genitive chthonos), the earth; kephale, a head; because this is a tiny plant (one inch in diameter) with a rosette of daisy-like flowers very close to the ground. C. pseudevax is known, in keeping with the derivation of its generic name, as Groundheads. January-February, 1975 * Cicendia. Recorded by Dioscorides as an ancient Tuscan name for some plant of the gentian family, and taken by Adanson in 1763 when naming the genus. (Gilbert-Carter says the name is meaningless, and made up by Adanson). Craspedia. Gk kraspedon, a fringe; in allusion to the feathery pappus. Victoria has 4 species, including Common Billy-buttons, C. glauca, which was long known as C. uniflora. Crassula. Lat crassus, thick, with the feminine diminutive added to the stem of the adjective, with the noun planta, plant, understood as precceding, i.e. a ‘thick, fat or succulent plant’. The genus gives its name to the family Crassulaceae; these -aceae endings are really adjectival also, being short for, e.g. crassulaceous plants, plantae being understood; the same applies to the endings - 17 eae (tribe), -oideae (subfamily), -ineae (suborder) and -ales (order). All Victoria’s 8 species are native, and the generic name serves as a common name for each one, with a descriptive adjective to differentiate them. * Crataegus. Gk krataigos, hawthorn tree in Theophrastus, transliterated into Latin form; ultimately from kratos, strength, in allusion to the strength and hardness of the wood. * C. menogyna, Hawthorn, is our sole species (there are 200 species in the world); planted as hedges, it has often spread across paddocks, like Furze or Gorse, also much used in the early days for hedges. Cratystylis. Gk kratys, strong; stylos, style; alluding to the rather thick and rigid style. C. conocephala, our only species, is Bluebush Daisy, a better name than Bluebush, the name used in S.A., since it is a composite, and the latter name is better kept for species of Kochia (in Chenopodiaceae), despite the remarkable superficial resemblance of the two genera. * Crepis. Gk krepis, a plant name in Theophrastus (perhape the same word as krepis, shoe or boot, but if so the reason for this is not clear); in its Lat form, crepis, it was used by Pliny. Our 4 species, all introduced, are different kinds of Hawksbeard. Cressa. Lat Cressa, Cretan; C. cretica, our species, although indigenous here, was named from specimens growing in Crete, as both generic and specific names indicate. It has no relationship to Cress (family Cruciferae), being in the family Convolvulaceae. Cress is an old English word from a root meaning creeper. The common name of C. cretica is Rosinweed. Crinum. Gk krinon, lily. C. flaccidum, the largest of all native flowers of Victoria, is found in this State only in the extreme north- west on the flood-plain of the Murray River, hence its common name, Murray Lily but it is known as Darling Lily in N.S.W. from its frequent occurence along the Darling River. It is even known as Macquarie Crinum in the region of the Macquarie River, but S.A. uses the name Murray Lily. C. flaccidum was described and illustrated in Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1820, and appeared in the same year as Amaryllis australasica in the river journal, Edwards’ Botanical Register (it is in family Amaryllidaceae). * Crocosmia. Gk krokos, saffron (derived from Semitic karkom); osme, smell; the dried flowers when placed in water have a strong smell of saffron, which is a yellow dye 18 produced from the stigmas and part of the styles of Crocus sativus, Saffron Crocus. Our species of Crocosmia, * C. aurea, Golden Copper-tip, is often called Montbretia, now an invalid genus, and more correctly applicable, according to Willis, to a hybrid between Tritonia crocosmiiflora and C. aurea. Crowea. Named by Smith after James Crowe (1750-1807), F.L.S., a surgeon who studied mosses, fungi and willows (he had a large collection of the lastnamed in a ‘salicetum’). Born in Norwich, he wrote on Norfolk plants. Our species, C. exalata, Small Crowea, is very close to Eriostemon (see Willis, vol. II, p. 333). (Omitted from Part 1, so included here.) Cryptandra. Gk kryptos, hidden; aner, andros, a man; the anthers are hidden within the hood-shaped petals. Victoria has 4 species, the most widespread being C. amara and C. tomentosa. The generic name doubles as a common name. * Cryptostemma. Gk krypto,, to hide; stemma, a crown. The hairs of the seed-cases cover the scales of the pappus. Now Arctotheca (which see). * Cryptostylis. Gk kryptos, hidden; stylos, the column. More remarkable than the ‘hidden style’ in this genus is the amazing method of pollination of C. subulata and C. leptochila by male ichneumonid wasps, which, driven by sex-urge, attempt to copulate with the flowers. All species are known as various kinds of Tongue-orchid (named from the prominent labellum). Ctenopteris. Gk ktenos, comb; pteris, fern; the feathery fronds prompted the latter name from pteron, a wing. C. heterophylla is known as Gipsy Fern. * Cucumis. The ancient Lat name of the cucumber. Our species, * C. myriocarpus, Paddy Melon or Gooseberry Cucumber, is a reminder that the early colonists gave confusing names to flora and fauna, and in some cases used the same name for species of flora and fauna. The small wallabies originally called paddy-melons but now pademelons (for differentiation) look not unlike melons when seen squatting in the rain forest (as the writer saw one in North Queensland). Other examples of this are: Rosella (birds) and Native Rosella (the Qld. flower Hibiscus slendens); Cunjevof (the ascidian Pyura stolonifera) and Conjevoi (the araceous plant with edible rhizome, Alocasia macrorrhiza, said to be an antidote to the Queensland stinging trees); Mountain Devil (the Moloch Lizard, Moloch horridus) and Mountain Devil (Honey Flower, Lambertia formosa). Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Three New Species of Rainbow Skinks of the genus Car/ia from Northern Queensland J EANETTEC OVACEVICH*® and GLENINGRAM* While revising Carlia in eastern Australia the authors found three undescribed species from northern Queensland in the collection of the Queensland Museum. These are described here as C. jarnoldae, C. dogare, and C. prava. The genus Carlia Gray was resurrected and redefined by Mittleman (1952, pp.11-12). Although several of the species of Carlia occurring in eastern Australia are easily recognised, many are difficult to define taxonomically because differences between them are slight and there is overlap in variation of many of the features used in distinguishing the species. The characters most useful in delimiting the taxa are male breeding colour and pattern. These are distinct in life but fade with preservation and are, therefore, not always available. Specimens on which the descriptions are based are housed either in the Queensland Museum (QM J) or the Western Australian Museum (WAM R). Dr Glen Storr of the Western Australian Museum who has recently revised Carlia in Western Australia and the Northern Territory (Storr 1974, in press) has provided specimens for this work and given helpful advice. Carlia jarnoldae sp. nov. (Plate 1a) Holotype: QM J20739, Wakooka Outstation, Starcke Station, north- eastern Queensland, 14 deg 33’ S, 144 deg. 33’ E, collected by J. Covacevich, C. Tanner and T. Tebble, 27 November, 1970. Diagnosis: A moderately large Carlia with mid-dorsal scales hexagonally shaped, moderately tricarinate and January-February, 1975 regular in alignment; ear aperture smaller than palpebral disc, with small lobule anteriorly. Distinguished from C. pectoralis in having more numerous supraciliaries (usually 7 vs 5), longer axis of ear aperture usually horizontal, and in male breeding colour. Distribution: North-eastern Queensland, from Rokeby Station, via Coen, on Cape York Peninsula, to near Herberton on the Atherton Tableland, and south to at least Hidden Valley, 40 km S. S. W. of Ingham (G. Maywald, pers. comm.). Description: Snout-Vent length (mm): 28.5 - 47.9 (N=27, mean 39.0). Tail (% SVL): 142 - 174 (N=7, mean 155). Prefrontals mostly separate but touch or form a medium suture in 12% of specimens. Supraciliaries usually 7, occasionally 6, rarely 8 (N=27, mean 6.8). Palebral disc large. Ear aperture smaller than palebral disc, longer axis horizontal, very rarely vertical, with a small pointed lobule anteriorly. Midbody scale rows 27 - 32 (N=27, mean 28.9); mid-dorsal scales moderately trikeeled, hexagonally shaped, and regularly aligned. Lamellae under fourth toe smooth, 22 - 28 (N=26, mean 26.7). Coloration varies between two extremes described below for the female and breeding male. Female, head bronze- brown, back and sides olive-grey, with a well defined white line edged in black from under eye, through ear aperture, back above foreleg and terminating just in front of hindleg; under surfaces white. In breeding male, 5-7 dark blue stripes on a brown background from neck to * Queensland Museum Plate 1: Holotypes of three new species of Carlia. a. Carlia jJarnoldae (320739) . Carlia dogare J20557) c. Carlia prava (314101) 20 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 hind legs where they break up into spots. The stripes lie between two parallel lines formed by the outer keels of adjacent scales. A thick dark blue stripe flecked with white runs from behind ear to front of hindleg; below this blue stripe there is a red stripe which begins above foreleg and terminates in front of hindleg. A light line starts under eye, passes through, and includes ear, to above foreleg. Undersurface white. Remarks: Carlia jarnoldae_ exhibits striking sexual dichromatism, a phenomenon typical of most Carlia. This species is named after Jennifer Arnold who, in her M.Sc. thesis (Arnold, 1966), first suspected it was an undescribed species. Mitchell (1953, p.86) included this species in C. pectoralis, but the latter differs from C. jarnoldae in having 1. a more robust shape; 2. fewer supraciliaries (usually 5); 3. the longer axis of the ear aperture vertical and in 4. male breeding colour (C. pectoralis breeding males are uniform grey-brown and have two red lateral stripes; the lower stripe may be broken up into spots); 5. female colouring (C. pectoralis females are similar to those of C. jarnoldae but usually have two rows of pale spots dorsally and a less well defined white lateral stripe which usually ends just posterior to the foreleg). Paratypes: 5 - 6 km W. Rokeby Station Homestead (J23443-6, J23448, J23464); Melville Range (J20513); 3.2 km N. Wakooka Outstation (J20760-1, J20765); Wakooka Outstation (J20543, J20738); Isabella Falls, 32 km N. W. Cooktown (J17820); 16 km N. W. Cooktown (J17821); Mt. Molloy (J19407- 8, J19411, R45610); Mt. Fraser (J23453, J23455); Chillagoe (J18036-7); Stannary Hills, near Herberton (J7782, J7784, J14031-3). Carlia dogare sp. nov. (Plate 1b) Holotype: QM J20557, 5-6 km. N. mouth Mclvor River, north-eastern Queensland, 15 deg. 8’ S, 145 deg. 15’ E, January-February, 1975 collected by C. Tanner, J. Covacevich and T. Tebble, 20 November, 1970. Diagnosis: A moderately large Carlia with mid-dorsal scales hexagonally shaped, mostly bicarinate and regular in alignment. Toes long; lamellae under 4th toe average numerous (27-35). Distinguished from C. vivax in having larger ear aperture, more ear lobules (usually 2 vs 1), high lamellae count and in male breeding colour two orange lateral stripes vs diffuse pink sides) and female colour (faint laterodorsal, vertebral, and lateral pale lines vs strong white lateral line from nostril, under eye, through ear, to hind leg; laterodorsal line sometimes strongly defined). Distribution: Known only from Cape Flattery south to the mouth of the Mclvor River and on Lizard Island, north-eastern Queensland. Description: Snout-vent length (mm): 31.9 - 49.6 (N=39, mean 42.1) Tail (Y%SVL): 148-217 (N=20, mean 178). Prefrontals separated. Supraciliaries S, rarely 4, 6, or 7 (N=39, mean 5.0). Palebral disc large. Ear opening usually smaller than palpebral disc, longer axis vertical, with 2 small rounded lobules anteriorly. Midbody scale rows 29-33 (N= 39, mean 30.9), mid-dorsal scales hexagonally shaped usually bicarinate. Lamellae under fourth toe smooth, 27-35 (N=39, mean 31.6). In female, head bronze-brown; pale line from nostril along upper labials and under eye; indistinct pale vertebral and dorsolateral lines enclose a series of pale spots with black anterior borders on a brown background from neck to tail; a pale lateral line; legs dorsally brown with white flecking; under surfaces white. In breeding male, uniform brown dorsally and laterally with a grey wash; two orange lateral stripes, the upper beginning above foreleg and finishing above hindleg, the lower from foreleg to just in front of hindleg. 21 Remarks: Carlia dogare lives in sandy areas. Its pale colouring (which would reflect heat) and long toes (which enable it to move swiftly over loose sand) are apparently adaptations for life in hot, sandy areas of coastal northern Queensland. This species’ name is from the language of an Aboriginal tribe that lived in the Cape Flattery region; ‘dogare’ means ‘in sandy country’ (Roth, 1901, p. 13). Pronounced de’ gari. Paratypes: Lizard Island (J20436-42, J20444-6, J20451-55); 1-8 km N mouth Mclvor River (J20507, J20545-6, J20548, J20556, J20558-63, J20617-9, J20621-6, J20652, R45612); Cape Flattery (J20749- 50). Carlia prava sp. nov. (Plate 1c) Holotype: QM J14101, Magnificent Creek, Kowanyama (Mitchell River Mission) 15 deg. 18’ S, 141 deg. 44’ E, collected by P. Graf, 19 October, 1965. Diagnosis: A moderately large Carlia with mid-dorsal scales hexagonally shaped, usually strongly bikeeled, sometimes tending to be bicuspidate. Alignment of scales varies from regular to very irregular; laterally this can be so marked as to make scale counting difficult. Palpebral disc approximately equal to ear aperture, and occupies only about half of lower eyelid. Two large squarish lobules on anterior border of ear. Colour leaden grey. Distribution: Known only from specimens from Kowanyama (formerly Mitchell River Mission), on the western coast of Cape York Peninsula. Description: Snout-Vent length (mm): 36-4 - 53.2 (N=9, mean 45.2). Tail (%SVL): 206-213 (N=2). Prefrontals separated. Supraciliaries 7. Palpebral disc small, occupies about half of lower eyelid. Ear aperture approximately equal to palpebral disc, longer axis vertical, with two large squarish lobules anteriorly. Midbody scale rows 32.36 (N=8, mean 34.2), mid- dorsal scales mostly strongly bikeeled, hexagonally shaped, sometimes tending to be bicuspid; alignment varies from regular to very irregular; laterally the keels can be obliquely aligned to horizontal axis of body so that the line of keels arcs upwards in the mid-lateral region. Lamellae under fourth toe smooth, 24-28 (N=9, mean 26.4). All specimens uniform leaden grey dorsally and laterally, white ventrally. Head brown. One large male (J14096) has dark brown flecks dorsally, laterally, and along the edges of the lower labials and side of throat. Paratypes: Magnificent Creek, Kowanyama (Mitchell River Mission) north-western Queensland (J14094-7, J14099-100, J14102-3, R45613). Remarks: It is not known whether or not this species exhibits sexual dichromatism. The type series has been preserved for nine years and may have lost all trace of colour and pattern. LITERATURE CITED Arnold, J. M., 1966. ‘A taxonomic study of the lygosomid skinks of Queensland.’ Unpublished M.Sc. thesis. (University of Queensland: Brisbane). Mitchell, F. J., 1953. A brief revision of the four-fingered members of the genus Leiolopisma (Lacertilia) Rec. S. Aust. Mus.- 11:75-90. Mittleman, M. B., 1952. A generic synopsis of the lizards of the subfamily Lygosominae. Smith. Misc. Coll. 117(17):1-35. Roth, W. E., 1901. ‘The structure of the Koko-Yimidir language’ In north Queensland Ethnography: Bulletin 2. pp.1-35. (Home Secretary’s Department: Brisbane). Storr, G. 1974. The genus Carlia (Lacertilia, Scincidae) in Western Australia and Northern Territory. (in press). Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Sunday, 16 February — Tortoise Head area, French Island. Leader: Mr I. Sault. This will be a combined train and ferry excursion. Take the Stoney Point train from Flinders Street at 9.28 a.m. which stops at Caulfield and Frankston and a few other stations which I have not checked. This connects with the Cowes Ferry and members should ask to be put ashore at Tankerton. The return ferry leaves Cowes at 6 p.m. connecting with the train which arrives in Melbourne at 8.46. Fare $3.70. Bring two meals and anything required for the day as I understand we will not be near any shops. Main objects for the day will be birds and marine biology. Easter Friday 28 March — Monday March 31 — Port Fairy. The coach will leave at 9 a.m. bring a picnic lunch. Accommodation has been booked at Seacombe House for the party. Further details next month. Tuesday, 12 August — 28 August. Darwin-Perth. The excursion mentioned in the December Naturalist has been abandoned though the firm may vary the itinerary if it is not possible to start from Darwin. Will those people who wish to join me on this trip please send $25.00 deposit to me by 17 February. VICTORIAN FIELD NATURALISTS’ ASSOCIATION The Victorian F.N.A. is holding its Annual Meeting and Delegates’ Conference at Geelong during the holiday weekend, Saturday 8 March to Monday 10 March, 1975. Saturday — Commencing 1.30. Delegates Conference. Non-Delegates: Visit Queens Park. Evening entertainment — Geelong F.N.C. Sunday — Visit Ocean Grove Nature Reserve, followed by Barbeque Tea at Mr and Mrs Hunt’s property. For day visitors, bus leaves Batman Ave.: 9.30 a.m. $3.00; bring two meals. Monday — Visit You Yangs: Boneseed Control Project. Further details from Excursion Secretary. BOTANY GROUP ANNUAL REPORT 1974 This has been an active year for the group with 10 meetings and 11 excursions. Average attendance of 25 at meetings was an increase over the previous year. Attendances of 36 and 31 at two meetings were higher than for many years. Active member participation by means of discussion and display of specimens added to the interest of most meetings. Excursions were also well attended, particularly those which offered an opportunity for special study, such as the Lichen excursion led by Mr. Rex Filson and the Eucalypt excursion led by Miss Pat Carolan. We also had a weekend trip in September to assist the Seymour Rotary Club Conservation Group with a plant survey of the Puckapunyal Forest. It was hoped to hold a second weekend trip in November, but difficulty with transport forced cancellation of this. The year’s excursion programme was January-February, 1975 planned in February by the excursion sub- committee and it seems evident that this early planning and the appointment of knowledgeable leaders are important factors in the success of excursions. The “Flower of the Month” series was continued, and although printed notes were not always issued, members found it a worthwhile addition to the regular programme. It is hoped to keep the series going in 1975. We were pleased to welcome several new members during the year and hope this trend will continue. Catering for the needs of new members without covering the same ground too frequently is not easy and we look to new comers to the group to express their interests so that they may be considered when programmes are planned. 23 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 the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, x.cM.G., 0.B.E.,Q.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1973-1974. President: Mr. P. KELLY Hon. Secretary: Mr. R. H. RIORDAN, 15 Regent St., East Brighton, 3187. 92-8579 Treasurer: H. BISHOP, Address Correspondence to National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145 Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg, 3084 Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield 3151 (52-2749). Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. D. McINNES. Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards Street, Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36-0587 Group Secretaries Botany: Mrs. M. G. CORRICK, 7 Glenluss St., Balwyn 3103. Tel. 857-9937. Day Group: Mrs. J. STRONG, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena (56-2271). Entomology and Marine Biology: Mr. J. W. H. STRONG, Flat 11, ““Palm Court’, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena 3163 (56-2271). Field Survey: c/0 National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, 3141. Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Miss Wendy CLARK, 97 Faraday Street, Carlton, 3053. Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy Street, East Brighton (96-3268). 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 1975 Metropolitan oo: 3. ce caakece a he oR a shaw ualld GO Socks © a els i gpalas Suen pagel IR On ae rr $10.00 Joint Metropolitan: 5.50 od ek aon Wane Go et eee a Gee ke Der $12.50 Joint RetirediMembers: 2.000 6 io ice hee be eee fad oes alin a es ee ee $10.00 Country subscribers, and retired persons over 65... 06. oc a ts cs ow yee in! olen GU ewe) alae a $8.00 - JOING COUNTY =o Bec owe Soe Se dae wate 5 sUeie be ibibo da ae lesa Ielesheclictse Sane. HL Ea aan $10.00 AFUE IONE ere MeHg ata oe ho hele napmgeaealels RT RRR Bo ME teu pial Efe hikel «Sia ee 0 iA $2.50 Subscriptions to' Vict. Nati. 55 og. ee kd ceo sieeve Wht eo Fv ollie ches ope $8.00 NV EESCAS SUDSCNIDUON 7.0 cs) ek tee ey ees eee soe Wola), Be lee 2 0 je a eke er $10.00 Junionwith- ‘Naturalist’... ....-.c.-.eedes, bo ES ES al ee $8.00 — Individual magazines: ............ saad, Se een ee vs WSS LE aoa g ain a poses ig er $0.75 All subscriptions should be -made payable to. yes Field Naturalist Club of Victoria, and posted to the Subscription Secretary. =: a a er BANOS | 505-9u MARCH, 1975 Published by the FIELD NATURALISTS My S36 in , in which is incorporated the Microscopical Society “6f Victoria yt a Py % rs Be ‘ d on J ff ARI} ny 75c Registered in Australia for transmission by post asa ‘periodical. Category ““B” F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETING Wednesday, 12 March — At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, commencing at 8 p.m. Annual General Meeting. Speaker — Mr. P. Kelly — Presidential Address. Monday, 14 April — At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, commencing 8 p.m. Speaker — Dr. J. V. Saunders. Subject — ‘“‘The Occurrence and Structure of Precious O pal.”’ New Members — Ordinary: Mr. R.A. Carter, Flat 1, 35 Donald St., Prahran, 3181. Mr. Colin W. Douglas, 22 Mandowie Rd., Glen Waverley, 3150. Mr. Bruce G. Draper, 25 Odenwald Rd., Eaglemont, 3084 (Botany) Mr. Ian Gray, 147 Booran Road, Garnegie, 3162 (Biology) Mrs. J. M. Greig, 1S Mulgrave St., Ashwood, 3147. Mr. Geoffrey D. Shaw, 4/18 Chrystobel Cres., Hawthorn, 3122 (Botany) Mr. Dale B. Stephenson, 39 View St., Mount Albert, 3127 Mr. Nigel H. Royce, 316 Tucker Road, East Bentleigh, 3204 (General) Miss Aileen E. Webb, 4 David St., Box Hill South, 3128. Country: Miss Dorothy Vines, P.O. Box 3, Robinvale, 3549. Junior: Anthony Sokol, 7 Roma St., Bentleigh, 3204. Joint: Mr. Jack Caine, Mrs. Beris Caine, 25 Hardinge St., Beaumaris, 3193. Mr. Allan S. Gardner, Mrs. Elma E. Gardner, David S. Gardner, 5 Edward Court, Ivanhoe, 3079. GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at National Herbarium unless otherwise stated) Thursday, 13 March — An address accompanied by colour slides: Mr. Alan Morrison. Wednesday, 19 March — Microscopical Group Meeting at the Herbarium at 8 p.m. Thursday, 20 March — Day Group Meeting. Studley Park — meet 11.30 a.m. at Johnston St. Bridge. Thursday, 20 March — Conservation Group Meeting. Thursday, 27 March — Field Survey Group Meeting in Conference Room, National Museum at 8 p.m. ‘‘Frog Calls”’. Wednesday, 2 April — Geology Group Meeting. Thursday, 3 April — Mammal Survey Group Meeting in Arthur Rylah Institute, 123 Brown St., Heidelberg at 8 p.m. Monday, 7 April — Marine Biology and Entomology Group Meeting in Conference Room, National Museum at 8 p.m. Thursday, 10 April — Botany Group Meeting. Continued on page 49 26 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 the Vol. 92, No. 3 6 March, 1975 victorian : f Acting Editor: G. M. Ward naturalist Assistant Editor: G. F. Douglas The Mid Murray Field Naturalists Trust must be congratulated with special pleasure by all naturalists on its being awarded the Contents Victorian Conservation Prize for 1974. The citation on the award states, ‘‘The Trust has Articles: exercised a continueing activity in marshalling Mammals of the Upper Lerdederg Valley By D. Deerson and others 28 Features: The Origin of Generic Names of Victorian Flora (Part 2) By James A. Baines 44 Victorian Non-Marine Molluscs No. 14. By Brian J. Smith 47 Personal: Victor Henry Miller 47 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: Balance Sheet 49 Front Cover: Female Eastern Pigmy Possum Cercartetus nanus, with pouch young, which was caught during Survey 4. MARCH, 1975 its small and widely dispersed membership in the conservation of fauna and flora within a difficult environment and in providing back- ground information for the Land Conservation Council Study Group.”” Probably few people outside the Trust have known much about its work for L.C.C. However, many have been aware of the extensive work its members have done in studying their area, and in bringing numerous conservation issues to the attention of the general public, and various authorities. The Trust has also played a leading part in the activities of the Western Victorian Field Naturalists Clubs Association, and in setting up the Victorian Field Naturalists Clubs Association. The winning of the award by this small group must silence criticism that it was unfair to judge large and small bodies under the same terms. This arose as a result of the award going in its first and second years to official bodies. These were the Natural Resources Conservation League in 1972, which was the first year this Neil Douglas Award was made, and to the Soil Conservation Authority in 1973. The victory of a small private group this year should give great encouragement to other small conservation and naturalists groups to enter for the 1975 award. It is to be hoped many groups will give consideration to this over the next three months, during which time documentation to support a nomination for the 1975 prize must be prepared. The award is given for outstanding and sustained work in the field of conservation over the five preceeding years. 2H), Mammal Survey Group Contributions VIII Mammals of the Upper Lerderderg Valley by D. DEERSON*, R. DUNN*, D. SPITTALL* and P. WILLIAMS* Introduction The Upper Lerderderg Valley, much of which is reserved forest, comprises some 28,000 hectares of bushland. Together with the Black Forest to the north-east, this provides an extensive refuge for wildlife. Since forestry is the principle industry, the amount of land cleared for agriculture is minimal. To determine which mammal species occurred within the area six sample surveys were carried out by the Mammal Survey Group between 1968 and 1970. The results are presented in this paper and the names of members who took part in the surveys are given in the authors’ acknowledgements. Description of the area Geology The Blackwood and _ Lerderderg ranges which form the catchment area of the Lerderderg River are the result of extensive earth movements during the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene epochs. The great block of Ordovician slates, sandstones and quartzites, of which these ranges are composed, was uplifted, creating a scarp to the east of the elevated area. This scarp is known as the Rowsley Fault. Its occurrence accelerated the process of erosion by the Lederderg River and its tributaries, resulting in the excavation of a deep valley running through the block from north-west to south-east (Hills, 1951, and Fenner, 1918). The mean altitude of the area 28 surveyed is 670 m. above sea level. The ridge to the north of the valley forms part of the Great Divide. Rainfall The mean annual rainfall for Blackwood (approximately in the centre of the valley), Trentham (on top of the Divide 9.6 km to the north), and for Ballan (16 km to the south-west) is given in Table I. Most of the area surveyed has a rainfall between 833 mm. and 980 mm. Vegetation The terrain provides a wide range of conditions, from well-drained slopes and ridges to the deep moist soils of the valley floors. Diverse plant communities have developed under these conditions. Stunted mallee-form — eucalypts, stringybark forest with sparse understorey and ground cover, and tall riverine forest with its associated understoreys are represented. The valley once supported a thriving gold mining industry, and the forests have long been exploited for timber. To- day parts of the forest are intensively managed and this has resulted in the removal of many unsound and hollow trees. In some areas there was little evidence of management and in these places hollow tree branches and tangled ground cover provided shelter for small mammals. There was little evidence of recent servere damage by wildfire. *Mammal Survey Group of Victoria, c/o Honorary Secretary, 8 Alphington St., Fairfield, Victoria, 3078. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 TABLE 1 Thirty-year mean rainfall (in millimetres) with the number of days in each month on which more than 0.25 mm. of rain fell. (Derived from ‘Rainfall Statistics for Victoria’, Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology). Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Blackwood 41 70 47 87 86 97 5 6 u 12 15 15 Trentham 49 foot 2 92 103 129 i Gi 9 13 Sisley Ballan 36 DOr 6). 04, Soe 1S 6 d. 1 1 a3 13 Areas surveyed The method adopted by the Mammal Survey Group in making sample surveys is to select areas which are representative of the different habitat types present and to subject these areas to surveys in which the mammal fauna is methodically examined. Appendix III gives a detailed description of the vegetation at the several survey sites and Appendix IV gives a history of forest management in the area. Figure I shows the location of the survey area and the areas shown stippled in Figure II are those which were surveyed in detail. The areas surveyed have been numbered, for convenience, from west to east, rather than in the order in which they were studied. Survey 1 on Cooper’s Road — March 1969 Survey 2 on Wild Dog Road — January 1969 Survey 3 on Tram Creek — February 1970 Survey 4 in Nolan’s Gully — March 1970 Survey S on Hogan’s Flat — June 1968 Survey 6 on Campaspe Road — August 1969 MARCH, 1975 May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec Total 108 98 pele 12 UT! 56 956 19, 18 Se Ss sae 9 148 137 134" AIO7 105: -83 64 1131 18 18 1S all's 2 9 155 245.2303 163 $0962 57 SO 659 14°15 13 13° AL 9 132 Survey 1 was carried out in an area used by the Forests Commission of Victoria for logging purposes. Located on high ground at an altitude of about 790 m., the drainage from this point was generally towards the south to Cooper’s Creek and eastto the Lerderderg River. There was little running water at the time of the survey but the area in general did not seem to be particularly dry and nearby dams contained water. Very few old trees were present and the forest consisted of uniformly tall, straight trees. Vegetation in the valley was markedly different from the rest of the survey area. On the high ground the trees were 20-30m. high with a mid- dense to dense canopy*, and the dominant species was Messmate (Eucalyptus obliqua). The shrub layer was composed mainly of wattles and the ground cover consisted of Bracken (Pteridium esculentum), Wiregrass (Tetarrhena juncea) and low-growing legumes. In the creek beds, gullies and swampy areas, Manna Gum, (Eucalyptus viminalis), Swamp Gum (E. ovata) and Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) were the dominant trees, with a low thick shrub layer of tea-tree, wattles and tree ferns. The ground cover was dense, a mixture of Wiregrass, * The definitions of physical structure of vegetation used in this paper are those of Wood and Williams (1966). 29 sedges and ferns. One creek bed in the west of the survey area had a low (6-7.5 m) dense canopy of Musk Daisy-Bush (Olearia argophylla) and _ Hazel Pomaderris (Pomaderris aspera). Ferns were present on the creek banks. Nettles, mosses and liverworts were common. Fallen logs were covered with mosses. Survey 2 was conducted on the watershed between the Lerderderg and Coliban Rivers, north of Mount Wilson, at an altitude of 640 m. The dominant trees were very Straight Messmate about 25 m. high, some Narrow-leaved Peppermint (Eucalyptus radiata) and Blackwood. There were tree ferns in the gullies. Undergrowth consisted mainly of Wiregrass, Bracken, Prickly Moses (Acacia verticillata) and heaths. On the edges of the forest and the sides of the gullies there was a dense layer of 144 12 E 37, 25S 37° 35S 144 29 E Wiregrass. Cleared areas had a dense cover of Bracken. It was a well kept forest, free of unsound trees. Unfavour- able weather and logging activity limited survey work in this area. Survey 3 was centred at the junction of Tram Creek and the Lerderderg River at an altitude of 670 m. Messmate and peppermints were the dominant eucalypts with an open to mid-dense canopy at 20-30m. Blackwood, Manna Gum, Swamp Gum and Mountain Grey Gum (Eucalyptus cypellocarpa) were present in the valleys. The shrub layer on the hillsides was sparse and included wattles and Prickly Hakea (Hakea sericea) and in the valley, wattles and Blanket Leaf (Bedfordia salicina). Ground cover consisted of profuse Wiregrass and scattered Bracken. Near the river both the shrub layer and Fig. I — Location of the survey area. 30 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 ‘| xipuoddy yum pure }x9} 9y} Ul UONdIIOsap Joy} YM puodsaii09 slaquinu dy] “[Ie}ap UI PoAdAINS 919M YSIYM aso} die Sease po[ddys sy], — I] ‘sI4 ah Cem area Dower ailVos O26I - 896 3VaN334N9 AATWA 9YS08SCYS 1 Ydddn AZANNS WWW YT/YMY Se 31 MARCH, 1975 ground cover were denser than elsewhere. There were many rocky outcrops in the area. Survey 4 was centred near the head of Nolan’s Gully on a fairly flat area 3.2 km. south-east of Blackwood, at an altitude of 580m. The forest, which contained some unsound trees, had an open to mid-dense and uneven canopy of up to 20 m. It consisted mainly of Messmate and peppermints, with some Mountain Grey Gum and Manna Gum. The dense shrub layer consisted of eucalypt saplings, wattles, Silver Banksia (Banksia marginata) and Bracken. Ground cover was composed of dense tussock and Wiregrass with some areas of heaths. On a hillside of northerly aspect in the northern part of the survey area was a dense stand of mallee-form eucalypts consisting mainly of stunted peppermints with a belt of dense hakea and tea-tree. Along the river there was a narrow belt of Manna Gum growing to 40 m. with an understorey of tall shrubs. Survey 5 was centred on a ridge between the Old River and Goodman’s Creek at an altitude of 580 m., the site being chosen for its variety of forest types. The survey centre was in an open forest of Red Stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha), peppermints and Mountain Grey Gum, up to 15 m. high. The understorey consisted of sapling eucalypts and there was a sparse but varied ground cover of tussock grass, heaths and sedges amidst forest litter. On the western slope of the ridge running down to the Old River was a stand of mallee-form eucalypts, mainly stunted Broad-leaved Peppermint (E. dives), 3 — 4.5 m. high. This area also contained Austral Grass’ Tree (Xanthorrhoea australis) Prickly Hakea, grevilleas, leguminous shrubs and many heaths and grasses. In one of the gullies to the north of the survey area was a tall Messmate forest. 32 Survey 6 was conducted on the top of the Dividing Range at an altitude of 685 m., in part of the Black Forest. Drainage north and west was to the headwaters of the Campaspe River; south and east to Saltwater River and Gisborne Creek. The forest had an uneven mid-dense canopy about 25 m. in height, of Messmate, Candlebark (Eucalyptus rubida) and Narrow-leaved Peppermint in approximately equal proportions, with a few Blackwood. There were marked differences in the vegetation of the swamps and gullies and that of the remainder of the area. The shrub layer varied between 0.6 and 2.5 m. in height and consisted mainly of wattles growing amongst eucalypt saplings. Ground cover was of Wiregrass and Tussock Grass (Poa australis), these being thick in patches. In the swamps and gullies Manna Gum, Swamp Gum and Brown Stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri) predominated, with some Blackwood, all growing to a greater height than those in the drier areas. The shrub layer was of wattle and tea-tree, with a very dense ground cover of grasses, widespread Wiregrass and rushes, and some Bracken. Methods Trapping was carried out using wire mesh cage traps, 36 x 20 x 18 cm. baited with a mixture of peanut butter, rolled oats and honey. Night observations, carried out by means of portable spotlights, were made between dusk and about midnight. Skeletal and faecal material was collected, and other evidence such as diggings and footprints was recorded. The sex of some of the animals trapped was recorded. Results A systematic list of the nineteen native and four introduced mammal species recorded in this valley is given in Table II. An analysis of the results of all surveys conducted in the area is given in Appendix 1. ; Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 TABLE II Systematic list of mammals recorded in the Upper Lerderderg Valley. Family Macropodidae: Eastern Grey Kangaroo Black Wallaby Family Phalangeridae: Bush-tailed Possum Bobuck Family Petauridae: Common Ringtail Sugar Glider Yellow-bellied Glider Greater Glider Family Burramyidae: Feathertail Glider Eastern Pigmy Possum Family Phascolarctidae: Koala Family Vombatidae: Common Wombat Family Dasyuridae: Brown Antechinus Swainson’s Antechinus Family Muridae: Southern Bush Rat Eastern Swamp Rat Black Rat* House Mouse* Eastern Water Rat Family Canidae: Red Fox* Family Leporidae: Rabbit* Family Tachyglossidae: Echidna Family Ornithorhynchidae: Platypus *Introduced species. MARCH, 1975 Order Marsupialia Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790. Wallabia bicolor (Desmarest, 1804). Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792). T. caninus (Ogilby, 1836). Pseudocheirus peregrinus (Boddaert, 1785). Petaurus breviceps Waterhouse, 1839. P. australis Shaw, 1791. Schoinobates volans (Kerr, 1792). Acrobates pygmaeus (Shaw, 1793). Cercartetus nanus (Desmarest, 1818). Phascolarctos cinereus (Goldfuss, 1817). Vombatus ursinus (Shaw, 1800). Antechinus stuartii Macleay, 1841. A. swainsonii (Waterhouse, 1840). Order Rodentia Rattus fuscipes (Waterhouse, 1839). R. lutreolus (Gray, 1841). R. rattus (Linnaeus, 1746). Mus musculus (Linnaeus, 1746). Hydromys chrysogaster Geoffroy, 1804. Order Carnivora Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1746). Order Lagomohpha Orvctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1746). Order Monotremata Tachyglossus aculeatus (Shaw, 1792). Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Shaw, 1799). 33 The classification and nomenclature of species in this paper follows that of Ride, (1970). The apparent abundance of native mammals is given in Table III where a comparison is made with data obtained from all other surveys carried out by the Mammal Survey Group between 1966 and 1972. Detailed information of all surveys is held in the Group’s files. Reference specimens which have been retained in the collection of the Fisheries and Wildlife Division, Victoria, are listed in Appendix II. TABLE III Apparent abundance of native species. Specimens caught Specimens seen per per 100 trap-nights spotlight hour Lerderderg Valley 21.50 0.60 Mean all surveys. * (to June 1972) 19.78 1.33 *This data is taken from the Group's records and includes that in both published and unphblished reports. Notes on the species recorded Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Macropus giganteus. Two were seen by spotlight near a dam in Survey 1. Another was spotlit on Survey 5, drinking from a creek. Unidentified macropods were heard shortly after this sighting. In 1968, one was seen 14 km. from Trentham near Survey S. Black Wallaby, Wallabia bicolor. This species was seen on Surveys 1, 3 and 6, four sightings by daylight and four by spotlight. It has been recorded on five other occasions from 1969 to 1973 in the Blackwood area. Brush-tailed Possum, Trichosurus vulpecula. Only one individual was recorded in this area, by spotlight in Survey 1, on Cooper’s Road. This was an unusually low count for this species, which is frequently recorded on Group surveys elsewhere. Bobuck, Trichosurus caninus. One animal was seen by spotlight on Campaspe Road in Survey 6 in the Black Forest, 8 m. above ground in a eucalypt. This is the most westerly sighting of the species made by this Group. Common Ringtail, Pseudocheirus peregrinus. This was the most common arboreal species observed, a total of 40 animals being recorded in Messmate, stringybark, peppermint, Blackwood, Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata) and other trees. All were spotlit except for one which was found during the day in its drey in a Musk Daisy-bush. The species was recorded from all surveys except Survey 2 where rain prevented good spotlighting. Sugar Glider, Petaurus breviceps. This species was not recorded in the area by the Group, but Heislers (pers. comm.) has reported sighting one by spotlight in the area covered by Survey 3. 34 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Yellow-bellied Glider, Petaurus australis. One was observed by spotlight near Tram Creek on Survey 3, 15 m. above ground ina eucalypt. Greater Glider, Schoinobates volans. Two of these were spotlit about 1.5 km. apart in Survey 3, near the sighting of Petaurus australis. They were about 20 m. above ground, one in peppermint, the other in Mountain Grey Gum. This is the most westerly sighting of this species in the Group’s records. Another was spotlit during Survey 6, in a dead Messmate. This proved to be the nest tree, the animal being disturbed from its nest the following morning. Another animal was seen 11 km. north-east of Survey 6 in 1967. Feathertail Glider, Acrobates pygmaeus. Although not recorded in the area by the Group, timber-cutting in the area in recent years has revealed the presence of this species (Heislers, pers. comm.). Eastern Pigmy Possum, Cercartetus nanus (cover photo). A single animal was caught by hand on the ground in grass and Wiregrass at the roadside during Survey 4. The animal was a female with five young attached to the teats. This species has been recorded only occasionally by the Group. Koala, Phascolarctos cinereus. One Koala was observed by spotlight on Cooper’s Road in Survey 1. This was the only one seen in this series of six surveys. In the period between 1942 and 1957, over 300 Koalas, from Phillip, Quail, French and Chinaman Islands were released by the Fisheries and Wildlife Division in the surrounding districts, though none in the Lerderderg Valley itself. Records of the Division show that 26 were released in October 1942 at Daylesford, a further 36 in March and 32 in April 1944; 25 were released at Hepburn Springs in October 1942; 70 were released near Kyneton in March 1944; 69 at Trentham in March 1944 and a further 32 in April 1951; 25 at Toolern Vale in November 1943; 20 at Woodend in June 1957 and 6 at Macedon in May 1931. While these releases might have been responsible for quite large numbers being established in the hills around Riddell (Hampton .. Seebeck, 1970), no similar colonisation of the Lerderderg Valley was evident from these surveys. Common Wombat, Vombatus ursinus. No live Wombats were seen during the surveys. However, a Wombat mandible was found on Survey 2. Other evidence of the presence of Wombat in the Lerderderg Valley consisted of scats and burrows in Surveys 3 and 4. A fresh roadkill was recorded near Fingerpost Corner, approximately 3.5 km. north-east of Survey 6, in 1969. Brown Antechinus, Antechinus stuartit. This species was trapped in all surveys, the total number being almost 25% of all animals trapped. Ground cover was usually Wiregrass, Bracken, forest litter and fallen, hollow logs. The sex of animals trapped was recorded at three surveys: Survey 1 — March 1969—5 0’, 19 Survey 4— March 1970 —6 d , 79 Survey 6 — August 1969—14,., 10 Swainson’s Antechinus, Antechinus swainsonii. Two adults (oneo, one _) were trapped in Survey 4. They were caught in a habitat of Wiregrass, Bracken, forest litter, Sallow Wattle (Acacia longifolia) and hollow logs, in the dry creek bed of Nolan’s Gully. MARCH, 1975 35 Southern Bush Rat, Rattus fuscipes. Many animals, both juvenile and adult, were trapped. They were most commonly found in swampy habitat, but were caught also in Bracken and Wiregrass, and on bare ground. Bush Rats were trapped in all survey areas, and they numbered almost 75% of all animals caught. The sex was recorded at five surveys: Survey 1 — March 1969—1¢ , 15% juveniles and adults. Survey 2 — January 1969 —1<¢ , 6° Survey 3 — February 1970 —— , 15 _ juveniles and lactating females. Survey 4— March 1970 — 24 6, , 149 juveniles and adults. Survey 6 — August 1969—5 d, 12 9 Eastern Swamp Rat, Rattus lutreolus. This species was trapped at only one site, along Sardine Creek near Wild Dog Road in Survey 2. Two females were caught in an area of fairly dense Bracken and Wiregrass. Eastern Water Rat, Hydromys chrysogaster. Eastern Water Rat was recorded by the authors in the Survey 3 area in March, 1973, on the basis of footprints in the sand of the Lerderderg River near Tram Creek. Black Rat, Rattus rattus, and House Mouse, Mus musculus. One Black Rat and two House Mice were caught in Survey 4 on the plateau between Nolan’s Gully and Frechman’s Road. This was some distance from human habitation. Bats, Chiroptera. Bats were heard and seen in Survey | and particularly in Survey 4, but idenitification of species was not possible. However, the Fisheries and Wildlife Division, Victoria, have records of two species within 25 km. of the area: — Little Bat, Eptesicus pumilus from Bacchus Marsh, and Lesser Long-eared Bat, Nyctophilus geoffroyi from Toolern Vale and from Bacchus Marsh. Red Fox, Vulpes vulpes. Two animals were seen, one by spotlight in Survey 1, the other during the day in Survey 6. Fox scats were found in Survey 3. Rabbit, Orvctolagus cuniculus. Sixteen Rabbits were seen by spotlight in Survey 1, and one was seen in Survey 6 during the day. Echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus. An Echidna was recorded in Survey 6 during the day, and Echidna diggings were recorded in Survey 3. Platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus. A Platypus was seen near the Survey 2 area in March, 1969. It was observed during daylight, in a tributary of the Coliban River. Discussion association (including four species of The results of the surveys described in this paper show that a wide variety of native mammals survive in the Upper Lerderderg Valley. Nineteen native mammal species have been recorded here, this being the highest number found by the Group for completed surveys so far carried out. The Group has recorded a_ similar species 36 Petauridae, two Phalangeridae, two Burramyidae and two Dasyuridae) elsewhere only in the north-eastern highlands (to be published). The apparent abundance of terrestial mammals compares favourably with surveys in other areas (Seebeck, Frankenberg and Hampton, 1968; Hampton and Seebeck, 1970; Hampton, Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 1971) but all but one of the arboreal species were found in relatively low numbers. The dearth of trees with hollows, probably due to _ forest management (Hampton and Seebeck, 1970), might affect those species which favour tree nesting sites. It could be significant that the Common Ringtail, which is less dependent on tree hollows than other arboreal species for shelter, was abundant. A similar result was found in surveys carried out at Riddell (Hampton and Seebeck, 1970) where the forests were also under management. Evidence of Kangaroos and Wallabies was found in all but the second survey area (where rain and logging hampered survey work) indicating that macropods were widely distributed. Introduced mammals (Black Rat, House Mouse, Fox and Rabbit) were present in small numbers. Their effect, if any, on populations of native mammals cannot be ascertained from the results of this survey. In the 1920’s, Fleay (1968) recorded Common Wombat, Greater Glider and the Common Ringtail in the Blackwood area, the latter being described as “moderately common’’. These species were again encountered in the Group’s surveys. Bandicoot was not recorded by the Group in the survey area, but in the 1920’s and 1930’s it was reported that bandicoots (species unknown) were fed by workers of the Yankee Mine at Yankee Creek, Trentham area (Heislers, pers. comm.). The Lerderderg Valley is situated in a large tract of bush which contains a wide variety of habitats, and, combined with the contiguous Black Forest, forms an extensive wildlife refuge which should be adequate in size for the survival of the mammal species recorded. The forests of the area are worthy of preservation as they contain the remaining plant and animal associations indigenous to the area, the surrounding land having been cleared for agriculture. Similar mammal MARCH, 1975 species have been recorded in the north- east highlands, but the flora differs considerably in those higher rainfall areas from that of the Lerderderg Valley. Though the Common Wombat occurs in a small, restricted area on the Western border of Victoria (Land Conservation Council, 1972) it has not been recorded by the Group further west than the Lerderderg Valley. The Bobuck is not known to occur west of this area, nor the Greater Glider. The Eastern Pigmy Possum and the Feathertail Glider are seldom recorded by the Group. The preservation of all these species in the area is therefore of importance. As the forests of the Lerderderg Valley have for many years been exploited for timber, the survival of such a variety of mammal species is notable. Any increase in the intensity of forest management would probably be deterimental to the animal population and, conversely, a decrease in forest management could well be beneficial. The presence of the Forests Commission in the area does, however, offer a degree of fire protection which may not otherwise be available. There appear to be no demands for this forest other than the existing cropping of timber and as a water catchment. The Lerderderg Valley could, therefore, in the absence of despoliation remain a valuable and interesting wildlife refuge. Summary Six surveys were carried out in the Lerderderg Valley and the Black Forest between 1968 and 1970. Nineteen native and four introduced species were recorded. Comparison of the _ results obtained is made with Group surveys in other areas and the importance of these results is discussed. Appendices on forest management and vegetation in the Lerderderg Valley are included. Acknowledgements The members of the Mammal Survey Group whose work contributed the data upon which this paper is based were: — A. Borsbaum, R. Cowling, R. Dale, G. 37 Douglas, D. Hackett, J. Hampton, P. Homan, A. Howard, C. Hutchinson, J. Jackson, H. Janssen, A. Lewis, R. Lawson, D. Munro, D. Penton, D. Polson, D. Pye, D. Reeves, J. Seebeck, A. Simon, M. Taylor, J. Wolfenden. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of the following: — J.W.F. Hampton for his initial work and assistance with this paper; A. Heislers of the Forests Commission of Victoria for the data in Appendix IV, for revising Vegetation Appendix III and providing mammal data; the Fisheries and Wildlife Division of Victoria for supplying data for Appendix II and for information about the release of Koalas in and around the survey area; A. Howard, for cover’ photo; L. Muceniekas, for drawing Fig. II, and A. Lipshut and L. Garland for typing the manuscript. Protected species of mammals were handled under the provision of a permit issued by the Fisheries and Wildlife Division. Equipment used in the surveys was obtained from a grant made by the M. A. Ingram Trust. REFERENCES Central Planning Authority, Victoria (1956); Resources Survey, Central Highlands Region; The Government Printer, Victoria. Commonwealth of Australia Bureau of Meteorology; ‘‘Rainfall Statistics for Victoria’ (1966). Fenner, C. (1918); ‘‘Physiography of the Werribee River Area’’. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 31. 176-313. Fleay, D. (1968); ““Nightwatchmen of Bush and Plain’. Brisbane: The Jacaranda Press. Hampton, J. W. F. and Seebeck, J. H. (1970); “Mammals of the Riddell District’. Vict. Naturalist. 87, 192. Hills, E. Sherbon, (1951); ‘‘Physiography of Victoria’, Melbourne: Whitcombe and Tombs. Land Conservation Council of Victoria (1972): Report on the South-western Study Area (District 1). Ride, W. D. L. (1970); ‘‘A Guide to the Native Mammals of Australia’, Melbourne: The Oxford University Press. Seebeck, J. H., Frankenberg, J. and Hampton, J. W. F. (1968); ‘‘The Mammal Fauna of Darlimurla’’. Vict. Naturalist 85, 184. Wood, J. G. and Williams, R. J. (1966); in Hampton, J. W. F. (1971); “The Mammals of “The Australian Environment’. the Brisbane Ranges’. Vict. Naturalist. C.S.I.R.O., London: Cambridge 88, 62. University Press. Appendix I Details of survey effort and analysis of trapping and spotlighting results. Survey 1 3 4 5) 6 Total Number Site te oe a rae wu a 7) bom fe Sw 4 Soe Sy 2S eee Qu mes Si 20 oh Sie eee eee oS) bs Date Mar. Jan. Feb. Mar. Jun. Aug. 1969 1969 1970 1970. 1968 “1969 Number of trap-nights 180 83 159 74 76 624 38 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Number of spotlight-hours 16.6 0.3 21.5 19.4 17.0 16.5 (a) Number of animals caught per 100 trap-nights. Antechinus stuartii 3.3 1.9 12 8.2 9.5 2.6 A. swainsonii 3 Rattus fuscipes 10.0 13.4 18.1 24.7 8.1 22.4 R. lutreolus 3.9 0.6 R. rattus 0.6 Mus musculus 123 (b) Number of animals seen per spotlight-hour. Macropus giganteus 0.12 0.06 Wallabia bicolor 0.12 0.12 Trichosurus vulpecula 0.06 T. caninus 0.06 Pseudocheirus peregrinus 0.79 0.84 0.21 0.06 0.24 Petaurus australis 0.05 Schoinobates volans 0.18 0.06 Cercartetus nanus 0.05 Phascolarctos cinereus 0.06 Vulpes vulpes 0.06 Oryctolagus cuniculus 0.96 (c) Number of animals seen in daylight. Wallabia bicolor 2 1 1 Pseudocheirus peregrinus 1 Vulpes vulpes 1 Oryctolagus cuniculus 1 Tachyglossus aculeatus 1 Ornithorhynchus anatinus 1 (d) Species recorded from faeces, diggings, ane skeletal remains. Vombatus ursinus * * Vulpes vulpes * Tachyglossus aculeatus * Appendix II PS Dee RB WK OK KS Hh W — ell ee till ae tle le Reference specimens collected by the Group from the Lerderderg Valley and retained in the collection of the Fisheries and Wildlife Division of Victoria. Species Survey Reg. Sex Specimen No. No. Wallabia bicolor 4 5013 — Tibia Cercartetus nanus 4 P 843 Skull and skeleton Vombatus ursinus 2: — == Mandible Antechinus stuartit 1 D 883 ’ Skin and skull I D 884 é Skin and skull 2 D 864 f Skull 3 D 986 f In spirits 4 D 990 o Skull 4 i991 Q In spirits » D 789 f In spirits 5 D 790 i Skin and skull 6 D 933 : In spirits 6 D 954 y Skull MARCH, 1975 54) Antechinus swainsonit Rattus fuscipes Rattus lutreolus Mus musculus 4 D 988 , Skin and skull 4 D 989 ij Skin and skull 2 R 3728 g Skull 2 R 3729 0 Skull 2 R 3730 0 Skull 3 R 4056 : Skull 3 R 4106 : Skin 4 R 4109 o Skull 4 R 4110 3 Skull ) R 3457 Skull 5 R 3458 : Skull 6 R 4035 : Skull 6 R 4036 o Skull 2 R 3731 : Skull 2 R 3732 : Skull 4 R 4111 y Gonads 4 R 4112 : In spirits Appendix III — Vegetation Names in heavy type denote the dominant species in each community. Commonly occurring species only are given. SURVEY 1 Plateau. Canopy Shrub Layer Ground Cover Eucalyptus obliqua, E. radiata. Acacia mucronata, A. verticillata. Tetrarrhena juncea, Pultanaea muelleri, P. gunnii, Daveria ulicifolia, Leptospermum juniperinum, Goodenia ovata, Pimelia sp., Dianella tasmanica, Poa sp., Gahnia sieberiana, Clematis aristata, Viola hederacea, Pteridium esculentum, Dillwynia glaberrima, Lomandra longifolia. Creek Beds and Gullies. Canopy Shrub Layer Ground Cover SURVEY 2 Canopy Shrub Layer Ground Cover SURVEY 3 Canopy Shrub Layer Ground Cover 40 Eucalyptus viminalis, E. ovata, Acacia melanoxylon. Leptospermum juniperinum, Acacia mucronata, A. verticillata, Dicksonia antarctica, Olearia argophylla, Pomaderris aspera. Tetrarrhena juncea, Lepidosperma laterale, Gahnia sieberiana, Juncus australis, Todea barbara, Blechnum sp. Eucalyptus obliqua, FE. radiata, Acacia melanoxylon. Acacia verticillata, tree ferns. Pteridium esculentum, Tetrarrhena juncea, Epacris impressa, Acrotriche serrulata, A. prostrata. Eucalyptus obliqua, E. radiata, E. dives, E. ovata, Acacia melanoxylon, A. dealbata; Eucalyptus cypellocarpa, and E. viminalis in the valleys. Hakea sericea, Pomderris aspera, Acacia stricta, A. mucronota with A. verticillata, Bedfordia salicina, Cassinia aculeats, Banksia marginata, Dicksonia antarctica and Grevillea alpina in the valleys. Tetrarrhena juncea, Pteridium esculentum, Blechnum nudum, Lepidosperma laterale, Lomandra longifolia, Culcita dubia, Rubus fruticosis, Sonchus sp., Olearia argophylla, O. lirata, Prostanthera lasianthos. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 SURVEY 4 Canopy Eucalyptus obliqua, E. dives, E. radiata, E. cypellocarpa, E. viminalis. Shrub Layer Acacia mucronata, Banksia marginata, Leptospermum juniperinum. Ground Cover Tetrarrhena juncea, Pultenaea muelleri, P. gunnii, Dillwynia glaberrima, Poa australis, Epacris impressa, Acrotriche serrulata, Lomandra longifolia, Platylobium obtuseangulum, Hakea sp., Pteridium esculentum. River Frontage Acacia dealbata, Pomaderris aspera, Olearia argophylla, O. lirata, Prostanthera lasianthos, Poa australis. SURVEY 5. PLATEAU Canopy Eucalyptus macrorhyncha, E. dives, E. radiata, E. cypellocarpa. Shrub Layer Eucalyptus saplings only. Ground Cover Poa australis, Acrotriche serrulata, Astroloma humifusum, Epacris impressa, Platylobium obtuseangulum, Correa reflexa, Dillwynia glaberrima. West-facing Slope Canopy Eucalyptus dives Shrub Layer Xanthorrhea australis, Hakea sericea, Leptospermum myrsinoides, Acacia oxycedrus, Banksia marginata, Grevillea alpina. Ground Cover Brachyloma daphnoides, Poa australis, Monotoca scoparia, Epacris impressa, Pultenaes pedunculata, Leucopogon spp., Hibbertia fasciculata, Platylobium obtuseangulum, Oxylobium procumbens, Calorophus laterifloris, Lepidosperma tortussum, L. laterale. Valleys Canopy Eucalyptus obliqua Shrub Layer Tree Ferns, Bedfordia salicina. North-east Slopes Canopy Eucalyptus obliqua Shrub Layer Acacia mucronata, Hakea sericea. Ground Cover Pultenaea gunnii, P. muelleri, Dillwynia glaberrima, Poa australis, Acrotriche serrulata. SURVEY 6. PLATEAU Canopy Eucalyptus dives, E. viminalis, E. obliqua, E. rubida, E. radiata. Shrub Layer Acacia mucronata, Pultanaea gunnii, P. muelleri, Dillwynia glaberrima. Ground Cover Tetrarrhena juncea, Lomandra spp., Acrotriche serrulata, Epacris impressa, Poa australis, Viola hederacea, Goodenia geniculata, Pteridium esculentum. Swampy Areas Canopy Eucalyptus viminalis, E. ovata, E. baxteri, Acacia melanoxylon. Shrub Layer Acacia verticillata, Leptospermum juniperinum, L. lanigerum. Ground Cover Tetrarrhena juncea, Pteridium esculentum, Lepidodperma laterale, Gahnia sieberiana, Lomandra longifolia, Poa ensiformis, Calorophus laterifloris. MARCH, 1975 41 Appendix IV by Arnis Heislers. (Table compiled July 1971) HISTORY OF FOREST MANAGEMENT Cooper’s Rd. (670 m alt.) Tram Creek a Wild Dog Rd. S (640 m alt.) (580 m alt.) . Nolan’s Gully a (610 m alt.) Hogan’s Flat (S80 m alt.) 42 Section Plateau Swampy flats, gullies Hill slopes Gullies Hill slopes Ridges Creek gullies Plateau ‘Dry’ North Ridge River Frontage Plateau Westerly Slopes N.E. Slopes Structural Form + Management Stand Type Open Forest 25 m high Open Forest 30 m high Open Forest 25 m high Open Forest 30 m high Open Forest 30 m high Open Forest 20 m high Tall Open Forest 40 m high Open Forest 25 m high Shrubby Open Scrub Sm high Tall Open Forest 40 m high Open Forest 15 m high Shrubby Open Scrub Sm high Open Forest 20 m high +++ Trees*— Logs* — Regen.o Thinned 1 year ago Trees* — Logs* — Regen.o Thinned 1 year ago Trees*—Logs*—Regen.o Thinned 2 years ago Trees* — Logs* — Regen.o Thinned 2 years ago Trees*—Logs*—Regen.o Thinned patches — 1 year ago Trees* — Logs* — Regen.o Select stems cut in past Trees *—Logs*—Regen.o Logging uncommon Trees* — Logs* — Regen.*— Heavily logged in past Trees* Logs* Regen.o Trees* — Logs* Regen.o Access for logging difficult Trees* — Logs* Regen.o Logging uncommon Trees* Logs* Regen.o Trees *—Logs*—Regen.o Select stems cut in past. Fire History Absent 30 years Absent 30 years Patchy ground fire—1 year ago Absent 30 years Crown fire in western half — Syears ago Absent 20 years Crown fire 16 years ago - Only isolated patches burnt by ground fire since 1952 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 (6) Plateau Open Forest Trees *— -o, Logs o Crown fire 25 m high Regen. *— -o — 30 years aS Parts thinned for ago and parts 2 pulpwood — 2 years again 20 yrs. Q = ago. As Swampy Flats Open Forest Trees 0 Logs 0 Regen.o E. section by a and Gullies 20 m high Logging uncommon ground fire — é 8 2 years ago. Key: + Classified according to height and density of tallest stratum as in Table 7 of “‘Vegeta- tion’ by R. L. Specht in “‘The Australian Environment’’ 1970 (ed. G. W. Leeper), C.S.I.R.O., Melbourne University Press, Melbourne. p.46. +++ Forest stands reflect past forest management; the priority and intensity of management for timber have been greatest in accessible, fertile, well watered sites stocked with Mess- mate. Current stand types include: (a) Trees*— Logs*— Regen.o — High tree stocking, high log content, sparse regeneration. (b) Trees 0 Logs*— Regen.* — Lowtree stocking, high log content, dense regeneration. (c) Trees*— Logs 0 Regen.o — High tree stocking, low log content, sparse regeneration. (d) Trees 0 Logs 0 Regen.* — Lowtree stocking, low log content, dense regeneration. (e) Trees o Logs 0 Regen.o — Low tree stocking, low log content, sparse regeneration. The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2 — Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous (continued from 91(9) ) by JAMES A. BAINES. *Cucurbita. Lat name for a gourd. *C. and Rainbow Fern, was _ formerly maxima, pumpkin, may sometimes be found spreading where rubbish has been dumped in the bush, but does not persist. It gives its generic name to the family Cucurbitaceae, to which belong our native species, Melothria micrantha, Mallee Cucumber, and Sicyos angulata, Star Cucumber. The curcurbita of the Romans was Lagenaria leucantha. Culcita. Lat culcita, a mattress, bolster or pillow; this very hardy fern being used, like bracken, sometimes by bush campers for something soft to lie on. Our sole species, known variously as Common Ground-fern, False Bracken MARCH, 1975 Davallia dubia, but C. dubia since 1922. *Cupressus. Lat name of #C. sempervirens, Mediterranean Cypress, probably so-called from the island of Cyprus (Kupros in Gk), which gave us also the words cypress (a textile fabric originally brought to England from Cyprus) and copper (or cuprum, element sign Cu), which was originally Cyprian metal (from Cyprus). *C. macrocarpa, Monterey Cypress, is very familiar in our rural areas as a tall-growing windbreak hedge. The genus gives its name to family Cupressaceae, to which belongs Callitris, the genus of our native cypress pines. 43 Cuphonotus. Gk kyphos, humped, Sloped, curved; notos, back; the pod- valves being rounded on the back. our sole species, C. antipodus, was described by F. Mueller in 1855 (before he became Baronvon Mueller) as Capsella antipoda, but was assigned to the new genus Cuphonotus set up by O. E. Schulz in 1933 by J. N. Black. The common name is Southern Shepherd’s Purse, or Cuphonotus. Cuscuta. Medieval Lat name for Dodder (from Arabic keshut). Victoria has 4 species, Common Dodder and Large Dodder (introduced), and two native, C. australis (Australian Dodder) and C. tasmanica (Golden Dodder). Cyathea. Gk kyatheion, a little cup (from kyathos, cup); in allusion to the spore- cases (cup-like indusium). Our 4 species are known respectively as the Rough, Slender, Prickly and Skirted Tree-ferns. Cyathochaeta. Gk kyathos, cup; chaite, long-flowing hair, mane (hence New Lat chaeta, bristle, cf. seta). Our species, C. diandra, is Sheath Rush. Cyathodes. Gk kyathodes, cup-like; in allusion to the cup-shaped, toothed disc. We share our single species with Tasmania and New Zealand; it is C. juniperina (Crimson Berry), and is in family Epacridaceae. Cyclosorus. Gk kyklos, a circle; soros, a vessel for holding anything (hence, in botany, sorus); from the shape of the sori (cf. Cyclophorus, the Japanese fern genus to which Pyrrosia rupestris was referred by Ewart, as C. serpens). Our two species of Cyclosorus are Lime Fern and Binung or Soft Shield-fern. *Cymbalaria. Gk kymbalon, Lat cymbalum, cymbal; referring to the leaf shape of some species — even ancient Egyptian cymbals were similar in shape to our own modern percussion instruments of this type. *C. muralis is Ivy-leaf Toadflax. Cymbonotus. Gk kymbe, boat; notos, back; alluding to the convex back of the achenes. C. Jawsonianus is Austral Bear’s-ear, and the more widespread C. 44 preissianus is also known as Bear’s-ear. Cymbopogon. Gk kymbe, boat; pogon, beard; in allusion to the form of the spikelets. C. refractus is Barb-wire Grass or Turpentine Grass, and our other species is extremely rare. Cymodocea. Black says Kymodoke was the name of a sea-nymph, but there is no reference to her in Marindin’s “Classical Dictionary’. The roots could be Gk kyma, a wave, swelling, also a sprout or bud; doche, a receptacle. C. antarctica is a submarine plant known as Sea Nymph. It is a flowering plant of family Zannichelliaceae. *Cynara. Gk kinara, artichoke (C. scolymus) (apparently in confusion with kynara, which was probably the dog- rose). The generic name should have been spelt Cinara, the name (derived from the Gk) is classical Latin. Our only species, *C. cardunculus (the specific name means little thistle) is variously known as Spanish Artichoke, Wild Artichoke or Cardoon; it overran many acres of the Jackson’s Creek and Maribyrnong River valleys. Cynodon. Gk kyon (genitive kynos), dog; odous (genitive odontos), tooth; hence kynodon, dog’s-tooth; from the tooth- like buds of the rhizome. The French name of this grass, chiendent, is directly cognate. C. dactylon, Couch Grass, is probably native, being a cosmopolitan weed, as names like Bermuda Grass, Doob (India) and Kweek (South Africa) remind us. Our other species is Transvaal Couch (also known as Florida Grass). Cynoglossum. Gk kynoglosson, name of a plant in Dioscorides, from kynos, dog; glossa, tongue; alluding to the texture of the leaves. Our 3 species are all native, and known by the names of Forest, Sweet and Australian Hound’s-tongue. *Cynosurus. Gk kynos, dog; oura, tail; from the form of the panicle. Both our species are introduced grasses, known as Crested Dog’s-tail and Rough Dog’s-tail respectively, the dog’s-tail being a literal translation of the generic name. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Cyperus. Lat form of Gk kypeiros, name of some kind of sedge; the diphthong -e1- indicates that all the printed sources are correct in placing the accent on the second syllable — in Victoria it is usual to accept the first syllable, but some make the vowel short (as in sip) and others long (as in sipe). Victoria has 24 species, all native except one, and most known as Flat-sedges. C. rotundus, Nut Grass, is a noxious week, and C. brevifolius is called Globe Kyllinga from its former generic name. The genus gives its name to family Cyperaceae. Cyrtostylis. Gk kyrtos, arched, curved; stylos, a style, stake, pillar; because of the arched style. C. reniformis was described by R. Brown in 1818, but Schlechter placed this Mosquito Orchid in Acianthus in 1906. Cystopteris. Gk kystis, a bladder; pteris, fern. Our species, C. filix-fragilis, Brittle Bladder-fern, is the most widespread of ale* ferns’ (from. Greenland to Kerguelen’), despite the specific name, which means ‘fragile fern’. *Cytisus. Gk _ kytisos, name of a leguminous fodder-plant, believed to be Medicago arborea, Tree Medick. *C. multiflorus, our sole species, 1s White Spanish Broom. (Spanish Broom is- Spartium junceum). *Dactylis. Gk daktylos, a finger; from the shape of the panicle. Daktylos also came to mean toe (like Lat digitus), and a metrical foot (hence dactylic metre in prosody). *D. glomerata isthe introduced grass, Cocksfoot. Dactyloctenium. Gk daktylos, finger; ktenion, a little comb; the spikes are digitate and comb-like. D. radulans, not surprisingly, is Finger Grass. Damasonium. Gk damazo, to subdue, because one species was said to overcome poison, hence Lat damasonium,, in Pliny, a synonym for alisma. D. minus, our species, is Star-fruit, so-named because the carpels are united at the base and radiating like wheel-spokes. The genus is in family Alismataceae. (No link with damson plums, which were called in MARCH, 1975 floribunda, medieval Latin ‘prunum Damascenum’, plum from Damascus, botanically now Prunus insititia.) *Datura. From dhatura, the Hindi name of D. metel, the specific name of which is from mathil, the Arabic name of the plant, and of D. fastuosa. Victoria has 3 species, all known as_ thorn-apples, including *D. stramonium, Common Thorn-apple, which is called Jimson- weed in U.S.A. (originally Jamestown- weed). Daucus. Lat daucus in classical authors was said to be the name for both parsnip and carrot, but the Gk word from which it was derived, daukon, was used by Theophrastus for some other plant, probably another umbelliferous species. *D. carota, Carrot, is naturalized in some areas; its specific name is New Lat for a now invalid generic name. Our other species, D. glochidiatus, Austral Carrot, is native (the specific name means ‘barbed on both sides’). Dendrobium. Gk dendron, tree; bios, life; because most species are epiphytes perching on trees but not deriving nutrition therefrom, t.e. life on trees but not from them. Victoria’s two species perch on rocks instead of trees, mainly granite and porphyry but occasionally sandstone, and are confined to East Gippsland. D. striolatum is Streaked Rock Orchid, and D. speciosum is simply Rock Orchid in Vic., King Orchid in Qld., and, erroneously, Rock Lily in N.S.W. There are more than 900 species in the world, of which Australia has up to 70 (mainly in the tropical N.E. of Qld). Dendrophthoe. Gk dendron, tree; phthoe, corruption; hence a good name for tree parasites such as our species, D. vitellina Long-flower Mistletoe, which 1s restricted to far East Gippsland. The word vitellina means ‘with the colour of egg-yolk’. Found on Angophora this mistletoe is itself parasitized by Golden Mistletoe, Notothixos subaureus. 45 Desmodium. Gk desmodion, little chain (diminutive of desmos, chain, bundle, tie, band); alluding to the long, slender racemes of flowers. Our two species, both native, are called Large and Slender Tick-trefoil respectively. Dianella. Diminutive of Diana, goddess of the chase. The name Diana contains the Latin root dies, day, because this Roman goddes was also goddess of light and of the moon; later the attributes of the Gk goddess Artemis were added to these. Three of our 4 species are known as Flax-lilies, and the fourth, D. caerulea, is Paroo Lily (from the Paroo River, a tributary of the Darling). *Dianthus. Gk dios, of Zeus (king of the gods); anthos, flower; the word being diosanthos in Theophrastus). Our species is *D. armeria, Deptford Pink. The name Deptford (in London’s dockland) suggests an immigrant plant, but it is native in Britain. Dichantium. Gk dikha, apart, different; anthos, -flower; alluding to the barren sessile spikelets at base of raceme. Our sole species, D. sericeum, is Silky Blue- grass. Dichelachne. Gk dikhelos, cloven-footed (from dikha, as in previous entry); akhne, a glume; the flowering glume being 2-lobed. Our 2 species are both known as Plume-grass. Dichondra. Gk di-, two; khondros, a grain; alluding to the 2 carpels. Our sole species is D. repens, Kidney-weed, a creeping perennial with reniform (kidney-shaped) leaves, hence the common name; repens means creeping. Dichopogon. Gk dikhos, double; pogon, beard; the anthers have 2 beard-like appendages. Our 2 species are both known as Chocolate Lilies, though the perfume is more akin to vanilla, hence the name Vanilla Lily used in S.A., but that name is used in Vic. for our 2 species of Arthropodium, closely related to Dichopogon in the family Liliaceae. Didiscus. Gk dis, twice; diskos, quoit, discus, disc; in allusion to the shape of the fruit. Our 4 = species of this Superseded genus are now in Trachymene. *Digitalis. From Lat digitus, a finger; the flowers being like the fingers of a glove. *D. purpurea is Foxglove, i.e. a fox’s glove, a fanciful name. Norwegians call the flower a fox-bell, and Germans call in Fingerhut, i.e. finger-stall, which recalls Charles Barrett’s name Fingerstall Gum for the Bushy Yata, Eucalyptus lehmanni,or thimble (literally finger-protector). Digitalis, the drug used for alleviating heart ailments, is prepared from the leaves of the foxglove plant. Digitaria. From Lat digitus, finger; from the radiating spikes. Victoria has 2 introduced species, both known as Summer Grass or Crab Grass, and 4 native species, two of which are Umbrella Grass. Diplachne. Gk diploos, double; akhne, a glume; the flowering glume is 2-lobed (cf. Dichelachne, above). D. fusca is Brown Beetle-grass. Diplarrena. Gk diploos, double; arren, male; refering to the two fertile stamens. D. .moraea is Butterfly Flag; it is called White Iris in Tasmania, and is in family Iridaceae. Diplaspis. Gk diploos, double; aspis, shield. D. hydrocotyle is an alpine umbellifer, known in Tasmania as Snow Pennywort; Willis gives the Victorian vernacular name as Still Diplaspis. It is also in the N.S.W. alpine areas. 46 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Victor Henry Miller Our oldest member, a man with a wealth of knowledge, Mr. Victor Henry Miller, died on July 4, 1974. He was born on November 8, 1875 at 84 High Street St. Kilda, and has lived in that suburb all his live. He saw the aborigines dancing around the Corroboree Tree at St. Kilda Junction and when _ the Junction was re-modelled he persuaded the M.M.B.W. to save the tree. He joined the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria in 1923, serving on_ the Committee, then as Vice President and was elected unopposed as President in 1933. During his year as President, the Victorian Naturalist was enriched with coloured illustrations. For his many gifts he was nominated for life membership, an honour he did not accept. His interests make an impressive list — Council Member and twice President of the Bird Observers’ Club; President and Lrustee of the Victoriam Horticultural Society; Life Member of the Royal Horticultural Society and Trustee of the Society’s fine building in Victoria Street, Melbourne. He was one of the founders of The Entomological Club of Victoria and an office bearer for some years. He was a foundation member and, for a time, President of the Leach MNemorial Club. When he resigned from the Commitee of the Royal Historical Society he had served a longer term on that Committee than any other member. Victor Miller was a member of the Victoria Advisory Council for Fauna and Fauna and Flora from its beginning until it went into recess after twenty years. Victorian Non-Marine Molluscs — No. 14 by BRIANJ. SMITH* The Victorian non-marine mollusc fauna is dominated by one family, the Endodontidae, making up nearly three quarters of the species and specimens of terrestrial snails of the region. This is a highly complex group of very small to minute snails with one exception. Mulathena fordei (Brazier, 1871). Shell helicoid, subglobose, with lateral keel sometimes with short spines on the keel, no unbilicus, thin fragile, transparent, olive green in colour. Shell reaches 8 - 12 mm in diameter with no *Curator of Invertebrates, National Museum of Victoria MARCH, 1975 Plate 1. 47 regular microsculpture. Animal mid to dark olive green, delicate, with black pigment blotches on the mantle, often visible through the shell. The shell shape and sculpture can vary and especially the presence or absence of the peripheral spines; also some forms bear colour bands on the shell. Several specific names have been proposed for these varieties but they are probably not valid. The species is found in damp areas of wet sclerophyll forest or temperate rain forest and in Victoria appears to be confined to the forest areas of the Great Dividing Range east of Melbourne. Recent new records (as shown on the map) have extended the range almost to the N.S.W. border in the Ranges of East Gippsland. The same species also appears to occur in similar habitats in southern Tasmania. Further work -is needed to properly establish its distribution and to establish the status of the species. Mulathena fordei ae eee HEH Eat ae rE qa ated Serr GBaeRoRee we st arisen; anna seer, 1 | PTE TT TANT Sane Gf GSES GME), fees ae SERERSS eee e2 28 Hs ttt eactt Notice to Contributors It is important that material submitted for publication should preferably be typewritten on foolscap or quarto sheets at double spacing, and with a 2.5-3 cm (1”) margin on the left. lutely necessary. e.g. 15 May 1972 not May 15 1972. 48 No underlining of words should appear unless abso- Where dates occur, the day should precede the month, Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS AND CAMPS Excursions: Saturday, 8 March to Monday 10, March — The Annual Meeting and Delegates Conference of the Victorian Field Naturalists Association will be held at Geelong on Labour Day weekend. Saturday, 8 March, meet at 1.30 p.m. at McPhillimy Hall, La Trobe Terrace, near Gordon Tech. and Geelong Railway Station. The Delegates Conference will start at 2 p.m. and for non-Delegates there will be a visit to the Botanic Gardens and Queens Park. The Geelong Field Naturalists Club will provide the evening’s entertainment at 8 p.m. It is hoped as many members as possible will attend by private cars. There will be a day excursion by coach on Sunday to enable all members to participate. The ~ coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. sharp and will not return until late evening. The day will be spent in the Ocean Grove Nature Reserve then the party will proceed to the property of Mr. and Mrs. J. Hunt at Paraparup for the evening meal and evening entertainment in the woolshed. Bring two meals. B.B.Q. if desired and it is not a total fire ban day. Fare $3.00. — On Monday there will be a visit to the G.F.N.C. Boneseed Control Project at Top Saddle in the You Yangs leaving Geelong at 9.30 a.m. and it is hoped members will join in by private cars. This excursion will replace the usual monthly excursion in March. Saturday, 15 March — Botany Group is invited to join an excursion to the Loch Valley arranged by N.P.P.S., leader Mr. F. J. C. Rogers. Meet in Noojee 10.15 a.m. Sunday, 13 April — Geology Group. Castle Hill, Lancefield. Meet at 11.00 a.m. at Macedonia House, corner of Kilmore and Lancefield Roads, Lancefield. Sunday, 20 April — Visit to Kinglake including F.N.C.V. property. Coach leaves Batman Ave., at 9.30 a.m. — Fare $2.50, bring one meal. 12-28 August — This excursion to Western Australia has NOT been abandoned as was inadvertently stated in the previous issue of the Victorian Naturalist. Please contact Excursion Secretary as soon as possible regarding deposit and details. CAMPS: 8, 9, 10 March — Field Survey Group. AUDITORS’ REPORT TO THE MEMBERS OF THE FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA In our opinion: (a) the attached balance sheet and profit and loss account are properly drawn up in accord- ance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 1961 of Victoria as amended and so as to give a true and fair view of: (i) the state of affairs of the Club at 31 December 1973 and of the results of the Club for the year ended on that date; and (ii) the other matters required by Section 162 of that Act to be dealt with in the accounts: (b) the accounting records and other records, and the registers required by that Act to be kept by the Club have been properly kept in accordance with the provisions of that Act. 5: DANBY, BLAND & Co., Chartered Accountants. R. M. BLAND, Partner. Melbourne, 25th February, 1975. MARCH, 1975 | 49 REPORT BY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL The members of the Executive Council submit herewith balance sheet as at 31 December 1974 and income and_ expenditure account for the year ended on that date, and report as follows — 1. The Net Deficit of the Club for the year ended 31 December 1974 was $826 which deducted from the Surplus brought forward at 1 January 1974 of $8,666, together with a transfer of $7 from Club Improvement Account, results in a surplus to be carried forward to next year amounting to $7,847. 2. The members of the Executive Council took reasonable steps to ascertain before the income and expenditure account and balance sheet were made out, that all known bad debts were written off and adequate provision was made for doubtful debts. 3. The members of the Executive Council took reasonable steps, before the profit and loss account and balance sheet were made out, to ascertain that the current assets, other than debtors, were shown in the accounting records of the company at a value equal to or below the value that would be expected to be realised in the ordinary course of business. 4. At the date of this report, the members of the Executive Council are not aware of any circumstances which would render the values attributable to the current assets in the accounts misleading. S. No charge on the assets has arisen, since the end of the financial year to the date of this report, to secure the liabilities of another person. no contingent liability has arisen since the end of the financial year to the date of this report. 6. No contingent or other liability has become enforceable or is likely to become enforceable within the period of twelve months after the end of the financial year which in the opinion of the members of the Executive Council will or may affect the ability of the club to meet its obligations as and when they fall due. 7. At the date of this report the members of the Executive Council are not aware of any circumstances not otherwise dealt with in the report or accounts which would render any amount stated in the accounts misleading. 50 8. The results of the club’s operations during the financial year, in the opinion of the members of the Executive Council, were not affected by any item transaction or event of a material and unusual nature. 9. Since 31 December 1974, and to the date of this report, in the opinion of the members of the Executive Council, no item transaction or event of a material and unusual nature, which would affect substantially the results of the club’s operations for the next succeeding financial year, has occurred. 10. No member of the Executive Council, since the end of the previous financial year, has received or become entitled to receive a benefit by reason of a contract made by the club with the member or with a firm of which he is a member or with a company in which he has a substantial financial interest. 11. The principal activities and objects of the Club are to stimulate interest in natural history and to preserve and_ protect Australian Fauna and Flora. No significant change in the nature of those activities occurred during that period. 12. The names of the members of the Executive Council in office at the date of this report are as follows: Mr P. Kelly Mr J. Willis Mr M. Coulthard Mr R. Riordan Mrs M. Corrick Mr H. Bishop Mr I. Cameron Mr G. Ward Mr G. Douglas Mr J. Martindale Mrs M. Hampton Miss M. Allender Mr R. Gibson Mt T. Sault Mr B. Smith Mr R. Kent Mr B. Callanan This report is made in accordance with a resolution of the Executive Council dated the 25th day of February 1975S. H. Bishop R. H. Riordan Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 CS7'8$ ¢60'S (81¢) gle 610'T ari Meeeh suche ate les JURA ISNIy Wesisuy ssaq Ser Fee sasuadxq dnoiy Adaing jewel aoueinsu] peat ierieret earn hath ict int wet fer fant) aoeds I]IO Jo Judy 6) il ete ence a eb A Beda wooy uINIsSN JA ry AIBIQYT “TBH JO Udy mo, AA Sh, Sock tea oS UOILIIUNWIIY SIOJIPNY JdUL}SISSY SL asges Sabeia ais’ ws Got nese afrate a treme [BOI]? suldé | a5 Ocha: cay Girne Wen 5 nner g sees Sua fe sasuadxq UOl][epay] AJOISI [VAN}VN Chien Op cen 5 judy anid JOLUNL u0}SIIg ol Ov ca. 'o Ctnienmeoh Osc.e0 0 os ou suol}euog pue suondiosqng *saaj UOHeIYSY sy ison {atest (siete) colts Mes Maisie ose st fe sasuadxq [elouay ageisuaeh spose ietseetts: vs ase10}s JO} wool jo JUIyY og O tee ts ore big Sooec AlQUOINEIS » SUIULId DG B-8 Soto. okoaetomee auoydaya » ade}S0d — sasuadxy SUlyIo AA appaye shia, toRtale, "wl ieere Race rs\ish-s. gpa gin athe jurag rol (aouryeq) 1UeID €/6] — Alnseai], Suse ens Ms, ec ones (€ AON 39s) JO} parjdde — }sniy, weisuy — sJuvID ssa] [eOupa Deer Parte recom est pert aCe a het ee fen vet ae iae Ter reir sulyojedsaq Si 16) wm. to fw Seew Na! fale pater rel Maia, als, (os, ieisrne, suljeisny|] aacel salMolmensa>s\Ker.c) en satto~recseiae 6: e's evel ie) (wp anisstive SulULId — , JSI]PINJeN UeIIO}IA,, sjusu MBq 69PF'L$ (8T€) gle 90S°7 99 Sol 6re OS LCO'l 86 91 €8 b9C OF sel est £96'b (0SO'T) (S09) ST LLS 900'T OZO'S$ eLol leak ‘SL6I Ul JUNODSW sniding jsulese Jjo uajIM aq [IM 10 paydde JUNOWE 94} MOJEq UONONPar ay} ‘[][N}J Ul pajuesd Jou si Joy paydde junowe ay} yey} Juada ay} UT “saa}sn4ay ay) Aq UyIM Pap Useq JOU sey UOl}eoI[dde ay} JJoda1 sy} Jo aJep ay} 18 SV “pO Jah ay} SuLINp padinoul ,.}sIPeINJeN UeIIO}DIA aY.L,, JO S}SOD SpreMO} ‘SHO'Z|S JO URIS eB IO} ‘JSNIY WeIdUT ‘V (CW 94} Jo Saajsniy, ay} 0} apew usaq sey uoneoyddy ‘[luNoD salyndaxq 94} JO Jaquiau Aue 0} qn{D ay} Aq pred asam sjuaunjowg oN “QN]D 94} 0} S9dIAIas 1194} Jo Joadsar Ul SIOUIPNY 24} Aq PaAdladaI d1aM S}JaUaq 1940 ON ‘A[UO S9NAJIS SUIIPNY 0} Sa}e]91 ‘Q9G JO UOIJBIOUNWAY ,sIOUIpNy SIMMS BUINIPNY O1 SaIvJa4 ‘QOS JO UOIDLIUNWAY ,sAoTIPNY 7S7'8$ 978 SicS| (she, a) “oh eine CeCe act wat err} ar a ey a Sc Eee Her aT ee Ieak JO} Woyaq 6¢ BS aeue ese} sce (e 16 ia te: Sibel ieh o). 6) 6: ofan iat ieraeiie: ce melee awiodu] AIpuns Se Se eas, ees Sater Yj}[PIMUOUWIWWIO, Jo uondwapar uo WNIWd3tdg Or9 EQ gee gas ee "+ Aovdaq 1Oye AA WD — spuog PuSg” ses ge oe Ade39] 1Y311M ‘IW — spuog eco e o ee spuog yjjeamuouru05 ee rae junosoy yueg S aie: 185 Pause lie riem es! (8 (a, aitalcer ie: lea 6) 5. eee pun Areiqyy — Ppaalaoay }S$919} UT Sr ee ee JSIPINJEN UBIO A,, Ul SUISIZAPY 9/Z i Le ae “* ASITRINJEN UPLIOJSIA,, JO SaTes 9¢b'9 Q8z Sie) ee nelee Miet Suioige je sep); ete! ei 5s eee tary sunioddng Rome wears pac: sencvere oe juaaan} Co ee ae Be eae one — paaladsay suondiasqns s}d13a90y pl6l ‘MAAN Ie GHANA YVAA AHL YOd ANN LIGNAd Xd 99 ANWOONI AO LNHWALV LS INNOOOV TVYANAD VIYOLOIA AO €NT) SLSTIVANLIVN OTH "I “Sa10N "J “Sal0N 69h L$ ee CL OS SLT 9L7°9 vor ST0'9 LO$ eLol ea 51 MARCH, 1975 607'9 7079 lita ae "+++ ysnologAIep ‘dAJOSIY Irl yorssoy — pur] g90°9 ead ee © © © © © © © © © 8 pace) ud}}IIM SSO] 190°9 g90'9 °° °° «Juawdinby pue sin}uing AreIqryT — }SO9 }€ S}JaSSY poxIy CLI'S 76E°9 06 lt ae eee syoog JaMoyJ bZb Gee pe tear st es a[es 10} syoog 17S CG fe ee te re te poaloig adosso1s1 fy gs 978 IZ1'Z Gol Cer er ee oe ee eo ew wo ow ow sos peg 97 ; — 3809 ye puey UO SYIO}FS QI ‘+++ puey UL JURID JsNIy weisuy “Vy “W 9€€ Chez Re Ree Ante O LCRO 1 Oa “++ s101qGaq Arpuns LAL 6 oo 6 bo ee Ho 06 puey ul — }sI[eInjeN OSr }SO9 78 UvIIOJI A — JURID Ainseal |, OM oe ee spuog yIeamuoWWOD 000‘Z S67 ot Paeey ae * s1OUPIsg kapuns LZ8 681 Pace sisics, fcheMoira! oles ols "s+ yueg ye ysed 9P9'Z His poe es QOURApR Ul pied suondiiosqns 80S$ — sjassy uatIng — saipyiqery juesing SLASSV SAILITIAVIT pl6l ‘YAAWasOd Ie LV LHAHS AONV IVA VINOLIIA AO ANT) SLISITVAALVN OTH Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 52 SCE CE 9669 979°C ooe OT af avis, ta Ue) ce sites on Sis. sue Venere: ouetete < yueg 1e yseg Gm.o80.0 6 0-0 OOO oo eee OD $10}q9q Aipuns "* + ye [eUOTJeN AIOJUOWIOIg SUOSTIAA adn go0 050 oo yieg [euolenN PJoftodsA AA sGoodso ood boon S[OO}SPLO |, UPIIO}IA CE ORD RE kai ssuouspueq 94} Jo sp1g — }$09 }® $Y90}§ yoog San gine saps Ges }SO5 Je Spuog Y}[eaMUOW WO — pun,j suoljeoljqng Bp eee ee ee yueg ie yse> Ob see ss ysodaq way, — yueg "Z’N'V 000° T ee ec ee © © SOO 1e yoois peqitosu] OAS OO/Eban een }SOO Je Spuog Y}[PaMUOW WO, — pun, suipying i ne ga a 180°) v anUEGEq ‘py] epuesy — pun, souupo- “a ‘dG 000°¢ oe ee © © © © © © © © ew we we we }so7Zy ye spuog YyieamUOW WO) — JUNODDY Yoog JaMo]-q oe fee 1807) 38 OINIUSQEC “MW — pun PreIJOM *D PTAA 000‘ T O50: 07.6) 0.20: (8. 20. (6) 04.0: 011010, <6, (6, (0.5.6 jsoZy ye spuog YeIMUOWWOD — Jaye AA “W ‘D AoesaT O07'S @: [6~0\8 0 16 @ © @ 6 +e;0, © ee ‘0; «6 jsozD ye spuog i) Y}[POMUOWWIOD — JYSIIAA “A o7veISq AoesaT JSOZ_Z 1e spuog YI[VoMUOWIWIOD — puny Arerqry] — Spun, JO JUSWSOAUT 9€8'ZE €ZE'ZES O8r'9 90L 19L 08 LEI 8SZ SEL Lr8'L 008°€ (978) il ZOr'e 999'8 Z9€ 000‘T 0S9'CZ OOT‘Z ZS cl OOE ‘OT 66S c= er OOS SS €£9 000'€ 02 99F'T 00S 00c OO€ 000'T LIZ'S 007 007'S EES OOT OOT 966'9 9P9'€ ee © © © © © we © ew ew ew ow Sood ooo ooo oo bo ten ooo yuNOD.DY jUdWIAOIC WY] Qn[D Woy Jajsued pL Ty ye souejeg — sonqery JOAO Sjassy Jo snjdins Ce JUNODDYy Joplel C1 0 dem, Oo Mo 6 co omn jUNODDY yoog JOMO] er Go oe ee 3/V poafloig adoososs1 pun, sauupopy “A ‘Gq pun, Pre[[OOM ‘dD Poy A © ender te! ete) "0 61/01 16} ie) on" wyoysiyy Ss UW 9}e1S4 Mei elien eee te Koesaq JOY[e AM ‘WD 27 e1sq ee ee wo Aoeda'T] xouy “4 “] SSIAl 9381Sq rr JUNODSY YD SIMO “Ad oo Deo.O1 oO dao AoesaT] USL AA ‘WC 9381SH Ce JUNODIY UOTSINOX7A EO GEO yUNOdSY JUSWAAOId WY qn{D ofia) cel) alles, eo ettvieise™ etettel «Ware rectase punj AIeIQVT Ce ry pun uoleollqnd «ol (0 Ve), 0)-6,_ ef 6 ee «si vce a 016 pun SuIping — s}unosdy pure spun, jerseds 53 9€8'7ES$ 999'8 60°77 cS el COr'e ecl 61S L6S 0c OSt'T 00¢ 00€ LIZ'S 002 bel OOT O8r'9 core MARCH, 1975 FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA BUILDING FUND Amount of Fund at 31*-December 1973.2...0.0..0 5.00.5 oa. ne eee $3,462 Interest on Investment and Bank Account..).°..000000.00 00. Sica. teed 184 Amount of Fund at 31 December 1974... 0. so a OS ee ee $3,646 PUBLICATIONS FUND Amount of Fund at.31 Decembet-1973:... 7... «oc hae ce oe eee 6,480 Interest. on Investment & Bank Account ©... ....... 2.62. on Ghd oie oe eee 299 Surplus for the year from — Victorian Toadstools & Mushrooms ... :<..0. 26.0... 4d... fe eee 128 Vegetationof Wyperteld National.Park «. >... 2.42.42 2 on) ee ee 89 Wild Flowers of Wilson’s Promontery National Park ...........0. 0.0.0.5 31 Birdsiof the Dandenongs (LOSS) 1 5.20 als oa ee es ee ee (31) 217 Amount of Fund at 31 December 1974. 2... «os. ccc sw ca ele leo eo eee $6,996 CLUB IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT Amount of Account at 31 December 1973 ../. 4... Sasa... 4 ee se ee 124 Booksales Account Profits .006 2 286 ae og a le ee 2 ee ee eee 354 Shareiof Profit:ifrom 1974 Nature Show ... 4.202 0c4..6 0. soe SL ee eee eee 40 518 Loss— Amount written off Books and Equipment Account — Purchase of Library Books transferred to Surplus Account ................. 7 fl Amount of Fund at 31 December 1974.3... 200 ow. 2 i ae here. Ha eee $511 STATEMENT BY THE MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL In the opinion of the members of the Executive Council of The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, the accompanying Balance Sheet is drawn up so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Club as at 31 December 1974, and the accompanying Statement of Income and Expenditure is drawn up so as to give a true and fair view of the deficit of the Club for the year ended 31 December 1974. Signed in accordance with a resolution of the Executive Council on 25th February 1975. P. Kelly President STATEMENT BY THE PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING OFFICER H. Bishop Treasurer I, DANIEL E. McINNES, being the officer in charge of the preparation of the accompanying accounts of The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria for the year ended 31 December 1974 state that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, such accounts give a true and fair view of the matters required by Section 162 of the Companies Act 1961, to be dealt with in the accounts. D. McInnes Signed at Melbourne on the 25th February 1975. 54 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 For today... and the centuries ahead THE 5—POINT FORESTS MULTIPLE USE PLAN A plan based on sclentific forests management... ensuring that our forests continue to contribute towards man’s overall survival and to his Individual zest for living. The multiple use plan protects the five critical forest values: WATER WOOD WILDLIFE RECREATION FORAGE Our State Forests provide abundant leisure enjoyment... only one of the five big values. Please help us by cherishing all five values when you are enjoying the forests FORESTS COMMISSION, VICTORIA MARCH, 1975 99 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 the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE,k.C.M.G., O.B.E., O.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1973-1974. President: Mr. P. KELLY Hon. Secretary: Mr. R. H. RIORDAN, 15 Regent St., East Brighton, 3187. 92-8579 Treasurer: H. BISHOP, Address Correspondence to National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145 Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg, 3084. Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield 3151 (52-2749). Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. D. McINNES. Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards Street, Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36-0587 Group Secretaries Botany: Miss E. JONES, 6 West Crt., Glen Waverley, 3150 (560-2280) Day Group: Mrs. J. STRONG, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena (56-2271). Entomology and Marine Biology: Mr. J. W. H. STRONG, Flat 11, “‘Palm Court’, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena 3163 (56-2271). Field Survey: c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, 3141. Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Miss Wendy CLARK, 97 Faraday Street, Carlton, 3053. Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy Street, East Brighton (96-3268). 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 preceeding pages of this magazine. Rates of Subscriptions for 1975 Metropotitan..: 6... i is ba ee Ro 8 oe wed Pe es HE $10.00 YOMUMEFOPONTAN oo: Mae esa ele eee he bo ee eee Be Goa ale as Jee $12.50 . Joint Retired Members... oo. 0. os ca bi ee a ee ele wan Ph ede. Cn ee $10.00 Country subscribers, and retired persons over65.......... 00.0 cece eee eens $8.00 OUGCOUNELY on. os ev ved Ghali ho Bee 4 whe ede Odie oie Bile denM ee ae i $10.00 — SHUTMION eck sft eck a Rew ela etal é Rie as alteiel pote eee aes OMe Geese ae owe Ne ee $2.50 Subscriptions to: Vict. Nats: 0. 6c.5 eee wee eds elas ole ance vestia 6 ieee ce .oa le aCe $8.00 Overseas Subscription. oo. 602.6 6k Tas bie ob ew alg Se ag Go Mewes, 0) gue oe $10.00 Junior with:“Naturalist (0. 2. a Seed BAS Be ide eee $8.00 IndividualiMagazineS «0.05. 6 ojos we vee ow ace ten oe a pice aya Hho es ae) er elce sate $0.75 All subscriptions should be made payable to the Field Naturalist Club of Victoria and posted to the Subscription Secretary. JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE ~ APRIL, 1975 yy * s., | § Published bythe “ee TURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA porated the Microscopical Society of Victoria | < for tr nsmission by post as a periodical. ory “BY? : ( A F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 14 April — At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, commencing at 5 p.m. Subject of the Evening — “The Occurrence and Structure of Precious Opal”: Dr. J. V. Saunders. New Members— Life Membership: Miss Sarah C. Troughton, 18 Saville House, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Ordinary: Mr. Graeme Ambrose, 93 Patterson Road, Moorabbin, 3189. Zoology. Mr. James W. Usher, 11/113 Eskdale Road, Caulfield, 3161. Botany. Joint: Mrs. J. A. Milne, 1/278 Brunswick Road, Brunswick, 3056. Monday, 12 May — “Catchment and Catchment Management”: Speaker from S.C.A. GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at the National Herbarium unless stated otherwise) Wednesday, 16 April — Microscopical Group Meeting. Thursday, 17 April— Day Group: Visit to Warrandyte. Bus leaves Cnr. Russell Street and Flinders Street, 10.40a.m. Meet at bridge over Yarra River in Warrandyte at 11.30 a.m. Bring lunch. Thursday, 24 April — Field Survey Group Meeting in Conference Room, National Museum, at 8p.m. “Reptiles of S.E. Aust.; Ecology and Conservation,” Mr. P. Rawlinson. Thursday, 1 May — Mammal Survey Group Meeting at Arthur Rylah Institute, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg, at 8 p.m. Monday, 5 May — Marine Biology and Entomology Group Meeting in Conference Room, National Museum, at 8 p.m. Wednesday, 7 May — Geology Group Meeting. Thursday, 8 May — Botany Group Meeting. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 18 May — Yarra Bend National Park. The Club has offered to assist in the attempt to control Boneseed in this area and part of the day will be spent clearing as much of this weed as we can. Bring gardening gloves, as young plants are easily pulled out by hand and all members can help with this. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. — fare $1.50 — bring one meal. It is planned to make our first stop at the Pioneer Monument and to lunch at the Boatshed picnic area where we hope all members who cannot go for the day, but can spare an hour or two will join the working bee for as long as possible. 58 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 the Vol. 92, No. 4 9 April, 1975 @ e victorian 7 Wai Acting Editor: G. M. Ward @ ee naturalist <(\ Assistant Editor: G. F. Douglas \S As in great things, so in small, and just as the energy crisis has forced various nations to face realistically their diminished status, so likewise, it seems, inflation is about to force the F.N.C.V. to re-assess its place in the scheme of things. Once a lead- ing light in the State's scientific community, and probably the State's first effective con- servation body, the Club has been overtaken V.O.R.G. Westernport Report No. 1 — by eyes suk although bare the: basis of le past glories it has enjoyed a high prestige, Articles: Part 3. it has now been forced to take on a much By William: A. Davis and lesser role, in the wake of Government spon- ; sored, academically oriented conservation Alan J. Reid 60 bodias: Activities have declined steadily — vide The Nature Show and the complete lack of ; support for the Conservation Group which, of Lucanidae (Stag Beetle). regrettably, has had to be disbanded—as has the number of members willing to play Eye iayaiderson 7 any active role in the Club, so enate work of running it has fallen on a slowly shrinking group of old hands. Despite the extremely disheartening effect of members’ total lack Features: of response or enthusiasm on this group, the Club may have continued successfully if The Origin of Generic Names of the inflation, in the form of steeply rising costs Victocvan Flora — Part 2. for "The Victorian Naturalist'' had not brought matters to a head. Description of the Larvae of Four Species By James A. Baines 70 The Club is also facing a management crisis, and must replace both the Editor, and Secretary and his Assistant. The former, hav- ing honourably completed ten years’ service, has requested his release and the latter, from pressure of business, simply cannot devote the necessary time to Club affairs, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: Diary of Coming Events 58 It seems, therefore, that failing the dis- covery of additional sources of finance, or a sudden surge of active new members, the Club must now accept the realities of its changed circumstances. It would appear to be inevitable that in order to live within its means, the Club will have to further We aries) iheeRedtcdpped.Dotterel: reduce the cost of “The Victorian Naturalist”, pe sination Somers Reach. This abandon any pretence of playing an active particular dotterel was kept under role in conservation matters, and severely fo, = eS ia Oo discourage outside correspondence. years, and became quite tame. ROGER RIORDAN, Photo: A. J. Reid. Retiring Hon. Secretary. Front Cover: April, 1975 59 Victorian Ornithological Research Group Westernport Report No. 1 Part 3 The Birds of the Somers, Sandy Point, Hastings Districts, Westernport Bay, Victoria, Australia. by WILLIAM A. DAVIS AND ALAN J. REID Continued from Vol. 91, Page 264. Swans, geese and ducks (Family Anatidae) were the subject of a status study at the tidal flats and Coolart. The results indicated the value of Coolart as a haven for ducks during the hunting season. Each year a build- up in numbers occurred on the eve of the duck opening, the birds staying for several months before dispersing. Figure 1 illustrates this point. 36. Cereopsis novaehollandiae, Cape Barren Goose. Several tame birds were kept in semi-captivity by Mr. Luxton at Coo- lart during the years preceding the survey. These were unfortunately taken by a fox one evening when Mr. Luxton forgot to return them to their en- closure. The only free occurrence was on 21st April 1964 when a number of observers at the education camp saw a Cape Barren Goose fly overhead. On two occasions flocks were observed outside the survey area in paddocks along Stumpy Gully Road, H.5,7. 37. Cygnus atratus, Black Swan. This species will be considered in two parts, the Naval Base tidal flats and Coolart. A completely different pattern evolved at each habitat as the survey progresssed. This is illustrated in Figure 2. (a) Naval Base Tidal Flats. The vast mud flats of Westernport are renowned for their large swan popula- tion at certain times of the year. The species featured prominently in the early natural history of the region, as mentioned in Part 1 under “Early Orni- thological Records”. Swan counts in- 60 dicated a most regular flock and disper- sion pattern almost exactly repeated each year. Peaks of over 400 were re- corded for February, March and April. The birds commenced to disperse dur- ing May and June. By end of July numbers dropped to only 6 to 10 and remained low through to October. November, December and January saw a gradual build-up to the February peak. Several pairs consistently nested on the fresh water lagoon and along Hanns Inlet usually between August and October. Cygnets were seen on numerous occasions. On 15th Septem- ber, 1962, a Swamp Harrier was seen to harass a pair with seven cygnets approximately two weeks old. He finally succeeded in taking one. (b) Coolart Lagoon. The species gradually built up in numbers as the survey progressed, reaching over 300 by May 1966. It ap- peared the lagoon was a haven for non- breeding birds as the largest counts were invariably recorded during the breeding season (refer Figure 2). At least six pairs nested each year from August to November. The swans were always the first species to commence breeding and were consistently success- ful with large clutches. Mortality ap- peared minimal and there was no evi- dence of double brooding, H.1, 2, 3A, 5 and 8. 37a. Tadorna_tadornoides, breasted Shelduck. In contrast to the preceding species, a reverse pattern was evident. A most regular situation existed at Coolart Chestnut- Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 500 - 400 300 200 100 Season Year FIGURE 1. Total Anatidae (excluding Cygnus). Coolart Lagoon. Average count per season. Vertical ------+-- Duck opening. 500 400 300 200 100 s 1965 Season a. 3 Sp a 4 2 Year 1962. | 1963 1964 FIGURE 2. Black Swan. Average count per season. Naval Base Mud Flats. on--- ee eee Coolart Lagoon. Gag HASTINGS COLAC PLAY GROUNDS COLAC SQUARE a ee ee ee Dec. 28 13 54 48 55 yi aa es Be TABLE 1. Silver Gull. Group comparisons - average for 3 £4feeding groups. April, 1975 61 where as at the tidal flats it was com- pletely random. The species was noted on the flats in pairs only during February, March, July and October. March 1964 saw an irruption when over 200 were seen in a tight flock. A week later approximately 300 were noted along the Somers seashore (probably the same flock). There were no records outside these four months. At Coolart the species was com- pletely absent from June to September. Isolated pairs were recorded from Octo- ber to early February. Mid-February saw a sudden influx to a peak of 60 to 80, the birds staying until May when a quite sudden dispersion took place, H.1, 2, 3A and S. 38. Anas superciliosa, Grey (Black) Duck. Spasmodic occurrence on tidal flats. Forty were seen during April and May 1963 and in February 1965. Ten ob- served March 1965. At Coolart there was a regular pattern of recordings dur- ing all months except September and October. November to January — 4 to 10 rising to a peak of 60 during Feb- ruary. Between 40 and 60 remained from March to April. A steady decline to zero by August. Species noted breed- ing on at least two occasions. On 28th December, 1964, a pair seen with four half-grown ducklings. During December 1966 — three juveniles ob- served, H.2,3A and 5. 39. Anas platyrhynchos, Mallard. This introduced species occurred on several dams on Hope Campbell’s Western Park property adjoining Sandy Point. Several seen at Coolart March 1966 may have strayed from Western Park. On 20th January 1963 — eight Mallard black duck hybrids were banded and released (these were bred in captivity by Davis when he was an aviculturist). They were never seen again nor were any bands recovered. 62 40. Anas castanea, Chestnut Teal. Rarely noted from the tidal flats. Two to six seen October 1962, Novem- ber 1964, January and February 1965. Coolart is well known for its resident Chestnut Teal population, six to ten pairs always present. Population in- creased to over 100 January to April each year. Many breeding records. Prior to 1965 juveniles seen on four occasions during September. Mr. Bill Barrett, then with the Fisheries and Wildlife Department, placed 20 duck nesting boxes around the lagoon early in 1965. The Chestnut Teal used these boxes regularly and it was common to see pairs with flotillas of young during the spring months, H.2, 3A and 5. 41. Anas gibberifrons, Grey Teal. Recorded Hanns Inlet, six pairs November 1963, November 1964. In- flux over 100 Hanns Inlet January, February 1965. Coolart, similar pat- tern to Grey Duck and Chestnut Teal. Several resident pairs noted with young October 1963, November 1964. Large influx January, February each year, counts of over 180 on some trips; dis- persion during May. There was no evi- dence suggesting this species had used the duck nest boxes, H.2 and 5. 42. Anas rhynchotis, Blue-winged Shoveler. In complete contrast, the occurrence of the attractive Shoveler followed no regular pattern. First listed 30th September 1962—one bird; September 1963—two pairs; lone female remained until March 1964 when she was joined by four others, all birds remained until June 1964. A further bird observed August 1965 remaining until Novem- ber. Three seen 3rd May 1967, H.5. 43. Malacorhynchus membranaceus, Pink-eared Duck. Rare visitor, Coolart. Odd records exist prior to 1959. First noted during survey January 1964 — two males; September 1965 — one bird; August 1966 — lone male, H.5. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 44. Aythya australis, White-eyed Duck. Recorded twice Hanns Inlet — four pairs January 1963; three pairs January 1964. Coolart, no records between March and June except for one occur- rence of 45 on 16th May 1965. Ten to twenty frequent lagoon July to February each year. Influx of 50 September, October, November 1965. Young noted on seven occasions. Hardheads breed later than other anatidae, H.2 and 5. 45. Chenonetta jubata, Maned Goose (Wood Duck). Occasional visitor, Coolart. One bird took up residence October 1962 to March 1963; six to ten December 1963 until April 1964; one bird April 1965; twenty — May 1965; twelve — June 1967. One record away from Coolart 9th February 1964, forty grazing on adjoining farm, H.5 and 6. 46. Oxyura australis, Blue-billed Duck. Coolart may well be the closest point to Melbourne where this rare duck regularly occurs. Prior to the survey, Mr. Luxton noted the species arriving October each year, breeding, then departing end of March, usually one or two pairs. This pattern was confirmed during the early survey years 1961, 1962 and 1963. During 1964 the birds appeared earlier and in greater numbers. July saw four arriv- ing; by November ten were present. On one occasion six males in full nuptual plumage were noted together. Evidence of two pairs having bred was obtained during December 1964. The birds have remained in permanent residence since 1965. Records range from four to ten each visit. Three young Blue-bills noted on 7th February 1966. Because of its rarity the pre- sence of the Blue-billed Duck at Coo- lart is of great importance and has become a most attractive feature of the lagoon, H.S. April, 1975 47. Biziura lobato, Musk Duck. First recorded Coolart 2nd February 1964 — lone female; 9th February 1964 — four Hanns Inlet; June 1964 —one Hanns Inlet; January to June 1965 — four consistently seen Hanns Inlet, H.2 and 5. 48. Elanus notatus, Black-shouldered Kite. Rare visitor seen twice during December 1962— one bird open forest Naval Depot, H.3. 49. Halliastur sphenurus, Whistling Kite (eagle). Common, noted most habitats, usu- ally two to six per trip. 28th December 1962 — nine observed feeding on car- rion on sand spit Sandy Point; 21st July 1963 pair noted performing in- tricate courtship flights over Sandy Point, H.2, 3, 4 and 5. 50. Accipiter fasciatus, Brown (Australian) Goshawk. Two to four noted most trips Sandy Point bushland. Occasional visitor Coolart, H.3 and 5. 51. Accipiter cirrhocephalus, Collared Sparrowhawk. The identification of this rare species is difficult. On 31st March 1963 the writers, whilst carrying out a routine survey run through Sandy Point, ob- served a small bird of prey perched on a banksia a considerable distance away. It appeared about the size of a Little Falcon. A cautious approach to within 30 ft. was effected and it be- came apparent the species was not Genus falco, but in fact a small Gos- hawk type. It was slatish brown above and lightly rufous barred below. A quite distinct brownish collar was evi- dent, approximate length 12 inches. On flushing the tail appeared more squarish than the well known Gos- hawk. Its small size and colouration convinced the writers the bird was a juvenile male Sparrowhawk, H.3. 63 52. Hieraaetus morphnoides, Little Eagle. Reasonably common. Noted Hanns Inlet, Sandy Point and _ Coolart. Twenty-one sightings over all months, fe2.)3 and 5. 53. Aquila audax, Wedge-tailed Eagle. Disturbingly few records, single bird education camp bushland January 1961; single bird Hanns Inlet 9th May 1963; 7th March 1965 pair circled 64 Plate 1. Inspecting duck nesting boxes at Coolart. October 1964. Photo —A. J. Reid. over Somers for several hours; 18th February 1967 one found shot Mer- ricks Beach. This species must now be considered rare in the Westernport region, H.2 and 4. 54. Haliaeetus leucogaster, White-breasted Sea-Eagle. The occurrence of a pair of Sea Eagles on French Island has been known for some time. The pair fre- quently visits in and around Hanns Inlet and Sandy Point. Observed Plate 2. Coot with young. Coolart 1963. Photo—A. J. Reid. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 singly or as a pair all months. On 8th September 1964 noted feeding on a dead sheep along South Beach Road, Somers, H.2 and 3. 55. Circus assimilis, Spotted Harrier. This beautifully marked very rare species was noted at Coolart by Reid during December 1965. The lower breast and abdomen was rufous spotted White, upper greyish. Colourful ap- pearance in flight, H.5. 56. Circus aproximans, Swamp Harrier. Several pairs reside within survey area, seen most trips. The Swamp Harrier often buzzed the Ibis rookery at Coolart during the breeding season, but was not observed taking young, H.3, 4 and 5. 57. Falco berigora, Brown Falcon (Hawk). Occasionally noted open Naval Depot, H.3. 58. Falco longipennis, Little Falcon. Noted on 14 occasions during survey covering most months, Sandy Point bushland. Twice seen at Coo- fart .3,and: 5. 59. Falco peregrinus, Peregrine Falcon. Sixteen records from Hanns Inlet, the tidal flats and Sandy Point bush- land. For Coolart occurrence, refer part 2 under White Ibis avian preda- tion, H.3 and 5. 60. Falco cenchroides, Nankeen Kestrel. Noted most survey trips. Resident, invariably observed singly hovering over paddocks, H.6. forest 61. Coturnix pectoralis, Stubble-Quail. Regular migrant arriving Coolart lower paddocks September departing May. Many flushed, often heard call- ing. Mr. Luxton reported a_ nest December 1962, H.6. April, 1975 62. Coturnix ypsilophorus, Swamp (Brown) Quail. Rare. Two birds flushed open forest Naval Depot January 1964; one bird flushed salt marsh Sandy Point — 10th March 1974, H.2, 3. 63. Turnix varia, Painted Quail. Migrant, first noted October 1963, open forest, Naval Depot. Nest found December that year. Birds left end of February 1964. Recorded September to April 1966 same area, H.3B. 64.. Rallus pectoralis, Lewin Water-Rail. Rare. Lone bird flushed Samphire flats Sandy Point 23rd December 1963. One found dead at foot of edu- cation camp fire tower; 24th July 1967, H.3, 4. 65. Rallus philippensis, Banded Landrail. Reported at Coolart by Mr. Luxton during 1958, also at the Somers Camp 1959; two birds Hanns Inlet February 1964; one bird Sandy Point bushland May 1964, H.2, 3D and 5. 66. Porzana fluminea, Spotted Crake. Occurs in Naval Base sewerage farm reed beds. 67. Porzana tabuensis, Spotless Crake. Fairly common along Hanns Inlet in mangroves and samphire swamps, often flushed, H.2. 68. Gallinula tenebrosa, Dusky Moorhen. Resident breeding species Coolart. Average population 60. Nests found October to January each year, H.5S. 69. Porphyrio porphyrio, Purple Gallinule (Eastern Swamp Hen). Recorded from Hanns Inlet fresh water swamp. Resident breeder, Coo- lart. Average population 50. Nests found September to December, H.3(a), oy 65 70. Fulica atra, Coot. Gradual increase from 40 to over 120, Coolart, during survey period. Breeds September to February each year, H:5. 71. Rostratula benghalensis, Painted-Snipe. During 1964 many sightings of this rare species were made close to Mel- bourne particularly from Braeside sewerage works. On Sunday 24th May 1964 while carrying out a sweep through the vast samphire marsh along Hanns Inlet, Davis flushed a bird whose description was as follows — Rose rather Quail like, flew with rapid wing beats but laboured flight almost rail like. Legs trailed, tail shortish, blackish-brown head, back appeared dark greenish, a glimpse of the bill indicated it to be long and greeny yellow in colour, the upper breast brownish, the trailing legs had a greenish appearance. In spite of con- siderable effort the bird was not flushed a second time. Subsequent visits to the area also failed to locate the species. After considerable discussion with observers familiar with the Painted- Snipe, it was concluded that the flushed bird was a female. The only other bird that could be confused with the Snipe would be the Banded Land- rail which has similar head colouring but different bill and leg colour, also a shorter stouter bill; the under parts are heavily barred. The flushed bird showed no under barring at all. Ac- cording to well known ornithologist, V. T. Love (who has studied the species in Victoria and examined re- cords from other States) “the bird seems to have a preference for areas covered with the samphire plant” (Page 1788 Australian Wildlife Heritage), H2. 72. Haematopus ostralegus, Pied Oyster-Catcher. Consistent records of up to four 66 birds all months Somers seashore and Sandy Point tidal flats, H.1, 2. 73. Haematopus fuliginosus, Sooty Oyster-Catcher. Very rare. Single record one bird Somers seashore, May 1961, H.1. 74. Vanellus miles novahollandiae, Spur-winged Plover. Common resident species. Nests found each year July and August. On one occasion a nest was found with three eggs, one of which had com- menced to hatch. The young bird was observed for several hours chipping around the egg. The other eggs were also close to hatching and the birds inside could be heard chirping. Aver- age clutches noted were from two to four eggs invariably laid with the tapered ends towards the centre. On 18th August 1963 three nests were found in a triangle approximately 50 yards apart at Somers Camp. Nests were also found on the beach apparently in association with Red- capped Dotterels. During the nesting months average counts per trip were six to twelve birds always in pairs. The species flocks during the months December to March. Average count during this period 60 birds. Nests recorded at Coolart, Hanns Inlet and the open paddocks, H.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. 75. Vanellus tricolor, Banded Plover. Recorded three occasions during survey, the first under somewhat un- usual circumstances. During January 1962 Davis was skin diving off the rocks at Somers. He surfaced only 4 ft. from a rocky island to find a pair of Banded Plover resting only 6 ft. from his face. The birds were not alarmed, probably mistaking Davis for a seal or penguin. Single bird seen at Hastings January 1963; one _ bird Hanns Inlet 23rd June 1963, H.2, 3. 76. Pluvlis dominica fulva, Eastern Golden Plover. Very rare. Single bird along Hanns Inlet 15th September 1963, H.2. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 77. Charadrius rubricollis, Hooded Dotterel. The consistent breeding occurrence of this species is interesting when one considers it is normally recognised as preferring ocean beaches. Nests found during October and November each year, Sandy Point. On only one occa- sion were young observed. On 22nd December 1963 four almost fully grown young birds were seen with their parents. The black hood was absent, upper plumage dark fawn, under whitish, white nape marks, legs and bill coloured dark grey, white wing stripe. On several occasions nests were found within 10 ft. of Red-capped Dotterel’s nests. The species was con- sistently absent from the area during April and May each year, returning June. Average count six birds per trip. Largest count twelve birds in a tight flock January 1964 Sandy Point, H.2. 78. Charadrius alexandrinus, Red-capped Dotterel. Common resident breeding species Somers Beach, Sandy Point and Hanns Inlet. The species formed the basis for a special study at the Somers educa- tion camp carried out by Reid. Breed- ing records for the months of August, October, November and _ January. Population throughout the survey period was reasonably consistent at twelve to fifteen birds. Occasional in- fluxes occurred. Thirty were noted July 1963 and again in May 1965. On Sunday 30th September 1962 the full mating display was witnessed by Davis. A complete description was published in “The Emu” (Vol. 63 — Page 332). Mortality appeared very high. Of forty-two eggs laid during 1965-1966 seasons only five reached the hatching stage, ten were washed away by high tides, eight were de- stroyed or stolen by humans and the remaining nineteen were destroyed or fell to unknown predators. Several pairs nested in almost identical sites April, 1975 from year to year. An extensive band- ing study was carried out at the edu- cation camp from 1958 to 1966 by Reid and continued until 1971 by Neil Wetherall. One banded female was present for a period of five years and nested regularly at the same site. She had three separate partners during this time. Reid conducted behaviour stu- dies of the banded birds and descrip- tions of distraction displays are given in “Survival” 1972 No. 1, P4-5 (pub- lished by the Gould League of Vic- torda); E122 79. Charadrius bicinctus, Double-banded Dotterel. Regular winter migrant from New Zealand. First birds noted end Feb- ruary each year, numbers increasing to a peak of 60 by June. Birds depart abruptly end August and are com- pletely absent until following February. Birds often noticed in breeding plum- age towards the end of July, Sandy Point and Somers Beach, H.1, 2. 80. Charadrius mongolus, Mongolian Sand-Dotterel. Recent addition. Four seen at Sandy Point on Sunday, 10th March, 1974, by a V.O.R.G. survey team, H.2. 81. Charadrius melanops, Black-fronted Dotterel. Resident breeding pair at Coolart. Single record from Hanns Inlet 17th March 1963. The Coolart pair nested each year usually two to three at- tempts. Diverse sites were chosen varying from freshly ploughed pad- docks adjoining the lagoon to the wood heap and tennis court at the education camp. As with the Red-capped Dot- terel, time after time nests and eggs mysteriously disappeared. Over the survey period evidence of success was noted on two occasions only. January 1961 two immature birds at Coolart. These eventually became adults and left approximately four months after hatching. February 1964 two birds 67 were reared to maturity. Occasionally the resident pair were joined by other adult birds for short periods, H.2, 5. 82. Charadrius cinctus, Red-kneed Dotterel. Rare. Single bird Coolart March 1966, seen again May 1967, a pair March 1968, H.5. 83. Arenaria interpres, Turnstone. Recorded recently by _ Richard Lyons, B.O.C. survey team at Sandy Point. Six on 9th February, one each on 6th July and 15th September 1974, Tae. 84. Numenius madagascariensis, Eastern Curlew. As mentioned under early ornitho- logical records, Westernport is well known for its Curlews. The species was regularly recorded from the Naval Base mud flats all months except May, June, July when the birds were absent on migration. Peak counts of up to 40 noted January and February. On 19th April 1964, twelve were observed coming into full breeding plumage. They appeared much brighter in colour with very distinct markings and a greenish tinge to the plumage. Often during September, October and April huge flocks in excess of 1,000 birds were seen in open V formation flying towards French Island, H.2. 85. Numenius phaeopus, Whimbrel. Very rare. Noted only at Hastings on 9th February 1964, thirty seen, FL.2. 86. Tringa brevipes, Grey-tailed Tattler. Listed also at Hastings on two occa- sions, H.2. 87. Tringa nebularia, Greenshank. Forty consistently noted Hanns In- let all months except May to August. Often seen on fresh water lagoon dur- ing high tide in company with other waders. Largest count was 60 in a tight flock 21st February 1965 Hanns Inlet. Wader expert, F. T. H. Smith, 68 described Hanns Inlet as the best habitat for consistently observing Greenshanks near Melbourne, H.2, 3(a). 88. Tringahypoleucos, Common Sandpiper. During September 1962 a single bird spent three weeks at Coolart. It was observed on four occasions. Dur- ing this period an influx of the species was reported from many wader haunts around Melbourne, H.5S. 89. Calidris ferruginea, Curlew Sandpiper. Spasmodic records, Somers seashore, Naval Base mud flats, Hanns Inlet fresh water lagoon. Single records for March, September, October and November. Large groups of up to 60 were sometimes seen during April and May. One wintering record, single bird 28th June 1964 Sandy Point. On 26th February 1969, a single bird noted at Coolart. On 24th March 1963 single bird in full breeding plum- age Hanns Inlet, H.1, 2, 3(a), 5. 90. Calidris ruficollis, Red-necked Stint. The common wader of the survey. Consistent records, 200 to 400 Spring, Summer and Autumn. During 1963 absent May, June, July and August. During late March and April many often recorded in various stages of breeding plumage. During April large flocks observed in apparent pre-migra- tion flights, actively feeding, then rapidly flying in tight wheeling forma- tions, then feeding again. This pat- tern would continue for several weeks before the flocks departed, H.1, 2. 91. Calidris acuminata, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. In spite of extensive samphire swamps in the Hanns Inlet area (nor- mally considered an excellent habitat type for the species) there were few records. February 1964 — forty Hast- ings. Single birds —Hanns Inlet — March 1964 and March 1965, H.2. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 92. Gallinago hardwickii, Japanese Snipe. Numerous early records, grassy fringes, Coolart. During 1962 and 1963, three to four birds consistently flushed December, January and Feb- ruary. January 1964 a single bird flushed. No further records at Coo- lart. Single birds Hanns Inlet January 1964 and February 1965, then no records. As with the preceding species the lack of records from the vast areas of suitable habitat is hard to understand. Also the fact it has apparently dis- appeared from Coolart where, if any- thing, habitat suitability has improved, H.2,5: 93. Himantopus himantopus, Black-winged Stilt. During October 1967 a pair spent several days at Coolart, H.5. 94. Stercorarius skua, Great (Southern) Skua. Recorded Winter 1959, single bird Somers Beach, H.1. 95. Stercorarius parasiticus, Arctic Skua. Occasional visitor. Noted attacking gulls, Somers, late December 1962. Single bird, Crib Point, January 1963. Further records single birds, Sandy Point February, March, April and November 1964, January and April UDO), Fl 96. Larus novaehollandiae, Silver Gull. Very common resident species. Peak population Naval Base tidal flats 800 plus December to May. Dispersion for breeding June to November average count 100. Banded birds often seen. No breeding in survey area. Band reading at Hastings waterfront by Reid over a number of years re- vealed the diverse origins of the feed- ing group there. Birds were present from Port Lincoln, South Australia, Lake Tyrrol and Waranga Basin, Nor- April, 1975 thern Victoria, Wright and Sister Is- lands, Tasmania, and the Colac and Fishermens Bend nesting colonies. A dominant gull banded as a runner by Marc Gottsch (V.O.R.G.) at Waranga was seen at Hastings on scores of occasions by many observers over a three-year period. It was first seen there at the age of six months. Only two other gulls were recorded as being present for more than two weeks. A high percentage of immature gulls were present between September and November each year and the evidence is clear from Table 1 that immature gulls are forced from the favoured feeding places to less competitive sites. On a yearly basis only 10% of the gulls in the prime feeding area in the Colac square were immature, 22% at the less favoured playground area and in typical coastal areas such as Hast- ings, Geelong, Frankston and_ the Yarra mouth the average was 34%, Bd 2,,.35 43 55.6. 97. Larus dominicanus, Dominican Gull. Very rare, recorded Somers Beach September 1960 and August 1964, H.1. 98. Larus pacificus, Pacific Gull. Exact reverse of Silver Gull. Peak counts of 40 to 80 June, July, August and September. Minimum six to ten December and January. The ratio of mature to immature birds was graphed. Results indicated approximately half immature, half mature. High counts recorded usually during rough weather in winter, E.1, 2. 99. Chlidonias hybrida, Whiskered (Marsh)Tern. Two recent records, 10th October 1968 Tulum Creek, 8th February 1970 Somers Beach, H.1. 100. Gelochelidon nilotica, Gull-billed Tern. Very rare. On 19th January 1964 69 single bird observed at close range flying over mud flats Hanns Inlet, H.2. 101. Hydroprogne tschegrava, Caspian Tern. Occasional visitor Somers Beach — September 1962, March 1963, August October and November 1964 (six birds during October 1964), H.2. 102. Sterna paradisea, Arctic Tern. Accidental. Beach washed specimen collected Somers October 1960 was second Victorian record (“The Emu”, Wolk 64. Part 1, P38). 103. Sterna striata, White-fronted Tern. Very rare. Beach washed specimen, Sandy Point — 27th June 1965, H.1. 104. Sterna bergii, Crested Tern. Common, recorded every survey trip from all beach and tidal flat locations. Average count 30, largest count 80, jes ) h 105. Sterna nereis, Fairy Tern. Occasional visitor, noted four trips —October 1962, October 1963 —four birds. August 1964 and January 1965 — six birds, H.1, 2. To be Continued. The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2 —Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous [continued from 92 (3)] by JAMES A. BAINES *Diplotaxis. Gk diploos, double; taxis, putting in order, arrangement; from the bi-seriate seeds. *D. tenuifolia, Sand Rocket, and *D. muralis, Wall Rocket, are the two species naturalized in Victoria. Dipodium. Gk dis, double; podion, little foot; referring to the two stalks, or false caudicles, of the pollinary ap- paratus. Victoria’s sole species is D. punctatum, Hyacinth Orchid. *Dipsacus. The Gk name, dipsakos (from dipsa, thirst), in Dioscorides of *D. fullonum, Wild Teasel, which is naturalized here, but subspecies D. f. sativus, Fullers’ Teasel, the heads of which were formerly used in ‘fulling’ (putting a nap on woollen cloth), is not. The word dipsakos meant also a kind of dropsy, and, as a plant-name, had reference to the accumulation of water in the connate leaf bases. The generic name is the basis of the family name Dipsacaceae. 70 Discaria. Gk diskos, a disc; the flower of these spiny shrubs has a large fleshy disc. Victoria’s species is D. pubescens, Australian Anchor Plant. New Zea- land’s sole species, D. toumatou, is more fearsome-looking, and is called Wild Irishman (as well as two Maori names). Disphyma. Gk dis, twice; phyma, a swelling, tumor, tubercle. Our species, D. australe, Rounded Noon-flower, was formerly known as Mesembryanthe- mum australe, Round-leaved Pigface. Distichlis. Gk di, dis, 2; stichos, a row or line; the leaves are strongly dis- tichous (arranged in two opposite rows), as the specific name of our species implies, D. distichophylla, Aus- tralian Salt Grass. Diuris. Gk di-, 2; oura, tail; the long lateral sepals having the appearance of two tails, prompting a common name sometimes used, Double-tails. Our nine (continued on page 79) Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Descriptions of the Larvae of Four Species of Lucanidae (Stag Beetle) JOHN ALDERSON* Introduction Systematic observations of the feed- ing behaviour of Lyrebirds and other animals in their natural environment led the author to examine the various forms of forest-floor fauna consumed by such animals. Among the fauna were several specimens of mature Coleoptera (beetles) and Coleoptera larvae which were collected. In this paper descriptions of the larvae of four species, Lamprima varians Germer., Lissapterus howittanus Westw., Lis- sotes furcicornis Westw., and Syndesus cornutus Fab. are given. The descrip- tions are based on characters after Hayes (1928), Boving (1930), and Peterson (1951). A shadograph was used to examine specimens soon after the final instar moult and specimens with similar characters were placed into corresponding groups. Ten speci- mens of each group were killed with Peterson’s “KAA” and preserved in 90% alcohol; several specimens were allowed to complete their life-cycles. Each of the live specimens was placed in a glass container with material from the collection site. The containers were then covered with black plastic film to exclude light and at regular intervals the plasic was removed to allow main- tenance and inspection of larval deve- lopment. Many differences in the general shape and colour of all species were noticed and an account of these together with the life histories and habits of adults is in preparation. The species selected to represent the family on Plate I is Lissapterus howittanus. April, 1975 General description of mature larvae The four species are C-shaped, near- white, variable in body length within species on the dorsal aspect. Lamprima varians Germer., ranges from 53 to 70 mm, Lissapterus howittanus Westw.., from 50 to 92 mm, Lissotes furcicornis Westw., from 35 to 44mm, and Syn- desus cornutus Fab., from 25 to 44mm. Both Lissapterus howittanus and Lis- sotes furcicornis were found to be somewhat thicker posteriorly between abdominal segments 5-9 and Lam- prima varians and Syndesus cornutus are tapered, more elongate in shape. Each species has 10 abdominal seg- ments, with C-shaped cribriform spir- acles visible on the prothorax and abdominal segments 1-8. The anal seg- ment has a vertical anal opening and lobes on the caudal aspect (Fig. 1). The head (Figs. 2 and 2a), orange to pale yellow, slightly smaller than the prothorax, with a few setae, and dis- tinct epicranial suture surrounding the frons. Clypeus short, wider than long, brown on the upper half and vreamy white on the lower half. Labrum brown, V-shaped, rounded and seta- ceous on the apical margin. Antennae are distinct, geniculate, three-seg- mented, situated near the base of the mandibles (Fig. 3) which are black, asymmetrical, with the left mandible having a molar and four distinct ter- minal teeth on the mesal aspect. Each *Fisheries and Wildlife Division, Arthur Rylah In- stitute for Environmental Research, Brown Street, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084. 71 maxilla (Fig. 4) consists of a two- segmented cardo, stipes, palpifer and a four-segmented palpus, galea and lacinia. The galea and lacinia each terminate with a strong pigmented spur. The labial palpi are two-seg- mented. The three thoracic segments each carry a pair of four-segmented setaceous legs, subequal in size (Fig. 5). Stridulating organs are present on the first and second segments of the mesothoracic and metathoracic legs respectively. Numerous short, stout setae (resembling asperites) and fewer longer setae occur transversely, on the dorsa of abdominal segments 1-6 and caudolateral portions of the 9th. Lam- prima varians has fewer longer setae and more numerous asperite-like setae on the dorsal and !ateral surface of all segments. Lissotes furcicornis has ocelli at the side of antennae. Different characters were found in the epipharynges (underside of lab- rum); antennae; tarsungulus (terminal segment of legs); anal segments; and stridulatory organs. EPIPHARYNGES In the four species the epipharynges are roughly wedge-shaped, setaceous and rounded on the apical margin with a broad shallow callus (sometimes lightly pigmented) situated on _ the middle of the distal sensory area. Paria usually covered with setae which become fewer and smaller, laterally. The laetorma and dexiotorma are fused, with an annulus of very small, trun- cated, asperite-like spines, extending from the torma to the distal sensory area. Pedium slightly concave, with a mesal anterior projection situated on the torma, extending into the spinose annulus. The proximal sensory area consists of a medial sense cone con- joined to the torma, basally, imme- diately behind the anterior projection and another sense cone proximad to this with a chitinized plate on each side. A pternotorma is present. 72 (a) Lamprima_ varians (Fig. 6). Mesal anterior projection is short and broad. Distal sensory area has an an- terior, transverse, medial row of six truncated spines and an inner row consisting of 3-4 asperites. Pterno- torma short. (b) Lissapterus howittanus (Fig. 7). More rounded at the apex than the other three species with the lateral- anterior portion of the margin angu- late and the mesal aspect of the lateral margin pointed. Mesal anterior pro- jection extends to about the middle of the annulus. Distal sensory area has a transverse anterior row of six fine, long, spines and two additional rows proximad to these, each consisting of two spines. A dense patch of asperites occurs on the anterior portion of the spinose annulus. Pternotorma deep- keeled. (c) Lissotes furcicornis (Fig. 8). Mesal anterior projection extends to about the middle of the annulus. Dis- tal sensory area consists of a patch of eight asperites which appear to be in pairs, irregularly placed, extending basally. Proximal to these is a trans- verse row of four asperites immediately anterior to the spinose annulus. Some 3-7 setae occur on the lateral margin of the epipharynx. Pternotorma shallow. (d) Syndesus cornutus (Fig. 9). Mesal anterior projection extends to about the middle of the annulus. Dis- tal sensory area has an anterior trans- verse row of four strong pointed spines and four asperites on anterior portion of the annulus. Pternotorma moder- ately keeled. Some three setae occur on the lateral margin of the epi- pharynx. ANTENNAE Antennae are three-segmented. First segment long, narrow basally, swollen distally with a few setae. Second seg- ment clavate, with or without setae and sensory spots. Terminal segment Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 small, cylindrical, pointed apically, with one seta on the apex and one on each side. (a) Lamprima varians (Fig. 10). Some four setae occur on the first seg- ment. Second segment somewhat up- curved and pointed apically below the terminal segment; devoid of setae and sensory spots. (b) Lissapterus howittanus (Fig. 11). Some 4-5 setae occur on the first segment and 14-16 sensory spots on the third segment. Terminal segment with four setae; one seta on the dorsal aspect and one on each side. Fourth seta situated medially, apically. (c) Lissotes furcicornis (Fig. 12). Generally more _ setaceous, having some 12 setae on the first segment and numerous, fine, bristle-like setae on the third segment. (d) Syndesus cornutus (Fig. 13). First segment with 4-5 setae. Second segment devoid of setae and sensory spots. TARSUNGULUS (a) Lamprima varians (Fig. 14). Legs without distal claw, terminal seg- ment somewhat bulbous, densely covered with setae. (b) Lissapterus howittanus (Fig. 15). Legs terminate with a slightly curved, elongate, blunt claw; one seta situated ventrally behind the apex and another seta situated laterally forward of the middle of the claw. (c) Lissotes furcicornis (Fig. 16). Legs terminate with a moderately curved, pointed claw, broad basally; one seta present on each side near the base. (d) Syndesus cornutus (Figs. 17- 18). Legs terminate with a somewhat elongate tubercle which has a small cusp at the middle, apically and one seta on each side of the cusp. ANAL SEGMENTS (a) Lamprima varians (Fig. 19). Anal pads which together are cordi- April, 1975 form, with numerous short fine bristles on the upper surface, decreasing in number on the lower surface. Dorsal anal lobe small and devoid of setae. Raster with very short septula, with a patch of short, fine setae situated ven- trally on each side of anal pads. (b) Lissapterus howittanus (Fig. 20). Anal pads ovate and _ inflated (slightly concave on inner margin on odd specimens). Ventral and lobes with a patch of short, stout, down- ward-directed setae. Dorsal anal lobe small, devoid of setae. Raster with a long, straight, open septula, extending into the campus, with a dense patch of short, stout, compressed setae on each side, extrorse, set at about 45° angle. (c) Lissotes furcicornis (Fig. 21). Anal pads ovate. Ventral anal lobe with a patch of somewhat short, stout, setae, extrose. Dorsal anal lobe slightly inflated. Septula wide, inverted V- shaped for about half the length of the segment. Upper half in region of cam- pus, somewhat V-shaped. (d) Syndesus cornutus (Fig. 22). Tri-lobed, with lobes distinctly in- flated. Anal pads ovate. Dorsal anal lobe with distinct almost ovate pad. Ventral anal lobes devoid of setae. Raster with numerous, short, introrse setae and narrow septula extending to, and closed, just beyond the middle of the segment. STRIDULATORY ORGANS These are not described but are illustrated in Figures 23-26. Acknowledgements For assistance in field work, collect- ing material and never-ending patience, I am indebted to my wife; special thanks to Miss Sue Beattie who, in addition to field work, had the dif- ficult task of searching literature and assisting with laboratory procedures. Thanks also to Messrs. C. Robbins and F. Douglas for their assistance in col- 73 Lissapterus howittanus 74 3mm. Plate I Mature larvae of Lissapterus howittanus. Fig. ile Lateral view of larvae. 2. & 2a. Head — dorsal and lateral view. 3: Mandibles — lateral view. 4. Right maxilla and labium ventral view. 3 Leg. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Plate II Fig Epipharynges. 6 Lamprima varians. ae Lissapterus howittanus. 8. Lissotes furcicornis. 9, Syndesus cornutus. Fig. Antennae. 10. Lamprima varians. 1a Lissapterus howittanus. has Lissotes furcicornis. 13. Syndesus cornutus. Fig. Tarsungulus. 14. Leg of Lamprima varians. Ls: Claw of Lissapterus howittanus — lateral view. 16. Claw of Lissotes furcicornis — lateral view. 17-18. Segment of Syndesus cornutus — lateral and dorsal view. April, 1975 TD Plates TI & IV 76 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 2? PLAS Ll? Z INS IS SN Gore | a SS 23 ee INNS SS Se, WSS 27/1 | Anal segments — posterior, ventral and lateral views respectively. Fig. 19. Lamprima varians. 20. Lissapterus howittanus. Pa Lissotes furcicornis. 22, Syndesus cornutus. April, 1975 77 ore. a -@ wee ef 0 a ¢ : ve @ oe sae os oS a 9 r 6 aaa —_— oe? — : ] ors ees 5 a ye oe g 0086 ,' get ine 0 0 0 id ; Be ae 60 6 @ woe one 6 0 (J oe aes on e —_— r) a é ee o O 6 , é pei . 4 oe Pg oe r) o o rs ie 6 ° e (4 s° e r) “ 25 363 Plate V Stridulatory organs — mesothoracic and metathoracic legs respectively. 24. Lissapterus howittanus. 23. Lamprima varians. DD. Lissotes furcicornis. 26. Syndesus cornutus. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 78 lecting material. I am grateful to members of the Fisheries Division’s staff, Drs. D. Evans and Z. Abedi, for reading the draft, Mr. J. Cooper, photographer, and Messrs. J. Bacher, K. H. Beinssen and J. Seebeck for their encouragement and the use of equipment. Drs. E. B. Britton, B. P. Moore (C.S.I.R.O.), Mr. G. Monteith (Queensland University), and the staff of the Entomological Division, Mel- bourne Museum. REFERENCES Benesh, B., 1960. Coleopterorum Cata- logus. Pars 8. Lucanidae (Ed. Sec.). Junk, The Hague. 178 pp. Boving, A. G. and Craighead, F. C., 1930. An illustrated synopsis of the principal larval forms of the Order Coleoptera. Entemologica Americana, Vol. XI (N.S.), 351 pp. (Continued from page 70) species often have common names with zoological twist, such as D. maculata (Leopard Orchid), D. sulphurea (Tiger Orchid), D. pedunculata (Snake Orchid or Golden Moths), and D. longifolia (Donkey Orchid in W.A., but Wall- flower Orchid in Victoria). The generic name is used as a common name some- times, with a qualifying adjective, such as D. punctata (Purple Diuris, White Diuris or Long Double-tails). *Dolichos. Gk dolichos, long; used by the Greeks for long-podded beans, hence transferred to these climbing plants closely related to beans. Our species, *D. lignosus, is not native, nevertheless it is known in America as Australia-pea Dolichos; it is Com- mon Dolichos here. Drabastrum. Draba, name of a cruci- ferous genus (from Gk drabe, the clas- April, 1975 Broun, T., 1880. On the Larva and Pupa of Ceratognathus irroratus. Trans- actions and Proceedings for 1880. Vol. XII, pp.230-231. New Zealand In- stitute. Carne, P. B., 1951. Preservation Tech- niques for Scarabaeid and other Insect Larvae. Division of Entomology, C.S.I.R.O., pp. 26-30. Hayes, W. P., 1928. The Epipharynx of Lamellicorn Larvae (Coleop.), with a Key to Common Genera. Annals Ento- mological Society of America. Vol. XXI, pp. 282-303. Hudson, G. V., 1934. New Zealand Beetles and Their Larvae. Ferguson & Osborn, Wellington, N.Z., 236pp., 17 pls. Imms, A. D., 1957. A General Textbook of Entomology, 9th edition, pp. 784-786. Peterson, A., 1960. Larvae of Insects, Part IH. Columbus, Ohio, 416 pp. Ritcher, P. O., 1967. Keys for Identify- ing Larvae of Scarabaeoidea to the Family and Subfamily. (Coleoptera.) Occasional Papers— No. 10, Bureau of Entomology, California Department of Agriculture. sical name for Cardaria draba); -aster, -astrum, Lat suffix for a diminutive, often used in a pejorative or deroga- tory way (cf. poetaster, a poor poet). D. alpestre, our species, is Mountain Cress. Drimys. Gk drimys, acrid, pungent; from the taste of the bark and the pep- pery leaves. Our species, D. lanceo- lata, Mountain Pepper, was once Winterania and is now Tasmannia. It is in family Winteraceae. Drosera. Named by Linnaeus from Gk droseros, dewy (drosos, dew); referring to the clear, shining, dew-like drops of secretion on the leaf-glands. Adan- son’s name for the genus was Ros-solis (literally dew of sun, i.e. sundew). Vic- toria has nine species, all native, known as various kinds of sundew. To be continued 79 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 the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Q.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1975-1976. President: Mr. P. KELLY, 260 The Boulevard, East Ivanhoe, 3079. Hon. Secretary: Mr. GARNET JOHNSON, 20 Sydare Ave., Chadstone, 3148. 56 3227. Treasurer: H. BISHOP. Address Correspondence to National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145. Acting Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg, 3084. Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield, 3151. (52 2749.) Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. D. E. McINNES. Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards St., Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36 0587. Group Secretaries Botany: Miss E. JONES, 6 West Crt., Glen Waverley, 3150. (560 2280.) Day Group: Mrs. J. STRONG, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena. (56 2271.) Entomology and Marine Biology: Mr. J. W. H. STRONG, Flat 11, “Palm Court’’, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena, 3163. (56 2271.) Field Survey: R. D. SANDELL, 39 Rubens Gve., Canterbury, 3126. Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Miss Wendy CLARK, 97 Faraday Street, Carlton, 3053. Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy St., East Brighton. (96 3268.) 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 1975 00 Metropolitan - . ae ee re Bs me a bil oe $10.00 Joint Metropolitan .. a * Te 52 ie Mis. ae Es $12.50 Joint Retired Members : Re a a i $10.00 Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65. $8.00 Joint Country a =e es: $10.00 Junior $2.50 Subscriptions to Vict. Nat. 3 or a3 kf so! oe ag a $8 Overseas Subscription He we: =i ee fe ae a ae st $10.00 Junior with ‘‘Naturalist” .. si ie =a iS ae BA Aba a $8.00 Individual Magazines ie $0.75 All subscriptions ehoulel be riade payable to ine Field Niaturaliet Club of Victone and posted to the Subscription Secretary. @ JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNz MAY, 1975 FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA in which is incorporated the Microscopical Society of Victoria Registered in Australia for transmission by post as a periodical. Category “B” F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 12 May — At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, commencing at 8 p.m. Subject of the Evening — “Catchment and Catchment Management”: Speaker from Soil Conservation Authority. New Members — Ordinary: Mrs. Wendy Bedggood, Flat 3, 1 Bevan Street, Balwyn, 3103. Botany. Miss Monica Behrend, 9 Cremorne Street, Balwyn, 3103. Mammals and Insects. Mrs. Margaret Cooper, 6 Allee Street, Brighton, 3186. Botany. Mr. Neil W. Hunt, 119 Hickford Street, Reservoir, 3073. Miss Lindsay Ivory, 48 Grey Street, East Melbourne, 3002. Miss Monica Lundie, 15/8 Hepburn Street, Hawthorn, 3122. Mr. R. F. Parsons, Dept. of Botany, La Trobe University, Bundoora, 3083. Botany. Miss Louise Piper, Flat 8, 11 Yonga Road, Balwyn, 3103. Joint: Mr. Daryl K. Evans, Mrs. Ruth Evans, 166 Head Street, Elsternwick, 3185. Miss P. Newton, Miss E. Pollard, P.O. Box 92, Mt. Waverley, 3149. Botany and Conservation. Country: Mr. Robert Eager, Evans Grove, Wandin North, 3139. Mr. John C. Llewelyn, 5 Ellis Street, Bendigo, 3550. Monday, 9 June — “Ants and Plants in the Chihuahuan Desert’: Dr. S. Ettershanck. GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at the National Herbarium unless stated otherwise) Wednesday, 14 May — Microscopical Group Meeting. Thursday, 15 May — Day Group. Thursday, 22 May — Field Survey Group Meeting in Conference Room, National Museum at 8.00 p.m. Monday, 2 June — Marine Biology and Entomology Group Meeting in Conference Room, National Museum at 8 p.m. Wednesday, 4 June — Geology Group meeting. Thursday, 5 June — Mammal Survey Group Meeting at Arthur Rylah Institute, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg at 8 p.m. Thursday, 12 June — Botany Group Meeting. Subject—‘‘Fungi’’: Mr. Bruce Fuhrer. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 18 May — Yarra Bend National Park. The Club has offered to assist in the attempt to control Boneseed in this area and part of the day will be spent clearing as much of this weed as we can. Bring gardening gloves, as young plants are easily pulled out by hand and all members can help with this. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. — fare $1.50 — bring one meal. It is planned to make our first stop at the Pioneer Monument and to lunch at the Boatshed picnic area where we hope all members who cannot go for the day, but can spare an hour or two will join the working bee for as long as possible. 82 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 the victorian naturalist Vol. 92, No. 5 7 May, 1975 Acting Editor: G. M. Ward Assistant Editor: G. F. Douglas Contents Articles: Studies of "Antechinus swainsonii. and other small mammals in Sherbrooke Forest. By G. F. Reed and R. L. Wallis 84 Vegetation in the S. E. Suburbs. By P. Bridgewater Fe Features: The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora. By James A. Baines 90 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: Diary of Coming Events 82 Reports of General and Group Meetings. 96 January Excursion 98 Front Cover: The Broad-toothed Rat (""Mastacomys fuscus'’). See leading article. May, 1975 There has over the last month been a dra- matic change in the F.N.C.V., under the leader- ship of President Peter Kelly, a new team is showing plenty of drive and determination in getting ‘‘On with the Job”’. We have a new Hon. Secretary, a new Assistant Secretary and an Hon. Typist, Miss Joyce Annear, who is also acting as Duplicat- ing Officer. The Treasurer reports that membership has been maintained and is in fact on the increase; many overdue subscriptions are being paid up from Members given up as lost to the Club. Council has stopped subscribing to several organisations that have doubtful value to the FNEG. Ve ‘The Victorian Naturalist’’:—-A new Editor, Mr. Fred Rogers, Past-President of the $.G.A.P., author of ‘‘Victorian Wattles’’ and with many years of editorial experience in Natural History, will guide “‘The Naturalist’? and maintain the standards members appreciate. Offers to help as assistants to the Editor have been received. The cost and structure of ‘‘The Naturalist’? will be under review in an endeavour to give Members the best service without financial loss to the Club in 1975. Activities: —-All Members should be aware that the seven Groups of the F.N.C.V. with their own meetings and outings plus the parent body activities give a total of about 140 events that Members can attend. Any Member is welcome to come to any Group Meeting or Excursion. Council is at full strength, strengthened by new Members willing to serve. Service to the Public, Members and other Clubs:—Many hours of time is given answer- ing queries by the Secretary, Librarian, Maga- zine Sales Officer, Archives Officer and Group Secretaries, and this service will continue. | hope to serve the Club well in the future and | need the co-operation of all Members and that means You. What about it? At your service, GARNET JOHNSON, Hon. Sec. 83 Studies of Antechinus swainsonii and Other Small Mammals in an Area of Sherbrooke Forest Park G. F. REED* AND R. L. WALLIS* SUMMARY A trapping program in part of Sherbrooke Forest Park has shown Rattus fuscipes, Antechinus swain- sonu and Antechinus stuartii to be common but Mastacomys fuscus to have apparently died out. The R. fuscipes population level remained stable throughout the study, yet in both Antechinus species the males died after the breeding season. Mat- ing in these marsupials probably occurs in the first half of August and by mid-September all adult males have died. Lactating A. swainsonii have district, small home ranges (ORL about 30m). Introduction Trapping programs in 1971 and 1972 under the direction of N. A. Wakefield established the presence of small populations of the broad-toothed rat (Mastacomys fuscus) in Sher- brooke Forest Park (Brugman, 1971; Gallagher, 1972). One such popula- tion was moved late in 1972 before that area was sprayed to eradicate blackberries. One of the aims of this project was to determine whether this population had survived in its new and former locations. The unusual life history of the Brown Marsupial-mouse (Antechinus stuartii) is well documented (Woolley, 1966; Wood, 1970; Woollard, 1971). Males die within weeks of mating but females may live for two years in the field. Little has been reported on the population and home range size, breeding season and fecundity of the Dusky Antechinus (A. swainsonii). 84 The results of a preliminary study designed to investigate these aspects are also presented. Materials and Methods The study area’ was_ located approximately one km east of Bel- grave, off Coles Ridge Road, in Sherbrooke Forest Park (see fig. 1). Mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) predominates with an understorey of prickly currant bush (Coprosma quadrifida), blackberry (Rubus fruti- cosus), wire grass (Tetrarrhena juncea) and_ bracken’ (Pteridium esculentum). Elliot aluminium type B (32x9x9 cm) and Gordon wire mesh traps (36x 13 x 13. cm) were baited with a mixture of rolled oats, honey and peanut butter. Initially three traps were set together at points 25 m apart in a series of lines (fig. 1). Later a grid of three parallel lines 10 m apart was used, with three traps set at points every 20m on the lines~-(fig. 4). Trapping occurred once or_ twice weekly from July to October, 1973 (see table 1). Traps were set at dusk and cleared early the next morning. Animals captured were marked with a non-poisonous paint on the feet or their toes were clipped. Scars were also used for identification. Animals were weighed in the field in a plastic bag suspended from a 200 g. wt. spring balance. Observed range length (ORL) (Stickel, 1954) was used as an index of home range size. Centres of acti- * Department of Environmental Studies, State College of Victoria, Rusden, Blackburn Road, Clayton, Victoria. 3168. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 vity were also determined by the method of Hayne (1949). Population size estimates were based on the “known to be alive’? value (Wood, 1970) based solely on animals which were regularly trapped on the grid. Results One Mastacomys fuscus was cap- tured at point 5, line 1, which is within the area of the colony trapped in 1971-72. The animal bore the mark of a previous trapping program and hence must have been at least 12 months old. Repeated saturation trap- ping near this capture point failed to retake this and other M. fuscus. Table 1 lists the results of the year’s trapping, indicating the trapping suc- cess rate total number of animals caught (100 traps) and the percentage each species constituted each time. Figure 1. N y N Non-scale diagram of the study area. Point marked on line 1 is the site of the M. fuscus capture. 4 TO BELGRAVE Cc les Ridge Rd May, 1975 The trapping success rate is plotted against time of year in fig. 2. Pouched young of A. stuartii were first noticed on 19/9/73 and A. swainsonii on 13/9/73. No males of either species of Antechinus were trapped after the first week in Septem- ber. Trapping dates were such that the earliest date for the male die-off could in fact have been the last week of August. The sex ratio of trapped A. swainsonii changes with time (fig. 3). At the time of breeding the pro- portion of males in the _ trapped samples is high (max. 0.85 males/ female) consistent with their increas- ed activity at this time. Then follows a decline in the sex ratio so that by September the population consisted entirely of females. A preliminary analysis of home range of lactating female A swain- Area xe 85 169 co 8 S trapping success a) dR io) / 20 —— eee ee 1 as JOLY AUGUST SEPT. OCT. Figure 2. Trapping success rate as a percentage plotted against time of year. TABLE 1 Trapping success rates and proportion each species represented in each trapping session. For trapping sites, see Fig. 1. PERCENTAGE TAKE AS TRAPPING TRAPPING SUCCESS DATE RATE SITE Wd < ep 4 a ——_ Fa @ Positive plot o Negative plot e Probable plot June, 1975 111 feeb A cae aa gels oe | fade aE ee hel a @ Probable Plot Litonta aurea Nant forms Plot e e = 5 3 O be S Hi = ® 3 e Positive Litonia Litorta critnropa Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 112 3 3 S ics evs Re ale eased eae fae) : : : : Oo Negative Plot e Probable Plot @e Positive Plot 113 June, 1975 eee Seems GesECUBS See SeeenPoSs Beret tiie ois - 5 ee SEERSEE ETRE EE EE Litonia maculata SE Sakae e Positive Plot 1 a eR aes @ Literature | = 114 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Litoria phyllLochroa Ss Sea eat ine y, SI Ve e Positive Plot © Probable Plot / es o Negative Plot - PCH REE bs ceenrn hee ae pra! Let Pe Pan ties mee: iS ie 2 4 ~ ad ~- ww Ww ws ~ ‘ a™. au ‘ ‘ ‘2 June, 1975 115 2 al i e Neobatrachus pictus Poe Peery m Mixophyes balbus mee Tt bl | | dle ao ie ee | ba ey 2 es. Bei. Me: Gr. ace ee, Ries ee ne Neobatrachus acne 8: : ort a a Philonta fr0StL eal BRE ee /| Bs 7h | mee | All symbols’ represent positive plots 116 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 3 S) rw) 3 ae) oy S > 3 2 Ss) SS 3 a SAA Ske Pt bed Teel CW pekeerseetey \ @e Specimen Record © Voice Record 117 June, 1975 @ Positive Plot 118 aiete fl o Negative Plot col sal “cH e Probable Plot Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 ' Ranidekla Helexroporus austrabracus All symbols represent positive plots. 119 June, 1975 REFERENCES Blake, A. J. D. (1973). Taxonomy and relationships of myobatrachine frogs (Leptodactylidae); A numerical ap- proach. Aust. J. Zool. 21, 119-49. Bureau of Meteorology (1969). matic Averages Australia.” Bureau of Meteorology (1972). Climate of Victoria. In “Victorian Year Book’’. No. 86. Copeland, S. J. (1957). Australian tree frogs of the genus Hyla. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 82, 9-108. Darlington, P. J. (1957). “Zoogeog- raphy”, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Land Conservation Council Victoria (1972). “Report on North-Eastern Study Area, District 1.” Land Conservation Council Victoria (1974). “Report on the East Gipps- land Study Area.” Littlejohn, M. J. (1958). A new species of frog of the genus Crinia Tschudi from south-eastern Australia. Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 83: 222- 226% Littlejohn, M. J. (1962). Zoology of the high plains: part 1 — ichthyology and herpetology. Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, Vol, 75; Part 2. Littlejohn, M. J. (1963). Frogs of the Melbourne area. Victorian Nat. 79, 296-304. Littlejohn, M. J. (1965). Premating iso- lation in the Hyla ewingi complex (Anura: Hylidae). Evolution, Vol. 19, No. 2. Main, A. R. (1957). Studies in Austra- lian Amphibia 1. The genus Crinia Tschudi in south-western Australia and some species from south-eastern Australia. Aust. J. Zool. 5: 30-55. Martin, A. A. (1972). Studies in Aus- tralian Amphibia, HI. The Limnody- nastes dorsalis complex (Anura: Lep- todactylidae). Aust. J. Zool., 20, 165- Martin, A. A., and Littlejohn, M.J. (1966). The breeding biology and lar- val development of Ayla jervisiensis (Anura: Hylidae). Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., Vol. 91, Part 1, 47-57. Moore, J. A. (1961). The frogs of eastern New South Wales. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 121, 149-386. “Chi- 120 Parker, H. W. (1940). The Australian frogs of the Family Leptodactylidae. Novit. Zool. 42, 1-106. Smith, B. J., and Plant, R. J. (1973). Preliminary results of non-marine mollusc census. Victorian Nat. 90, 259-63. Tyler, M. J. (1971). The phylogenetic significance of vocal sac structure in hylid frogs. Univ. Kans. Publs. Mus. Nat. Hist. 19, 319-60. Watson, G. F., Loftus-Hills, J. J., and Littlejohn, M. J. (1971). The Litoria ewingi complex (Anura: Hylidae) in south-eastern Australia. Aust. J. Zool., 19, 401-16. Littlejohn, M. J. (1966). Amphibians of the Victorian Mallee. Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 79, 597-603. Littlejohn, M. J. (1967). Patterns of Zoogeography and_— speciation’ in south-eastern Australian Amphibia. In “Australian Inland Waters and Their Fauna”. (Ed. A. H. Weatherly.) (Aus- tralian National University Press, Can- berra.) Littlejohn, M. J. (1969). Amphibia of East Gippsland. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic- toria, 82, 105-112. Littlejohn, M. J. (1971). Amphibia of Victoria. Victorian Year Book, No. 85, 1-11. Littlejohn, M. J., Loftus-Hills, J. J., Martin, A. A., and Watson, G. F. (1972). Amphibian Fauna of Victoria. Confirmation of the Records of Litoria (-Hyla) citropa (Tschundi) in Gipps- land. Victorian Nat., 89, 51-54. Littlejohn, M. J., and Martin, A. A. (1964). The Crinia laevis complex (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in south- eastern Australia. Aust. J. Zool., 12, 70-83. Littlejohn, M. J. and Martin, A. A. (1967). The rediscovery of Heleioporus australiacus (Shaw) (Anura: Lepto- dactylidae) in eastern Victoria. Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 80, 31-35. Littlejohn, M. J., Watson, G. F., and Loftus-Hills, J. J. (1971). Contact hybridization in the Crinia laevis com- plex (Anura: Leptodactylidae). Aust. J. Zool. 19, 85-100. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Victorian Ornithological Research Group Westernport Report No. 1 Part 4 The Birds of the Somers, Sandy Point, Hastings Districts, Westernport Bay, Victoria, Australia. by WILLIAM A. Davis AND ALAN J. REID CONTINUED FROM VOL. 92, P. 70. 106. Phaps chalcoptera, Common Bronzewing. Common resident noted most bushland areas and roadside fringes, H.3, 4, as 107. Phaps elegans, Brush Bronzewing. Restricted to Sandy Point bushland. Noted all survey trips 4-12 birds. Ex- cellent views obtained while driving slowly down Sandy Point track. On 4 November 1963 partial mating display observed. Hen bird appeared on track closely followed by cock with head held low to the ground, feathers fluffed. He followed her approximately 1 ft. behind gently cooing for several minutes. Both birds then disappeared into bush. | 108. Columbia livia, Rock Dove. The introduced common pigeon. Occasionally noted in flocks. H.6. 109. Streptopelia chinensis, Spotted Turtle Dove. Introduced. Common resident most areas. H3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 110. Calyptorhynchus funereus, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo. Very rare. 20 February 1966 a small flock observed along Coolart Drive. H.S. 111. Callocephalon fimbriatum, Gang-Gang Cockatoo. Mr. Luxton remembered approximately 80 along Coolart Drive after disastrous 1939 bushfires. During December 1966 — 3 birds seen at Coolart. H.5. 112. Cacatua galerita, White Cockatoo. June 1962, small flock noted twice in Coolart paddocks. 6 October 1963 single bird Coolart (possibly escapee). H.5. 113. Cacatua roseicapilla, Galah. Rare visitor. November 1960 flock of 8 Somers, 6 October 1963 flock of 6 Coolart, September 1965 pair education camp bushland, 23 April 1967 flock of 5 Somers Camp, 22 May 1970 large flock Somers. H.4, 5. 114. Trichoglossus moluccanus, Rainbow Lorikeet. Rare visitor. Pair Sandy Point October 1963. Pair Coolart November 1963. Small flock education camp bushland 4 November 1965. H.3, 4, 5. 115. Glossopsitta concinna, Musk-Lorikeet. Strictly seasonal. Flocks, sometimes large, often seen Sandy Point bushland and Somers foreshore scrub from February to late April. Occurrence coincides with flowering Eucalypts and Banksias. H. 3, 4. 116. Glossopsitta porphyrocephala, Purple-crowned Lorikeet. Very rare. Small flock Hastings 30 April 1962. H.4. June, 1975 121 117. Glossopsitta pusilla, Little Lorikeet. Irruption during February, March and April 1964 Sandy Point bushland, large flocks observed. H.3. 118. Platycercus elegans. Crimson Rosella. Surprisingly rare. Single bird Sandy Point 4 November 1962. Pair open forest Naval Depot 6 October 1963. Lone bird Sandy Point bushland 12 July 1964. H.3. 119. Platycercus eximius, Eastern Rosella. The common resident breeding parrot of the district. Noted every trip, from 6 to 20 seen. During Spring often observed squabbling over nest sites. 4 August 1963 — 4 seen feeding on sea rocket seeds (Cakile maritima) in sand dunes, Sandy Point. H.1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 120. Psephotus haematonotus, Red-backed Parrot. Very rare visitor. Six noted feeding Coolart paddocks 21 April 1963. H.S. 121. Neophema chrysostomus, Blue-winged Parrot. Noted Somers camp prior to 1962. Occasional visitor to Sandy Point. Listed October and November 1963 —2 birds. 4— March 1964. Single bird November 1964. H.3, 4. 122. Lathamus discolor, Swift Parrot. Very rare. Two flew over education camp Easter 1962. Large flock feeding in Banksias with Lorikeets 19 April 1964, Sandy Point. H.3, 4. 123. Melopsittacus undulatus, Budgerigar. Single birds occasionally seen probably aviary escapees. 124. Cuculus pallidus, Pallid Cuckoo. Very common prior to 1961. Phillip Brooke (B.O.C.) noted the species as common arriving Spring, Hanns Inlet 1949 to 1952. During the systematic survey a positive decline recorded, see table 1. Species now classed as very rare at Somers. Decline could possibly be due to pesticides. H.3, 4. 125. Cacomantis pyrrhophanus, Fan-tailed Cuckoo. The common cuckoo of the survey. Absent March to June each year. July to February 4 to 20 consistently noted Sandy Point bushland. Occasionally visits Coolart and education camp. Late Spring each year many immature birds seen. Young birds have variety of loud calls not usually used by adults. H.3, 4, 5. 126. Chrysococcyx osculans, Black-eared Cuckoo. Very rare vagrant. October 1961 lone bird seen several times at Hastings and again at Naval Depot golf course October 1966. H.4. 127. Chrysococcyx basalis, Horsefield Bronze-Cuckoo. Regular migrant arriving September each year departing January. Two to 4 seen and heard most trips during those months — Sandy Point bushland and Somers foreshore scrub. H.3, 4. 128. Chrysococcyx lucidus, Golden Bronze-Cuckoo. Common regular migrant arriving September, lingering longer than preced- ing species to early April. Four to 8 seen each trip. Recorded breeding 3 occa- sions, Sandy Point bushland. Flying young were observed being fed by foster parents which included Blue Wrens, White-browed Scrub-Wrens and Brown Thornbills. H.3, 4, S. 122 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 129. Tyto alba, Barn Owl. Seven sightings during survey. First recorded Somers Camp 7 November 1962. Dead birds found 3 occasions on roads. Appears resident as records cover all seasons. H.4, 7. 130. Ninox novaeseelandiae, Boobook Owl. The common resident owl of the district. Often heard and seen at night. Occasionally flushed during day Somers and Sandy Point. One found dead Coolart Lagoon path, 6 December 1967. H.3, 4, 5. 131. Ninox connivens, Barking Owl. Very rate vagrant. Recorded on night of 25 September 1965 at Somers camp. H.4. 132. Podargus strigoides, Tawny Frogmouth. December 1961, 6 perched together Sandy Point track. Seven other sight- ings either single birds or pairs (5 Somers, 2 Sandy Point bushland). H.3, 4. 133. Hirundapus caudacutus, Spine-tailed Swift. Listed each year during February and March. Average flock 100 birds. Largest 400 on 21 February 1965 over Somers on a hot, thundery day. Flocks recorded Sandy Point, Coolart, Somers. On some occasions sweeping very low over tidal flats. H1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 134. Apus pacificus, Fork-tailed Swift. Extremely rare. Identified once only with large flock of spine-tails over Somers 21 February 1965. A single bird seen by several observers. H.6. 135. Ceyx azurea, Azure Kingfisher. Rare visitor to Tulum Creek. First listed September 1959. Occasionally seen 1970 to 1973 by education camp personnel. H.4. 136. Dacelo novaeguinae, Laughing Kookaburra. Recorded every trip from Sandy Point bushland, Coolart and education camp, 1-4 birds. Nested regularly Somers camp, adopted nesting boxes. H.3, 4, ST: 137. Halcyon sanctus, Sacred Kingfisher. Recorded Tulum Creek and Coolart prior to 1961. Nest found Sandy Point 2 December 1962. Pair Somers May 1963. Single bird Sandy Point November 1964, pair open forest Naval Depot February 1965. H.3, 4, 5. 138. Merops ornatus, Australian Bee-Eater (Rainbow Bird). Very rare vagrant. Residents at Somers reported a pair during 1965. H.4. 139. Mirafra javanica, Horsefield Bushlark. Rare vagrant. Four listed October 1964 Sandy Point. Six Coolart April 1966. H.3, 5. 140. Alauda arvensis, Skylark. Introduced. Breeding resident. Noted all trips. Large population open forest Naval Base. At times over 100 present. H.3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 141. Hirundo tahitica, Pacific (Welcome) Swallow. Very common breeding species. From 20 to 200 each trip. Breeds August to February education camp. H1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. (To be continued ) June, 1975 123 The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2—Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous [continued from 92 (5)] by JAMES A. BAINES Eriochilus. Gk erion, wool; cheilos, lip; from the glandular-villous label- lum. E. cucullatus, Parson’s Bands, is our sole species, the specific name meaning hooded, and the common name due to the resemblance of the two long white lateral sepals to the pendent strips of neckband formerly worn by non-conformist clergymen. Eriochlamys. Gk _ erion, wool; chlamys, cloak; because nearly all parts of the flower are _ woolly- tomentose. The genus has only 2 species, of which Victoria has one, E. behrii, Woolly Mantle, the specific name of which honours Hermann Behr, who in the very early years of South Australian settlement lived for a time in the Barossa Valley, and collected insects and plant specimens. He later lived in California, wrote on American West Coast plants, and even wrote some exotic fiction. His works are mostly in German. Eriochloa. Gk erion, wool; chloe, grass; the spikelets being appressedly silky-hairy. Our species, E. pseudo- acrotricha, Early Spring Grass, is also known as Plain Grass. Eriostemon. Gk_ erion, wool; stemon, a stamen; from the woolli- ness of the stamens. Victoria has 6 species, all known as different kinds of Waxflower. Overseas sources recommend that Eriostemon and Callistemon be pronounced with the accent on the penultimate syllable (as in steam), but in Victoria the accent is almost invariably placed on the preceding vowel. Erodium. Gk erodios, heron; be- cause the carpels resemble the head 124 and beak of a heron. Victoria has 6 species, of which only one, E. crini- tum, Blue Heron’s-bill, is native. All are known as different kinds of heron’s-bill. *Erophila. Gk er, spring (the season); philos, loving. *E. verna, Whitlow Grass, has a generic name meaning spring-lover, a specific name meaning flowering in spring, and a common name doubly misleading, as is does not cure the finger swellings called whitlows (as formerly be- lieved), and it is not a grass, being in family Cruciferae, not Gramineae. It was previously in the genus Draba. *Eruca. Lat name for E. sativa, Rocket Salad. Our species, from Europe, is *E. vesicaria, Bladder Eruca, which, according to O. Polu- nin, in ‘Flowers of Europe’’, is culti- vated as a salad plant and vegetable, and for the medicinal oil obtained from its seeds. Eryngium. Gk name (eryggion) for E. campestre, Field Eryngo, —gg— in Gk being pronounced like —ng— in English, hence the spelling. Our 3 species all native, are E. vesiculosum, Prickfoot, E. rostratum, Blue Devil, and E. plantagineum. Plantain Eryn- go or Long Eryngium. Eryngo was an aphrodisiac formerly obtained from the root of Sea Holly, E. mariti- mum. *Erysimum. Gk _ erysimon, the name for Hedge Mustard or Blister- cress, the latter name given because some species are said to produce blisters. Our sole species is *E. re- pandum, Treacle Mustard. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 *Erythraea. Gk _ erythros, red. Superseded name for species of Cen- taurium. Like Erythrina, Coral Tree, the name was given for the flower colour. Eucalyptus. Gk eu, well; kalyptos, covered; alluding to the cap or lid (operculum) that covers the stamens in the bud. This appropriate name was given by a French botanist, Charles Louis L’Héritier de Brutelle, born in Paris, 1746. He was in England, 1786-7, studying the botanical collec- tions at Kew, and in 1788 (significant date for Australia) he published in Paris an illustrated folio entitled ‘‘Ser- tum Anglicum’’ (‘An English Gar- land’), in which Eucalyptus obliqua (to be known popularly later as Mess- mate Stringy-bark) was described. He was at one time a councillor of the Taxation Court, later a judge in the Civil Tribunal of the Seine, and also a member of the Academy of Sciences. His first position was Master of Waters and Forests (which gave him his taste for botany) and his last was Commandant of the National Guard of Paris. He was assassinated at his front door, for reasons that have never been cleared up, in 1800. His visit to London, at Buffon’s re- quest, was to seek Sir Joseph Banks’s help in preventing Dombey’s collec- tions from falling into the hands of Spain as a result of the intrigues of the ambassador of that country. He wrote many other botanical works. Victoria has 78 species of eucalypts, known as different kinds of gums, boxes, stringybarks, peppermints, ironbarks and mallees, and one blood- wood, E. gummifera, Red Bloodwood, which is confined to far East Gipps- land. The total number of species for Australia (plus New Guinea and Mindanao) is about 600, according to Nancy Burbridge’s ‘Dictionary of Australian Plant Genera’’. Pryor and Johnson proposed (1971) 7 sub-genera for Eucalyptus. Eucarya. Gk eu, well; karyon, nut; alluding to the comparatively large stone or endocarp. The name, given by Major (later Sir) Thomas Mitchell, was replaced when its species, like those of R. Brown’s Fusanus, were included in Santalum, L. They are known as Quandongs and Sandal- woods. Eucryphia. Gk eu, well; kryphios, covered or hidden; the sepals, coher- ing at the tips, form a cap. Our species, E. moorei, Eastern Leather- wood, is found in Victoria only in the Howe Range. To be Continued. Field Naturalists Club of Victoria General Meeting Monday, May 12 Speaker for the evening was Mr. D. McKinnon from the Soil Conservation Authority. He spoke on ‘Catchments and Catchment Management” and showed slides of the varying catchment situations in Victoria. Mr. McKinnon opened our eyes to some of the complexities and problems of the job, and answered many questions. Correspondence. The Secretary an- nounced that 46 communications had been received during the month that were important to the Club; they were dis- played at the back of the hall. And he June, 1975 drew our attention to the Club’s recom- mendations to the L.C.C. Melbourne Area Report also displayed on that table. Nature Exhibits. New publications, “The Little Desert” and “Field Guide to Banksias’’, were spoken about by Mr. McInnes. Mr. Johnson exhibited some photos of rock carvings under water at Lake Wartook and asked if they were Aboriginal work. Mr. Sault exhibited a specimen of Twiggy Daisy Bush (Olearia ramulosa) from Crib Point which bears blue flowers as well as normal white flowers, and asked if that is unusual. Two microscope exhibits showed the saw of a Sawfly and some Aphids feeding; the latter exhibit also revealed a_ tiny 125 fungus(?) with a slender white stalk bear- ing a scarlet ball at the top. Club Publications. ‘‘Ferns of Victoria and Tasmania”’ has been brought up-to- date by Dr. Willis and is being reprinted. Members were asked if anyone could supply photos to replace the two missing blocks of Brittle Bladder Fern and Black- stem Maidenhair. ‘‘Victorian Toadstools and Mushrooms”’ is fast running out but will not be reprinted. Library. The Club Library is now situ- ated behind a lockable section at the back of the main hall. The President thanked the Herbarium for erecting the partition and thanked Herbarium staff for putting up the shelves and putting in the books. A letter has been sent to the Herbarium expressing our appreciation. The library is available for use. Boneseed Eradication Excursion to Yarra Bend National Park and Studley Park 18 May, 1975 We fortunately had a fine and mostly sunny day for this exercise, attended by 23 members. Tom Sault estimated that 50,000 to 60,000 plants were pulled by this group, comprising all stages from seedlings two inches high to bushes six feet high. The organisers, Marie Allender and_ Ian Cameron from Botany Group, were well satisfied with the day’s work, and wish to express thanks on behalf of the Club to those who took part in the group effort. It has been suggested that the Club re- visit the areas cleared this year at a future date to check on the effectiveness of the method adopted. It would appear that complete clearance of boneseed from within the Park is a distinct possibility. IAN CAMERON. Treasurer’s Report for 1974 In presenting this report, the Council wishes to draw members’ attention to the increase in costs of running the Club, producing the Naturalist, and to the financial loss we would have incurred if we had not received grants from the Ingram Trust, and the Treasury. In 1973 the Club finished the year with a deficit of $4. In 1974, the deficit was $826. This deficit, although considerable, would have been $4,321 if we had not received the grants mentioned. Our receipts for the year (which are mainly from subscriptions) amounted to $7,426, and our total expenses were $11,747, a deficit of $4,321. With the receipt of the grants, the deficit was 126 reduced to $826. The main increase in costs can be attributed to the following:— Printing and despatching the Naturalist .. .. . > Up Soi Typing and Clerical Assistance up $514 Printing (General) and Stationery . ..) Uprepl22 Full details are listed in the Statement of Receipts and Expenditure. The Club is in a sound financial posi- tion, with assets of $32,323, and with lia- bilities of $24,476, the surplus of assets over liabilities amounts to $7,847. At this point it is advisable that an ex- planation of the funds and their use (listed under Assets) be made. 1. Current Assets — $5,172. This covers cash and bonds in the No. 1 General Account, and the value of books for sale. All general expenses are paid from this account. 2. Investment of Funds — $10,300. The items listed in this group cover legacies from past members; Funds estab- lished in the-names of members (past and present) for their work in the Club; and Bonds covering sales of the club publica- tion, “Flowers and Plants of Victoria’. These funds are not used for general expenses. 3. Building Fund — $3,646. This Fund was established many years ago, with a view to obtaining our own premises. 4. Publication Fund — $6,996. This Fund covers proceeds from the sale of books published by the Club. The funds are for use in reprinting Club pub- lications, and for new publications. During 1974 it was clear that expenses had to be reduced or income increased if the Club was to continue without in- curring excessive losses. As members’ subscriptions are the Club’s main source of income, Council reluctantly decided to increase subscrip- tions; and it is expected that the increase will offset the loss incurred in 1974. The two main items of expenditure are printing the Naturalist, and typing and clerical costs incurred in secretarial work. The first item is constantly under re- view by the Council for ways of reducing costs, and it is expected that typing and clerical costs will be reduced now that some members have volunteered to assist with the clerical work. It is hoped that the Club will finish 1975 in a more favourable financial posi- tion than 1974. H. H. BisHorp, Treasurer. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 F.N.C.V Extraordinary Meeting To be held at the National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, on 14 July 1975 at 8 p.m. Business:— As the wording of the Special Resolution referring to the Alteration of the Articles as notified in the December Victorian Naturalist 1974, and moved at the Annual General Meet- ing in March 1975, does not conform to the requirements of the Companies Office, it will be necessary to rescind that part of the Special Resolution and move a new Special Resolution in the form that was given the Minister’s consent. First Motion:— That all of Section B in the Special Resolution referring to the amendment of the Articles of As- sociation of the Club passed at the Annual General Meeting in March 1975 shall be rescinded. Second Motion:— Special Resolution. That the Articles of Association of the Club be amended as follows: (i) Article 6 (c) to be amended to read: “Junior Members shall be persons under the age of eighteen years or full-time students under the age of twenty-five years at the beginning of the Club’s Financial Year in respect of which their annual subscription shall from time to time become payable. They shall be entitled to the same rights and privileges as ordinary members except that they shall not be entitled to vote or to receive the Club’s publications.” (ii) Article 29 — to be amended to read: “The members shall at each Annual General Meeting elect as hereinafter provided out of their own body the Members of Council. Council shall consist of the President, Vice- President, Immediate Past President (who shall hold office till the next Annual General Meeting only), and ten other Members. The Meeting shall also elect the following Office- Bearers, namely Secretary, Treas- urer, Editor, Librarian, Excursion Secretary and other Office-Bearers as determined by Council. These Office-Bearers may be honorary, or may receive such remuneration as Council considers proper, and need not necessarily be members of the Club. Members of Council may hold any position, but shall not re- ceive any remuneration. The Secre- tary and Treasurer shall, and other Officers may, attend Council Meet- June, 1975 ings, but shall not be eligible to vote on any motion unless they are members of Council. In the event of any of the foregoing offices or places not being filled or of any vacancy occurring therein between two Annual General Meetings the vacancy may be filled by the Coun- cil and the person so appointed may hold office until the next sub- sequent Annual General Meeting. Subject to the general control of the Club the management of the business and affairs of the Club shall be vested in the Council.” (111) Article 30 — to be amended to read: ‘All Members of the Council shall retire annually but shall be eligible for re-election. Candidates for office shall be nominated (either orally or in writing) by two financial members of the Club entitled to vote, not later than two months prior to the Annual General Meet- ing. If no nomination has been re- ceived for any position, nominations for that position may be accepted at or before the Annual General Meet- ing. An unsuccessful candidate for the office of President may stand for the office of Vice-President and an unsuccessful candidate for either office may stand for election to the residual Council without a new nomination being lodged. All con- tested elections shall be determined by ballot.” (iv) Article 32 — to be amended to read: “The Council may meet together adjourn and otherwise regulate its meetings as the Members thereof shall from time to time think fit but as far as practicable procedure at Meetings of Council shall follow the same pattern as at General Meetings of the Club. At all Meet- ings of the Council seven members personally present shall form a quorum. (v) Article 40 — to be deleted. (vi) Article 63 —to be amended to read: ‘All cheques on the Bank Account of the Club shall be signed by any two of the following: The Treasurer, the Secretary and the President or other Officer duly appointed by Council, provided that at least one signatory must be a financial mem- ber of the Club. (vii)By renumbering Articles 41 to 80 inclusive as Articles 40 to 79 re- spectively. GARNET JOHNSON, Hon. Secretary. 127 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 the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Q.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1975-1976. President: Mr. P. KELLY, 260 The Boulevard, East Ivanhoe, 3079. Hon. Secretary: Mr. GARNET JOHNSON, 20 Sydare Ave., Chadstone, 3148. 56 3227. Treasurer -— Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145. Acting Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg, 3084. Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. ; Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield, S1S1-(52-2749.) Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. D. E. McINNES. Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards St., Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36 0587. Group Secretaries Botany: Miss E. JONES, 6 West Crt., Glen Waverley, 3150. (560 2280.) Day Group: Mrs. J. STRONG, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena. (56 2271.) Entomology and Marine Biology: Mr. J. W. H. STRONG, Flat 11, “Palm Court’’, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena, 3163. (56 2271.) Field Survey: R. D. SANDELL, 39 Rubens Gve., Canterbury, 3126. (83 8009) Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Miss Wendy CLARK, 97 Banc Street, Carlton, 3053. Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy St., East Brighton. (96 3268.) 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 1975 Metropolitan G ws as et eke at a =e iy. Ei) $1 Joint Metropolitan .. oe: ane or tea es cs Me git me $1 Joint Retired Members $1 Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65 . By: e: af ay $ Joint Country si a a? e ae: me i ae ef ty $1 Junior ie: i vl th a og, es “gs Aas $ Subscriptions to Vict. Nat. : ae ae AP ee on Re che $ Overseas Subscription i ay ee a ae oF we 1a re $1 Junior with “Naturalist” .. (ee Us a a 3 re na ve $8.00 Individual Magazines r : ae $0.75 All subscriptions should be ade payable to the Field Naturalist Club of Vicione and posted to the Subscription Secretary. eS elo oxoroyelo) SKololololororo) ee) JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE July, 1975 Publishedy tht” FIELD NATU RALISTS/ /cLuB WES TIORIA 10) a has in which is incorporated the ies clearest Society of Biers Registered in Australia for transmission by post as a periodical. Category “B”’ F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 14 July — Extraordinary General Meeting at National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, 8.00 p.m. Business — As notice given in Victorian Naturalist, June, 1975. (i) To rescind part of Special Resolution carried at Annual General Meeting, 1975. (ii) Special Resolution to amend Articles of Association. General Meeting, 8.15 p.m. Speaker — Mr. Howard Jarman. Subject — ‘“‘Victorian Parrots’’. New Members — Ordinary: Mrs. Rita Ferguson, 5 Mossman Drive, Heidelberg 3084, Mrs. Rosaleen Love, 3 Vincent Street, Glen Iris 3146. Botany, Geology, Marine. Mr. W. J. Massey, 41 Hawdon Street, Heidelberg 3084. Mr. T. Bruce Muir, 52 Liston Street, Burwood 3125. Botany. Joint: Mr. Paul G. Smith, Mrs. Maureen Smith, 7 Atunga Court, Cheltenham East 3192. Botany and Conservation. Country: Mr. Barry R. Clugston, P.O. Box 83, Alexandra 3714. Monday, 11 August — Speakers — Mr. Ray Gibson and Mr. Stephen Morton (Mammal Survey Group). Subject — “Small Mammals in Victoria”. GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at National Herbarium unless otherwise stated) Wednesday, 16 July — Microscopical Group Meeting. Thursday, 17 July — Day Group Meeting. “Exhibition Gardens and Old Melbourne Gaol”. Meet at Exhibition Gardens Entrance in Nicholson St., opp. Gertrude St., 11.30 a.m. Visit Melbourne Gaol, 1.30 p.m. Thursday, 24 July — Field Survey Group Meeting in Conference Room, National Museum, at 8 p.m. Subject—‘‘Australian Territorial Molluscs”: Dr. Brian Smith. Monday, 4 August — Marine Biology and Entomology Group Meeting at 8 p.m. in Conference Room, National Museum. Subject — ‘‘Marine Molluscs of Australia; the Animals and their Shells”: Dr. Brian Smith. Wednesday, 6 August — Geology Group Meeting. Thursday, 7 August Mammal Survey Group (F.N.C.V.) Meeting at 8 p.m. in Arthur Rylah Institute, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 20 July — Blackwood. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m.. Fare: $3.60. Bring one meal. Friday, 17 October - Friday, 24 October — Grampians and Nhill. The coach will leave from Flinders Street, outside the Gas and Fuel Corporation, at 9 a.m. for Hall’s Gap, where the Western Victorian Field Naturalists Association are spending the week-end. Bring a picnic lunch. The party will remain at Hall’s Gap until Monday, then proceed to Nhill, which will be the base for trips for the rest of the week. Motel accommodation has been booked on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis, and this should be paid for individually. The coach fare of $45 should be paid to the Excursion Secretary by the 22nd September, cheques to be made out to Excursion Trust. 130 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 the Vol. 92, No. 7 9 July, 1975 ® e torian he ° = Acting Editor: G. M. Ward e naturalist | _ Assistant Editor: G. F. Douglas AY is quite obvious that the eastern region “of Melbourne presents a vastly different “landscape from the western region. This Articles: situation was always recognised, but the err contrast today is much more dramatic than The Shaping of the Nepean it was in the mid 19th century. Much of this Panincula present picture is due to the type of development which has taken place over By E. C. F. Bird 132, many years. In 1972, the Western Region Commission began operations, based on the realization of the potential for environmental improve- ment of the area. It represents the interests By R. J. Plant 142 of nine municipalities in the western area of Melbourne; namely Altona, Essendon, Keilor, Footscray, Sunshine, Williamstown, Bacchus Marsh, Melton and Werribee. The Australian Government has recognized the Region Some Common Venomous and Dangerous Animals of the Seashore Feature: under the provisions of the Grants Commis- sion Act. The Origin of Generic Names In a major effort to improve the general of Victorian Flora (Part 2) environment of the western region, two By James A. Baines 147. important studies relating to vegetation in the area have been carried out. The CSIRO has compiled a report which brings together information about the vegetation, soils, and other environmental factors of the region. Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: The Royal Botanic Gardens has produced general descriptions and information on 600 Diary of Coming Events 130 species of trees and shrubs suitable for planting in the western region. Report of General Meeting 151 Both of the studies were funded under the Australian Government's Area Improvement Program. The latter report, from the Royal Botanic Gardens, should be published to- wards the end of the year. Any person desiring further information should be able to obtain it from the Western Region Commission, Cnr. Mt. Alexander Rd. Front Cover: and Homer St, Moonee Ponds. Ph. 37 8111. The Sugar Glider photographed by John Willis, exemplifies (in a loose sense) the expression "Cheeky Possum". July, 1975 131 The Shaping of the Nepean Peninsula Victoria, Australia by ES. C. F. Birp* The Nepean Peninsula (Fig. -. (Keble, 1950). Geological time _ is consists largely of hummocky dune terrain, some of the dunes being active and mobile while others are stable beneath a cover of scrub, woodland, or grassland. The crests of the dunes are generally between SO and 100 feet above sea level, but some rise higher, with summits locally exceeding 200 feet in the Sorrento district. There ara no surface streams or lakes, for the dune sands are highly permeable and rainwater quickly percolates into the ground. Beneath the superficial dunes are sandstones formed by the consolida- tion and cementation of older dune formations; they are well exposed in the rugged cliffs and broad shore plat- forms that border the ocean coast of the Peninsula (Plates 1 and 2). In- land, Tootgarook Swamp is a corridor of lowland, now largely drained and reclaimed as pastureland, bordered by bold dune topography on its western side and more subdued hummocky country to the east, on the lower slopes of the Arthur’s Seat range. Arthur’s Seat is an area of ancient crystalline and volcanic rocks, and the country south and east, descending to the rocky coast between Cape Schanck and Flinders, is developed on thick basaltic lavas, weathered at the surface to the dark brown clays which sustain rich green pastures and orchards. The story is a complicated one, and it will be necessary first to mention some basic geological concepts 132 divided into a succession of periods from the Cambrian, which began about 600 million years ago, through to the Holocene (or Recent), which covers the past 10,000 years. The ancicnt rocks which outcrop in Ar- thur’s Seat were formed during D:vonian times, about 400 million years ago, whereas the basalts of Cape Schanck date from a phase of vol- canic activity in Eocene times, be- tween 40 and 50 million years ago. The dune sandstones of the Nepean Peninsula are of Pleistocene age, de- posited within the past million years or so: they include fossil remains of kangaroo species now extinct (Gregory, 1901). The — superficial dunes are generally of Holocene age, and some of the processes of erosion and deposition which have shaped them are still active, notably along the ocean coastline. Within the past million years there have been many changes in_ the natural environment of south-eastern Australia. Sea level has risen and fallen relative to the land in response to variations in the Earth’s climate: during the colder phases of the Pleis- tocene epoch, when more of the Earth’s water was locked up in polar and mountain glaciers, ocean levels were lowered, and during relatively mild episodes they rose again. Al- thoush there was little if any glacia- tion in Victoria, the Pleistocene epoch *Dr. Bird, Reader in Geoesranhy, University of Melbourne. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 here included phases of both warmer and cooler climate than that now experienced; at times it was wetter, and at times drier than at present; there were phases when the winds were stronger and more consistently westerly than they are now, and phases when the wind regime was weaker and more varied in direction. In attempting to reconstruct the geo- logical history of an area such as the Nepean Peninsula it is necessary to be aware of these past variations in sea level and climate. The prelude to the formation of the Nepean Peninsula was a period of intermittent warping and fracturing of the Earth’s crust in this part of Vic- toria spanning several million years. Mornington Peninsula to the east and the Bellarine Peninsula to the west were uplifted as a result of these movements, and the intervening area of crustal depression became the Port Phillip basin; a structural feature called a sunkland. Selwyn Fault runs through the eastern side of the Nepean Peninsula (Fig. 1), which thus lies PO Bul Palrlials ateal se St Leonards § fathoms 104 NG a \e London Bridge STRAY Th Rye Ocean Beach Gunnamatta ec: C Schanck Figure | Nepean Peninsula. July, 1975 133 within the area of downwarping. Dur- ing the past million years these crustal movements have continued, and in- deed there are still earthquakes in the Port Phillip region, some of which have been traced to movements along faults. The Mornington earthquake of 1932 was due to a displacement along Selwyn Fault, the alignment of which passes from Frankston to McCrae and thence southward through the Nepean 134 Plate 1 Air view of Koreen Point, showing cliffs, dunes, beaches and shore platforms. Peninsula to emerge on the ocean shore just west of Cape Schanck. During Pleistocene times the sunk- land created by these crustal move- ments became a marine embayment on the site of Port Phillip Bay at stages of relatively high sea _ level, and drained out as a coastal lowland when sea level fell. As the sea with- drew, the ancestral Yarra River ex- tended its course, and was joined by Plate 2 Dune bedding on the shore near Pearse’s Beach. Vic. Nat. Vol. 92 tributaries from the bordering up- lands, and probably from King Island and northern Tasmania as well, before it entered the lowered ocean some- where south of Cape Otway, on the west coast of an isthmus of land that extended across what is now Bass Strait. When sea level rose again the Bassian isthmus was submerged, iso- lating Tasmania from mainland Aus- tralia, and the Port Phillip embayment was revived. Its configuration differed at each stage, depending on the level attained by the rising sea, and on intervening changes due to continuing crustal deformation and the modifica- tion of the land surface by erosion and deposition processes. Rivers gradually carved out valleys and built up flood-plains and deltas; rain- wash smoothed hill slopes; waves trimmed back the land margin to form cliffs in some sectors, and built up beaches in others; tidal currents scoured the floor of the Port Phillip embayment when sea level was high, and winds winnowed sand from its drying surface to build dune forma- tions when sea level was low. The most remarkable effect of all this geomorphological activity was the progressive development of a broad embankment built up by deposition across the mouth of the Port Phillip embayment. Part of this embankment now stands above sea level, in the form of the Nepean Peninsula and the similar dune and sandstone ter- rain around Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff, west of the present en- trance to Port Phillip Bay. The inter- vening sector is the shallowly sub- merged Nepean Bay Bar, the limits of which are indicated by the 6 and 10 fathom contours in Fig. 1. Its inner margin is a slope, facing north-east- wards, and extending from St. Leon- ards across to Rosebud, and its outer flank is the sloping ocean floor off the gently-curved coastline between July, 1975 Barwon Heads and Cape Schanck. With the sea at its present level, the Nepean Bay Bar is traversed by deeper channels maintained by tidal scour, but at stages of low sea level it must have emerged as a coastal ridge, through which the Yarra maintained an outlet, probably in the form of a narrow, steep-sided river gorge. The pattern of sea floor contours off the present entrance to Port Phillip Bay suggests a possible route for such a gorge, leading out on to a gently undulating coastal plain at low sea level stages. The Nepean Peninsula is thus part of a larger formation, all of which has been deposited by wind or sea, and much of our knowledge of its internal structure comes from the record of rocks encountered in the deep bore- hole put down near Sorrento in 1910. This borehole went through more than 400 feet of Pleistocene dune sandstones similar to those exposed in the ocean cliffs of the Nepean Peninsula, but with intervening layers of marine sediment, including shelly sands and clays of the kind which are now accumulating on the floor of Port Phillip Bay. The dune sandstones must have developed above sea level, and the layers of marine sediment were deposited when pre-existing dunes had been submerged by the sea. Below 400 feet the borehole entered older rock formations on the down- warped floor of the former Port Phillip embayment. Alternations of dune sandstone and marine sediment in the Pleistocene rocks of the Sorrento bore can be explained as the result of the oscilla- tions of sea level mentioned previ- ously, with the complication that this area, between the Bellarine Fault and Selwyn Fault, has also been subject to intermittent crustal subsidence as the Pleistocene rocks accumulated. Twenty thousands years ago the sea 135 was at a low level, probably at least 300 feet lower than it is now, and at this stage the Yarra must have flowed through the broad embank- ment by way of a gorge that now lies submerged between the Port Phillip Heads. The subsequent rise of the sea to its present level, attained about 6000 years ago (with perhaps a short interval when it stood 5 to 10 feet higher than at present), submerged the Port Phillip basin to produce its modern outlines, and led to the estab- lishment of tidal channels athwart the Nepean Bay Bar. The dunes and dune sandstones of the Nepean Peninsula persist as a land area above the level so far attained by the sea in Holocene times. Ocean waves are now trimming back the southern margins of the Nepean Peninsula, carving the Pleis- tocene dune sandstones into a coastal topography of rugged cliffs and broad Shore platforms, and in several sectors onshore winds are moving dunes in- land from beaches and eroding cliff- top areas. A vast quantity of sand has been deposited to form the Nepean Bay Bar and the bordering Nepean and Point Lonsdale Peninsulas. It is a mix- ture of calcareous (lime-bearing) sand, derived originally from the Shelly organisms that live in coastal waters south of Australia, and quartz sand washed into the sea by rivers and eroded from coastal rock out- crops by wave scour; other minerals are present only in minor proportions. Calcareous sand is usually dominant, ranging from about 50% to more than 95% calcium carbonate in samples taken from the dunes and dune sand- stones of the Nepean Peninsula. During episodes of falling sea level, beaches built by wave action are left stranded as beach ridges on the emerging land. Sand from these may be eroded and piled up as dunes by wind action, but the extent to which 136 this happens depends on how quickly and how effectively the stranded sand deposits are colonised and stabilised by vegetation. This in turn depends on climatic factors, especially hu- midity and wind strength. Under wet conditions a luxuriant vegetation is likely to develop quickly and impede wind erosion, but if the climate is relatively dry, vegetation colonisation may be sufficiently slow and incom- plete for wind action to generate dune formations. As the phases of falling sea level coincided with cooling epi- sodes of the Pleistocene epoch, it is probable that the climate of Victoria became wetter and windier, like that of the area south of Tasmania today. There were certainly dunes at one time on the Bassian Isthmus (detailed soundings of Bass Strait have located drowned dune formations near Flin- ders Island), but it is not clear how far dune formations initiated at low sea level stages contributed to the deposi- tional structure built across’ the southern part of the Port Phillip embayment. When sea level rises, waves erode and re-distribute sandy deposits that were stranded during the preceding emergence. If the sea rises rapidly, some of the beaches and dunes may be quickly submerged, and persist as features on the sea floor. If the sea rises more gradually, wave attack trims back the margins of sandy deposits, removing vegetation and thus enabling onshore winds to excavate blowouts in the exposed sand. These can then develop and grow into para- bolic dunes of the kind now seen near Point Hicks in East Gippsland, or into broader transgressive dunes, as behind Discovery Bay in western Victoria and in the Cape Howe dis- trict. This dune mobilisation, in ad- vance of a rising sea, is the most likely explanation of the embankment built across the southern part of the Vic. Nat. Vol. 92 Shore platform D- Holocene dune A,B,C - Pleistocene dune sandstone Figure 2 Port Phillip embayment. As the sea advanced, successive dunes were piled one upon another, in the manner shown in Fig. 2. This is the structure revealed in the rock outcrops along the cliffs of the ocean shore of the Nepean Peninsula (Plate 3). There are sections of dune sandstone, sometimes with steeply- inclined thin seams of biscuit rock, formed on the slopes of an active, advancing dune. Each dune sandstone formation is capped by an undulating layer of brown or white calcareous sandstone, with relics of ancient brown or red soils formed during Plate 3 Dune structures in cliff, Jubilee Point. July, 1975 intervening phases of topographic stability. Branching tubular structures associated with these layers are found where calcareous sandstone has hard- ened around the roots, or more rarely the stems and branches, of plants that grew in these ancient soils; they com- memorate the vegetation cover that once stabilised the underlying dune. The dune sands are highly per- meable, and rain water falling on the surface percolates downward through them. Rain water is weakly acid, due to the presence of dissolved atmos- pheric carbon dioxide, and as it seeps through the dunes it dissolves out part 137 of the calcium carbonate from the calcareous sand. The stalactites and curtains of dripstone in Angel Cave, near Cape Schanck, are evidence that rainwater percolating through cal- careous sand becomes saturated with calcium carbonate, which is precipi- tated as the water drips from the roof of the cave. Within a dune, precipita- tion takes place a few feet below the surface, and accumulation of precipi- tated carbonate binds the sand grains together as a firm calcareous sand- stone. In some layers the originally calcareous sand has been so enriched by carbonate precipitation as to form a sandy limestone —- the rock layers that were quarried for the local lime- burning industry in the nineteenth century. The tubular structures have developed where carbonate precipita- tion from _ saturated water has cemented the dune sands in the vicinity of plant roots. The ancient soils are sandy, but also contain varying proportions of brown clay, thought to have arrived as surface accessions of wind-blown dust, accumulating in the soil. In some sections the palaeosols are several feet thick, and must repre- sent a phase of topographic stability lasting for perhaps thousands of years. The rock sequence in the ocean cliffs, however, is indicative of recur- rent instability. Over each ancient soil is another mass of dune sand, repre- senting the arrival of a younger dune which advanced to bury the vegeta- tion, the soil, and the calcareous sandstone layers of the previous dune landscape. The younger dune, in turn, became stabilised, and developed a soil and vegetation cover; and then yet another dune spilled across it. The cliff sections at Diamond Bay show several such superimposed dune for- mations, and the process is still going on at the top of the cliffs, where dunes are locally spilling inland over 138 the vegetation that stabilised the preceding dune topography. Blowouts in the younger, unconsolidated dunes here expose dark-coloured buried soils, and organic matter extracted from the lowest of these gave a radio- carbon age of about 5350 years, indi- cating that the unconsolidated dune capping is of Holocene age, in con- trast with the underlying dune sand- stones which date from the Pleisto- cene (Bird 1972). Traced laterally in the cliffs, the soil layers vary in thickness, and rise and fall as they mark out the contours of the ancient dunes. They also branch and re-unite in a manner which shows that parts of the ancient dune land- scape remained stable while other parts developed blowouts, from which dunes spilled down-wind. At other stages there was widespread burial of the dune landscape by the arrival of a new and massive advancing dune, probably developed in front of a rising sea, or during a phase of more arid climate. The record is one of great complexity, and many of the details have still to be worked out. In the landscape of the Nepean Peninsula it is possible to distinguish the extent of some of these phases of dune deposition. An early phase is represented by the dunes of quartzose sand, bearing heathy woodland, on the slopes of Arthur’s Seat south of McCrae. The subdued hummocky ter- rain east of the road from Rosebud to Boneo consists of calcareous dune sandstones overlain by a brown clayey soil; they pass beneath Tootgarook Swamp (from which the higher parts locally protrude as isolated hillocks) and are probably equivalent to the dune rocks exposed in the ocean cliffs, as well as at White Cliffs, The Sisters, and west of Sorrento on the shores of Port Phillip Bay. They are over- lain by younger dune sands and soft sandstones extending inland to the Vict. Nat. Vol: 92 western edge of Tootgarook Swamp; their limits are clearly marked by the slope that runs south-south-east from Tootgarook, converging on the high- way that ascends from Boneo to the Cape Schanck road. The pattern is well displayed in the view from the crest of the Cape Schanck ridge: the younger, steeper dunes (including the area of intricate hillocks and hollows known as The Cups—Plate 4) west of Tootgarook Swamp represent the last major transgression by dunes on to the Nepean Peninsula; the older, more subdued topography east of the Boneo road dates from a much earlier phase of calcareous dune deposition, and the intervening wedge of Tootgarook Swamp was a low-lying area sub- merged by the sea during the last few thousand years, then cut off by the Holocene beach ridges built along the Bay shore between Rye and Rosebud to form a shailow lagoon which be- came choked with swamp vegetation. There is no evidence to support Keble’s (1950) suggestion that this was once a ‘tideway’ leading to an old Plate 4 Stable dune landscape near Baneo. July, 1975 outlet from Port Phillip Bay near Gunnamatta Beach: it was simply a depression between the older and the younger dune topography of the Nepean Peninsula. The extent of active, mobile dunes on the Nepean Peninsula at the present time is due, at least in part, to the impact of man’s activities. Under the present relatively mild and humid climate, one would expect the dune topography here to have become stable beneath a natural vegetation mantle, the only blowouts and spilling dunes being those immediately atop eroding ocean cliffs. It is possible that the natural vegetation was weakened by the effects of fires set by the Aborigines, whose ancient kitchen- middens are found at various points along the shore, for example on the cliffs near Jubilee Point, west of Dia- mond Bay. These middens originated as feasting sites, where shellfish col- lected from adjacent shores were cooked and eaten. They persist as layers or mounds of broken shell waste, mixed with charcoal from the fire. It is likely that man-made bush- fires resulted from these activities, and that dune instability ensued. The impact of modern man _ has been more severe. Much of the natural vegetation (evidently she-oak woodland with a seaward fringe of tea-tree scrub, similar to that on the Yanakie Isthmus, near Wilson’s Promontory, at the present time) was cleared, burned, and modified by grazing; introduced animals included sheep, cattle, horses and_ rabbits. After 1839, limeburners cut areas of woodland to provide the fuel for the kilns in which they burned the locally- quarried limestone. In the eighteen- fifties there were sheep and cattle on the pastoral holdings of Tootgarook, Boneo and Cape Schanck, and much of the extensive dune erosion near Gunnamatta Beach probably dates from this phase. By the turn of the century, holidaymakers were visiting Sorrento and Portsea, and the tramp- ling of dune vegetation increased. Lat- terly, motor vehicles, including trail bikes and dune buggies, have damaged dune vegetation and _ accentuated erosion, especially near Gunnamatta. On the cliffed sector between London Bridge and Rye Ocean Beach the damage done by people trampling vegetation and scrambling over the dunes is considerable; it is much more extensive than on the similar coastal fringe within the Commonwealth re- serve at Point Nepean, where access by the public has been more limited: dense scrub vegetation extends to the cliff-top near Point Nepean, and there can be little doubt that the sector south-east from London Bridge was formerly in a similar stable condition. Restoration of this topography is a maior challenge to conservationists. Features of shorelines bordering the Nepean Peninsula have been shaped largely during the 6000 years since the sea reached its present level. On 140 the ocean shore, the dune sandstones have been cut back by storm wave attack to produce steep, rugged cliffs. The more resistant rocks, notably the hardened calcareous sandstone layers, persist as ledges and promontories, while the less consolidated dune sands have been excavated as coves and embayments, often containing sandy beaches. South-east from Rye Ocean Beach the rocky sectors be- come intermittent, and there are long stretches of sandy beach backed by dunes that are partly stabilised by grasses and scrub, and partly active and mobile. Sandstone cliffs reappear south-east of Gunnamatta, and ex- tend to the cove where Selwyn Fault emerges, with high cliffs of black layered basaltic lava on its eastern side, flanking Cape Schanck. Subjected to wave attack, dune sandstones disintegrate to sand, and pebbles and boulders are derived from the more resistant layers. Storm waves use these rock fragments as ammuni- tion in pounding and scouring the cliff base, and occasionally rocks col- lapse on undermined sectors. In addi- tion, there are stacks and pinnacles of intricately weathered dune rock, which owe their form to corrosion by rain water and sea spray, and to the scraping, drilling and plucking effects of the various marine organisms, not- ably barnacles and mussels, which live on their pitted and honeycombed surfaces. Storm wave erosion can be spectacular, but these quieter forms of continuous physical, chemical and biological erosion on the foreshore are iust as effective in sculpturing land- forms. The shore platforms which front the cliffed ocean coast between Rye Ocean Beach and Point Nepean are unusual in being almost horizontal (Plate 5): they stand at a level which is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide. Shore platforms on Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Plate 5 Cliff and shore platform, Jubilee Point. stormy coasts usually slope seaward between high and low tide mark, but here the weathering processes, notably corrosion, are effective only down to about mid-tide level, and immediately below this level the sandstones have been rendered more resistant by in- ternal precipitation of calcium car- bonates. The outcome is the develop- ment of an almost flat platform, which is being undermined and dissected by storm waves at its scalloped outer edge. It is noteworthy that beaches are best developed, and cliff recession most rapid, on sectors where the shore platform is narrow, or absent altogether. In these sectors storm waves reach the back of the shore, instead of dissipating their energy in breaking across the platform. Wave action is less vigorous on the Port Phillip Bay shore. Active cliffing is limited, and instead of shore plat- forms, there are irregular rocky out- crops, and extensive sandy shoals off- shore, partly exposed at low tide. At one point near The Sisters the cliffs expose relics of a beach deposit about five feet above present high tide level. This commemorates a phase, possibly in Holocene times, when the waters July, 1975 of Port Phillip Bay stood higher than they do now. Between Sorrento and Rosebud the Bay Shore is low and sandy, backed by successively-formed beach ridges carrying scrub and Banksia woodland. The development of this sandy barrier cut off Toot- garook Swamp from the open waters of Port Phillip Bay. The shaping of the Nepean Penin- sula has been a long and complicated process. Changes still continue, especi- ally on the stormy ocean coast and in sectors where the dunes are mobile, but the main outlines of the topog- raphy have not altered greatly in the seventeen decades since the first settlers arrived at Sullivan’s Bay. REFERENCES Bird, E. C. F., 1972. Ancient soils at Diamond Bay, Victoria, Victorian Naturalist, 89 (12), pages 349-353. Gregory, J. W., 1901. Some remarks on an extinct kangaroo in the dune rock of the Sorrento peninsula, Proceedings, Royal Society of Victoria, 14, pages 139-144. Keble, R. A., 1950. The Mornington Peninsula, Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Victoria, 17, pages 7-9, 44-51, and 61-66. 141 Some Common Venomous and Dangerous Animals of the Seashore by R. J. PLANT* Unlike Queensland, Victoria has few dangerous marine invertebrates living in coastal waters. However, there are several species of animals likely to be found by the beachcomber or fossicker which can inflict painful stings or potentially serious bites. This article describes a few of the more common. species and _ lists some methods of avoiding them and sug- gests treatment for any bites or stings received. All animals have a method of de- fence and a means of catching food. In some cases, venom serves both of these purposes. The size of the animal makes no difference, for some tiny creatures are capable of nasty stings. Unfortunately, ignorance is_ usually the cause of people being bitten or stung, aS in most cases, the victims have picked up or tried to harm the animal. Few animals openly attack, and most will try to hide or escape. Jellyfish are notorious as animals capable of inflicting painful stings. In the waters of Northern Australia, the Sea Wasp, a small box jelly, has been the administrator of many fatal stings. Although there are no compar- able species in southern’ waters, several species have been reported as causing painful stings. Jellies have long feeding tentacles which trail beneath the bell. These bear batteries of stinging cells, or nematocysts, with which they paralyze their prey, and it is these cells which inflict painful stings when they come in contact with a human being. 142 If you are stung, or if someone else is stung by a jelly, quickly remove any tentacles adhering to the skin by rub- bing the area with sand, clothing, sea- weed or anything else that may be handy. Removing these tentacles is a very important step for as long as they remain they will continue to dis- charge venom. Alcohol, methylated spirits, suntan lotion, oil or any similar solution should then be applied to pre- vent further stinging. Medical treat- ment is advised if the sting is serious. It is important to remember that jellyfish washed up on the beach can still sting, and even if they appear to be dead, the stinging cells are active for a considerable time. It is best to avoid beached specimens and _ dis- courage children from handling them. A common jellyfish, the “Brown Blubber’’, Catostylus, is often encoun- tered in shallow water (Diagram 1). This species has a brown to cream bell about 30 cm across that may be tinged with red, yellow or blue, with a light coloured cross on top and eight short thick tentacles below. It can cause a nasty sting, particularly during its breeding season — spring and early summer. A common relation of the jellyfish found on ocean beaches is the “‘Por- tuguese Man O’ War” or “Blue- bottle’, Physalia (Diagram 2). This animal floats on the surface of the sea by means of a gas-filled bag about 5 cm in length and a delicate blue in * Assistant, Department of Invertebrates, National Museum of Victoria. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 colour. Beneath this float are found the feeding organs of the animal and the long stinging tentacles which can stretch to many times the animal’s length. These act as food gathering organs, catching and killing small fish by stinging them. The stinging cells are therefore very powerful and can give human beings painful and serious wounds. The ‘“‘Man O’ War’’ is often washed onto our coasts in great num- bers and is a hazard to swimmers. Many appear on the beaches and can still be dangerous even when the animal appears dehydrated and harm- less. There are many jellyfish found around Victoria, so it is wise to as- sume that they all sting and it is best to leave them all alone. Of all the shells found along the coast, few are considered poisonous, and most species in this group are dangerous only if eaten. However, one group of shells with a bad reputation is the Cone Shells (Diagram 3). Some tropical cones have caused fatalities and although Victorian species are not as dangerous, care should be taken with them. Cones do not actually bite, but inject a tiny barb into their prey, July, 1975 Diagram 1. ‘Broun Blubber. Cafostylus and venom is forced into the victim through the hollow barb when the incision is made. Each barb is a speci- ally adapted tooth, used once and then replaced. This sting can be very pain- ful and medical attention should be sought if a serious case occurs. Cones should only be picked up by the large back-end part of the shell, and never touched if the animal has not re- treated into its shell. Care should be taken in picking up cone shells that appear to be dead—they may be alive. A small animal featured fairly regu- larly in the news is the ‘‘Blue-ringed Octopus” (Diagram 4). These little creatures have earned a bad name due to their deadly venom which has caused some fatalities. Again, ignor- ance has been the major reason for the deaths, the last reported case be- ing that of a man picking up an octopus and placing it on his arm. Octopods normally live under rocks or in crevices in rockpools, but they are also quite common hiding in old tin cans and jars in the water. They are rarely seen as they are shy crea- tures, but with people picking around reefs, their habitat is often disturbed. If you encounter an octopus, do not 143 144 The ‘Portuquese Man O’War.’ Physalia. xX |. touch it. Popular belief leads people to think the Blue-ringed Octopus has bright blue bands around its arms and grows to a considerable size. This is incorrect as they are very small ani- mals (a typical extended specimen would only attain the size of a man’s hand) and the tiny azure blue rings, located on head and tentacles, appear only when the animal is angry or frightened. Normally, the octopus is a dull brown colour. The bite from an octopus is in- flicted by a small parrot-shaped beak, located in the centre of the arms at the base or underside of the head. The venom is secreted by modified salivary glands and is used in nature to kill the prey (crabs, etc.). Little can be done if someone is bitten by the Blue-ringed Octopus, but the patient should be kept breathing and taken immediately to hospital. Another group worthy of brief mention is the sponges. Few people come in contact with live sponges as they live mainly in deeper water, al- Vic. Nat. Vol. 92 Siphon Barb 15 injected from here. Eve Diagram 4. Cone shell with animal ouf. though after heavy seas they may be washed in and found stranded in rock- pools. Sponges can be described as a mass of cells with a skeleton made up of many tiny needle-shaped structures called spicules (Diagram 5). Sponges are only harmful when handled or come into contact with the skin, when a bad rash can result from forcing some of these tiny glass-like spicules into the skin. Live sponges should only be handled with gloves and an antiseptic applied if direct contact is made. An animal which affects people in a similar way to the sponge is the Bristle Worm (Diagram 6). This worm has many groups of tiny glass- like bristles called setae which form Diagram 4. 'Blue- ringed Octopus. x2. July, 1975 145 Diagram 5. Sponge Spicules. magnified many times. a fringe along the sides of the animal. When picked up, the setae stick into the fingers, break off and sting until removed; which can take a while for they are hard to see and extract. The ‘“‘Beach-worm’’ has very strong jaws to capture its prey and although the worm has no venom, the bite can be very painful, and these animals can move surprisingly fast when dis- turbed. The sea-urchins must be included in this article, not because they bite or sting, but due to the danger of tread- ing on them. Sharp spines cover the body of a sea-urchin as a protection, and these spines can be very painful when forced into the skin. Infection often follows if the spine is not re- moved quickly and great care should be taken to extract all of the spine. Unfortunately, they are often difficult to remove, and one would advise see- ing a doctor rather than risk leaving small pieces in the wound. 146 To sum up, the following steps should be observed by the beach-goer: 1. Never walk on rocks in bare feet. 2. Do not put hands into dark crevices. 3. If you are unsure whether an animal is dangerous or not, do not touch it. 4. Do not disturb or harm animals unnecessarily. 5. If you move a rock, replace it in the position you found it. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to thank Dr. B. J. Smith, Curator of Invertebrates, National Museum of Victoria, for helpful sug- gestions and assistance. REFERENCES Dakin, W. J., 1952. Australian Seashores. Angus & Robertson. Cleland, J. B.. and Southcott, R. B., 1965. Injuries to Man from Marine Inverte- brates in the Australian Region. Na- tional Health and Medical Research Council Special Report Series No. 12. Diagram 6. BRISTLE WORM xa Vic. Nat. Vol. 92 The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2 —Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous [continued from 92 (6)] by JAMES A. BAINES Eulalia. Gk eu, well; lalia, speak- ing, talking; named by Kunth for an unknown reason. (Black gives the meaning of lalia as “‘address or ap- pearance’’, because it is a handsome grass, but the Greek dictionary gives only the ‘“‘speech’? meaning. Eulalia and Eulalie are girls’ names.) Our sole species is E. fulva, Silky Browntop or Sugar Grass. Euphrasia. Gk euphrasia, delight, mirth. Our 4 species, all native, are known as different kinds of Eyebright. Eupomatia. Gk eu, well; pomatos, genitive of poma, a cover; the mean- ing therefore being the same as that of Eucalyptus. This genus has only 2 species, and has family Eupomatiaceae to itself. N.E. Victoria’s species is E. laurina, known by the aboriginal name Bolwarra. Eustrephus. Gk eu, well; strepho, to twist; because of the twining habit of some forms of this polymorphic monotypic genus. Willis describes E. latifolius, Wombat Berry or Orange- vine, aS a ‘“‘much-branched climber with weak, flexuose but non-twining stems’’. Eutaxia. Gk eu, well; taxis, ar- rangement, setting in order, in a line or row; referring to the regular ar- rangement of the leaves. (Eutaxia is Gk for good order or discipline; ac- cording to Smith & Stearn it means modesty.) Our species, E. micro- phylla, has no common name other than Eutaxia. Exocarpos. Gk exo, outside; karpos, fruit; the succulent pedicel resembles a pericarp below the nut. Victoria has July, 1975 6 species, all known as different kinds of Wild Cherry or Ballart; as early forms of the latter aboriginal name include Ballot, it is obvious that the accent should fall on the first syllable. The commonest species is E. cupressi- formis, Cherry Ballart. Festuca. Lat for a grass stalk or straw; by transference, it came to mean also the rod with which slaves were touched in the ceremony of manumission (emancipation). Vic- toria has 7 species, all known as dif- ferent kinds of fescue, a word that came into English through French festu from festuca. Ficus. Lat name for F. carica, Edible Fig. The English word fig has descended through French figue from Lat. ficus. *F. macrophylla, Moreton Bay Fig, is an introduced tree in Vic- toria, but is indigenous to coastal N.S.W. and Queensland. Victoria has a native species, F. Coronata, Sand- paper Fig, in far East Gippsland, where the Mediterranean *F. carica sometimes persists; carica meaning ‘from Caria’ (in Asia Minor). Fimbristylis. Lat fimbria, fringe; stilus (later spelt stylus), a style or column; the whole style being often fringed or ciliate. Stilus was also the pointed iron or bone instrument used by the Romans on their tablets for writing, from which came our Eng- lish word style for manner of writing. Victoria has 3 species, all known as different kinds of Fringe-rush. *Foeniculum. Lat feniculum, fen- nel (related to fenum, hay). Our species is *F. vulgare, Common Fen- 147 nel, one of 5 European species. Fen- nel is the same word in an English dress. *Fumaria, Spanish and Medieval Lat name of Fumitory, which itself is from Lat fumus terrae, smoke of the earth (hence French fume-terre and German Erdrauch, ‘“earth-smoke’’); arising from the ground like smoke, as some species are said to give off a smoky smell, and the juice, like smoke, brings tears to the eyes. The writer had always assumed the name came from the appearance of the flowers, the tips of which seem to be smokily alight. *Galaxia. Gk galaxaios, milky (cf. Galaxy, the Milky Way). This South African iridaceous plant, *G. fugacis- sima, is naturalized nowhere else in Australia except the Bendigo district of Victoria. *Galenia. Named by L. after Galen, a Greek physician born in Asia Minor, who settled in Rome, 164 A.D., adopting the Roman name Claudius Galenus; his works (100 of which are still extant) were accepted as authoritative for many centuries in Greek, Roman and Arabic medical practice. Victoria has 2 introduced species, both known as Galenia; they are in family Portulacaceae. (Omitted from Part 1, so included here.) Galium. Gk galion, the name of G. verum, Lady’s Bedstraw, Fleaweed or Cheese Renning, from gala, milk, because that plant was used to curdle milk. Vic- toria has 4 introduced species (includ- ing Cleavers and Small Goosegrass) and 6 native species (all known as different kinds of Bedstraw). *Gasoul. An ‘odd-man-out’ among generic names, lacking the usual form of such appellations, this genus was founded in 1763 by Adanson, who appears to have invented the name. It has the ap- 148 pearance of a French word, but it ap- pears nowhere in dictionaries of French words, surnames or place names. (Even anagrams have been used occasionally to form generic names, for example, Dacelo (the kookaburra), an anagram of AIl- cedo (Lat for kingfisher), *G. crystal- linum, Common _ Ice-plant, and *G. aitonis, Angled Ice-plant, were formerly classified in Mesembryanthemum. *Gastridium. Diminutive of Gk gaster, abdomen; the spikelets being swollen at the base like a distended stomach, an idea conveyed also in the specific name of *G. ventricosum, with which our species, *G. phleoides, Nit-grass, was for long confused. The common name was given because of the resemblance of the small flowers to nits (the eggs of lice). Gastrodia. Gk gastrodes, pot-bellied; alluding to the shape of the flower. Our species, G. sesamoides, Cinnamon Bells, is also known as Potato Orchid, because the underground, tuberous rhizomes re- semble small Jerusalen artichokes; it is called Native Potato in Tasmania. Geitonoplesium. Gk geiton, neighbour; plesion, near. Our species, G. cymosum, was described in 1810 by Brown as Luzuriaga cymosa, but A. Cunningham established the genus Geitonoplesium for it in 1832, doubtless because it was close to, but not congeneric with, Luzu- riaga. The accepted common name is Scrambling Lily, the other name, Shep- herd’s Joy, being quite unsuitable for a plant of the near-coastal jungles of East Gippsland. *Genista. The Latin name for the broom plant from which the Royal Plantagenets of England took their name (planta genista, through French genet). Our in- troduced species are Montpellier Broom and Flax-leaf Broom. Geococcus. Gk ge, earth; kokkos, fruit; alluding to the small, hard pods, which are turned downwards so as to imbed Vic. Nat. Vol. 92 themselves more or less in the soil. G. pusillus is Earth Cress, in family Cruci- ferae. Geranium. Gk geranion, the classical name for the crane’s-bill, from geranos, crane; alluding to the long beak of the carpels. Victoria has 2 introduced species and 7 native species, all known as dif- ferent kinds of crane’s-bill. (The ger- anium of florists is a Pelargonium, from Gk pelargos, stork; i.e. it is a stork’s- bill.) Geum. The classical Lat name for G. urbanum, Wood Avens or Herb Bennet, the Australian form, native, being of more robust habit and with larger flowers, and referable to variety strictum. Avens is pronounced with a short a; herb bennet is ‘herba_ benedicta’, a blessed plant (for exorcism). *Gladiolus. Diminutive of Lat gladius, sword; the leaves being like little swords. (Gladiators originally fought with swords.) The Lat plural gladioli is often erroneously used as a singular, which jars the ear just as much as the common solecism ‘a fungi’. Our 2 species, intro- duced from South Africa, are both wide- spread weeds, *G. tristis, Evening-flower or Avon-flower Gladiolus, having even been proclaimed a noxious weed in two shires. Sword Lily is an appropriate com- mon name, not much used. *Glaucium. Gk glaukos, greyish-green; from the glaucous colour of the leaves. *G. flavum is Horned Poppy, in family Papaveraceae. (Glaukion was the word used by Dioscorides for the juice of G. corniculatum.) Glinus. Gk glinos, a plant with sweet sap, probably a maple, applied to it by Theophrastus in the spelling gleinos. Our two species, Hairy and Slender Carpet- weed respectively, were formerly by some placed in the genus Mollugo. The whole of the plant is hairy, hence the name Carpet-weed. July, 1975 Glossodia. Gk _ glossodes, tongue- shaped (from glossa, the Attic form of glotta, tongue); alluding to the shape of the labellum. G. major and G. minor are both known as Waxlip Orchids, the former also as Parson-in-the-Pulpit, a name better kept for Arum maculatum, Cuckoo Pint or Lords-and-Ladies. Glossogyne. Gk glossa, tongue; gyne, woman, female, hence pistil; alluding to the long filiform appendage of the style- branches. G. tenuifolia was described as a species of Bidens by Labillardiere in 1825, but Cassini put it in a new genus Glossogyne only two years later. It is a composite with no common name other than the generic one. Glossotigma. Gk glossa, tongue; stig- ma, a point, spot or pricked mark, hence stigma; alluding to the shape of that organ, the style being dilated upwards into an oblong stigma usually longer than the style proper and curved at the summit. Our 3 species are all known as different kinds of Mud-mat; they belong to family Scrophulariaceae. - Glyceria. Gk glykeros. sweet; alluding to the herbage and seeds of G. fluitans, now G. australis, Manna Grass or Aus- tralian Sweet-grass. Our other species is *G,. maxima, Reed Sweet-grass, an intro- duction from Europe or temperate Asia. Glycine. Gk glykys, sweet. G. clandes- tina, Twining Glycine, is called Lovers’ Twine in N.S.W., as indicative of a clan- destine trysting place (but the Lat adjec- tive clandestina means in botany ‘bearing hidden, invisible flowers’). The specific name of G. tabacina, Variable Glycine, means ‘with the colour of tobacco’. We have 4 species altogether. Glycyrrhiza. Gk glykys, sweet; rhiza, root; hence glycyrrhiza, Lat name of *G. glabra, from the rhizome of which liquorice is obtained. The word liquorice (more correctly licorice, there being no connexion with Lat liquor, fluid) is the 149 same word as glycyrrhiza, initial g hav- ing been lost by metathesis. *G. glabra is introduced, but G. acanthocarpa is native. Gnaphalium. Gk gnaphalion (from gnaphallon, felt), name of a downy plant with soft white leaves used for stuffing cushions. Victoria has 3 _ introduced species and 9 native species, all known as different kinds of Cudweed, a name first used about 1548 because the plants were given to cattle that had ‘lost their cud’ (the word quid for chewing tobacco is another form of ‘cud’). Gnaphalodes. Gk, like Gnaphalium. A. Gray’s G. uliginosum remained a valid name from 1852 until 1963, when Hj. Eichler transferred the species to Actinobole; it is known as Flannel Cud- weed. Gnephosis. No satisfactory explana- tion of this name has been found. It is possible that Cassini, who founded the genus in 1820, derived it from Gk gno- phos, darkness, gloom, changing the first o to e for euphony. Our 2 species have no common name, so this awkwardly spelt, hard to pronounce name, with no known meaning, has to be used as a com- mon name too! *Gomphocarpus. Gk gomphos, a club, a bolt, a bond or fastening; karpos, fruit; from the appearance of the pod (which much more resembles a swan, hence the common name Swan Plant for *G. fruticosus, which is now Asclepias fruti- cosa). The Broad-leaf Cotton-bush was also formerly Gomphocarpus. Gompholobium. Gk gomphos, club; lobos, pod; alluding to the hard, club- shaped pod. Victoria has 4 species of this genus, all known as different kinds of Wedge-pea. G. huegelii, Common or Pale Wedge-pea, was given the name Karralla in recent years, but since this Aboriginal word was not applied by the blacks to this plant it seems dubious to use it merely because it may have meant ‘yellow’. Karalta meant green or blue in the language of the tribe near Adelaide; karralla is missing from all Aboriginal word lists in the possession of this writer. Grammitis. Gk grammatos (genitive of gramma, a letter, that which is written or drawn, from grapho, to write or draw); referring to the arrangement of the spore masses in a line. Victoria has 2 species of these Finger Ferns. Gratiola. Diminutive of gratia, short for Lat gratia Dei, grace of God, a name given in the Middle Ages to G. officin- alis. Austral Brooklime, our native species, is still G. peruviana, although it is not certain that it is conspecific with the South American plant. Brooklime is the common name in England for Veronica beccabunga; the word has noth- ing to do with the word lime in its botanical or chemical meanings. Gymnogramme. Gk for ‘naked writ- ing’; superseded name for Anogramma (q.v.). Gymnoschoenus. Gk gymnos, naked; schoinos, a rush or reed; alluding to the long naked stems. G. spaerocephalus is Button-grass or Button Bog-rush. *Gynandriris. Gk gynandros, bisexual (literally female-male); iris, flag; the stamens and style are more or less united. *G. setifolia is Thread Iris. Gynatrix. Gk gyne, woman; -atrix, feminine suffix (cf. aviatrix). Classified first in Sida, then in Plagianthus, G. pul- chella is known as Hemp Bush. Gypsophila. Gk _ gypsis, gypsum; philos, lover; some species prefer limy soils. G. australis is Austral Chalkwort. Gyrostemon. Gk. gyros, a_ circle; stemon, stamen; alluding to the arrange- ment of the stamens. G. australasicus, Wheel-fruit, is well named. To be Continued. 150 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Field Naturalists General Meeting Monday 9 June Speaker for the evening was Dr. G. Ettershanck, of Monash University. Dr. Ettershanck spoke on “Ants and Plants of Deserts in Southern U.S.A.”, and showed slides of desert areas in which he had worked. As Dr. Beadnell said when thanking him, some of the distant photos were reminiscent of our own deserts and it was only on closer view that one realised how very different the plants are from our own. The speaker declared that American deserts have greater diversity of plants than Austra- lian deserts. Honorary Life Membership to Retiring Editor. President Mr. Peter Kelly spoke of the 10-year service of Mr. Griffin Ward in the demanding and time-con- suming job as Editor of The Victorian Naturalist, and presented Mr. Ward with a certificate of Life Membership in appreciation. Mr. Ward responded that in general he had enjoyed his time as editor, apologised for any errors or upsets he might have caused, and said how happy he was that Mr. Fred Rogers had taken over the job. Gould books. Among sundry corre- spondence mentioned by the Secretary, members were particularly interested to hear that the Victorian Government now possesses 43 of the 45 Gould volumes and they are on exhibit at the National Museum. Club of Victoria Nature exhibits. Galls of genus Apio- morpha, about lin. long by in. dia- metre. One sliced lengthwise revealed a fat larva, ?in. long. Empty scales of lerp insects, family Psyllidae, on euca- lypt leaves. To the naked eye they were rather dirty-looking, biscuit coloured lumps about 4in. across, but the micro- scope revealed these scales to be whitish and lacey like delicate shells. During its immature stages, the lerp insect lives beneath the scale sucking up sap and adding to the size of its shelter as neces- sary. Eggs and larvae of two species of leaf-skcletonising insects: Eggs of the Seedling gum moth Nola metallopa (?) were tightly packed rows of minute round dots which the microscope showed to be more like heavy-rimmed saucers; they were hatching into brown _ hairy larvae, but the adult larvae were darker, speckled white, and with two very black cyes. Eggs of the Blue-gum leaf moth Mnesampala privata were flattened ovals in flat clumps, and larvae were emerging from the end of the eggs; they were a greyish yellow colour. Tailed Emperor (Polyura pyrrhus sempronius), a hand- some butterfly 3in. across, black and white with touches of brilliant blue. It is rare so far south as Victoria and this one was taken on a hot, north wind day in May at Box Hill North. Trust Fund for Natural History Medallion. A fund is to be opened to finance the increasing costs of this award. Donations will be welcome. F.N.C.V. PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE THE WILD FLOWERS OF THE WILSON’S PROMONTORY NATIONAL PARK, by J. Ros Garnet. Price $5.25, (discount to members); postage 20c. 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. Price 90c. Postage llc. 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 (15c on single copy). July, 1975 151 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 the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Q.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1975-1976. President: Mr. P. KELLY, 260 The Boulevard, East Ivanhoe, 3079. Hon. Secretary: Mr. GARNET JOHNSON, 20 Sydare Ave., Chadstone, 3148. 56 3227. treasurer -~ Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145. Acting Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg, 3084. Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield, 3151 (62 2749) Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. D. E. McINNES. Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards St., Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36 0587. Group Secretaries Botany: Miss E. JONES, 6 West Crt., Glen Waverley, 3150. (560 2280.) Day Group: Mrs. J. STRONG, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena. (56 2271.) Entomology and Marine Biology: Mr. J. W. H. STRONG, Flat 11, ‘“‘Palm Court’’, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena, 3163. (56 2271.) Field Survey: R. D. SANDELL, 39 Rubens Gve., Canterbury, 3126. (83 8009) Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Miss Wendy CLARK, 97 Faraday Street, Carlton, 3053. Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy St., East Brighton. (96 3268.) 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 1975 Metropolitan a. $10.00 Joint Metropolitan .. $12.50 Joint Retired Members F $10.00 Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65 . $8.00 Joint Country $10.00 Junior $2.50 Subscriptions to Vict. Nat. $8.00 Overseas Subscription $10.00 Junior with ‘Naturalist’ $8.00 Individual Magazines $0.75 All subscriptions should be aes artis to ine Field Naturalist Club of Vicoue and posted to the Subscription Secretary. @) JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE > pat v9)! 92, No. 8 August, 1975 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. | Category “B” F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 11 August — At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, 8.00 p.m. Speakers — Mr. Ray Gibson and Mr. Stephen Morton (Mammal Survey Group). Subject — “Small Mammals in Victoria”’. New Members — Ordinary: Mr. George S. G. Dohrmann, 140 Cardigan Road, Mooroolbark 3138. Mr. Paul Taylor, 36 Coburg Street, Coburg 3058. Monday, 8 September — Speaker — Mr. Edmund D. Gill. Subject — “The Story of the Yarra and its Delta”. GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at National Herbarium unless otherwise stated) Wednesday, 13 August — Microscopical Group Meeting. Thursday, 14 August — Botany Group Meeting. Subject — Alpine Flowers and Ecology. Thursday, 21 August— Day Group. Meteorological Bureau and Fitzroy Gardens. (Limit of 25; book with Mr. McInnes.) Meet at Tea Rooms, Fitzroy Gardens, 11.30 a.m. or 1.00 p.m. at Corner Spring Street and Latrobe Street. Thursday, 28 August — Field Survey Group Meeting in Conference Room, National Museum, at 8 p.m. Subject — “Clearfelling and Woodchipping”. Speaker from Forests Commission. Camp — 13, 14 September. Monday, 1 September — Marine Biology and Entomology Group Meeting. In Con- ference Room, National Museum at 8.00 p.m. Speaker.— Dr. Gillion Mapstone of Latrobe University. Subject — “The Veliger — Larval Mollusc’’. Wednesday, 3 September — Geology Group Meeting. Thursday, 4 September — Mammal Survey Group (F.N.C.V.) Meeting at 8p.m. in Arthur Rylah Institute, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 17 August — Churchill National Park. The coach will leave from Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m., fare $3.00. Bring one meal. Contact Mrs. J. Zirkler re bookings, etc., during the week prior to the excursion if necessary. Sunday, 21 September — Pyrete Ranges. Leader, Miss P. Carolan. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. Fare $3.50. Bring one meal and a snack. Friday, 17 October - Friday, 24 October — Grampians and Nhill. The coach will leave from Flinders Street, outside the Gas and Fuel Corporation, at 9 a.m. for Hall’s Gap, where the Western Victorian Field Naturalists Association are spending the week-end. Bring a picnic lunch. The party will remain at Hall’s Gap until Monday, then proceed to Nhill, which will be the base for trips for the rest of the week. Motel accommodation has been booked on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis, and this should be paid for individually. The coach fare of $45 should be paid to the Excursion Secretary by the 22nd September, cheques to be made out to Excursion Trust. Members going to Halls Gap for the week-end only should make their own arrangements for transport and accommodation. Details of the week-end activities and meeting place should appear in the next issue. 154 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 the victorian naturalist Contents Articles: Notes on Lake Omeo, Gippsland By B. V. Timms 156 V.O.R.G. Westernport Report No. |, Pt. 4 By William A. Davis and Alan J. Reid 163 Book Review: "W. R. Guilfoyle 1840-1912 the Master of Landscaping" 172 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: General Meeting Report Front Cover: The Noisy Miner (Myzantha malanocephala) nesting (See p. 169, species 197) August, 1975 Vol. 92, No. 8 6 August, 1975 G. M. Ward G. F. Douglas Acting Editor: Assistant Editor: Unfortunately, the material for the news column has not reached the printer in time for publication due to the illness of our Assistant Editor. However, it should appear in next issue. In the meantime, it is hoped that Graham makes a speedy recovery. * * * Perhaps it is appropriate, in view of the book review which appears on p. 172, for our city readers after having read it, to reflect on a sentence from R. H. Croll's "Along the Track'' (1930) which alludes to the Botanic Gardens. ",..Melburnians are lucky indeed to have this in such proximity to their offices and warehouses, so close indeed that it may serve for an after lunch stroll". 155 Notes on Lake Omeo, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia by B. V. Timms* Abstract Lake Omeo is a large, shallow, ephemeral lake in the highlands of eastern Victoria, formed by faulting. When water is present it is alkaline (mean pH 8.4), very slightly saline (mean TDS 1080 ppm) and opaque. Sodium and bicarbonate are the domi- nant ions. Twenty-four species of invertebrates have been recorded. Most of the crus- taceans are typical claypan forms de- veloping from resistant eggs, while the insects, mainly corixids and chirono- mids, must recolonize from elsewhere following dry periods. Introduction Lake Omeo (Plate 1) is a large ephemeral lake in the Gippsland high- lands 100 km north of Bairnsdale. It is about 700 m above sea level and is the focus of a small endorheic drain- ae> area lying west and south of Benambra, which is situated on the eastern shore of the lake. Mention of it is made in a number of geological papers on the district (e.g. Crohn, 1950: Talent, 1965, 1969; Thomas 1937) and it has been the site of a detailed water balance study by the Meteorology Department, University of Melbourne (Bennett and Schwerdt- feger, 1970), but no published data are available on the physico-chemical features of the lake water, or on the aquatic life to be found in the lake. This paper reports on limnological investigations made on a number of occasions during 1969-1971 (Table 1) and refer not only to Lake Omeo but 156 also to a small stock-watering dam on Minute Creek, the main inflow to the lake. This dam is a likely source of at least some of the colonizing species when the lake refills after being dry. Some data is also presented on nearby Lake King, a small, shallow claypan on the flats of Morass Creek. The location of the three bodies of water is shown in Fig. 1. THE LAKE Lake Omeo is believed to have formed as a result of faulting (Hills, 1940; Talent 1969), Minute Creek be- ing dammed and defeated about 3 km upstream from its junction with Morass Creek (Fig. 1). The former outflow is further blocked by an alluvial fan of granitic sand (Thomas, 1937). The lake is 770 ha in area with a circumference of almost 15 km and is orientated with its major axis in a SW-NE direction. The floor is flat, but is slightly lower at the SW end. In- terestingly Bennett and Schwerdtfeger (1970) reported a lowering of the water table towards the NW end, sug- gesting the possibility of a leak there associated with faulting. However, the shape of the lake (Fig. 1) and bottom topography tend to deny such an origin, but there has probably been sufficient time since its formation for other factors, especially wind defla- tion, to modify the morphometry of the basin. *Department of Zoology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, 3168. Present Address— Sciences Department, Avondale College, Cooran- bong, N.S.W. 2265. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Plate 1 Lake Omeo, viewed from the southwest corner in November 1970. Photo, Author. Figure 1 Locality map showing Lake Omeo, Lake King and the stock dam on Minute Creek. Photo, Author. August, 1975 157 There is considerable secular fluc- tuation in the amount of water held in the lake basin. It was “‘full’? — i.e. the water level up to a well-marked shore- line and 3 m deep — in 1896 and 1956, but dry in 1870, 1914, 1937, 1950, 1967 and 1972 (Bennett and Schwerdtfeger, 1970; Mr. W. Hol- lands, personal communication). During the last forty years a typical condition would be for it to be dry or to contain some water, particularly during spring. Bennett and Schwerdt- feger (1970) showed that the lake accumulates water only during excep- tionally wet years, since annual evap- oration is near 100 cm while average annual precipitation is only 62.5 cm. Except for the ‘“‘full’’ period follow- ing 1956, in the last forty years the lake has contained less water and been dryer longer than was the case in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s (Bennett and Schwerdtfeger, 1970; Mr. W. Hol- lands, personal communication). This condition would be associated with long term rainfall fluctuations, but probably also influenced by the clear- ing of the vegetation along the lake shore, catchment deforestation and damming of the inflowing creeks. PHYSICO CHEMICAL FEATURES (a) Methods. Surface temperature was determined with a mercury ther- mometer (accurate to + 0.1°O), light penetration with a Secchi disc, pH with a Metrohm portable pH meter, and Total Dissolved Solids (hereafter TDS) by evaporation at 105°C. Lake water was analysed for seven major ions. Sodium and _ potassium were measured by flame photometry, calcium and magnesium by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, chlor- ide by potentiometric titration against silver nitrate, bicarbonate by titration with 0.01N hydrochloric acid to an end point of pH 4.5, and sulphate by 158 the method of Ferrara et al (1965) on a Technicon Autoanalyser. (b) Results and Discussion. Since Lake Omeo is usually very shallow and is montane, the seasonal tempera- ture range is large—larger than the 6.0-20.5° range recorded in Table 1 and probably close to the mean monthly extremes of air temperature (3.1 and 24.2°C) recorded by Bennett and Schwerdtfeger (1970). Water in both Lakes Omeo and King is coloured grey by colloidal clay particles and is opaque, light pene- trating no more than a few centi- metres. By contrast, in the dam on Minute Creek, there is much less dis- colouration and light penetration is ereater (Tables 1 and 2). Water in all three localities is alka- line (Tables 1 and 2) -— the average pH in Lake Omeo is 8.4, and in Minute Creek dam 7.5. There is a single reading of 7.8 for Lake King. In Lake Omeo there is evidence of higher pH levels in summer when the TDS level is higher, though it is not known if this is the cause of the fluctuations. The mean TDS level during 1967-71 was 1082 ppm in Lake Omeo and 225 ppm in the Minute Creek Dam. There is a single reading of 600 ppm for Lake King (Tables 1 and 2). In Lake Omeo the salinity increases as the lake shrinks in response to the high evaporation rate in summer. When water lies in Lake Omeo it is probably at least partly continuous with the local ground water as bores in the vicinity of the lake contain waters of a similar salinity range, viz. 300-3000 ppm, mostly greater than 500 ppm. Beneath the lake bed salini- ties near 24,000 ppm (at 36 m) have been recorded (Mines Department, Unnublished information). The salinities recorded in Lakes Omeo and King are relatively high for upland lakes (Timms, 1970; Williams, Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 1964; Williams, Walker and Brand, 1970), though the high values in Lakes Omeo and King are expected in view of their closed nature. Water in Minute Creek Dam is more saline than that in lentic waters in the Kos- ciusko area (Williams, Walker and Brand, 1970) reflecting, no doubt, the influence of human settlement and differing geology and weathering pat- terns on water quality. The concentration of major ions in Lakes Omeo and King is given in Table 3. For both lakes the cationic dominance is Na*>Mg**>Ca‘**>K* and the anionic dominance HCO’3> Cl >SO™4. Despite the higher salini- ties, these dominances are typical of those of lentic waters in montane areas of south-eastern Australia (Timms, 1970; Williams, Walker and Brand, 1970). The dominance of bi- carbonate in waters more saline than 500 ppm TDS is unusual in south- eastern Australia (Williams, 1967). BIOLOGICAL FEATURES (a) Methods. Planktonic forms were caught in a conical plankton net of material with a pore size of 159 um while a Birge-Ekman grab was used to collect benthic species. Littoral in- vertebrates were captured with a pond net of mesh size 0.8 mm. Collections on some trips are more extensive than others, partly associ- ated with varying habitat area due to water level fluctuations but also be- cause of limited time and equipment availability. Thus collections on trip 3 (the only visit when benthos was sampled) are the most extensive, and those on trips 5 and 2 the least. (b) Results and Discussion. Alto- gether 24 species have been recorded from the three localities, made up of 20 species in Lake Omeo, 9 in Minute Creek Dam and 5 in Lake King (Table 4). In addition a number of species of larval insects inhabit August, 1975 Minute Creek between the Dam and Lake Omeo (Timms, unpublished data), but all are apparently rheo- philic and are excluded from the list in Table 4. As far as is known, all species in the lakes are widely dis- tributed. Of the faunal assemblage in Lakes King and Omeo, the crustaceans at least are typical of shallow ephemeral freshwater (ca 1000 ppm TDS) clay- pans on the volcanic plains of western Victoria (Geddes, 1973a). Lepidurus apus, Boeckella triarticulata, Micro- cyclops australis and Daphnia carinata are widespread in these. The presence of Branchinella compacta and not B. australiensis is unexpected as the former lives in slightly saline water (>1530 ppm) and the latter in fresh- waters (<1200 ppm) (Geddes, 1973b). The presence of B. compacta at salinities of 340-670 ppm are the lowest so far recorded for this species. Considering the altitude of the lake it is surprising that high altitude cope- pods such as Boeckella montana and B. pseudochelae are not present. Both are found in pools and lakes of the Kosciusko area (Bayly, 1970) while the latter lives in pools on the nearby Bogong high plains (Timms, unpub- lished data). In addition B. montana occurs in astatic lagoons on the New England Tableland (Timms, 1970). Perhaps relatively low altitude and its associated factors, or ephemeral con- ditions or very slightly saline waters are limiting to one or both of these copepods. Certainly the copepod present, B. triarticulata is known to be capable of inhabiting slightly saline waters (Bayly, 1969), ephemeral waters (Geddes, 1973a) and lakes of various thermal regimes (Bayly, 1964; Timms, 1970). In that Lake Omeo is dry for long periods the question arises of how the fauna survives such an environmental vicissitude. Some species, e.g., Bran- 159 chinella compacta, Lepidurus apus and Daphnia carinata, are known to produce thick-shelled resting eggs and when water returns these would hatch and produce a _ new generation. Others, like the corixids, are capable of sustained flight and hence the lake would be colonized by adults from far and near. Perhaps many come from nearby waterholes and dams _ like Minute Creek Stock Dam. This dam, in particular, would also supply adult and juvenile crustaceans as water flows through it to the lake in wet periods. In addition it would probably be the major source of colonizing individuals of the two species of water- snail in the lake. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank the Victorian Mines Department for access to unpublished information, Dr. S. Cole of A.F.R.L. for providing facilities for water analysis and Mr. M. Tarburton for field assistance. Thanks are also extended to the following for identifications:-—Dr. M. Geddes, University of Queensland (Branchinella compacta); Miss J. Knowles, Monash University (Corixi- dae); Dr. J. Martin, Melbourne Uni- versity (Chironomidae); Mr. D. Mor- ton, Monash University (Cyclopoi- dae); Mr. A. Neboiss, National Mu- seum, Victoria (Hemiptera except Corixidae; Coleoptera); Dr. N. Smir- nov, U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences (Chydoridae) and Dr. B. Smith, Na- tional Museum Melbourne (Gastro- poda). REFERENCES Bayly, I. A. E., 1964. A revision of the Australasian species of the freshwater genera Boeckella and Hemiboeckella (Copepoda); Calanoida). Aust. J. mar. Freshwat. Res. 15: 180-238. Bayly, I. A. E. (1970). A note on the zooplankton of the Mount Kosciusko region. Bull. Aust. Soc. Limnol. 3: 25-28. 160 Bennett, J., and Schwerdtfeger, P. (1970). The water balance of Lake Omeo. Meteor. Dept. Univ. Melb. Publ: Nos 162"23 9p: Crohn, P. W. (1950). The geology, petrology and physiography of the Omeo district, Victoria. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 62: 1-70. Ferrara, L. W., Floyd, R. S. and Blan- cher, R. S., 1965. Turbidimetric deter- mination of sulphate by the Autoana- lyser: sulphur in plant materials by digestion with nitric and_ perchloric acid. Technicon Symposium: ‘“Auto- mation in Analytical Chemistry”, pp. 109-111. Geddes, M. C., 1973a. Studies on Aus- tralian Anostracans (Crustacea: Bran- chiopoda). Ph.D. Thesis, Monash Uni- versity. Geddes, M. C., 1973b. Salinity tolerance and isomotic and ionic regulation in Branchinella australiensis and B. com- pacta (Crustacea: Anostraca). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 45A: 559-569. Hills, E. S., 1940. ““Physiography of Vic- toria’’ (Whitcombe and Tombs: Mel- bourne). Talent, J. A., 1965. Geomorphic forms and processes in the highlands of eastern Victoria. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 78: 119-135. Talent, J. A., 1969. The geology of East Gippsland. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 82: 37-60. Thomas, D. E., 1937. Lake Omeo. Rec. geol. Surv. Vic. 5(4): 565-575. Timms, B. V., 1970. Chemical and zoo- plankton studies of lentic habitats in north-eastern New South Wales. Aust. J. mar. Freshwat. Res. 21: 11-33. Williams, W. D., 1964. A contribution to lake typology in Victoria. Verh. int. Ver. Limnol. 15: 158-168. Williams, W. D., 1967. The chemical characteristics of lentic surface waters in Australia: a Review in “Australian Inland Waters and their Fauna: Eleven Studies” (Ed. A. H. Weather- ley) (Australian National University Press: Canberra). Williams, W. D., Walker, K. F., and Brand, G. W., 1970. Chemical com- position of some inland surface waters and lake deposits of New South Wales. Aust. J. mar. Freshwat. Res. 21: 103-116. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 TABLE 1 LAKE OMEO: SOME PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PARAMETERS Maxi- mum Mid Morn- Total Secchi Date Date Water ing Water Dissolved pH Re Code Depth |Temp.(°C)| Solids Let is AS (ppm) (cms) 10/ 8/1969 1 cas 6 924 7.8 a 5/12/1969 2 cal0 18 1360 9.0 a 1/11/1970 3 ca45 10.6 667 7.8 6 DN 2/V9TA 4 ca 8 20.5 1378 8.6 4 4/ 8/1971 5 dry = — — ~- TABLE 2 MINUTE CREEK STOCK DAM AND LAKE KING: SOME PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PARAMETERS Total S ee Date Ses pH Readiae (ppm) Kon Minute Creek Stock Dam 10/ 8/1969 343 7.3 ED 5/12/1969 174 D2 es 1/11/1970 201 7.8 34 4/ 8/1971 180: Gail 48 Lake King 1/11/1970 600 7.8 | TABLE 3 CONCENTRATIONS OF MAJOR IONS IN LAKES OMEO AND KING, Ist NOVEMBER, 1970 é. 4 0 a Sum of | Sum of 2 2 a Lake Na K Ca Mg Cations Anions Cl HCO 3 SO 4 Omeo 7.17 0.23 0.41 0.81 8.62 8.53 2.84 5.40 0.29 King 7.15 0.16 0.19 0.34 7.84 7.85 2.58 4.60 0.67 August, 1975 161 TABLE 4 List of species collected from Lakes Omeo and King and Minute Creek Stock Dam on five visits during 1969-1971 Lake King date code* Lake : Gans Minute Creek Species date Dam date code* coe ANNELIDA: Oligochaeta Unidentified worm 3 ARTHROPODA: Crustacea Branchinella compacta Linder 3 Lepidurus apus viridus Baird 3 3 3 LoS) Boeckella triarticulata (Thomson) Microcyclops australis King Microcyclops sp. near varicans Sars Daphnia carinata King Macrothrix hirsuticornis Norman and Brady Alona cambouei Guerne et Richard Pleuroxus aduncus (Jurine) 4 1 23245 S 3 4 WwW We WwW ARTHROPODA: Insecta A graptocorixa sp. eurynome Kirkaldy 4 A graptocorixa parvipunctata (Hale) 5 A graptocorixa sp. Sigara australis Fieber 5 Anisops thienemanni Lundblad Berosus australiae Muls Dytiscidae larva Orthocladinae (? Syncricotopus) Chironomus australis Macquart Chironomus oppositus Walker Chironomus tepperi Skuse Unidentified Ceratopogonidae Nn aw BWW WH W W WH WwW ios) Ww MOoLLuScA: Gastropoda Bulinus hainesii (Tryon) 3 3 Lymnaea tomentosa (Pfeiffer) 3 3 SSS eee eee eee *See Table 1 for key to date code. 162 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Victorian Ornithological Research Group Westernport Report No. 1 Part 4—Continued The Birds of the Somers, Sandy Point, Hastings Districts, Westernport Bay, Victoria, Australia. by WILLIAM A. Davis AND ALAN J. REID CONTINUED FROM VOL. 92, P. 123 142. Petrochelidon nigricans, Tree-Martin. Rare. Noted 6 trips. 1962 September — 1 bird — Sandy Point. October — 10 same area, December — 4 Coolart. 1963 March — 4 Coolart. 1964 — August one Coolart, December — 20 Sandy Point bushland. H.3, 5. 143. Petrochelidon ariel, Fairy Martin. Rare. Reported breeding 1961 under small bridge Camp Road, Somers. 2 Decemb2r 1962 — 10 Coolart. October 1964 —2 Coolart. June 1965 small flock education camp. H.4, 5. 144. Anthus novaeseelandiae, Pipit (Ground Lark). Common resident, open fields throughout survey area. Four to 20 every trip, sometimes noted perching on trees in open forest Naval Depot during lat2 summer. H.3, 5, 6. 145. Coracina novaehollandiae, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike. Resident breeding species noted most trips, 2 to 10 seen. Consistent breeder often using same tree, favoured month November. 15 September 1963 flock of 20 noted open forest Naval Depot. H3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 146. Lalage sueurii, White-winged Triller. Large influx 1963 open forest Naval Depot. 4 November —6 males. 25 November — 10 males. 8 December — 12 males. 22 December — 6 males, 3 females. 31 December — 8 males, 3 females. 6 January 1964 — 3 of each sex. 19 January lone male. The early records of males only may have meant breed- ing. However no nests or flying young were observed. This was the only occur- rence of the Triller for the survey. H.3. 147. Turdus Merula, Blackbird. Introduced. Very common resident breeder Coolart, education camp, Sandy Point. Nests Spring. H.3, 4, 5. 148. Zoothera dauma, Mountain (Australian ground) Thrush. Permanent resident foreshore scrub Balnarring to Sandy Point. Pair resi- dent Coolart lagoon fringes January to June 1963, often seen. Nest found education camp bushland 18 August 1963. Species quite common Sandy Point. H.3,-4, 5. 149. Cinclosoma punctatum, Spotted Quail-Thrush. Rare. Confined dense scrubby section education camp bushland. Listed prior to 1961. Seen again 3 times July-August 1961. Not recorded again in spite of intensive search. H.4. August, 1975 163 150. Pomatostomus temporalis, Grey-crowned Babbler. Visitors to Coolart prior to 1940 will remember the species as common along Coolart drive. It has long since disappeared. The reason is not obvious as the drive is still excellent habitat. Isolated pockets exist along several road- side verges throughout survey area. Noted Stumpy Gully Road December 1963, Coolart Road March 1964, Myers Road November 1964. Also known at Tyabb. Recently observed near Naval Depot gate 18 March 1972. H.7. 151. Megalurus gramineus, Little Grassbird. Permanent resident Hanns Inlet salt marshes, reed beds, usually 2 to 6 listed. More often heard than seen. Pair Coolart November 1963 also August 1964. H.2, 3, 5. 152. Acrocephalus stentoreus, Reed Warbler. Occasional visitor. Noted Christmas 1961 Naval Base reed beds, nest found. October and November 1963 seen and heard along Tulum Creek. H.3, 4. 153. Cisticola exilis, Golden-headed Fantail Warbler. Permanent resident reed beds and grasslands Naval Base. Occasional records Coolart lower paddocks December, January and April. H.3, 5, 6. 154. Cinclorhamphus mathewsi, Rufous Songlark. Very rare vagrant. Many recorded in ti-tree scrub. Crib Point during 1952 by B.O.C. member Phillip Brook while serving at Naval Depot. Single record of one bird Christmas 1960 Naval Depot open forest. H.3, 4. 155. Ephthianura albifrons, White-fronted Chat. Common, listed most trips. Favoured habitats Hanns Inlet samphire flats, Naval Base reed beds and grassland, also Coolart lagoon fringes. Many nests found November to January. Enormous flock (in excess of 300) seen Somers beach August 1962. H.1, 2, 3, 5, 6. 156. Acanthiza nana, Little Thornbill. Small parties, 6-20 birds, occasionally seen Sandy Point bushland, Coolart and education camp bushland. H.3, 4, 5. 157. Acanthiza lineata, Striated Thornbill. Very common resident Sandy Point bushland, foreshore scrub and Coolart, 10-100 each trip. H.3, 4, 5. 158. Acanthiza chrysorrhoa, Yellow-tailed Thornbill. Common. Favours open forest, roadside verges and occasionally Coolart lagoon fringes. Average count 20 birds per trip. Many nests found August to December each year. 4.3, 4, 5, 7. 159. Acanthiza reguloides, Buff-tailed Thornbill. Listed only once within survey area although very common further inland towards Red Hill. Small party observed during July 1965 along Coolart Road. H.7. 160. Acanthiza pusilla, Brown Thornbill. Very common resident breeding species. Twenty to 100 noted every trip all bushland habitats. H.3, 4, 5, 7. 164 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 161. Sericornis frontalis, White-browed Scrub-Wren. Common resident all scrubby habitats, 20 to 50 each trip. Nests located November to January. H.3, 4, 5. ; 162. Calanthus fuliginosus, Striated Field-Wren. Resident breeder samphire flats, reed beds and low heathlands. Two to 6 noted all trips. Species was eliminated by clearing of heathland near Coolart 1961. Nest with half-grown young, samphire flats Hanns Inlet September 1963. EZ 3h). 163. Stipiturus malachurus, Southern Emu-Wren. Confined to Sandy Point bushland where at least 8 different colonies were located in various habitats along the Sandy Point track. Six to 20 seen almost every trip. It was a most exciting time on 4 November 1962 when the species was first seen in the heathland. Although no nests were found flying young were often observed during early summer. Due to loss of habitat this species is becoming increasingly rare near Melbourne. W. Roy Wheeler (B.O.C., R.A.O.U.) commented Sandy Point is a most valuable habitat for the Emu- Wren especially the fact the species is easily observed. Often Emu-Wrens were seen from the car while slowly driving down the tract. H.3(d), (e), (f), (g) (h). 164. Malurus cyaneus, Superb Blue Wren. Very common resident breeding species throughout all suitable habitats. Nests found October to January each year. Noted as foster parent to Bronze Cuckoos on two occasions Sandy Point, H.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 165. Rhipidura fuliginosa, Grey Fantail. Common resident breeder throughout district. Noted all bushland habitats and Coolart, 10-30 each trip. Many nests Spring and Summer each year. One pair nested along lagoon path 1965. H.3, 4, 5, 7. 166. Rhipidura rufifrons. Rufous Fantail. Rare visitor. First seen Coolart one bird December 1960. One bird educa- tion camp. November 1962. Records of 1 to 3 birds Sandy Point bushland January and February 1963, 1964. Last record Coolart single bird November 1964. H.3, 4, 5. 167. Rhipidura Leucophrys, Willie Wagtail (Black and White Fantail). Common resident most habitats — 4 to 10 each trip. Nests found Spring and early Summer each year. On one occasion a pair at Coolart were observed nest building. They would fly in with beaks full of spider web, alight in centre of cup-shaped nest then spin around discharging cobweb from their bills. One particular bird at education camp followed a regular circular route 2 or 3 times a day. H.3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 168. Myiagra rubecula, Leaden Flycatcher. Very rare visitor. Noted Christmas 1961 Sandy Point, Easter 1962 educa- tion camp. H.3, 4. 169. Myiagra cyanoleuca, Satin Flycatcher. Regular migrant arriving Sandy Point bushland first week November each year departing March, 4-8 birds. Nests found in tall peppermints during three consecutive years December 1962-1963-1964. H.3(b). August, 1975 165 170. Myiagra inquieta, Restless Flycatcher. Rare visitor. One bird education camp July 1962. Single bird Sandy Point open forest 9 September 1962. A pair open forest 15 March 1964. H.3, 4. 171. Microeca leucophaea, Brown Flycatcher (Jacky winter). Occasional visitor. Noted 6 times, single birds, open forest Naval Base between December 1962 and March 1963. A pair resided at education camp May 1961, February to June 1964 then again 1965. H.3, 4. 172. Petroica phoenicea, Flame Robin. Regular migrant arriving end March leaving late August each year. Ob- servations at Hanns Inlet were most interesting. The first birds always seen last week March, number gradually increased during April, May and June. By July over 40 present. Large build up during August. By last two weeks over 100 females and 40 males, obviously a premigration flocking. This was, at the time, the largest flock of Flame Robins ever seen by any member of the survey team. This pattern continued through the systematic survey period The species was also present during the same months at Coolart in the paddocks and around the lagoon fringes. Reid carried out extensive banding up until 1967. Neil Wetherill continued the banding until 1971 commenting that trap- ping success diminished, the birds apparently becoming trap conscious. H.3, 4, », 6. 173. Petroica rodinogaster, Pink Robin. Rare. Listed at Somers prior to survey. Sightings from 1960 onwards were mainly confined to individuals caught in mist nets during banding at Naval Depot open forest. Listed April and May 1963, January, April and May 1964. EL. 3: 174. Petroica cucullata, Hooded Robin. The occurrence of this species so far South and near the coast is interest- ing. It occurred for a short period only and apparently bred in the district. On 25 November 1963 a lone male noted in open forest Naval Depot. Seen again 9 February 1964. On 3 May 1964 2 males, one female and one flying young observed. The only occurrence of the White-winged Triller was also during that period. H.3. 175. Eopsaltria australis, Southern Yellow Robin. Common resident breeder all suitable habitats. Ten to 30 noted every trip. Many nests September to January. On Saturday 5 January 1963 no less than 20 immature yellow Robins were noted in various plumage stages. Some had striped plumage not unlike the Speckled Warbler, others with yellow pin feathers, many with a very rufous appearance about the lower back and flights. Reid carried out extensive banding along the Somers foreshore. Results indicated a moving population during winter as there were few re-traps at the time. Many hundreds were banded. The programme was continued by Wetherill although he indicated a change in that many 1966 banded birds were still living and breeding up to 1971 in the same area. H.3, 4, 5, 7. 176. Pachycephala pectoralis, Golden Whistler. Common resident breeder. Six to 20 every trip. Nests found October, November and December each year. Flying young (plumage similar to female) often recorded being fed by parents January and February. 166 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 On 26 July 1964 two males seen apparently fighting over territory. They adopted typical threat posture, calling loudly, tail stretched, wings extended and fluttering, head held high with back arched. H.3, 4, 5,7. 177. Pachychephala refiventris, Rufous Whistler. Regular migrant. Ten to 20 present October to March. Arrival and departure variable. Earliest record 22 September 1963. Latest record mid-April. One wintering record of a lone male Sandy Point 6 June 1964. Nests found during December and January each year. During Spring 1964 there appeared an irruption of the species at Sandy Point. On 1 November over 40 counted. Hi. 34,-5, 7. 178. Colluricincla harmonica, Grey Shrike-Thrush. Common resident breeder all suitable habitats. Six to 20 every trip. Nests located November to January. Flying young seen during January. They have striped breasts. H.3, 4, 5, 7. 179. Falcunculus frontalis, Eastern Shrike-Tit. Variable occurrence. Listed every month until October 1963. From then on absent October to March each year indicating the species may leave to breed elsewhere. No evidence of nesting during survey. Occasionally visits Coolart and foreshore scrub. H.3, 4, 5S. 180. Neositta chrysoptera, Orange-winged Sittella. Common resident 4 to 10 seen most trips Sandy Point bushland. Nests located September, October and November. Sometimes visits Coolart and education camp. Recorded nesting in camp bushland 1965, 1966, H.3, 4, 5. 181. Climacteris leucophaea, White-throated Tree-Creeper. Restricted to Sandy Point bushland. Two to 10 seen or heard every trip. Nest found in small hollow 50 ft. from ground during December 1962. H.3(b), (c), (d). 182. Dicagum hirundinaceum, Mistletoe-Bird. Very common confined to Sandy Point bushland. The parasitic mistletoe occurs in abundance in habitats 3(b), (c), (d). The area is one of the few plac:s where this species can be consistently seen and heard. From 4 to 50 most trips. Many flying young observed being fed by parents during December and January each year. Birds extremely tame. On one occasion no less than 8 males and 10 females with flying young were recorded in one tree along the track. The young were plain grey with a pale salmon pink wash around the ventral region. The species was often noted hovering for up to 10 seconds while feeding. H.3(b), (c), (d). 183. Pardalotus punctatus, Spotted Pardalote. Common resident breeding species Sandy Point. Occasional visitor to Coolart and Somers foreshore scrub. Ten to 50 listed every trip. Favoured nesting locations Sandy Point track and rifle range. Four to 10 active nesting tunnels noted September to January each year. On several occasions the same tunnel was used. Sometimes the young could be heard chirping inside. On 4 November 1963 an Australian Goshawk was seen sitting outside a nest en- trance. H. 3, 4, 5. August, 1975 167 184. Pardalotus striatus, Yellow-tipped Pardalote. Very rare. Phillip Brook (B.O.C.) noted the species nesting in a hole in gymnasium building Naval Depot 1951, 1952 and 1953. The only other record was during 1962 when a dead pardalote picked up at Balnarring was identified by the museum as the Yellow-tipped. H.3, 4. 185. Pardatlotus substriatus, Striated Pardalote. 186. Pardalotus ornatus, Eastern Striated Pardalote. At the time of the survey considerable confusion existed concerning these two species. The Red-tipped Pardalote (P. ornatus) had just been split into P. Ornatus and P. substriatus. For the first year of the survey stripe crowned Pardalotes were listed 7 times as the Striated. On 6 October 1963 a large group of experienced observers recorded 2 Eastern Striated at Sandy Point. Since then both species were consistently seen. Several dead specimens found during 1964 were identified as one each P. Ornatus and P. Substriatus. During Septem- ber 1963 and April 1965 irruptions occurred when from 50 to 100 counted at Sandy Point. Stripe-crowned Pardalotes occasionally visit Coolart and the education camp bushland. No nesting detected. H.3, 4, S. 187. Zosterops lateralis, Grey-backed Silvereye. Partial migrant. Recorded all suitable habitats all months. Numbers reduce to 4 to 10 per trip May to early September. From September to April average counts 50-100 each trip. Many nests Spring to late Summer. On one occasion during late May a large tight flock was noted flying higher and higher over Sandy Point until they passed from view. It was suggested they may have been seeking high air currents for a migration flight. H.3, 4, 5, 7. 188. Meliphaga chrysops, Yellow-faced Honeyeater. Common, present all months except July and August Sandy Point bushland and occasionally education camp bushland. Average count 4 to 20 per trip. At times during Spring and Autumn influxes to over 100 Sandy Point. Nest found 10 February 1963 with half-grown young. H.3, 4. 189. Meliphaga penicillata, White-plumed Honeyeater. General build up at Sandy Point during survey. During 1962-1963, 2-8 noted cnly occasionally. Large flock of from 20 to 50 took up permanent residence in habitat 3(b) from 1964 to end of survey. Also resident along Coolart drive and education camp bushland. Nest found Easter 1961 at camp. H.3'(b) ;. 4.5. 190. Meliphaga leucotis, White-eared Honeyeater. Common resident breeding species Sandy Point bushland, education camp and foreshore scrub. Ten to 100 counted every trip. It appeared the species became more common as the survey progressed. Nest with young Sandy Point January 19, 1964. Parents gave distraction displays and broken wing trick. H.3, 4. 191. Melithreptus brevirostris, Brown-headed Honeyeater. Very common 50-100 noted every trip. Peak populations during Autumn. No nests found. H.3, 4, 5, 7. a 168 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 192. Melithreptus lunatus, White-naped Honeyeater. Common all months except July and August. There appeared a general increase in the population during the survey. By 1965, 50-100 listed each trip (except July and August). Nests found November, December, January and February. Species invariably recorded in parties of from 6 to 20, sometimes with flying young. Immatures lacked the black head and resembled Brown- headed without the nape marks. On one trip a White-naped expertly mimicked several simple whistling calls given by the observers. H.3, 4, 5, 7. 193. Melithreptus gularis, Black-chinned Honeyeater. A very rare Honeyeater near Melbourne. W. Roy Wheeler in “‘A handlist of the birds of Victoria’? p. 66 indicates the species had not been recorded South or East of Melbourne. During March 1966 a party of 4 to 6 Black- chinned Honeyeaters spent three weeks in the Banksias of the education camp bushland. They were seen on 4 separate days. This would therefore extend the known range by 40 miles south. H.4. 194. Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera, Crescent Honeyeater. Listed for Somers prior to 1961. Eight Sandy Point 5 January 1963. From then on numbers increased till end of the survey when from 50-100 seen every trip. Species occasionally visits education camp bushland and foreshore scrub. Immature birds often caught in mist nets. 195. Phylidonyris novaehollandiae, Yellow-winged Honeyeater. Very common resident breeder all suitable habitats. Possibly the most com- mon honeyeater of the survey. From 50 to 100 every trip. Recorded breeding several times Sandy Point January and February. One interesting late breeding record on 9 June 1963, adult observed feeding flying young. H.3, 4, 5, 7. 196. Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris, Eastern Spinebill. Resident Sandy Point bushland 2 to 20 every trip. Noted breeding Novem- ber, December, January and February. Occasionally visits Somers foreshore, education camp and Coolart garden. H.3, 4, 5. 197. Myzantha melanocephala, Noisy Miner. Resident breeder education camp 1956 to 1963. Birds then mysteriously left for no apparent reason. Reid noted they consistently used pieces of coloured paper in nest construction. Small population open forest and messmate-peppermint woodland Sandy Point 4-10 each trip. Often seen along timbered roadside verges. H.3(b), 4, 7. 198. Anthochaera chrysoptera, Little Wattle-bird. Very common resident breeder favouring Banksias, Sandy Point, education camp and foreshore scrub. Fifty to 100 each trip. Nests located all seasons except winter. H.3(g), 4, 5. 199. Anthochaera carunculata, Red Wattle-bird. Noted most months Sandy Point, Somers foreshore. Average count 4 to 10 per trip. Influxes from 20 to 60 April, May each year. H.3, 4. 200. Anthochaera paradoxa, Yellow Wattle-bird. Mrs. Ruth Matthews, a most reliable local observer, reports that during high winds in the Autumn of 1951 she had excellent views of a Yellow Wattle- August, 1975 169 bird in her garden at Somers. She is most conversant with the habitats of the two preceding species, but this bird she described as larger than Red Wattle- bird possessing hug2 pendulous yellow wattles and peculiar calls (Bird Observer March 1967, p.3). H.4. 201. Acanthagenys rufogularis, Spiney-cheeked Honeyeater. Very rare. Phillip Brooke listed the species twice during 1950 in Banksias at Naval Depot. Single bird seen Banksias, education camp 28 October 1962. Only other record 6 birds Banksias, Sandy Point 15 March 1964. H.3(g), 4. 202. Carduelis carduelis, Goldfinch. Introduced. Very common resident breeder most habitats. Twenty to 100 every trip. Nests Spring and Summer Coolart and Sandy Point. H.3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 203. Carduelis chloris, Greenfinch. Introduced. A large resident population inhabited the ti-tree foreshore scrub from Somers to Sandy Point. A favoured area for observation from February to July was the sand dunes west of the Point. Huge flocks up to 300 birds were regularly seen. The birds were noted feeding on seeds of the Sea Rocket (Cakile maritima). This was the largest concentration of Greenfinches ever seen by any member of the survey team. From August to January dispersal for breeding took place. Small parties often visited Coolart. H.3, 4, 5. 204. Aegintha temporalis, Red-browed Finch. Common, scrublands, Sandy Point. Occasional visitor Coolart and Somers. Ten to 50 noted most trips. Nests found November, December and January. H:3, 4,. 5. 205. Passer domesticus, House Sparrow. Introduced. Permanent resident urban areas. 206. Passer montanus, Tree Sparrow. Phillip Brooke lists the species as common 1949 to 1952, Naval Depot. 207. Sturnus vulgaris, Starling. Introduced. Common resident breeder. Large flocks during Summer. Nests each year in duck nesting boxes Coolart. Listed at Sandy Point. On one occasion a lone Starling flew for 15 minutes in a tight flock of Red-necked Stints. Also at Sandy Point the species was seen feeding on nectar during April. FH.3,.4.,.5, 6,,..7. 208. Acridotheres tristis, Common Mynah. Introduced. Common resident breeder most urban areas. H4, 5, 6, 7. 209. Oriolus sagittatus, Olive-backed Oriole. Rare visitor, education camp bushland 3 recorded 9 February 1964, 2 —. 1 November 1964, single bird 7 March 1965. H.4. 210. Grallina cyanoleuca, Magpie-Lark. Common. Listed all trips open forested areas, along roads, in paddocks. Nests located September, October, November each year. Flocks during winter months, open forest Naval Depot. H.3, 4, 5, 6, 7. 211. Artamus cyanopterus, Dusky Wood-Swallow. Regular migrant arriving early September, departure variable January to April. Records confined to open forest Naval Depot where they breed each year. On several occasions the same tree was used. Average counts 6 to 20. H.3. 170 Vic. Nat. Vol. 92 212. Strepera versicolor. Grey Currawong. Very rare visitor. Listed along Stumpy Gully Road November 1962 and again in May 1966. H.7. 213. Cracticus torquaitus, Grey Butcher-Bird. Several pairs noted most trips. One pair resident Coolart drive and edu- cation camp. Other pair open forest Naval Depot. Flying young seen Naval Depot during December and January each year. H.3, 5. 214. Gymnorhina tibicen leuconota, White-backed Magpie. Common resident breeder all suitable habitats. H.3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 215. Corvus coronoides, Australian Raven. 216. Corvus mellori, Little Raven. The splitting of coronoides into coronoides and mellori occurred about the end of the systematic survey period. The common occurrence of both species in approximately equal numbers has since been confirmed. Since 1968 both have been observed nesting along Coolart drive and at the education camp (Wetherill 1972). Sometimes large flocks of ravens in excess of 100 birds noted. The appearance of these flocks did not follow any pattern and records exist for all months of the year. On a recent occasion at Coolart, an Australian Raven was observed harrassing an adult White Ibis with newly hatched young. The Raven was apparently trying to lure the Ibis from her young. H.1, 2, 3, 4, 5) 62 7,8: Additional Species. 217. Porzana pusilla, Marsh Crake. Shepherd noted the species as common around Westernport during 1896. Jack Jones recorded a Marsh Crake at Coolart during the summer of 1937. The bird frequented the lagoon fringes for some time. 218. Limosa lapponica, Bar-tailed Godwit. A very recent list of the birds of Jacks Beach (near Golden Point) pre- pared for the Conservation Council of Victoria by W. Roy Wheeler, contained this species. It has been commonly recorded from other parts of Westernport. 219. Smicrornis brevirostris, Brown Weebill. Also appears on Wheeler’s Jacks Beach list. However it seems incredible the species was not detected at Sandy Point during the systematic survey. Possibly it has recently moved into the district. 220. Hylacala pyrrhopygia, Chestnut-tailed Ground-Wren. On several occasions fleeting glimpses were obtained of a bird answering the description of the Ground Wren at Sandy Point. However it was never positively identified. The species was listed at Coolart during 1937 by Jack Jones. His manuscript reads as follows:— An extremely shy species both beautiful in plumage and song, and an excellent mimic. Hylacala can only be seen with certainty and then but a fleeting glimpse in the samphire swamps of the foreshores, a very unattractive resort. However my first acquaintance with the species was made at Coolart amidst bracken near a small creek about 200 yards from the house. Quite a number were seen and may still be there (a recent search by the authors indicated that this area of bracken no longer exists). [Conclusion] August, 1975 171 book review “W. R. Guilfoyle, 1840-1912, The Master of Landscaping” BY R. T. M. PEscotTr 24 x 16cm. 153 pages. 16 photogr. plates & 4 line drawings. Oxford University Press, 1974. Retail price $9.75. Tourists visiting Melbourne are customarily whisked around the two cathedrals, Exhibition Building, Cap- tain Cook’s Cottage, Young & Jack- son’s Hotel, the Cultural Centre and Shrine of Remembrance; but seldom do their itineraries extend to the Royal Botanic Gardens. More is the pity, since these Gardens comprise the really magnificent, spacious and soul-stirring masterpiece for which Melbourne will always be uniquely famous. Far too few local citizens are familiar with the history of this price- less asset, with the life and labours of the man chiefly responsible for bringing such a beautiful Reserve to its current state of scientific value and high aesthetic appeal. A multitude of botanists, horticulturists, naturalists, general plant lovers and the increas- ingly appreciative public will be grate- ful indeed that the record has at last een put straight in a_ biographical account of the late William Robert Guilfoyle—101 years after he assumed directorship of the then very different- looking Melbourne Botanic Gardens. And who better qualified to write the book than Mr. Richard T. M. Pescott, himself Director of the same Gardens for 134 years until retirement in August 1970, and for all of that period a resident in the old home occupied by Guilfoyle? As stated in his Ack- nowledgements, Pescott ‘“‘made a re- solve . . . to search out and record details of the training and experience of this man’’. How thorough was the research and recording will become apparent on reading through this slender volume. It is in fact a story of the Guilfoyle 172 family, from Irish antecedents to hor- ticultural and landscaping careers in the Chelsea sector of London, whence Michael Guilfoyle emigrated to Syd- ney with his large family in the late 1840’s. We learn how he established a large and important nursery at Double Bay, specializing in tropical plants. As a result of participation in H.M.S. Challenger’s voyage to various Polynesian islands in 1868, son Wil- liam brought home a wealth of living plant material to enhance the family’s famous nursery. Shortly after this voyage, several of the Guilfoyle boys played a major part in the develop- ment of cane sugar plantations in the fertile and subtropical Tweed River valley, where they also founded an- other nursery at Cudgen. Mr. Pescott devotes 20 pages to a documentation of “‘Life in the Tweed River Valley’’, but by the mid-1880’s the last of the Guilfoyle family had pulled out of this district permanently. The lifework of W. R. Guilfoyle really began with his appointment as Curator of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens in July 1873, in succession to Baron Sir Ferdinand von Mueller. There he remained for 36 years, re- tiring at almost 69 years of age in September 1909, the last decade so plagued with arthritis, gout and heart trouble that he was virtually a cripple in a wheelchair; but he could look back on a single-handed achievement of landscape architecture unsurpassed anywhere else in the world. Even after retirement, the great landscaper con- tinued to design and lay out private as well as municipal gardens both around Melbourne and in the Western Dis- Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 trict of Victoria (e.g. in the Colac- Camperdown area). Pescott has di- vided the Guilfoyle dynasty—-his was the fourth directorship in the new 130-year-old Gardens-—into three very unequal periods, viz. planning (1873- 77), development (1877-1901) and completion (1901-1909), each period forming the subject matter of a separate chapter. Other chapters deal with W. R. Guilfoyle’s trip to Europe (Feb.-Oct. 1890), ‘“‘Guilfoyle the writer’, ‘“‘Guilfoyle the artist’? and ‘The closing years’’. Throughout this biography the author has handled his resource ma- terial with great sympathy, under- standing and sensitivity, and, from his own intimate knowledge of ‘“‘Mel- bourne’s Garden’, has been able readily to assimilate the Guilfoylean spirit. One could perhaps wish that the humanity of his hero had been coaxed more out into the open. Indubitably William Guilfoyle had failings, foibles and idiosyncrasies that made him quite a colourful personality—if not some- what of a “‘character’’ — but few of the surviving anecdotes about him appear in the biography. An _ unfor- tunate gap is the complete absence of information concerning formative years, his boyhood exploits and school- days—except that he was first pri- vately tutored in Sydney by his ma- ternal uncle, Mr. Louis Delafosse, then sent successively to Lyndhurst College in Glebe, Mr. Cain’s private school at George Street, and Sydney College (for botanical instruction by the erudite Rev. Dr. William Woolls, a friend of Baron von Mueller’s). He lacked University qualifications, and, to the end of his days, firmly eschewed all public honours and distinctions. Considering the width of his ex- periences and depth of knowledge, Guilfoyle published relatively little — a mere 42 items (books and shorter August, 1975 papers), in comparison with Baron von Mueller’s output of some 800 bo- tanical publications through a similar life-span. His ‘‘swan song” was Aus- tralian Plants suitable for Gardens, Parks, Timber Reserves, etc. (1910). Pescott calls this “‘his greatest work . an authoritative book on the subject’’, in striking contrast to the tenor of its highly derogatory review that appeared in the Victorian Natur- alist 27: 202-204 (Feb. 1911)! Actu- ally, the book is of very limited use indeed as a guide to the horticultural suitability of various native plants. In a historical work of such excel- lent presentation and overall merit as Pescott’s W. R. Guilfoyle, 1840-1912, etc., one hesitates to point out small weaknesses. It is nevertheless disap- pointing to find the Australian Border of the Royal Botanic Gardens dis- missed in three lines at the top of page 113; the reviewer has always found overseas visitors to be more interested in this section of the Gar- dens than in any other. A discrepancy occurs on page 26 where the death of John Guilfoyle is given as January 29th in line 10, but the 28th in line 27. In the index (pp. 149-153) the following typographical slips have been detected: A conitum “‘napellum”’ (instead of napellus); “‘Fieus’’ (for Ficus); Flinders ‘‘Peak’’ (for Park), and Musa ‘“‘cavandishii’’ (for caven- dishii) . These trifling imperfections, how- ever, in no way detract from the im- portance of the present publication which, it is sincerely hoped, will find a place on the library shelves of every garden-lover, plantsman and _ collec- tor of Australian biographies. Both author and Oxford University Press have pooled their respective talents in producing a sturdy book packed full of accurate, interesting information in very readable form. —J. H. WILLIS. 173 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Extraordinary and General Meetings 14 July Extraordinary Meeting The two mo- tions printed in June Naturalist were proposed, seconded, read aloud in full, and passed. General Meeting The speaker, Mr. Howard Jarman, of the Bird Observers’ Club gave us an excellent address on Victorian Parrots. Mr. Jarman opened by saying that, although Australia is known as a land of parrots, we have only 50 or 60 of the 300 world species. But our species are more varied. Australia has three main groups — lorikeets (honey- eaters with brush tongues), cockatoos and lories. Lorikeets and cockatoos are limited to the Australian region, while lories are world wide. Mr. Jarman spoke of the nests of parrots— in hollows in trees or elsewhere, rarely is any nesting material used, and eggs are always white. The young are born naked and blind, and are at different stages of growth, for sitting begins as soon as the first egg is laid. The parents feed them with pre- digested food from their crops. Mr. Jar- man continued with an absorbing com- mentary on slides provided by the BOC. Many of the slides were superb. Dr. Elizabeth Turner thanked Mr. Jarman on behalf of us all for a most informa- tive and stimulating address. Nature exhibits and notes: 2%4"-3"” Greenhood orchid (Pterostylis falcata); Mountain Correa (C. lawrenciana) with several 1” creamy belis below the pair of 23” leaves; 1” foam-like (but firm) nest of praying mantis; various lichens with fruiting bodies; yellow and black gall wasp under the microscope; cut- ting of CSIRO research regarding Canadian Pondweed (Elodea canaden- sis). Canadian Pondweed is likely to become a worse pest than Water Hya- cinth and members are warned to de- stroy it wherever seen. Public statements by members. Mem- bers were reminded that under By-law 16, only authorised persons may make public statements bearing the Club name. Maranoa Gardens. The Maranoa Com- mittee of Management has completed its task and the Camberwell City Council will carry on without it. There was a vote of appreciation to Mr. Alf Fairhall for his work on the Committee for 8 years. Piant identifications by Herbarium. Free of charge, the Herbarium will identify plants in batches of ten from this Club and associated organisations. Such specimens must be “processed’”’ by this Ciub so that only those unidenti- fied by knowledgeable laymen are passed on to the Herbarium. Trust Fund for the Natural History Medallion is now open and donations will be welcome. F.N.C.V. PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE THE WILD FLOWERS OF THE WILSON’S PROMONTORY NATIONAL PARK, by J. Ros Garnet. Price $5.25, (discount to members); postage 20c. 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. Price 90c. Postage 1Ic. 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 (15c on single copy). 174 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 AUCTION SALE The Schrader Collection of Butterflies and Beetles On View Daily Under the Instruction of the Proprietor of “The Butterfly Farm” To Be Held On The Premises In The Schrader Museum THE BUTTERFLY FARM, WINDSOR ROAD, WILBERFORCE on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th, 1975 AT 11 am. The Schrader Collection includes many rare and extinct mounted specimens of butterflies and beetles. The entire offering includes over 8000 mounted butterflies, beetles and several unique display cabinets for the Collector. Saturday 20th to Saturday 27th September 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Or by Special Arrangements with the Auctioneers Catalogues available at $1.00 each From the Auctioneers JAMES R. LAWSON PTY. LIMITED VALUERS FINE ART & GENERAL AUCTIONEERS SINCE 1884 232 CASTLEREAGH STREET, SYDNEY PHONE: 26 6408 August, 1975 175 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 the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Q.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1975-1976. President: Mr. P. KELLY, 260 The Boulevard, East Ivanhoe, 3079. Hon. Secretary: Mr. GARNET JOHNSON, 20 Sydare Ave., Chadstone, 3148. 56 3227. treasurer -- Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145. Acting Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg, 3084. Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield, 3151. (52 2749.) Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. D. E. McINNES. Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards St., Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36 0587. Group Secretaries Botany: Miss E. JONES, 6 West Crt., Glen Waverley, 3150. (560 2280.) Day Group: Mrs. J. STRONG, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena. (56 2271.) Entomology and Marine Biology: Mr. J. W. H. STRONG, Flat 11, “‘Palm Court’’, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena, 3163. (56 2271.) Field Survey: R. D. SANDELL, 39 Rubens Gve., Canterbury, 3126. (83 8009) Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. _ . Mammal Survey: Miss Wendy CLARK, 97 Faraday Street, Carlton, 3053. Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy St., East Brighton. (96 3268.) 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 1975 Metropolitan ~. be ee he oe ee Ah e. = er $10.00 Joint Metropolitan .. ae BAS e: as cus am ee he oe $12.50 Joint Retired Members ' we hy - 2 a2 $10.00 Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65 . a ie .< K Rubiaceae Coprosma quadrifida x Goodeniaceae Goodenia ovata x Stylidiaceae Stylidium graminifolium x x x xX Compositae Helichrysum scorpioides x + H. scutellifolium Olearia axillaris x 186 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 The Mollusc Caryodes dufressnii in Tasmania Part 2 by RON C. KERSHAW* AND ALAN J. DARTNALLT Abstract A report is given on a nest of eggs of Caryodes dufressnii (Leach) (Mol- lusca, Pulmonata), observed on Mt. Wellington during the summer of 1974. The discovery of many indivi- duals including juveniles of the species at Coles Bay in November, 1973, is discussed. Introduction In the first report of this series (Kershaw and Dartnall, 1972) a dis- cussion on the discovery, variation and habits of the Tasmanian snail Caryodes dufressnii (Leach) is given. A nest of eggs found in temperate rain forest is described. The discovery of a second nest reported here is of much interest as it occupies a very different situation. The discovery of further live ani- mals on the Tasmanian east coast at Coles Bay is also of considerable importance. The recognition that a range of more or less distinct morphs occurs has been discussed already by us (loc. cit.). We found no difference in chromosome number between rain forest animals and a live animal re- ceived from Mr. John Simmonds of Launceston. This animal, collected at Binnalong Bay in dry forest is of simi- lar form to those taken in such situa- tions in the past. Recently, similar but dead shells were found in the Cataract Gorge, Launceston. Although long dead these specimens encourage the hope that September, 1975 this type of morph may still survive in forest near Launceston. The fauna of the Gorge has changed to a pre- ponderance of introduced snails dur- ing the last decade or two, with the increased pressure of man’s activities. The drowning of a considerable area by the MHydro-electric Commission dam, an important industrial event, has reduced the area available to native species drastically. Therefore the discovery of a colony of dry sclerophyll forest type morphs at Coles Bay has provided invaluable comparative material. Caryodes eggs on Mt. Wellington, near Hobart. This nest was discovered adjacent to Shoobridge Track on Mt. Wellington in the spring of 1974 by one of us (A.J.D.). There were four eggs pre- sent (plate 1). These were partly buried in the soil beneath a litter of bark and leaves. Some shelter was available from the earth bank above the track. The forest is fairly open with a gradually developing under- storey at this point. This area is within that burnt out by the disastrous bushfires early in 1966. There is effective recovery of the forest apparent but shelter still remains comparatively sparse in many places. The presence of the eggs is of great importance, demonstrating that *Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston. +Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory. 187 the snail population was not com- pletely decimated despite the intensity of the fire. The last of several observa- tions, made in late December, revealed no apparent sign of hatching. A search revealed several dead but fresh Shells in the area. The translucent greyish-white eggs are closely similar to those found on Mt. Arthur. It is hoped that they will hatch eventually. They have exceeded the time taken by the Mt. Arthur eggs to hatch, but the artificial environ- ment in which the latter eggs were kept could have affected this. Further information on this aspect of the snail’s development is very desirable. Caryodes at Coles Bay. Coles Bay is a sheltered coastal re- sort on the central eastern Tasmanian coast. The settlement is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a low range of granite mountains. The mixed granite and sandy shoreline has a variably dense back shore coverag? of tea-tree and she-oak. There is a steep drop of ten to fifteen feet to the beach in many places. In the denser scrub areas the ground is covered with litter. In the more sparsely covered areas there is bare ground and grasses are intruding into open areas. Some scattered logs and branches of dead she-oak are encoun- 188 tered. Slabs of granite also offer Shelter particularly near the shore. The pulmonate mollusc Bothriem- bryon (Tasmanembryon) tasmanicus (Pfeiffer, 1853) is very common in the area. These snails may be observed crawling on the ground and on the trees at night. By day they shelter in the litter, under the bark of the fallen trees and in suitable spots on living trees. The discovery of Caryodes was made while investigating the distribu- tion of Bothriembryon in the area. Caryodes is present in the litter with Bothriembryon but Caryodes appzars to prefer deeper litter deposits. It is not present under the bark of dead trees nor was it seen climbing trecs at the time. This area is probably the driest in which live Caryodes has been found still surviving in Tasmania. It apparently requires some measure of protection from dessication. Bothriem- bryon will settle for the day with no more shelter than offered by face of a rock wall or the bark of a tree. Caryodes is not observed in such a situation. The area which is occupied by the snails is in moderately dense to easily accessible scrub immediately above the shoreline. It extends inland little more than fifty metres at the most. It is hoped that there are other colo- Plate 1 Eggs of Caryodes discovered at Mt. Wellington. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 nies in the area, particularly further inland. With increasing popularity of the area it may be expected that the snail population near the shore will not survive. But the adjacent National Park should contribute to survival in the area overall. The discovery was made early in November, 1973. The many dead and alive specimens found were discovered only as result of careful sieving through the litter on hands and knees. This probably is the reason for the failure to discover the colony on pre- vious visits although many _ small ‘endodontids’ have been found. Young animals in various stages of growth both alive and dead were present at the time. Based on the rate of growth reported in the previous study by us (1972) the most probable hatch- ing date could be from early Septem- ber on. An estimate on the observed number of shells would seem to sug- gest that at least 60% of young did not survive to adulthood. The largest adult shells found are a little over 20 mm in length and very fragile. There is broad resemblance to rain forest animals in general morpho- logy and colour banding. A study of the shells is proposed for a later con- tribution to this series. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks are due to Dr. Frank Rowe of the Australian Museum for his assistance in obtaining the photograph of the eggs. R. C. Kershaw is indebted to the Science and Industry Endow- ment Fund for the loan of a micro- scope which is assisting in these molluscan studies. REFERENCE Kershaw, R. C., and Dartnall, A. J., 1972. The Mollusc Caryodes dufressnii in Tasmania. Victorian Naturalist 89 (4): 111-118. Award of Australian Natural History Medallion As this issue goes to press, the Medallion Award Committee has just announced the successful candidate for 1975. Congratulations of our F.N.C.V. go to a worthy, enthusiastic South Australian naturalist and grower of native plants, ALISON M. ASHBY. Miss Ashby had been nominated for a number of years, and it is most gratifying that her candidature has at length been crowned with success. Among many attainments, probably her best known is the series of Aus- tralian Wildflowers, painted in colour and published in postcard form by the South Australian Museum, Adelaide September, 1975 — Nos. 97 to 101 (Dec. 1966) and 109 to 114 (Oct. 1967) are magnificent portraits of alpine flora. Another labour of love by Miss Ashby, extend- ing over many years, has been a daily exhibit of actual wildflowers in season at the Adelaide Museum, many of them treasures from her own garden in the Mt. Lofty Range. The superb Western Australian Banksia ashbyi (with large upright cones of silver-grey and gold) was named in honour of her family; her father, the late Edwin Ashby, F.L.S., was a noted malaco- logist (see Vict. Nat. 43: 7-16, May 1926). —J.H. WILLIS. 189 The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2 —Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous continued from 150 (7) by JAMES A. BAINES Halgania. Named by Gaudichaud in 1829 after Emmanuel Halgan (1771- 1852), a vice-admiral in the French navy, who distinguished himself in the wars of the First Republic and the Empire. Victoria has only 2 of the 15 Australian species, the Rough, Jd. cyanea, and the Smooth or Lavender Halgania, H. lavandulacea. The genus is in family Boraginaceae. (Omitted from Part 1.) Halophila. Gk halos, sea; philos, loving; hence the Latin adjective halo- philus, salt-loving. Our species, H. ovalis, Sea-wrack, is a flowering plant that grows in shallow sea-water. The genus belongs to family Hydrochari- taceae, the name of which means water-rejoicing or delighting in water. Haloragis. Gk halos, sea; rhagos, a grape-berry; so-named because of the locality and appearance of the fruit in the first New Zealand species found. The Forsters (father and son) misspelt rhagos as ragis in their original description in 1776; this was _ later corrected to the more classical form Halorrhagis by later authors (except Bentham), but the generic name Haloragis of J. R. and G. Forster must stand, by the International Rules. Victoria has 14 species, all native, known as Raspworts, and usually far from the sea. The genus gives its name to the family Haloragaceae. Harmsiodoxa. Named by O. E. Schulz in 1924 after H. Harms, Berlin botanist, who was, with L. Diels (Berlin), K. Domin (Prague), A. B. Rendle (London) and T. Nakai (Japan) a member of an important committee set up by the International Congress of Plant Sciences, August 1926, J. M. 190 Black (Adelaide) representing Australia. Gk doxa, opinion; doubtless because of a colleague’s opinion that a new genus should be set up as distinct from Blennodia and Erysimum, in which these plants had been placed by F. Mueller. HAH. blennodioides, May Smocks, and H. brevipes, Short Cress, are our two species (family Cruciferae). *Hedera. The ancient Latin name for ivy. Ivy, *H. helix, is naturalized in the Port Phillip area and in East Gippsland; its specific name is Gk for anything twisted or wound, hence its use aS a generic name in the Mollusca. The specific name hederacea is familiar for the Ivy-leaf Violet. Hedera is in the chiefly tropical family Araliaceae. Hedycarya. Gk _ hedys, sweet; karyon, nut; the fruit being succulent, with the carpels packed in a yellow, mulberry-like head, hence the com- mon name, Austral Mulberry, for our species, H. angustifolia. It is a broad- leaf tree, belying its ‘narrow-leaf’ specific name. It is usually placed in the same family, Monimiaceae, as Southern Sassafras, Atherosperma moschatum. *Hedypnois. Gk hedys, sweet; pnoe, breath; forming the classical name of a plant thought to have been either dandelion or chicory. There are only 3 species in the genus, ours being the Mediterranean subspecies cretica of H. rhagadioloides, the other species being .in Madeira and the Canary Islands. It is a composite weed of our pastures, and has no common name other than Cretan Hedypnois, the middle syllable of which should be accented. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 *Hedysarum. Gk _ hedys, sweet; saron, a broom. *H. coronarium (Soola Clover or French Honeysuckle) is grown in Victoria for fodder or orna- ment, but as an escape does not persist here as it does in Tasmania. Desmodium varians, Slender Tick- trefoil, is a native plant originally named as a Hedysarum species by Labillardiére; it is in the Hedysareae tribe of Papilionaceae. *Helianthus. Gk helios, the sun; anthos, flower; from the resemblance of the disc and ray florets to conven- tional representations of the sun (cf. genus Heliotropium, ‘turning with the sun’).Often seen where garden rubbish has been dumped, Sunflowers are naturalized along the Murray in S.A. and possibly too in far N.W. Victoria. These composites are mainly native to North America, but are grown com- mercially in many other lands for the seeds. Helichrysum. Gk helios, the sun; chrysos, golden; Greco-Latin name of some yellow everlasting. Victoria has 30 species, all native, and known as everlastings or paper daisies. Most have flower-heads living up to the meaning given, e.g. H. bracteatum, Golden Everlasting, H. acuminatum, Orange Everlasting, and the Common, Clustered and Button Everlastings, but some are white, e.g. H. elatum, White Everlasting, and AH. leucopsideum, Satin Everlasting. The Grey Everlast- ing’s common name comes from the appearance of the leaves. H. dendroi- deum, Tree Everlasting, is one of the many plants called ‘Dogwood’, more usually in Victoria a misnomer for Common Cassinia, C. aculeata; ‘Dog- wood’ in Tas. is Pomaderris apetala, in N.S.W. it is Eremophila longifolia, and many other plants have been given this confusing name. The only true Dogwoods are species of the genus Cornus, the original Dogtree being September, 1975 Wild Cornel (C. sanguinea) in England, but North American species such as Cornus florida, the large white Dog- wood that is the State flower of Penn- sylvania, are equally entitled to the name. Heliotropium. Gk helios, the sun; trope, a turning; Smith & Stearn state that the name was given ‘in allusion to an old disproved idea that the flower heads turned with the sun; the leaves and flowers of many plants do this and are known as heliotropic’. Two of our species are native and two introduced, including *H. europacum, Common Heliotrope, from which the common name was transferred to the colour heliotrope and to the _ bloodstone known as heliotrope. There are 250 species in the world, in tropical and temperate habitats; one of our native species, H. curassavica, has a specific name meaning ‘from Curacao’, the Dutch Caribbean island that gave its name to the bird called the curassow and to the well-known — liqueur, curacao. Helipterum. Gk helios, the sun; pteron, wing or feather; the genus being separated by De Candolle from Helichrysum and named to indicate that it differs from that genus in its feathery or plumose pappus. Our 15 species are known as various kinds of Sunray, the best-known being dH. albicans, Hoary Sunray, which, like Helichrysum bracteatum, is being in- creasingly cultivated and grown in gardens; especially fine mass displays of them may be seen in the Canberra Botanic Gardens. *Helxine. Gk helxine, a kind of plant with woody capsules, formerly applied to Pariezaria, Pellitory; William T. Stearn states that ‘Soleirolia soleir- olii is the latest name for the little creeping herb usully known as Helxine soleirolii, named in honour of Joseph 191 Francois Soleirol (d. 1863) who made vast collections of specimens of Corsican plants in the first half of the 19th Century’. This plant has a num- ber of picturesque common names, such as Baby’s Tears, Mind-your-own- business, Mother-of-thousands, and Corsican Carpet, which tell us that it can really spread over large areas! It is related to the nettles, being in family Urticaceae. Hemarthria. Gk hemi, half; arthon, a joint; ‘because the rhachis does not split into articles’ (J. M. Black). Our sole species, H. uncinata, Mat Grass, was formerly called Rottboellia com- pressa by some Australian botanists. Hemichroa. Gk hemi, half; chroa, colour; the perianth of H. pentandra being sometimes pink inside, whitish outside. Our two species are known as Joint-weeds, or as Trailing and Mallee Hemichroa_ respectively. Willis dis- cusses his placing it in family Cheno- podiaceae rather than Amaranthacea?, there being a number of competent botanists supporting either classifica- tion. *Herniaria. A Tournefort name taken over by Linnaeus, given by the French botanist because these plants were formerly supposed to cure rup- tures (Lat hernia). Our species, *H. hirsuta, 1s given the common name of Hairy Rupture-wort in Oleg Polunin’s ‘Flowers of Europe—A Field Guide’. It is in family Caryophyllaceae, and is naturalized in Victoria only in the far North-West. Herpolirion. Gk herpo, to creep; leiron, lily; it is sessile rather than a creeper, despite the name. H. novae- zelandiae is the sole species, and it is shared between Australian mainland alpine areas, Tasmania, and, as the specific name indicates, New Zealand. The common name is Sky Lily, prob- ably because the flowers look like stars dotting the grass among which they grow. The ‘creeping’ epithet was doubtless given because of the rhizome. Heterodendrum. Gk heteros, dif- ferent, variable; dendron, tree; the form with -um ending being the Lat version of the Gk Heterodendron, as it was long known. Our species, H. oleifolium, is known as Cattle Bush or Bullock Bush, and has leaves like those of the olive, as the specific name implies. The family is Sapindaceae, which includes Dodonaea, found in similar dry habitats. Hibiscus. The Greco-Latin name for some kind of mallow, these flowers being in the family Malvaceae. Our native species, H. farragei, Desert Rose Mallow, is confined in Victoria to the far North-west, while our intro- duced species, *H. trionum, Bladder Ketmia, is widely distributed. Trionum and Ketmia are superseded generic synonyms by Linnaeus and Tournefort respectively. Hierochloe. Gk hieros, sacred; chloe, grass; so-named because species of these fragrant grasses were in some parts of northern Europe strewn before church doors on saints’ days. Our species are H. redolens, Sweet Holy Grass, and H. rariflora, Cane Holy Grass or Scented Holy Grass, both native. *Hirschfeldia. Named by Moench in 1794 after C-C.-L. Hirschfeldyya botanist of Holstein, whose surname means in German ‘stag field’. *H. incana is Hoary Mustard—it is closely related to Charlock and White Mus- tard, both species of Sinapis, another cruciferous genus near to it. (Omitted from Part 1.) (To be Continued) 192 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Some Notes on Prostanthera walteri, (F v. M) by Max W. BOYCE Of the Klanderia section of the genus Prostanthera, one of the rarest and most interesting species is the Blotchy Mint Bush, Prostanthera walteri. A small dense hairy shrub, which grows to about 60 cm, its leaves are ovate or lanceolate with recurved margins, about 1.5-3 cm long, whilst the flowers are greenish with violet streaks or blotches, large, and produced in heads in the leaf axils. It is named after Chas (Carl) Walter who first discovered it on Mt. Ellery in December 1869, and was described by Ferdinand von Mueller in Frag. Phyt. Aust. (1870), 7: 108. Walter (1831?-1907) who was born in Mecklenberg, Germany, arrived in Victoria in the early 1850’s. He soon became associated with von Mueller who had recently been appointed as Government Botanist, and was em- ployed to travel extensively, particu- larly in East Gippsland, plant collect- ing and was responsible for adding a large number of species to the Vic- torian list. (Maiden, 1908). Walter was also photographer and botanical collector for the 1870-72 Geodetic Survey of Victoria in East Gippsland which marked out the boundary line between Victoria and New South Wales. R. J. L. Ellery, who was later Government Astronomer, was sur- veyor in charge of the party. It was during this survey that the tumbled granite peak of Mt. Ellery was named, although it was later dis- covered that the aborigines had named it Goonegerah, or Egg Mountain, from the shape of the stone on its September, 1975 summit.* (Baldwin and_ French, 1889.) Mt. Ellery is a very rugged moun- tain. Spencer and French, when climbing the mountain during their Croajingalong trip, describe huge masses of granite, some 50 feet high, weathered quite smooth and covered with lichens, thrown about in great confusion so that at times their party had to make their way on hands and feet through crevices between them. Right among the rocks on the summit they found P. walteri in bloom. Colbeck (1959) quotes from a let- ter written by the then Senior Forests Commission Forester at Orbost that “The Ellery massif comprises. the most brutal country likely to be found in Victoria. In estimating your rate of progress at 20 chains an hour, no allowance is made for errors of direction or location...” (p.30). There is now a vehicular track to near the summit. (See Sheet 8623 (Edition 1) National Topographic Map Series, Bendock, 1973.) P. walteri has also been recorded from Mt. Buffalo (first report by Barnard and Sutton, 1903), and from a very few isolated areas in East Gippsland, viz. Mts. Elizabeth and Kaye, Butcher’s Ridge near Gelan- tipy, and Yalmy River. Spencer and French (1889) report finding a specimen on Goon Murk (now Goonmirk), south of Bendoc and close to Mt. Ellery. At about *An illustration of the granite tor on _ the summit of Mt. Ellery, based on a photograph taken by Walter in 1870, can be found in Spencer and French (1889) opposite p.5. 193 3,400 ft. “. . . we see, for the first time, the conifer Nageia alpina and Prostanthera walteri, though the lat- ter is not in flower.’’ (p.19). How- ever this location is not mentioned in the National Herbarium — records (Churchill, 1974, pers. comm.) Pre- sumably the specimen was not col- lected and thus the identification was not confirmed, although this seems surprising. as they seemed to have been excited by the find, and as the members of their party did collect over 300 species of plants exclusive of introduced forms and lower crypto- gams during their journey through Croajingalong. It may be however that because the plant they saw was not in flower it simply was not col- lected. As this location does not ap- pear in the records apparently no one else has collected it there cither. It is possible that it is there waiting for rediscovery, for Goonmirk is close to Mt. Ellery, and it does have that “. . natural environment of tumbled granite rocks’? that Stewart (1939) felt was so necessary for P. walteri to flourish. REFERENCES Barnard, F. G. A., and Sutton, C. S. Among the Alpine Flowers. The Vic- torian Naturalist, 1903, 20, 1, 4-12. Churchill, D. M. Personal communica- tion, July 1974. Colbeck, A. V. A. Remote Gippsland Peak, The Melbourne Walker, 1959, 30, 29-30. Maiden, J. H. Records Botanists. The Victorian 1908, 25, 101-117. Spencer, W. Baldwin, and French, C. Trip to Croajingalong, The Victorian Naturalist, 1889, 6, 1-2, 1-38. Stewart, H. C. E. Flower and Feather at Mount Buffalo. The Victorian Naturalist, 1939, 55, 190-194. of Victorian Naturalist, Victorian Ornithological Research Group Westernport Report No. 1 Conclusion The Birds of the Somers, Sandy Point, Hastings Districts, Westernport Bay, Victoria, Australia. by WILLIAM A. Davis AND ALAN J. REID CONTINUED FROM VOL. 92, p. 171 BANDING CONSIDERATIONS. As mentioned earlier in relation to some species, Reid carried out exten- sive banding over a number of years at selected habitats at Somers and Sandy Point. Some significant facts of interest are briefly summarised below: — The fortunes of a banded White- backed Magpie runner at the educa- tion camp were followed over a five- year period. A male, it fed within its 194 parents’ territory for 18 months and helped defend it. At two years it mated with a female from a neigh- bouring territory to the South, estab- lishing a small territory between the two. The pair nested unsuccessfully that year, the eggs never reaching hatching stage. The male still assisted in defence of the parents’ Eastern boundary against the hostile Eastern neighbours, but was allowed some ac- cess to the territory to the South. This Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 banded bird expanded his territory to the South in his fourth year and nested successfully, bringing out two Large numbers of Red-browed Finches were trapped at four banding locations about Somers. There was some interchange between all four sites which were up to 3 miles apart. Most retraps were about 12 months apart suggesting seasonal movements and several parties were retrapped to- gether. One individual was retrapped three times over a period of 34 years. During this time its culmen growth was 1 mm. Two others were retrapped exactly 3 years later having moved 14 miles to the North-East and 14 miles to the South respectively. The longest retrap period was 3 years 10 months with a 14 mile Northward movement. Two Flame Robin retraps were noteworthy. Both birds were retrapped 2 miles to the North-West 39 months after banding. A Welcome Swallow banded at the camp was found at the Naval Depot 7 years later and another was found dead 2 miles to the East 14 months after banding. The Southern Yellow Robin was the subject of a colour banding study. Over 60 were successively banded at “Somer Cotes” without a retrap or sighting during the Autumn and Win- ter of 1962. This suggested a con- stant movement through the fore- shore scrub during these months. A Robin was eventually retrapped 4 miles to the South-West after 4 months. A second was retrapped 3 miles to the West after the same period. There were sedentary birds recorded during the summer. Banded Eastern Shrike-Tits were shown to be present along the fore- shore for periods up to eight weeks. Banding records for the Eastern Silvereye indicated moulting as a regular phenomenon during March. September, 1975 One particular Silvereye was re- trapped after four years and another after 20 months. Another Silvereye was banded during July and retrapped the following October, and _ later again in March. A Red Wattle-bird was retrapped after 33 months. A Brown-headed Honeyeater banded in March and retrapped the following February, showed a 1 mm growth in the culmen but measured 3 mm less in wing length. An adult male White- browed Scrub Wren was trapped 34 years after banding and had a 3 mm longer wing and a culmen larger by 3 mm. Thirty-eight months separated the trapping of a particular Brown Thornbill which moved two miles to the West. A male Blue Wren in eclipse plumage with a _ blue-flecked head, banded during May, was re- trapped in full adult plumage three weeks later. The above notes indicate positively the great value of bird banding as an aid to tracking bird movements and plumage changes. CONCLUSIONS. As can be seen, the area under consideration is a most productive one in terms of avi fauna. The great variety of habitats represented un- doubtedly contributes to this. Examination of total counts on each survey trip supports this fact. Table 2 illustrates average counts per season 1962 to 1967. The _ largest species count was 102 during January 1964. On numerous occasions from 88 to 100 species were listed. Many of those assisting with the survey often commented that there are very few areas in Victoria where over 90 species can be observed in a day’s birding. The results clearly show that Spring and early Summer are the most productive in terms of species whilst Autumn carried peak estimated individual counts. It is dur- ing March, April and early May that 195 influxes of Honeyeaters and Lorikeets frequent the Sandy Point Peninsula to feast on nectar from the flowering Banksias and Eucalypts. Premigratory flocking of waders also swell the in- dividual bird counts. The total of 219 species for the general survey area recorded during the period 1958 to the present, indi- cates this small part of the Western- port district of Victoria to be a prime bird habitat. Here again, there are few parts of the State that carry such a variety of avi fauna. The most pro- lific habitats were the Sandy Point Peninsula and Coolart lagoon. The preservation of these two areas is of utmost importance. Both are vital conservation units of untold value to the citizens of Victoria. Other sig- nificant areas were the foreshore scrublands from Merricks to Sandy Point, Crib Point, Golden Point, Jacks Beach and Denhams Road beach. These areas must be saved from the ravages of industrialisation and urbanisation if this valuable part of the National Estate is to be pre- served for posterity. Special Acknowledgement. The authors would like to thank Mr. Neil Wetherill (V.O.R.G.) who took over from Reid as Nature Study Instructor at the children’s camp dur- ing 1967. Neil continued much of Reid’s banding work and also general observations until 1972. TABLE | Sightings of the Pallid Cuckoo. Year Arrived 1962 6 September 1963 18 August 1964 18 September 1965 16 September 1966 1967 7 September 1968 onwards Departed No. of Sightings February 1963 12 February 1964 11 February 1965 7 oa 1 NO RECORDS == 1 NO RECORDS TABLE 2 Species Individuals Summer Autumn 86 82 Average counts per survey trip by seasons (1962 to 1967). 196 Vic. Nat. Vol. 92 Wombat State Forest, Central Victoria Bird Species List by [29 September-9 November 1974] S. E. TOWNSEND From 29 September 1974 to 9 November 1974 the writer was camped in the Wombat State Forest, of the Daylesford and Trentham forest districts. The campsite was between the Lerderderg River and the junction of New Sultan Road and Lerderderg Road, approximately 2 miles west of the township. of Blackwood. In that time, a list was compiled of bird species seen and identified within the immediate proximity of the camp- site, and extending to an area encircl- ing it of approximately 1.25 mile radius. All species seen, except the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax), Sacred Kingfisher (Halcyon sancta) and Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua) could be found with regularity and ease in the correct habitat and right locality. The Peregrine Falcon, Wedge- tailed Eagle and Sacred Kingfisher were seen only once. The Powerful Owl is included only on the evidence of a possible Ring-tailed Possum (Pseudochierus peregrinus) kill. This was located on a stump beside the Lerderderg River, in a dense riverine growth of Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon). Birp SPECIES LIST Accipiter fasciatus Brown Goshawk Acquila audax Wedge-tailed Eagle Falco peregrinus Peregrine Falcon Phaps elegans Brush Bronzewing Calyptorhynchus funereus Yellow-tailed Cockatoo Callocephalon fimbriatum Gang-Gang Cockatoo Cacatua galerita Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Platycercus elegans Crimson Rosella Cacomantis pyrrophanus Fantailed Cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus Golden Bronze Cuckoo Ninox novaeseelandiae Boobook Owl Ninox strenua Powerful Owl Dacelo gigas Kookaburra Halcyon sancta Sacred Kingfisher September, 1975 Coracina novaehollaniae Black-Faced Cuckoo-Shrike Zoothera dauma Ground Thrush Turdus merula Blackbird Malurus cyaneus Blue Wren Acanthiza pusilla Brown Thornbill Sericornis frontalis White-Browed Scrubwren Petroica multicolor Scarlet Robin Petroica rosea Rose Robin Eopsaltria australis Eastern Yellow Robin Rhipidura fuliginosa Grey Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons Rufous Fantail Pachycephala rufiventris Rufous Whistler Pachycephala_ pectoralis Golden Whistler Colluricincla harmonica Grey Thrush 197 Neositta chrysoptera Orange-Winged Sittella Climacteris leucophea White-Throated Treecreeper Meliphaga chrysops Yellow-Faced Honeyeater Meliphaga leucotis White-Eared Honeyeater Melithriptus lunatus White-Naped Honeyeater Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera Crescent Honeyeater Acanthorynchus tenuirostris Eastern Spinebill Anthochaera carunculata Red Wattle-Bird Strepera versicolor Grey Currawong Corvus coronoides Raven Western Victoria Field Naturalists Club Association Meeting at Halls Gap, 18 & 19 October, 1975 Host Club: Stawell Field Naturalists’ Club. PROGRAMME Saturday, 18 October: 9.00 a.m. Assemble at Hall’s Gap Hall. 9.30 a.m. eer for Barbican Rocks on Redman Road for inspection of old flume ine. 12 noon Return to Hall’s Gap for lunch. 1.15 p.m. Assemble at Hall’s Gap Hall. 1.30 p.m. Depart for Pomonal Road and/or Lake Fyans — wildflowers and birds. 5.00 p.m. Return to Hall’s Gap for tea. 6.30 p.m. Annual Meeting of Delegates in the Hall’s Gap Hall. 8.00 p.m. Evening programme in Hall’s Gap Hall. Guest Speaker: Mr. W. Davis. Subject: Australian Conservation Foundation Aims and Policies. 10.00 p.m. Light Refreshments. Sunday, 19 October: 9.00 a.m. Assemble at Hall’s Gap Hall. 9.30a.m. Depart for Hall’s Gap-Mount Zero Road — wildflowers and birds. 12.30 p.m. Lunch at Mount Difficult Pine Plantation Picnic Area. 3.00 p.m. Afternoon tea and farewell. Hot water, tea and milk will be provided at the Hall’s Gap Hall for lunch and tea on Saturday and at Mount Difficult Plantation for lunch on Sunday. The A.N.A. Holiday Park is situated off the Stawell Road at the entrance to Hall’s Gap. Caravan sites with power are $2.00 per day, tent sites $1.40 per day. It is suggested that caravanners and campers use this park. Please book sites in advance with the Manager, Mr. John Squire, Hall’s Gap, Vic. 3381. Telephone: Hall’s Gap 56-4215 (Area code 053). 198 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 AUCTION SALE The Schrader Collection of Butterflies and Beetles On View Daily Under the Instruction of the Proprietor of “The Butterfly Farm” To Be Held On The Premises In The Schrader Museum THE BUTTERFLY FARM, WINDSOR ROAD, WILBERFORCE on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th, 1975 AT 11 a.m. The Schrader Collection includes many rare and extinct mounted specimens of butterflies and beetles. The entire offering includes over 8000 mounted butterflies, beetles and several unique display cabinets for the Collector. Saturday 20th to Saturday 27th September 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Or by Special Arrangements with the Auctioneers Catalogues available at $1.00 each From the Auctioneers JAMES R. LAWSON PTY. LIMITED VALUERS FINE ART & GENERAL AUCTIONEERS SINCE 1884 232 CASTLEREAGH STREET, SYDNEY PHONE: 26 6408 September, 1975 199 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 the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Q.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1975-1976. President: Mr. P. KELLY, 260 The Boulevard, East Ivanhoe, 3079. Hon. Secretary: Mr. GARNET JOHNSON, 20 Sydare Ave., Chadstone, 3148. 56 3227. 7 reasurer — Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145. Acting Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg, 3084. Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield, 3151. (52 2749.) Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. D. E. McINNES. Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards St., Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36 0587. Group Secretaries Botany: Miss E. JONES, 6 West Crt., Glen Waverley, 3150. (560 2280.) Day Group: Mrs. J. STRONG, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena. (56 2271.) Entomology and Marine Biology: Mr. J. W. H. STRONG, Flat 11, ‘““Palm Court’’, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena, 3163. (56 2271.) Field Survey: R. D. SANDELL, 39 Rubens Gve., Canterbury, 3126. (83 8009) Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Miss Wendy CLARK, 97 Faraday Street, Carlton, 3053. Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy St., East Brighton. (96 3268.) 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 1975 Metropolitan - 4, an A ae ve e r fe 4 $1 Joint Metropolitan .. cae 3 oe oe oe Ee ie moe a $1 Joint Retired Members $1 Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65 . = ¥% 2) we ay: $ Joint Country oy, ‘ pe Eh: es ae ts ‘i $1 Junior a ee ae see on Es an Wi » $ Subscriptions to Vict. Nat. : e ae ae me 2 a le $ Overseas Subscription ar Pa es ae a a a. ee a $1 Junior with ‘Naturalist’ Re e a. ithe a ita a pu $ i Individual Magazines se he $0.75 All subscriptions should be mee Bavenle to the Field Naturalist Club of Vieteue and pested to the Subscription Secretary. ovole (ororore(o) lolololelolololoxe) ) JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE 92, No. 10 October, 1975 4 FIELD NATURALISTS UEUB OF Av TOMA in which is incorporated\the Microscopical Society of Victoria Phin rir Category ‘‘B” Registered in Australia for transmission by post as a periodical. F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 13 October—At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, 8 p.m. Speaker: Miss Helen Aston, Subject—‘Experiences at Kew Gardens, London.” New Members Ordinary: Mr. B. W. Collins, C/o Farrer Hall, Monash University, Clayton, 3168. Mr. Donald E. Darbyshire, 65 Comer Street, East Brighton, 3187. Mammals. Mr. Stephen Harwood, 5 Prentice Street, Elsternwick, 3185. Mammals. Mr. David P. McVilly, 6 Collins Street, Ormond, 3204. General. Mrs. Ann Miller, Flat 4, 46 Scott Grove, Glen Iris, 3146. Geology. Mrs. Pam Miller, 6 Bickleigh Street, Glen Iris, 3146. Geology. Mr. P. J. Symonds, 60 Westgarth Street, Fitzroy, 3065. Field Survey. Miss H. R. Vincent, 29/530 Toorak Road, Toorak, 3142. Botany. Mrs. H. Weatherhead, 31 Hobart Street, Bentleigh. _ Miss Raelene Westcott, Flat 8, 17 Charnwood Road, St. Kilda, 3182. Mrs. Carleen J. Wheeler, 47 Eliza Street, Black Rock, 3193. Mrs. Maureen Withell, 67 Charles Street, Kew, 3101. Joint: Mr. Mark Nelson and Mrs. Margaret Nelson, 31 Mark Street, East Rosanna, 3084. Mr. John B. Taylor and Mrs. Sylvia L. Taylor, 4 Arthur Street, Essendon, 3040. Ferns. Country: Mr. Patrick Bulfin, 189 Jones Road, Somerville, 3912. Mr. Ralph C. Robertson, 20 Lewry Street, Kyabram, 3620. Mr. Russell J. Smith, Harding-Lawson Road, Fish Creek, 3959. General. Monday, 10 November—Speaker: Mr. P. Bock. Subject—‘“Dynamics of the Earth’s Crust.” GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at National Herbarium unless stated otherwise) Wednesday, 15 October—Microscopical Group Meeting. Thursday, 16 October—Day Group Meeting. Maranoa Gardens. Take 10.30 a.m. tram, cnr. Collins and Swanston Streets, to Stop 54. Bring lunch. Thursday, 23 October—Field Survey Group Meeting in Conference Room, National Museum at 8 p.m. Monday, 3 November—Marine Biology and Entomology Group Meeting in Confer- ence Room, National Museum at 8 p.m. Speaker: Mr. J. Strong. Subject— “The Radula (teeth) of a Limpet.” Wednesday, 5 November—Geology Group Meeting. Thursday, 6 November—Mammal Survey Group Meeting (F.N.C.V.) at Arthur Rylah Institute, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg, at 8 p.m. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Friday, 17 October-Friday, 24 October—Grampians and Nhill. The coach will leave from Flinders Street, outside the Gas and Fuel Corporation, at 9 a.m.—bring a picnic lunch. The programme for the weekend appeared in the September “Naturalist” and it is hoped members not going for the week will make arrangements to join in for the weekend. Those going by coach should have paid the coach fare of $45.00 by the time this is published. Accommodation is to be paid individually and members are reminded this has been booked on a dinner. bed and breakfast basis so picnic lunches will be required. Tuesday, 4 November (Cup Day)—President’s Picnic at Brisbane Ranges. Coach leaves Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. Fare $3.50 Adults, $1.00 Juniors. Bring Picnic lunch. Private travellers to meet at Anakie Junction at 11 a.m. Special invitation to all Juniors. Bookings with Excursion Secretary. F.N.C.V. Excursions continued on p. 223. 202 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 the victorian naturalist Vol. 92 No. 10 8 October, 1975 G. M. Ward G. F. Douglas Acting Editor: Assistant Editor: Contents Articles: The Barilla Industry of Westernport Bay By Juliet F. Bird 204 Descriptions of the Larvae of "Ceratognathus niger’ By John Alderson 217 The Plant and the Name By Max Boyce 214 Plant Survey of Dandenong Valley 216 Feature: The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora—Part 2 By James A. Baines 208 Book Review: "Wild Food in Australia’ 222 Field Naturalists’ Club of Victoria: Diary of Coming Events 202 Reports of Meetings 272 Front Cover: The Helmeted Honeyeater is again under threat—this time from the proposal to acquire land near its habitat for motor cycle sports! October, 1975 Public awareness of conservation and environmental issues has grown substantially in the last decade. As more people have be- come involved the area of concern has shifted increasingly from the natural en- vironment to what is now termed the built environment. There has of course always been concern with both. It would probably be fair to say that bodies such as the National Trust have always been more con- cerned with preserving the built environ- ment than with the natural one. However, those like the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Conservation Council of Victoria were in the early days mainly con- cerned with the natural environment. Reacting to the changed emphasis in the concerns of the conservation movement C.C.V. recently decided to change _ its Memorandum of Association to more clearly indicate its involvement with the built en- vironment. Paralleling this change has been the trend to speak of the environment rather than of conservation. The recent decision to drop the word conservation from the name of the federal Department of the Environ- ment and Conservation is indicative of the changing attitudes. Major changes in the A.C.F. some two years ago were also linked, among other things, with the increasing con- cern about the urban environment. While there has always been a large num- ber of urban people interested in conserva- tion the percentage of those involved in the movement who have a purely urban back- ground has grown enormously. In _ conse- quence the level of understanding and empathy with the natural environment among those in the conservation movement has de- clined. It was in part to try and overcome this problem, as it affected teachers giving instruction in subjects such as biology and geography, that the Environmental Studies Association of Victoria was formed. Much of its activity reflects a further change taking place in the character of the interest in the natural environment, that must concern seri- ous naturalists. Increasingly the emphasis is on the availability of the natural environment to serve the recreational and residential needs of mankind, rather than with natural history. See also p. 22I for importance. further item of 203 The Barilla Industry of Westernport Bay Victoria, Australia by JULIET F. Birp* In the eighteen-forties the man- groves which fringe the northern shores and inlets around Westernport Bay were the raw material for an interesting local industry, the produc- tion of barilla, or alkaline ash'. The period of exploitation was brief, but during this time over eighty thousand Square metres of mangrove swamp was cut over, and it is possible that some of the damaged areas have never subsequently regenerated. Brilla Creek, in south-western French Island, com- memorates the period, but Brilla Is- land, shown off the north-western corner of French Island on Cox’s chart of the Bay (1865) is a mis- spelling of the original name, Bar- rallier Island?. The printed record of the barilla burners at Westernport is sparse, con- sisting of passing reference in two early books on the area*:+ quoted by Gunson’. The only detailed account of the activity of the men who worked the mangroves is in the unpublished journals of George Henry Haydon, who burnt barilla on French Island from October 1843 to March 1844°. Other burners were at work before Haydon, for shipments of ash from the Bay began in May, 1843 (see Table 1); probably the early comers had selected mainland sites, forcing Haydon and his ‘“‘mate’’, Jack Sanger, to cross to French Island (Plate 1). According to Haydon’s description, their first task was to construct a clay burning floor, located near the man- groves, but above the reach of tidal inundation. They then began to cut 204 the mangroves, chopping them with axes low down the main branches, and carrying or dragging them across the mud to the burning floor. It was hard and unpleasant work; the branches scratched their shoulders, their shoes rotted from constant immersion in wet mud, and the mangrove pneu- matophores (Plate 2) scratched their feet, leaving wounds that refused to heal. When ten or twenty tons of wood had been collected the pile was ignited, and a day or so later it was reduced to a heap of hot ash. If rain fell during this period the ash was ruined, so Haydon and Sanger spent many nights anxiously watching ap- proaching storms, and endeavouring to build temporary shelters across the ash heaps. Any attempt to hasten the process led to their bagging the ash while it was still hot, which ruined the bags. Nor was it safe to leave the bags of ash until they were despatched on one of the visiting trading ships, for even the isolation of French Island did not protect them from thieves, and on one occasion a load of ash, the product of several weeks work, was stolen while Haydon and Sanger were away on the mainland. Table 1 gives details of shipments of barilla arriving in Melbourne, as listed in the Shipping Intelligence of the Port Phillip Gazette. No record has been found of ship- ments of barilla from Westernport to any other port at this time, so it is reasonable to assume that these figures *Department of Geography, Melbourne State College. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 TABLE | Date of arrival in Melbourne Ship 29 May 1843 Alpha 29 June 1843 Alpha 12 September 1843 Alpha 5 November 1843 Alpha 22 December 1843 Alpha 19 January 1844 Emily 20 March 1844 Alpha 27 May 1844 Ettrick Item 77 bags* barulla (sic) 40 bags ashes 1 ton mangrove ash 8 tons mangrove ash 12 tons mangrove ash 14 tons ashes 30 cwt. potash** 3 bags ash Total — 65,760 pounds, or 29,891 kilograms *Haydon describes a bag as of one hundred pounds weight. **See reference (1). are an indication of total production from the area. It is unlikely that any was sent overland to Melbourne, for sea transport was easier and cheaper in the 1840’s, but the figures do not include stolen ash, which were prob- ably left in the boats of visiting sealers, or ash spoilt by rain. From these figures it is possible to calculate approximately the area of mangroves cut. Ash constitutes about 4% of above-ground wet-plant weight’, so 29,891 kgm. of ash would be ob- tained by burning 747,275 kgm. of wet wood. Attiwell® calculated the above- ground biomass of Westernport Bay Mangroves as averaging 8.9 kgm. per Plate 1: Haydon’s sketch of his hut on French Island. Reproduced from the microfilm held in the National Library, Canberra, with the permission of Judith Whitlock. October, 1975 square metre, so this indicates a cut- over area of 83,963 square metres. Inevitably these calculations are ap- proximate, but they are a guide to the extent of mangrove cutting at this period. The area cut, about 8.4 hec- tares, is only a small proportion of the total mangrove area, but it is likely that it was concentrated in areas accessible from existing squatters’ sta- tions and favoured shipping channels, so that within these sectors cutting would have been extensive. It could be the cause of the disappearance of sectors of mangrove shown at the Inlets and Red Bluff on Smythe’s map of the Bay in 1842°. TABLE 2 Sample Sodium ppm Potassium ppm Mangrove leaves 700 160 Mangrove stem 120 95 Arthrocnemum leaves 2750 390 Arthrocnemum stem 80 135 Salicornia 3100 475 The use of mangroves as a source of alkali seems to be unique to Aus- tralia, although many other plants are known to have served this purpose in other parts of the world!°. The “best”? barilla, at the end of the eighteenth century, was considered to come from Spain, where it was ob- tained from the ashes of Salsola soda, a salt-marsh plant found around the shores of Alicante and Tenerife! It ee i ee “Pe : ey te ‘se . & ¥. “ 4 Plate 2: Interior of mangrove swamp, Westernport Bay, showing aerial root projections (pneumatophores). photo: E. C. F. Bird 206 was exported from Spain to Britain and France, where it competed with an inferior local alkaline ash derived from kelp, or seaweed!?. Mangroves were burnt on the New South Wales coast from the early years of the Colony!’, and the men who worked at Westernport probably based _ their technique on this earlier experience. Even before he went to French Island Haydon worked out some extraordi- narily detailed calculations of the in- come to be derived from the activity, for he proposed to cut 5,963,106 tons, 3 cwt., 3 quarters and 18 pounds of wood, to yield him 59,631 tons of ash, selling at £10 a ton, bringing him a profit of £596,310. Chemical analysis of saltmarsh plants around the shores of Western- port Bay (Plate 3) makes the choice of mangroves as a source of alkali rather puzzling, since the sodium and potas- sium content is considerably lower than that of other available plants, in- cluding Arthrocnemum sp. and Sali- cornia sp. (Table 2). The selection of an inappropriate plant for barilla pro- duction was probably one cause of the decline of the industry, but a more important one was the discovery, by the French chemist Le Blanc, of a chemical means of converting cheap common salt to soda. Le Blanc had a small factory utilising this process by 1791, but it was not until 1804 that this method was published!*. Even then, its adoption was delayed by civil Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 strife in France and by the imposition of high sales taxes in England. Follow- ing the repeal of the salt taxes in 1825 English factories rapidly con- verted to chemical soda production, which was both cheaper, and more efficient than the old _ plant-based method. Thus on a world scale the barilla burners of Westernport Bay were be- hind the times, and even delays in the transmission of knowledge to Aus- tralia cannot explain their belated at- tempts to revive an outdated industry. It is possible that the small industries of the new settlement at Port Phillip possessed neither the equipment, nor the financial resources, for the pro- duction of soda by chemical means. The glass and soap-making industries, which were the chief users of alkalis, were still very much ‘“‘backyard”’ affairs. In the early 1840’s, however, the production of tallow and soap expanded greatly, for the slump in the wool market made it more profitable to send sheep to the _ boiling-down works than to retain them for their wool. Perhaps this industry had _ be- come large enough to develop chemi- October, 1975 cal alkali production, causing the price of barilla to fall from £10 per ton in mid-1843 to £4 per ton by the end of the year. The fall in price was the death-blow to the barilla industry. Ill-conceived in the first place, it succumbed to techno- logical progress, and remains only as a brief but colourful episode in the history of Westernport Bay. Acknowledgement Melbourne State College provided financial support for the research upon which this paper is based. REFERENCES 1. The name barilla comes from Spain, where it is applied either to the plant, Salsola soda, or to the ash de- rived from it. This ash is a source of soda, but as used in the context of Westernport Bay barilla is an alka- line ash, and the relative proportions of soda ash and potash were almost certainly immaterial. 2. Bird, J. F., 1975. Francis Barrallier and the survey of Westernport Bay. Proc, Roy, Soc. Vict.,. 87, partel: 11-13. 3. Haydon, G. H. Five Years’ Experi- ence in Australia Felix. London, 1846. 4. Howitt, R. Impressions of Australia Felix. London, 1845. Plate 3: Potential sources of barilla in the Westernport Bay marshes include Mangroves (left), Salicornia (centre) and Arthrocnemum (right). 207 5. Gunson, N. The Good Country; A History of Cranbourne Shire. Mel- bourne, 1968. 6. Haydon, George Henry. Unpublished journals held by Judith Whitlock, Kent, England. Some of the Haydon papers are on microfilm in the National Library, Canberra. 7. For these and other chemical deter- minations I am grateful to Dr. Gary Scott and Doug. Taylor of the Chemistry Department, Melbourne State College. 8. Attiwell, P., and Clough, P. F., 1974. The role of mangroves and seagrass communities in nutrient cycling in Westernport Bay. Unpublished re- port to the Westernport Bay En- vironmental Study. 9. Bird, E. C. F., and Barson, M. M., 1975. Shoreline changes in Western- port Bay. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict., 87, part 1: 15-26. 10. Kingzett, C. T. The History, Pro- ducts and Process of the Alkali Trade. London, 1932. 11. Dillon, J. T. Travels through Spain with a view to illustrate the Natural History and Physical Geography of that Kingdom. London, 1782. 12. Chapman, V. J. Seaweeds and Their Uses. London, 1970. 13. Darling to Huskisson, 10 April 1828. Historical Records of Australia, Series 1, Vol. XIV, p. 128. 14. Le Blanc, N., 1804. Observations sur le confection et Vusage de la soude. Ann. Chim. Phys., 50: 96. Quoted in Patterson, T. S., 1925. Soda Nicholas Le Blanc and the French Revolution. Proc. Roy. Phil. Soc. Glasgow, 53: 113-28. The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2 —Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous continued from 192 (9) by JAMES A. BAINES Histiopteris. Gk histion, sheet, sail, web, tissue; pteris, fern. Our species, H. incisa, has two common names, Bat’s-wing Fern and Oak Fern, both referring to the shape of the fronds, as does the specific name (= incised or cut into). The genus is close to Pteridium (Bracken) in _ family Dennstaedtiaceae. *Holcus. Gk _ holkos, sorghum, which was classified by L. (1753) as H. halepensis but Moench named it *Sorghum halepense (1794). Our three species, *H. lanatus, Yorkshire Fog (called Velvet Grass in U.S.A.), Creep- ing Fog, and Annual Fog are in the tribe Aveneae, whereas Sorghum is in the tribe Andropogoneae of Grami- neae (Poaceae). *Homeria. Not in honour of the Greek poet Homer but from Gk homereo, to meet; in allusion to the 208 joining of the filament of the stamens into a tube. Our introduced species are both from South Africa, the One- leaf Cape Tulip and the Two-leaf Cape Tulip (Afrikaans name Rooitulp = Red Tulip). These iridaceous plants have been declared noxious weeds in five Australian States and New Zea- land. *Hordeum. Latin name for Barley, *Hordeum vulgare, commonly grown as a cereal grain especially as an in- gredient of beer, the name of which probably is the same as the first ele- ment in the word barley. Victoria has three naturalised species, the others being *H. leporinum, Barley-grass, and *H. hystrix, the specific name of the first meaning ‘like a hare’s ear’ and of the second, ‘like a hedgehog’ (from resemblance of the long awns to the animal’s spines). Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Hybanthus. Gk hybos, hump; anthos, flower; alluding to the pouched petal. Two or our three species were originally placed in the superseded genus Jonidium, which comes from Gk ion, violet, the family being Violaceae, and the common names Shrub Violet, Erect Violet, and Slender Violet-bush, respectively. Hydrilla. An ill-formed diminutive of Gk Hydra, the water serpent with many heads destroyed by Hercules as one of his twelve labours, probably given to the plant merely because it is a submerged aquatic herb. It belongs to family Hydrocharitaceae, and in Victoria is found only in the Murray River, and in Lake Moodemere near Rutherglen. It is known as Water- thyme, and there is only one species in the world, H. verticillata (so-named because the leaves are in well- separated whorls), distributed from Eurasia, Africa to Australia. Hydrocotyle. Gk hydor, water (which always becomes hydro- as a prefix); kotyle, a small cup; from the form of the leaves in H. umbilicus (says Stearn), one of two species that acquired the name Pennywort in Eng- land, from the shape of their leaves. All of our 15 native species are known aS pennyworts, but no introduced species are in the Victorian flora. The genus gives its name to Hydro- cotylaceae, a family separated by some modern botanists from Umbelli- ferae, although it is a sub-family (cf. relationship of Papilionaceae to Leguminosae). Hymenanthera. Gk hymen, a mem- brane; anthere, anther; the anthers of the flowers being terminated by a membrane (membranous _ staminal tube). Victoria has only one of the seven species, H. dentata, known as Tree Violet, a good name for a vio- laceous plant with its habit of growth. October, 1975 Hymenolobus. Gk hymen, mem- brane, skin or parchment; lobos, pod; the valves of the pod having thin walls. (Hymen was the Gk god of marriage.) There are five species, of which Victoria has only one, 4H. procumbens, known as Oval Purse, since the genus is close to Capsella, Shepherd’s Purse, family Cruciferae. Hymenophylium. Gk hymen, mem- brane; phyllon, leaf; in allusion to the membranous fronds of these ferns. Our two native species are known as Filmy-ferns. The genus gives its name to family Hymenophyllaceae. Hypericum. Gk hyper, above; eikon, picture; Smith & Stearn state that St. John’s Wort, *H. perforatum, was supposed to keep evil spirits at bay, in revenge for which the Devil pierced the leaves with a needle. The flowers of some species were placed above images (icons) to ward off evil at the ancient midsummer festival. Victoria has six introduced species, and two native species. The genus gives its name to family Hypericaceae. All our species bear the name St. John’s Wort with suitable adjectives for differentia- tion, except *H. androsaemum, Tut- san, the specific name meaning ‘man’s blood’, Androsaemum, an old generic synonym for Hypericum, and the common name being the French ‘toute saine’, all-healthy, since the plant was formerly used to cure wounds. *Hypochoeris. A name used by the Gk Theophrastus for this or a related genus. Gk hypo, under; choeros, pig; but the common name is Cat’s-ear! Our two species are introduced. These composites are sometimes called Flat- weeds. Hypolaena. Gk hypo, below; laina, a cloak; alluding to the bracteoles and empty glumes at the base of the spikelets. There are only two species, 209 of which Victoria has one, H. fasti- giata, Tassel Rope-rush. Calorophus lateriflorus, Spreading Rope-rush, was formerly in the genus HAypolaena. These genera are close to each other in family Restionaceae. *Hypolepis. Gk hypo, under; lepis, a scale; alluding to the position of the sori, which are under a thin mem- brane called an indusium. Victoria has four species, all native, known as dif- ferent kinds of ground-ferns. Printed sources all recommend that_ the stressed syllable should be the second rather than the third (cf. Centrolepis re local pronunciations). Hypoxis. Gk hypoxis, somewhat acid (hypo, under; oxys, sharp, acid), but said to have been applied by Linnaeus in the sense of ‘sharp be- neath’, because the capsule is con- tracted at the base. (Smith and Stearn state that it is an old Greek plant name transferred to these plants for no particular reason.) Of the 100 species in the world (chiefly African), Aus- tralia has only five, our three Victorian species being the common H. gla- bella, Yellow Star, H. pusilla, Tiny Star, and A. hygrometrica, Golden Weather-glass; the latter two common names are translations of the specific names. The genus gives its name to family Hypoxidaceae (Ewart included it in Amaryllidaceae). Hypsela. Gk hypsos, hypselos, high; apparently alluding to the habitat of the type species high in the Andes; but hypsilon is the Gk letter upsilon, the form of which is similar to a two- branched growing plant. The five species in the world are shared be- tween South America, New Zealand and Eastern Australia; Victoria has one only, H. tridens, apparently en- demic, and found rarely in the Goul- burn and Mitta Mitta river valleys. The family is Lobeliaceae, but it was formerly placed in Campanulaceae. 210 *Ibicella. Lat ibex (accusative case ibicem), wild goat of the Alps and Apennines; -ella, diminutive suffix; in allusion to the fruit with two long slender upcurved horns, the male Steinbock, Jbex ibex, having very large, strongly ridged recurved horns. The genus is in family Martyniaceae, and is an introduction from tropical South America. Our species, found only in the Walwa district (Upper Murray) in Victoria, is *J. Jutea, Yel- low-flower Devil’s Claw, a Brazilian native known from 1825 till 1929 as a Martynia. *M. proboscidea, Devil’s Claw, from Mexico, is found in New South Wales and Queensland. Indigofera. Neo-Lat for indigo-bear- ing, because two tropical species, J. anil and I. tinctoria are the plants from which indigo dyes, of a deep violet-blue colour, are obtained. The word indigo appeared first in English in 1555 as indico, from Lat indicum (as used by Pliny), from Gk indikon, meaning ‘the Indian’ (substance), a neuter adjective used as a noun; fero, I bear. Our sole species, /. australis, Australian or Austral Indigo, is a common pea-flower that has a dis- tinctive variety, signata (= ‘as though covered with writing’), found in the Warby Ranges and other parts of North-Eastern Victoria, and the more usual form seen in the Warrumbungle Ranges, New South Wales. *Inula. Lat name for J. helenium, a European weed known as Elecampane (which is a corruption of medieval Lat enula campana = Inula of the fields). Our species, */. graveolens, Stinkwort, is, as its common name implies, a fetid weed, obnoxious as fodder but not poisonous, a _ pro- claimed noxious weed for the whole of Victoria. It is a yellow-flowered com- posite native to the Mediterranean countries. The specific name graveo- lens means ‘of strong or rank odour’. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Helenium is a superseded synonym for Inula, but valid for a genus of western American composites; it is a latinized form of Gk helenion (the ancient name for Jnula, which itself is prob- ably a corrupted variant of the same word, by transposition of vowels in popular pronunciation). *Iris. Gk iris, rainbow; the genus being named after the goddess of the rainbow, because of the varied colours of the flowers. Our species is */. germanica, Common Flag Iris, or German Iris, which, despite its speci- fic name, is probably native to the Mediterranean region. The garden irises are probably hybrids between this species and /. florentina, Fleur- de-lis. The heraldic fleur-de-lis or flower-de-luce is by some thought to have been a lily, but its shape points more to the iris, though some say it represents the top of a sceptre or that of a battle-axe or halberd. Our com- monest native irises belong to the genera Patersonia and Diplarrena. Isachne. Gk isos, equal; akhne, glume; all the glumes being nearly equal. Our sole species is J. globosa, Swamp Millet, it having been originally de- scribed by Thunberg in 1784 as a species of Milium, which was the clas- sical Lat name for millet. Isoetes. Gk isos, equal, or alike; etos, year; because the submerged species remain the same throughout the year. Victoria has two species, Plain Quillwort and Rock Quillwort, the former so-named from its habitat in temporary pools or swampy ground on plains country, and the latter from the rock pools it grows in. The genus gives its name to family Isoetaceae. Quillworts were called thus in Eng- land from a resemblance to a bunch of quills. Isoetopsis. Gk ‘with the form or appearance of Jsoetes’ (q.v. above), though there is no relationship, the October, 1975 latter being a monocotyledonous plant and [soetopsis a dicot in family Com- positae (Asteraceae). However, it grows in swampy habitats, our species, I. graminofolia, being known as Grass Cushion. Isopogon. Gk isos, equal; pogon, beard; alluding to the tufts of hair at the tips of the perianth segments. Our two species are J. ceratophyllus, Horny Cone-bush (the specific name means horny-leaved), and J. anemoni- folius, Drumsticks or Tall Cone-bush (with leaves like those of Anemone). They belong to family Proteaceae. (Petrophile, = ‘stone-lover’, is very similar.) Isotoma. Gk isos, equal; toma, a cutting, a section; the segments of the corolla being equal in these lobelia- ceous herbs. Our two species are /. axillaris, Rock Isotome, and J. fluvia- tilis, Swamp Isotome. Isotoma should be pronounced with the accent on the second syllable, but the common name variant Isotome on the first syllable. (Cf. Thryptomene in this regard; see Black.) *Iva. Gilbert-Carter states that this is probably a Romance name current in Switzerland, of Achillea tomentosa, Yellow Milfoil, but applied to our genus by Linnaeus, perhaps because of its aroma; however, it was used by Rufinus as a plant name. Black states the name was ‘after Ajuga iva, be- cause of the similar odour’. Our Species is an introduction from North America, */. axillaris, Poverty Weed or Death Weed, and is a composite plant localized at Kerang and New- stead; it appeared at Sevenhills, S.A., in 1933. *Ixia. Gk ixia, bird-lime (from ixos, mistletoe berry or mistletoe plant). Two species of these iridaceous South African plants were introduced as garden flowers, but in a number of 211 districts they have escaped and per- sisted: *J. maculata, Yellow Ixia, and *T. polystachya, Variable Ixia. Ixiolaena. Gk ixia, bird-lime; laina, cloak; Bentham giving the name in allusion to the sticky glandular cover- ing of the original Western Australian species, [. viscosa. Our two species are I. leptolepis, Plover Daisy, and J. tomentosa. A third species of these composites occurs on two Bass Strait islands. Ixodia. Gk ixodes, sticky (like bird- lime); our species, J. achilleoides, be- ing an erect, glabrous, sticky under- shrub with profuse attractive flower- heads. The specific name of these composites points to a likeness to Achillea, the milfoils, yarrows and sneezeworts. Jasminum. Lat version of yasmin, the Persian name of scented jasmine, sometimes called jessamine, the Com- mon or White Jasmine, J. officinale. Our sole species is J. lineare, Desert Jasmine, an inland plant that is found in Victoria only in the far north-west. The genus is in family Oleaceae. Juncella. Lat juncus, a rush; -ella, diminutive ending. J. submersa 1s now Trithuria submersa, but the super- seded generic name is still sometimes used aS a common name. It is in family Centrolepidaceae, not Jun- caceae. Juncus. Lat name for a rush. Vic- toria has 22 native species and six in- troduced, all known as different kinds of rush. Classica! Lat had the word as Iuncus, the J being introduced in late Lat for the consonantal use of I, sounded like the y in young, not as ] in junk. The family of course is Juncaceae. *Lachnagrostis. Gk lachne, lachnos, woolly hair, down. *L. phleoides, Nit- grass, was transferred to Gastridium 212 by C. E. Hubbard in 1954. This rather glabrous annual has lemmas pubescent all over (hence justifying the generic meaning ‘woolly grass’?); phleoides means ‘like Phleum, Cat’s-tail or Timothy Grass’. Nit-grass was given this odd common name because the small flowers resemble the eggs of lice and fleas (nits). *Lactuca. Lat name for lettuce, from lac, milk, lacteus, milky. Our two introduced species are Prickly Lettuce and Willow-leaved Lettuce, fam. Compositate. Lagenophora. Gk lagenos, a flask; phoros, bearing; alluding to the shape of the achenes, which also supplies the common name, Bottle Daisy. (Cf. the genus Lagenaria, Bottle Gourd.) Hj. Eichler prefers the Lat form of the generic name, Lagenifera, with same meaning, as spelt originally by Cas- sini and later self-corrected; the form Lagenophora is being conserved. Our flora includes three of the 30 species in the world total. *Lagurus. Gk lagos, a hare; oura, a tail; referring to the hairy in- florescence. (Lat lepus, leporis, hare, from Gk lagos, produced, through Old French, our word for a young hare, leveret, with diminutive -et added.) *L. ovatus, our species, known as Hare’s-tail, is a grass native to the Mediterranean lands. *Lamium. Lat name of some species of dead-nettle, a name used earlier by Tournefort and adopted by Lin- naeus in 1753. Both our species are introduced, Henbit Dead-nettle and Red Dead-nettle. The genus gives its name to family Lamiaceae, the alter- native name proposed by Lindley to replace Jussieu’s Labiatae, and, like others with the preferred -aceae end- ing, winning increasing acceptance in recent years. (L. maculatum was Lamium in Pliny.) Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Lampranthus. Gk lampros, shining, glossy; anthos, flower. Willis points out that our species, L. tegens, Little Noon-flower, always considered in- digenous in Victoria, is likely to have reached Melbourne on an early sailing ship that called at the Cape of Good Hope en route from England, as the genus is otherwise entirely African. It was described as new by F. Mueller in 1866, but is probably conspecific with L. caespitosus described later by South African botanist, L. Bolus. Both species were transferred from Mesem- bryanthemum by N. E. Brown in 1930. The specific epithets tegens and caespitosus mean respectively ‘cover- ing, protecting’ and ‘growing in tufts’. The family is Aizoaceae, named from the genus Aizoon, related to the ice- plants, but called by some Ficoidaceae. Lappula. Lat lappa, burr; -ula, dimi- nutive suffix, L. concava of F. Mueller became Omphalolappula in 1931 (navel-like little burr, from the hilum on the seed), the common name being Burr Stickseed, and the family Boraginaceae. *Lapsana. Gk lampsane or lapsane, name in Dioscorides of a potherb, per- haps Raphanus raphanistrum, Wild Radish, which is still called lampsana in the provincial dialect of Apulia, Italy. Our species, *L. communis, 1s known as Nipplewort, a name ac- quired from its former use for cases of soreness in the mammary glands; the plant was also used for salads. The genus is in the Cichorieae tribe of Compositate. Lasiopetalum. Gk _ lasios, hairy; petalon, leaf, petal, sepal (from peta- los, spread out, flat); alluding to the hairy calyx. Victoria has five species, including L. baueri, Slender Velvet- bush (named after Ferdinand Bauer, 1760-1826, after whom the genus Bauera, omitted from Part 1, was also named) and L. behrii, Pink Velvet- bush (named after Hermann Behr, October, 1975 German collector of plants and insects in early South Australia, who later wrote a flora of San Francisco region). The family is Sterculiaceae. (Bauer accompanied Robert Brown’ with Flinders in the ‘Investigator’, of which we have been reminded during the celebrations of the bicentenary of Matthew Flinders’ birth.) Lastreopsis. Gk for ‘like Lastrea’, a genus of ferns named by Bory in honour of Charles Jean Louis Delastre (c. 1792-1859), now considered part of the polymorphic genus Thelypteris. Ching erected the genus Lastreopsis in 1938, and four of our fern species have been included in it. For example, Trim Shield Fern has been succes- sively in Nephrodium (R. Brown, 1810), Aspidium (Bailey, 1892), Dryopteris (N. A. Wakefield, 1944), Ctenitis (Wakefield, 1955) and finally Lastreopsis decomposita (M. D. Tin- dale, 1957), with Brown’s specific name remaining constant throughout. All our species are known as shield- ferns. , *Lathyrus. Gk lathyros, pea, or pulse, vetchling. Our two introduced species are Angular Pea and Ever- lasting Pea. In addition, Chickling Vetch, L. sativus, naturalized in New South Wales, has been found on a roadside near Ararat. Sweet Pea, L. odoratus, does not persist as a garden escape. Family Papilionaceae. (To be continued) ERRATA Page 191, last sentence of entry Helichrysum, delete ‘Pennsylvania’ and replace it with ‘Virginia’ North Carolina (chosen 1918 and 1941). State flower of Pennsylvania is Moun- tain Laurel, Kalmia latifolia, in family Ericaceae.’ Page 192, first line of entry Hemarthria: The printer has omitted r from the second Gk element, which should read ‘arthron’, a joint. 213 The Plant and the Name Acacia dallachiana—John Dallachy by M. W. Boyce One of the wattles endemic to Vic- toria is the Catkin Wattle, Acacia dallachiana, an erect or spreading tree with curved and tapered phyllodes up to about 16 cm long and 35 mm wide. The flowering period is from Novem- ber to March, with the grub-like buds opening into light yellow catkins about five cm long. It is named after John Dallachy, second Superintendent of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, and was. described by Ferdinand von Mueller in Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae (1858) 1:7. The initial dis- covery was made between granite blocks on the summits of the Buffalo ranges. Willis (1972) reports its distri- bution as being confined to Mount Buffalo, the Bogongs, and Sassafrass Gap on the Corryong-Omeo Road, al- though Galbraith (1962) reports hav- ing collected it at Beechworth. Dallachy (1820?-1871), “that excel- lent collector’? (Bailey, 1892), is fre- quently mentioned in the pages of Bentham’s Flora Australiensis, whilst certain volumes of Mueller’s Frag- menta teem with references to his finds. Maiden (1908) refers to the her- barium labels in the Melbourne Her- barium as testifying to Dallachy’s ‘zeal and discrimination’’. Born in the north of Scotland about 1820, Dallachy as a young gardener worked at Haddo House, the place of the Earl of Aberdeen, before success- fully applying to Sir William Hooker for a position at Kew. He later re- turned as head gardener to Haddo, the grounds of which were looked upon as being the finest and most extensive in Scotland, and where New Holland plants were especially cultivated. 214 Leaving Scotland in 1847 to work aS manager of a coffee plantation in Ceylon, Dallachy carried with him an introduction from Lord Aberdeen to the island’s Governor. He appears to have stayed only a short time on the island, but he was able to obtain from the Governor a letter of introduction to Charles Joseph La Trobe, the Superintendent of the Port Phillip District of New South Wales. La Trobe took a great deal of interest in botany, and it was he who was re- sponsible for the establishment of the Botanic Gardens and for the appoint- ment of John Arthur (1804-1849) as its first superintendent. On arrival in Victoria, Dallachy took up a position as gardener for J. B. Were’s Brighton property which he kept until Arthur’s untimely death when La Trobe ap- pointed him as the second superin- tendent of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. Dallachy made many botanical ex- peditions collecting on behalf of the Gardens. He is believed to have been the first to follow the Yarra to its source in the Baw Baws (Maiden, 1908), It was also Dallachy who intro- duced Ferdinand Mueller to La Trobe and, like Sir William Hooker, recom- mended him as a suitable person to be botanist. When Mueller set off in the Spring of 1852 on the first of his great collecting expeditions as Government Botanist, Dallachy went part of the way with him. Together they went north from Melbourne as far as Futters Range near Glenrowan before proceeding to the May Day Hills (Beechworth) and finally to the Buf- falo plateau and The Horn. Dallachy Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 then had to return to Melbourne, but Mueller continued on an incredible journey over the Victorian Alps and winding his way back to Melbourne, via Wilson’s Promontory, covering in all a distance of about 2,400 kilo- metres (Barnard, 1904). Through ‘“‘various causes”? (Maiden, 1908) Dallachy lost his position as Superintendent at the Botanic Gar- dens to Mueller in 1857, although he stayed on as Curator at a salary of £100 p.a. less. What the “various causes’? were appears uncertain al- though Morrison (1957) suggests that he worked his way out of the position ““.. . by cheerful and carefree neg- lect. . .”’ (p. 34). Certainly he appears to have held no grudge _ towards Mueller for displacing him as he con- tinued to collect for Mueller for the rest of his life. In 1861 Dallachy resigned as Cura- tor and established a nursery at Mt. Erica (East Prahran), but as_ this proved to be an unsuccessful enter- prise he became a full-time botanical collector. His collecting expeditions included a number of areas along the Murray and Darling Rivers. In late 1863, at Mueller’s request, he joined the party led by G. E. Dalrymple which had settled at Cardwell on Rockingham Bay, North Queensland. Dallachy made substantial collections in north-eastern Queensland, his speci- mens being well presented and care- fully annotated. Mueller described a large number of new species from these collections often simply citing the locality as Rockingham Bay, al- though some of the specimens came from as far as 350 km away. Blake (1955) has pieced together Dallachy’s movements from the labels to specimens collected by him and lodged in the National Herbarium, Melbourne. On his way from Mel- bourne to Cardwell, Dallachy appa- rently collected in the vicinities of October, 1975 Brisbane (Dec. 1862), Rockhampton (Jan.-Apr. 1863) and Bowen (June- Sept. 1863), arriving at Cardwell in late 1863. Whilst living at Cardwell, Dallachy made collecting forays along the coast from Tam O’Shanter Point (north Rockingham Bay) to. near Townsville in the south, along the coastal ranges, and along the Herbert, Mackay (now Tully) and Murray rivers —the latter two running into Rockingham Bay north of Cardwell. Jones (1961) suggests that the Abo- rigines in the Rockingham Bay area thought Dallachy was ‘“‘quite mad’’, and because this made him sacrosanct he was the only one of the settlers who could wander without harassment through the swamps and jungles of the area. He wore a white panama and carried a small gun which he used to shoot down specimens from tall trees. ““To shoot at nothing was curious enough, but to pick up a fallen leaf or berry, study it and care- fully stow it in a boxful of similar ‘““game’’ was convincing proof that the elderly white man was far from nor- midis =(p.95). Dallachy, a “*. . . botanical worthy, to whom justice has not been done either in Victoria or any part of Aus- tralia. . .”” (Maiden, 1908, p. 107) died in his tent at Herbert Vale, about 30 km south-west of Cardwell, on 4 June, 1871. REFERENCES Bailey, F. M. Concise History of Aus- tralian Botany. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland. 1892, 8, XVI1I-xlil. Barnard, F. G. A. Some Early Botanical Explorations in Victoria. The Victorian Naturalist. 1904, 20, 17-28. Blake, S. T. Some Pioneers in Plant Ex- ploration and Classification. Proceed- ings of the Royal Society of Queens- land. 1955, 66, 1-19. Galbraith, J. Currawang — Acacia dora- toxylon, and Catkin Wattle — A. dalla- chiana. The Victorian Naturalist. 1962, . 79, 40-1. 215 Jones, D. Cardwell Shire Story. Jacaranda Press, 1961. Maiden, J. H. Records of Victorian Botanists. The Victorian Naturalist. 1908, 25, 101-117. Morrison, C. Melbourne’s Garden. M.U.P., 1957 (2nd edition). Willis, J. H. A Handbook to Plants in Victoria. Volume 2. M.U.P., 1972. (A photograph of A. dallachiana may be found in Victorian Naturalist, 1962, p. 40). Plant Survey of Proposed Dandenong Valley Park In response to a request from the Zoology Department of Monash University, the Waverley Group of the S.G.A.P. undertook responsibility for a plant survey of the proposed Dandenong Valley Park. S.G.A.P. asked the Botany Group to assist by surveying a small part of the park. The Group received this request at our meeting on Thursday 13 March. Our chairman went to the S.G.A.P. briefing on 14 March, three members attended a demonstration in the field on Sunday 16, and on Sunday 23 March the Botany Group went into action. The area allotted to our group extended from Burwood Highway to High Street Road. We were asked to make Quadrats of 100 square metres (120 sq yd) (more or less as occasion demanded) of typical native vegeta- tion with tree layer, shrub layer, field layer and showing height, percentage cover and species. This is not a very precise method but was all that time permitted and was adequate for the purpose—to find the distribution of native vegetation, if any areas were worth retaining in their present state, and to provide guidance if re-claiming and re-planting were planned. We had to complete our fieldwork in one day, for the next weekend was Easter and our report was required by the end of March. The job was simplified by the fact that much of the land was occupied by orchards, market gardens or grazing, so our 216 investigations were limited to the area close to the Dandenong Creek and to a few pockets along roads, between orchards etc. Our secretary then collated the work sheets of the separate teams. Unlike previous projected surveys which have been impractical due to the distance and travelling time involved, this area was _ reasonably accessible. Most participants agreed that the survey was an interesting exercise and a demanding one. On excursions, many of us look only at the plants which interest us, but here we had to look at all plants within our quadrats and name them. Difficul- ties were presented by the intrusion of non-native vegetation and by the frequent lack of flowers, although fruits were often helpfully present. One of our Eucalypt specialists was happy to come across four specimens of Eucalyptus yarraensis. What will be the outcome of the Survey? Reports were required by the end of March for assessment and pre- paration of a submission to the M.M.B.W. by the end of April. We can only hope that these surveys and the recommendations of the very alert Waverley S.G.A.P. will save a con- siderable amount of native vegetation with its natural flood areas, and thus prevent this stretch of the Dandenong Creek from being placed between concrete walls as has happened to the north and south of the area. E. JONES Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Descriptions of the Larvae of Ceratognathus niger (Westw.) Coleoptera: Lucanidae (Stag Beetle) by JOHN ALDERSON* Descriptions of the larvae of several species of Lucanidae Lamprima varians Germer., Lissapterus howit- tanus Westw., Lissotes furcicornis Westw. and Syndesus cornutus Fab. were given recently (Alderson 1975). As a continuation of the work, de- scriptions of the larvae of Ceratogna- thus niger Westw. and the differences found in the characters of these five species discussed in this paper. The beetle Ceratognathus niger (Plate I) is one of the smaller species of Australian stag beetles and in Vic- toria this species breeds mainly in the rotting wood of Acacias, but occa- sionally inhabits the decaying outer layers of Eucalypt logs. Mature larvae have been observed to pupate either during spring months (Sept.-Nov.), with adults emerging in summer, or during late summer-early autumn (Feb.-April), with adults remaining in galleries during winter-spring, before emerging the following summer. The species is nocturnal and on warm summer evenings can be seen flying on the foothills of open schlerophyl forest in the south-eastern region of the State. General appearance of mature larvae of Ceratognathus niger (Plate II). Body white in colour, elongate, slightly tapering posteriorally, varying in length from 18 to 25mm on the dorsal aspect. Head yellow in colour, with ocelli at the side of antennae. Abdominal spiracles and pre-spiracular October, 1975 sclerites are lightly pigmented; pale yellow. Abdominal spiracles become smaller posteriorally; 8th abdominal spiracle ill-defined. Anal segment with longitudinal anal opening. EPIPHARYNX (Plate II, Fig. 2). Anterior portion of lateral margin angulate. Mesal anterior projection extending to middle of spinose an- nulus and the fused keeled torma are lightly pigmented; pale yellow. Spines on spinose annulus thicker and some- what truncated on right side. Keel on pternotorma longer. Distal sensory area with a patch of 8-9 very short, fine, truncated spines each situated in middle of sense spot. Proximad of these and immediately anterior to the Spinose annulus occurs a curved trans- verse row of 6-10 pointed spines. Three stout, pointed setae are situated on the paria near lateral margin. Proximal sensory area comprises one long medial sense cone with three fine, pointed setae on right side; two Shorter setae on left side (without paltes). ANTENNAE (Plate II, Fig. 3). First and second segment devoid of setae; terminal segment similar to Syndesus cornutus. TARSUNGULUS (Plate II, Figs. 4-5). Legs terminate with an elongate tubercle, tapering to a slightly curved, medial, spine-like claw. One small Spine occurs on inner side near base *Fisheries and Wildlife Division, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Brown Street, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084. 217 Plate I. Ceratognathus niger (Westw.) adult male (length 12 mm), and pupa. 218 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Plate II. 1. Larva of Ceratogna- thus niger (Westw.). 2. Epipharynx (underside of labrum). 3. Antennae. 4. Tarsungulus RONG / (lateral). SNe \ peel Se igen NPN ae 4 5. Tarsungulus PS Se \ Van (dorsal). 6. Anal segment (caudal, ven- tral, lateral views). 7. Stridulatory organs of mesothoracic and meta- thoracic legs. 8. Mandibles (ventral). \" i) \ October, 1975 219 of medial claw; directed forward. An- other small spine occurs ventrally, slightly behind inner spine; directed antero-ventrally. ANAL SEGMENT (Plate, Fig. 6). Anal segment tri-lobed, with dorsal anal lobe inflated and having distinct inflated pad; devoid of setae. Anal lobes and pads ovate, with several small setae forming a fringe along inner lateral margin of each lobe. Short, strong, introrse setae occur on each side of narrow, closed septula which extends about half the length of the segment (similar to Syndesus cornutus). Mandibles and _ the © stridulating organs are shown in Figures 7-8. Discussion In the initial stages of this study difficulties were encountered in dis- tinguishing differences between larvae of Scarabaeidae because the existing key describing the Lucanidae larvae of Australia lacks description of speci- fic key structures. To overcome this problem, the author bred-out several larvae to the adult stage to establish their identity. Although the results of this project are not intended for key construction, the consistent and inconsistent structural characteristics found in the five species (representing five genera) are briefly discussed. EPIPHARYNGES The structures of the epipharynges, such as the sense organs of the proxi- mal sensory area; fused torma, spinose annulus and the anterior projection into the annulus, were generally con- sistent in form. The fused torma on most specimens of Lissapterus howit- tanus exhibit early (?) development of an apotorma each side of the anterior projection and on one specimen ex- tended for about one-third the length of its anterior projection. It should also be noted that a second sensory projection is situated near the middle 220 on the basal margin of the fused torma. This appears as a small, black extension behind the anterior projec- tion and occurs on all species except Ceratognathus niger. The projection is rather small and difficult to locate un- less the lighting is carefully directed. Characters of the distal sensory area (spines and spots) were consistent in form and _ position in Lamprima varians and Syndesus cornutus, but inconsistent in Lissapterus howittanus and Lissotes furcicornis. The spinose sensory spots on the distal sensory area of Lissapterus howittanus were often irregularly placed and lacked the spines; these are apparently broken off at an early stage soon after ecdysis. Sense spots anterior to the transverse row of four spots on Lissotes furci- cornis are often irregularly placed. The sense organs on the distal sensory of both these species could be de- scribed as a longitudinal patch. The curved transverse row of spines an- terior to the spinose annulus on Ceratognathus niger larvae do not always merge into the annulus, but often occur as a distinct, separate, shorter row. Ceratognathus niger larvae were the only ones having setae (not plates) on each side of the medial sense cone; these setae appear to be an important character in separating this genus from others. Dr. B. P. Moore (pers. comm.) ob- served that tarsunguli on the larvae of Lamprima aurata are clawless. This is supported by the results of the earlier study (Alderson 1975) on Lamprima varians and unpublished observation (Alderson) on L. latereillei; both these species are clawless. Tarsunguli may well be a major character separating the genera, for the larvae of another species of Lissotes [Lissotes darling- toni (unpublished observation)] had curved claws very similar to Lissotes furcicornis. The tarsunguli of Lis- sapterus howittanus, Syndesus_ cor- Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 T nutus and Ceratognathus niger were also different in form from each other but consistent in form within each species. ANAL SEGMENTS Larvae of Lamprima varians and L. latreillei exhibit anal pads which together are cordate when viewed from the caudal aspect and _ subse- quently are distinctly different in form from all other species examined. The V-shaped upper half of the septula extending into the campus on Lis- sotes furcicornis is not always con- sistent in form. Some specimens often exhibit a few scattered setae which merge toward the middle line on the right side. The anal pads of Lisspaterus howittanus are more reniform (con- cave on inner margin) when anal lobe inflation is extensive. The position (angle) of the setae forming the sep- tula and those setae situated on the ventral portion of the anal lobes were found to be consistent in all species. Acknowledgements This study could not have com- menced without the generous assist- ance of Lorraine Alderson, Susan Beattie, Bill and Chris Robbins and Fabian Douglas. I am grateful to Dr. B. P. Moore (C.S.I.R.O.) for dis- closing the importance of the ‘“‘anal segment and tarsungulus’ and wish to thank members of the Fisheries Divisions staff, Drs. D. Evans and Z. Abedi, Messrs. J. Cooper, J. Bacher, K. Beinssen, J. Seebeck, P. Rogan and R. Warnecke for their assistance in many ways. REFERENCE Alderson, J., 1975. Descriptions of the Larvae of Four species of Lucanidae. Victorian Nat., Vol. 92, No. 4: 71-29, pl. I-V. NEW SECRETARY NEEDED Unfortunately Mr. Garnet Johnson, who was keen to do all he could as Honorary Secretary when he took over the job earlier this year, now finds that owing to circumstances beyond his control, he will be unable to attend meetings and regretfully has tendered his resignation as Hon. Secretary at the end of October. This means the Club wants some member who has the welfare of the Club at heart, male or female, to step into the breach and help carry the Ciub along. Can you assist in any way to share the work of secretary? NATURAL HISTORY MEDALLION TRUST FUND The following donations have been received, and we thank the donors: Latrobe Valley Field Naturalists’ Club... .. .. .. $10 Mr. Roy Wheeler (Medallion Winner, 1965) .. .. 10 Donald History and Natural History Group .. .. 2 Total at 29/9/75 . . $22 Our last quote for a medallion was $100, so with postage, printing of circulars and invitations, etc., the cost of awarding a medallion is over $200; and this does not take into account the services (‘phone calls, fares, petrol, and so on) given freely by committee members, judges, and others. As this award is, in the future, to be financed from the Trust Fund, now is the time for all donations to be sent in to ensure its worthwhile continuance. GARNET JOHNSON, Hon. General Secretary. October, 1975 221 book review Wild Food in Australia BY A. B. AND J. W. CRIBB Published by Collins Publishers Sydney 1975. 240 pps. with selected references, index, eight colour plates; recommended price, $8.50. Wild Food in Australia provides interesting information about edible plants in Australia; some Australian and some introduced. It is hoped that readers will never be in the position where they need to remember what they have read in order to survive, but rather that they may use this in- formation as a pleasant and carefree recreation. Dr. and Mrs. Cribb have researched many old and now almost inaccessible journals and have presented the infor- mation in a pleasing and readable form. Some of the entries are quite large, e.g. Bunya Pine, while other entries have only a brief comment perhaps for more research. The text is in a number of parts. I am sure that some will enjoy follow- ing the recipe given for preparing some of the fruits. Seeds form another part of the book and their varied use is recorded. Leaves and shoots, roots, tubers and bulbs, flowers, water sources and beverages, exudates, algae (which comprise the seaweeds, the green slimes of fresh water and a few other plants) and the interesting fungi are all included. To complete the in- formation animals which are suitable as food is given. A pleasant book and one which could open up some interesting areas for self-exploration. The colour plates used have been specially painted by Charles McCub- bin, one of Australia’s finest botanical artists. —F., J. C. ROGERS. Field Naturalists Club of Victoria General Meeting, 8 September 1975 The speaker, Mr. Edmund Gill, gave us a most interesting address on some aspects of the geological history of the Yarra River. Mr. Sault thanked Mr. Gill on behalf of all present. The chairman then announced the presence of the notable naturalist Mr. Alex Chisholm and he was greeted with acclamation. Exhibits and Notes by Members. Ex- hibited were sundry rocks and stones gathered during a trip in W.A. Mr. McInnes spoke of three books and asked that orders be placed with him for—a book of paintings, mostly of Australian flowers, by Mrs. Daisy Wood and selling at $12.00; “Flowers of N.S.W. 222 and South Queensland” being published at $18.95 and availabie to F.N.C.V. mem- bers for about $15; “Reptiles and Am- phibians of Australia” publishing at about $22 and possibly at $17 to mem- bers; he also announced that the re- printing of the Fern Book had been com- pleted and is likely to be on sale next month. Mr. Tom Sault related an example of the helpful natural history contacts that were made when _ the F.N.C.V car sticker was displayed when travelling interstate. The Naturalist. For economy reasons, Council has decided that the November and December Naturalists should be published as one issue appearing in November. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Editor. Our new editor, Mr. Fred Rogers, has received promotion to a headmastership in Horsham. We con- gratulate Mr. Rogers and wish him well in his new undertaking but rue the loss of our in-coming editor. Our present edi- tor, Mr. Grif Ward, has offered to carry on until the end of the year, but a new one is needed for 1976. Secretary. Another item equally dismay- ing to this Club the announcement by our Secretary, Mr. Garnet Johnson, that he finds it necessary to resign as from the end of October. DAY GROUP VISIT TO CHELTENHAM PARK Sixteen members attended the outing on 18 September, and after lunch in- spected quite a large area of the Park which is a Nature Reserve. Many native plants are blooming at the moment and especially noted were the following:—- Paynes Thryptomene; Correa: Mannic and reflexa; Acacias: drummondi, saligna; Grevilleas: laurifolia, aquifolum; Angophora _lasiopetalum; Melaleuca armillaris; Hakea suareolens; Appleberry scandians; Eriostemon nerrucosa and myoporoides. F.N.C.V. PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE “FERNS OF VICTORIA AND TASMANIA” By N. A. Wakefield. Revised Edition by Dr. J. H. Willis. With descriptive notes and illustrations of 119 native species. 104 Pages. Available Now. Price $3.25. (Discount to members.) Postage 40 cent. Send order to Sales Officer: D. E. McInnes, 129 Waverley Road, East Malvern, 3145. Telephone: 211-2427. Excursions—continued from page 202. Sunday, 9 November—Geology Excursion: “Fossil Plant’. Meet outside Yea P.O. at 11 a.m. Leader—Mrs. Miller. Friday, 26 December-Friday, 2 January—Orbost. A coach has been chartered and accommodation booked at Orbost Motor Lodge and Traralgon Motel (last night) for the party. Day trips will be made to Buchan Caves, Marlo Plains, etc., but the excursion secretary would welcome suggestions from people familiar with the area. The total cost, fares and accommodation, will probably be about $150 for the eight days. October, 1975 223 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 the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Q.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1975-1976. President: Mr. P. KELLY, 260 The Boulevard, East Ivanhoe, 3079. Hon. Secretary: Mr. GARNET JOHNSON, 20 Sydare Ave., Chadstone, 3148. 56 3227. treasurer -— Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145. Acting Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg, 3084. Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield, 3151. (52 2749.) Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. D. E. McINNES. Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards St., Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36 0587. Group Secretaries Botany: Miss E. JONES, 6 West Crt., Glen Waverley, 3150. (560 2280.) Day Group: Mrs. J. STRONG, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena. (56 2271.) Entomology and Marine Biology: Mr. J. W. H. STRONG, Flat 11, ““Palm Court’’, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena, 3163. (56 2271.) Field Survey: R. D. SANDELL, 39 Rubens Gve., Canterbury, 3126. (83 8009) Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Miss Wendy CLARK, 97 Faraday Street, Carlton, 3053. Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy St., East Brighton. (96 3268.) 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 1975 Metropolitan ae ide ae ae ee ae aa ie Ay Bt, $10.00 Joint Metropolitan .. . EF i ay ip zat By Be rps oo $12.50 Joint Retired Members’ a me oe * oe Ee a Ne a $10.00 Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65 . $8.00 Joint Country ~ * im $10.00 Junior at ip wer $2.50 Subscriptions to Vict. Nat. ... $8.00 Overseas Subscription $10.00 Junior with ‘’Naturalist”’ i: pe os a on ee nye ee $8.00 Individual Magazines - : ae $0.75 All subscriptions should be made payable to the Field Naturalist Club of Victoria and posted to the Subscription Secretary. ) JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE November, 1975 Published by the FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA in which is incorporated the Microscopical Society of Victoria , } ae On Aaa Registered in Australia for transmission by post as a periodical. Category “B” | F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 10 November — At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, 8 p.m. Speaker— Mr. P. Bock. Subject — “‘Dynamics of the Earth’s Crust.” New Members Ordinary: Mr. Simon J. Arnold, 3 Winmarleigh Close, Brighton Beach, 3186. Botany and Geology. Mr. Graham E. Billing, P.O. Box 49, Ferntree Gully, 3156. Botany and Ecology. Mr. Stefan Ottomanski, 162 Sydney Road, Coburg, 3058. Wild Life Photography. Mrs. Dorothy Yunis, 16 Rubicon Crescent, Doncaster, 3108. Botany, Birds and Geology. Miss Elaine D. Meehan, 25 Bambra Road, Caulfield, 3162. Joint: Mr. Rodney G. Clarke and Mrs. Elizabeth M. Clarke, 23 Reserve Avenue, Mitcham, 3132. Mammals and Botany. Country: Mr. Robert S. Dye, C/o High School, Shepparton, 3630. Monday, 8 December — Speaker: Dr. M. Joshi. Subject — “The Grand Canyon, U.S.A.” Flora, Fauna, Geology. GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at National Herbarium unless stated otherwise) Wednesday, 12 November — Microscopical Group Meeting. Thursday, 13 November — Botany Group Meeting. Subject — ‘‘Vegetation of Salt Marshes.”’ Speaker: Madge Lester. Thursday, 20 November — Day Group Meeting. Blackburn Lake — Leader: Mr. Roy Wheeler. Subject: Bird Observing. Take 11.10 a.m. Croydon train; meet at Black- burn Station at 11.30 a.m. Bring lunch. Thursday, 27 November—Field Survey Group Meeting in Conference Room, National Museum, at 8 p.m. Subject — “Fungi”: Mr. Arthur Paul. Monday, 1 December — Marine Biology and Entomology Group Meeting in Con- ference Room, National Museum, at 8 p.m. Wednesday, 3 December — Geology Group Meeting. Thursday, 4 December — Mammal Survey Group Meeting (F.N.C.V.) at 8 p.m. in Arthur Rylah Institute, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 16 November — Daylesford. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m., fare $4.00; bring two meals. Sunday, 14 December — Portsea. Leader: Mr. T. Sault. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30a.m., fare $4.00; bring two meals. Marine biology and general. Friday, 26 December-Friday, 2 January — Orbost. A coach has been chartered and accommodation booked at Orbost Motor Lodge and Traralgon Motel (last night) on dinner, bed and breakfast basis for the party. Day trips will be made to Buchan Caves, Marlo Plains, Cape Conras, etc. The cost, fares and accom- modation, will probably be about $150 for the eight days. The coach will leave from Flinders Street, outside the Gas and Fuel Corporation, at 9a.m.; bring a picnic lunch. A deposit of $20 should be made when booking and the balance by the December General Meeting on Monday, 8 December. Bookings with the Excursion Secretary, cheques to be made out to Excursion Trust; receipts will not be posted unless requested. 226 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 the victorian naturalist Contents Articles: Dr. John Lhotsky's Two Excursions into the Australian Alps By the late N. A. Wakefield 228 Remnants of a "Diurus" series at Warrandyte By David Beardsell 244 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: General Meeting Report 246 Front Cover: When we reached the Upper Mowamba River... (Drift Hill is in background) November, 1975 Vol. 92 No. 11 5 November, 1975 Acting Editor: Assistant Editor: G. M. Ward G. F. Douglas A national seminar on Landscape Con- servation in Rural Australia was held recently in Canberra. It was organised jointly by the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Department of Urban and Regional Develop- ment. Representatives from conservation bodies, official and voluntary, in all States attended the three day conference. Official policies, attitudes, and planning in regard to conservation and landscape issues at State and Federal level were outlined by the nine speakers on the first day. The four academics among them took a somewhat critical look at the situation in the areas they covered. Whereas the five departmental speakers generally took the line that while problems did exist their respective governments were on the whole doing a good job looking after the landscape. There was a tendency then, and on the following two days, for govern- ment speakers to imply that they ought to be trusted to look after the environment and not be subjected to so much criticism. That position was certainly not accepted by the non-departmental speakers, several of whom attacked the effectiveness of present govern- ment measures. However most speakers and delegates seemed to agree that results could only be achieved by working through gov- ernment. Not surprisingly there was little agreement on how that should be done, and no firm resolutions or decisions on action programmes came from the conference. Speakers in later sessions of the conference dealt with overseas experience and _ inter- national efforts in landscape conservation, the role and responsibility of private enter- prise in regard to landscape, and various special techniques for controlling land use. It was obvious there were many problems experienced in common, despite local pecu- liarities, and all attending understood the broad nature of the issues; but hardly any new ideas for solving them were presented. Some of the most useful information pre- sented was in regard to legal aspects of land ownership and agreements covering its use. The most disturbing concept that seemed to be implied in the attitude of many there was that nature must be subordinate to the pleasure of urban man. 227 Dr. John Lhotsky’s Two Excursions into the Australian Alps by the ~LATE N. A. WAKEFIELD In publishing this paper, a great sense of personal privilege is felt; and my deep gratitude is extended to Mrs. Audrey Wakefield for making the whole possible. Just a month or so before the untimely death of Norman Wakefield, he told me, in course of conversation, that he had almost completed a paper on the journeys of Lhotsky. The content of that conversation, which fatefully was to be our last, has never faded from my memory. It was because of this; together with the fact that so many readers would have never been able to appreciate another of his extraordinarily complete and meticulously detailed papers, that an approach was made to Audrey Wakefield on the subject of the possibility of publication. Her instant willingness to co-operate in every way possible not only made the Editor’s task so easy; but allowed this valuable work of a great naturalist to be published posthumously. * — EDITOR. * The introduction to this paper was written prior to the death of the author; and was published in the Melbourne Age in two parts, during 1969 and 70, in ‘‘Nature Notes’? — a weekly column appearing over a number of years. Introduction He gave some account of these The wildflower gardens of the ¢XCursions in a letter to the news- Grampians are at their best in Novem- ber, and one of the floral showpieces is the blossoming snow-myrtle. It flowers at lower elevations quite early in the month, but higher up, on the tops of the sandstone peaks and plateaux, the display is delayed by two or three weeks. In our recent wildflower books the species is named Calytrix alpestris, but those of last generation had the snow- myrtle in a genus of its own. It was Lhotskya to the older botanist, and that name (albeit misspelt) comme- morated an almost forgotten Polish scientist and explorer, Dr. John Lhotsky. He came to Sydney in 1832, and early in 1834 made two excursions from the Monaro district of southern New South Wales into what was at the time completely unknown coun- try to the south and west of the out- lying cattle runs of that region. 228 paper, Sydney Gazette, in April 1834, and also in a small book entitled, A Journey from Sydney to the Aus- tralian Alps, which appeared in 1835. These writings describe how on the first excursion he passed through Byron’s Valley and Napoleon’s Valley to ascend Mount William the Fourth, which, he said, was “from five to 7,000 feet and therefore the highest point ever reached by any traveller on the Australian continent’’. The second excursion took him finally to a tract of the Snowy River where he discovered Pass Britannia, which, he wrote was ‘“‘a place where a road, connecting Twofold Bay with the Murrumbidgee and other south- west parts of the Colony may be executed”’. Lhotsky did not publish a map showing the routes of his excursions, and there was therefore insufficient evidence to indicate where he had Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 been or to identify the geographical features which he had named. Recently however, two _ historians found that the British Museum had an unpublished map and several pages of manuscript notes which had been prepared by Lhotsky, and after study- ing these they were able to throw some light on the routes of his two excursions. For each, the starting point was close to the present site of Dalgety, to the south-west of Cooma. The first excursion was westerly into the alps, and the second was southerly into what is now East Gippsland in Victoria. The matter is discussed in an article which appeared several months ago in the Royal Australian Historical Society Journal, and it postulated that Lhotsky’s Mount William the Fourth, which he reached in March 1834, was actually Mount Kosciusko, and that his Napoleon’s Valley was the upper- most part of the Snowy River valley. I was allowed later to examine a photocopy of Lhotsky’s manuscript and, with some knowledge of the country which he traversed, formed Fig. 1 Lhotsky’s Map. . Fig. 4 Excursion 2 recent maps). The plains are several Square miles in area, about the junc- tion of Bossy’s Creek and Currawong Creek. The second paragraph, above, was a later insertion to Lhotsky’s re- draft of his notes. ‘11 March. From the hut on Plato’s direction S., the same direction has a Creek, which has some branches towards E. After 3 Miles ranges visible to the W, which shelve down very soon. After 7 Miles from hut reached Chalmer’s forest, an escarped Mountain covered with lofty timber. Descending from this, main Alps visible to N.W., running from E.S.E. to W.N.W. 20 miles distant — at the middle of descent visible Dzilikura in S.W. 7 Miles distant, 2000’ high. W by N lies a plain Ambat — 3 Miles farther in a S direction we passed a fine plain called, Dzilikura. Proceeding farther a Pano- rama of mountains — Wakuran S.S.W., Dzingiringo N.W. — Dzimigulala W.S.W. — between the mountains fine Alpine Plains. Dzilikura especially very luxuriant, small river runs in a S.S.W. direction by E to S.W. Night passed at that river. Made during the day 25 Miles.” The hut must have been near the junction of the creeks, and Bossy’s Creek is the one referred to, having its lower tract S-N and its heads to the S.E. The ranges to the west are about 2 miles away, just beyond Currawong Creek. “‘Chalmer’s Forest’? was The 240 a 9 g z ...Mt. Bulla Bulla —‘‘Pass Britannia’’... L 5 oi ee) Miles Round Hill (about 3,350 feet), the highest point of Black Jack Range, probably reached by following the ris- ing main ridge from Currawong. The ‘“Alps’’, 20 miles north-west, are the mountains about the Byadbo Range, which were also part of the “‘Alps”’ noted from “‘Blaxland’s Plateau” on March 1. The first ‘“‘Dzilikura’’ was most likely the hill, about 2,500 feet high, a mile north-west of the nor- thern-most Dellicknora farmlands. The “plain Ambat’’? would be the Karachi area on Currawong Creek, 3 miles to the west. The next observation — “‘‘we passed a fine plain cailed “‘Dzilikura’’ —almost certainly originated from a distant view of the Dellicknora area and the “‘passed’’ should read “‘saw’’ (Note 5). The route appears to have been along the top of the range, run- ning S.S.W., just west of the Delegate River. From the southern end of this range Tingaringy (‘““Dzingaringo’’) is conspicuous, 7-8 miles north-west, and the Bowen Range lies between S.S.W. and S.S.E., 10-12 miles away. The highest peak, Mt. Tower Bowen (4,500 feet) is Dzimiligulala (= Jingallala, Note 6), and Wakuran is not identi- fied. The route then would have been west for 3 miles, down to Dellicknora Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Creek, about the point where its general direction changes from S.S.W. to S.W., with a short S.S.E. section (the ‘‘by E’’) between. For the day’s mileage Lhotsky wrote ‘‘25” but then altered this to ‘‘20’’, and the latter is very close to the actual distance. “12 March. Travelled W. 5 Miles. Mount Didik — & farther succession of 7 ranges of Mountains visible. (From Didik the Gap to Omeo lies W.) Snowy River runs here S. To here 15 Miles from the morning. Afternoon direction W.S.W. on the N side of Didik, where again a small Creek. Traversed several trans- versal Yokes, running out from Didik, & they all stretch towards N. Descended again towards Snowy River which is very sinuous, but general course is here from N.N.W. From this place Didik lies E.N.E. — direction hence W, ascended (almost dead from fatigue) Durom Burmongi. On the other side — Snowy River 70 yards broad — arrived & stopped at Gap Britannia. Made in the day 25-30 Miles.”’ The route must have crossed over the southern end of Forlorn Hope Ridge, 3 miles E.N.E. of Tubbut and 3,600 feet high, to allow the observa- tion of Mount Deddick and the ranges beyond. The line of view, between Mts. Deddick and Bulla, would in- clude Mt. Wheeler, Langham’s Bluff, Wulgulmerang Plateau (3,000 feet), the Buchan Top including Mt. Seldon- seen (4,000 feet) and the Nunniong Plateau including Mt. Nunniong (34 miles distant and over 5,000 feet high) —all in about the same line. By noon, Lhotsky was somewhere to the north of Amboyne Crossing, and thence the route was north of, and parallel to, the Deddick Valley. The ‘transversal Yokes’ are the several ridges which come up from the valley and rise towards the north, and the part of the valley about Am- boyne Crossing would finally be E.N.E. of the party. Thence the route was westerly, to the north of the ridge connecting Mt. Bulla and The Peak. Had Lhotsky reached this ridge, he November, 1975 L = : : = J Fig. 5 — Excursion 2 ...Plato’s Plain—Chalmer’s Forest... would have been looking down on the Snowy River, only two miles away, and would certainly have descended to it rather than go on over a difficult mountain. ‘“Durom Burmongi”’ is the main ridge a mile north-east of Mt. Bulla — further north the terrain would not have been negotiable. The Snowy River, two miles further west, must have been reached by way of Toenail Creek (local name) three miles upstream from McKillops Bridge and the mouth of the Deddick River. The distance travelled from Dellicknora would have been about 20 miles. In this day’s diary, the first two refer- ences to the Snowy were inserted in retrospect. Where Lhotsky actually reached the river it does flow N.N.W.- S.S.E. for a few miles, and its more general course through that region is N-S. Lhotsky and his party were now in a cul-de-sac. At that place horses cannot proceed either up or down the river, and evidently the party was also unable to cross to the other side. Apparently they remained here for 9 or 10 days but there is no diary 241 record of activities for that period. Lhotsky must have explored a little on foot, for what he identified as “‘Gap Britannia”’ is observable only from a point three-quarters of a mile up-river from Toenail Creek. The feature is 1-2 miles west of the Snowy, about the valley of Wheelers Creek, and it is discussed further towards the end of his paper. “20-21 March. Returning I saw, that from Mount Didik the Gap bears W. Night Camp at a Creek. In these moun- tains all of them come from a direction from between N & W, for the sake of running S., none came from between S & Eto run N. 22 March. (Last day before returning to Plato.) Direction E 3 Miles, then 12 Miles N, first we saw mountains topped with snow, then fine cattle land. Bidda a water run of 400 roods brith & 7 Miles long, all luxurient Alpine meadows.”’ Lhotsky evidently retraced his out- ward route. travelling easterly to the north of the Deddick River, and camped on one of the many creeks flowing southerly into the river -—— probably the Big Murrumbidgee. The ‘‘Mount Didik” is probably an error for the Deddick valley (Note 7). The Gap is west of part of the valley but north-west of the mountain. For the last day the route would be easterly to Dellicknora Creek, then straight N.N.E. for about 13 miles. On the latter line the Dellicknora system is followed for five miles to the head of McLauchlans Creek, and thereafter Currawong Creek (‘‘Bidda’’) is followed for seven or eight miles. The “mountains topped with snow” may have been the Bowens and Tin- garingy, all of which are visible from the Dellicknora valley. NOTES I; The erroneous reference here to *““Arabell’’, and the similar glaring error at the end of the diary notes for 24 Feb., could have arisen only 242 by the later addition of that name to original incomplete notes such as “6 Miles to camp” and “‘to Mutong 12 Miles’”’. From this point onward, Lhotsky erroneously identified the Mo- wamba River as the upper part of the Snowy. Adams Monument is a large cairn of rocks on top of a conspicuous crag. It was built many years ago aS a pastime by a shepherd who spent some time in the vicinity, grazing a flock of sheep. The lake is on “‘Lake View’’, the property of Mr. Kevin Bruce. Ac- cording to Mr. Bruce it is some- times dry for several years at a time. This appears to be another case of expanding an original brief note (of Note 1). The original must have been simply a fine plain called ‘“‘Dzilikura’’ to which Lhot- sky apparently added ‘“‘passed’’. He reached, and camped at Del- licknora after the north-west view of Mt. Tingaringy, and he could not possibly have passed the place prior to that observation of this mountain. The name Jingallala, or Jingalalla, evidently applied also to the upper valley of the Deddick River, for it was the name of a pastoral run taken up there in 1845. The area is now Cabanandra, to the south of Dellicknora. The bracketed comment in the diary notes for 12 March, simply says that ““From Didik, the Gap to Omeo lies W”’,, and this “‘Didik’’ evidently means the valley (as later in that day’s notes). The comment 20-21 March was probably derived from same bracketed note, to which the ‘“‘Mount” was added in error. (C.f. Notes 1 and 5 above.) Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 ae DISCUSSION According to Mr. W. McGufficke, of ‘“‘Flisk Milne’? on Steels Creek, Lhotsky’s route from Beloka Creek to Grosses Plain Creek, as deduced from his notes of March 1 and 2, coincides precisely with a section of the old bridle track from Dalgety to Moonbah. It is likely that Lhotsky followed an already established track as far as ‘“‘Hosking’s Station’’. Furthermore the recognition of the distant Delegate Hill suggests that he had with him, at least on March 1, a person familiar with the country. The several uses of ‘“‘we’’ in the notes for the first excursion indicate that Lhotsky was not alone, but there is no record of who accompanied him. The complete absence from his notes of native place names, and the erratic route which he followed demonstrated that he did not have an Aboriginal guide on that excursion. The wording of his reference to Omeo in the letter to the Sydney Gazette suggests that Lhotsky re- ceived information about that place on his return to Matong after the first excursion. The name ‘“‘Omeo’’ was probably inserted later in his diary notes for March 4 and 5. The Omeo plains are not visible from any part of the route he traversed. On the second excursion, Lhotsky’s party must have included an Abori- gine. This is demonstrated by the direct route taken — particularly the short-cut across the mountains from Dellicknora to the Amboyne Crossing area and by the abundant use of native place names. The Pass or Gap Britannia was something of an illusion. From the east bank of the Snowy, opposite Weelon Creek, there does appear to be a pass, similar to those of the European Alps, between the two “high Mountains” but in actual fact those two features are connected by a ridge and there is no pass. In _ his November, 1975 book, “Journey from Sydney to the Australian Alps’’, Lhotsky refers to “new kinds of Eucalyptus — about Mount Dedic and Pass Britannia, but the evidence is that he did not actually visit either the mountain or the pass. Lhotsky was probably the first white man to reach the country about the heads of the Mowamba and Crackenback Rivers, and his claim that ““Mt. William IV”’ was the highest point reached by anyone in Australia was almost certainly justified. Also, he was probably the first European to penetrate the Deddick River valley and to reach the now Victorian tract of the Snowy River. But his incom- plete, and often inaccurate, record of the routes precluded the possibility of his producing and publishing maps which could identify and properly re- cord his discoveries. He lacked com- petence (?) as a surveyor and as a cartographer. His map (Fig. 1) de- monstrates his limitations in these directions. Matong Jeans and Gilfillan (1969) state that ‘‘Mutong was situated north of the present ‘Matong’ homestead and closer to ‘Marranumbla’ (Hall’s Sta- tion).”’ This conclusion is evidently based on Lhotsky’s “‘General direction S.W. until Mutong’’ of 25 Feb. and his “Direction from Mutong S.W.”’ of 2 March. However as indicated earlier in this paper, the S.W. is evidently erroneous in each case. Lhotsky’s ob- servation of Tingaringy on 25 Feb. requires that ““Mutong”’ was southerly from Twelve-mile Hill. His description of the excursion to “‘Bland’s Range’”’ — particularly the reference to the lake and the distance of 12 miles from “‘Mutong” to the Snowy River (in notes for 10 March) demonstrate that Lhotsky’s ““Mutong”’ of 1834 was precisely where the Matong (or Finister) homestead is today. 243 Remnants of a Diuris series at Warrandyte by Davip V. BEARDSELL The genus Diuris is perhaps the most botanically interesting genus of Australian terrestrial Orchidaceae. The genus is extremely complex due to both extreme morphological variation and the high frequency of interspecific hybridisation (Rupp, 1945; Nichols, 1969; Jones, 1970a, 1970b; Ingram and Whitehead, 1970). This paper was written to show how precarious some orchid study areas are. Until four years ago there existed alongside Reynolds Road in Warran- dyte a large colony of Diuris pedun- culata and Diuris maculata growing together. Within this colony there existed a hybrid swarm with repre- sentatives of Diuris palachila (F1 hy- brid) and a number of other hybrids including back crosses to both parents (Jones, 1970a; 1970b). Recent road widening has destroyed this almost unique study area. Nevertheless rem- nants of this hybrid series can still be found in the Warrandyte area as shown in the location map in Fig. 2. Seven plants of Diuris pedunculata (Fig. 1d) flowered during 1973 on the south side of Reynolds Road about half a mile from its junction with Tindals Road. This group of plants represents the western tip of the pre- vious colony. In this area not one Diuris maculata specimen or hybrid (including D. palachila) remains. The unfenced area north of the wildflower reserve in Tindals Road abounds with D. maculata (a typical specimen is shown in Fig. la). Last season (1973) I did not record a single specimen of Diuris pedunculata in the wildflower reserve although it was once common less than one mile away. Nevertheless about a dozen orchids 244 fitting the description of Diuris pala- chila (Willis 1962; Nichols, 1969; west corner of the reserve (a typical specimen is shown in Fig. Ic). Also found in this area was a solitary plant which had floral characters somewhat between those of Diuris maculata (Fig. la) and Diuris palachila (Fig. 1c). Unfortunately it was growing pre- cariously alongside a horse-track, and a later search failed to locate it. A description of this plant as illustrated in Fig. 1b is as follows. The lamina of the lateral petals were similar in shape to those of Diuris maculata. Orientation of the lateral petals was also very similar to D. maculata. The lateral lobes of the labellum however were closer to those of Diuris palachila or even Diuris pedunculata, while the middle lobe of the labellum was narrow as in Diuris > z D. mac. D. mac. x D. pal? D. pal. (D. mac. x D. ped.) D. ped. Opp a Reynolds rd OFO%S Locality Map. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 November, 1975 maculata. The dorsal sepal was more rounded than D. maculata. Lateral sepals were crossed in a similar fashion to most D. maculata in the vicinity. The yellow ground colour of the lateral petals, labellum and dorsal Jones 1970a) were found in the south- sepal of this hybrid were paler than the yellow of most D. maculata that grow in the Warrandyte area. Flowers of the hybrid had less brown marking on the dorsal sepal and labellum than D. maculata. Specimens that fit the description of D. palachila in the re- serve are variable, especially in brown marking, but a typical specimen with its broad middle lobe of the labellum and horizontally oriented lateral petals is shown in Fig. Ic. : It is interesting to note that a colony of at least five Diuris palachila plants occurs in Gum Tree Road, Re- search, approximately two miles north of the Warrandyte specimens. These plants apparently grow in the absence of both D. maculata and D. pedun- culata and could have arisen from wind dispersal of seed from the colony that existed on Reynolds Road. Simi- larly the presence of D. palachila in the reserve without D. pedunculata indicates either short distance wind dispersal of seed or D. pedunculata had died out here. Further searching of the Warran- dyte area may bring to light further areas where Diuris spp. exist, but road widening and the other urban develop- ment which is occurring in Warran- dyte may destroy the remnants of Diuris that are still there. Similarly the continued access of both mini- bikes and horses, together with rub- bish dumping has reduced the extent of both Diuris maculata and Dturis longifolia and a number of other orchids in the unfenced area north of the wildflower reserve. 245 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT To D. L. Jones, both for reintroduc- ing me to the botany of Australian Orchidaceae and for correction of this paper. I would also like to acknow- ledge Mrs. B. Wilson for typing the text. REFERENCES Ingram, C. K., and B. Whitehead, 1970. “Orchid Flora of the Central West, N.S.W.”’ Orchadian, 3 (13): 129. Jones, D. L., 1970a. Diuris palachila —a natural hybrid. Orchadian, 3 (9): 104. Jones, D. L., 1970b. ‘“‘SSome Thoughts on the Taxonomy of the Genus Diuris.”’ Orchadian, 3 (10): 120. Nichols, W. H., 1969. Orchids of Aus- tralia, Thomas Nelson (Australia Ltd.), Melbourne. Rupp, H. M. R., 1945. Quotation cited in Ingram and Whitehead, 1970. Willis, J. H., 1962. A Handbook to Plants in Victoria. Volume 1, p. 359 and p. 361. Field Naturalists General Meeting 13 October Miss Helen Aston gave us a most in- teresting address on “‘Birds and Botany in Britain’. Miss Aston told us of some aspects of her work as Australian liaison officer to Kew Herbarium during 1973-74. Then she spoke about the wide interest that exists in Britain regarding birds and conservation, and of the many amateur bird organisations there, some being very purposeful and well financed. These in- troductory remarks were followed by slides, with commentary, about Kew Her- barium and Gardens and various birds. Exhibits included some water fleas under the microscope, a two-inch bur- rowing frog from the Mallee that ap- peared to have no interest in escaping when dug out from its jar of earth, and the Pigmy Clubmoss, Phylloglossum drummondii. This tiny plant was found in the Little Desert, although it is more usual in damp patches on coastal heath- lands; it is easily overlooked, but this specimen carried several one-eighth to one-quarter inch fruiting ‘‘clubs’” on slender stalks rising an inch or more above the half-inch grass-like leaves. Government Grant. The Secretary an- nounced that the grant from the Vic- torian Government has been increased by $500; total $1,500. 246 Club of Victoria Fern Book. The revised edition of ‘‘Ferns of Victoria and Tasmania” is now for sale at $3.25 retail, $2.50 to Club members. Members were asked to see that their libraries, etc., know about and stock this book. The Naturalist. Due to the success of our economies and to the _ increased government grant, it was decided that there should be an issue both in Novem- ber and December, but publication is unlikely in January because of one- month printers’ holiday. Editor. The Club is still awaiting a volunteer for this most interesting job which becomes vacant in January. Secretary. At the end of October we will be without a Secretary. Mr. John- son says he will be able to handle some things at home but will be unable to attend meetings. Secretary (F.N.C.V.) is a demanding job, but the person who undertakes it will be in the know on almost everything that is happening in matters of natural history and conserva- tion throughout Victoria and much of Australia. Book Sales Officer at General Meet- ings. Mrs. Peg Strong has resigned and a replacement is desirable. This service enables members to buy natural history books at meetings and brings some finan- cial benefit to the Club. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Notice Mr. Garnet Johnson, who has had to give up the position of Secretary of the Club, is still keen to do all he can and has accepted the position of Correspondence Secretary. Inquiries and letters may still be sent to his address for attention. NATURAL HISTORY MEDALLION TRUST FUND The following donations have been received and we thank the donors. Investments to 29th September, 1975 . We Mere Bee bens $22 Society for Growing Australian Plants, S.A. Region Inc. - a a ry 10 West Australian Wildflower Society (Inc. yo. : a a ams — 10 Society for Growing Australian Plants, Victorian Region at: - ye me 100 Rene and Garnet Johnson, Chadstone, Victoria . ae Ae - aa a 10 Wild Life Preservation Society of Australia a? - Lia ne oe x: 10 Total at 23rd October, 1975 ve ak ey Sl ae ee S62 A splendid donation of $100 by S.G.A.P. Victoria has got us off to a good start towards our target of $2,000. All money donated has been invested and is earning interest. GARNET JOHNSON, Hon. General Secretary. OHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHH HHHGHH HHH HHH HHH University of Melbourne Office for Continuing Education Aboriginal Man and Environment in Southeastern Australia: Recent developments in Victorian Prehistory. In providing an up-to-date summary of the current state of prehistoric research in Victoria this three-day conference is of particular interest to students, schoolteachers, all those with a passion for archaeology, and for research workers in a variety of environment-oriented disciplines. For the first time, Melbourne is host to an impressive list of speakers, both local and interstate: archaeologists, a botanist, a zoologist, and several geologists will deliver papers. Papers will be presented at two all-day sessions and there is a one-day field trip to the Keilor Museum and the sites at Keilor and Lancefield. To co-incide with the conference, Professor D. J. Mulvaney will give a personal appraisal of the significance of Australian Pre- history. Date: 10a.m. - 5.00 p.m. Thursday 27 - Saturday 29 November 1975. Fee: $15. Further information is detailed on enrolment brochures available from the Office for Continuing Education, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052. Telephone 341 6827, 341 7081. > > > > > > > > > > > bad > > Sd > > > > > > > > ad s-> > > bd > > > > > > => 2 => > => > > > > 4 > > > => => > = > > > > > od > > > > > > LTH HOO OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOHHHHHHHHHHOH HH HHH 444444 404440046.46446006 46" November, 1975 247 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 the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Q.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1975-1976. President: Mr. P. KELLY, 260 The Boulevard, East Ivanhoe, 3079. Correspondence Secretary: GARNET JOHNSON, 20 Sydare Ave., Chadstone, 3148. treasurer —— Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145. Acting Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg, 3084. Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield, 3151. 62 2749.) Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. D. E. McINNES. Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards St., Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36 0587. Group Secretaries Botany: Miss E. JONES, 6 West Crt., Glen Waverley, 3150. (560 2280.) Day Group: Mrs. J. STRONG, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena. (56 2271.) Entomology and Marine Biology: Mr. J. W. H. STRONG, Flat 11, “Palm Court’’, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena, 3163. (56 2271.) Field Survey: R. D. SANDELL, 39 Rubens Gve., Canterbury, 3126. (83 8009) Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Miss Wendy CLARK, 97 Faraday Street, Carlton, 3053. Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy St., East Brighton. (96 3268.) 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 1975 Metropolitan - ] Joint Metropolitan .. 1 Joint Retired Members : ] Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65. $8. Joint Country : ae i ae ae we an ae ah te: ] Junior a cae a o - A) #: i we $2. $8. 1 $8. AAA fA DWDOWBDNOWONO SSSUsoous Subscriptions to Vict. Nat. A br a big we ny apa BCS Overseas Subscription oma: ie np a ey) Be nee a: ou $ Junior with ‘Naturalist’ Le te ane a ve, a Be Lat Individual Magazines i ; Bx, $0. 75 All subscriptions should be ade ey apis to the Field Nartiealist Club of vietsee and nosted to the Subscription Secretary. lelexejelolelelexe) ) JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE December, 1975 B OF VICTORIA \ b pic Sdk; of Victbre Trans 7 5 Registered in Australia for transtmission-by-post as“ periodical. Category “‘B”’ F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, 8 p.m. Monday, 8 December — Speaker: Dr. M. Joshi. Subject: ““The Grand Canyon, U.S.A.” Flora, Fauna and Geology. Monday, 12 January — Subject: ‘““Members’ Night’’. Organiser: Mr. Ian Cameron. (Please contact or phone Mr. Cameron if you have slides you wish to show. Tel. 86 7035.) Monday, 9 February — Speaker: Mr. M. D. Gottsch. Subject: “‘Red Wilderness.”’ Ecological Study of N.W. Mallee. New Members Ordinary: Miss Helen Garretty, P.O. Box 217, Toorak, 3143. Botany and Geology. Mrs. Enid J. Hallister, 26 Swinburne Avenue, Hawthorn, 3122. Botany. Miss Margaret Harris, 26 Mary Street, Kew, 3101. Mammals. Mr. John Kune, | Hillside Road, Rosanna, 3084. Mr. Ross G. McDonald, P.O. Box 9, Upper Ferntree Gully, 3156. Botany. es Bernadette O’Connor, 55 Bellairs Avenue, Yarraville, 3013 Mr. Nicholas Schumejko, 354 Lower Plenty Road, Rosanna, 3084. Botany. Mr. Russell Thomson, 115 Hawdon Street, Heidelberg, 3084. Mammal Survey. Mr. Stephen Whately, 461 Nicholson Street, North Carlton, 3054. Botany and Geology. Mr. Graeme C. Cox, Crystal Brook Caravan Park, Warrandyte Road, East Doncaster, 3109. Fauna and Flora. Country: Mr. William Taylor, 32 Victoria Street, North Geelong, 3215. Botany. Mr. Adrian Walker, ‘‘Tarwin Farm’’, Tarwin Meadows Road, Tarwin Lower, 3956. Birds and Mammals. GROUP MEETINGS (8 p.m. at the National Herbarium, unless otherwise stated.) Thursday, 11 December — Botany Group — Members’ Night. It is hoped as many members as possible will contribute. Most groups go into recess in December or January, if uncertain contact the group secretary; usually groups which meet after the general meeting in January will meet on their regular nights. Wednesday, 21 January — Microscopical Group Meeting. Thursday, January 22 — Field Survey Group Meeting. Monday, 2 February — Entomology and Marine Biology Group Meeting. Thursday, 5 February — Mammal Survey (F.N.C.V.) Group Meeting. Thursday, 12 February — Botany Group Meeting. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 14 December — Portsea. Leader: Mr. T. Sault. Marine Biology and General. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30a.m.; fare $4.00; bring two meals. Friday, 26 December-Friday, 2 January — Orbost. A coach has been chartered and accommodation booked at Orbost Motor Lodge and Traralgon Motel (last night) on dinner, bed and breakfast basis for the party. Day trips will be made to Buchan Caves, Marlo Plains, Cape Conras, etc. The cost, fares and accom- modation, will probably be about $150 for the eight days. The coach will leave from Flinders Street, outside the Gas and Fuel Corporation, at 9a.m.; bring a picnic lunch. A deposit of $20 should be made when booking and the balance by the December General Meeting on Monday, 8 December. Bookings with the Excursion Secretary, cheques to be made out to Excursion Trust; receipts will not be posted unless requested. Sunday, 18 January — Warburton District. Ferns and General. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m.; fare $4.00; bring two meals. 250 | ee Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 the victorian naturalist Contents Articles: Snakes in Combat By Jeanette Covacevich 252 Elusive Bird Species Photographed 254 Rocks and Very Early Man By Dr. A. W. Beasley 256 Improving the Quality of Life in Cities By Edmund D. Gill 265 Eucalyptus Woodlands in the Eastern Holey Plains By R. F. Parsons, G. W. Carr and D. G. Cameron 258 A Relationship Between Honey Production and Rainfall By J. W. Porter 270 Feature: The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora By James A. Baines 266 Book Review: 273 The Field Naturalists’ Club of Victoria: Reports of Meetings Front Cover: The Eastern Native Cat (Dasyurus quol!), a dweller in Studley Park, Melbourne, until 25 years ago. December, 1975 Vol. 92 No. 12 3 December, 1975 G. M. Ward G. F. Douglas Acting Editor: Assistant Editor: It is common at this time of year to be looking either forward to the coming year, or back over the one just past. In any assessment of a current situation it is usually necessary to do both if it is to be valid. At present it appears more people than ever are interested in natural history. There seems to be more public awareness of nature, and more official recognition of the work of natural history groups. The winning of the Victorian Conservation Prize for 1975 by the Bird Observers Club, presented on | December, is evidence both of the work being done by natural history groups and of its recognition; as was the award of the 1974 prize to the Mid-Murray Field Naturalists Group. The help which these and other voluntary bodies with natur- alist interests have given to the Land Con- servation Council and to the carrying out of various environment impact statements has won them increased recognition from government. There has of course been some limited appreciation of their value over a long time. However, while there is ample publicity given to natural history topics these days, and wide interest in them, the numbers who are actually doing serious study remains relatively small. The level of publicity given to natural history in recent years seems to carry both benefits and dangers. There is wider interest and awareness of nature. On the other hand there appears to be a growing apathy about the need to study and understand it. So much information is presented through the media that it seems many who have no depth of knowledge believe all is well. It is almost like the attitude recorded as widely held late last century and early this one when many apparently believed man had reached the pinnacle of civilization and had little more to learn. In wishing members season's greetings it is suggested all might try to take advantage of the current wide interest in nature to encourage more people to study it, and join the club. 251 Snakes in Combat by JEANETTE COVACEVICH* Little has been written about the behaviour of Australian snakes in their natural habitat and almost noth- ing is known about the form ritual combat takes or the reasons behind such conspicuous behaviour. Combat has been observed and reported on, in only two species of Australian snakes, both Elapids; the Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) Fleay (1937), Baker (1968) and the Brown Snake (Pseudonaja_ textilis) Fleay (1951). While this form of be- haviour has been dealt with more widely in overseas, especially Ameri- can, literature there are apparently no descriptions of combat between Aus- tralian pythons (Boids) although Ross (1973) has noted “wrestling” in captive males prior to mating of Children’s Pythons (Liasis childreni). On 30 September, 1974, two Carpet Snakes (Morelia spilotes variegata) were observed in combat in shallow water near the bank of the Logan River, some 8km west of Beenleigh, Plate 1 Morelia spilotes variegator in combat. 252 on the Mt. Tamborine road. The two snakes were first observed through binoculars from a distance of approxi- mately 400m and the initial impres- sion gained was of a pair of large, long-necked birds (possibly cormor- ants) engaged in a complicated court- ship dance. Closer examination of the pair showed that the “‘bodies” of the ‘‘birds”’ were in fact the posterior half- third of each snake closely entwined, and that the “‘necks’’ were very long, sometimes up to 1.6m out of the water at any one time. How long the ritual had been in progress is un- known but it was observed for about an hour close to dusk. During this time the snakes remained close to one position in the shallow water with the lower parts of their bodies closely en- twined. The remainder of the bodies was free and the ritual involved con- stant writhing, falling back, entwin- ing, releasing of the anterior portions of the bodies. No hissing or biting was *Queensland Museum. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 observed. Often the entwined or parallel necks were between 1.2-1.6m out of the water before falling back to start the same movement over again. The snakes were undaunted by a group of about a dozen quiet but very interested and closely placed observers. One position adopted in the combat is shown in Plate 1. When an attempt was made to approach the snakes with the intention of deter- mining their sex they moved away slightly and were carried downstream with the current, still entwined together. Although the sexes were not ex- amined; in the light of Baker’s (1968) observation that . . . ““Copulation in all snakes would appear to be a rather passive affair with the female lying quietly uncoiled and with the male sliding alongside”? and observations of copulation in captivity of many species of snakes, it seems reasonable to as- sume that this relentless writhing, en- twining, relaxing was a case of com- bat rather than copulation or pre- copulation behaviour. Baker (1968) has reviewed the literature available on combat in snakes. The significance of this con- spicuous behaviour is not understood but it is generally agreed that it is important in the social life of snakes. Whether it has a sexual (¢ fighting ¢ for 2), territorial (4 defending terri- tory from intruding individuals), or some other basis is not known and, as combat is apparently observed infre- quently both in captivity and the natural habitat, may not be under- stood in any detail for some time. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Without the invitation to accom- pany a group of American Academy of Science visitors led by Dr. R. Orr this event would not have been ob- served. Mrs. H. McAvin took the transparency and provided the dup- licate from which the photograph was made. REFERENCES Baker, A. B., 1968. Snakes in Combat. Proc. Roy. Zool. Soc. N.S.W. (1966-7), 29-31, pl. 7. Fleay, D. H., 1951. The scaled. wrestlers of the Australian bush. Animal King- dom, 54: 84. Ross, R., 1973. Successful mating and hatching of Children’s Python, Liasis childreni. WHISS News Journal 1(6), 1Sie2: New Publications for Naturalists Ferns of Victoria and Tasmania By N. A. Wakefield. Revised Edition by Dr. J. H. Willis. With descriptive notes and illustrations of 119 native species. (Published by The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria.) 104 Pages. Price $3.25. Postage: 40 cents. Flowers and Plants of New South Wales and Southern Queensland A companion book to Flowers and Plants of Victoria. 556 Colour Plates. 192 Pages. Price: $18.95. Postage in Victoria within 50km, $1.C0; beyond 50km, $1.30. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. By H. G. Cogger. This book covers 665 Species, 584 Pages. 800 Photographs (192 in colour) — 664 Distribution Maps. Price: $23.95. Postage in Victoria within 50km, $1.00; beyond 50km, $1.30. ‘Flowers and Plants of Victoria’’ and ‘“‘Flowers and Plants of Western Australia.” Still make an excellent Christmas Gift. (Discount on all Above Books to Members) Send orders to— Sales Officer, D. E. McInnes, 129 Waverley Road, East Malvern 3145. Telephone 211 2427. December, 1975 253 Elusive Bird Species Photographed Cape York Peninsula, Australia An expedition of eight bird photo- graphers and naturalists to Iron Range on the Cape York Peninsula has succeeded in photographing one of Australia’s rarely seen birds — the Marbled Frogmouth. The bird has been seen by few people during the past 50 years and noted ornithologist Mr. Arnold McGill has described it as “‘practically unknown’. Twelve other elusive species were also photographed by members of the highly successful expedition to this unique monsoon rainforest area of Australia. 254 The expedition was sponsored by the Bank of New South Wales and mounted by the National Photo- graphic Index of Australian Birds. The Wales supports the Index through a special grants scheme of $20,000 spread over four years. The Index is based at The Austra- lian Museum, Sydney, and is a unique concept. A replica of the Index is held in the National Library, Can- berra. When completed it will be the only systematic photographic Index of a country’s birdlife established any- were in the world. Plate 1: The Marbled Frogmouth— rarely seen in 50 years. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 750 Species Of the approximately 750 _ bird species in Australia, the Index has high quality photographs of all but 100. Among the 20 or so species photo- graphed on the expedition 13, includ- ing the Marbled Frogmouth, are new to the Index. The most significant achievement for the expedition was to successfully photograph 10 of the 23 species endemic to the Cape York Peninsula. The expedition comprised Mr. Donald Trounson, executive officer of the Index, Sydney, Mr. Laurence Le Guay, Sydney, Mr. Chris Cameron of Chinchilla, Qld., Mr. Eric Zillman of Gin Gin, Qld., Mr. Kerry Miuller, curator of birds at Taronga Zoo, Syd- ney, Miss Molly Clampett, a member of the Australasian office of the BBC, Sydney, Miss Lisa Halaby, a visitor from the U.S., and Mrs. Wilma Tait of Miles, Qld., who was cook for the group. Mr. Ray Howarth provided a liaison base in Cairns. Expedition leader, Mr. Donald Trounson, said the Marbled Frog- mouth is exceedingly difficult to find in the gloom of the rainforest. It is nocturnal, silent and has what is called ‘“‘cryptic plumage’’— able to blend almost completely with the forest. By day the bird resembles a log. On capturing the Marbled Frog- mouth the expedition immediately telegraphed the Queensland Govern- ment and received a special permit to retain it for exhibition and study at Taronga Zoo. It is believed to be only the second time one has ever been held in captivity. Nest Never Found Another interesting species caught and photographed is the Green- backed Honeyeater whose nest has never been found. December, 1975 The bird itself is difficult to photo- graph because it lives in the canopy of the rainforest. The other rarely seen species photo- graphed for the first time for the Index are: Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo, Frill- necked Flycatcher, Little Yellow Fly- catcher, Northern Scrub Robin, White-streaked Honeyeater, Tawny- breasted Honeyeater, Fawn-breasted Bowerbird, Magnificent Riflebird, Grey Whistler, Dusky Honeyeater and Little Cuckoo-Shrike. Most of these birds were photo- graphed in a special field studio de- veloped by Mr. Trounson and Miss Clampett over several years. The studio has a transparent end to enable the bird to be photographed against the habitat in which it lives. Because of the perpetual gloom of the rain- forest, the background had to be fully illuminated by six flash heads. The field studio is designed around a Hasselblad camera and lenses. Much of the equipment used by other photo- graphers of the team was _ loaned equipment provided under the Bank of New South Wales grants scheme. The birds were caught by a special technique of mist netting. Up to 15 nets were set at heights varying from ground level to 20 m and spread over some 250 m. Four members of the expedition were kept occupied from dawn to dusk patrolling the nets. Many Mishaps Despite careful planning the ex- pedition suffered a number of mishaps which created considerable difficulties. The expedition was hampered by having only one vehicle available to it instead of the two that had been arranged. It rained for 18 days of the month; six accumulators to power the flash heads were delayed; and Mr. Chris Cameron was pecked in the eye by a Magnificent Riflebird. 255 Rocks and Very Early Man by Dr. A. W. BEASLEY Recent discoveries of fossil skeletal remains in East Africa indicate that man probably originated there about four million years ago. During the past 20 years various finds of the fos- sil remains of primitive man have been made in Central East Africa, and these have been dated by radio- active dating methods at between 1.75 to 3.75 million years old. Evidence from the fossil teeth of very early man imply that he most probably ate raw meat; and so, he was almost cer- tainly making stone tools to hunt the animals and carve the flesh. Rocks appear to have played a very important role in the life of very early man, and he depended on them large- ly for his existence. The oldest stone tools found are rudimentary ones where a simple blow has put an edge on a large pebble. Archaeological ex- cavations in Tanzania and Kenya have unearthed a very large number of stone tools; some found recently in the Lake Rudolf area of Northern Kenya are 2.6 million years old. The very early stone tools were apparent- ly used to strike and to cut by press- ing their thick end against the palm of the hand in a power-grip. For a million years or more very early man in his further evolution does not seem to have changed his type of stone tool. We can assume that he prepared and stored them for later use, and made steady use of the same tool for a long period. Obsidian, showing conchoidal fracture and sharp edges. 256 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 The fossil remains found in Africa indicate that very early man was con- siderably shorter than modern man, being about 1.2 metres (4 feet) in height. We can picture him hunting wild animals to obtain meat, and mov- ing from place to place in a nomadic life. Presumably he hunted by stalking the animals until they became ex- hausted, or attacking them by sur- prise. He then killed them with his crude stone axe and his bare hands, and used a piece of rock with a sharp edge for skinning. He chose rocks found nearby which had suitable physical properties for his purposes. In Central East Africa these were mainly volcanic rocks such as basalt and obsidian. Such rocks are relatively hard, homogeneous and durable, and break to produce a sharp edge. Obsidian is a volcanic glass that breaks with a conchoidal fracture into pieces with particularly sharp edges. Sometimes fairly large pebbles of quartz were used for making cut- ting tools. As time progressed during the evo- lution of early man and his intelli- gence and dexterity improved, he named stone tools of a higher quality. Excavations in the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, carried out by Dr. Louis Leaky and his wife, have unearthed thousands of stone implements, and these show how stone cutting and chopping tools have been developed down the ages. Particularly during the last half-million years or so primitive man produced stone tools which re- quired much finer manipulation in the making. As the numbers of very early man in Central Africa increased, it be- came necessary for some to migrate. Hunting cannot support a growing population in one place, and the choice for man was either to move or starve. He appears first to have moved to North Africa, and by one million years ago it is believed that he had probably spread beyond Africa. By 700,000 years ago, or even earlier, he was in Java, and by about 500,000 years ago he had fanned out and marched north to China in the east and Europe in the west. These in- credible spreading migrations made man, from a fairly early time, widely dispersed geographically, even though his total numbers were most probably not very large. Rocks and minerals are still used for making tools and weapons by primitive races of man in Brazil, New Guinea and certain other places. Be- fore the spread of white man over Australia, they were extensively used by the Australian aboriginals. Flint and quartz were used extensively for making small artifacts such as spear- heads and scrapers, and quartzite, dia- base, basalt and similar hard, fine- grained rocks for making axe-heads. It is worthwhile to realise the very close relation between rocks and man from the very early time of man’s origin in Africa. Notice to Contributors It is important that material submitted for publication should preferably be typewritten on foolscap or quarto sheets at double spacing, and with a 2.5-3 cm (1”) margin on the left. No underlining of words should appear unless absolutely necessary. Where dates occur, the day should precede the month, e.g. 15 May 1972 not May 15 1972. December, 1975 257, Eucalyptus Woodlands in the Eastern Holey Plains, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia by R. F. PARSoNS*, G. W. Carr* and D. G. CAMERON* Introduction As part of a programme to docu- ment the ecology and floristics of native vegetation which is in danger of being cleared (Parsons, Scarlett and Rosengren, 1972; Parsons and Carr, 1974), a woodland area dominated by Eucalyptus considenianat and E. nitida was chosen in the eastern edge of the Holey Plains (Figure 1) on Crown land. It has been recommended that the area be cleared for “pine planting’? (Victoria : Land Conserva- tion Council, 1973), so this is likely in the near future. If not, it seems cer- tain to be cleared eventually as it is underlain by the Coolungoolun brown coalfield. The only previous botanical work in the entire Holey Plains area is the brief ecological summary and vegeta- tion map of Thornley (1972), the general floristic check-list of Beaugle- hole, Carr and Parsons (1975) anda primary ecological survey of small woodland areas in the north-west (Parsons and Carr, 1974). The present work gives the first detailed account of the Eucalyptus consideniana wood- lands widespread in the area (Thorn- ley, 1972) and supplements previous data on the E. nitida woodlands (Par- sons and Carr, 1974). Mean annual rainfall for the study area is about 61 cm (24”) and other regional data are given by Thornley (1972). The area is gently undulating with an elevation of about 114 m (375') above sea level. Geologically, 258 the area is poorly known; the soils have formed on various sediments of either Tertiary or Quaternary age (Thornley, 1972). Methods A rectangular study area was chosen which ran from Eucalyptus consideniana woodland through an ecotone to E. nitida woodiand. In this, a series of quadrats (6 m x 2 m) were laid out along a number of line transects running at right angles to the vegetation boundary, all within an area 177 m x 72 m. In each quadrat, Species cover was determined for all vascular plants, the soil profile was described by augering and soil pH of the surface 3 cm determined using a CSIRO soil pH test kit (Inoculo Labs., Surrey Hills, Victoria). The work was done in March, 1974 with supplementary plant collections (es- pecially annuals and seasonal peren- nials) in October, 1974. Results The transects began in E. consi- deniana woodland and ran _ upslope into E. nitida woodland in a south- westerly direction. They were parallel to the track shown in Figure 1. The pure E. consideniana woodland was in the lowest part of the study area and was more or less surrounded on three sides by slightly higher ground from *Botany Dept., La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic. 3083. +Plant nomenclature, unless otherwise indicated, follows Willis (1970, 1972) throughout. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 which it may receive supplementary moisture. The soils under pure E. consideni- ana were duplex, with shallow (15- 40 cm) sandy topsoils over sandy clay (Table 1). Going upslope, E. nitida begins to appear with the E. consideniana and this change general- ly coincides with sandier topsoils which are often deeper than before (25-50 cm) and which overlie a very coarse gravel of sand grains cemented by humus and iron oxides rather than sandy clay as before. At the highest elevations, pure E. nitida woodland occurs on similar soils with coarse gravel, often with even deeper top- soils up to 100 cm deep. Field pH values showed that all topsoils were acidic in the range from 4 to 6, with a tendency for the higher values to occur at the lower elevations. The Fig. 1. Location of study area (shown by 3810 total change in elevation was prob- ably not more than 10 m. The E. consideniana woodland had an understory in which Gahria radula, Xanthorrhoea minor, Lepyrodia muel- leri and Lindsaya linearis were promi- nent, with some patches, often dense, of Leptospermum phylicoides. Upslope, both in mixed woodland and in pure E. nitida, the most promi- nent understory species are Leptosper- mum juniperinum, L. myrsinoides, Banksia marginata and Pteridium es- culentum. L. juniperinum § generally decreases in abundance going upslope, while L. myrsinoides increases. In pure E. nitida, trees of Banksia serrata are common. There are clear differences between the predominantly monocot under- story in much of the E. consideniana , woodland and the abundance of LONGFORD §& asterisk) on Crown Land in the eastern Holey Plains. Roads shown as solid lines and tracks as dashed lines. Hatching shows land owned by Aus- tralian Paper Manufacturers Forests Pty. Ltd. (1973 boun- daries), virtu- ally all of which carries Pinus radiata panta- tions. December, 1975 SCALE-—- KM 259 TABLE 1 Description of two soil profiles in the study area. Munsell colours of air-dry soil in all cases. Slight quartz gravel was present throughout both profiles. Depth (cm) Horizon (a) Eucalyptus consideniana woodland Dark grey (SYR4/1) sandy loam. Pinkish grey (7.5YR6/2) sandy loam. Reddish yellow (7.5YR6/6) mottled with pinkish grey (7.SYR6/2) sandy clay. 0-8 Ai 8-25 Ag 25-30 B (b) E. nitida woodland 0-15 Ay 15-60 Ag 60-65 B Description Very dark grey (SYR3/1) loamy sand. Light grey (SYR7/1) sand. Dark brown (7.5YR4/2) mottled with reddish yellow (7.5YR6/6) sand cemented by humus and iron oxides to form coarse gravel. sclerophyllous dicots under pure E. nitida, where, in addition to the species above, others like Acacia oxy- cedrus, Dillwynia_ glaberrima, Hib- bertia acicularis, H. virgata and Leu- copogon ericoides are found. (See also Appendix 1.) These changes are accompanied. by a general reduction in stature and density of the tree stratum. Discussion In this area, a crucial difference be- tween E. consideniana woodland and E. nitida woodland is likely to be that the badly structured sandy clay sub- soil under the former impedes drain- age more than the gravel under E. nitida. Combined with the elevation changes, this effect is likely to cause wetter topsoils under E. consideniana in rainy periods and probably also occasional topsoil waterlogging. Gravi- tational drainage downslope may also carry nutrients in solution from the E. nitida woodland down to the E. consideniana zone. In addition, greater fertility is suggested by the higher clay content of topsoils and subsoils under E. consideniana (Table 1). The larger, denser trees in the E. consi- deniana woodland compared with the 260 FE. nitida suggest higher site quality there, and this is likely to be caused by increased water or nutrients or both. The E. nitida area described here has generally similar soils and floristics to the one described earlier in the north-west of the Holey Plains (Par- sons and Carr, 1974). A major differ- ence in dominant shrubs is the oc- currence of Leptospermum juniperi- num in the present study area and its complete absence from the north- west area studied, while the converse is true for Brachyloma daphnoides. The reasons for these differences are obscure. In the present study, interesting floristic records include the presence of E. aromaphloia as scattered trees in the ecotone between E. consideni- ana and E. nitida. The range of this eucalypt in Gippsland is very poorly known, and the present record seems to be the first from the apparent gap in its range between the stands near Melbourne and those from far east Gippsland (Willis, 1972). The only other eucalypt, FE. bridgesiana, was recorded as very scattered trees in the lowest parts of the area. Records of plants apparently rare in this part of Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Victoria include Astroloma pinifolium and Danthonia purpurascens. The area was rich in orchids and it is unusual to find the three species of Caladenia listed in Appendix 1 at one site. From previous work, an area in the far west (south west of Rosedale) was said to be the only locality in the Holey Plains in which the two duck orchids Caleana major and Paraca- leana minor occurred together (Vic- toria Land Conservation Council, 1973, where P. minor is given as Caleana minor.) This situation also occurs in the persent study area. The study area occurred in grid rectangle X10 of the Plant Survey Council of Victoria. The present work was done too late to include the records in the check-list of Beaugle- hole, Carr and Parsons (1975) except that a few species new for the Holey Plains recorded early in the work were included in a footnote. Acknowledgements Our co-authors are the Botany II students at La Trobe University in 1974, whose interest and enthusiasm made the work possible. We thank Dianne Simmons and Andrew Thorn- ley for assistance. REFERENCES Beauglehole, A. C., Carr, G. W. and Parsons, R. F. (1975). A check-list of the vascular flora of the Holey Plains, Gippsland, Victoria. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 87: (in the press). Parsons, R. F. and Carr, G. W. (1974). Ecology of some Eucalyptus wood- lands in the Holey Plains, Gippsland, Victoria. Vict. Nat. 91 : 113-118. Parsons, R. F., Scarlett, N. H. and Rosengren, N. J (1972). Ecology of some Eucalyptus Woodlands near Halls Gap, Victoria. Vict. Nat. 89 41-49, Thornley, A. (1972). Report on the South Gippsland study area, district 1. Victoria : Land Conservation Council, Melbourne. Victoria Land Conservation Council (1973). Final recommendations, South Gippsland study area district 1. Land Conservation Council, Melbourne. Willis, J. H. (1970). A handbook to pants in Victoria. Vol. I. 2nd ed. Melbourne Univ. Press, Melbourne. Willis, J. H. (1972). A handbook to plants in Victoria. Vol. II. Melbourne Univ. Press, Melbourne. APPENDIX 1 Vascular plants recorded in the study area. Nomenclature follows Willis (1970 ; 1972) unless otherwise stated. Voucher specimens held at La Trobe University Botany Department Her- barium. * alien species. + = new record for Holey Plains, not in check- list of Beauglehole, Carr and Parsons (1975). C = found in Eucalyptus consideniana woodland M = found in E. consideniana-E. nitida woodland N = found in E. nitida woodland T = found throughout. PTERIDOPHYTA Adiantaceae Lindsaya linearis CM December, 1975 Dennstaedtiaceae Pteridium esculentum MN MONOCOTYLEDONEAE Centrolepidaceae Centrolepis strigosa C Cyperaceae Baumea acuta C, Caustis pentandra M, Gahnia radula T, Lepidosperma laterale M, Schoenus apogon CM, S. tenuissimus M, Scirpus antarcticus Gramineae (Poaceae) Agrostis avenacea C, Amphipogon strictus M, Anisopogon avenacea M, +Danthonia purpurascens C, D. setacea CM, D. spp. T, Deyeuxia quadriseta C, Dichelachne crinita M, Eragrostis brownii C, Hemarthria uncinata C, 261 Microlaena stipoides CM, Poa labil- lardieri Steud. M, P. sieberana Spreng, M, Stipa semibarbata M, +Tetrarrhena distichophylla CM. Hypoxidaceae Hypoxis hygrometrica C. Liliaceae Burchardia umbellata T, Caesia parvi- flora M, Chamaescilla corymbosa CM, Dianella revoulta T, Thysanotus pater- soni M. Orchidaceae ¥Caladenia aurantiaca M, +C. caerulea M, C. carnea CM, Caleana major CM, Calochilus robertsonii C, Cryptostylis subulata C, Glossodia major T, Lyper- anthus nigricans T, Paracaleana minor (R. Br.) D. Blaxell CM, +Theymitra antennifera M, T. pauciflora CM, T. Sp. © Restionaceae Lepyrodia muelleri C. Xanthorrhoeaceae Lomandra filiformis CM, L. longifolia CM, Xanthorrhoea minor CM. DICOTYLEDONEAE Apiaceae Xanthosia dissecta CM. Asteraceae Gnaphalium gymnocephalum DC. C, *Hypochocris radicata CM, Lageno- phora stipitata C. Dilleniaceae Hibbertia acicularis MN, H. stricta T, H. virgata MN. Droseraceae Drosera auriculata CM, D. peltata C, D. pygmaea C. Epacridaceae tAstroloma pinifolium C, Epacris im- pressa MN, Leucopogon ericoides MN, L. virgatus MN, Monotoca scoparia MN. Euphorbiaceae Amperea xiphoclada MN, Poranthera microphylla CM. Fabaceae Bossiaea cinerea MN, B. prostrata C, Dillwynia glaberrima MN, D sericea N, Pultenaea humilis CM, Goodeniaceae Dampiera stricta T, Goodenia humilis C, G. paniculata C. Haloragaceae Haloragis micrantha C, H. tetragyna MN. Hypericaceae Hypericum gramineum CM. Lauraceae Cassytha pubescens N. Mimosaceae Acacia genistifolia Link N, A. oxy- cedrus MN. Myrtaceae yEucalyptus aromaphloia M,_ E. bridgesiana C, E. consideniana CM, E. nitida MN, Leptospermum juniperi- num MN, L. myrsinoides MN, L. phylicoides C. Polygalaceae Comes perma calymega M. Proteaceae Banksia marginata MN, B._ serrata MN, Grevillea chrysophaea CM. Rubiaceae Opercularia varia T. Rutaceae Boronia anemonifolia M, Correa re- flexa MN. Thymelaeaceae +Pimelea glauca CM, P. humilis C. Tremandraceae Tetratheca ciliata M. NATURAL HISTORY MEDALLION TRUST FUND The following donations have been received and we thank the donors. Amount invested as at 30th October, 1975 . $162 Royal Society of Victoria ia Ss 2s Se oe iy 10 Newcastle Flora and Fauna Protection Society ae a he Fe nm se 10 Mrs. Audrey Wakefield, Ferntree Gully, Victoria a ee fa a Py 10 Mrs. A. Faithfull, Camberwell, Victoria . a : ae: fe a 2 Gympie and District Field Naturalists Club ae a an Be My. se 3) Illawarra Natural History Society, Wollongong .. Re ae ne ue 10 The Gould League of New South Wales, Milson’s Point oe ae ee ae 50 Amount invested as at 22nd November, 1975 $259 GARNET JOHNSON, Correspondence Secretary. 262 Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Improving the Quality of Life in Cities by EDMUND D. GILL Most Australians live in cities and towns. Quite a disproportionate per- centage of the population lives in Melbourne and Sydney, which are big cities by world standards although in a country of relatively small popu- lation. People have now realized that big cities can become Black-Holes-of- Calcutta where human beings can deteriorate instead of improving their standard of living. How can we im- prove the Quality of Life in our cities? Students of natural history have much to offer towards a solu- tion. History of Cities We can increase understanding by looking at the history of cities. In Europe, cities are a mixture of the work of three historical periods: 1. The Medieval, with stone streets too narrow for a vehicle, and over- hanging houses that nearly meet in the middle. 2. The Victorian, with streets to take horses and carts, and the housing areas in blocks related in size to the speed of horses and carts. 3. The Modern, with asphalt streets and a better standard of housing, but blocks of the same size as those of the horse and cart days. The Medieval cities did not provide parks and gardens for the mass of the population, but they are a feature of a well-planned Victorian city. In Aus- tralia we have no Medieval stage, and we have benefited a great deal from the ideas of the Victorian era plan- ners, who provided extensive gardens. In the modern period there has been a reversal, in two ways: 1. Population increase has made land expensive, so governments have taken the easy way out by December, 1975 using parkland for hospitals, schools, and freeways. 2. The increase in traffic, noise and fumes has reduced the effective- ness of parklands, so that larger and not smaller areas are required. I estimate that in 200 years or less, at the present rate of alienation, Mel- bourne will cease to have effective parkland. By effective parkland I mean areas where one can escape the noise, smells and pressures of city life and enjoy a more natural environ- ment. After all, man evolved to live in the open air of forest and plain, and not cooped up in artificial struc- tures like fowls in a modern cell-type egg factory. We need to plan a better ecology for city man, and so to im- prove the Quality of Life. How can we do this when land is so expensive, sO many new public utilities are re- quired, and traffic has reached a density previously unknown? Gardens of Peace After modernizing its wharves, a certain city found that a large area of land was no longer needed, so the Authority concerned had the bright idea of turning it into a garden of peace where people could get away from the crowds and relax. To their credit they did it, but immediately high rise flats sprang up all round the garden, negating the original purpose. This kind of thing has happened so often to both public and private con- cerns, that it is apparent that wider planning is necessary to create zones of limited use that will protect parks and gardens, so maintaining their use- fulness. This seems to be the only way to maintain effective parklands. In U.S.A. the principle has been ac- cepted that escape from the pressures 263 of modern life is not a luxury, but a necessity. It is an important form of preventive medicine. This is a posi- tive way of thinking on the subject. Improving Melbourne’s Quality of Life Let us move now from general ideas to a practical example. When I first visited the Fitzroy Gardens, they were a charming escape from the noise, dust and fumes of the city; they were a delight in themselves, and it seemed as though one had been trans- ported away into the peace and fresh air of the country. How that has changed! The roar and dust of the city penetrates far into the gardens. As an effective parkland it is much smaller. Recently the ring road plan- ners proposed to cut a broad swathe through the east end of these gardens, but mercifully this was prevented. The gardens would then have become completely ineffective. A legal stric- ture is needed whereby planners are not permitted even to consider excis- ing further land. Because of their de- creased effectiveness, such areas need to be bigger and not smaller. Indeed the only way to restore the effectiveness of the Fitzroy Gardens is to have a zone of limited use around them, which will shield them from the noise and pollution of the city. Two large hospitals lie on the east side of the Fitzroy Gardens. When ill there last year, I found that the traffic noise literally hurt, especially the motor bikes and cars with baffles removed. When convalescing I would have loved to have gone to the gardens, but to pass through that fast traffic was far too risky. This set me think- ing on the subject. Buffer Zones Round Parks and Gardens Roads are shockingly expensive to build, so why not halve the bill by hav- ing half the number? The design is 264 related to Victorian horses and carts, not modern cars. When the Housing Commission builds areas of high rise flats, it closes down the intermediate roads, and in spite of population in- crease, the remaining roads work effectively. We use expensive road surfaces for parking. Why not park in intermediate closed roads? Little areas of quiet could be provided there too, and safe playgrounds for children (far too many children are hurt when playing on roads). Visitors to the hos- pitals could find somewhere to park. In desperation some have been park- ing on nature strips, but are now being fined if they do so. Close down Clarendon Street. Use it as a buffer to help retain the effectiveness of the Fitzroy Gardens. Have _ crossings where convalescent patients can go to the gardens. Have playgrounds and parking areas there. Use the next street, without parking and _ street playing, for traffic (at least two lanes each way). Traffic would not be slowed so much by cars coming out of side streets. Would not such a plan improve the Quality of Life in Mel- bourne? You are no doubt thinking of diffi- culties. There are problems, of course, but if these principles are accepted, suitable compromises could be worked out. The principles are: 1. Total ban on alienation of park- land. , 2. Provision of zones of limited use around parks and gardens to re- tain their effectiveness. Put hos- pitals, churches, schools, lecture halls, galleries, professional rooms and such in the zone of limited use. 3. Reduce the number of roads. Keep the thick-paved expensive roads for traffic only. Put all parking out of the roadways, which would then be more effective. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 4. Use some of the closed streets for parking, for children’s _ play- grounds, and for gardens of peace. Ban children playing on_ the traffic-ways. It is safer, and also makes these clearways more effec- tive in handling traffic. Money from parking could pay for the extra gardens and playgrounds, or the halving of road-building costs could pay for them. The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2 —Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous continued from 213 (10) by JAMES A. BAINES *Lavandula. Middle Lat lavandula, the lavender, from lavo, wash (from its use in soaps and toiletries of various kinds). Our naturalized species, *I. stoechas, Topped Lavender, is known in Europe as French Lavender, the specific name being Gk for an aromatic plant (from stoichos, a row, doubtless from its cultivation in rows for its perfume and the other uses mentioned above). Lemna. Gk name of a water-plant (perhaps from lemma, that which is peeled off, skin, scale, because of the appearance of the thallus). Our four species are all indigenous, and known as duckweeds of different kinds. The genus was founded by L. in 1753, and gives its name to family Lemnaceae. *Leontodon. Neo-Gk name meaning lion’s tooth, and formed as a trans- lation of the French “‘dent de lion” (dandelion), a plant that was placed in this genus by Linnaeus. Gk leon, lion; odous, genitive odontos, tooth; in allusion to the sharp leaf-lobes. Our sole species, *L. taraxacoides, Hairy Hawkbit, has a specific name indicat- ing its resemblance to the dandelion, Taraxacum. The common name hawk- bit was formed from hawkweed and devil’s bit, bit being a piece or bit bitten off, perhaps by the lion’s tooth! December, 1975 Lepidium. Gk lepidion, diminutive of lepis, a scale; the classical name of a plant used against scurvy, and ap- plied by Tournefort to these plants, adopted by L. in 1753. Victoria has 13 native species and five introduced, all known as various kinds of pepper- cress. *L. sativum, Garden Cress, and *L. campestre, Field Cress, are from Europe, *L. virginicum, Vir- ginian Pepper-cress, from North America, while from Argentina came *I. pubescens and *L. bonariense, the specific name of the latter meaning ‘from Buenos Aires’’, being the Latin form of the Spanish for “‘good airs’’. One of our native species was named L. halmaturinum by J. M. Black be- cause it grows on Kangaroo Island, the specific name meaning “from Kangaroo Island’’, adopted because these marsupials were unknown to the Greeks or Romans but Gk _ halma- turinos means “‘jumper’’ (from halma, a spring or leap). Many K.I. endemics bear this specific name. Lepidobolus. Gk lepis, lepidos, a scale; bolos, throwing away; the sheathing bracts of the stems being very deciduous. Our sole species (of only four in a genus confined to Aus- tralia) is LL. drapetocoleus, Scale- shedder or Curly Chaff-rush, the speci- fic name of which means “‘sheath- 265 shedding’ (Gk _ drapetes, fugitive; koleos, sheath), the common names referring to the same characteristic of the plants, which belong to family Restionaceae. Lepidosperma. Gk lepis, lepidos, scale; sperma, seed; alluding to the hypogynous scales surrounding the nut. Victoria has 17 species, all native, and mostly known as sword-sedges of different kinds. L. canescens is Hoary Rapier-sedge, and J. limicola_ (so- named by Norman Wakefield because he found it growing in far East Gipps- land swamps, = ““mud-dwelling’’) is known as Razor Sedge. They belong to family Cyperaceae. Lepilaena. Gk lepis, a scale; laina, a cloak; because the flowers are solitary within bifid sheathing bracts. Three of our four species were for- merly included in Althenia (named after J. Althen, who introduced the cultivation of madder, Rubus tinc- torum, in 1760). They are known as different kinds of water-mat, and are in family Zannichelliaceae, being closely related to Zannichellia palus- tris, Horned Pondweed, a _ cosmo- politan water-plant. Leptocarpus. Gk _ leptos, slender, fruit. Victoria’s two native, are known as and are in family thin; karpos, species, both twine-rushes, Restionaceae. Leptoceras. Gk leptos, thin; keras, horn; referring to the slender petals. This monotypic genus is close to Caladenia (included in it by J. C. Willis in “‘A Dictionary of the Flower- ing Plants and Ferns’’, but kept dis- tinct by J. H. Willis in ““A Handbook to Plants in Victoria’, Nancy Bur- bidge in ‘Dictionary of Australian Plant Genera’? and most other Aus- tralian botanists). L. fimbriatum, Fringed Hare-orchid, does resemble C. menziesii, Hare Orchid, as their common names imply. 266 Leptomeria. Gk _ leptos, slender; meros, a part; alluding to the slender branchlets. Our two species, both native, are L. acida, Sour Currant- bush, and L. aphylla, Leafless Cur- rant-bush, and belong to family Santalaceae. Leptorhynchos. Gk leptos, slender; rhynchos, snout, beak; alluding to the beaked achenes. Victoria has nine species of these composites, all known as different kinds of buttons. The latinized spelling ending -us was long used, but the purer Gk form with -os, as used by Lessing in his original nam- ing of the genus in 1832, has been reverted to. Leptospermum. Gk leptos, slender; sperma, seed; alluding to the narrow seeds. Victoria has 16 species, mostly known as different kinds of tea-tree. Newspapers and popular magazines persist in using the erroneous spelling ti-tree, which belongs correctly to the cabbage-trees of N.Z., ti being the Maori name for the genus, with dif- ferent words added to distinguish the species, of Cordyline. Captain Cook brewed tea from leaves of L. sco- parium, Manuka. L. phylicoides has an Aboriginal common name, Bur- gan. Family, Myrtaceae. Lepyrodia. Gk lepyrodes, furnished with bracts (from lepyron, a shell or husk). Victoria has four species of the 16 in this solely Australian genus of Restionaceae, all known as different kinds of scale-rushes. Leucopogon. Gk _ leukos, white; pogon, beard; alluding to the white- bearded corolla lobes. Victoria has 26 species, all native, and known as different kinds of beard-heath. They belong to family Epacridaceae. *Lilaea. Named by Humboldt and Bonpland after French botanist A. R. Delile. Our species, *L. scilloides, ap- peared spontaneously in 1961 along a Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Laverton watercourse. The genus is monotypic, as is its family, Lilaeaceae (not to be confused with Liliaceae). It resembles Scheuchzeria, and was for- merly included in Scheuchzeriaceae. Its common name is Flowering Quill- wort, from the quill-like appearance of the leaves, as in the case of Plain Quillwort and Rock Quillwort, which belong to the unrelated genus /soetes (family Isoetaceae). The specific name scilloides means like Scilla (squill). Lilaea is indigenous to the Andes, Mexico and the Rocky Mountains; the name should be pronounced on the second syllable. Lilaeopsis. Named by Greene in 1891 from its resemblance (as far as the quill-like leaves are concerned) to the genus Lilaea (see previous entry), -opsis being Gk for “‘with the form of, like’, but the plants are quite unre- lated. Lilaeopsis is an umbelliferous genus (family Apiaceae), and our species, L. polyantha, is one of three Australian endemic species, another 17 of the genus being in North, Cen- tral and South America. There is no common name other than Australian Lilaeopsis. Limnanthemum. Gk limne, marsh, pond; anthos, anthemis, flower; from the marshy habitat of marshworts (Nymphoides spp.) and marsh-flowers (Villarsia spp.) formerly included in this superseded genus of family Menyanthaceae. Limonium. Gk leimon, a meadow; in allusion to the common habitat in salt meadows. Victoria has two intro- duced species, and one native, all known as different kinds of sea- lavender. The genus belongs to family Plumbaginaceae. Limosella. Diminutive of Lat limosus, muddy (from limus, mud); from the habitat. Our two species, both native, are known as mudworts; family Scrophulariaceae. December, 1975 *Linria. Gk linon, flax; from the flax-like leaves. Our three species are all introduced, and known as dif- ferent kinds of toadflax, including Common Toadflax, *L. vulgaris; they are in family Scrophulariaceae, named from the genus Scrophula, so-called because the roots of some _ species look like the tumours of scrofula, the disease of glandular swellings formerly known as king’s evil — scrofula is the diminutive of Lat scrofa, a breeding sow, this animal being supposed to be susceptible to the disease! Linum. Lat name for flax, which appears also in the word linseed, for the flax seed and the oil obtained from it. We have two introduced species, *T. usitatissimum, Flax, and *L. tri- gynum (syn. L. gallicum), French Flax, and one native, L. marginale, Native Flax. The genus gives its name to family Linaceae. The name of the fabric linen, of course, has the same origin. Lipocarpha. Gk lipos, fat, lard, hence liparos, sleek, oily, shiny with oil; karphos, chaff; alluding to the silvery glumes of some species. Vic- toria’s sole species is L. microcephala, Button Rush, the specific name refer- ring to the small head of flowers that also prompted the “button”? common name. The genus is in the Scirpeae tribe of family Cyperaceae. Lissanthe. Gk lissos, smooth; anthos, flower; the corolla lobes are not bearded as they are in the related genus Leucopogon, beard-heaths. There are only two species (Aus- tralian endemics), of which Victoria has one, L. strigosa, Peach Heath, the specific name of which means “closely covered with pointed bristles”. The family is Epacridaceae. *Lithospermum. Gk lithos, stone; sperma, seed; in allusion to the hard nutlets. Our introduced species is 267 *T. arvense, Corn Gromwell, the com- mon name of which came from Old French gromil, altered by influence of speedwell and perhaps (Oliver) Cromwell. It was formerly used in treatment of gravel (stone in the kidneys), on the usual fallacious basis (cf. Scrophula above). The genus be- longs to family Boraginaceae. *Lobularia. Lat lobulus, small pod (diminutive of Gk lobos, pod). *L. maritina was formerly known as Alyssum maritimum, hence the com- mon name, Sweet Alice. It belongs to the Alysseae tribe of Cruciferae. *Lolium. Lat name for *L. temu- lentum, Darnel, which is one of our five species, all introduced, including Wimmera Rye-grass, once thought to be a hybrid but now universally re- cognized as the Mediterranean species *T. rigidum. In view of the latter specific name, it is confusing that another of our species, *L. loliaceum (a specific name explained by its hav- ing been classified in Rottboellia from 1832 to 1914), has common names Stiff or Rigid Rye-grass. Our other species are Italian Rye-grass and Perennial Rye-grass. Lomandra. Gk loma, margin, fringe; aner, andros, male; alluding to the circular margin of the anthers in some species. Victoria has ten species of this mainly Australian genus, which extends to New Guinea and New Caledonia. They are known as dif- ferent kinds of mat-rush; some species are called iron-grass in South Aus- tralia, and L. longifolia, Spiny-headed or Long Mat-rush, is known as Sagg in Tasmania. It is in family Liliaceae, though some follow Hutchinson in placing it in Xanthorrhoeaceae. Lomaria. Gk loma, margin, fringe; German botanist Willdenow set up this genus, to which Colenso in N.Z. assigned Lance Water-fern (1888), but 268 it was transferred to Blechnum as B. aggregata by M. D. Tindale (1960). The name Lomaria was given in allu- sion to the sori on the edge of the fronds. Lomatia. Gk loma, border, edge; a reference to the winged edges of the seeds. Our three species are L. fraseri, Tree Lomatia (named after Charles Fraser, who collected in New South Wales with Allan Cunningham, founded Sydney’s botanic gardens, and later collected in Western Aus- tralia), L. ilicifolia, Holly Lomatia (the specific name means holly-leaved), and L. myricoides, River Lomatia, the specific name meaning like Myrica, a genus of wax-myrtles (Myricaceae). *Lonicera. Named by L. in 1753 after Adam Lonitzer (1528-1586). a German botanist whose name was latinized as Lonicer; he was _ the author of a herbal (or Kreuterbuch) that was reprinted many times be- tween 1557 and 1783. Our introduced species is *L. japonica, Japanese Honeysuckle (an enormous number of plants in the Japanese flora bear the specific names japonica or nip- ponica, both meaning “of Japan’’; it has become an English common name for an attractive garden shrub). The genus is in family Caprofoliaceae. (Omitted from Part 1, so included here.) Loranthus. Gk loron, a_ thong; anthos, flower; the perianth-segments are strap-shaped. Most of our mistle- toes were formerly in this genus, which gives its name to family Loranthaceae. Of these species, two are now in Muellerina, six in Amyema, one in Lysiana, and one in Dendro- phthoe. Jointed Mistletoe, Korthal- sella japonica, was formerly in Viscum, the genus to which belongs the Eng- lish Mistletoe, V. album, so venerated by the Druids when growing on oak Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 trees rather than, as far more usually, on apple-trees. Golden Mistletoe, Notothixos subaureus, is the other of our species, named in 1863 and the only mistletoe to retain its original botanical name. Lotus. Lat lotus, Gk lotos, ancient name given to a number of different plants and applied by L. in 1753 toa genus of pea-flowered legumes. The plant yielding the fruit eaten by the Lotophagi (= lotos-eaters) represented by Homer in the Odyssey as producing a State of dreamy forgetfulness and loss of all desire to return home was probably the Jujube Tree, Zizyphus lotus (family Rhamnaceae); the lotus- tree mentioned by ancient writers as having hard, black wood was probably the Nettle-tree, Celtis australis (family Ulmaceae); the lotus of exotic Indian poetry is Nymphaea lotus, Egyptian Water-lily, thought to be the original sacred lotus of Egypt, but the name is also used for Nelumbium speciosum. Smith and Stearn state that the name lotus is used for clover, bird’s-foot, trefoil, fenugreek, melilot, etc. Vic- toria has four introduced species of bird’s-foot trefoil, and two native species, L. cruentus, Red Bird’s-foot Trefoil, and L. australis, Austral Tre- foil. The family is Papilionaceae (Fabaceae). *Lupinus. The classical Lat name for L. albus, White Lupin, and other species native to the Mediterranean countries, reputedly from Lat lupinus, of or relating to a wolf, wolfish, be- cause of the old superstition that these plants destroyed the fertility of the soil-—a most erroneous belief, since lupins have long been used as a green manure ploughed in because like other leguminous plants they are able to fix nitrogen and thus improve fer- tility! On the other hand, the seeds are poisonous when fresh, and the wolf was associated with some toxic plants, such as Aconitum vulparia (Wolfsbane). *L. hirsutus, Hairy Blue Lupin, is now naturalized here. Luzula. Neo-Lat, from Italian luz- ziola, lucciola, the firefly; probably alluding to the shining and quiver- ing character of the heads or clusters of flowers. Our species is L. cam- pestris, Field Woodrush, a_ highly variable, perhaps aggregate, species. Native here, it is also indigenous in Europe. Polunin gives Sweep’s Brush as an alternative vernacular name. The family is Juncaceae (it was ori- ginally named by L. in 1753 Juncus campestris). *Lychnis. The classical name, said to be from Gk lychnos, a lamp; pos- sibly referring to the brilliant flowers of some species, or to the ancient use of leaves of a woolly species for wicks. *I. coronaria, Rose Campion, is often a garden escape, and *Silene alba, White Campion, formerly L. alba, is fully naturalized. They are in family Caryophyllaceae. Lycium. Gk lykion, the name of a thorny tree or shrub, with juice and roots used medicinally, from Lycia, a region of Asia Minor. Australian Box-thorn, L. australe, is our native species, and the introduced species are known as African, Kaffir and Chinese Box-thorns respectively. African Box- thorn, a very common noxious weed, is *L. ferocissimum, a prickly shrub whose specific name, appropriately, means fiercest. They belong to family Solanaceae. (To be continued) December, 1975 269 A Relation between Honey Production and Rainfall in Victoria, Australia by J. W. PorTER* Apiarists in south-eastern Australia have reported marked fluctuations in honey production after both dry and wet seasons (Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, 1969). The reasons for this phenomenon and its implications to apiculture and nectar- eating birds are discussed. Mean annual rainfall (Common- wealth Bureau of Meteorology, 1960- 71) and average honey production in pounds per productive hive robbed were obtained (Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, 1960-71) for each of the eight statistical districts in Victoria. I suggested that honey pro- duction in each district depended on rainfall and used the following multiple regression to test this hypothesis: y= bo + bi x1 + bexe + bs x3 Equation 1 where y = honey yield per productive hive robbed X1 = annual rainfall in the same year as honey production x2 = annual rainfall in the year before honey production x3 = annual rainfall two years before honey production Regression coefficients for extra Ibs of money produced per hive by an additional inch of rain- fall: b1 in the same year as the honey was produced; be in the year before production of honey; bs in the year which occurred two years before production of honey. The values of the regression coeffi- cients bo, bi, bz, bs, and their stan- dard errors were calculated for each 270 district. The value of bs was not signi- ficant for any district and was therefore omitted from the equation. The co- efficients bo, b1, be, and their standard errors were again calculated using the equation: y = bo + bi x1 + b2x2... Equation 2 The values obtained for the regres- sion coefficients were tested for signi- ficance, using a standard ‘“‘t’’ test. The values of the regression coefficients and “‘t” values for bi, and bez are shown in Table 1. These data show a correlation be- tween honey production and rainfall in five of the eight districts (Table 1). A significant correlation between honey production and rainfall during the year of production was confirmed for two of these districts (Mallee and North-Central). A correlation between honey production and annual rainfall during the year preceding production was shown to be highly significant in the North-Central, Northern and Mallee districts and _ significant in the Wimmera and _ North-Eastern districts. There was no correlation between honey production and rainfall in the Western, Central and Gippsland districts. The two districts where there was a correlation between honey production and rainfall in the same year as pro- duction are located in the drier, in- land areas of the State. Wykes in her review (1974) of the possible environ- mental influences on nectar secretion in plants suggests that a number of *Fisheries and Wildlife Division, Arthur Rylah Institute, Brown St., Heidelberg, Victoria 3084. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 factors operating during the year of honey production may influence the quantity of nectar secreted. The most relevant of these factors was the find- ing of Bonnier that the quantity of nectar secreted increases with in- creased soil moisture. When more nectar is available bees would be able to produce more honey. Another factor, the growth and flowering of annual plants, is most likely dependent on rainfall during the year of produc- tion. In wet years, annual plants would grow and flower more prolifi- cally than in dry years and would pro- vide more nectar. The correlation between honey production and the rainfall of the previous year may be related to the initiation of flower development in Eucalyptus. This genus is a major source of nectar in Victoria and species set flower buds from 2 to 21 months before flowering (Wykes 1947). Wet conditions during the season be- fore the honey harvest may stimulate much foliage growth which results in a greater production of food reserves and the formation of flower buds and next season, a greater flow of nectar. Two other factors which could in- fluence the yield of honey from Eucalyptus are irregular flowering (Boomsma 1972) and variation in yearly flowering abundance (Ashton 1975). It is possible that these factors are also related to rainfall. It is interesting to note that the correlations between honey production and rainfall follow Victoria’s rainfall isohyets. The most significant corre- lations occur in the Mallee. the driest district; significant correlations occur in the central districts; and no corre- lation occurs in the three wetter coastal districts. In arid arcas, the flowering cycles of plants depend, to a large extent, upon rainfall, and be- cause rainfall occurs erratically, honey production from these areas would December, 1975 | fluctuate greatly if dependent on rain- fall. In coastal districts, which have more reliable and higher rainfalls than the arid Mallee, the flowering of plants would be more related to tem- perature and photo-period and occur annually. In high rainfall districts the influences of variations of rainfall on honey production would be more readily detected only if they persisted for a long period and were of a large magnitude. Interpretation of these _ results should be made with the following qualifications in mind: the data were collected during a period of only 11 years; district rainfalls were averaged; and honey statistics were collected on the home addresses of beekeepers, rather than the districts where their hives were located. Further studies using data collected over a long period and from specific sites are needed to confirm the correlations between honey production and rainfall sug- gested in this paper. Such studies may allow a better understanding of the climatic factors which affect nectar production and will provide a basis for forward planning in the honey in- dustry. A flow of nectar dependent on rain- fall rather than on a regular yearly pattern may have implications to the movements, feeding and breeding of birds which feed on nectar or the insects which associate with the flower- ing of Eucalyptus. Irregular patterns in the distribution and time of rainfall and consequently flowering abundance of Eucalyptus may influence the breed- ing and movements of some of these birds. I wish to thank Mr. D. Powell and Miss D. Davy of the Fisheries and Wildlife Division for assisting with mathematical calculation; and Mr. Langridge and Mr. Goodman of the Department of Agriculture for their helpful comments. 271 REFERENCES Ashton, D. H. (1975). Studies of flower- ing behaviour in Eucalyptus regnans, F. Muell, Aust. J. Bot. 23: 399-412. Boomsma, C. D. (1972). Native Trees of South Australia. Woods and Forest Dept., South Australia. Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics (1960-71), Apicultural Sta- tistics, Melbourne. Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics (1969), Rural Industries and Settlement. The official year book of New South Wales, Sydney. Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology (1960-71), Meteorological Summaries, Annual Reports, Melbourne. Wykes, G. R. (1947). Review of Litera- ture on Nectar Secretion in Flowering Plants. Thesis M.Sc., Part I, Melbourne University, Melbourne. TABLE 1 Honey Yield From Each District (yield in lbs per hive, rainfall in points) District Regression equation for yield t values y=bo+ b1 x1 + bexe by be Mallee y = — 62.4 + 0.051 X, + 0.071 Xe 4.9** OES Wimmera y = — 63.1 + 0.011 X1 + 0.047 Xo 0.6 DPS Western y=— 4.64 .0.012X,1 + 0.021 Xo 0.9 1.8 Northern y= 32.0+0.012X1 + 0.027 Xo 1.5 36" North-Central y= — 101 + 0.030 X, + 0.042 Xo 3.3" 4.4** Central y= 364+ 0.006X, + 0.010 X2 0.8 1.3 North-Eastern y=— 10+ 0.007 X,; + 0.027 Xo 0.8 3.1* Gippsland y= 30.6+ 0.0003 X; + 0.022 Xo 0.003 1.8 *b,, bo significant at 5% level when t =2.36. **b1, by significant at 1% level when t=3.49. Readers Nature Notes Sighting of Spotted Quail-thrush at Kinglake According to Roy Wheeler in_ his ‘‘Handlist of the Birds of Victoria’, the Spotted Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma puncta- tum) is moderately common, but in 20 years of bird-observing I have seen the bird only twice. So it was with consider- able satisfaction that Miss Jean Hood and I saw a female with a party of Buff-tailed Thornbills on a path on Mt. Sugarloaf during the April Sunday excursion. Despite, or because of the quite heavy fog, we had prolonged and excellent views before her ‘“‘ladyship’” flew away downhill. About 11 inches long with dark-spotted back, white tail tips, pale eyebrow, and grey breast, she was easily 272 identified; her mate whom we did not see, has a black throat and upper breast. Both the quail-thrush and thornbills seemed to find food on the track but I did not notice anything edible on the bare pebbly ground. As a party of children ap- proached the thornbills left, but the quail-thrush kept flying just ahead like a blackbird in the garden. To see such an elusive bird so tame was most gratifying. The children behaved well, too — also very gratifying. MARGARET McKENZIE, Yarraville. Tailed Emperor in Victoria I was interested to see, listed among the nature exhibits at the June meeting, a Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 specimen of the Tailed Emperor Butter- fly, Polyura p. sempronius, taken at Box Hill North in May. On 25 April of this year I visited the Botanic Gardens, entering from the highest corner through the Nareeb gates. Flopping about the garden border along the eastern fence was a huge black and white butterfly, unable to fly. Its wings were crumpled and had failed to expand fully on emerging. As it obviously had no future there I collected it for identifica- tion and brought it home. It proved to be a Tailed Emperor, sex undetermined, but a very vigorous creature. The butterfly fed readily when offered syrup, diluted jam, or over-ripe figs, etc. (We happened to be right out of beer and spirits, to which the species is said to be partial.) After each meal it made valiant efforts to fly, and lived in a sunny win- dow for over three weeks. We thought its crippled condition might be due to the lateness of the season so far south, as Wanderers sometimes suffer likewise. However, the Box Hill specimen was ap- parently perfect? Mr. C. N. Smithers of the Australian Museum in Sydney, where the species is common, suggests that, due to a mild season, many species had temporarily ex- tended their range. Mr. Gooding of War- ragul tells me they have been taken in Northern Victoria and in the North-east. It would be of interest to hear of further Victorian sightings of this beautiful butterfly. ELLEN LYNDON, Leongatha. book review “Field Guide to the Flowers and Plants of Victoria” By J. H. WiLus, B. A. FUHRER AND E. R. ROTHERHAM 21 x 14cm., 304 pp., 428 colour plates. A. H. & A. W. Reed, Sydney, 1975. Recommended retail price: $9.95. When the publishers launched the series “Australian Flora in Colour’? with ‘Flowers and Plants of Victoria’’ (1968), they envisaged an eventual full coverage of this continent’s commonest native plants. The success of that book (the second edition is still available) was emu- lated by “Flowers and Plants of Western Australia”, by Rica Erickson, A. S. George, N. G. Marchant and M. K. Mor- combe (1973), and now, just published, in similar format, ‘Flowers and Plants of New South Wales and Southern Queens- land’’, by E. R. Rotherham, Barbara G. Briggs, D. F. Blaxell and R. C. Carolin. This latter book (to be reviewed soon in the “‘Victorian Naturalist’) contains 556 colour plates, many of the species de- picted being also native to Victoria, so wildflower enthusiasts in this State should acquire this volume also as a wonderful addition to our identification resources. The new “Field Guide” under review has come into being because of the need for the original plates of “‘Flowers and Plants of Victoria’ to be more easily available on bush walks, the size being such that it can be easily carried in a walker’s pack. To reduce the material to fit this size, it was decided to eliminate December, 1975 the chapters on the 16 ecological habitats — these were written by G. Ross Coch- rane, whose name therefore no longer appears as joint author. Also, the number of plates was reduced from 543 to 428, mainly by removing illustrations of species less likely to be met with by the average person, and all the plates of Fungi. The authoritative caption descriptions to each plate, written by Dr. J. H. Willis, are basically as they were in the original larger-format book, but some have had to be reduced judiciously for considera- tions of space. Ted Rotherham and Bruce Fuhrer, as before, are the chief photo- graphers, and the former has again cap- ably carried out an editorial function. In some cases a plate is found in a different category, but this is legitimate, as the range of many species extends over a number of habitat types. Representatives of 11 Genera of Orchids are grouped in a final section. The clearly reproduced plates will be useful as a “‘short cut” for identification in the field, and the ecological arrange- ment will, as before, speed this process. The photographs of the plants found in pais) each habitat type are preceded by a brief summary of the characteristics of such areas, and the ‘“‘general aspect” habitat plates have been retained. Opportunity could have been taken to return to their more familiar botanical nomenclature all species listed under Styphelia except Golden Heath (S. adscendens), since the broader concept of this genus has not been generally accepted. Purchasers of this book should change S. behrii to Astroloma conostephioides, S. humifusa to A. humifusum, S. pinifolia to A. pini- folium, S. ericoides to Leucopogon eri- coides, S$. suaveolens to L. suaveolens, S. strigosa to Lissanthe strigosa and S. urceolata to Melichrus urceolatus. These changes are in accordance with Willis’ ‘‘Handbook to Plants in Victoria’’, Vol. II. The following species, mis-spelt in the index, are correctly spelt as follows:— Acacia pycnantha, Banksia integrifolia, Boronia algida, Gnaphalium luteo-album, Rock Isotome, Muehlenbeckia adpressa, Nicotiana velutina and Pultenaea humilis. Errata noted in the caption paragraphs are mis-spellings of Triglochin (pl. 175), Vittadinia (pl. 206) and Pelargonium rod- neyanum (pl. 210). Many of our members who already possess the larger book will wish to buy this one too; it is available from the club’s took sales officer at a discount. The book should have a ready sale also to the general public, especially the in- creasing number growing native plants in their gardens. J. A. BAINES. Field Naturalists Club of Victoria General Meeting 10 November The address for the evening, ‘‘Dynamics of the Earth’s Crust”, by Mr. P. Bock, was on plate tectonics or, in the layman’s term, continental drift. The theory of continental drift was advanced by the German geologist, Wegener, at the turn of the century, but was by-passed by most geologists. The idea has received more acceptance in recent years with the development of theories regarding the movement and _ contacts of various ‘“‘plates’”? of the earth’s crust. Although somewhat technical, Mr. Bock made the topic most interesting and well within the understanding of the layman; slides of diagrams were a great help. Mr. Bock said that the matter is still being debated but that many aspects of geology have been revised due to the theories of plate tectonics. Exhibits included some mites (black with red legs) that are proving very de- structive on climbing beans, an insect gall with another species of gall on it. In Siluro-Devonian rocks from the Yea district were some fascinating fossil plants, Baragwanathia longifolia. A large larva, 14” x 34” diameter, the larva of a scarab beetle, was displayed with its pupa shell, seemingly made of earth and al- most the size of a pullet’s egg. A book 274 containing numerous pressed grasses led the botany exhibits, and there were living specimens of the lovely pink Boronia muelleri, the deeper pink Grevillea bark- leyana, and a Fan fern Sticherus species, all three from the Labertouche forest; the Grevillea is confined in Victoria to that area. Secretary: The Club is still awaiting a volunteer for this job. Mr. Garnet John- son has accepted the position of Corres- pondence Secretary but is unable to at- tend meetings. With his assistance, the task of an incoming secretary will be greatly lightened. Lacking a Secretary, the President sat alone at the dais; he read items of corres- pondence of particular interest to the meeting, and all correspondence was tabled at the -ack of the hall. The Naturalist and Need of an Editor. An editorial committee has been formed to ensure that publication of The Natura- list continues in the interval between the retirement of Mr. Griff Ward and the arrival of a new editor. An editor is urgently needed. Members will recall that, early in the year, it was decided to reduce The Naturalist to six issues in 1976, but with 36 pages instead of 28. This is due to the economics of the matter, not to the lack of an editor. The first issue for 1976 will appear in February, not January. Vict. Nat. Vol. 92 Western Victoria Field Naturalists Clubs Association Report of Member Club Activities for 1974 Ararat Field Naturalists Club. President: Mr. L. Solly. Secretary: Miss Z. Banfield. Membership: 22. This year the Club produced a small brochure on McDonald Park for tourist purposes. A list of 33 orchid species and 74 birds was also compiled. The Club made a weekend trip to the Little Desert in September. Two submissions have been made for land to be reserved in the Ararat district, and results are awaited. Colac Field Naturalists Club. President: Mr. K. White. Secretary: Miss J. Miles. Membership: 45. Topics discussed at meetings included geology of the Western District, work of the Land Conservation Council, New Guinea flora, and conservation of arid areas of Australia. Saturday excursions were held to places such as Aire River, Carisbrook Falls, Melba Gully, Brisbane Ranges, Barongarook and Yaugher Reserves. A car nature trail proved popular and successful. Creswick Field Naturalists Club. President: Mr. H. Barclay. Secretary: Miss J. Wilson. Membership: 31. Syllabus items at meetings were interesting and varied for the average of 22 members in attendance. Spiders, pollution, Clunes Swamps and wood structure were some topics discussed, and speakers also attended from the Fisheries and Wildlife Division and Conservation Council of Victoria. Enjoyable and well-attended excur- sions were held to Clunes Swamps, Linton, Maryborough, Spargo Creek and Newlyn Reservoir. Two successful events were a camp-out at Mount Beckworth and a week- end Nature Show. (To be continued) Now Published EMBEDDING INSECTS AND OTHER SPECIMENS IN CLEAR PLASTIC by M. S. MOULDS 28 pp., 22cm x 14cm, illustr. Written in an easy-to-follow manner, dis- cussing the process of biological plastic embedding step by step. An appendix of special techniques gives precise instruc- tions for all kinds of specimens including many insect types, plants, sea and land creatures, mineral specimens and many others. In addition, the book contains a most comprehensive bibliography. PRICE: $2.00, plus 30c postage. Available from Australian Entomological Press 14 Chisholm St., Greenwich, N.S.W., 2065. Ph. (Sydney) 43 3972 December, 1975 275 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 the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Q.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1975-1976. President: Mr. P. KELLY, 260 The Boulevard, East Ivanhoe, 3079. Correspondence Secretary: GARNET JOHNSON, 20 Sydare Ave., Chadstone, 3148. 7 reasurer -—— Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145. Acting Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg, 3084. Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield, S151, G2 2749:) Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. D. E. McINNES. Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards St., Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36 0587. Group Secretaries Botany: Miss E. JONES, 6 West Crt., Glen Waverley, 3150. (560 2280.) Day Group: Miss D. M. BELL, 17 Tower Street, Mont Albert, 3127. (89 2850.) Entomology and Marine Biology: Mr. J. W. H. STRONG, Flat 11, ‘“‘Palm Court’’, 1160 Dandenong Rd., Murrumbeena, 3163. (56 2271.) Field Survey: R. D. SANDELL, 39 Rubens Gve., Canterbury, 3126. (83 8009) Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Miss Wendy CLARK, 97 Faraday Street, Carlton, 3053. Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy St., East Brighton. (96 3268.) 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 1975 Metropolitan a re #: = 32 6 Ne a). om fas $10.00 Joint Metropolitan .. es ae = a ma oe oD ty fae $12.50 Joint Retired Members : iy ae ii $10.00 Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65. ie te oe ms $8.00 Joint Country a +: oh es ry tes ba $10.00 Junior ‘7 ; oe ie a igh oy ne ie $2.50 Subscriptions to Vict. Nat. : a5 a. jee He Oye Saf a $8.00 Overseas Subscription Ma, be ne a. ge a i 5 tah $10.00 Junior with ‘Naturalist’ .. eo ae re a oa ie Pe he $3.00 Individual Magazines Ae Pa $0.75 All subscriptions should be oA earns to fie Field Naturalist Club of Victor and posted to the Subscription Secretary. ) JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE ' a rol. 93, No. 1 January’ February, 1976 LIBRAM Published by the FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA in which is incorporated the Microscopical Society of Victoria at 75c Category “B” Registered in Australia for transmission by post as a periodical. F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS GENERAL MEETINGS At National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, 8 p.m. Monday, 9 February — Speaker — Mr. M. D. Gottsch. Subject —““Red Wilderness.” Ecological Study of N.W. Mallee. Wednesday, 10 March — Speaker — Dr. T. H. Rich. see —.41Tk A Subject —““New News about Old Bones.” ZEN \ HSANIAW “Qe, ~ Monday, 12 April — Speaker — Miss M. Doery. Subject —“A Naturalist’s Journey.”’ Darwi 1976 2B to Pert: hy 4 New Members — ; X, ne ; - Ordinary: Lf KK AILS aS Mr. Peter J. Bascomb, 51 Park Drive, Parkville 3052. Mammals aud—Esee ‘ Miss Linda Lumsden, 240 Drummond Street, Carlton 3053. Mammal Survey Entomology. Joint: Mr. and Mrs. M. Doherty, Flat 10, 18 Smith Street, Thornbury 3071. Mr William J. McNeice and Mrs. Beatrice A. McNeice, 57 Brynor Crescent, Glen Waverley 3150. Botany Mr. A. E. Richards, 6 Cityview Road, Balwyn North 3104. GROUP MEETINGS (At the National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, at 8 p.m.) First Wednesday in the Month — 3 March, 7 April, 5 May — Geology Group. Third Wednesday in the Month — 18 February, 17 March, 21 April — Microscopical Group. Second Thursday in the Month — 12 February, 11 March, 8 April — Botany Group. (At the Conference Room, The Museum, Melbourne, at 8 p.m.) First Monday in the Month—1 March, 5 April, 3 May — Marine Biology and Entomology Group. Fourth Thursday in the Month — 26 February, 25 March, 22 April — Field Survey Group. (At the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Brown Street, Heidelberg, at 8 p.m.) First Thursday in the Month—5 February, 4 March, 1 April, 6 May — Mammal Survey Group. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 15 February— Glen Nayook. The’ coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. Fare $4.00. Bring two ‘meals. Saturday, 6 March — Monday, 8 March (Labour Day Weekend) — Bendigo Camp Out. This is the weekend when the Victorian Field Naturalist Clubs Association holds their annual gathering. This year Bendigo is the host club and they have arranged excursions of general interest to birdos, botanists, geologists and zoologists in the Mandarang Forest — Mount Herbert range area with an alter- native excursion to the Barfold Columns on Sunday for those desiring a more active day. Activities will start on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Sedgewick campsite, about 10 miles South of Bendigo and will include an evening at the (Continued on page 35) 2 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 the victorian naturalist Contents Articles: Geology of the Sandringham- Beaumaris Coastline By G. B. Pritchard 4 A new race of Trogonoptera brookiana Wallace from West Malaysia By Bernard D'Abrera, Victor Doggett, Norman Parker 2 A Nest Constructed by Wild Pigs By J. Covacevich 25 In Memoriam: 31 Feature: The Origin of Generic Names of Victorian Flora By James A. Baines 7H Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: Diary of Coming Events 2,35 Western Victorian F.N.C.A. Reports 32 Front Cover: Graham Pizzey photographed the beautiful Little Egret. It may be seen near swamps or the edge of lakes, fairly generally along the eastern Australian area. January / February Vol. 93, No. 1 4 February, 1976 Acting Editor Assistant Editor G. M. Ward G. F. Douglas It is now just ten years since | began as the new editor of the Victorian Naturalist. They have been ten memorable and enjoy- able years, during which | have come to know a great number of people both in town and country, and from varied walks of life Many of these people have given me in- spiration and confidence during this time, and | shall always be conscious of the debt of gratitude which | owe. The loss of some firm friends has tinged those ten years with sadness also; but the memory of their effect on my work shall never fade. During my term as editor, the Naturalist has undergone some changes, and entered into some difficult times — but | think none so difficult as exists at present. The financial strain on non-profit publications is particu- larly severe; and in the case of our maga- zine, has caused the change from monthly to bi-monthly publication. This, | hope, will be only temporary: for we are within eight years of a century of monthly publication! May | recall the words of the last para- graph of my initial editorial in 1966 — ", .. Lam optimistic that the publishing of the Naturalist in its present form, can and will be maintained by virtue of the large and keen membership which exists." My optimism in this regard has not diminished, and together with that state- ment | add my sincere thanks to every con- iributor over the years, and my sincere apologies to all to whom | have caused any inconvenience or hardship. My best wishes go to all members and readers, wherever they may be. G. M. Waro 3 Geology of the Sandringham-Beaumaris Coastline by G. B. PRITCHARD Editor’s Introduction by Thomas A. Darragh.* This article is the second chapter of G. B. Pritchard’s manuscript and is entitled Old Port Phillip History as told by the Geology of Sandringham to Beaumaris. The first chapter on the geology of Royal Park appeared in Victorian Naturalist 91:223 and the reader is referred to it for background informa- tion. The area described here is still one of the most popular areas of suburban Melbourne for the study of geology, as it was when Pritchard wrote his chapter (1947). Some of the photo- graphs date from the mid nineties of last century and others were taken in the early decades of this century. They are of considerable interest as_his- torical records, since they demonstrate the destruction of the natural scenery which has taken place because of vandalism and official interference with the coastline since that time. Sea walls, roads, boat harbours, buildings, and foreshore filling have obscured many of the interesting features of this coastline. Many of these artificial features have lead to erosion of beaches and siltation in other areas. The fossils from Beaumaris _illus- trated here are still frequently found and the illustrations will provide an accessible means of _ identification, though the editor stresses that the shark’s teeth have recently been studied in some detail and the names may change when this modern re- vision is published. There are a num- ber of other fossils not mentioned which are rare and have been de- 4 scribed recently. They are fossil birds (Diomedia thyridata a fossil alba- tross; Pseudaptenodytes macraei and P. minor fossil penguins) and mar- supials. Fossil birds and marsupials of this age are of considerable rarity and Beaumaris is a unique locality of con- siderable scientific importance because of these occurrences. This article fills a gap in the popu- lar literature of the geology of greater Melbourne, however, if a more de- tailed scientific account is required the reader is referred to Kenley, 1967, Tertiary in Geology of the Melbourne District Bull. geol. Surv. Vict. 59. As in the previous article only minor corrections have been made to Pritchard’s text in order to ensure clarity and accuracy of stratigraphic terminology. INTRODUCTION From the earliest times in the his- tory of our state fossils have been known to occur in the shore line rocks at the locality known variously as “near Mordialloc’’, or ‘“‘near Moorab- bin’’, or ‘“‘near Brighton’’, or as it is better known and more accurately placed at a later date as Beaumaris. The cliffs of Beaumaris are very rich in fossil remains and have been a very popular hunting ground for many years. Who has not heard of fossil shark’s teeth from this locality? There is no manner of doubt that one of the chief attractions to a very large number of * National Museum of Victoria. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 MAP UF) SKRLORING HAN LAK EA Showing coasll Tine and off shor¢y soundings Sf f. Fossits found, Oakley gh b ormone po ed | 117! ’ \ Black Rock Uae a 2 jay 10 ays KA ‘ sie A 7 10 £030 40509070)! 2 3 ‘ Scale LP Ste 0 60 6 Pe pS a sy M i yt 10 lane 39 | 7 oe 5 January / February school boys and others for this spot was the ease with which such remains could be gathered. Frequently com- petitions would run high in the en- deavour to be the one who could find the largest number of teeth in a day or an afternoon as the case might be. One old fossicker who used to be a very frequent visitor to this locality had a large Coleman’s Mustard Box full to the brim of these relics. It used to be a favourite boast of my own that I never paid a visit to this locality without finding at least one tooth, but for many reasons the crop nowadays is not so great as in former times for one had only to wade along the shore- line at low tide to be rewarded with many specimens. Then by more care- ful search and investigation the actual bed from which all these specimens had been washed and distributed could be opened out and carefully examined, and making a rough calculation on several occasions it usually happened that at least one tooth would turn out from each square foot examined. Fre- quently however you would be re- warded by the discovery of several other different types of fish remains as well, such as the grinding teeth of the forerunner of the Port Jackson Shark and its spines, the jaws and palates of an ancient Porcupine fish, the plates from the palates of some ancient Rays and Skates, and the jaws of an old Rock Ling. The Beaumaris beds are chiefly a soft porous buff-coloured sandy marl not at all well adapted to the preser- vation of all types of fossil remains, for example notice the shells, which though very numerous along certain beds are usually of such a soft chalky consistency that it is almost impossible to get perfect specimens out, and when obtained unless great precau- tions are taken, they will not reach home safely; in some beds all the 6 limey matter has been dissolved out and only casts and impressions of these relics are then obtainable. In this connection you will notice how the cliffs where they overhang just above high tide mark, are constantly drip- ping water, placing a billy under these drips you can soon collect a nice lot of clear cool water. This water on examination is found to be hard, or in other words that it contains in solu- tion quite a lot of mineral matter that it has dissolved out of the beds through which it has passed, chiefly limey matter from the shells. That this is really the character of this water just look at the sand, shingle, Shells and other shoreline gatherings butting up against the foot of the cliffs and you will find that it has become veritably cemented into a hard rock even though it is of such recent origin. Hence while this type of action brings about destruction in one part of its course it immediately sets about bind- ing or strengthening loose incoherent materials into a strong compacted mass in another and closely adjoining part. Limey matter is not the only mineral that can be seen acting here in this way, iron as hydrated oxide is almost as active and in some places the rocks are often said to be hard as iron, where the sands have been cemented with this mineral. This is not a very correct statement perhaps, but remarkably expressive. Both of these minerals as well as acting as binding or cementing agents in the rocks, play tricks on us and make a number of peculiar shapes which are often gathered on account of their fancied resemblance to some familiar object such as seeds, fruits, mush- rooms, or wood. These objects are known under the general name of concretions or fairy stones and the accompanying plate illustrates some of the forms common to these shores. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Fig. 1 Some common concretions, Beaumaris. SANDRINGHAM TO BEAUMARIS COASTLINE This locality may be reached by electric train to Sandringham, thence the coast may be studied all the way to Beaumaris. As an alternative the electric train can be taken to Chelten- ham thence along Charman Road about one mile to the coast where the Beaumaris sections can be specially examined. A very short walk from the Sand- ringham railway station along Melrose Street will enable one to reach the coast-line, and immediately coastal sections can be examined from several points of view. A sandy deposit vary- ing in the coarseness of its particles and showing evidence of irregular January / February bedding, and irregularities in coloring and binding matter can be seen in the first section. A good contrast can be made out between atmospheric weathering and marine erosion, and the influence of irregularities in con- solidation due to the presence or ab- sence of cementing matter, in this case limonite or one of its varieties. The formation of a _ platform of marine denudation can be well seen at low tide, with its relatively recent protective incrustation of gregarious worm tubes of calcareous matter commonly mistaken for coral growth. The accumulation of a strip of sandy beach at the foot of the little cliffs, looking at first sight like a protective apron, but in reality being the 7 material that is battered by the sea- water against the ferruginous sand- stone to do the cutting or filing action which gives rise to the undermining and cave formation at high tide level. This sand is entirely locally derived being mainly composed of quartz particles from the sandy beds with a few fragments of ferruginous sand- stone and shelly particles. The forma- tion and breakdown of cliffs on a small scale, the development of capes and bays, fiords, isthmuses and islands can be clearly illustrated. Some of the lower beds of this locality are fossili- ferous and these shell and other re- mains indicate, first, that the deposit was a marine one, second, that it was laid down under shore line conditions, and third that the fossil remains though comparable with living forms are for the most part extinct. The geological age cannot reasonably be expressed in years, but the remains belong to the Upper Miocene sub- division of Cainozoic time. Some of the sands of this shoreline are noted for their coarseness, long stretches of quartz particles the size of small peas are worth looking at for they show clearly enough that they are broken down fragments from small vein or leader quartz and thus give a clue to their probable origin from the old bed-rock of Melbourne. The forma- tion of shingle as well as sandy beaches can be seen in progress. The Red Bluff or as it is sometimes called the Yellow Bluff is one of the boldest cliffs of these parts with its 110 feet above sea-level, running down to a hard jutting cape of fer- ruginous gritstones and sandstones with a very fine protective apron of large angular blocks of the same rock, the fall away of which has been materially assisted by the jointing which is quite a feature of these rocks at this spot. The softer and less cemented beds consisting of sands and grits with some clay which form the upper beds of this section show the influence of rain and atmospheric conditions in a very marked manner, and give the exact appearance of canyon and bad- land weathering. The numerous steep gullies washed out show the talus ac- cumulation at the foot and the build up of a considerable deposit of fans spreading out into a flat or plain development. Wind has been the cause here of considerable trouble as far as the road has been concerned, Fig. 2 Red Bluff, Sandringham from the North with Half Moon Bay behind. Photo- graphed in the mid 1890's. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Fig 3 Closer views of cliffs at Red Bluff. Photo- graphed in the 1890's. for it has been constantly covered with considerable deposits of blown sand carried up by a regular funnel. Several attempts have been made to arrest this action such as_ shrub fences, paling fences and iron fences, but all of these have been badly beaten. Man as a geological agent is much in evidence at this point and considerable wear and tear around the cape is distinctly attributable to him. There is evidence of many marked changes at this locality in the last fifty years. The northerly face of a hundred odd feet has been ripped into a considerable depth and the crest of the cliff has receded by many feet. Much of the loosened material has been blown away but quite a quantity January / February has accumulated at the foot of the face as a Series of dry deltas. A con- siderable area of foreshore in this little bay was thus being reclaimed and for many years it had all the appearance of permanency yet in July 1944 with strong northerly winds of gale force for two days, most of the dry deltas have been cut back almost to the cliff face, however, they still show a nice section of the suc- cessive layers of the materials of which they were built. Then one may ask — where has all this sand and clay gone? A general view from the head- land or point of the bluff will show that it has been levelled off and spread in such a manner as to widen the beach and shoal up the little bay to 2 the north of this point. On the north side of this bluff there used to be visible a lenticular patch of fine grained greyish sandy lime- stone, a little above high tide mark, and this on close examination yielded a nice collection of rather well pre- served fossils, chiefly marine shells, giving further evidence of the Mio- cene age for these beds. Unfortun- ately this patch can no longer be reached as a mask of considerable thickness now covers it owing to the slipping of large masses of material from above. Recorded from near the base of this bluff is also some fossil wood, giving evidence of the near- ness of land and confirming the shal- low water origin or shore line con- ditions of this series of deposits. Con- ditions at present have removed a lot of the fallen material and very soon access may once more be had to this fossiliferous horizon. A little beyond this bluff and forming the northern end of Half-Moon Bay the shore plat- form is an excellent spot for the study of some aspects of concretionary for- mation, and around the point forming the southern cap of Half-Moon Bay a shingle beach can be examined made up largely of ferruginous concretions variously modified by marine action and shore-line trundling. Many pecu- liar shapes can be collected here, some resembling seeds, fruits, mushrooms, branches and stems of wood, and the more imagination one has the greater the number of identifications. Some resemblances are certainly very Striking and it is quite excusable for the uninitiated to regard these shapes as fossils while they are not attracted by the genuine specimens at all. Many a pleasant hour can be put in turning these things over and wondering on the peculiarities of their formation. (See Fig. 1.) Between these two hard ferruginous sandstone points lies that little sandy cove long known as Half- 10 Moon Bay, a very favoured picnic and bathing locality; some of the earlier bathers at this spot used to deplore the fact that the sand was very dirty, without ever giving a thought to the reason for it. A little investigation shows quite a fair ac- cumulation of shell, charcoal and shingle pebbles, one flat piece and one more or less pointed piece for break- ing away the shells in such a way that the soft mollusc could be more easily extracted. This locality was evidently also favoured by the aboriginals of this district for they made of it a camping and feeding ground and left behind sufficient relics for us to in- terpret this little bit of early history. The sandy portion of this bay was a good natural home for various kinds of cockles, while the rocky points and reefs yielded an abundance of mus- sels and periwinkles. The aboriginal was quick to detect the haunts of these succulent molluscs and appre- ciate their value as a change of food. When one proceeds beyond Half- Moon Bay a rough strip of rocky shore line is encountered with prac- tically no sandy beach, but this bare rock shows clearly many points of additional interest, the formation and development of pot-holes being an outstanding feature, the marine erosion of cliffs, the atmospheric weathering of cliffs, the protecting in- fluence of vegetation. The rock here varies from a very hard dark coloured conglomerate and fine sandstones to much softer buff coloured sandstones and sands. The bedding is not very regular but current bedding is much in evidence, and coarse to fine sediments occur in rapid alternations. Notwithstanding the un- favourable appearance of these rocks for the preservation of fossils, many molluscan remains can be collected along this stretch of coast; they exist now only as casts and impressicns, as Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 all the original calcareous matter has been carried away in solution. In ad- dition to large fragments of quartz which show clearly their breakdown from small veins there are fragments of sandstone and mudstone which compare so exactly with the Mel- bourne rocks that their origin from the breakdown and wear and tear of the Silurian leaves no room for any doubt whatever. Thus this bit of litho- logical evidence is helpful in deter- mining whence these marine Tertiary Fig. 4 South of Half Moon Bay looking South. South of Half Moon Bay looking East at the Cliff. January / February sediments have been derived, and the fossil or palaeontological evidence will tell when this happening took place in our past history. From here to Black Rock corner there is a very fine sandy beach with only an occasional outcrop of the harder ferruginous sandstones. As a rule bathers along this shore have a perfectly smooth sandy bottom with reef protection on the seaward side, but occasionally with a change in the set of the wind and current the sand 11 may be heaped up shorewards or carried along further north and then a shingle or actual rock bottom is en- countered much to the discomfort of the regular or casual bather. Under favourable conditions this shingle will be worth examination for petrified whale bone, shark’s teeth and other fossil relics of the past have turned up in this position. Behind the sand beach there are banks of sand and sandy clay clad with tea-tree shrubs, acacias, mesembrianths, currant bushes and a few straggly honey- suckles, the tea-tree showing a plaster- ing down on the slope as a distinctive influence of wind action and produc- ing an almost impenetrable tangle ex- cept for the well worn pathways which plentifully intersect it. At the foot of the slope in some places the sandy talus is held in position by the salt bushes which make their appearance and this when cut back by storms or tidal action resembles a higher level beach. Coarse running grasses also help to bind and give relative per- manency to this protecting foot. 12 Fig. 5 View of near the Point, South of Half Moon Bay. Now the question may be asked: how can marine erosion take place under such conditions? Obviously Marine erosion is not making any headway where these accumulations are at present and they would have to be removed before a fresh attack could be made. In the near neigh- bourhood undermined cliffs and ver- tical cliffs can be seen and a study made of the balance between the marine horizontal and undermining action and the landslips due to satu- ration and the action of gravity in vertically straightening up the bluffs, followed by the eating back of rain and other atmospheric agents to pro- duce the more gradual ramp-like slope. It is thought by many who visit this locality that Black Rock refers to some of the dark coloured ferruginous sandstones of this coast, and when it is known that Mr. Ebden actually quarried stone from the shoreline for the construction of the very elaborate stables and that he called his place, Black Rock House, confirmation ap- pears to be lent to the idea. However, Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Mr. Ebden came from Ireland where his estate was known as Black Rock, and he merely called his new abode after his old. Stone was _ probably taken from the same place on the coast for the construction of Glen- more House in Bluff Road. This house was pulled down in 1911 and the stone used for road purposes by the muni- cipal authoriites; extra interest at- taches to this as the stone showed worm tubes and Pholas borings with the dead valves still in position before it was broken up, indicating that the stone was got from low tide mark. Quiet Corner is a very good spot for examining present marine erosion but more particularly under rough or extremely stormy conditions. The undermining by the sand bearing sea can be seen on the sandy clays and its horizontal working into caves by suc- cessive falls from the top of the cut, assisted by or even produced by water soakage from above. The material which falls in acts as a temporary check to the horizontal intrusion of the sea until the harder portions only are left to form a slight shingle. One stormy Sunday, 21st March, 1911, was responsible for more change at this spot than had previously been noted by the oldest inhabitant, there being falls of several tons at the foot of the cliffs, and about half a dozen tea-trees on the beach gave further evidence of the extent of the encroach- ment. One grim old monument of the former extent of a projecting point or cape here can be seen in a little island or outlier which is quite detached at high tide though still accessible over a sandy floor at low tide. At about five chains from Quiet Corner the darker and more firmly cemented ferruginous sandstones again outcrop at the foot of the cliffs show- ine their irregular and more or less undulating surface and strong current- bedded structure. Black _ streaks, January / February patches and low level platforms of hard sandstones show as the tide falls and some of these are fossiliferous while they show distinctly their resis- tance to the blind fury of many storms. This reach of shoreline shows distinctly some evidence of natural shoreline reclamation. At the next point beyond Quiet Corner there is a nice low platform sloping seawards, it is very dark in colour, rough and ragged, and on close inspection shows pot hole erosion in every stage of de- velopment and breakdown to the for- mation of open channels or courses to the sea. These conditions give rise to the formation of natural armchairs, pulpit rocks and such like features. There is also a marvellous concretion- ary layer to be seen in relief on the sea floor showing pipes, tubes and stems in the utmost abundance and obviously the source of the many in- teresting forms to be gathered from the shingle hereabouts. Fairly regular joints run seawards through the rocks of this floor, with occasional curved joints crossing them. The flat here is undergoing natural reclamation as shown by the bare rock at the water’s edge, then rock with its irregularities of surface somewhat modified by ac- cumulations of shelly sand found to be supporting mesembryanths or pig- face, a few coarse grasses and other plants, then there is a narrow strip of fifteen feet or so of bare shelly sandy beach, then a fringe of wiry grass tus- socks on the old storm shingle, then a flat area of half an acre or there- abouts of reclaimed land held by banksias, currant bushes and tea-tree, of a growth to indicate permanency for a considerable period of time. A dip in the sandstone beds now becomes noticeable apparently due to slight rolls parallel to the coast, there is a slight dip inland and also sea- wards. Little bluffs again make their appearance as these compacted sand- 13 stones ascend above sea level. More attention should be paid to the very distinctly concretionary struc- ture to be seen on the large scale in some of these beds near Chipperfield’s. The shore platform at low tide shows a large number of more or less circu- lar or elliptical curved beds and a splendid study in dome _ structures. These structures run from one to thirty feet in diameter, therefore some sections might show the appearance of a very definite dip or roll. It is quite certain that this explanation for some of the features to be noticed along this coast must be given full con- sideration before folding and crump- ling agencies are called in to our aid. Below the Beaumaris Hotel in the cliff face a similar structure in section may be examined; it has been taken by some as minor folding or contortion of the beds, but neither the immediate overlying or underlying beds are affected and that would seem to rule out folding. A suggestion may be put forward that gas of some sort, not necessarily steam, may have _ con- tributed somewhat to the formation of this structure. The underlying beds are _ excep- tionally rich in organic remains from downwards on whales the animal 14 scale and it might be possible that the gases given off in the decay of the organic matter of these creatures may have been sufficient for such a pur- pose. In recent years we have had some remarkable shore strandings of schools of whales on the north coast of Tasmania as well as on South Aus- tralian shores where the conditions were hardly favourable for their preservation. There is no manner of doubt about the gaseous emanations from such an accumulation, but more notice is taken of the hard or bony remains of such creatures and very little attention is given to what is happening or likely to happen to the organic portions. Some such happen- ings as this very likely took place in our seas in the neighbourhood of where Beaumaris now stands judging by the very large number of whale remains that can now be found at that locality. [See below for a com- ment on this statement. Ed.] Near what is known as Lang’s place there used to be notices along the shore running “The Beach in the vicinity of this notice is dangerous”, also, “Caution. The foreshore in the vicinity of this notice is dangerous and unsafe.” During recent years nothing has been heard of these quicksands, Fig. 6 Concretionary structures near Chipperfields. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 = Sea Jeye/ Jome a Coasta i, near ae Rock — ag ss gai aes meen ie =e Beyond er ier Coastal Profiles. but in the early days many a hair- raising story centred around some of these patches. Along this shoreline sandbanks have been and are still forming on the shallow shelving rocky platform, the land in shore is rela- tively high sandy and very porous, this would act as a gathering ground for fresh water which would drain down towards the sea until no doubt some January / February of the sands of the shoreline become supersaturated and developed quick- sand patches. Just below Lang’s there is another naturally reclaimed shoreline area, and a still larger one further on below Chipperfields these now form much favoured holiday resorts and picnic grounds. Along this shore fossils occur in 15 patches and pockets in the reddish ferruginous sandstone and dark brown beds and are not generally distributed in layers. When a pocket is struck the impressions and casts of bivalve shells are in the utmost profusion, the com- monest being examples of Placamen subroboratum and Mactra_ hamilto- nensis. Here is definite proof of marine conditions. Very coarse sediments can be noted along this shore also, angu- lar and subangular vein quartz frag- ments of about one quarter of an inch diameter, occasionally one and a half to two and even four inches diameter, as well as large fragments of the dark blue Silurian rock. It should be pretty evident that such coarse material did not travel far and the shoreline supply- ing this material must have been fairly close. The presence of the remains of driftwood may be taken as a further hint in this direction. At the first bluff to the east of Chipperfields thick beds of close grained brown sandstones show excellent examples of marine erosion in the form of cliff under- mining, cave formation and cave collapse. 16 The floor here being in softer sand- stones is ripped out in long shingle runnels by the rise and fall of the tide, there are also good examples of pot holes and the residual ridges running seawards. Honeycomb weathering is another feature of some of these sandstones. Another point a little further on still shows a portion of vertical cliff bathed by the sea, but the softer beds above have been severely attacked by atmospheric agencies and cut back and the material carried away to quite a considerable extent. There are many cliff profiles along here that are exceptionally interesting in many ways showing the influence of different beds with different quali- ties against the atttck of marine and atmospheric agencies. From here along to Beaumaris there have been considerable falls of the cliff face, the joints have opened out with water, and later large masses have slipped down and great blocks of the more solid sandstones can be seen in all sorts of positions. Most of this shoreline is only accessible at extreme Bluff to the East of Chipperfields looking towards Beaumaris. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 low tide and although some scrambling about the cliffs and rocky faces can be indulged in it is not too safe and scarcely to be recommended. Several people have tried these simple looking cliffs, but have found much to their sorrow that satisfactory footholds can- not be expected on rotten and crumb- ling material. BEAUMARIS The Beaumaris section is that part of the coastal cliffs below the hotel and extending along towards Mentone as far as Charman Road. This is another locality where the indiscrimi- nate collecting of fossils leads to much trouble and argument. It is quite a common practice to pick up shark’s teeth and casts and impressions of shells from amongst the shingle with- out a thought about the origin of the shingle or the beds represented. It so happens that a small patch of Bal- combian or Mornington beds [Bal- combe Clay] is just visible at low tide, where it has been subjected to much wear and tear. Most of this material, calcareous sandy clay, is very soft but it contains hard calcareous concretions and bands, and these harder parts can be trundled about the beach and mixed up with similar concretions from the overlying beds of the cliffs. The soft beds as well as the concre- tions are fossiliferous and contain the typical volutes, cowries, cones, and other forms belonging to the Balcom- bian series. Resting on these older beds is an interesting conglomerate containing many peculiar elongated shapes apparently concretionary in origin, also coarse quartz and numer- ous fossils, including some derived forms from the older beds. It is in this conglomerate bed especially that most of the shark’s teeth and other fish as well as whale remains are to be found. There can be very little doubt that the popularity of this locality from the January / February point of view of the collecter, the student, or the geologist is to a great extent due to these interesting fossils. In these beds there are the remains of a great many different kinds of Shark, at least fifteen have already been recorded under the names of Notidanus, Cestracion, Asteracanthus, Galeocerdo, Odontaspis, Lamna, Isu- rus and Carcharodon. In addition there are other fish remains such as rays (Myliobatis), chimaeras (Eda- phodon), wrasses (Labrodon), Porcu- pine fish (Diodon), rock Ling (Genypterus) and many others. Whale remains include ribs, shoulder blades, paddle bones, portions of skulls, snouts, earbones (Cetotolites four different types), teeth (Physeto- don, Scaldicetus). Older Ziphoid whale remains occur in the lower or older beds but these are very rare. Thus showing clearly the presence of several types of these extinct creatures. (In addition marsupial and bird bones, including penguins, have been found here. Ed.) In recent years we have had some remarkable shore strandings of schools of whales in the north coast of Tas- mania, on the Gipsland coast, as well as on the South Australian shores where the conditions were hardly favourable for their preservation. Some such happening as this very likely took place in our older seas in the neighbourhood of where Beau- maris now stands judging by the very large number of whale remains that have already been discovered at this locality. Numerous remains of the invertebrate division of the Animal Kingdom are also present in direct association with the above, notably mollusca or shellfish and corals. (The modern view of this deposit is that it is a “lag deposit” formed as a result of erosion of the underlying sediments leaving behind a concentrate of whale 17 Fig. 9 Diodon formosus (Chapman ¥Fritcharc) Odontasyols contorfiderrs (Agass!2) Galeocerdo dayvr1s¢ Charcharoden megalodon Isurus retrof/éxa (A Fass/Z) Cesfracion cainoZO1cus (Chapman & Pritchard) ‘ M Ny robal1s rroorabbinenst!s (Chaprnan &Fritchard) (Agass!z) Black Kock. Fossil Fish, Beaumaris. surus aslahhs (Agass/z) bone before the overlying sediments were deposited. Ed.) A little higher up in the beds mol- lusca become much more abundant and definite layers of different shells such as Placunanomia, Cucullaea, Eucrassatella, Chione and Mactra show in a striking manner. Placuna- nomia is a thin pearly translucent shell not unlike some oyster shells and it occurs in and above the concretion bed. Cucullaea is one of the box Shells and occurs in patches and local beds. Then the Eucrassatella band is very pronounced but few of the shells 18 CesHPaCion Spine ISUTUS CISSI CO Agrass/z) are well preserved. This bed shows a very pronounced roll in this section; it is first to be noted at sea-level some distance west of the hotel, below the hotel it is several feet above sea level, while at the east end of Beaumaris Bay it again descends to sea-level. As a rule the Chione-Mactra bed is a little higher in the section. These molluscan remains on account of the porous, sandy character of the beds have been for the most part converted into soft, chalky material and the greatest care is necessary to collect anything like fair specimens; in some Vict. Nat. Vol, 93 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria APPLICATION FORM To be used by new members or subscribers. (Cross out parts which are not applicable.) I wish to subscribe to the Victorian Naturalist for 1976. Please post it monthly to the address below. Ordinary I wish to apply for Country membership of the Field Naturalists Club Junior of Victoria. My full name and address is: (Cut along this line.) The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria ELECTION OF OFFICE-BEARERS Under the terms of the Articles of Association, nominations for elections to Council at the Annual General Meeting must be received by the Secretary two calendar months before the Annual General Meeting, i.e., by the January General Meeting. I therefore call for nominations for the following positions:— President Vice-Presidents (2) Secretary Treasurer Assistant Secretary Assistant Treasurer Editor Librarian Assistant Editor Assistant Librarian Excursion Secretary Residual Councillors (5) Any financial member may nominate for any of the above positions. Nomi- nations must be proposed and seconded by financial members, and nomination forms must be signed by the nominee, the proposer and the seconder. It is most important that nominations be received for all positions as the Club cannot function effectively without a complete, enthusiastic and effective Council. GARNET JOHNSON, (see over) Correspondence Secretary. The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria AN INVITATION TO PERSONS INTERESTED IN AUSTRALIAN FAUNA, FLORA AND COUNTRYSIDE If you have not already an affiliation with the F.N.C.V., you may apply to the club either for membership or for regular subscription to the Victorian Naturalist. These are some of the club’s activities: ® General meetings each month, with informative, illustrated talks by promi- nent naturalists. These are held on the second Monday of each month, at the National Herbarium, South Yarra. @ Meetings of study groups comprising those with specialized interests such as geology, botany, microscopy, entomology, native fauna, etc. @ Organized excursions led by nature experts, to places of interest, both near and far. @ The maintenance of a large lending library of nature books and magazines. @ The publication monthly of the Victorian Naturalist, a well-illustrated nature magazine produced for the general reader as well as the expert. This is issued free to all members. Membership is available to any person interested in nature; it is not necessary to have any specialized knowledge. Non-members may subscribe to the “Victorian Naturalist”. If you are interested in either membership of the club or subscription to the Victorian Naturalist, please complete the appropriate parts of the form on the reverse side of this leaf and post it to: Honorary Secretary, F.N.C.V., National Herbarium, South Yarra, Victoria 3141. (Cut along this line) The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria ELECTION OF OFFICE-BEARERS Nomination Form hereby nominate for the position Of. .icc...0..0c.ccccckec le SOR ss nese ag sno ce Seconded by (To be removed.) SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW DUE The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria is administered by a relatively small number of honorary office-bearers. The growth of the club and the expansion of its activities, particularly in connection with the production of the Victorian Naturalist, are continually adding to the burden of work. It is therefore requested that fees and subscriptions be paid as promptly as possible, in order to help lighten some of this burden. The financial year commences on | January, 1976. If you will not be paying your fees at one of the forthcoming general meetings, please remit them by post, using the form provided on the reverse side of this leaf. This procedure will save office-bearers’ time, and expense, in sending out reminder notices. PLEASE ATTEND TO THIS MATTER NOW You may help further by passing the following leaf on to an acquaintance who is not a member of the F.N.C.V. or a subscriber to the Victorian Naturalist but who might be interested in either. NOTES: 1. Membership fees for the year 1976 are as follows: Mietropolitany! ey ee a ee Pee 2 oe S10100 som ivictropolitane.. -22° 02 fe . . eae nk ee te 2 $1250 Jom Wetired Members 2° 3. 2 ck he Oy oe ee he 2. $1000 Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65... .. ....... $8.00 Jomo GOuNtiGy: i (Ae eR ag ee 1 Oe 7 1) $1000 Junior Re Site Sie Ohta ye tho hak Ecbic th. Be OU Subscriptions to Victorian Naturalist .. .. .. .. .. .. ~ .. ~=$8.00 Overseas Subsctiption .. .. 64. wait le ns vee Se eS STOIOO MATMOTWItMINGCUTGISE 6 Gon Sn ee a ee - 2 7$800 Individual Magazines... Ss... tee Bk Be ae, wk a he SOLTD 2. The scheme of supporting membership was introduced so that those who are able and willing to do so might help club finances. You are invited to become a supporting member by making a voluntary addition to the normal annual fee of any sum you choose, from $10 upward. Details relating to supporting members and their payments are regarded by the treasurer as confidential, and no distinction or extra privilege is bestowed on the members concerned. (To be removed.) The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria FORM FOR RENEWAL OF MEMBERSHIP OR OF SUBSCRIPTION TO THE “VICTORIAN NATURALIST” (To be used by existing members or subscribers for payment of fees.) Name (S)).o. .occceckodcesec ce seeetensdasdemesuee costal ednoes egies JULR. cedUhuvenctsn.0dd nn PR GETOSS., 6. soon cc ossecs cope sesevecesecusndesthdececetensebscteced de l0:0Bbucts ch peels Det ae nn (Please indicate if there is a joint member.) Mr. D. E. McINNES Treasurer, FN-C.V., 129 Waverley Road, East Malvern, 3145. Dear Sir, Please find enclosed the sum of $ , to cover annual membership fees subscription to the Victorian Naturalist for the year 1976. Please enter this sum as follows: Membership; fees? 0 3.) eee ei es nce Se Supporting membership =... 2s 2 a Subscription to Victorian Naturalist te nL a Se GN aS FIGURE 10 The Port Jackson shark or pig fish Cestracian (heterodontus) philippi. Side view of cartilaginous jaws with their strong lateral grinding teeth of varying size and shape and the much smaller gripping teeth at the front. These usually break away from the cartilage and preserve as individual teeth, hence great care is necessary in their collection and identification. Every modification of form does not mean a new species. Top view of same without the front teeth. Side view of dorsal fin spine of Cestracian. Myliobatis. Pavement of crushing teeth of the living skate. These also disintegrate into individual pieces in the fossil state. Tailspine or so called sting of a Ray. These may be obtained up to 18 inches or more in length and represent a fish of several hundredweight. Porcupine fish (Diodon hystrix). Upper and lower jaws, teeth and crushing palates of the common Porcupine fish. January / February 19 cases the calcareous matter of the shells has been entirely removed and only casts and impressions in limonite are now to be seen, but these amply show the great abundance of the shells. Above this molluscan bed there is another very characteristic layer packed very full of sea-eggs or sea urchins in an excellent state of preser- vation. The commonest type is a more or less heart-shaped, convexly rounded test which is known under the name of Lovenia Woodsi (Etheridge), but several other forms can also be pro- cured by careful collecting. It can thus be noted that there are many interesting differences in the preservation of fossils in this section, and several questions can arise as to differences in the composition and structure of shells and other organic remains. These beds are constantly wet with percolating water and where some of this water drips out on to the recent sand and shingle the binding or cementing of the material can be seen in progress, on examination it is easy to prove that the cement is a calcareous one, and consideration of these facts will show quite clearly how the numerous calcareous concretions in the cliff section have originated. To- wards the top of the section the beds are inclined to show rather less iron colouring matter, until in places prac- tically white sands are in evidence of whales on the north coast of Tas- and the character of the soils in the whole of this district is well known to be sandy, light or dark in colour according to the quantity of organic or vegetable matter present. In some parts these upper beds carry quite a number of fragments of recent shells of windblown origin, sometimes the shell remains are redistributed material from the early aboriginal camping grounds, and are in consequence usually to be observed only in the immediate vicinity of the coast. 20 Lovenia woodsi (Etheridge) one of the most common Beau- maris fossils. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 A new race of Trogonoptera brookiana Wallace (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) from West Malaysia by BERNARD D’ ABRERA* VIcTOR DOGGETT* * NORMAN PARKER t Synopsis The population of 7. brookiana, occurring on the eastern to south- eastern side of the Malay Peninsula, previously regarded as being identical to the race trogon Vollenhoven from Sumatra, is here recognised and de- scribed as a distinct sub-species, differ- ing significantly from trogon on mor- phological and geographical grounds. Discussion The genus Trogonoptera Rippon comprises two species confined to Sundaland (excluding Java) which are T. brookiana Wallace and T. trojana Honrath. The latter species is con- fined to Palawan, but T. brookiana is known to occur in four races, T. Db. brookiana (Borneo, Balabac Is.), 7. b. natunensis (Natuna Is), T. b albescens (West Malaysia) and 7. b. trogon (Sumatra). About 1937, specimens of a popula- tion of T. brookiana were taken in the swamps of south-eastern Johore by Eliot and Cowan. Corbet and Pendle- bury (1956) merely refer to this popu- lation as being trogon, which decision does not appear to have been formally published with irrefutable evidence as to its conspecificity with trogon. Fleming (1975) follows Corbet and Pendlebury in treating this population as ‘rogon. Eliot has since published two refer- ences to this population (1958; 1973) and in neither does he appear to be aware of its possibly different identity. D’Abrera (1975) suspected the exist- ence of an anomalous situation be- January / February tween trogon from Sumatra and the population being described here. Other specimens of this population have also been taken at various localities in Trengganu State by different collec- tors, and there have been _ verbal reports of sightings in localities be- tween Trengganu and Johore on the eastern side of the central massif, at low to medium elevations. On a recent excursion to West Malaysia, the first author was shown specimens of this population belonging to the collections of the other two authors as well as to those of W. A. Fleming and his wife, Alix Fleming. It soon became apparent that this population might differ from trogon and it was resolved to make a thorough examination of available material. While external morphology appears distinctive enough, it is in the male genitalia that significant differences may be observed between 7. b. trogon and the population now being de- scribed. We do not agree with Eliot (1973) that the new population has only recently reached the Peninsula by im- migration across the Straits of Malacca for indeed it is a puzzle that it is not established in the western portion of the Peninsula, obviously closer to Sumatra than is its present habitat. That the form has been present on the **Hill House’, Highview Road, Ferny Creek, Victoria 3786, Australia. ** 7D Amber Road, Singapore 15. + 25 Rebecca Road, Singapore 10. 21 Malay Peninsula even before albescens must now be regarded as a possibility, with albescens being the more “‘re- cent”? development of the two—indeed similarity of the eastern population to both trogon and natunensis emphasises rather the specialised nature of albescens. If, as Zeuner suggests (1943: 147) the phase of divergence of Trogono- ptera from ancestral hypolitus was in the late pliocene (his “W” stage) then it is to the early pleistocene (“Y” stage) that we can look for the beginnings of albescens. It is now apparent that the common ancestor of the Trogonoptera group spread westwards from _ the Celebes, one slightly northwards (tro- jana) and the others across Borneo to Malaya and Sumatra. This would com- fortably explain the presence of three similar forms in a westward configura- tion at similar elevations, with the un- described form inhabiting the eastern side of the Peninsula. That albescens has been the most recently isolated, specialised semi- montane and successful form would also be thus explained, while it would be further clear why it has as yet not penetrated Thailand or Southern Burma. There is no doubting the capa- city of albescens to surmount high terrain or fly across great distances, but because it appears to be still in the process of establishing itself in the north-west and central parts of the Peninsula (commercial plundering not- withstanding) it will only be a matter of time before it does invade Thailand and South Burma. The other Peninsula population, however, is not as successful, and this would tend to draw attention to its comparative antiquity in terms of the respective ages of both races. Plainly, that albescens is the fitter of the two to survive, is now patently clear. We would also suggest that although albescens is a strong, successful in- 22 sect, it is also very strongly territorial when compared with Ornithoptera species or most Troides. Individual specimens of brookiana have frequently been observed operat- ing a particular corridor or flight path with almost ceaseless monotony. This behaviour is virtually unknown among the Ornithorptera or most Troides, which by comparison are very ad- venturous creatures. Its lack of will- ingness to colonize new territories is thus apparently explained. Other phenomena, such as the habit males have of congregating over seepage in large numbers, the confinement of the genus to Neomalaya, the develop- ment of a sphragis on the ostium of the female, and the difficulty natura- lists have had in locating the breeding areas of most races show a conserva- tism and exclusiveness not known in any of the other allies of Troides. It is then interesting to note that in the experience of all of the few who have observed the eastern population, contrary to what is known about the other brookiana races, it is the female which is the most often encountered SEX. Eliot’s (1973) comment that the two populations have not interbred so far because of differences in food plant is most probably true, but an examina- tion of the genitalia also indicates why this is not probable. Trogonoptera brookiana mollumar subsp. nov. Both sexes of this race wear the well-known livery of the brookiana group and detailed descriptions are not necessary. However, those indi- vidual characters which tend to dis- tinguish it.from its nearest (in appear- ance) relative, T. b. trogon, are here described. It must also be pointed out that this “‘new’’ race is nowhere as strongly sexually dimorphic as albescens or the nominate race. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 MALE. Principal observable differ- ences are mainly on the recto (above, upper) surface of the hindwing where the green discal area is more extensive than on trogon being extended to more than half the distance from the base of the h.w. to the dorsum. In the specimens examined the distal margin of this green disc is also very notice- ably convex where in trogon it is straight in some _ specimens’ and markedly concave in others. The space between veins* 7 and 8 is also very noticeably suffused with green Scaling (closer to vein 7 than it is to vein 8) a feature which is almost non-existant in trogon, being at best a very occasional and weakly developed character in that race. The hindwing itself of mollumar differs noticeably in shape from that of trogon (and the other races) in the region of the apex. In this race vein 8 is more bowed close to the costa and vein 7 less bowed along its length than in trogon. Consequently the apical margin of the hindwing of this race is more Sharply angled away from the costa than it is on trogon, and indeed does not possess the faintly scalloped or in- curved section of the dorsum between vein 7 and 8 which is a feature of trogon and albescens. FEMALE. As in the male, the female also differs noticeably from trogon principally in the hindwing. The green discal area of the recto surface of the hindwing is more extensive than it is on trogon, occupying as it does more than half of the area of the hindwing, where in trogon it covers less than half the area of that wing. Further, the whitish sub-apical area of the f.w.r., only faintly indicated in rrogon, is better developed on this race, as are *Because of its simplicity and un-ambiguous ap- plicability to the Papilionoidea, the classical numerical system of notation is here applied, in preference to the cumbersome and _ currently fashionable Martynov system. January / February indeed the sub-marginal white spots on the hindwing. MALE GENITALIA. Zeuner (1943: 115 Fig. 38) illustrates the clasper and harpe of trogon remarking as he does that “The other subspecies of T. brookiana Wall. have very similar claspers and harpes’’. That this is so has been clear to us as well, so it is significant that such wide differences should exist between trogon and mollumar. Harpe spatulate with tapering neck and elongate body (in frogon this is poorly developed and just barely in-relief to the clasper on trogon); valvae elongate with better defined mid-marginal tooth than on trogon. Vinculum bulkier and blunter than on trogon (in which race it is narrow and produced into a somewhat bulbous saccus) produced into a finely sculptured saccus. The apex angularis is short, blunt and sharply downcurved, while. on trogon it is long, slender and very gently bent. The aedeagus, itself a variable feature among _ individual specimens of the aristolochia papilios, is here noted for a marked difference in the head of this organ between the two races. In trogon the head of the aedeagus is narrow and characterised by two lateral delta-shaped processes with a finely scooped-out apex. In mollumar no such processes exist, but the head of the aedeagus is tubiform and prognathic at its lower extremity. Type Data Holotype ¢ Ulu Sedili, Johore, W. Malaysia (V. Doggett), 17th February, 1974. F.W. 8.5 cms. Ulu Sedili, Johore, W. Malaysia (N._ Parker), 29th August, 1971. F.W. 6.95 cms. (Type specimens now in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) Collection.) Allotvpe @ 23 The authors wish to express their thanks to the following who either generously allowed examination of their collections, rendered assistance or engaged in useful discussion regard- ing T. brookiana... W. A. Fleming, Alix Fleming, T. G. Howarth, Henry Barlow, Elizabeth Matheson, Helen Malcolm, Judy Shaw, Fred Hamilton and Nigel Quick. T. brookiana mollumar subsp. nov. (opposite clasper) 24 REFERENCES Corbet, A. S. and Pendlebury, H. M. (1956). The Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula. Edn. 2. Edinburgh. Eliot, J. N. (1958). Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Ent. 7 (8): 372, (1973). Malay Nat. J. 263 175-176. Fleming, W. A. (1975). The Butterflies of West Malaysia and Singapore. Vol. 1. Kuala Lumpur. D’Abrera, B. L. (1975). The Birdwing Butterflies of The World. Melbourne. Trogonoptera brookiana trogon (opposite clasper) Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 A Nest Constructed by Wild Pigs by J. COVACEVICH* In June, 1972, at Amos Bay ap- proximately 19 miles south of Cook- town, northeastern Queensland, a carefully constructed nest of blady grass was found accidentally. This nest is illustrated in Plate la. Amos Bay where the nest was found is a fairly moist area of open Eucalyptus forest with a dense Blady Grass (/mperata cylindrica) cover. The nest was ap- proximately 6 ft. long, 4 ft. 6 in. wide and 2 ft. deep along the mid line. It contained a well-formed chamber with a diameter of approximately 10 ins. and a length of 4 ft. The nest was very carefully constructed with each sheaf of grass placed meticulously for best support and shelter and yet to keep the chamber clear. A search in the adjoining area for the mammals which might have constructed the nest or be using it was unsuccessful, as was the search for animal traces (faeces, tracks) over a much wider area. A methodical examination of the whole area resulted in the location of several other nests in various states of dis- repair, Obviously abandoned, but of the same basic construction. One of these is shown in Plate 1b. Several native mammals construct nests of grass and although none was known to utilize such a large structure it was assumed that a marsupial, pos- sibly Bettongia tropica (which occurs m the general area but is very rare), Aepyprymnus rufescens (which also occurs in the area), or some other Macropodid must be responsible. The size of the nest was not consistent with descriptions of marsupial nests in January / February standard Australian mammal texts and the possibility that the structure was a meedyja (shelter) of local wan- dering Aborigines was investigated. Meedyjas are, however, larger than the nest and are constructed with a light twig frame. Mr. R. Bell of Normanby Station, about 50 miles west of Cook- town, provided the solution to the mystery. The nests are used by female wild pigs (Sus scroffa) for shelter when they have suckling young. Mr. Bell has reported riding over similar nests many times, sending a tribe of piglets and their mother LU ing off in wild fright. Pigs were introduced to southern Australia with the first settlers and to settlements in the north about fifty years later. They now occur widely in isolated coastal areas of Western Aus- tralia, near the coast in the Northern Territory, almost throughout Queens- land, and in central and western New South Wales (Frith 1973, p. 158). De- spite the facts that they are considered a pest wherever they occur and that they are often very common, occur- ring in “‘plague’’ proportions in many areas, no detailed study has been pub- lished on the species in Australia. One such study has been completed on the Species in southern U.S.A. (Conley et. al. 1972). These authors comment ‘““Hogs are usually inactive in the day- time in characteristic beds. Often these beds are no more than slight depressions in leaves on the forest floor. The material utilized for beds is that which is readily available. If the *Queensland Museum 25 Plate la (at top). Nest used by female wild pig when suckling young as described on page 25. Plate 1b. Old nest that has been abandoned. 26 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 beds are located on bare soil, leaves, needles, and twigs from nearby will usually be utilized for construction. The beds are not elaborate struc- tures.”’ No nests utilized by lactating females are described. The Amos Bay nests, in contrast to the beds described by Conley et al., are elaborate and carefully constructed. Pigs are very adaptable animals. They utilize every habitat from lush moist rainforest to dry, sparse ridge country open plains, and salt pans and can survive on almost anything. Un- doubtedly nest construction is not common to all habitats because materials for such elaborate structures are not available throughout northern Queensland. It seems certain, how- ever, that such nests are constructed fairly widely in north-eastern Queens- land and that they present further evidence of adaptability of wild pigs. Acknowledgements Mr. C. Tanner took the photo- graphs and Mr. R. Bell provided in- formation on nests in his area. REFERENCES Conley, R. H., Henry, V. G., and Matchke, G. H., 1972. Final Report for the European Hog Research Pro- ject W-34. A Contribution from Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration. (Tennessee Game and Fish Commis- sion.) Frith, H. J., 1973. Wildlife Conservation (Angus and Robertson, Sydney). The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2 —Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous continued from 269 (12) by JAMES A. BAINES Lycopodium. Gk _ lykos, wolf; podion, little foot; because the leaves resemble a wolf’s claws. Victoria has seven species, all native, and known as different kinds of clubmoss. The genus gives its name to family Lyco- podiaceae. The name clubmoss is a translation of Lat muscus clavatus, applied originally to the European species, L. clavatum; clava, a club or cudgel; from the club-like shape of its upright fertile spikes of spore-cases. *Lycopsis. Gk lykos, wolf; opsis, face or appearance; the name was used by Dioscorides for a plant of this boraginaceous family. The resem- blance may be fanciful, but credit for some plausible imagination must be given to the botanist who named a puffball genus Lycoperdon, which January / February means “a wolf’s fart!”? *L. arvensis, Bugloss, or Field Bugloss, is related to *Echium lycopsis, Paterson’s Curse or Salvation Jane, and *E. vulgare, Viper’s Bugloss, which are also naturalized here. Bugloss comes from the Gk for ox-tongue. Lycopus. Gk lykos, wolf; pous, foot; from a fancied resemblance of the eaf to a wolf’s foot. L. australis, Australian Gipsywort, is akin to L. europaeus, Gipsywort or Water Hore- hound, which yields a black dye, but has not been found here. The genus belongs to family Labiatae (Lamiaceae). Lyperanthus. Gk lyperos, mourn- ful; anthose, flower; referring to the gloomy colour of the flower. L. nigri- cans, Red-beaks, has this common 27 name from the purplish-red colour of the flowers when fresh, and the speci- fic name and two other vernacular names from the fact that the flowers dry to jet-black — it is also known as Undertaker Orchid in Victoria and Black Orchid in Tasmania. Our other species is L. suaveolens, Brown-beaks, with its common name deriving from its colour and the specific name from ms. scent: Lysiana. Gk lysis, a loosening. L. exocarpi, Harlequin Mistletoe, has a variety of host trees, most commonly on the Buloke (Casuarina luehmannii), but it was named from its parasitism of the Cherry Ballart (Exocar pos). *Lysimachia. Gk lysimachos, end- ing strife, whence the English com- mon name, Loosestrife, of *L. vul- garis, only rarely collected in the wilds in Victoria (including by F. Mueller). *L. japonica, Japanese Loosestrife, was found growing in quantity at Toorloo Arm, Lake Tyers, in 1971. The Gk name lysimacheion, with the above meaning, was given to the European plant in honour of King Lysimachos of Thrace (= “‘the Peace- maker’’). The genus belong to family Primulaceae. Lythrum. Gk lythron, blood; from the colour of the flowers on the species named first. L. salicaria, Purple Loosestrife, a common English wild- flower, 1s also native here. Our other native species is L. hyssopifolia, Small Loosestrife, and we also have Medi- terranean Loosestrife, *L. flexuosum. The genus gives its name to family Lythraceae, quite distinct from the loosestrife of the previous entry. One is tempted to suggest that the mean- ings are opposite, that Lythrum means sto. let loose blood’’, 1:e...start strife rather than end it! Machaerina. Gk machaira, a dagger, short sword; from the form of these twig-rushes, which were formerly in 28 the genus Cladium; Churchill and De Corona list eight species in their book “The Distribution of Victorian Plants’, citing changes made _ by Koyama and by J. H. Kern; Willis retains them in Cladium. Macroglena. Gk makros, large, long; glene, a cavity. Our sole species, M. caudata, Jungle Bristle-fern, was trans- ferred from Trichomanes in 1938 by Copeland. This large Bristle-fern be- longs to family Hymenophyllaceae. *Miadia. Chilean name of *M. sativa, Pitch-weed or Tar-weed, the species that is naturalized in Victoria. The common name comes from the plant’s viscidity and heavy scent. In Chile the ‘madi’ is cultivated for the oil from the seed of these composites. Two other American genera in Compositae, Hemizonia (California) and Grindelia, are also known as tar-weeds. Malacocera. Gk malakos, soft; keras, horn; because the spreading appen- dages are soft and horn-shaped, not spiny as in Bassia. (Malacology comes from the same root, being the science of soft animals, i.e. the living animals of molluscs.) Our sole species, M. tri- cornis, Goat-head or Soft-horns, was classified in Chenolea in 1870. Sydney botanist, R. H. Anderson, established the new genus of Malacocera in 1926. (Mueller had transferred this chenopod to Bassia.) *Malus. Lat name for the apple. Our wild crab apples, *M. sylvestris (ori- ginally named by L. in 1753 as Pyrus malus var. sylvestris, literally ‘wood- land apple-pear’) are, according to J. H. Willis, descended from _ sub- species mitis, descended from culti- vated apples, not directly from wild crabs. Smith & Stearn state that all domestic apples are considered to be cultivars of the species M. pumila, a crab with very wide _ distribution, growing wild from Norway to the Himalaya, and from Asia to Spain. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 They mention possible minor interven- tion of other species, such as M. prunifolia and M. sylvestris. Apples belong to family Rosaceae. *Malva. Lat name for the mallow and a number of closely allied malvaceous plants. The word mallow is merely the English form of the same word; in German it is Malve and in French mauve, hence the colour. Victoria’s five species are all introduced. *M. sylvestris, Common Mallow, is here only in varietal form, var. mauritiana (=from Mauritius); *M. nicaeensis, Mallow of Nice, is a native of all Mediterranean countries except Al- bania, despite its localized specific name. (Marsh Mallow is Althaea officinalis, not introduced here.) Marianthus. Gk Maria, Mary; anthos, flower; an endemic Australian genus named by Huegel in 1837 after the Virgin Mary. Nearly all the 16 species are in the S.W. of W.A., but Victoria has two species, Orange Bell-climber and White Marianth. Shakespeare’s ‘winking marybuds’ in Cymbeline, and the marigold that ‘rises weeping’ in A Winter’s Tale, both refer to another flower with similar name origin. A great number of old common names had religious connotations, such as St. John’s Wort, Herb Bennet and Angelica. *Marrubium. Lat name of *M. vul- gare, Horehound: from Hebrew mar- rob, bitter juice. This plant provided the aromatic bitter juice for an ex- tract commonly used as a cough remedy. The Old English name, hare hune, meant hoary hune (an unidenti- fied plant name), so the alternative spelling hoarhound would be truer to the etymology than the more usual spelling horehound, a form resulting from folk etymology as though the plant had something to do with whores and bitches! January / February *Matricaria. Medieval Lat name for Mayweed, probably from matrix, womb, because of its one-time use by doctors in affections of the uterus. Our two introduced species are *M. globifera, Globe Chamomile, and *M. matricarioides, Rounded or Ray- less Chamomile (called Pineapple Weed in U.S.A.), originally named as a species of Artemisia, hence the specific name meaning ‘like Matri- caria’. Polunin gives Rayless Mayweed aS an alternative common name of these composites. Mazus. Gk mazos, a breast, a teat; from the tubercles closing the mouth of the corolla (two protuberances in the throat). Our species, M. pumilio, Swamp Mazus, is the sole representa- tive of this scrophulariaceous genus in Australia. Mecodium. Gk mekodios, seen by the way (mekos, length, height). Victoria’s four species are known as different kinds of filmy-fern, three of them formerly classified in Hymenophyllum and one in Trichomanes. Family Hymenophyllaceae. *Medicago. Name originally formed by Jacques Dalechamp (1513-1588) from Lat medica, lucerne, so-called because lucerne was believed to have been introduced into Europe from Media, a province of the old Persian Empire. This is Black’s explanation; Jaeger says the origin was Gk medike, a kind of clover from Media. All our ten species are introduced, includins *M. sativa, Lucerne or Alfalfa: the others are known as different kinds of medicks (bur clovers in U.S.A.). British writers on the flora invariably use the spelling of medick with the final k, as in Ewart’s ‘Flora of Vic- toria’, but present-day Australian botanists drop the k (as happened much earlier with words like publick). Medic is pronounced as in medical 29 when used for an army medical assist- ant; medick should be pronounced with the first syllable as in meed (or in Medes and Persians). The genus belongs, of course, to Papilionaceae. Melaleuca. Gk melas, black; leukos, white; Linnaeus naming the genus in 1767 because an Asiatic form of M. leucadendron has a black trunk and white branches. On the other hand, most of our Australian species of paperbarks have white or whitish trunks and give a general appearance of blackness in the distance from the dark foliage. The species named above has a specific name meaning white tree. Victoria’s 12 species, all native, are known as_ paperbarks, honey- myrtles, and one species, M. lanceo- lata (syn. M. pubescens) has an Abori- ginal name, Moonah. From the close- packed arrangement of its fruits, M. decussata is known as Totem-poles (as well as Cross-leaf Honey-myrtle) and M. uncinata is known as Mallee Broom-bush in addition to Broom Honey-myrtle. These shrubs and trees belong to family Myrtaceae. *Melianthus. Gk meli, honey; anthos, flower; known as_ honey-bush_ or honey-flower from the same charac- teristic. Our naturalized species, *M. comosus (Tufted Honey-flower, known in its South African homeland by the Afrikaans name of Kruidje-roer-my- nie (= Touch-me-not) because of its unpleasant odour and toxicity to stock), has also been successful in establishing itself in South Australia, whereas *M. major, Cape Honey- flower, persists only about old estates. The genus gives its name to family Melianthaceae. Melichrus. Gk _ melichros, honey- coloured (from meli, honey; chros, colour). Our sole species, M. urceo- latus, Urn Heath, has an urn-shaped flower, as the specific name indicates (Lat urceus, urn or pitcher; urceolus, little urn). The genus is in family Epacridaceae. *Melilotus. Greco-Latin name of these plants, from Gk meli, honey; lotos, lotus; the genus being related to Lotus. Victoria’s three introduced species are Sweet Melilot, Mediterranean Melilot, and Bokhara Clover. Common Melilot has been found as an occasional weed, mainly among crops of _ lucerne. (Papilionaceae.) *Mielissa. Gk melissa, a honey-bee, from meli, honey; Melissa was also the name of a Cretan nymph who first discovered how to get honey; the flowers are liked by bees. Our species is *M. officinalis, Common Balm, the word balm being an English shorten- ing of Lat balsamum, balsam. The family is Labiatae, to which belongs Prostanthera melissifolia, Balm Mint- bush, whose specific name means ‘with leaves like Melissa’. Melothria. Gk melothron, a wild vine, applied to some species of Bryonia, another member of this family, Cucur- bitaceae. Our species, M. micrantha, Mallee Cucumber, is found only in the N.W. of the State. Mentha. Gk minthe, from which Lat mentha and menta, classical name of mint, the English word being a form of the same word, as is French menthe (e.g. in creme de menthe). Victoria has three introduced species, Pennyroyal, Spearmint and Lemon Mint, and four native species (River, Forest, Creeping and Slender Mints). Plants approach- ing the typical form of *M. piperita have been noted at Sassafras in the Dandenongs (the Peppermint). The family is Labiatae. (To be continued) 30 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 IN MEMORIAM We regret the death of two long- standing members of this Club and express sympathy to their relatives. Ivo Hammet 30/12/75. Mr Ham- met was President FNCV 1944-5. He was a pioneer grower of native plants and many members will recall his fine garden of natives; he was the founda- tion President of SGAP and of great assistance in establishing the Maranoa Gardens. Mr Hammet was also noted for his book collection of Australiana with particular emphasis on natural history. George Collis 1/1/76. Mr Collis was an enthusiastic field naturalist and school teacher, but was forced to retire early due to ill health. He at- tended many FNCV extended excur- sions and camp-outs, and spent a happy two days (though necessarily in- active ones) after Christmas with the FNCV excursion at Orbost. Field Naturalists Club of Victoria General Meeting 8 December Speaker for the evening was Dr. M. Joshi. The topic was to have been “The Grand Canyon U.S.A.” but the accom- panying slides had been mislaid. Instead, Dr. Joshi spoke of the granitic rocks that extend down the west of America from Alaska to Chile, and showed slides of three national parks of California in that granitic belt — Yosemite, Lassen and Sequoia National Parks. Exhibits included three intriguing items under the microscopes. An amoeba, formless and almost colourless, was ac- companied by an alga, presumably uni- cellular; although x100, the alga ap- peared as minute green dots. A scarlet mite was bewilderingly active, never still for a moment, the eight legs often blurred by its rapid movement. A marine protozoa, euglena type with one flagel- lum, had been found as green scum on the beach. Secretary and Editor. Again the Presi- dent called for volunteers for these two jobs. Reports on surveys. The President read a letter from the Department of Conser- vation asking for reports on fauna or flora surveys carried out by groups or individuals. January / February The Naturalist. While awaiting a new editor, an editorial committee will ensure continued publication of the Naturalist and articles should be sent to the Editor, F.N.C.V., National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, 3141. More articles. short or long, would be wel- come from both scientific and research workers and from laymen with informa- tion or observation on any particular species, genera, areas or other aspects of natural history. Now that the Naturalist is to be issued only six times each year, it would be desirable to increase the contents considerably. The Naturalist has been published for. more than 90 years. A subject index pre- pared bv the late Miss K. Hall and an author index prepared by Mr. J. Baines are being typed —in the hope that we can find a wav to finance their publica- tion. These indices are held at the National Museum and are available there for reference. A volunteer is sought to take charge of the page “Diary of Coming Events”. This has largely fallen on Mr. McInnis but he does a great many other things for the Club and should be relieved of this extra task. Group Secretaries are asked to send in their programmes as early as possible, especially necessary now that the Naturalist will appear only on alternate months. If programmes for 31 4-6 months or for the whole year are received well in advance, it will be possible for each fixture to appear in two issues. General Meeting 12 January The meeting opened with the an- nouncement of the death of Mr. Ivo Hammet and of Mr. George Collis. All members stood in silence for a minute. See page 31. Traditionally, the first meeting of the year is a Members’ Night and six mem- bers presented items. Mr. Alan Morrison showed superb slides of some W.A. wildflowers, and of a caterpillar and moth similar to the Emperor Gum but very hairy. Dr. Brian Smith spoke of a scientific expedition to Lizard Island, 150 miles north of Cairns. It was mainly to study marine molluscs but Dr. Smith’s purpose was land molluscs. He showed slides of the area, of goannas, of a turtle camou- flaging the spot after laying eggs, and of two carnivorous snails that are abundant in the tropical forest. One of them is only 4 in. across the shell, the other 13 ins. A carnivore does not show a tail behind the shell when on the move as a garden snail does. Returning via Towns- ville, Dr. Smith was pleased to find a rare snail that produces a red mucus. Mr. Ken Strong spoke of a gall fly obtained from galls on flower buds of a Eucalypt. Each gall might contain up to 60 fly larvae which pupate in the gall. The adult fly, about 4 in. long, has a sucking mouth and pads on the feet like a house fly, and Mr. Strong wondered how such a_ soft-mouthed, soft-footed creature could emerge through half an inch of hard woody gall. He discovered that the young fly, when about to emerge, has a balloon-like structure or ptilinum on the front of the head, and the ptilinum is covered with hundreds of rasp-like teeth. Mr. Strong has not been able to find any information about the development of a ptilinum in gall flies, but it is present in some flies that emerge from the ground. Large, clear diagrams illustrated the talk and they also supplemented the slides under several microscopes which were examined at end of the meeting. Photographic slides of Switzerland were shown by Mr. Reuben Kent, of U.S.A by Mr. Jim Baines, and of land forms of South Australia taken from the air by Mrs. Seamons. Bird Atlas. A letter from V.O.R.G. organising committee for a bird atlas, asked for the co-operation of members of this Club who can identify birds and plot their positions on a map. Those interested should contact our Council, and perhaps an address could be ob- tained from one of the organisers. Spare-time workers for National Museum. Dr. Brian Smith said that the invertebrate section of the Museum could utilise several voluntary workers in writing labels, and suggested it would be a helpful, instructive, though unpaid occupation for teenagers on_ school holidays. Exhibits were dominated by Ken Strong’s excellent display on the gall fly— clearly annotated diagrams and slides under microscopes of pupae in the gall, the head of fly with ptilinum, the long ovipositor, etc. A ghost moth, 4 in. long, was obtained near Swan Hill, and a specimen of Bolwarra, Eupomatia laurina, with } in. cream flower, was obtained near Orbost. Western Victoria Field Naturalists Clubs Association Report of Member Club Activities for 1974 Donald History and Natural History Group. President: Mrs. J. Golding. Secretary: Mrs. R. Falla. The Group has had another busy year, with members attending the three W.V.F.N.C.A. meetings. Keen interest has continued in the Mount Jeffcott Flora Reserve, with many individual and group visits. A party from Warracknabeal was escorted through the Reserve in September. Members are delighted with the regenera- tion taking place in the area now that grazing has ceased, and the seventh type of orchid was found on the Mount in spring. Geelong Field Naturalists Club. 32 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 President: Mr. J. Hunt. Secretary: Mr. G. McCarthy. Membership: Approximately 500. Well-attended camp-outs were held to the Otways, Grampians, Mud Islands and Brisbane Ranges. Monthly excursions, including two by bus, were held with upwards of 20 carloads of members attending. The monthly meetings, with both visiting and Club speakers, usually attracted 130 members. The Club hosted the Latrobe Valley F.N.C. in October. Tree-planting has been undertaken at the You Yangs, Belmont Common and Ocean Grove Nature Reserve. Hamilton Field Naturalists Club. Secretary: Mr. D. McKenzie. The highlight of the year was the staging of ‘‘Photoflora 74” slides. This proved most successful and over 180 attended. Maintenance of the Wannon Wildflower Reserve continued, and tree-planting was undertaken at Bryant’s Swamp. Club members have been elected to the committees of management of both Mount Napier and Lake Linlithgow. Excursions included the Billywing-Black Range area (with Portland F.N.C.), Heywood Forests, Byaduk Caves and Mount Napier (with Warrnambool F.N.C.), and Port Fairy district. Camp-outs were held to the Little Desert and Mount Richmond (with W.V.F.N.C.A.). Horsham Field Naturalists Club. President: Mr. C. Kroker. Secretary: Mrs. J. Hill. Membership: 23. The annual essay competition, with nature and environment topics, was again conducted for primary school children and books were given as prizes. Regular film nights were held, also members’ nights, featuring seven-minute talks on subjects of interest. Guest speakers discussed use of forests, parks of the west U.S.A., field trip to the Grampians and Aboriginal paintings. A submission was made to the Minister of Lands re suggested purchase of land adjoining Mount Zero. Maryborough Field Naturalists Club. President: Mr. H. Beer. Secretary: Mrs. L. Courtney. Membership: 90 adults, 10 juniors. The Club enjoyed a successful year with well-attended monthly meetings and excursions. “‘Photoflora 74’? was staged and was enjoyed by a good audience. Local apiarists donated 550 pounds of honey to the Club; this was bottled by members and sold at the Club display stand during the Golden Wattle Festival to augment funds for sanctuary fencing. A working bee was held to eradicate boneseed from the local bush, with satisfactory results. Mid Murray Field Naturalists Trust. President: Mr. J. Hayward. Secretary: Miss G. Willoughby. Membership: 40 adults and 10 juniors. ‘A very busy year with the usual regular meetings and outings, plus all the extra planning and work that goes into the local screening of “‘Photoflora 74’’, hosting the W.V.F.N.C.A. August weekend, preparing submissions for the Land Conservation during general meetings. All this was wonderfully topped off by the exciting news in December that the Trust had won the Victorian Conservation Award for 1974. This is a great honour to us, and in fact to all the work of conservation carried on by all the scattered Field Naturalist Clubs of Western Victoria. Council Mallee Report and members taking turns to lead the juniors for a half-hour Portland Field Naturalists Club. President: Mr. M. Streeter. Secretary: Mr. C. Shoebridge. The average attendance at meetings during the year was 23, and this included three regular juniors. The highlight of the year was the hosting in October of the W.V.F.N.C.A. Annual Meeting. The efforts were well rewarded by the many thanks tendered by those who made the journey to the Mount Richmond camp-out area. January / February 33 Club excursions were not well attended. The striking of a Club badge was an important event, and a good effort by members resulted in all the ordered badges being paid for. Their sales in future years will provide some revenue. Stawell Field Naturalists Club. President: Mr. I. McCann. Secretary: Mrs. J. Hughes. Membership: 20. The average attendance at meetings has been nine. Half and full-day excursions were held. Slides of the area, and its flora and fauna were again shown at Hall’s Gap during the holidays. Two new plants have been added to the local flora list; the Pale Leek Orchid at the Three Jacks Sanctuary, and Urn Heath in the forest north- east of the town. Sunraysia Naturalists Research Trust. President: Mr. I. George. Secretary: Mr. P. Watson. Membership: 120. Topics discussed at meetings included bushfires and control-burning, biological control of red scale in citrus, geology and gemstones and growing Australian plants. Places visited during excursions included Frenchman’s Creek (using water transport), Tapio Station to see original mallee country along the Murray, Hattah, and the Mount Henschke rock country. The Christmas meeting following a picnic tea was unique in that the business part was held at the picnic area on the rowing club lawns. A natural history film is shown before each general meeting. Timboon Field Naturalists Club. President: Mr. K. McQuinn. Secretary: Mrs. F. Negrello. Membership: 9 family groups, 8 single adults, 2 juniors. Average attendance at meetings has been 27. Outings were held to Beauchamps Falls near Beech Forest, Hawk’s Nest Road near Lake Corangamite, Bay of Islands and coastal areas, Cape Otway. Some were held with Warrnambool and Colac Clubs. Guest speakers for the year covered such topics as the Colac Lakes area. travels to the Big Desert, Antarctica and Western Australia, and included speakers from Geelong, Portland and Melbourne. Warrnambool Field Naturalists Club. President: Mr. V. Yeoman. Secretary: Mrs. M. Yeoman. Membership: 38, including 4 juniors. Meetings and field outings were well attended during the year. Highlights of the year included the hosting of the autumn camp-out of the W.V.F.N.C.A., the com- bined Field Naturalist and Gem Club display, a weekend at Hall’s Gap, a trip to Lady Julia Percy Island and a visit to Melba Gully. Approaches were made to various departments in the hope that Melba Gully could be retained in its natural state. It was due to these efforts, plus the wonderful gesture of Mr. and Mrs. Madsen that Melba Gully has now been handed to the Victorian Conservation Trust. The gift to the Trust of land owned by Club member Mr. R. Illidge came as a great closing note for 1974. NOTICE TO CONTRIBUTORS Due to increased postage costs, it has become policy to advise contributors, only of the non-acceptance of an article. However, if you wish acknowledgement in any case, please include a stamped and addressed envelope. 34 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 (Continued from page 2) Sedgewick Hall when the local Club will provide the speaker. A_ full-day excursion on Sunday with an informal discussion around the camp fire in the evening and another excursion on Monday. The Bendigo Mammal Survey group will arrange spotlighting on one evening. The campsite is on a private block at Sedgewick with plenty of room for tents and caravans and shelter if the weather is bad. Basic toilet facilities will be provided but there will not be any electric power for caravans. Those wishing to camp on Friday night should ring Bendigo (054) 43 7950. It was not possible to obtain sufficient group accommodation for those not wishing to camp to justify a coach but it is hoped many members will go by private cars and it should be possible for them to book accommodation in the district for a car load. Would anyone going by car who would like to take another member, please contact the Excursion Secretary. Sunday, 21 March — Hanging Rock. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. Fare $3.00. Bring one meal and a snack. Friday, 16 April— Monday 19 April (Easter Weekend) — Beechworth. The coach will leave Flinders Street, outside the Gas and Fuel Corporation at 8.30 a.m. Contact Excursion Secretary later for further details. The coach fare will be $20.00 and should be paid to the Excursion Secretary by the end of March. Members will pay for accommodation individually as it is probable the party will be in two groups. GROUP EXCURSIONS Day Group — Any Member is Welcome — Third Thursday in the Month. Thursday, 19 February — Royal Botanic Gardens (Western Side) and Alexandra Gardens. Meet outside the Herbarium at 11.30 a.m. Thursday, 18 March — Caulfield Park. Meet at Tramway Junction, cnr. Hawthorn and Balaclava Roads, 11.30 a.m. There will not be a Day Group Meeting in April as Easter intervenes. Thursday, 20 May — Fitzroy Gardens Kiosk at 11.30 a.m. then after lunch to Institute of Archaeology. GROUP CAMP NOTICES FIELD SURVEY GROUP 14-15 February. Pyalong Area. 6-8 March. Otway Ranges. (Details Robin Sandell, 83 8009 (home).) MAMMAL SURVEY GROUP 21-22 February. 6-8 March. Winning Slides of Photoflora’ 76 Ninety minutes of top competition slides on native flowers, birds and bushland will be shown at 8 p.m. at Kew Baptist Church Hall, Highbury Grove on Wednesday 10 March; at Malvern City Hall, corner Glenferrie Road and High Street on Tuesday 30 March; and in Melbourne at Theatrette, AMP Building, corner January / February Bourke and William Streets on Mon- day 5 April. Adults $1, children and pensioners 50 cents, family $3. Contact Native Plants Preservation Society of Victoria, 3 Allfrey Street, East Brighton, 3187, phone 58 5753 for information on the other twenty centres in suburbs and country where these slides will be shown. 35 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 the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Q.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1975-1976. President: Mr. P. KELLY, 260 The Boulevard, East Ivanhoe, 3079. Correspondence Secretary: GARNET JOHNSON, 20 Sydare Ave., Chadstone, 3148. treasurer —— Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145. Acting Hon. Editor: Mr. G. M. WARD, 54 St. James Road, Heidelberg, 3084. Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield, S3151.9(52 2749.) Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. D. E. McINNES. Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards St., Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36 0587. Group Secretaries Botany: Miss E. JONES, 6 West Crt., Glen Waverley, 3150. (560 2280.) Day Group: Miss D. M. BELL, 17 Tower Street, Mont Albert, 3127. (89 2850.) Entomology and Marine Biology: Mr. JOHN ZIMMER. (419 4706, business hours.) Field Survey: R. D. SANDELL, 39 Rubens Gve., Canterbury, 3126. (83 8009) Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Miss Wendy CLARK, 97 Faraday Street, Carlton, 3053. Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy St., East Brighton. (96 3268.) 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 1975 Metropolitan o $10. Joint Metropolitan .. oe ms ee ate ie or ee ae a $12.50 Joint Retired Members ; Bip ae a4 ee ui $10.00 Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65. se Me a $8.00 Joint Country ; : $10.00 Junior $2.50 Subscriptions to Vict. Nat. ; Be oe! oe ee =. sige se $8.00 Overseas Subscription 7 >: A * te it ee a 2 $10.00 Junior with ‘‘Naturalist’” .. ae Ms i wt oe Oe AZ Lhe $8.00 Individual Magazines ky i a! $0.75 All subscriptions should be as Sagat le to the Field Neturalist Club of Victories and posted to the Subscription Secretary. >) JENKIN, BUXTON & CO. PTY. LTD., PRINTERS, WEST MELBOURNE victorian | naturalist F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS At the National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Monday, 10 May (7.55 p.m.) — Extraordinary Meeting. Business: Application for Affiliation by St. Arnaud and District Historical Society. Monday, 10 May (8.00 p.m.) — Annual General Meeting. Business: Minutes of 1975 Annual General Meeting to be read. Receive Report of Council. Receive Balance Sheet and Statement of Receipts and Expenditure. Elect Council (President, Vice-President and 10 Members of Council). Elect Office Bearers. GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 12 April (8.00 p.m.) — Speaker — Miss Doery. Subject — “A Naturalists Journey” (Darwin to Perth). Monday, 14 June (8.00 p.m.) — Speaker — Mr. Ian Morrison. Subject — ‘“‘Nature Walkabout”’. New Members — Elected March General Meeting: Ordinary: Miss G. Flood, Unit 7/8 Hepburn Street, Hawthorn, 3122. Miss M. B. Lock, 9 Norfolk Road, Surrey Hills, 3127. Miss L. P. Robertson, 155 Prospect Hill Road, Canterbury, 3126. Mr. John Wainer, 241 Dandenong Road, Windsor, 3181 (Mammals and Botany). Joint: Mr. Colin Kitchen and Mrs. Phyllis Kitchen, 91 Berkley Street, Hawthorn, 3122. Dr. J. A. Ferguson, 5 Mossman Drive, Heidelberg, 3084. Country: Mr. K. Todd, 93 Melwood Avenue, Killarney Heights, N.S.W., 2087. New Members — April General Meeting: Ordinary: Mr. Roger Pech, 1-3 Non-Collegiate Flats, Monash University, Clayton, 3168. Miss Helen J. Gordon, 7 Gaynor Court, Malvern, 3144. Miss Josephine Kenrick, 90 Adeney Avenue, Kew, 3101. Mr. Bruce Waixel, 25 Santon Street, Greensborough, 3088. Joint: Mr. Keith M. Brown, 176 Liverpool Road, Kilsyth, 3137. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Friday, 16 April-Monday, 19 April (Easter) — Beechworth. At the time of writing, this excursion is very poorly booked and it may be necessary to modify the trip unless there is an increase in numbers; if there is any alteration, members who have booked will be notified. Accommodation was not available in Beechworth itself and has been booked in Wangaratta with the intention of making day trips to Beechworth and district. Sunday, 16 May — Fungi Excursion to be led by Dr. J. H. Willis. The destination will probably be in the Dandenongs but will depend to some extent upon the weather. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. — fare $4.50 (bring a picnic lunch). Sunday, 20 June — Keith Turnbull Research Station, Frankston. Details next issue. Saturday, 21 August-Sunday, 5 September — New South Wales. Should sufficient members be interested, there will be an excursion to New South Wales, taking three days to reach Cronulla, where the party will stay until 27 August, 1976, then proceeding to Gosford and staying there until 2 September, 1976, when the return journey will begin. Accommodation, hotel and motel, mostly room only, and coach fare would be approximately $265.00 plus meals. Please let the Excursion Secretary know as soon as possible if you are interested. (Continued on page 79) 38 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 the victorian naturalist Vol. 93, No. 2 Editor: M. J. Lester. Editorial Committee: Margaret Corrick, Reuben Kent, Roland Myers, Brian Smith (chairman), Grif Ward. 7 April, 1976 Contents Feeding Habits of some Australian Short-necked Tortoises. By John M. Legler 40 Tortoise Care. By Susan Beattie 43 FNCV Grampians and Little Desert Tour. By Elizabeth K. Turner 47 The Broad-toothed Rat still in Sherbrooke Forest. By H. Brunner, |. D. Bertuch 55 The Broad-toothed Rat. By J. H. Seebeck 56 Upper Devonian bones near Genoa. By B. Stainforth, A. J. Alston, D. J. Bennett, A. Camilleri First record of Scorpaenid Fish. By Peter A. Morgenroth 62 Gall Flies. By Ken Strong 64 First record of Rice Cut Grass. By Margaret G. Corrick 67 Generic Names of Victorian Flora. By James A. Baines 68 A Plague of Crickets. By Joan Forster 70 The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: Diary of Coming Events 38, 79 The Editorial Committee 7\ Reports of Meetings 7\ Financial Report for 1975 73 Cover illustration is the Short-necked Tortoise Elseya dentata; see page 41. Photo: E. R. Rotherham by courtesy the National Museum of Victoria. March/ April Grif Ward has been editor of this journal for ten years and is certainly due for a break. We on this Editorial Committee are only just beginning to realise the complexity and time-consuming nature of his work. Many nights each month must have been spent checking manuscripts, photographs and drawings on a variety of natural history sub- jects, and marking them with the instructions necessary for the printer; then more nights after proofs were received and he pasted them in the page form as a final guide to the printer. No sooner was one issue pub- lished than he was preparing material for the next. How he fitted in this ‘spare time activity’ for ten years is truly remarkable, and we express the appreciative thanks of all Club members and readers. With Mr. Ward's long service in mind, perhaps it is not surprising that we have not been inundated with offers to replace him. Finally, Madge Lester volunteered but is emphatic that it is for one year only. We should not expect an editor to con- tinue for years and we now recognise that this Editorial Committee must be permanent, but, of course, with changing personnel over the years. Such a committee can help lighten the load of an incoming editor should he wish it, and we hope it will eventually pro- vide a pool of experienced persons who can relieve an editor for holidays or in an emer- gency. Please turn to page 71 for further information about this Committee. Ir, 1976 there will be only six issues of ‘The Victorian Naturalist’. This is due to economic reasons, but it makes our job a little easier than the |12-a-year that Mr. Ward produced. Nevertheless, we plan to increase the size of each issue, as evidenced by this one. Editorial Committee. 39 Feeding Habits of some Australian Short-necked Tortoises by JOHN M. LEGLER* Short-necked chelid feeding The dietary habits of turtles are poorly known in general but there is an acute dearth of knowledge for Australian chelids. Observations of turtles feeding under natural con- ditions are rare even in well-studied groups. The following observations re- sult from 19 months of fieldwork in Australia (December 1972-July 1974). Emydura: Surface feeding Belkin and Gans (1968) described an unusual feeding behaviour for Podocnemis unifilis in which indi- viduals were observed to skim parti- culate matter from the surface of the water and then to evacuate excess water from the pharynx in ‘‘a crude process of filtration’? before swallow- ing. They termed this behaviour ‘“‘neustophagia’’ and reported it also (to varying degrees) in Chrysemys picta and Podocnemis expansa. The following observations are for Emydura sp. under natural con- ditions at Kookabookra, N.S.W. (30° 01’, 152° 03’ 30”, elev. 1000m) on 2 December 1973. The feeding be- haviour observed is similar to the neustophagia described by Belkin and Gans. Turtles were observed in bilo- bate pool (70 x 20m x 5m deep) immediately adjacent to the Sara River; many such pools in the im- mediate area result from former gem- 40 mining operations (abandoned for at least ten to fifteen years). Populations of Emydura sp. and Chelodina longi- collis occur in both the river and the pools but are denser in the pools. This locality is the highest at which Emy- dura has been recorded in Australia. An adult male was observed with 7 x 50 binoculars at a distance of 10m for approximately one hour at mid- day (and was seemingly unaware of my presence). Its activities were con- fined to the area of a 15m equilateral triangle. The turtle cruised about slowly and almost continuously at or just beneath the surface for the entire hour. When feeding, the turtle appeared to be taking a bite of the surface of the water. After each bite it sub- merged the head, expelled bubbles (and presumably pharyngeal water) from the nostrils and then swallowed (as judged by throat movements). This sequence was repeated 8 to 10 times, followed by a brief rest, then begun again. Sequences of feeding often alternated with shallow under- water cruising during which the neck was fully extended and moved from side to side as in circumspection. Underwater feeding did not occur during the period of observation. During the cruising associated with *Department of Biology University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 U.S.A.* and Department of Zoology University of New England Armidale, N.S.W. 2351 Australia Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 surface feeding, the turtle moved the head from side to side, often altered course, and often directed its bites to one side or the other. In most in- stances the target of these bites could not be discerned. In a few instances (ca., 20) it was clear that the turtle saw, pursued, and bit at water-striding arthropods; the animals escaped by a comfortable margin in all these cases. Although the biting behaviour was essentially the same for the arthropods as for the unseen objects, I feel that the targets were different. The cir- cumspection and the direction of bites at unknown targets strongly suggest visible orientation to motile prey. At any given time during the ob- servations, ten or more Emydura could be seen at or near the surface of the pond; most were adult males. These turtles cruised about and dived out of sight repeatedly; none engaged in the surface feeding behaviour al- luded to above. Ten days later, baited traps set in the same pond caught a total of 14 Emydura sp. (446 92, 1 im) in 12 hours. Neustophagia was never observed again in nature or in captivity; how- ever, no effort was made to determine its frequency since the initial obser- vations. I observed neustophagia repeatedly in a captive of Podocnemis unifilis at the University of Utah (almost pre- cisely as described by Belkin and Gans). The behaviour here described for Emydura differs from P. unifilis in being much less delicate and in in- volving almost constant forward movement, a definite forward lunge with each bite, probable visual orien- tation, and a body position nearly parallel with the surface. In general the neustophagia of Emydura seems to be intermediate between that of P. unifilis and the “apparently in- effective biting’? of P. expansa de- scribed by Belkin and Gans. March/ April Elseya dentata: Fig feeding The following observations were made from a boat on the Gregory River approximately 8 km upstream from Gregory Downs Homestead, Queensland (18° 40’, 139° 12’, elev. 100m) on 10-13 May 1974. At this point the river is approximately 30m wide, 3-6m deep and the current is slow. At the time of these observa- tions the water was slightly murky and the level was still falling after the wet season. Gallery forest consisted of Pandanus in dense clumps and mixed larger trees. Among the latter were a few figs (Ficus sp. — nr. ehretioides). Pandanus limbs projecting into the water and many tangles of deadwood created favourable habitat for Emy- dura australis and Elseya dentata. Approximately one hour before dusk on 10 May our attention was at- tracted to a disturbance on the sur- face within a tangle of deadwood. From a distance this appeared to be a small fishing float being pulled vio- lently beneath the water and then re- leased. Closer examination revealed the object to be a fig approximately 35mm in diameter. There was a fig tree directly overhead. Since we had not been aware of figs anywhere on this stretch of the river, it was as- sumed that fruit had just begun to fall. By approaching the area quietly to a distance of about 3m we could clearly discern that the disturbance was caused by several small (200- 220mm carapace length) Elseya den- tata chasing figs on the surface. The figs were much larger than any of these turtles could take into its mouth. A turtle would approach a fig, bite at it, and send it scooting forward (or attempt to submerge with it and have it pop immediately to the surface), much in the manner of small children bobbing for large apples. Turtles were Al crawling over the backs of other turtles in their zeal to get at the figs. They were so engrossed in this activity that we were able to catch three specimens by hand (the species is usually very shy). A large female (325mm) was later caught in a trap baited with figs at this spot. Most specimens of E. dentata from this locality had figs in their stomachs. Size of the figs (or pieces thereof) was directly proportional to size of turtle; the largest specimens contained some whole figs and many that had been bitten into two or three pieces. On subsequent evenings figs could be seen in abundance and we observed figs being eaten beneath several trees that were dropping fruit. Most figs disappeared in a small swirl soon after hitting the water and without reveal- ing the identity of the feeding animal. In several instances where no fruit was floating beneath a laden tree, we threw figs there to simulate fruit drop- ping from a tree. These figs dis- appeared as described above. Several E. dentata were captured by embed- ding a long-shank hook in a fig and casting it with a fishing rod beneath a fig tree where we had seen turtles. In all cases the fig was pulled suddenly but gently beneath the surface almost immediately (the process was remi- niscent of a large trout taking a fly). We think turtles ate most of the figs we saw taken and that most of these turtles were Elseya dentata; we found figs in only one of the Emydura australis dissected at Gregory Downs. The behaviour described suggests that Elseya congregate beneath laden trees and actually wait for figs to drop at certain times of the day. Fig eating was common only in late afternoon and it was our impression that signifi- cantly more fruit was dropping then than at any other time of the day. At another locality in the Northern Territory (East Baines River, near A2 Auvergne, 130° 03’, 15°) 47)® the water was clear enough for snorkeling and we could clearly see and catch Elseya dentata as they moved about in tangles of deadwood and _ beneath undercut banks. In the late morning I cautiously approached and explored the area beneath a laden fig tree. Although there was abundant sign that figs had been eaten (pieces of fig on bottom) there were no turtles near the tree at that time. The only other turtle species ob- tained or observed in the Gregory River was Emydura australis (Chelo- dina rugosa occurs there but chiefly in non-fluviatile habitats). Detailed analyses of gut contents for all Aus- tralian chelids will appear elsewhere, but the following generalities are of interest. All populations of Elseya dentata studied were herbivorous, although they could be attracted with meat or fish bait and regularly ate these foods in captivity. At Gregory Downs (and elsewhere in northern Australia) Emydura australis is an op- portunistic omnivore with carnivorous tendencies. Both species at Gregory Downs were eating Pandanus fruits; only one Emydura contained figs. Small molluscs were the commonest and most abundant item in E. aus- tralis guts; molluscs were never found in FE. dentata guts. The exploitation of windfalls as an opportunistic feeding niche is prob- ably of general occurrence in diverse groups of turtles, but it has been men- tioned only a few times in the litera- ture: Antillean species of Pseudemys (Barbour and Carr, 1940); Trionyx triunguis (Loveridge and Williams, 1957): Carettochelys insculpta (Schodde et al., 1972); Terrapene ornata (Legler, 1960); Pseudemys scripta (Moll and Legler, 1971). I have observed figs dropping into the Rio Chagres in Panama and being taken almost immediately in a man- Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 ner similar to that described for E. dentata. I have also removed large succulent fruits (unidentified) from the stomachs of large snapping turtles (Chelydra acutirostris) taken on Es- cudo de Veraguas Island, Panama. It seems likely that, in Elseya dentata and in at least some of the other aforementioned species, the exploita- tion of windfalls involves some learn- ing (rather than chance alone). Acknowledgments The research in Australia was sup- ported partly by the Allegheny Foun- dation Fund for Animal Behavior Studies (Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburg, Pa.) and the Ian Potter Foundation (Melbourne). I am grateful to J. J. Bull and A. F. Legler for their sharp eyes and other assis- tance in the field. LITERATURE CITED Barbour, T., and A. F. Carr, Jr. 1940. Antillean terrapins. Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool., 54 (5): 381-415, 9 pls. Belkin, D. A., and C. Gans. 1968. An unusual chelonian feeding niche. Eco- logy, 49: 768-9. Legler, J. M. 1960. Natural history of the ornate box turtle, Terrapene ornata ornata Agassiz. Univ. Kansas Publ. Mus. Nat. Hist., 11 (10): 527- 669. Loveridge, A., and E. E. Williams. 1957. Revision of the African tortoises and turtles of the suborder Cryptodira. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zoo., 115 (6): 166-557, 18 pls. Moll, E. O., and J. M. Legler. 1971. The life history of a Neotropical slider turtle, Pseudemys scripta (Schoepft) in Panama. Bull. Los Angeles Co. Mus. Nat. Hist., no. 11., 102 pp. Schodde, R., I. Mason, and T. O. Wolfe. 1972. Further records of the pitted- shelled turtle (Carettochelys insculpta) from Australia. Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust., 96. (2)-> TIS-117. Tortoise Care BY SUSAN BEATTIE * This article was prepared in view of the many requests to the Fisheries and Wildlife Division for information on the care of tortoises held in captivity. Species Three species of freshwater tortoises occur in Victoria. All are Pleurodires (necks retract sideways) and are members of the family Chelidae. The species are Chelodina longicollis (Shaw 1793), C. expansa (Gray 1856) and Emydura macquari (Cuvier 1826). March/ April _ Distribution In Victoria, the species C. longi- collis occurs over the whole of the State, and C. expansa and E. macquari inhabit areas in the northern and western part of the Murray River System. General appearance Many differences and similarities in morphology occur in individuals of * Fisheries and Wildlife Division, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Victoria. 43 the same species at different stages of their growth and in different species of the same or related genus (Goode 1968). The young of C. longicollis have small red or orange spots which change to bone colour at about three months of age. The adult C. longicollis has a shell length of up to 254 mm and is distinguished by its long neck and by the emission of an exception- ally strong odour, hence the common names ‘snake-neck’ or ‘stinker’. This Structures of species is capable of lifting its head high above the shell. The neck is covered with black skin bearing fine pointed tubercles, and from the rear the two hindmost marginal shields on the carapace form an inverted ‘V’ shape. The species C. expansa is the largest of the three, with its shell exceeding 384 mm in length. It is distinguished by its long neck covered with fine, olive-coloured wrinkled skin and Be <0 SAK Nase NN “s at a Sey t \ We SN 7 Ax WS [> Emydura macquari: (a) Tubercles on neck; (f) Plastron (underside of shell). Chelodina expansa: (b) Wrinkles on neck; (d) Plastron. Chelodina longicollis: (c) Tubercles on neck; (e) Plastron; (g) Rear view of shell showing inverted ‘V’ shape. 44 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 when walking, adults never raise the top of their head above the rim of the carapace; the bottom of the neck frequently touches the ground (Goode 1968). The hindmost marginal shields of the carapace project downward be- low the general line. Because of its broad shell it is commonly known as the ‘broad-shelled tortoise’. The species E. macquari, common- ly known as the Murray snake-necked tortoise, is identified by its short neck and oval-shaped shell, the width of the front being almost equal to that of the rear. Its shell length exceeds 300 mm. Sex determination Most of the sex determining features do not appear until the tor- toise is mature. Emydura macquari male is immediately recognizable by the length and thickness of its tail. In Chelodina species it is almost im- possible to determine the sex, and captive females often lay fertile eggs without apparent contact with a male. The female can retain sperm from a mating in the wild for a period of four years. Normally the female comes ashore to nest, but if unable to do so, will lay eggs in water where the embryos suffocate. Hibernation Kept indoors at room temperature the tortoise will not hibernate and requires lighter feeding during the winter months. If kept outside C. longicollis occasionally comes ashore to burrow into earth, either beneath leaves or among the roots of trees or shrubs. Other species bury themselves in mud beneath the water, taking oxygen from the water. Care should be taken not to disturb the tortoise during this period as shock may kill it. Food In the natural environment, tor- March/ April toises feed on snails, small fish, worms and tadpoles. Lean meat fed daily in summer and twice weekly in winter is a good substitute but it is impor- tant that uneaten food should be re- moved from the tank to avoid fouling of the water. Tortoises should be fed in water as the structure of the neck makes it impossible to pick up food from the ground. As small quantities of water flora are also consumed, water lilies or floating plants and weeds serve both as food, and water cleaners. The diet should also contain relatively large amounts of calcium (see Health problems — Soft Shell). Growth rate is quicker during the im- mature stages and is conditioned by the amount of food consumed. Shell distortion can occur through over- feeding as the organs of the body grow faster than the shell. Garden Pond After 2-3 years the tortoise may grow too big for the indoor tank, and an outside pond should be provided. An enclosure with walls about one metre high may be constructed from chicken-wire sunk 15 cm into the soil to prevent tortoises burrowing out. The enclosure should be well-shaded especially in summer by shrubs and aquatic plants, which will provide shelter as well as food. Before intro- ducing the tortoise or other aquatic species into new concrete ponds, the ponds should have been filled with water for three weeks, or coated with a liquid and powder mix to seal in harmful chemicals (available from Nonporite Pty. Ltd.) Health Problems In their natural habitat tortoises regularly bask in the sun either float- ing on the water surface or basking on the bank. Warm, not hot, sunlight is the best cure for most health problems. The tortoise should be left 45 in the sun for several hours each day, but not prevented from returning to the water. Only if sunlight treatment fails to cure complaints should medi- cation be applied. 1. Soft shell, the most common complaint, is the result of insufficient sunlight. Large amounts of calcium should be included in the diet. Only after sunlight treatment has been tried should soluable calcium lactate (ob- tainable from chemists) be applied to the tank once a month in sufficient quantity to cover a 10 c coin. 2. Algal growth on the shell is a natural condition and is not a health problem. 3. Bacterial or fungus infections may appear on the shell or body. The tortoise should be given daily salt baths (4 teaspoonful of table salt to one measuring cup full of luke warm water) for 15 minutes each day over 2 weeks or until the infection dis- appears. If the tortoise emerges from its hibernation with fungus, leave it in the sun for 1% hours, then apply ‘Magical Fungus Cure’ obtainable from aquarium shops. 4. Cuts and bites may be cleaned with a swab of common antiseptic (Mercurochrome should not be used). 5. Moulting of shell plates occurs at regular intervals and is not a health problem. 6. Holes should never be drilled into the tortoise shell to secure it as the shell is living tissue. 7. Painting the shell will restrict shell growth and may even kill the animal. 8. Plastral sores on the lower shell are usually caused by rough sub- stratum. Rough rocks should be re- placed by smooth ones, and concrete should be covered with sand and pebbles. Treat sores as ‘cuts’. 9. Swollen eyes are a result of poor living conditions and diet. Begin with salt treatment and check diet. Acknowledgements I wish to thank Dr D. Evans for reading the draft, Mr J. Alderson and members of the freshwater section for their assistance in many ways. REFERENCES Baxter, J., 1974. Pools add interest to a garden, ‘Your Garden’. Cogger, H., 1975. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia, A. H. Reed Pty. Ltd., Syd- ney, Australia. Goode, J., 1965. Freshwater Tortoises in Victoria, ‘Vic. Nat.’, Vol. 82, pp. 169-175, 218-222. 1966. Notes on the Artificial Incubation of Eggs of Victorian Chelid Tortoises, ‘Vic. Nat.’, Vol. 83, pp. 280-286. 1967. Freshwater Tortoises of Australia and New Guinea. Lansdowne Press, Mel- bourne, Australia, 154 pp., 139 pl., 8 figs. 1968. Morphological Variations in Vic- torian Tortoises. ‘Vic. Nat.’, Vol. 85, pp. 263-267. Worrell, E., 1963. Reptiles of Australia. Angus and Robertson, Sydney, Australia. New Officers at Ringwood Field Naturalists Club President: Mr. W. King (phone 876 1298). Past-President: Mr. J. Hyett (874 1880). Vice-President: Mr. E. Schurmann (870 6978). Treasurer: Mr. A. Wallbridge (874 4905). Secretary: Mr. D. Thomas (870 7229). Committee Members: Miss C. Gray (735 5103). 46 Mr. G. Coutts (723 3001). Mr. A. Gaines (725 0041). Mr. R. French. Mr. C. Compton. Junior Club Leader: Mr. B. Fuhrer (870 3405). Junior Secretary: Miss C. Gray (735 5103). Vict. Nat. Vol. 93’ FNCV Grampians and Little Desert Tour 17-22 October, 1975 BY ELIZABETH K. TURNER with assistance from Elsie Costermans (eucalypts), Dorothy Dawson (birds), Ian Morrison, Ercil Webb-Ware and Laura White (botany), and others. The Grampians Although the huge — sandstone masses of the Grampians with its weathering and erosion of the original Devonian sediments were visible from the bus windows as escarpments, dip slopes and etched out rock forma- tions, the forays of the 37 enthusiastic persons in our party were mainly con- fined to the non-architectural, non- spectacular, non-tourist infested areas; mostly the low weathered hills and sand plains, where we found in pro- fusion some of the 1,000 or more vascular plants which are known to grow in that area. After lunch at Lake Bolac, where we observed pelicans in flight and a white egret also, we heard the song and caught glimpses of the elusive reed warbler (Aerocephalus australis) and were observed by a little falcon. Then we entered into this vast area of Western Victoria via Dunkeld at the southern end. Here, massive sedi- ments of quartzose sandstone inter- bedded with thin layers of siltstone were deposited some 400 million years ago, to be folded, faulted and weathered into the shapes now known as the Grampians. We interupted a family of cock and hen emu with ten striped chicks and saw a flight of straw-necked ibis, and conspicuous beside the road were scattered deep blue patches of tinsel lily (Calectasia cyanea). By the time we had reached our motel at Halls Gap, we had March/ April counted 35 wallabies, numerous koalas (some with babies) and also a couple of stumpy tails (Trachysaurus rugosus) crossing the road. Next day we joined with the West- ern Victorian Field Naturalists Clubs Association for a visit to Barbican Rocks in the Mt William range. Our leader, Ian McCann of the Stawell Club, said that this area was the oldest and most eroded of all the Grampians sediments. In brilliant sun- shine, we inspected along the old flume line which was an aquaduct formerly conveying the water supply for Stawell north to the _ tunnel through the Mt William range. The freely draining rocky slopes above the south side of Redman’s road carried very little plant nutriment, but thick beds of moss, in which grew the dwarfed hooded trigger-plant (Stry- lidium calcaratum) in a startling pink colour alongside the lilac fairies aprons (Utricularia dichotoma), Eucalyptus alpina (the Grampians gum) and the Leptospermum nitidum (the shining tea-tree) grew on the exposed scarps. After lunch, we walked around the southern end of Lake Fyans where the outstanding botanical features were orchids, the commonest being Caladenia carnea (pink fingers), rabbit ears (Thelymitra antennifera) and the wax-lip (Glossodia major). Some of the members of the Bendigo Field Naturalists Club took some con- 47 vincing that Thelymitra macmillanii could be salmon pink and not crimson. Thelymitra carnea, Thelymitra rubra and Thelymitra luteocilium were also seen. One of the most exciting finds for the day was the pigmy club moss (Phylloglossum drummondii); _ this diminutive single member of its genus was not previously recorded at this site. Dodenea procumbens (the trail- ing hop bush) was a new find for most of us. Birds observed here included the black-fronted dotterel (Charadrius melanops), a rainbow bird (Merops ornatus), a hooded robin (Petroica cucullata) and the white-winged triller (Lalage sueurii). In the evening, Mr W. Davis led the discussion amongst a large audi- ence in the Halls Gap hall on the Aims and Policies of the Australian Conservation Foundation. The following day was overcast and we were taken along a stand track east of the Mt Difficult Pine Plantation Picnic Ground to an open forest area consisting mainly of brown stringy bark (Eucalyptus baxterii), where it was almost impossible not to stand on fragile orchid blooms such was their profusion. Here we recorded: Onion orchids (Microtis), Calochilus robert- sonii (purplish beard), Thelymitra carnea (pink sun-orchid), 7. macmil- lanii (crimson sun-orchid), 7. anten- nifera (rabbit ears), 7. ixiodes (dotted sun-orchid), 7. rubra (salmon _ sun- orchid), 7. luteo-cilium; Acianthus reniformis (mosquito orchid), Caleana major (large duck orchid); Caladenia menziesii (hare orchid), C. dilatata (green-comb spider orchid), C. fila- mentosa (daddy long-legs), C. angus- tata (musky caladenia), C. cucullata (hooded caladenia), C. iridescens (bronze caladenia), C. carnea (pink fingers); Glossodia major (wax-lip orchid), Diuris maculata (leopard orchid), D. longifolia (wallflower orchid); Pterostylis nutans (nodding 48 greenhood), P. nana (dwarf green- hood). In defence of the pine plantation which had been planted 36 years pre- viously, Mr Ian McCann mentioned that koalas had been observed eating pine needles, and that morels and other fungi grew in abundance be- neath the trees, whilst flame and scar- let robins nested in the pines. For many of us, it was the first time we had found laxmannia (the wire lily) in flower, many of the flowers were pink; both species were seen (Lax- mannia sessiliflora and gracilis). The parrot family is well repre- sented in the Grampians and we ob- served flocks of long-billed corellas, galah, crimson and eastern rosellas, gang-gang and sulphur-crested cocka- toos, red-rumped parrots and the yellow-tailed black cockatoo. On Sunday night 19 October, thun- der storms occured and Monday morning was wet, windless and cold. McKenzie Falls were in spate and were worth the damp walk to the viewing spot, but we were grateful for hot scones and tea at Grant Taylor’s home beyond Zumsteins. Half a mile further north on the Horsham Road, a walk was made to inspect the Mont- rose Environmental Groups native plants garden; here we saw the old bridge of the original route to Ade- laide for conveying the gold from the diggings at Pleasant Creek (Stawell). During the afternoon, a visit was made to the Wimmera Forest Nursery at Wail where the trees and shrubs were all correctly named and labelled, which was such a help to aspiring botanists! We noted the prolific bird life encouraged by the oasis of so many native trees. For instance, we saw the purple-crowned lorikeet (Glossopsetta porphyrocephala), the little wattle-bird (Anthochaera chry- soptera) and the diamond _firetail (Emblema guttata). Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Nhill, the Little Desert and Mt Arapiles The greater part of the road south from Nhill to Gymbowen (48 km) runs in a Straight line through the Little Desert, dissecting the eastern one-third from the western two-thirds of this well-vegetated, well-watered, sandy area formed mainly of sand blown across many thousands of years ago from South Australia. Often the road cuts through sand dunes con- taining lateritic sandstone and running for the most part in an _ east-west direction throughout the approximate 60 miles east-west length of the desert. On these dunes we discovered some of our most exciting flora and avi- fauna, the latter included the southern scrub-robin (Drymodes — brunneo- pygia), the shy heath wren (Hylacola cauta), the superb blue wren (Malu- March/ April rus cyaneus) and the purple backed wren (Malurus assimilis). Also the tawny-crowned and the white-fronted honeyeaters, and very numerous yellow-winged honeyeaters. In conjunction with brown stringy bark (Eucalyptus baxterii), there were several mallees, the yellow (E. incras- sata), the green (E. viridis) and the narrow-leaf red (E. foecunda). We also discovered patches of bull mallee (E. behriana) and dumosa. The pale green foliage of the desert banksia (Banksia ornata) was conspicuous, but the flower cones were mostly grey and withered. The most prolific colour was the creamy-pink clusters of the fringe myrtle (Calytrix tetragona) interspersed with patches of golden pennants (Loudonia behrii), unusually yellow candles (Stackhousia viminea) (plate I) and the yellow of the acacia Plate 1: Yellow candles, Stackhousia viminea. Photo: I. Morrison 49 flowers such as the wallowa (Acacia calamifolia). Near clay pan areas and swamps which were filled with water, we were delighted with the cyclamen pink blooms of Melaleuca wilsonii and the pea-green low bushes of Melaleuca neglecta. There were patches of bright blue Dampiera lanceolata and some scarlet mint-bush (Prostanthera aspa- lathoides), while various shades of yellow were supplied by at least four species of guinea flower (Hibbertia fasiculata, stricta, virgata and sericea). Especially delightful discoveries Plate 2: Pink zieria, Zieria veronica. Photo: I. Morrison Plate 3: From Mt Arapiles looking north-west over Mitre Rock to the Little Desert. Photo: I. Morrison 50 were pink zieria (Ziera veronicea) with citronella-scented leaves (plate 2), small leafed waxflower (Erioste- mon difformis), yellow Phebalium stenophyllum, blue spike milkwort (Comesperma calymega), flax-leaved logania (Logania_ linifolia) and several varieties of orchids, as well as the diminutive rosettes of the flannel cudweed (Actinobole uliginosum), and a peculiarly unattractive-looking plant with tiny ruddy _ wheel-like flowers which became fascinating when viewed through the lens; this was the wheel-fruit (Gyrostemon aus- Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 tralasicus). Surprising plant associations were the dense spiney porcupine grass (Triodia irritans) and the flowering grey mulga (Acacia brachybotria), both real desert plants growing quite close to plants such as the _ lilac tinged sweet apple-berry (Billardiera cymosa), the shrub violet (Hybanthus floribundus) and_ blue _ herons-bill (Erodium cygnorum), and the deli- cate lilac eye-bright (Euphrasia collina). At Gymbowen, we turned east past the drab little stone cairn in memory of Jane Duff, the 12-year-old girl who in 1864 was sent by her mother with her two younger brothers to collect broom-brush (probably Melaleuca un- cinata); they became lost and lived for nine days in the bush before they were found. One of our party, Nancy Carstairs, remembers Jane as a very March/ April old Mrs Turnbull who came to talk to the children at the Natimuk school and to show them the little frock that she wore during the adventure. At the foot of the cairn, there was a flourish- ing bush of black nightshade (Sol- anum negrum). We had lunch near the summit of Mt Arapiles where the vegetation is just recovering after the disastrous bushfires of two years ago (plate 3). Here there were clusters of violet fairy-fan-flower (Scevola aemula); also the blue grass-lily (C@sia vittata) , chocolate lilies (Dichopogon strictus) and the nodding blue lily (Stypandra glauca) in abundance. Eristemon ver- rucosus (the fairy wax flower) was blooming, and near the rocky sum- mit was a fine display of golden ever- lastings (Helichrisum bracteatum). During a walk along the road in the Little Desert area on our return Plate 4: Salt lake in the Little Desert. Pink fringe-myrtle, Calytric tetragona in foreground. Photo: Author 5) journey, we were fortunate to witness the golden whistler (Pachycephala pic- toralis) nesting in the low branches of a melaleuca, also a hooded robin (Petroica cucullata). That evening the Nhill Senior Citizens allowed us to use their fine club-rooms to view some colour slides taken and shown by Mr Ray Reichelt, who runs the Little Desert Tours. We had a chance to meet some of the Senior Citizens at a fine supper after- wards. Kiata and Wimmera River Wednesday, 22 October dawned clear and cloudless and this day may have been the highlight of the trip for most of us. Firstly, we drove to the Kiata Lowan Reserve picnic area and followed the Nature Trail beside the yellow gums (Eucalyptus leucoxylon), wattles, slaty she-oaks (Casuarina muelleriana) and cypress pines (Calli- tris rhomboidea and preissii); one in- teresting bonus discovered here was a fine patch of adders’ tongues (Ophio- glossum coriaceum). Here we_ ob- served the ring-necked mallee parrot (Bernardius barnadii) nesting in a hollow bough of a yellow gum. Other birds observed here were the wedge- tailed and the whistling eagle, numer- ous honeyeaters and the brown and white-throated tree creepers. The joy- ous paroxysms of song from _ the rufous and golden whistlers accom- panied us on our walk through the bush, and a rufous songlark was ob- served nesting and also heard calling beautifully. Then, led by two National Park Rangers, Mr Keith Hately and col- league, we set off in Land Rovers, utility trucks and a couple of private cars over the sandy tracks south for approximately 11 miles, almost in the centre of the park, to a shallow salt lake filled with water, more saline to the taste than sea water (plate 4). After lunch, Keith Hately showed us the sandy mound with sealed en- trance and escape hole of the silkly desert mouse (Pseudomys albocine- reus) (plate 5). Pink Boronia pilosa grew in the most arid-looking areas in association with the porcupine grass and abundantly flowering Eutaxia microphylla, Aotus ericoides and Pimela sp. There were occasional bushes of blue Dampiera lanceolata. Standing on the tray of the utility trucks as they mounted the sand hills, afforded us an extensive panorama of the Little Desert, at the same time as we brushed against the rather spikey Plate 5: Silky desert mouse, Pseudomys albocinereus. SY Photo: Autho1 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 dark green branches of Melaleuca wilsonii with it’s beautiful cyclamen pink flowers. We detoured and walked along a cleared sandy track towards the west, where an enterprising mallee fowl (Leipoa ocellata) had recently built its characteristic mound of sticks from those which had been pushed aside when the track had been cleared, and of leaves, vegetable debris and sand. This being October, egg laying had commenced and we had a brief glimpse of a departing male bird who was forced by our presence to have a short respite from his arduous temperature-regulating duties at the incubator mound. Apparently, after preparing the mound, this _hard- working bird begins his daily excava- tions and the temperature assessments in September using his beak and tongue, and must continue morning, noon and night, through until autumn to keep the heat of fermentation around the 33°C mark. The task seems rather thankless for after the nuggety chicks have struggled up through 70 or 80 cms of sand and rested briefly, they begin their inde- pendent existence in the bush at once and take no further interest in the parent birds, nor they in their off- March/ April spring! Although we waited a while with cameras poised, the male bird did not return for his photo. In a cleared paddock bordering the park we saw a flock of 25 emus. Next morning, Thursday, 23 Octo- ber, was overcast and rain occured in the afternoon. We travelled the Nhill to Jeparit road and at a stop near the Gerang-Gerung cross-roads, we in- vestigated a forest of black box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) and were de- lighted to find the turkey-bush (Myo- porum deserti) in full flower, also the nealie wattle (Acacia rigens) and nearby the gold-dust wattle (Acacia acinacea) had corkscrew-like pods; also at this spot were small stands of weeping pittosporum (Pittosporum phillyreoides) and desert cassia (Cas- sla neminifolia var. zygophylla) in flower. In the grass under the bulokes (Casuarina luehmannii), bull-mallees (Eucalyptus behriana) and_ scrub- cypress pines (Callitris verrucosa), we found the delicate blue broughton pea (Swainsona .procumbens) and a mauve daisy (Brachycome sp.). The Wimmera River which rises so hopefully in the Grampians and is acutely diverted north at Natimuk along the lower east side of the Hind- marsh fault, a geographic monocline, Plate 6: Lake Hindmarsh in flood. Photo: Author 53 was flooded and threatening to breach the sandbagged barricades around the town of Jeparit. Lake Hindmarsh had extended its waters to waterlog some of the lovely river red gums (Euca- lyptus camaldulensis) growing near its banks (plate 6); in spite of all this volume of water, the Wimmera River never achieves union with the Murray in the north, but peters out in a series of shallow lakes extending along the red gum and box flats of Wyperfeld National Park area. Most of the party were unfamiliar with blue rod (Morgania glabra var. floribunda) which we found on the shores of Lake Hindmarsh; here also we found the violet coloured monkey flower (Mimulus repens) and_ the austral hollyhock (Lavateria plebia), also the mallee bitter-bush (Adriana hookeri), ruby saltbush (Euchylena tomentosa) and wild tobacco (nico- tiana velutina) as well as the intro- duced tree tobacco. A real ‘grand- father’ echidna was seen in the sand- hills, judging by its enormous size. Here the rounded noon-flower (Dis- phyma autrale) was in flower and Acacia trineura (the three-nerved wattle and Acacia lingula (the small cooba) were found. A_ red-capped robin and a diamond firetail were seen in the melaleucas growing in the sand dunes. Water birds abounded, including the pied cormorant, the little and the hoary-headed grebe, black swan, black, musk and white-eyed ducks, chestnut-breasted shelduck, chestnut teal, dusky moorhen, eastern swamp hen and coot. The rain then terminated outdoor exploration so we finished with a visit to the Wimmera-Mallee Pioneer Museum at Jeparit where, amongst many interesting exhibits, there were photos of a fine-looking, former Jeparit storekeeper, James Menzies, father of the present Sir Robert. Finale On the weather map, a large tropi- cal ‘low’ seemed to have descended from the north and we sped home through rain most of Friday, 24 Octo- ber. In fact, Melbourne received a flooding downpour co-inciding with our return and some of us uncere- moniously alighted from the bus in an unsheltered area of Flinders Street, only to find that the rain and the arrival of Princess Margaret seemed to have caused the disappearance of taxis from the streets. The harsh realities of the city, how- ever, could do nothing to erase our pleasurable memories of colour and sunshine in the Grampians and the Little Desert. Natural History Medallion Trust Fund The following donations have been received and we thank the donors:— Amount invested as at 22 November, 1975 Ringwood Field Naturalists Club... Amount invested as at 18 February, 1976 Mr. J. A. Baines ... Geelong Field Naturalists Club _ Amount invested as at 10 March, 1976 We have placed a forward order for this year’s Medallion, so if you are contemplating sending a donation please send it now. GARNET JOHNSON, CORRESPONDENCE SECRETARY. 54 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 The Broad-toothed Rat still in Sherbrooke Forest A successful search for Mastocomys fuscus Thomas BY H. BRUNNER AND I. D. BERTUCH * In 1970, a small colony of the broad-toothed rat (M. fuscus) was located in wet sclerophyll forest near Belgrave in Sherbrooke Forest Park (Seebeck 1971). In the presence of other small terrestrial mammals, this rat was difficult to trap, so that a study of the colony was only possible after all captured species of Rattus fuscipes, Antechinus swainsonii and A. stuartii were transferred to another area. This left the traps vacant for the apparently more shy M. fuscus. At the completion of this study in 1972, as many M. fuscus specimens as could be trapped were taken into captivity before the colony area was sprayed to eradicate blackberry. Two weeks later the rats were released again. This was done in the belief that blackberry spraying might affect the rats (Brug- man, unpublished data). We wish to point out that the herbicide 2,4,5-T used to spray blackberries in Victoria would be unlikely to affect popula- tions of small mammals (Parsons, 1972) and that at the Sherbrooke site where there are large thickets of wire grass, the effect of the herbicide on cover for animals would be negligible. In the following year, a trapping programme was carried out to deter- mine whether the M. fuscus popula- tion had survived. Only one specimen was caught (approx 650 trapnights). It was suggested that the population may have perished as a result of in- creased predation by foxes (due to the reduced blackberry cover), (Reed and Wallis, 1975). However, during an extensive sur- vey of the whole of Sherbrooke Forest Park, which included the known March/ April colony area, from July, 1973-June, 1974, it was found that 46 out of 1888 predator scats contained hairs of the broad-toothed rat (Brunner et al., 1975). These hairs are readily identified by microscopic examination of cross-sections, whole mounts and in particular of scale casts. Although the hairs look similar in some respect to those of a few other rodent species, they can be easily recognised by their characteristic scale pattern (Brunner and Coman, 1974). The 46 occurences of M. fuscus were located from most parts of the forest and included the ‘colony’ area. A further brief survey, involving 309 predator scats was carried out in September, 1975. We found 6 occur- rences of M. fuscus in these scats and a carcass of the species was also found on one of the trapping lines described by Reed ef¢ al. (1975). The scats collected from this original colony area had a significantly greater proportion of broad-toothed rat oc- currences than two other areas in the park. Thus, this rat still exists in the area described by N. A. Wakefield where the blackberries were sprayed. Because Sherbrooke Forest Park is close to the city of Melbourne, we feel that every effort should be made to protect the remaining animals in this forest and especially the broad- toothed rat. As several casualties of M. fuscus have occurred using trap- ping, we _ believe that occasional checks for its presence could be better carried out using scat analysis. * Keith Turnbull Research Institute, Vermin and Noxious Weeds Destruction Board, Frankston, Victoria 3199 55 M. fuscus in other localities. Hairs of M. fuscus have also been identified in two samples from a few predator scats collected in heath scrub just below the summit of Mt Feather- top (1954 m) in October, 1975 (G. Friend, personal communication). In the same region, M. fuscus hairs were recovered from a small number of scats collected at an altitude of ap- proximately 610 m and examined by US. A further 20 occurrences of M. fuscus remains were found during a recent scat analysis survey of the Dartmouth Dam inundation area. One interesting point about this survey was that all scats containing M. fuscus hairs came from one small area (Brunner, Amor and Stevens, in press). Single occurrences, using the same methods, were also located in the Otway Ranges (September, 1972), in the Boola Boola area (October, 1973) and at Naringal East (October, 1972). These results indicate that the broad-toothed rat may be more com- mon than previously thought and that scat analysis is an effective method of locating the colonies. REFERENCES Brunner, H., Lloyd, J. and Coman, B. J. (1975). Fox Scat Analysis in a Forest Park in South-eastern Australia. ‘Aust. Wildl. Res.’, 2: 147-154. Brunner, H., Amor, R. L. and Stevens, P. L. (in press). The use of predator scat analysis in a mammal survey at Dart- mouth in North-eastern Victoria. Brunner, H. and Coman, B. J. (1974). The identification of mammalian hair. (In- kata Press, Melbourne.) Parsons, W. T. (1972). Pesticides in the control of vermin and noxious weeds. ‘Victoria’s Resources’, 14: 13-18. Reed, G. F. and Wallis, R. L. (1975). Studies of Antechinus swainsonii and other small mammals in an area of Sherbrooke Forest Park. ‘Vic. Nat.’, 92: 84-90. Seebeck, J. H. (1971). Distribution and Habitat of the Broad-toothed Rat, Masta- comys fuscus Thomas (Rodentia, Muri- dae) in Victoria. ‘Vic. Nat.’, 88: 310-323. The Broad-toothed Rat BY J. H. SEEBECK * Editor’s Note. Questions aroused by the previous article led to the discovery of this one. It provides basic information that the layman likes to know, and enables him to appreciate the significance of the finding by Messrs Brunner and Bertuch. It is re-printed with permission from ‘Fur, Feathers and Fins’ published in 1971 by the Fisheries and Wildlife Division. Mr Seebeck has made some small alterations to up-date this “re-print” to 1976. In Victoria, nine species of native rats and mice have survived to the present day. Six of these species be- long to the zoologically primitive group called the Pseudomyinae — literally, “‘false mouse’’. Despite this strange name, they are true rodents, related to the introduced domestic mice and rats. The group is characteristically Aus- tralian, and for the most part little is known of their habits or distribution. 56 One of the most interesting of the group is the Broad-toothed Rat, so called because of the relatively great width of its molar teeth. The scientific name of the Broad- toothed Rat is Mastacomys fuscus which refers to the jaw structure and the dusky brown colour of the animal. * Senior Research Officer, Wildlife Research Section, Fisheries and Wildlife Division, Ministry for Conservation. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 An adult Mastacomys is about 280 mm from nose to tail tip, with the tail being about 130 mm long. Vic- torian specimens usually weigh about 120 gm. They are fairly stoutly built animals, with quite long fur which is dark brown with an olive tinge. Be- cause the skull is wide to accommo- date the large cheek teeth, the head appears broad and relatively short. Characteristically these animals adopt a very compact stance, and thus look very rounded and fluffy. This appearance is enhanced by the shortness of the legs, which tend to be hidden by the long fur. Broad- tooths are gentle in nature and rarely attempt to bite when being handled, although females with young may be aggressive towards males. Many species of the Pseudomyinae are now uncommon, and Mastacomys is no exception. First described in 1882 from Tasmania, a few specimens were later found in Victoria from iso- lated localities in Gippsland and the Otway Ranges, and in 1946 the species was discovered at Mt Kosciusko in New South Wales. In recent years both the Tasmanian and New South Wales animals have been studied in some detail. In Tasmania it has been found that Mastacomys has a fairly wide distribution in the western half of that State. In Victoria, interest in the Broad- toothed Rat was rekindled in 1960 when Mr R. M. Warneke of this Division found that species at Loch Valley near Noojee in Gippsland. Sub- sequently we have found that the species has, as in Tasmania, a much wider modern day distribution than was suspected. It is, in fact, the most widely spread member of the Pseudo- myinae in this State. The range is now known to extend from the alpine areas around Mt Hotham, into central and south Gippsland, the Dandenong Ranges and west into several parts of March/ April the Otways. There are probably many more places where the species has yet to be discovered, as we know from fossil remains that it has once oc- curred in south western Victoria, the Grampians and East Gippsland. To effectively plan for the conser- vation of any wildlife species many facets of the biology of that species must be investigated. Two of the most important factors are the type of country in which the animal lives (the habitat) and the reasons for it living in this habitat. For the Broad-toothed Rat it is not easy to find out this information. Firstly, while the species is wide- spread, it is only known to occur in isolated colonies so that specimens are rarely encountered. Secondly, even if it is known to live in a particular locality it is not always possible to locate the animals, because the popu- lation density (the number of indi- viduals per hectare) may be very low compared with that of another species. At most Victorian localities, for instance, we find that Bush Rats (Rattus fuscipes) are present in very much larger numbers than Broad- toothed Rats. Also, the known habi- tat varies widely from treeless alpine wet heaths to dense wet eucalypt forest to dry lowland heath country, and even right down to coastal heaths. There are many thousands of hec- tares of these kinds of habitat left in Victoria but Mastacomys only seems to occur in very small pockets within these. The present day distribution may thus be considered as a relic of an earlier more widespread pattern. As we learn more of the distribu- tion of Mastacomys we are better able to relate this to habitat, and the preferences of the species to particu- lar areas. With each specimen col- lected we learn more about breeding habits and diet, information which is also very important for conservation Sy! planning. We still know very little about the behaviour and movements of Mastacomys but recently some re- search workers have begun to study these aspects of the animal’s biology. It is by no means certain that the Broad-toothed Rat will remain for ever on the Australian scene, for it may be that evolutionary processes beyond our control will work against the species —for example, compe- tition for food and housing between this non-aggressive vegetarian rodent and the more aggressive omnivorous Bush Rat. The low breeding capa- bility of Mastacomys (average litter 2, gestation period 5 weeks) may put it at a disadvantage compared with the Bush Rat, with an average litter of 5 and gestation period 3-34 weeks. Although time may ultimately run out for the Broad-toothed Rat, as it did for dinosaurs, we have the re- sponsibility of ensuring that the Species does not become extinct before its time. Our present task is to learn as much and as quickly as possible about the Broad-toothed Rat so that we can plan properly for the conservation of this inoffensive and interesting Australian. The research being carried out by this Division and other biologists is directed towards this end. Natural History at the Coast In December we plan to publish a special issue of ‘The Victorian Naturalist’ consisting almost entirely of articles re- lating to our coasts. Science and research workers might have relevant material that they are plan- ning or are already preparing for publica- tion. Such articles will be gratefully received. And we expect many layman articles from members of the FNCV; in fact we hope to receive at least two items from each Study Group, as well as from other people. Some items might be only a few lines, but others could be more substantial. Geology, land and sea plants, marine creatures, insects etc, birds, tides, what- ever —the possibilities are almost un- limited. It is desirable that material for this special coast issue should be received by the editor by 30 September; it might be necessary to defer later items to the first issue in 1977. When preparing an article for publica- tion, please have it typed with double line spacing and leave at least 3cm (about 14”) clear margin at the left. FNCV PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE The Wild Flowers of the Wilson’s Promontory National Park by J. Ros Garnet. Price $5.25, discount to members; postage 60c. Ferns of Victoria and Tasmania by N. A. Wakefield, revised by Dr. J. H. Willis. Price $3.25, discount to members; postage 60c. Send order to FNCV Sales Officer: Mr D. E. McInnes, 129 Waverley Road, East Malvern, 3135; telephone 211 2427. ALSO AVAILABLE FROM FNCV SALES OFFICER: How to know West Australian Wildflowers, Part TV by W. E. Blackall and B. J. Green. Price $21.00, discount to members; postage variable — $1.00 or more, due to distance. 58 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 New Discovery: Upper Devonian Bones near Genoa BY B. STAINFORTH A. J. ALSTON D. J. BENNETT A. CAMILLERI* Approximately 4 km upstream from where the Upper Devonian footprints, described by Warren and Wakefield (1952), were found, tangible remains of vertebrates have now been found in rocks of the same age (Genoa River Beds — probably Upper Devonian). Whilst these bones are those of bony fishes the possibility of finding the remains of amphibians in the same rocks is enhanced. The initial discovery was made by us in March 1975. It consisted of a few fragments of bones which were embedded in float boulders of a tough conglomeratic sediment in the Genoa River. In nearby red shales, plant re- mains were also discovered (identi- fied by G. A. Thomas as Lepto- phloeum australe). Fig. 1: Sketch showing the stratigraphic sequence at the bone lens locality. fossil bone lens GENOA JA RIVER March/April In January 1976, three of us (AI- ston, Bennett and Stainforth) re- turned to the area with the hope of finding in-situ material. Such in-situ material was located and the as- sociated stratigraphy documented (figure 1). With the aid of two Uni- versity of Melbourne research stu- dents, preliminary sampling of the in-situ material was conducted. In ad- dition, the area between this locality and that of the footprints was mapped. The lack of access into the area makes work difficult. Although the area is one of open forest, the only feasible route into the fossil bone * Company Geologists with Urangesellschaft of Australia Pty. Ltd. fissile red silty sandstone 59 locality involves an arduous walk through the thick scrubby terrain of the deeply entrenched Genoa River, of which several crossings have to be made. (In 1971 a helicopter was used to remove material from the footprint locality. ) The fossiliferous outcrop sampled is on an east bank of the river and is in the form of an overhang. The bones are contained in a 25 cm thick medium grained sand to conglomeratic lens. This lens is overlain directly by 3 m of very massive, coarsely cross- bedded, medium fine grained, red sandstone. Underlying the lens, in order of stratigraphic descent, is 45 cm of green silty shale, approxi- 60 mately 2 m of red silt and then at least 12 m of fissile, deep red, fine silty sandstone. Associated with the bone bearing lens and the green and red silty sedi- ments immediately underlying it, is a degree of secondary copper enrich- ment (predominantly malachite). In particular the malachite occasionally lines joints and fractures and fills cores of much of the fossile plant material present. From the reconnaissance mapping conducted so far, it would appear that the stratigraphic horizon contain- ing the bone material is possibly a lateral equivalent of the unit in which the footprints were found. Douglas Fige2*: Broken section of fish bone. Cellular and growth lines are prominent, Xz: Photo: N. Archbold Fig. 3: Typical pitted surface ornament of the bony plates collected. Chevron pattern (pointed right) on right side of this plate may be form of growth line. Photo: N. Archbold Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 (1975) outlined the geology and stratigraphy of the Genoa River Beds. The fossiliferous lens is believed to be a type of lag deposit. A lag deposit can accumulate a representa- tive sample of faunal remains present at the time of deposition. This dis- covery may therefore offer an oppor- tunity to locate remains of early amphibians which are known to have occupied a similar position as the fossiliferous lens in space and time (Warren and Wakefield, 1972). Geological mapping and sampling of the fossiliferous material by students of the University of Melbourne is continuing in the area. The bone material collected to date appears to be that of large bony fishes. It is mostly curved, platey and roughly ovoid in shape (from 10 cm to 20 cm in length, up to 10 cm across and may be up to 2 cm thick). The bones are all fairly robust and should require very little preparation prior to morphological study. Bone structure is very well preserved (figure 2). Fish scales (?) to 5 cm across are also present. Where the bone material is weathered out of the rock matrix, well preserved ornamented impres- sions of the bone often remain (figure 3). Early occurrences of Devonian fishes in Australia have been re- corded by Hills (1935) who described examples and gave a bibliography of earlier work. Very recently Carter (1975) has noted the discovery near Eden, N.S.W., of Upper Devonian fish attributed to Bothriolepis sp. and Phyllolepis sp. This discovery is of particular note in view of the proximity to the area now under con- sideration. Carter also referred briefly to a recent study by Young (1974) on Middle and Late Devonian fishes. Acknowledgements: The authors are grateful for the assistance lent by Urangesellschaft of Australia Pty. Ltd. in the above dis- coveries. We wish to express our ap- preciation of the assistance and en- couragement offered by Dr W. E. Schindlmayr**. We would also like to thank I. R. Duddy and Ms S. A. Reeckmann who assisted in the col- lection of specimens in January, 1976. We are also indebted to Dr G. A. Thomas, University of Melbourne, School of Geology, for identifying the plant remains and encouraging (on the basis of the little material col- lected in 1975) the search for further material. REFERENCES Carter, J., 1975. Good Fishing on South Coast Excursion. The Australian Geologist , Dp. 9. Douglas, J. G., 1974. Explanatory Notes on the Mallacoota 1: 250,000 Geological Map. No. 1974/6 pp. 4-28. Hills, E. S., 1935. Records and Descriptions of Some Australian Devonian Fishes. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 48(2). Warren, J. W. and Wakefield, N. A., 1972. Trackways of Tetrapod vertebrates from the Upper Devonian of Victoria, Aust. Nature 238 : 5365, pp. 469-470. Young, G. C., 1974. Stratigraphic occurrence of some Placoderm fishes in the Middle and Late Devonian. Bur. Miner. Resour. Record 1974/32. ** Chief Geologist, Urangesellschaft of Australia Pty Ltd. FNCV June General Meeting The June General Meeting will be held on the Queen’s Birthday holiday, Mon- day, 14 June. A vote was taken on 9 February and a majority of the 92 March/ April persons who attended that meeting were in favour of retaining the Monday fixture instead of changing to Wednesday. 61 First Record in Victoria of the Scorpaenid Fish Maxillicosta scabriceps Whitely 1935 BY PETER A. MORGENROTH * Editor’s Note: Scorpion fish are so named because many species have a poison gland in the groove of some of the fin spines; they should not be handled carelessly. Gurnard perch and rock cod belong to the same family — Scorpaenidae. Many scorpion fish are very colourful and some are well camouflaged. The colourful speci- men described below, as well as being the first of its species to be found in Victoria, is also the first of the genus Maxillicosta from this State, although there are other genera of scorpion fish in our waters. On 8 May, 1975 a specimen of the scorpaenid fish Maxillicosta scabriceps Whitley, 1935, was obtained near Tor- toise Head in Westernport Bay, Vic- toria (Lat. 38° 25’ 00” S., Long. 145° 15’ 57” E.). This species has not pre- viously been recorded from Victoria. It was trawled on a sandy bottom with patches of ‘eel-grass’ from Fisheries and Wildlife survey vessel ‘Melita’. The specimen was preserved in a solution of ethanol: sea-water (7: 3 vol.). It is held by the National Museum of Victoria (Nat. Mus. Vict. Fish Catalogue Number A505). Meristic and morphometric observations Measurement criteria, excepting scale counts, are those of Eschmeyer and Poss (1975). All dimensions are reported in millimetres. Dorsal fin XIII, 74 (last split to base, almost 8); Anal fin III, 52 (last split to base, almost 6); Pectoral fin 25; Ventral fin I, 5; Caudal fin 10 branched, 12 prin- cipal; Gill rakers 4+ 913, 44+ 8= 12; Nasal spines 2,3; Supraorbital spines 12,10; Scales in lateral line 44; Scales above lateral line 4; Scales below lateral line 12; Standard length 69.0; * Lecturer Zoology, Department of Applied Biology, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Fig. 1: Maxillicosta scabriceps. When alive, was brick red mottled with black and cream spots above, blending into cream below. Sn a TTT 90 100 110 Je Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Fig. 2: Head of M. scabrice ps showing the ribbed maxilla charac- teristic of the genus. Head length 29.0; Body depth 22.1; Orbit diameter 10.0; Snout length 5.3; Inter- orbital width 3.8; Interorbital depth 1.7; Jaw length 14.0; Base spinous dorsal 29; Base soft dorsal 9.5; Base anal fin 15.0; Third dorsal spine 18.2; First anal spine 10.3; Second anal spine 15.0; Third anal spine 11.2; Pectoral fin length 23.3; Pelvic fin length 19.0; Caudal fin length 21.0; Least depth caudal peduncle 7.0; HL/OD 2.9; HL/IW 7.6; OD/IW 3.4; OD/Snout length 1.9; Interorbital width/ Interorbital depth 2.2. 1. A small symphyseal present. 2. Many scales along the back above the lateral line with a very weak ridge or ridges. Many scales bilobed or tri- lobed with a very weak to moderate third lobe. 3. Colour when alive: Brick red above mottled with black and cream spots, blending into a cream colour below. Anal and ventral fins cream coloured. Pectoral, dorsal and caudal fins cream with brown or black markings as shown in the photograph (fig. 1). knob is Acknowledgements I wish to thank Wm. N. Eschmeyer and Stuart G. Poss for permitting me to examine their manuscript (in press), re- vising the genus Maxillicosta and for examining the Victoria specimen. I also wish to acknowledge the assistance of the Fisheries and Wildlife Department, to thank the crew of the survey vessel ‘Melita’ for their assistance and _ co- operation and to thank Ms J. Dixon of the National Museum of Victoria for permitting me to examine their records of specimens. REFERENCES Eschmeyer, Wm. N. and Poss, S. G. In press 1975. Review of the scorpion fish genus Maxillicosta (Pisces: Scorpaenidae) with a description of three new species from the Australian-New Zealand region. Bulletin of Marine Sciences, Miami. (In press.) Whitley, G. P. (1935). Studies in Ich- thyology. No. 9. Records of the Australian Museum, 19, p. 246. FNCV PUBLICATION Ferns of Victoria and Tasmania by N. A. Wakefield, revised by Dr. J. H. Willis. Price $3.25, discount to members; postage 60c. Send order to Sales Officer: D. E. McInnes, 129 Waverley Road, East Malvern, 3145; telephone 211 2427. March/ April 63 Gall Flies NOTES BY KEN STRONG, Microscopy Group, FNCV Galls of various types occur on gum-trees and on various parts of the plant. This one develops on the flower bud, is more or less spherical with a diameter up to 3cm, and becomes very tough. It is caused by a small fly. The body of the fly is 3-4 mm long, yellow with brown markings; fig. 1. (Flies belong to the Diptera, an order of insects meaning ‘“‘two wings’’. This gall fly is a member of the family Fergusonini- dae. ) When the galls are cut open, each is found to contain up to 60 larvae. At an advanced stage, the larvae are somewhat diamond-shaped with a black spot in the centre. Larvae pupate in the gall. Each pupa case is almost black and is attached at the posterior end to the wall of the cavity where the larva has been feeding; fig. 2. How does the fly emerge? The mature insect has the same type of sucking mouth as a house fly, and the same type of pads and claws 64 on its feet. There appears to be noth- ing that would enable the fly to bore its way out from a tough gall, perhaps from the centre of one the size of a walnut. But closer examination re- vealed that a special tool is developed for the purpose. When the fly has formed and is about to emerge from the pupa, it develops a sack or bladder between the eyes and above the mouth. The sack bears hundreds of teeth in a rasp-like formation; near the eyes the rasp teeth are quite small, but increase in size and then become smaller again; fig. 3. This tooth-covered sack, the ptilinum, can be inflated and deflated, and develops dimples and wrinkles when the creature is in movement. One assumes that the fly’s feet exert pressure in a forward direction; and the combined action of the rasp-like ptilinum cutting the gall tissue and the feet keeping up the pressure enables the fly to bore its way to the surface of the gall. When the fly emerges, it takes some Fig. 1: Gall fly of the family Fergusoninidae. Body length 3-4 mm. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Gall cut in half to show the many pupa, each attached to the wall of the cavity where the larva had been feeding. Big. 2: time for the wings to expand, and the ptilinum subsides and _ disappears within a day or two; fig. 4. Parasitising wasps The fly larvae in many of these galls are parasitised by a wasp so that few flies emerge. The wasp larvae that by another, and there might be might be parasitised by another wasp, five or more wasp species in the one gall! The wasps have powerful jaws so there is no problem about how they escape from the tough gall. rales "ese rn He Wve y v we ULL aR my “ae NA NOONE WakV) “7. nice Big. 33: flated ptilinum on an emerging fly. It shows some of the hundreds of rasp-like teeth, first small, then larger, and smaller again towards the “drilling nose’ magnified. Simplified drawing of the in- ’. Highly Ap aay 1 yy WV 24 AAAS avai wv Ae anh ie YY? hwy rove vey bw, “0 e Secor ESSN red) sMeereeaenes eceteatcote SN Fig. 4: Ptilinum deflated. Highly magni- fied. The two dark areas at bottom left and right are part of the eyes. Nominations of FNCV Council Members and Office Bearers FNCV Annual General Meeting will be on Monday, 10 May, and nominations may be received up to that date. Nomi- nations are required for Council members. Council consists of the President, Vice- President, Immediate Past-President, and ten other persons. The following offices are open for nomination: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Minute Secre- tary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Sub- scription Secretary/Bookkeeper, Excur- March/ April sion Secretary, Librarian, Assistant Librarian, Editor. Such office-bearers might be members of Council or not. If you nominate a person for a particular office and he would also like to be a Council member, you must make the additional nomination of him as a Council member. Think now of the people you would like to see on our governing body, and ask them if they will accept nomination. 65 SSW aN S First Record in Victoria of Rice Cut Grass Leersia orysiodes (L.) Swartz by MARGARET G. CorRICK, BOTANY GRouP, FNCV On 3 March, 1974 two collections of Leersia oryzoides (L.) Swartz (Rice Cut Grass) were made from the Yarra River about 2 kilometres down- stream from Bend of Islands near the site for the wall of the proposed Yarra Brae Dam. It was also observed on the same day at Bend of Islands. Vickery (1975: page 276) records this species as a “rare introduction” to Australia, the only N.S.W. collec- tion being from Leeton in 1959. There are no Australian collections of this species in the National Herbarium, Melbourne and apparently it has not been recorded previously in Victoria. It is native to North America, Europe and Japan. It is a strong-growing, rhyzomic perennial forming large, loose tufts or patches. The culms are up to 1.5 metres long and have conspicuous hairy nodes; the leaves are a bright yellow-green, flat, 8-30 cm_ long, 5-15 mm wide, with scabrous margins. The upper leaf sheaths are also scab- rid, and the whole plant feels rough to the touch. The papery ligule is about | mm long. The strong growth habit excludes other plants from the clumps and the bright yellow-green colour contrasts strongly with the duller greens of Paspalum distichum (Water Couch) and Phragmites aus- tralis (Common Reed), which are also plentiful in similar situations in the area. The panicle is loose and open, Opposite: Leersia oryzoides(L.) Swartz with slender flexuous branches. Spike- lets are one flowered, with glumes re- duced to a narrow rim at the tip of the pedicel. The lemma is semi-elliptic- oblong and fringed on the keel with stiff hairs. Hubbard (1954: p. 347) comments that (in England) with average spring and summer temperatures the panicles remain enclosed within, or become only partially exserted from the leaf sheaths, and under such conditions the spikelets are cleistogamous; in warm seasons the panicles are com- pletely exserted with large anthers hanging from the gaping lemmas so that cross pollination may take place. Ilustrations and descriptions appear in both Hubbard (p. 346) and Hitch- cock (19357 559). On 1 February, 1976, a second visit was made to the site, and the grass was observed to have spread considerably, but was not in flower at this time. There were large patches on both banks of the river and also at several spots in the stream bed. It is apparent that most of the patches observed would be submerged when the river level is high. It is also evi- dently palatable to cattle, as it has been heavily grazed wherever it was growing within their reach. Small areas were also seen growing down- stream near the bridge at Warrandyte. Considering the popularity of this part of the Yarra it is remarkable a — plant; b — panicle; c — node; d — ligule; e — spikelet; f — grain. a, d, and e drawn from MEL 503210 b, e, and f drawn from MEL 503209 ‘March/ April 67 that this occurrence of Leersia ory- zoides has not been recorded previously. Two collections are lodged with the National Herbarium, Melbourne: M. G. Corrick, 3 March, 1974, No. 3914 (MEL503209) and M. G. Corrick, 1 February, 1976, No. 5401 (MEL 503210). Acknowledgements: I wish to thank the National Her- barium, Melbourne for permission to check records, and Rex Filson for his fine botanical drawing. REFERENCES Hitchcock, A. S., 1935. Manual of the Grasses of the United States. U.S. Gov- ernment Printing Office, revised edition 1951, 1051 pages. Hubbard, C. E., 1954. Grasses. Penguin Books. 2nd edition reprinted 1972, 463 pages. Vickery, J. W., 1975. Flora of New South Wales, No. 19 (Gramineae), Suppl. to Pt. 1, Pt. 2, 306 pages. Rice Cut Grass Leersia oryzoides In the Yarra River at Warrandyte. The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2—Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous (Continued from page 30) BY JAMES A. BAINES ADDENDUM At the end of the entry for Machaerina (‘Vic. Nat.’ Vol. 93, p. 28), add to ‘Willis retains them in Cladium’, the words ‘but in the Sup- plement to the 2nd edition of ‘Hand- book to Plants in Victoria’ Vol. I, p. 438, he mentions S. T. Blake’s adoption (1969) of the name Baumea for most Australian species formerly included in Cladium, including ail Victorian species except. C. procerum, 68 and the new combinations are listed; these have now_ gained _ general acceptance. ‘Baumea was named by Gaudichaud- Beaupré in 1829, probably after Antoine Baumé (1728-1904), a French chemist, inventor of a hydro- meter. Japanese botanist Koyama’s revision (1956) took up Machaerina, published by Danish botanist Vahl in 1806 (posthumously, as he died in 1804).’ Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Menyanthes. Gk menyo, to disclose; anthesis, the flower or full bloom of a plant. Villarsia exaltata was collected by Solander and named by him as a species of Menyanthes, but that is a monotypic genus of the North Tem- perate zone, a bog plant that gives its name to family Menyanthaceae to which Villarsia belongs. (M. trifoliata is Bog-bean or Buck-bean in Europe.) *Mercurialis. Originally herba_ mer- curialis, Herb Mercury, named in honour of Mercury, messenger of the gods. Our species is *M. annua, An- nual Mercury; the genus belongs to family Euphorbiaceae. Mesembryanthemum. A. W. Smith & Wm. T. Stearn have an interesting story on this name, which I quote from their ‘A Gardener’s Dictionary of Plant Names’: ‘The etymological tangle of this name began in 1684 when Breyne published it as Mesem- brianthemum, derived from Gk mesembria, midday; anthemon, flower; in allusion to the fact that the only species then known bloomed at noon. When night-flowering species became known, and this name accordingly seemed inappropriate, Dillenius in 1719 ingeniously renamed the genus Mesembryanthemum; by _ changing the i to y he altered the derivation, to Gk mesos, middle; embryon, embryo; anthemon, flower, with reference to the position of the ovary. The group has now been divided into numerous smaller genera based on habit of growth and fruit-characters.’ Victoria’s introduced species are now in the dif- ferent genera *Gasoul and *Aptenia (ice-plants), *Psilocaulon (Wiry Noon- flower) and Carpobrotus (Angled Pig- face and Hottentot Fig), while our native species are in Carpobrotus (In- land Pigface and Karkalla), Lamp- ranthus (Little Noonflower), Disphyma (Rounded Noonflower) and Sarcozona. They are in family Aizoaceae. March/ April Metrosideros. Gk metra, core, heart- wood; sideros, iron. Those who note the similarity in the flowers of N.Z. Christmas tree or pohutukawa and the ratas of that country’s forests to the massed blooms of our scarlet flower- ing gums do not always realize the relationship between these members of the family Myrtaceae. Described erroneously as species of Metrosideros in the very early days of plant collect- ing in Australasia were such members of the Victorian flora as Callistemon citrinus, C. macropunctatus and C. pallidus, Eucalyptus gummifera, An- gophora floribunda and Melaleuca armillaris. The botanists responsible were Solander, J. Gaertner, Curtis, Smith, Dunal and Bonpland. The only Australian species of Metrosideros are two endemics in North Queensland and Northern Territory. Micrantheum. Gk mikros, small; an- thos, flower; a name that could have been given to many flowers of similar diminutive size. Our species is M. hexandrum, Box Micrantheum; family Euphorbiaceae. Microcybe. Gk mikros, small; kybe, head; alluding to the small flower- heads. Our two species, both native, M. pauciflora and M. multiflora, dis- tinguished by their specific names as ‘few-flowered’ and ‘many-flowered’, and by their common names as the Yellow and the Red respectively. Microlaena. Gk mikros, small; laina, cloak; alluding to the two minute outer glumes. Victoria’s species, M. stopoides, Weeping Grass, is found in all States. The specific name means ‘like Stipa’, though it was originally placed by Labillardiére in Ehrharta. Micromyrtus. Gk _ wmikros, small; myrtos, myrtle; because of the tiny flowers of these myrtaceous plants. Our sole species is M. ciliata, Heath- myrtle. (To be continued) 69 A Plague of Crickets BY JOAN FORSTER On the second weekend of February 1976 I arrived at my house at Moggs Creek late in the evening. (Moggs Creek is nine miles south of Angle- sea.) As I unpacked I had all the lights on including the outside light. In no time there were black insects bumping against the wall and on the Stairway near the light. Each time I opened the door to enter with another package, I had to be careful not to be accompanied by a group of hopping crickets: That preliminary care was rather pointless. As I unpacked in the kit- chen, crickets hopped about me and I realised they had come in before my arrival. I understood why, a year ago, some friends who have a house nearer the beach had given up and returned home the same evening. I found crickets under the stove, in bathroom and bath, under the bed, in fire-place and broom cupboard. I sprayed and collected. After going to bed, I listened to the amazingly loud thumps as crickets landed on the roof, scuttled along the gutters, down the drain-pipes and plopped into my water-tank! I lay awake trying to devise plans to defeat this last menace — fishing them out of the tank or fitting wire-netting at the down-pipes. But such plans were futile as my roof is 20 feet up and the tank has a securely fitted lid. I could only hope that I would not be faced with the problem that faced several neighbours last year. Their houses are nearer the beach and their tanks be- came so full of crickets that the water turned putrid; the tanks had to be 70 emptied and fresh water bought. There was a strong north wind the night I arrived, but a change came the next day and a south breeze blew from the sea. I walked down towards the beach and noticed a wide black band on our usually clean sand. I thought that the rough sea _ had brought in seaweed, and flocks of gulls were feeding there, with some crested terns among them. As I walked on to the sand I found, not seaweed, but crickets! They were in heaps in a strip about six feet wide at high tide level, most of them dead. I presume that the north wind had blown them out during the night, they had fallen, and the tide had washed them to shore — providing a surfeit for gulls. The black band and its crowding gulls extended right along the beach, as far as I could see in each direction. Later in the day, some friends ob- served that the gulls were so glutted they could rise only a few feet when approached by a dog; and they could not remain air-borne but landed al- most immediately. The beach was strewn with their droppings, and much of the droppings included undigested, almost entire crickets. Travelling to Lorne in March 1975 I found the road covered with crickets, and flocks of gulls feeding on them. There was also a unusual number of herons and egrets about, especially on the flats where crickets crawled from cracks in the parched ground. For two years crickets have been in plague proportions along this south- west coast. What is the cause of the astonishing increase of these insects? Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria The Editorial Committee In our editorial on page 39 we re- cognised that this Committee should be permanent instead of interim as originally planned. A committee can help but there must still be an editor, and Madge Lester volunteered as acting editor until this time next year. Council has since ap- pointed her editor. Miss Lester has our whole-hearted sup- port and active co-operation: each of us will undertake such editorial tasks as she chooses to delegate, but she herself will handle all the technical side. During the production of her last two issues, a mem- ber of this Committee (if no other editor is forthcoming) will be learning the tech- nicalities ready to take over at the end of Miss Lester’s twelve months. This might well happen each year or each second year, and we see this Committee as a sort of training ground for short-term editors so that no person need fear he will be left in the job too long. Any FNCV member will be welcome to join this ‘editorial training ground’ and share in the immediate editorial tasks. Another important function of this Committee is the checking of factual matter; we want everything in _ this journal to be correct. We have drawn up what we think is a fairly comprehensive plan. One item in this plan requires the support of Club members; please see below. Another is the aim to help readers get more value from everything in each issue, and there will be more Editor’s Notes attached to articles, especially to scientific ones. Yet another is that Alan Morrison and Ian (Dick) Morrison have agreed to be our ‘bank’ for photographs. We hope to use some of their superb shots on the covers, and Club members can apply to them if illustrative material is needed for articles. Your Help and Support, Please An important aim in our plan is to gain more contributions, short or long, from Club members. The short items might be about some- thing unusual or of particular interest that attracted your attention. If you were intrigued by it, many other mem- bers will be too; send it to the Editor, whether it’s only five lines or fifty. Also, some of those chance observations could be more significant than you think. We are not planning to re-introduce a formal ‘Nature Notes’ page (though we might do so if there are many) but will put your notes in spaces at the end of articles. Book reviews would be welcome too, but keep them brief. If you have difficulty in writing up your item, contact any member of this Committee and he will help you. One or two of us could even manage simple diagrams; we are not expert artists, but are willing to try if you supply the information. Longer articles or series of short articles from members and other laymen will be greatly appreciated. They might be about a particular species, genus, a life history, area, or other aspect of natural history. Country members and members of country clubs are especially well situated to help us, and we look forward to re- ceiving many nature notes from them as well as longer articles. When preparing material for publica- tion, please have it typed with double line spacing and leave a clear margin at the left of at least 3 cm (about 114”). BRIAN SMITH, CHAIRMAN. Reports of FNCV Meetings General Meeting Monday, 9 February Speaker for the evening was Mr. Mark Gottsch. He spoke about north-west Vic- toria and showed superb slides including many of reptiles and birds; he was know- ledgeable about the habits as well as the March/ April habitat of all of them. Mr. Gottsch was concerned about the ecology of the area and the impact of the white man, but has hope that more careful use will abate the effect of previous thoughtlessness. Exhibits. Mr. Jim Baines displayed all the flower paintings of Alison Ashby that 71 have been reproduced as postcards by the S.A. Museum. Mr. Baines keeps the cards in envelopes according to family, and the families were displayed in alpha- betical order. Mrs. Seamons showed a large repro- duction of a painting by Neil Douglas. There was an exhibit of what appeared to be gold-filled teeth in a sheep’s jaw, but the ‘“‘gold’’ was pyrites. Other items included a piece of fossil whale bone from Beaumaris; artificial obsidian; a rock with crystallisation of mineral solu- tion in the fine fractures that gave the appearance of a fern fossil. Some silici- fied wood, complete with worm holes, carried the question ‘‘How is it the holes were not filled during silification, or did the worm make the holes after the wood was silificied? A super worm?” A quarter- inch ball of ‘‘cotton wool’? was the egg sac of the Red-backed Spider, accom- panied by the inumerable young that had emerged from it; we were comfortingly assured all were dead! An old photo (undated) showed several men standing in the large hollow in the base of a Beech tree (Nothofagus); it had previously been used as a dwelling and then as stables. Bird Study Group. The President an- nounced that it would be desirable to form such a group and those interested should contact Mr. Garnet Johnson. June Meeting. A show of hands de- clared preference for retaining the meet- ing on Monday, 14 June, Queen’s Birth- day holiday, instead of changing to Wednesday. General Meeting Wednesday, 10 March Speaker for the evening was Dr. T. H. Rich, curator of fossils at the National Museum. Dr. Rich gave us a fascinating address on “‘New News on Old Bones’’. First he took a brief look at the generally accepted theory of the origin of our marsupials from South America via An- tarctica about 65 million years ago — be- fore continental drift drove the continents apart. Then he stated the difficulties of finding fossil evidence in Australia as our rocks are mostly too young or too old! Nevertheless, Dr. Rich then told us something of discoveries at various places in Victoria. Some findings at Cape Pater- son, Bacchus Marsh, Lancefield and Morwell presented more questions that contradicted previous. theories. Such posers could only be solved by further discoveries. Exhibits included a collection of seed pods — variety of sizes and_ shapes, smooth, lumpy or prickly. A cricket car- ried the label: ‘““What are the conditions that have caused the present cricket plague?’’ There was a spider with a stout brown body about the diameter of a five cent piece, several graptolites, and 1,” wasps that parasitise the caterpillar of Papilio anactus. Our Kinglake Property. The Corres- pondence Secretary, Mr. Garnet John- son, was present and provided information on this property; it might be called ‘The Harold Frahm Bird Refuge’. Mr. John- son is chairman of the management com- mittee and has great plans for making best use of the property. FNCV Property at Kinglake The FNCV property at Kinglake con- sists of 10 acres, well fenced and has three gates. The property has been bequeathed to the FNCV in perpetuity by Mr. Harold Charles Frahm, who died in July 1974. Council has considered various names such as ‘““The Harold Frahm Bird Refuge”’ and it will be under a committee of management elected annually by Council. The committee will consist of a chair- man and five other members. Mr. Garnet 72 Johnson has been appointed chairman. Mr. Johnson is enthusiastic about the property and its possibilities. As soon as the committee is appointed, we are likely to hear more about the ideas that Mr. Johnson has already developed for im- mediate action and about his visions for the future. Under his leadership, our property at Kinglake could become a great asset to this Club, as well as a natural reserve for native plants and birds. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Personal Mrs. Salau, who broke her ankle when at the FNCV outing to Glen Nayook on 15 February, has been moved from Box Hill Hospital to the Kingston Centre at Cheltenham. Apart from her ankle, which cannot be walked on for some months yet, Mrs. Salau says that she feels pretty well. Perhaps she feels even better when she has visitors. Ian (Dick) Morrison was married to Bar- bara Hooke on 27 March. Barbara is a daughter of the late Garnsey Hooke who has done so much for this Club in past years. Dick Morrison has won many friends by his unassuming kindness, and both he and Barbara play an active part in the Club, especially in the Botany Group. We wish them great happiness. FNCV Financial Report as at 31 December 1975 Auditors’ Report to the Members of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria In our opinion — (a) The attached balance sheet and profit and loss account are properly drawn up in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 1961 of Victoria as amended and so as to give a true and fair view of: (i) the state of affairs of the Club at 31 December 1975 and of the results of the Club for the year ended on that date; and (ii) the other matters required by Section 162 of that Act to be dealt with in the accounts: (b) The accounting records and other records, and the registers required by that Act to be kept by the Club have been properly kept in accordance with the provisions of that Act. Melbourne, 30th March, 1976. DANBY, BLAND, PROVAN & CO., Chartered Accountants. R. M. BLAND, Partner. Report by Executive Council The members of the Executive Council submit herewith balance sheet as at 31 December 1975 and income and expendi- ture account for the year ended on that date, and report as follows:— 1. The Net Surplus of the Club for the year ended 31 December 1975 was $371 which added to the Surplus brought forward at 1 January 1975 of $7,847, together with a transfer of $26 from Club Improvement Account and a credit for Life Membership Subscription of $200, and a transfer of $400 to Life Membership Fund, results in a surplus to be carried forward to next year of $8,044. 2. The members of the Executive Council took reasonable steps to ascertain, before the income and ex- penditure account and balance sheet were made out, that all known bad debts were written off and adequate provision was made for doubtful debts. 3. The members of the Executive Council took reasonable steps, before the profit and loss account and March/April balance sheet were made out, to ascertain that the current assets, other than debtors, were shown in the accounting records of the com- pany at a value equal to or below the value that would be expected to be realised in the ordinary course of business. 4. At the date of this report, the members of the Executive Council are not aware of any circumstances which would render the values at- tributable to the current assets in the accounts misleading. 5. No charge on the assets has arisen, since the end of the financial year to the date of this report, to secure the liabilities of another person. No contingent liability has arisen since the end of the financial year to the date of this report. 6. No contingent or other liability has become enforceable or is likely to become enforceable within the period of twelve months after the end of the financial year which in the opinion of the members of the Te Executive Council will or may affect the ability of the Club to meet its obligations as and when they fall due. 7. At the date of this report the mem- bers of the Executive Council are not aware of any circumstances not otherwise dealt with in the report or accounts which would render any amount stated in the accounts mis- leading. 8. The results of the Club’s operations during the financial year, in the opinion of the members of the Executive Council, were not affected by any item transaction or event of a material and unusual nature. 9. Since 31 December 1975, and to the date of this report, in the opinion of the members of the Executive Council, no item transaction or event of a material and unusual nature, which would affect substantially the results of the Club’s operations for the next succeeding financial year, has occurred. 10. No member of the Executive Coun- cil, since the end of the previous financial year, has received or be- come entitled to receive a_ benefit by reason of a contract made by the Club with the member or with a firm of which he is a member or with a company in which he has a substan- tial financial interest. 11. The principal activities and objects of the Club are to stimulate interest in natural history and to preserve and protect Australian Fauna and Flora. No significant change in the nature of those activities occurred during that period. 12. The names of the members of the Executive Council in office at the date of this report are as follows— Mr. P. Kelly Mrs. M. Corrick Mr. J. Willis Mr. T. Sault Miss M. Allender Mr. R. Gibson Mr. B. Callanan Miss W. Clark Mr. A. Parkin Mr. B. Burbage Miss M. Lester Dr. B. Smith. This report is made in accordance with a resolution of the Executive Council dated 30th day of March, 1976. Alan Parkin, Secretary Tom Sault 74 FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA GENERAL ACCOUNT STATEMENT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER, 1975 00 00 AI ove) mt ON Va) A. 00 | ) ~ on GS & 72) —_ < E > | a a — Es} 5 on SS A iis saaa-c SSB 6 hag AAS On SD Yes pH ow > est AKAN o = NmY on Moan >a 1 O— A on ~ 9a. on 00 > 00 co 00 © maAOAN Foo 7) — 5 | om S oD mo 0) O o fa DN = =I Sees Asod Dal) (5), Oo Sere, ayes 2t0n N C\ O00 No} avs 00 St oO NA oN BON aL >a \o “SI Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 ‘THOuNOZ sAINIIX_| 3Y} Jo Jaquisw AUB 0} qn{D 9Y} Aq pred d19M S}UDUINTOUIS ON ‘7 TES OTF CSC 8h ILE sea 0 6 ome 60 ois ome > wack 1OJ snjding —_ 919°7$ scleg nie one a0 ome 6 : UOT] eIOOSsSy — jo sopiiy pue wnpuelowsy| 0} suoHeroye IOJ ‘sosuadxq [eso] 1g * g0uRvINsU] 78 69 Pe 22 Fes NO oer = 02¢ 99¢ ee _ wWooYy c9€ uinasnyy pue AIvIQqry ‘[[@H Jo woYy 09 "* uoTeJOUNWDY ,SIOWpNy 09 Pr6 " 90UuR\sISSW [eola[D pue BuIdA |, LISI vZI f " sasued IZI “xq UOTT[epay| A1OSIFL +~[einjyeN ZI "* Woy qn Jorunf uojso1g GE vel at te * Suoryeuod 6¢e1 pue suordisosqng ‘soa, UOlIRITUV 19 " * sgsuedxy [e1suayH 6L Or "* + Q8RIOIG IOJ WOOY Jo Judy Or 661 vc 7s AtquOHRg pue sululig LZ 61c$ "7 7+ + guoydajoy, pue o8ejsog 77TH —sosuodxy SUTyIO\N SPS L$ 760°S$ tg ee ee UE en (000°T) = "5%" (gouryeq) JURIH €Z61 (OSP) — Ainseol J, (EIZT) °° ywRID SL6.—IsnIL, Wesisut —(S¢0'Z) —S]UBID ssaT ZES‘O1$ EC 098 81 ib 08 9IV O9T OL S$ 90T v9P ‘qN[D 94} 0} SAdIAIaS I19Y} JO JOodso1 UT SIOJIPNY ay} Aq PodaAlodaI O19M S}YOUNG I9YJO ON ‘ATUO SddIAIas BUIJIPNY 0} Soyejor ‘09g JO UOTJeIOUNWOY ,sIoUpNYy Ieak OJ WOYOd smoouy AIpuns pun drysioquisjy 9s] ysodoq [enynyy [euOoTIeN Ade39T IOAVA “WW ‘O — spuog * AdV3IT SIA ‘JW — spuog * * spuog YTBaMuoUTIUOD jyunossy yureg pun, Aleiqry — PdAla00y 1S8919]UT ic Za > 978$ SI SET OLS$ PL6l Teak Xe) X% cc seg L086 678'E O0r'rI 007'E 000°¢ OOP 00r 00S IOWpseig AIpung ssaT yueg je yseg s10oj}qoq AiIpuns ssuouspuedg 9y} jo splig AIOJUOWOId SUOSTIA — SISMOBPTIM ylVeq plajtodAM JO uoljejasoAQ "* suloolysnyy puke Ss[oo}speo BIULUISe], PUL VIIOJOIA JO SUIOT — SOD 1¥ Syd0Ig Yoo, jSOD 18 Sspuog Y}[eoMUOUIUIOD puny suoneoyqng (pewsopay) wsodaq yueg °"Z'N'V (poursapoy) 1201S Pere Sly Ores yueg ye Yyse) jSO-Z Je dINJUDGaq— ‘PpI] epuLsy "* 4sO>d 18 Spuog YI]VaMUOUIWO|D puny surpping yisodeq AJoIN0g SUIpPIINng qyuouPULIOg = yenjnf, = [euoleNn JSOZD 18 dINJUSG9Nq ‘pi] epues” — pun, uol[epoyy AO sIp{ [eINIeEN jsO_D 18 9INJUDG9q ‘pi ] epues| — pun,y diysisquisyy 9j1T JsOD Je oINJUNGIq ‘pl] epuesy — puny, souupyy ‘qd ‘qd ETETES 966 9$ 966 9$ SILT €89 veo pei ve L9 008" ¢$ 99° Eg OOP 000°T OPS OOL*T OO€"O1$ 00S coc seg ~b0'8 6rL'8Z OOP br 8 TEE 00c we Lvs‘L$ 6LC OOF 00C cs el 6I17'P 891 68¢ 899 0c 99r'I 00d OOE LIZ'S 00C ZEO'T 0OT L08°6 678 €$ pun drys -INQUIdjJ 9JI'T 0} pollojsuel) ssaT7 Ieak IoJ snjding uondiosqng drysraquirayy| IIT © puny jusUIaAoId Wy] qni[D Worj Jojsuely, ' CLT ye soured SIIPIIGUI]T I9AO Sjassy Jo sn{ding pun, worlepaw AIO\sIR JeInyeN ‘* pun, drIysioquisyy osIT uoxIq AA] SSI 938}Sq Pune [eOule WW PPeyetAK VN * yunosdy IJdIeL], "* + yunosdy yoog IJaMOl{ d/V pafoig sdooso1sIyy pun souupyop, ‘4d ‘Gd pun PleTTOOM D PeTZTTAA Be wyoysiq) “S “a 93e3sd ADeB9T IOYVM ‘W ‘OD 2181S AoesaT xouy ‘4 ‘I SSI, 2781Sq JUNOIDYV ID SUIOW “A ‘d _ AoesoT WSUIM ‘A 9381S ; jyUNODDY UOIsINdX| Juno Y JUSWIDAOIAWY qni{D pun Areiqry puny uoreolrqnd pun, sulpring sJUNOdIY pue spun y [BIDeds ETETES Ns nw Lvs‘ L$ Oso’ ecg \O = Ne la) FH March / April FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA BUILDING FUND Amount of Fund at 31 December 1974 we OE a nn GCC Interest on Investments and Bank Account we ea er 183 $3,829 PUBLICATIONS FUND Amount of Fund at 31 December 1974 errr rear ee YS OOE Interest on Investment and Bank Account .§:. 9... =. ..2 3)3 Bene 357 Surplus for the year from — Ferns of Victoria and Tasmania ..-.. .. -..- 22. 1.7 eso sse2 Victorian Toadstools and Mushrooms . .. .. .. ... .. 55 Vegetation of Wyperfeld National Park .. lain 33 Wild Flowers of Wilson’s Promontory National Park |. 25 Birds ‘of the. Dandenomes °F -... 2). Ds ecce teat ee ee es 9 2,454 Amount of Fund at 31 December 1975 Se ee we ee” a ee ORS O77 CLUB IMPROVEMENT ACCOUNT Amount of Account at 31 December 1974 < . S.0¢s.. 94 7 a" eee $511 Booksales Account Profit dep Midas 2h, Ciied - ae. ARR oS eee eee 547 $1,058 Less— Purchase Library Books and Equipment transferred to Surplus Account 26 Amount of Account at 31 December 1975 er es ee a L082) Statement by the Members of the Executive Council In the opinion of the members of the Executive Council of the FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA, the accompanying Balance Sheet is drawn up so as to give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Club as at 31 December 1975, and the accompanying Statement of Income and Expenditure is drawn up so as to give a true and fair view of the surplus of the Club for the year ended 31 December 1975. Signed in accordance with a resolution of the Executive Council on 30th March 1976. Alan Parkin, Secretary Tom Sault Statement by the Principal Accounting Officer I, Daniel E. McInnes, being the officer-in-charge of the preparation of the accom- panying accounts of the FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA for the year ended 31 December 1975 state that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, such accounts give a true and fair view of the matters required by Section 162 of the Companies Act 1961, to be dealt with in the accounts. D. E. McINNES. Signed at Melbourne on the 30th day of March 1976. 78 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 (Continued from page 38) GROUP MEETINGS (At the National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, at 8 p.m.) First Wednesday in the Month — Geology Group. 5 May — Subject: ““The New Ice Age’’. Members Discussion. 2 June — Subject: “Lunar Geology’ — New Findings. Speaker: Prof. Lovering. All Club members invited. Third Wednesday in the Month — Microscopical Group. 21 April, 19 May, 16 June. Second Thursday in the Month — Botany Group. 8 April: ““The Story of Linnaeus” by Mr J. A. Baines. 13 May: Address by a member of Bendigo Field Naturalists Club. 10 June: ““The Family Proteaceae”? by Miss L. White. Each meeting includes a quarter hour address for beginners — various subjects. (At the Conference Room, The Museum, Melbourne, at 8 p.m.) First Monday in the Month — Marine Biology and Entomology Group. 3 May, 7 June, 5 July. Fourth Thursday in the Month — Field Survey Group. 22 April, 27 May, 24 June. (At the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Brown Street, Heidelberg, at 8 p.m.) First Thursday in the Month — Mammal Survey Group. 6 May, 3 June, 1 July. GROUP EXCURSIONS Day Group — Any Member is Welcome — Third Thursday in the Month. No meeting in April as Easter holidays intervene. Thursday, 20 May — Institute of Archaeology of Australia. Meet at Fitzroy Gardens Kiosk at 11.30a.m. After lunch proceed to Ancient Times House, 116 Little Bourke Street, for a guided tour for which there will be a 50 cent charge. Thursday, 17 June — Seeing Eye Dog School, Thanet Street, Malvern. Meet at Central Park, corner Wattletree and Burke Roads, East Malvern, at 11.30 a.m. Thursday, 15 July — New Biological Display, National Museum. Details later. Geology Group — Any Member with their own car invited to excursions. Sunday, 9 May — Beveridge — “‘Minerals in a Volcano’’. Meet at left-hand turn-off to Beveridge from the Hume Highway at 10.00 a.m. Sunday, 13 June — ‘“‘Royal Park Fossils’ (afternoon only). Meet at Royal Park Station, 2.00 p.m. Botany Group — All Club members welcome — Last Saturday in the month. 24 April: FNCV Kinglake property; leader Miss M. Allender. 29 May: Fungi; leader Mr B. Fuhrer. 26 June: Ferns; leader Mrs Webb-Ware. GROUP CAMP NOTICES Field Survey Group — 10-11 April. 8-9 May. (Details, Robin Sandell, 83 8009, home.) Mammal Survey Group — 16-19 April. 15-16 May. (Details, Ray Gibson, 62 4007, business.) March/April 79 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 the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Q.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1975-1976. President: Mr. P. KELLY, 260 The Boulevard, East Ivanhoe, 3079. Correspondence Secretary: Mr. GARNET JOHNSON, 20 Sydare Avenue, Chadstone, 3148. treasurer —— Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145. Hon. Editor: Miss M. J. LESTER, 4/210 Domain Road, South Yarra, 3141. (26 1967.) Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Varra. Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield, 3151. (S52 2749.) Magazine Sales Officer: Mr. D. E. McINNES. Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards St., Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36 0587. Group Secretaries Botany: Mrs. RUTH ANDERS, 7 Barrington Drive, Ashwood, 3137. (25 3816.) Day Group: Miss D. M. BELL, 17 Tower Street, Mont Albert, 3127. (89 2850.) Field Survey: R. D. SANDELL, 39 Rubens Gve., Canterbury, 3126. (83 8009) Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Miss Wendy CLARK, 97 Faraday Street, Carlton, 3053. Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy St., East Brighton. (96 3268.) 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 1975 Metropolitan of a ne * rs es i ae fa a $10 Joint Metropolitan .. ae oe re _ ae ah de 3 ae $12 Joint Retired Members $10 Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65. at he Ai s a $8. Joint Country ; va ue tee oe aa ale $10. Junior ; a ‘2 : ae RS aa $2 Subscriptions to Vict. Nat. i aoe é ee ne ag cu) $8 Overseas Subscription i) es so aA A Ls wae Je zg $10 Junior with “Naturalist” .. he: ie ane es: ie a ing Biles $8.00 Individual Magazines a “ies $0.75 All subscriptions should be aoe payable to thé Field Naturalist Club of Victor and 8 a2 to the Subscription Secretary. 2) JENKIN BUXTON PRINTERS PTY. LTD.. WEST MELBOURNE peseenet May’ June, 1976 Published by the FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA in which is incorporated the Microscopical Society of Victoria $1-20 Category “B” RNB Ne SN eB Oe) ae i Rt Os Ne a massendiant F.N.C.V. DIARY OF COMING EVENTS At the National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 14 June (8.00 p.m.)— Queen’s Birthday Holiday. Speaker—Mr. Ian Morrison. Subject—‘‘Nature Walkabout”. Monday, 12 July (8.00 p.m.)— Speaker—Mr. S. J. Cowling, Assistant Director, Wild Life Branch, Fisheries and Wild Life Division. Subject—‘‘The Objects of the Wild Life Branch’’. Monday, 9 August (8.00 p.m.)— Speaker—Dr. Peter Attiwill. Subject—‘‘Plants and the Atmosphere”. New Members—June General Meeting: Ordinary: Mr. Geoff Bird, 7/28 Mentone Parade, Mentone, 3194. Miss Betty Berrett, 11/321 Beaconsfield Parade, St. Kilda, 3182 (Ecology). Mr. Andrew Calder, 8 Oak Street, Canterbury, 3126 (Mammal Survey, Entomology). Mrs. Elizabeth A. Jacka, 5 Westminster Street, Balwyn, 3103 (Botany and Marine). Ms Jean A. Kerle, 10 Cressy Street, Malvern, 3144. Mr. Cleve W. Lyster, 47 Royal Parade Reservoir, 3073 (Microscopy). Mrs. Marjorie Oates, 14/108 George Street, East Melbourne, 3002. Miss Desley K. Soden, 6/161 Wellington Parade South, Jolimont, 3002 (Mammal Survey and Botany). Joint: Mr. Brian Dwyer and M. L. McDonald, 166 Powlett Street, East Melbourne, 3002. Mr. Nigel H. Sinnott and Mrs. Kathy H. Sinnott, 45 Lincoln Road, Essendon, 3040 (Mycology and Botany). Mr. John D. Miller and Mrs. Jillian M. Miller, 10/26 Garton Street, North Carlton, 3054. Country: Mr. John Linder, Stumpy Gully Road, Balnarring, 3926. Mr. David J. Stewart, 15 Wynne Street, West Rosebud, 3940. Mr. P. Rush, Lindenow South, Vic., 3866. F.N.C.V. EXCURSIONS Sunday, 20 June—Keith Turnbull Research Station, Bullato Road, Frankston. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m., fare $3.40, bring one meal. Any Members travelling by private car should be at the Research Station by 1.00 p.m. This Station is part of the Department of Crown Land and Survey and carries out research on weeds and pests. Sunday, 18 July—Yarra Bend National Park. This will be a follow-up of the Boneseed weeding day held last year, and the plan is to go over the same area pulling up plants missed on the previous excursion and seedlings which have grown since. After lunch there will be a nature ramble through the Park. Meet at the Pioneer Monument at 10.00 a.m. Transport by private car or Kew Tramway Bus from Flinders Street. Lunch at the boatshed picnic area. Bring gardening gloves as young plants are easily pulled out. Sunday, 15 August—Cardinia Reservoir and visit to Jells Road M.M.B.W. Park on the way. Leader, D. E. McInnes. Details next issue. Saturday, 21 August-Sunday, 5 September—New South Wales. The itinerary for this 82 proposed excursion is to leave Saturday, 21 August, stay overnight at Orbost, travel to Bateman’s Bay for the second night, then on to Cronulla where the party will stay until 28/8/76 with day trips to Royal National Park, Heathcote State Park and other areas of natural history interest. On the 28/8/76 the party will proceed to Gosford which is well placed for visits to Brisbane Waters National Park, Kuring-gai Chase, The Australian Reptile Park, Floraland, Bouddi State Park, Dharug National Park, etc., remaining there until 2/9/76, when the return journey will commence, returning home by an inland route. The trip will occupy 16 days and the cost for the coach and accommodation, hotel and motel, mostly room only, will be approximately $265.00, plus meals. Bookings accompanied by $20.00 deposit should be made with the excursion secretary as soon as possible. (Continued on page 123) Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 The Victorian Naturalist Volume 93, Number 3 9 July 1976 Editor: Margery J. Lester Committee: Margaret Corrick, Reuben Kent, Roland Myers, Brian Smith, Grif Ward Nesting Habits of Little Grebes, by N.T.Rossiter.......... 84 Two Rose-Cafer Beetles, by J.Alderson .. .. .. .. .. .. 7...) = 86 Aldo Massola, Anthropologist of the Aborigines .. ........ QI Large Waves at Lorne, by Edmund Gill .. .. ..-.. 2. 7. 2. 92 Alison Ashby, 1975 Natural History Medallionist .. ........ 95 Zonation at Flinders Reef, by R.N.Synnot and G.C.Wescott .. 97 Sea Urchin Spines for microscope slides, by H.H.Bishop . .. .. 107 Rabbits on Gippsland Islands, by J.W.Edmonds and others . .. 110 Vegetation of SE Melbourne, by P.Bridgewater and B. Wellington 113 Generic Names of Victorian Flora, by J.A.Baines.......... 121 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: The Botany Group 124, Report of the Annual General Meeting 125. Cover illustration: Little Grebes nesting on Miss Rossiter’s dam at South Wangaratta; see page 84-85. Photograph by Len Robinson. Observations on the Nesting Habits of the Little Grebe Podiceps ruficollis BY N. T. ROSSITER * For two successive years I have been able to observe a pair of Little Grebes nesting and rearing their young on my dam. The dam is about 100 yards in front of the house from which I get an uninterrupted view of their activities. 1974 In both years there was a remark- able similarity in the timing of major events in the domestic life of the Little Grebes. In 1974, the first grebe arrived on October 2nd (1975 — Oct 3rd). On October 4th (1975 — Oct 5th) another one appeared, and very soon it was apparent they were making a nest. The Nardoo (Marsilea sp) which is very plentiful in the dam seemed to be pushed into a clump, and the birds built on top of it. The nest consisted of long pieces of Nardoo that they obtained by diving and bringing to the surface about foot-long stems which were placed across the platform of Nardoo leaves. They worked very busily on the nest for several days until the platform was about three inches high. On October 8th (1975 — Oct 9th) the first egg was seen and on the tenth there were two. The male continued to bring stems of Nardoo and place them on the nest, perhaps to maintain its height above water level as it subsided under the weight of the female bird and eggs. For four weeks from October 10th, a bird was sitting on the eggs almost constantly, but when danger threatened (people, shags, or other 84 predators) it would cover the eggs in a frenzy of haste with loose Nardoo, hop off into the water and usually submerge. On November 4th a tiny chick was seen; next day there were two and finally three. These are striped, and at first ride on the back of either of the parent birds, slipping off frequently for very brief swims but never far from the adults. Very soon this family of five was depleted. On the morning of Novem- ber 11th two adult birds were seen but, later in the day, two observers were certain there was only one adult and one chick left on the dam. The remaining chick was quite often away from its mother now, but what hap- pened to the other two is a mystery — taken by a predator perhaps, or en- tangled in Nardoo and drowned? The chick grew rapidly and was still being fed by the mother three weeks after hatching but becoming increasingly independent. On December 15th and 16th the female seemed to be building up the nest again, and on the 17th another adult appeared, presumably a male. Emitting a whirring noise, this bird chased the young grebe whenever it approached either adult. Because of the nest preparation on 15th and 16th, I had expected another brood to be started, but the second adult stayed only two weeks — keeping up its hos- tility to the young grebe throughout. Both the older birds were seen on December 29th, but on the 30th only * “Nakkala,’’ South Wangaratta Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 one adult and the chick were sighted; the next day the latter was on its own and remained until January 11th when it too departed. Because I could not distinguish be- tween the male and female, I have assumed that the more active nest- builder was the male, and that the bird mostly on the nest was the female; also that it was the female which re- mained with the chick. I am not sure whether both birds shared the job of sitting on the eggs, but both certainly fed the chicks and both carried them on their backs. 1975. Repeat performance but with extras In 1975 the whole programme was repeated one day later in the dates. This time there were four eggs, although only two hatched, and again only one chick survived more than a few days. The male bird was not sighted after the morning of the day the chicks were first seen, so the female was left to look after the solitary chick. On November 28th another grebe appeared (or the other re-appeared). Again the new arrival showed hos- tility to the young bird which kept a respectful distance, but the female still seemed to have an interest in junior. This time, immediately the adult male arrived, the nest building began and eggs were seen in the nest about December 1st. Now the male became very aggressive towards the first brood chick, chasing it right out of the water on several occasions; it was not seen after December 12th. On December 25th two second brood chicks were sighted; the next day there were four, all swimming strongly so they may have hatched several days before they were first noticed on Christmas morning. The male stayed for over a week helping May / June with the family, but was not seen after January 2nd. The female left about the 16th when the four young were almost full grown and able to fend for themselves. All four stayed on the dam for another month and then left singly, the last one about March 6th. I think it is interesting to note that, although the male is an indefatigable nest-builder working literally from dawn to dusk _ collecting nesting material from all over the dam until it was no longer needed, he does not take equal responsibility in feeding and caring for the young; he per- formed this chore when there were four chicks but only for the first week, after which he left his mate to cope on her own. Rising water An event of interest occurred when the level of the dam was rising rapidly due to prolonged heavy rain. As the nest appeared to be attached to the growing Nardoo plants, this change in water level must have presented a problem to the grebes. Although in these circumstances of rising water level the Nardoo grows until the leaves are again on the surface, there might be a time lag of several days before it catches up — too long for a nest in danger of submersion. On re- turning home after a day’s absence during this period, I found the nest floating freely at the other end of the dam, presumably cut adrift by the grebes to save it from being flooded. Thereafter it drifted up and down the dam with the changing wind, until it blew against the bank facing the pre- vailing wind and stayed there. I am looking forward to another repeat performance by the grebes next spring, hoping for further interesting sidelights on their nesting habits. 85 Behaviour and Larvae of two Rose Chafer Beetles Eupoecila australasiae (Don), Diaphonia dorsalis (Don) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae) BY J. ALDERSON * Introduction About 120 species of Cetoniinae occur in Australia, and all are diurnal and feed on nectar. Most species are attractively patterned or have metallic colouring. They are well represented in collections but, as far as I am aware, little is known of their be- haviour and their predators, and no descriptions of their larvae have been published. In this paper observations on the behaviour and the predators of the 86 two rose chaffer beetles, Eupoecila australasiae (Don) and Diaphonia dorsalis (Don), are reported. Descrip- tions of the mature larvae of the two beetles are also presented. Distribution The two species occur in the coastal region from Queensland to the South Australian border. The specimens of mature larvae described here were * Fisheries and Wildlife Division, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, Victoria. Plate I: ff Below — Eupoecila australasiae At left — Diaphenia dorsalis Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 collected on hillsides north-east of Melbourne. Adult Eupoecila australasiae (plate I) ranged in length from 12 to 22 mm and from late December to early February are often seen feeding on the flowers of Austral grass-tree (Xanthorrhoea australis), sweet bur- saria (Bursaria spinosa), prickly tea- tree (Leptospermum juniperinum), Angophora and a variety of Eucalyp- tus spp. Adult Diaphonia dorsalis (plate I) ranged from 23 to 28 mm but ap- peared to feed only on the flowers of eucalypts. Plate II: Pupa of Eupoecila australasiae 1. Ventral view. 2. Lateral view. 3. Dorsal view. 4. Head enlarged — dorsal. May / June Behaviour and predators These fast-flying beetles fold their elytra down in direct but somewhat zigzageged flight which, combined with their habit of feeding concealed deep in blossom, tends to protect them against air-borne attack from birds. After prolonged feeding on eucalypt flowers on hot days (Jan-Feb) indi- viduals from both species have been seen to collide with rocky outcrops or to fall out of trees. Once on the ground the beetles move about in a seemingly intoxicated manner and their feeble unsuccessful attempts to take flight suggests that they are more vulnerable to predation at this time. Black-faced cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae) and Australian noisy miners (Manorina melanocephala) were seen to prey on beetles on the ground. Examinations of fox (Vulpes vulpes) scats have also shown evi- dence of predation; this may have occurred when the beetles were in- toxicated, when they had landed on the ground as the air became too cool for flight, or when they were laying eggs. The remains of E. australasiae have been found in trout stomachs examined in the laboratory at the Arthur Rylah Institute. Larvae The larvae of E. australasiae feed only on woody fibre and are known to inhabit the root systems of grass- trees (Froggatt). During the present study, larvae were found under bark at the butts of dead trees and in fallen eucalypt logs (about 10 years old) which were at the stage of being broken down by cockroaches (Blatti- dae). The larvae were found to in- habit the old cockroach galleries and to live on the cockroaches discarded wood chewings. D. dorsalis larvae were found often in association with cockroaches, centi- pedes or passalid beetles in soil under 87 eucalypt logs. Both mature and im- mature larvae migrated to the soil sur- face on the underside of eucalypt logs during winter months, when the lar- vae were totally encrusted with par- ticles of soil agglutinated to the body setae. This apparently gives protection against soil-dwelling predators, such as mites. Mites (unidentified) were frequently found feeding on the pre- spiracular sclerites when larvae were not encrusted with soil particles. The mature larvae of E. australasiae were found to construct pupation cells in autumn (Mar-April) and to pupate E .australasiae in spring (Sept-Oct), the beetles emerging in summer (Jan-Feb). The mature larvae of D. dorsalis often dig to a depth of 10 cm to construct pupation cells and the timing of their pupation and emergence of the beetles is similar to that of E. australasiae. The cells of both species are con- structed from faecal material; the cell of E. australasiae consisted of woody fibre and was oval, about 23 mm long and 15 mm wide; the cell of D. dor- salis yielded little evidence of root fibre having been consumed. The method of cell construction was the D. dorsalis Plate III: Above left, larva of Eupoecila australasiae. Above right, larva of Diaphonia dorsalis. Fig. 1. Head — dorsal, without mandibles. 88 15mm. ; DE Labrum — dorsal. 3. Left maxilla. 4. Labium — dorsal. 5. Sclerite. 6. Leg: Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 same for both species. The larvae in- duced defecation by stimulating the area above the anal lip with closed mandibles and then worked the faeces into position with the mandibles to form the cell wall. The inner surface of the cell is then trowelled smooth with an up and down movement with the closed mandibles. General appearance of Larvae of the two species The structures of ten larvae from each collecting site were examined. Five specimens from each group were preserved and the remainder were bred out. Pate III The larvae of both species vary in size and of 10 specimens of each species examined, D. dorsalis ranged from 70 to 95 mm and E. australasiae from 55 to 68 mm on the dorsal aspect. The larvae of D. dorsalis is more robust and the head is considerably more retracted than the head of E. australasiae. The larvae of both species are C-shaped, cylindrical, near white in colour, with 10 abdominal segments and a slightly curved, transverse anal open- ing. Three dorsal plicia occur on seg- ments 1-7 and transverse rows of long setae and more scattered smaller setae, on the dorsum of most segments. Cres- cent shaped, cribriform spiracles (fig. 5) situated on abdominal segments 1-8 and those of prothorax are dark brown in colour on D. dorsalis, light ochraceous on E. australasiae. Head (fig.1) ochraceous in colour, smooth, broad; half the width of pro- thorax. Clypeus short, broad, punctate medially, transversely; dark ochraceous on the upper half, creamy on the lower half. Labrum (fig.2) dark ochraceous, ovate in shape, tri-lobed, symmetrical and setaceous on apical margin with pigmentation each side of middle lobe. Antennae’ light ochraceous, four- segmented. First segment longest, cylin- drical, narrow basally. Second segment similar but half the length of first seg- May / June ment. Third segment slightly shorter than second segment; somewhat cluvate, exserted antero-ventrally. Fourth seg- ment conical, narrow basally. Man- dibles black, asymmetrical; left mandible with four teeth on mesal distal aspect. Stridulating organs occur on _ ventral mesal aspect of each mandible. Each mandible with pencillus tuft between stridulatory area and pencillus comb on inner base. Maxilla (fig.3) consists of cardo, stipes, three-segmented palp and mala with two terminal unci. Maxillary stridu- latory area consists of 5-6 stout teeth. Labium (fig.4) with a pair of two- segmented palps. The three thoracic segments each carry a pair of moderately short, four- segmented legs (fig. 6). PLATE IV Different characters were found in the epipharynges (underside of lab- rum); antennae; stridulating organs; tarsungulus (terminal segment of leg) anal segments. Eupoecila australasiae. Epipharynx (fig.1). Epipharynx tri- lobed, symmetrical, with pigmentation each side of middle lobe and a chitinous semicircular carina near distal margin of median lobe. Distal sensory area with a transverse row of 11-12 truncated spines which merge into pointed setae medially and generally form inner margin of paria extending beyond the tormae. Proximad of the anterior transverse row of spines are 7-8 scattered spines. Pedium dis- tinctly scleriotized, devoid of setae. Proximal sensory area with medial, somewhat triangular black sense cone; several fine spines are situated anterior to the sense cone. Pternotorma short and keeled. Dexiotorma long, about one-third the width of epipharyngeal suture. Plegmatium with 5-8 short stout spines. Some 5-8 setae occur on margin of each lateral lobe and some 15 setae are situated on anterior margin of the epipharynx. Antennae (fig.2). Terminal segment uate with 6-7 sensory spots on apical half. Stridulating organs (fig.3). Stridula- ting area, ovate in shape. Tarsungulus (figs.4,5). Legs termi- nate with a strong curved claw, broad basally, with a strong downward directed spine on each side near the base. 89 Anal segment (not illustrated). Radu- lar with short spetula extending beyond anal lip fold; without a row of pali on each side. Diaphonia dorsalis Epipharynx (fig.6). Epipharynx tri- lobed, symmetrical, with pigmentation each side of middle lobe and a chitinous semicircular carina near distal margin of median lobe. Distal sensory area with a transverse row of 9-12 truncated spines which merge into a more scattered field of spines and pointed setae medially (inner paria margin ill-defined). Scat- tered truncated spines proximad of an- terior transverse row almost formed into second and third rows. Spines and setae on right side of inner paria thicker than those on left side. Proximal sensory area (without sense cone) consists of a somewhat quadrate, lightly pigmented medial patch, with four small black sense spots. Some 8-10 small scattered spines are situated transversely, anterior to sense spots on proximal sen- sory area. Several fine spines are situated on the left side mesal aspect of the pedium. Pternotorma short and keeled. Dexiotorma about + the width of ‘ ne Ay D. dorsalis. naa cd ae ae pte ae a, Vi ie Sup ry! "y fii ORG role oft, t Vy NYuye . it “Wr I: MY, a\ ON Ws } CARS ARN TLE. ANA 2 hy, Af ee, Int oe Ee By! 4 yj F he (nef } . Git aD oan 4 4 4, epipharyngeal suture. Plegmatium with some 8 short stout spines. Some 15 setae are situated on anterior margin of the epipharynx. Antennae (fig. 7). Third segment with one dorsal spot and one spot antero- ventrally. Terminal segment with 14-16 spots covering most of apical half. Stridulating organs (fig. 13). Stridula- ting area, elongate in shape. Tarsungulus (figs. 9, 10). Legs termi- nate with a stout tubercle, broad basally, somewhat longer and conical on inner distal aspect from which one spine is situated medially; directed downward. Another spine situated on distal, lateral, aspect is directed forward and slightly downward. Anal segment (fig. 11). Radular in- consistent in form often with short septula, extending to above anal lip fold and with two rows of 8-12 short, stout, compressed pali, or with 3-5 pali of palidium on basal end of septula. Acknowledgements I am indebted to Lorraine Alderson, Susan Beattie and Fabian Douglas for their assistance in collecting data, Peter Kelly for his assistance in providing Plate IV: Above — structures of Eupoecila australasiae 1. Epipharynx. 2. Antennae. 3. Mandibles. 4. Tarsungulus, lateral. 5. Tarsungulus, ventral. Below — structures of Diaphonia dorsalis. 6. Epipharynx. 7. Antennae. 8. Mandibles. 9. Tarsungulus, lateral. 10. Tarsungulus, ventral. ’ \ : AN Ww DR was, “7 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 specimens and literature and Mr. C. G. L. Gooding for allowing me to examine his collection. Also I am grateful to the following members of the staff: Dr. D. Evans for reading the draft, J. Cooper (photographer) for Plates II-IV and K. Beinssen, J. Seebeck, J. Bacher and R. Warneke for assistance in many ways. REFERENCES Peterson, A., 1960. Larvae of Insects, Part II, Columbus, Ohio, 416 pages. Ritcher, P. O., 1967. Keys for Identifying Larvae of Scarabaeoidea to the Family and Subfamily (Coleoptera). Occasional Papers — No. 10, Bureau of Entomology, California Department of Agriculture. Aldo Massola Italo-Australian Anthropologist of the Aborigines When, on 11 November 1975, four months after his death, an obituary appreciation of Aldo Massola_ ap- peared in the Melbourne ‘Herald’, it came as a Surprise to many of our members. He was a valued, regular contributor to ‘The Victorian Natura- list? and we record this summary of “his life. Aldo Massola was born in Rome and came to Australia, aged 13, when his father was sent out here on busi- ness and decided to stay. At Mel- bourne University, Aldo — studied anthropology under Professor Leon- hard Adam, from whom he learned the fascination of South-east Asian cultures. Then he undertook the self- imposed task, pursued persistently and lovingly over many years, of rescuing from oblivion what remained of the lore of the Australian aborigines. He was just in time; many of his dark- skinned informants have now passed from this world, and their descendants have little real knowledge of the ancient traditions, languages, customs, etc., and will need to study what has in the white man’s such as those of been recorded printed books, Massola. For ten years Massola was Curator at the National Museum of Victoria, but most of his working life was spent as head waiter at Mario’s, Mel- bourne’s best-known restaurant in its heyday when owned by the Vigano family. Aldo Massola contributed more than 100 papers to scientific and natural history journals; many were published in ‘The Victorian Naturalist’ during the years 1956-75, most of them reporting discoveries of pre- viously unknown cave shelters and rock paintings. His books include ‘Bunjil’s Cave’ (1968), ‘Aboriginal Place Names of South-east Australia’ (1968), ‘Journey to Aboriginal Vic- toria’ (1969), ‘The ‘Aborigines of South-eastern Australia As They Were’ (1971), ‘Aboriginal Mission Stations in Victoria’ and ‘Coranderrk: a History of the Aboriginal Station’ (1975). J. A. BAINES Preparing material for ‘The Victorian Naturalist’ When preparing material for publication, please have it typed with double line spacing and leave at least 3 cm (about 1 4%) clear margin at the left. Captions to figures should be typed on a separate page. It is desirable for editor to receive two copies of material, at least of the text matter. May / June 91 Large Waves at Lorne, Victoria BY EDMUND GILL On 16-17 May, 1975, there were extra large waves along the Otway coast. These were studied at Lorne and at various places between there and Apollo Bay. A storm was running at the time, and this was thought by most to be the cause of the waves, but it was not so. At Lorne where the coast runs NNE-SSW the winds were coming over the hills from the NW and W, and indeed were working against the waves, tending to flatten them. The wind was blowing trails of spray sea- wards from the tops of the landward- moving waves’ creating ‘“‘horses’ manes”’ as they are popularly called. The large waves were swell waves from the Southern Ocean, the stormi- est ocean in the world. Because this ocean surrounds Antarctica in the stormy latitudes, the winds have almost limitless fetch. So powerful are its swell waves that they cross the entire Pacific and break on the shores of Alaska. A large horizontal shore platform occurs at North Lorne just NE of Stony Creek in greenish-grey arkose or greywacke, locally called Jump Rock. Having already surveyed this platform, we could quantify the amount and speed of the water being deposited on it. The platform is supra- tidal, standing 1.5 m above HWL. From the outermost edge of the plat- form to the original cliff now covered with rockfalls from road works, the platform is 212 m long and 57 m wide. Wave base is half the distance be- tween crests, so the waves broke sea- ward of the platform at varying dis- tances according to their dimensions. 92 Final seconds of a wave’s life The waves were reaching the shore at about three per minute. As a wave came into shallow water, it steepened and at the same time snatched up sand covering the rocky seafloor. Thus the wave changed colour (because of the yellow sand) and changed from mere water to a ‘cutting compound’ of sand and surf. It scrubbed the shore plat- form clean, just like the wooden decks of sailing ships were scrubbed clean with sand and sea water. Its high energy also quarried out blocks of rock and hurled them to the back of the platform. A broken wave took 5 seconds to travel from the top of the rampart to the rockfall at the back of the plat- form, a distance of 30 m, so the speed was about 20 km/hr. As shown in the photographs, the surf covered the platform generally to the height of the rampart = 1 m. As a m°® of water weighs one tonne, the Description of the photographs Top. A large swell wave breaks sea- ward of the rampart which stands up to 1 m above the shore platform which is 1.5 m above HWL. The foaming surf from the previous wave is still retreating. Photo from Ocean Road at top of cliff above platform at Jump Rock, North Lorne. Middle. A breaking wave crashes on the rampart with tremendous impulsive load- ing. The turbulent surf of the previous large wave has not yet all drained away. The wave rushes across the platform at 20 km/hr loading it with 12,000 tonnes of water. Bottom. Water rushes with a sound like a waterfall down the 3 m deep channel at the NE end of the platform: it is full to the brim. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Photos: Author. May/June 93 platform was loaded about 3 times per minute with 12,000 tonnes of water. The water was lighter because of the air in it, but also heavier be- cause of the sand in it, so the weight of a m°® of water is near enough for our purpose. In the 20 seconds before the next wave came, the water poured tumul- tuously from the supratidal platform. The heaviest return flows were down the channels. This extra long platform has a channel at the Stony Creek end, and another at the NE end. The cata- racts of returning waters made a noise like a waterfall, and washed back into the sea the sand that the waves had dumped on the platform. The return currents through the rampart were not as powerful as those down the channels, so a narrow zone of sandy water skirted the platform, while opposite the channels masses of sandy water were jetted much farther into the sea. When the next wave arrived, some of this sand in suspen- sion was caught up and recycled to the platform, abrading and _ being abraded. So large a load of water was sometimes hurled on to the platform, that it could not be cleared before another arrived. Conversely, when a smaller wave arrived, the platform was well drained. Wave as deck-scrubber When the fury of the swell waves had abated, we returned to see what changes had been wrought. We noticed first that the rock surface had been scrubbed clean, all the algae hav- ing been stripped away. The platform surface was slightly reduced. Thousands of the little marine snail Melarapha live on this platform, and apparently feed on the algae there. I wondered what they would do without this food source. But I took a couple home and they were on my desk for over two months yet were still alive, 94 sO apparently they remain on the plat- form until the algae grow again. What we did notice was that the population was greatly reduced. There were none on the broad flat areas of the plat- form, but many were crowded along joint places and in other protected places. Reduction of population would lessen the strain on food supplies. Ap- parently all these things are just part of the normal melaraphan way of life! Wave as weight-lifter Large pieces of rock had been quarried by the waves and carried across to the rear of the platform. They were slabs 20-30 cm thick ripped from the vicinity of the rampart. Some lay flat, while others were left leaning against rockfall boulders. Some still had Melarapha on them, and the absence of this snail in the vicinity suggested they had travelled with the rock. The rock dimensions and their pattern of oxidation colours made it easy to trace whence they had come. Archimedes’ principle states that a rock is lightened in water to the extent of the weight of the water displaced. It was not difficult for these fiercely energetic waves to remove these slabs and sweep them across the platform. The largest pieces were measured, and taking their specific gravity as 2.7, they were calculated to weigh from 1 to 1.5 tonnes. Still larger waves West of Cape Otway, beyond Bass Strait, still bigger waves are en- countered, because the sea is open from Australia to Antarctica. I once stood during a storm on the top of a 45 m (150 ft) cliff at Port Campbell, when a really big sea was running. A local storm from the SW was adding to the energy of an ex- ceptionally powerful SW swell. When a big wave struck the cliff, the whole Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 ground trembled at least to 100 m back where I was standing. It im- pressed us that these millions of tonnes of rock could be made to vibrate by the impulsive loading of one wave. Then the splash from the wave shot 15 m higher than those tall cliffs, and the fierce wind whipped the water back over any bystanders! If the power of the SW swell could be harnessed, Australia would have all the energy it needed. Waves are solar energy mediated through the winds. Two scientists studying the Bikini Atoll calculated that the 2 m (7 ft) waves pounding the reef at that time, were working continuously at the rate of half a million horsepower. And most of that energy was coming all the way from the Southern Ocean! Alison M. Ashby 1975 Australian Natural History Medallionist The award of the 1975 Australian Natural History Medallion to Alison M. Ashby was announced in Septem- ber, 1975 (Vic. Nat. 92: 9); the presentation was made at the March, 1976 meeting of the Society for Grow- ing Australian Plants (South Aus- tralian Region), who first nominated Miss Ashby for the Award. Alison Marjorie Ashby was born in South Australia and has lived there all her life. Her father, the late Edwin Ashby, was himself a dedicated naturalist with particular interest in malacology, ornithology and botany, and many of his collections are in the South Australian Museum. He was also very interested in native plants and achieved remarkabie success as a propagator. Early in Alison Ashby’s life the family moved to Blackwood in the Adelaide hills, where several acres of their property were devoted to the cultivation of native plants. The remaining thirty acres of this land were eventually given to the Adelaide Botanic Gardens Trust by Edwin Ashby’s son, A. K. Ashby. At the age of twelve, Alison Ashby sat down during one of the school holidays to paint all the Australian wildflowers. Although her enthusiasm May /June at the time soon waned, it has re- mained her ambition. After leaving school she had some lessons from Rosa Fiveash and soon developed her own individual style. For some years family responsibilities kept her at home, but from the early 1940’s on- ward, in spite of ill health and in- creasing difficulty in walking, she has been able to devote most of her time to the growing and painting of wild- flowers, travelling widely throughout Australia in search of material. It is reported that on one occasion she returned from Western Australia with three thousand plants in her suitcase, having buried all her clothes in the bush to make room for them. All the wildflower paintings are donated to the South Australian Museum, a collection now numbering over one thousand. The collection is growing annually as she continues to paint in Western Australia in the spring, and in Kosciusko National Park in the summer. In 1950 a donation of money to the South Australian Museum enabled a Start to be made on post card repro- ductions of some of the paintings and 162 have so far been issued. 95 Alison Ashby is a tireless cam- paigner for the conservation of native bushland and for the preservation of native species through cultivation. She is an extremely skilful propagator and is always ready to back up her recommendations with practical help and advice, and often with financial assistance as well. In 1957 she gave ‘‘Watiparinga’’, a 77 acre property at Sleep’s Hill left to her by her father, to the National Trust of South Australia. She also undertook to stock almost half of it with native plants of her own raising. In addition, she has planted reserves in the National Park at Belair and two reserved enclosures on a nephew’s property in the Inman Valley. Miss Ashby’s work has been widely recognised; she is a _ foundation Honorary Life Member of the Society for Growing Australian Plants, an Honorary Life Member of the Tree Preservation and Gardening Society, a Life Member of the Field Natura- lists’ Society of South Australia, and an Honorary Associate in Botany of the South Australian Museum; in 1960 she was honoured with the award of M.B.E. M. G. CorRIck. Natural History at the Coast In December we plan to publish a special issue of ‘The Victorian Naturalist’ consisting almost entirely of articles re- lating to our coasts. Science and research workers might have relevant material that they are plan- ning or are already preparing for publica- tion. Such articles will be gratefully received. And we expect many layman articles from members of the FNCV; in fact we hope to receive at least two items from each Study Group, as well as from other people. Some items might be only a few lines, but others could be more substantial. Geology, land and sea plants, marine creatures, insects etc, birds, tides — the possibilities are almost unlimited. When preparing an article for publica- tion, please have it typed with doubie line spacing and leave at least 3 cm (about 14”) clear margin at left. Captions to figures should be typed on a separate page. It is desirable for the editor to receive two copies of material, at least of the text matter. Material for this special coast issue should be with editor by 30 September. Natural History Medallion Trust Fund We will be pleased to receive donations from organisations that feel this Fund is worthy of their support. The following donations have been received and we thank the donors: Amount invested as at 10 March 1976 .. Peninsula Field Naturalists Club $299 5 $304 Total GARNET JOHNSON, ASSISTANT SECRETARY NEW PUBLICATION AVAILABLE FROM FNCV SALES OFFICER In the Australian Natural History Series by Collins: “Frogs” by Michael J. Tyler. 256 pages. $12.95, discount to members. Postage 90c within 50 km, $1.20 within Victoria. 96 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Zonation at Flinders Reef, Westernport Bay An introduction to Victorian intertidal ecology with specific reference to the Flinders Reef, Westernport Bay BY R. N. SYNNOT AND G. C. WESCOTT* Few descriptions of patterns of in- tertidal zonation are available for the flora and fauna on Victorian rocky shores. There is some information on sheltered areas in bays, e.g. King, Black & Ducker (1971) for Port Phillip and Smith, Coleman & Watson (1975) for Westernport Bay. Dakin (1952), Bennett & Pope (1953), Knox (1963), Stephenson & Stephenson (1972) and King (1972), have dis- cussed the general features of zona- tion and biogeography of the organ- isms present on exposed coastlines. Among more general works on in- tertidal ecology, Dakin (1952) remains the only comprehensive Aus- tralian work in this field. Unfortun- ately it deals mainly with New South Wales shores and it is also taxonomi- cally obsolete. Morton and Miller (1973) give an excellent account of the ecology of organisms on all shore types in New Zealand; many of the organisms discussed are closely re- lated to Australian ones. The only book which is concerned wholly with @ MELBOURNE aS I Lonsdale \ FLINDERS —~ Capee®@ Schank 10.205 930) £0 KILOME TERS Figure 1. The location of the Flinders Reef. May / June fauna of Victoria is (1962) the marine MacPherson and Gabriel’s ‘‘Marine Molluscs of Victoria’. This paper describes the ecology of the Flinders reef at the heads of Westernport Bay (Figure 1). This locality is an example of a semi- exposed reef (sensu Bennett & Pope, 1960), and the fauna and flora found here are typical of the southern Vic- torian coastline. It also provides an introduction to the basic physical and biological features of intertidal eco- logy. For this purpose a few general points are presented before the fauna and flora of Flinders are described in detail. Intertidal Zonation Zonation, the distribution of ani- mals and plants in distinct bands along the shore, is most easily observed on rock platforms which slope gently towards the sea. The bands are termed intertidal (or vertical) zonation pat- terns. The causes of zonation are not yet completely clear. Doty (1946) pro- posed that the zones are determined by fluctuations in sea level resulting from tidal cycles. That is, the higher an organism occurs on the shore, the greater is the time it will be exposed to air (and consequently to desiccation stress during low tides). Therefore the limit of distribution above which in- dividuals of a particular species can- not survive is controlled by the ex- * Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052, Victoria, Australia. 97 treme and mean heights of the low and high tides. Hence each species occurs in a distinct region, with the more distinctive bands, usually those of the commoner organisms, combin- ing to give an _ overall zonation pattern. However, detailed study of the biology and ecology of a number of intertidal species has now shown that the physical features of the shore zone (such as tidal heights) do not fully explain the patterns of zonation observed. Connell (1970, 1972) and Paine (1966) have emphasised that biological factors, such as predation, and competition for food or space, may control the lower limit of distri- bution of organisms. Thus in general it seems that the upper limits of inter- Supralittoral zone Upper limit of Littorina Supralittoral fringe | Upper limit of barnacles {| Midlittoral zone Littoral zone i Upper limit of laminarians Infralittoral fringe i Infralittoral zone Figure 2. A universal descriptive scheme of intertidal zonation (after Stephenson and Stephenson, 1972; E.H.W.S.: Ex- treme High Water of Spring tides, E.L.W.S.: Extreme Low Water of Spring tides). 98 tidal distributions are physically con- trolled while the lower limits are bio- logically determined. Stephenson and Stephenson (1949, 1972) concluded from their investiga- tions of intertidal rocky shores on all continents that even though patterns of intertidal zonation vary consider- ably from shore to shore, a number of common features may be observed. They have provided a universal de- scriptive scheme (Figure 2) which is followed in this paper. There are _ five envisaged. main regions 1) The Supralittoral Zone: This is the maritime region immediately above the supralittoral fringe. It may extend many miles inland. 2) The Supralittoral Fringe: This area receives moisture from extreme high tides and wave splash. In areas under the influence of strong wave action it can be quite wide (up to several metres, e.g. on Wilson’s Promontory) while in protected areas it may be very narrow (e.g. less than ten centi- metres at Corinella, Westernport Bay). The upper limit of this zone is marked by the maximum height at which lit- torinids (periwinkles) occur. These are species of the prosobranch molluscs of the genus Littorina (formerly Melaraphe). The lower limit of this fringe is delineated by the upper edge of a prominent “‘barnacle zone’’. 3) The Midlittoral Zone: This area is completely exposed during most low tides. It contains a high diversity of organisms, and extends from the bar- nacle zone down to the upper limit of large brown algae — kelps (Figure 3). This zone is often subdivided into upper and lower midlittoral to aid discussions of animal and_ plant distributions. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 4) The Infralittoral Fringe: This area extends from the upper limit of kelps to the extreme low water of spring tides and represents the lowest area which is exposed by tides. 5) The Infralittoral Zone: This zone lies below low tide mark and is per- manently submerged. While all these zones are easily dis- cernible on sloping rock platforms, they are often difficult to recognise in areas which contain rock rubble, or are dissected into crevices and rock pools. Under these circumstances the basic patterns still exist, but are sub- stantially modified by local environ- mental effects. For example, an or- ganism which lives in a rock pool is not exposed to desiccation, no matter what the height of the pool; but it is subject to other stresses, such as changes in salinity and higher water temperatures. Similarly in an area of rock rubble, moisture is held by sur- face tension beneath the rocks and consequently animals and plants are able to survive at heights above those that they could tolerate on open rock surfaces. The Flinders Reef The general appearance of the reef at Flinders is shown in Figure 4. Physical characteristics The geology of the area is complex (Jutson, 1950). A general account of the formation and characteristics of coastal platforms is given by Bird (1972): Air temperatures recorded at Cape Schank show a mean monthly range from 7.3°C to 21.5°C. However, an extreme range of 0.5°C to 40.0°C has been recorded (Bureau of Meteo- rology, 1968). Sea water temperatures are pre- sumed to be similar to those at Port Phillip Heads (King, 1970). King found an annual range of 8°C with a maximum of 20°C in January and a minimum of 12°C in August, thus classifying the. region as_ cold- temperate mixed-waters (sensu Knox, 1963). Very little information is available on the currents in Bass Strait (King, 1972), except that they are predomi- nantly westerly in the summer and possibly easterly in the winter (Vaux and Olsen, 1961). Figure 3. The large kelps (foreground) whose upper reaches mark the lower limit of the mid-littoral zone. May / June 92 Figure 4. An overall view of Flinders Reef, looking towards West Head. The tides in the area show diurnal inequality, i.e. the two low and two high tides in a 24-hour cycle are of differing heights (Chapman, 1938). Pollock (1971) discusses the tides of Bass Strait. Intertidal Zonation The Flinders Reef is predominantly a solid rock platform, somewhat modi- fied by rock pools and rock boulder areas. The overall pattern of zonation Supralittoral Zone Supralittoral Fringe Midlittoral Zone Figure 5, A summary of the zonation patterns on the main rock platform at Flinders reef. Infralittoral Fringe Infralittoral zone on solid rock areas is summarised in Figure 5, and in rock rubble areas in Figure 6 (Synnot, 1974; Wescott, 1974; Ryland, 1975). The following account includes only the more conspicuous organisms of each zone. Details of algal dis- tributions are given by King (1972). Molluscan taxonomy follows that of MacPherson and Gabriel (1962) and crustacean taxonomy that of Camp- bell and Griffin (1966). 1. Lichinia confinis, 2. Littorina unifasciata, 3. Nerita atramentosa, 4. Lepsiella vinosa, 5. Bembicium nanum, 6. Chamaesipho columna, 7. Tetraclita purpurescens, 8. Chthalmus antennatus, 9. Austrocochlea constricta, 10. Cellana tramoserica, 11. Siphonaria diemenensis, 12. Galeolaria caespitosa, 13. Hormosira banksi, 14. Patelloida alticostata, 15. Dicathais orbita, 16. Subninella undulata. 100 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 The Supralittoral Zone This zone is absent at Flinders. Usually, for instance at Wilson’s Promontory, the zone is recognisable in rocky areas by belts of the black lichen Verrucaria sp. The Supralittoral Fringe Clusters of the small blue peri- winkle Littorina unifasciata (Banded Australwink) are very common in the higher rock areas. Littorina praeter- missa (Checked Australwink), a closely related species discernible by its zig-zag stripes, can be seen with more careful inspection. Both species browse on _ micro- scopic algae found on the rock sur- faces. The lower reaches of this zone are characterised by tufts of the black-green lichen, Lichinia confinis. The Midlittoral Zone In exposed sites the upper limit of this zone is formed by a belt of the barnacle Chthalmus antennatus. On very sheltered rock faces this species is often replaced by the common rock barnacle JTetraclita purpurescens. Amongst these species the tiny rock barnacle Chamaesipho columna is found in scattered rosette-like groups. May / June Supralittoral Zone Supralittoral Fringe Midlittoral Zone Infralittoral Fringe Infralittoral Zone Figure 6. A summary of the zonation pattern on rock rubble areas at Flinders ecu 1. Leptograpsodes octodentatus, 2. Cyclograpsus audouini, 3. Carcinus maenas, 4. Brachynotus spinosus, 5. Patiriella exigua, 6. Cyclograpsus granulosus, 7. Paragrapsus quadridentatus. Figure 7 illustrates a number of these species of barnacle. Barnacles feed at high tide by opening their ‘“‘beaks’’ and waving their feather-like appen- dages to catch any small planktonic organisms. Figure 7. Two species of barnacle which occur at Flinders: Tetraclita purpurescens, the larger species and Chthalmus antennatus, the smaller. Usually these two species are found in different areas. 101 Lepsiella vinosa Siphonaria diemenensis Nerita atramentosa Figure 8. The more common gastropod molluscs of the intertidal zone. (Scale line = 1.0 cm.) Cellana tramoserica Patelloida alticostata The most conspicuous animals in the midlittoral zone are the gastropod molluscs (Figure 8). Austrocochlea constricta (Ribbed Top Shell) and Bembicium nanum (Striped Mouth Conniwink) are most common and occur throughout this zone and in rock pools. The striking black nerite or crow shell, Nerita atramentosa, formerly Melanerita melanotragus, is also abundant, with highest densities in crevices sheltered from direct wave action. These gastropods feed by browsing on encrusting algae in the midlittoral zone. B. nanum and N. atramentosa are a common _ food source for the small predatory gas- tropod Lepsiella vinosa (Wine-Mouth Lepsiella). Lepsiella occurs through- out the midlittoral zone, but in winter moves into the lower reaches of the supralittoral fringe where it feeds on Littorina spp. L. vinosa preys on various molluscs and barnacles, eat- ing their flesh after boring a hole through their external shells. This species is a good example of an or- ganism whose intertidal distribution is controlled by biological factors; in this case, the distribution of food sources. May / June Scattered amongst these animals in the midlittoral areas are a number of limpets, the most striking of which is the Variegated Limpet Cellana tramoserica. Another conspicuous limpet-like gastropod is the air breath- ing Siphonaria diemenensis (Van Die- men’s Land Siphon Shell). Both C. tramoserica and S. diemenensis move slowly over the rock surface grazing on encrusting algae. The lower sections of the midlit- toral zone are covered by either the serpulid polychaete worm Galeolaria caespitosa or the brown alga Nep- tune’s Necklace (Hormosira banksi). G. caespitosa forms encrusting masses of calcareous tubes on vertical rock faces which are sheltered from direct wave action (Figure 9). The masses of tubes provide many microhabitats which support a varied community of crabs, worms, molluscs and amphi- pods. The gently sloping areas are typi- cally covered by H. banksi and mats of coralline algae, e.g. Jania sp. The Tall Ribbed Limpet Patelloida alti- costata (Figure 8) is found in these areas, feeding predominantly on these mats. Figure 9. A mass of the calcareous tubes of the polychaete worm Galeolaria caespitosa. 103 The Infralittoral Fringe At Flinders this area is easily recognisable by the presence of several species of Cystophora, a brown alga, and of the green alga Caulerpa browni (Figure 10). Several animals occur among these algae, the most conspicuous being the predatory Dog Winkle Dicathais orbita (Phillips and Campbell, 1974). The Wavy Turbo Subninella undulata, and the chitons Poneroplax albida and P. costata are also common. Rock Rubble Areas The Flinders shore platform pos- sesses extensive areas of rock rubble which provide shelter for many ani- mals. These animals are also zoned but not as conspicuously as on open rock surfaces. The most abundant animals in the rock rubble are three species of grapsid crabs (Figure 11) which shelter under the boulders dur- ing low tide, and feed at high tide on algal fragments. Paragrapsus quadri- dentatus (the notched shore crab) occurs in the lower midlittoral area immediately below Cyclograpsus granulosus (the purple mottled shore crab). These two crabs can be dis- tinguished by the presence of a notch on the carapace of P. quadridentatus (Campbell and Griffin, 1966). In isolated areas higher up in the intertidal zone the closely related species C. audouini occurs. in moderate numbers. It can be distin- guished from C. granulosus by the presence of hairy tufts at the base of its walking legs. Other grapsid crabs which occur in the rubble are Brachynotus spinosus, a small crab with many notches in the carapace, found in or near rock pools throughout the midlittoral; and Lep- tograpsodes octodentatus, which has a ridged carapace and is found in small numbers in the supralittoral fringe. Carcinus maenas, an _ introduced species (Fulton and Grant, 1901) of the family Portunidae (swimming crabs), also occurs in the upper mid- littoral area. This is one of few crabs which has been observed to eat small molluscs. Also occurring throughout the mid- littoral is the small green sea star Patiriella exigua (Ryland, 1975). Nerita atramentosa, Austrocochlea constricta and Lepsiella vinosa also occur in the rock rubble. Discussion Morton and Miller (1973) state that rocky shores which are neither Figure 10. An overall view of the infralittoral fringe at Flinders dominated by Caulerpa spp. and Cystophora brown. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 . fully exposed nor very sheltered are the best areas in which to begin the study of littoral plants and animals. Although on these shores clear cut zones may not be immediately visible they become evident on closer in- spection. May / June The dissected nature of the Flinders reef is an excellent example of the type of shore to which Morton and Miller refer. The zonation at Flinders differs in a number of ways from the previously described patterns seen on exposed Victorian coastlines (e.g. Figure 11. The three most common secies of crabs found in the rock-rubble at Flinders. From top to bottom: Paragrapsus quadridentatus, Cyclograpsus audouini and C. granulosus. (Scale line = 1;0'cm:.) 105 Bennett and Pope, 1953). The differ- ences are: 1) the principal zones are narrower; 2) an extensive band of laminarian kelps is lacking; and 3) there is a marked increase in densities of certain animals. This third point is particularly evident in the rock rubble where the densities of crabs and asteroids are very much higher than on exposed shores. This decrease in exposure also contributes to the higher densities of the predatory snail Lepsiella vinosa in the mid- littoral zone. Hence this animal may exert a greater influence on the lower limits of some mollusc species at Flinders than it does on more ex- posed shores. This description of the ecology of the Flinders reef provides an intro- duction to the physical and biological processes which interact on rocky shores, and gives some idea of the complexity of the communities pre- sent. It should be stressed that if these communities are disturbed or disrupted, e.g. by the removal or dis- placement of organisms from. their microhabitats, there may be serious repercussions on the intertidal eco- system as a whole. Common sense, careful collecting methods, and the removal for identification of as few individuals as possible will ensure the minimal disturbance to Flinders and other reefs which are already being extensively used as areas for scientific teaching and research as well as for recreational pursuits. Acknowledgements The authors thank J. Barclay and P. Venables for preparation of the figures and M. Rubio for typing the manuscript. B. Pump assisted with the photographs. Dr. M. J. Littlejohn, Dr. A. A. Martin and Dr. G. F. Wat- son read and criticised the manuscript. The authors were supported during this research by a Melbourne Univer- 106 sity and Commonwealth Post-graduate Research Award respectively. All photographs were taken by the authors. REFERENCES Bennett, I. and Pope, E. C. 1953. Intertidal Zonation of Exposed Rocky Shores of Victoria. Together with a Rearrangement of Biogeographical Provinces of Tem- perate Australian Shores. Aust. J. mar. Freshwat. Res. 4: 105-159. Bennett, I. and Pope, E. C. 1960. Intertidal Zonation of the Exposed Rocky Shores of Tasmania and It’s Relationship with the rest of Australia. Aust. J. mar. Freshwat. Res. 11: 182-221. Bird, E. C. F. 1972. Coasts. Australian National University Press. Canberra, 246 pp. Bureau of Meteorology. 1968. Climatic Sur- vey Region 10. Port Phillip, Victoria. Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne. Campbell, B. M. and Griffin, D. J. G. 1966. The Australian Sesarminae (Crustacea: Brachyura): Genera: Helice, Helograpsus Nov., Cyclograpsus and _ Paragrapsus. Mem. of Qld. Museum, 14(5): 127-174. Chapman, R. W. 1938. The Tides of Aus- tralia. Comm. Aust. Official Year Book 31: 972-984. Connell, J. H. 1970. A predator prey system in the marine intertidal region, /. Balanus glandula and several predatory species of Thais. Ecol. Monographs. 40: 49-79. Connell, J. H. 1972. Community interactions on marine rocky intertidal shores. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 3: 169-192. Dakin, W. J. 1952. Australian Seashores. Angus & Robertson. Doty, M. S. 1946. Critical Tide Factors that are Correlated with the Vertical Distribu- tion of Marine Algae and Other Organ- Lene the Pacific Coast. Ecology, 27: Fulton, S. W. and Grant, F. E. 1901. Some little known decapod crustacea with a description of a new species. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic. 14: Art. VI, 55-64. Jutson, J. T. 1950. The Shore Platform of Flinders, Victoria. Proc. Roy. Soc. 60: 3 . King, R. J. 1970. Surface sea-water tempera- tures at Port Phillip Heads, Victoria. Aust. J. mar. Freshwat. Res. 21: 47-50. King, R. J. 1972. The Distribution and Zonation of Intertidal Organisms of Rocky Coasts in South Eastern Australia Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, Botany School, University of Melbourne. King, R. J., Black, J. H. and Ducker, S. C. 1971. Intertidal Ecology of Port Phillip Bay with Systematic Lists of Plants and es Mem. Nat. Mus. Vic. 32: Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Knox, G. A. 1963. The Biogeography and Intertidal Ecology of the Australasian Coasts. Oceanog. Mar. Biol. Ann. Rev. 1: 341-404. Macpherson, J. H. and Gabriel, C. J. 1962. Marine Molluscs of Victoria. Melbourne University Press. 475 pp. Morton, J. E. and Miller, M. C. 1973. The New Zealand Sea Shore. 2nd Edition. Collins: London-Auckland. Paine, R. T. 1966. Food Web Complexity and Species diversity. Amer. Nat. 100: 65-75. Phillips, B. F. and Campbell, N. A. 1974. Mortality and longevity in the whelk Dicathais aegrota. (Gmelin). Aust. J. mar. Freshwat. Res. 25: 25-33. Pollock, R. A. 1971. A Note on the. Tides in Bass Strait. Vict. Nat. 88: 148-152. Ryland, J. M. 1975. Aspects of General Ecology and Population Biology of the Asteroid Patiriella exigua (Asteroidea, Asterinidae). Unpublished B.Sc. (Hons.) Thesis, Dept. of Zoology, University fo Melbourne. Smith, B. J., Coleman, N. and Watson, J. E. 1975. The Invertebrate Fauna of Western- port. Bay. Proc: : Roy, Soc; - Vic." 87: 149-155. Stephenson, T. A. and Stephenson, A. 1949. The Universal Features of Zonation Be- tween Tidemarks on Rocky Shores. J. Ecol. 37: 289-305. Stephenson, T. A. and Stephenson, A. 1972. Life Between Tidemarks on Rocky Shores. W.H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco. Synnot, R. N. 1974. Aspects of Competition, Predation and Community Structure of the genus Lepsiella (Iredale, 1912) (Prosabranchia: Thaidae). Unpublished B.Sc. (Hons.) Thesis, Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne. Vaux, D. and Olsen, A. M. 1961. Use of drift bottles in fisheries research. Aus- tralian Fisheries Newsletter 20(1): 17-20. Wescott, G. C. 1974. A Preliminary In- vestigation into the Factors Limiting the Geographic and Vertical Distributions of Three Closely Related Species of Grapsid Crab (Crustacea: Brachyura). Unpub- lished B.Sc. (Hons.) Thesis. Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne. Sea Urchin Spines Cutting thin sections for microscope slides BY H. H. BisHop, Microscopy Group, FNCV Sea Urchin spines, although unin- teresting outwardly, are objects of beauty when cut into thin sections, mounted on a microscope slide, and observed under a low power micro- scope with dark ground illumination. The microscope reveals the radiating pattern of astonishingly brilliant and varied colours that are wholly natural. Slides prepared by FNCV members have created a lot of interest when exhibited at nature shows, and as en- quiries have been received regarding the method for making these slides, this article gives details of the method used by the writer which has proved very satisfactory, and a description of the equipment required. May / June Equipment required Sea Urchin spines, shellac, cello- solve (otherwise ethylene glycol mono- ethyl ether, and obtainable from sup- pliers of scientific equipment), metal mould for shaping shellac sticks, tim- ber mould for holding spines when setting in shellac, mitre box, Eclipse junior saw J14, silicone carbide paper grades 180, 400 and 600, glass slips 3” x 1%" x 4", 3” x 1” microscope slides, cover glasses, fine camel-hair brushes, canada balsam, zylol, and ringing cement (clear nail poish is satisfactory). A low power microscope (prefer- ably a stereo microscope) or a large magnifying glass on a stand is re- 107 quired for selecting and mounting the spine sections on the slide. After collecting the spines, they must be washed in several changes of fresh water to remove all trace of salt and small particles of sand. The method (a) Preparation of equipment 1. Make a metal mould from any light metal about 4” long, formed into a channel section 34” wide by 14” high. 2. Melt sufficient shellac in the metal mould to make into sticks. This is done by filling the mould with shellac flakes, placing the mould on a sheet of metal, and heating on a stove until the shellac flakes melt. When completely melted, remove from the stove and allow to cool. (Do not use excessive heat.) When cooled, remove the stick from the mould. 3. Make the timber mould from 3-ply —an oblong box open at the top and at both ends, about 4” long, 1” wide and sides *4” high. Glue the pieces together (do not use wire brads or panel pins). This mould is for holding the spines while setting in shellac. 4. Having made the mould, you now require a mitre box to hold the mould while cutting into sections. This can be made from scrap timber and must have the _ following:— (1) guides to hold the mould neatly, (2) guides to hold the small saw, and (3) a stop to control the width of sec- tions; see sketch. It is important that there is no side play of the saw blade when cutting sections. 5. Make a thick cement (about the consistency of syrup) with some of the shellac dissolved in cellosolve. This is the shellac cement. (b) Sectioning procedure Having prepared all the equipment, you are now ready to start the sec- tioning procedure which is as follows. 108 Mitre box about 6” long by 3” wide. 1. 3-ply guides. 2. Metal guides for saw. 3. 3-ply stop. 6. Melt the shellac stick on to one end of the timber mould, covering the full width of the mould, and long enough to take the longest spine you are going to mount. To melt the shellac stick, the writer uses an electric soldering iron with a copper element °” diameter. The end of the element is filed flat, and this surface is used to melt and spread the shellac. Having melted the shellac to about 1%” thick, press down flat with a knife or piece of metal. 7. When the shellac has cooled and hardened, spread a thin layer of shellac cement on the surface. You now place the spines on the cement. It is advisable to reverse each alternate spine, i.e. the tip to the right, then next one with tip to the left, leaving a space between each spine. 8. Having filled the space with a layer of spines, melt more of the shellac stick on top of the spines to about 4%” thick. Make sure the shellac is thoroughly melted, and that the first layer of shellac and second layer are fused together. Press the layers firmly together with a knife. 9. Repeat this procedure until you have used all the spines or as many as you wish to mount. The final layer of shellac needs to be about 1%” thick. Allow the whole mass to _ cool Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 thoroughly, when it will be ready for cutting into sections. If you have been careful with this procedure, the ends of all spines will be level with the end of the mould. Every part of the spines must be covered with shellac, otherwise they will crumble when cutting. 10. Place the mould in the mitre box up to the pre-set stop, and cut into sections with the small saw, cutting through the mould also. With care and practise, it is possible to cut sections 0.6 mm thick. Having cut all the sections, remove the pieces of 3-ply mould from the sections with a razor blade, being careful not to break the sections. 11. Using the 400 grade silicone carbide paper, rub down one side of the sections to remove any saw marks and to obtain a smooth surface. 12. Cement the smoothed side of the sections to a glass slip, using some of the shellac cement thinned down with cellosolve. Allow the cement to dry thoroughly. 13. When dry, the sections are ready to grind down to the desired thickness which, in the writer’s experience, is 0.2 mm. Commencing with the 180 grade paper, grind down to approxi- mately 0.4 mm thick; then with 400 grade, and finish with 600 grade. When grinding down the sections, place the silicone paper on a piece of flat board or plate glass so as to grind down evenly. It is important to continually check the thickness of sections when grinding down: use a vernier gauge and inspect under the microscope. When doing this, moisten the spines with water (saliva serves well!) as moist material looks clearer when viewed under the microscope. If ground too thin, sec- tions lose their colour and have a tendency to break. May/June 14. Having ground down to the desired thickness, place the glass slip in a shallow container and cover the sections with cellosolve. When the shellac has dissolved, the spine sec- tions can be floated off or lifted off with a fine brush. The spine sections are then washed in cellosolve to remove any trace of shellac or particles of dirt. They are now ready for mounting on the micro- scope slide. (c) Mounting the spine sections 15. The method of mounting the spine sections is to pick up each sec- tion with a fine brush and place them on one end of the microscope slide in the position that you intend to finally mount them. 16. Canada balsam is spread thin- ly on the centre of the slide, and the spines lifted from their temporary position and placed on the canada balsam in their final position. If the canada balsam dries out, dip a brush in the zylol and allow a small drop to run on the balsam. 17. When all the sections are in position, cover with balsam and place the cover glass in position. (Should air bubbles occur when mounting the sec- tions, a drop of zylol on the bubble usually eliminates the problem.) 18. When the canada balsam has set firmly, the cover glass is sealed with the ringing cement. The collection of Sea Urchin spines and the making of microscope slides is an interesting and satisfying hobby. With the variety of colours and shapes of spines from the different species, numerous slides with different pat- terns can be made. Information dealing with the colour and shape of spines from the different species will be presented in a future article. 109 Rabbits on Gippsland Islands BY J. W. EDMONDS, I. F. NOLAN, ROSAMOND C. H. SHEPHERD, J. R. BACKHOLER AND R. JACKSON.* It has been generally accepted that the wild rabbit populations in main- land Australia originated mainly from the famous ‘“‘Barwon Park’’ rabbits which arrived on the barque Lightning in 1859, and that the rabbits on Vic- toria’s offshore islands originated from releases by sealers and sailors in attempts to provide food. It is regrettable that the details of the colonisation of south eastern Aus- tralia by the wild rabbit may never be well documented. However it is still possible to find and sift information on the origins and evolution of the rabbit populations on the Gippsland offshore islands. This paper reports information collected by officers of the Vermin and Noxious Weeds De- struction Board during the course of other work. We hope that it will stimulate interest in the history of our less well known rabbit populations. Islands in Westernport (Fig. 1) FRENCH ISLAND The rabbit population on French Island appears to be typically wild. We FRENCH I. "ELIZABETH 1. @ CHURCHILL |. 15 SCALE km Figure 1. 110 have no information on its origins but our limited collections have not included any domestic characteristics. PHILLIP ISLAND The population on Phillip Island is generally of the wild type but we have found some domestic characteristics in rabbits on Phillip Island near to Churchill Island. Again we have no information on the origins of the Phillip Island population. CHURCHILL ISLAND The Churchill Island population was probably originally of wild type rab- bits. However, following devastating epizootics of myxomatosis during the early 1950’s an attempt was made to restock the island with domestic type rabbits. Six were released; two black which are thought to have come from Phillip Island, two albino and two cinnamon of unknown origin (Stott, personal communication). Wild type rabbits may have been present when the domestic type rab- bits were introduced. The present oc- currence of the agouti gene suggests that they were, but the absence of one immunoglobulin structural gene which is present in every other rabbit popu- lation sampled in Victoria (35 in all) suggests that they were not (Edmonds and Shepherd unpublished data). The coat colours now present are: agouti 60%; black 25%; cinnamon 15%. One albino was sighted in December, 1974 but no albino has been collected in a total collection of * Keith Turnbull Research Institute, Vermin & Noxious Weeds Destruction Board, Frankston, Victoria 3199. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 about 300. Details of the genetic con- stitution and evolution of coat colour in this population will be presented elsewhere. ELIZABETH ISLAND We have no information on the origins of rabbit populations on, nor have we collected from, Elizabeth Island where there has been a rabbit population for many years. South Gippsland offshore islands (Fig. 2) DouGHBoY ISLAND A small population (estimated at about 20) of small black rabbits was present at least fifty years ago. The local belief is that there have been rabbits on the island for a much longer period and that they were re- leased as a source of food for ship- wrecked sailors. This population ap- parently was severely restricted by poor nutrition and may now be extinct. SUNDAY ISLAND It is believed that rabbits have been on the island for more than 100 years. We know that the population was multi-coloured at least sixty years ago and remained so until the popula- tion was decimated by myxomatosis. ST. MARGARET lI. (en SUNDAY | SNAKE I. * DOUGHBOY | WILSON’S © RABBIT I. PROMONOTORY SCALE km Figure 2. May / June Since about 1953 most of the popula- tion have been agouti in colour. How- ever they have maintained their size and are generally bigger and heavier than mainland rabbits. Rabbits from Sunday Island were released on the mainland near Port Albert 70-80 years ago (Palmer, personal communica- tion). ST. MARGARET’S ISLAND There were large numbers of rab- bits on the island shortly after the first World War (Mitchell, personal com- munication). They included some blacks and some described as ‘pinkish’, and were bigger than mainland rab- bits. We have not collected from this island but it seems very likely that domestic type rabbits were among the founding population. Rabbits can cross between the mainland and the island at low tide so there has prob- ably been an interchange between island and mainland populations. Bass Strait islands Some of the releases on Bass Strait islands are well documented. The in- formation presented here is sum- marised from other publications and included to give as complete a record aS we can. The first documented releases were made by Commander Stokes in H.M.S. Beagle in June 1842 (Stead 1935, Rolls 1969). Stokes released about 12 rabbits on Deal Island “‘for the benefit of any unfortunate voyagers who might be thrown hungry ashore’. He later named Rabbit Island (Fig. 2) from the abundance of rabbits which he understood had originated from a pair of rabbits re- leased by ‘“‘a praiseworthy sailor’ in about 1836. Matthams (1921) says that the rabbits on Rabbit Island were numer- ous in the early forties. The rabbits were harvested to supply food to the aborigines on Flinders Island, and by 111 whalers. Matthams describes Rabbit Island as “‘near Queenscliff’’. This is presumably a _ geographical error. Although there may have been rabbits on islands in Port Phillip during the 1840’s we have no evidence that they were harvested. The present population is very low and we have no reports of recent rab- bit sightings. The population was estimated at 300-400 in about 1935 and described as long-eared, blackish- blue and larger than mainland rabbits. There were a few grey rabbits, also long-eared and larger than mainland rabbits. The severe damage caused to the flora and fauna on Rabbit Island and the effects of sharply reduced numbers of rabbits after myxomatosis and a control programme have been de- scribed by Norman (1967, 1970). Rabbit populations on other Bass Strait islands have also severely modi- fied the flora and fauna of the islands e.g. on Citadel Island (Gillham 1961, Norman 1967). Probably these islands were the unfortunate sites of releases during the 1830’s and 1840’s. Acknowledgements We wish to thank Mr. K. Stott, Beaumaris, for his help on the origins of the Churchill Island rabbits and Messrs. J. Sparkes, Foster, and D. Mitchell, Yarram, both formerly of the Department of Crown Lands and Survey and Mr. D. L. Palmer, De- partment of Crown Lands and Survey, Yarram, for their help and interest in the origins of Gippsland rabbits. REFERENCES Gillham, M. E., 1961. Plants and seabirds of granite islands in south-east Victoria. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 74, 21-35. Matthams, J., 1921. The rabbit pest in Aus- tralia. Specialty Press, Melbourne. Norman, F. I., 1967. The interactions of plants and animals on Rabbit Island, Wil- son’s Promontory, Victoria. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 80, Part 2, 193-200. Norman, F. I., 1970. Ecological effects of rabbit reduction on Rabbit Island, Wil- son’s Promontory, Victoria. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict..83, Part 2, °235-252: Rolls, E. C., 1969. They all ran wild. Angus and Robertson, Sydney. Stead, D. G., 1935. The rabbit in Australia. Winn, Sydney. Notice to Authors concerning first proofs If authors wish to see galley proofs, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope with your material and proofs will be sent to you as a matter of routine. But time is critical, and the editor should receive checked and OK’d proofs by return mail or such material could be delayed to a later issue. FNCV PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE The Wild Flowers of the Wilson’s Promontory National Park by J. Ros Garnet. Price $5.25, discount to members; postage 60c. Ferns of Victoria and Tasmania by N. A. Wakefield, revised by Dr. J. H. Willis. Price $3.25, discount to members; postage 60c. Send order to FNCV Sales Officer: Mr D. E. McInnes, 129 Waverley Road, East Malvern, 3135; telephone 211 2427. Erratum In the headline to the article by Margaret G. Corrick on page 67 of the April issue (Vic Nat 93:2) the specific name should read “Leersia oryzoides (L.) Swartz”. 112 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Vegetation in the south-eastern suburbs, Melbourne 2. Native and introduced plant communities in a Mount Waverley reserve BY P. B. BRIDGEWATER* AND B. WELLINGTON. Tt Editor’s Note. In his letter accompanying this article, Dr. Bridgewater reported that his article on Clayton South aroused some local interest and eventual pressure on the Oakleigh Council to purchase the area for a reserve. “Vegetation of SE Suburbs, No. 1, Clayton South” was published in this journal May 1975. Introduction. Much of the native vegetation in the Waverley area has been cleared for urban settlement and industry. Damper Creek reserve (grid reference on Melbourne 1:250,000 map, 316330) is one such area, which has a mixture of native and introduced plant communities. A floristic analysis shows the native vegetation to be variously affected by introduced species. Two native plant communi- ties and one introduced community were identified in the reserve, and are described below. Vegetation description. Full details of the plant communi- ties are contained in Tables 1-3. Species which characterise the asso- ciations are enclosed in the ‘boxes’ of these tables. Values in the table are quoted in Bridgewater (1971). Both native plant communities are linked by the presence of Bursaria spinosa (Sweet Bursaria), Microlaena stipoides (Weeping Grass) and the introduced Agrostis stolonifera (Creeping Bent). Association 1 is characterised by Lomandra_filiformis (Wattle Mat- rush), Poa australis (Tussock Grass) and the introduced species Briza minor (Shivery Grass) and MHypo- choeris radicata (Cat’s-ear). Although both these species are introduced they are very widespread and now form part of many plant communities throughout the State. May / June Within this association is a major sub-group, recognised by many native species, e.g. Leptospermum juniperi- num (Prickly Tea-tree), Platylobium obtusangulum (Common _ Flat-pea), Gahnia radula (Thatch Saw-sedge), Haloragis tetragyna (Raspwort), the mosses Campylopus introflexus, Thuidium furfurosum, and the liver- wort Lophocolea semiteres. More open sites within this sub-group are characterised by Themeda australis (Kangaroo Grass). The tree cover is provided by Eucalyptus obliqua (Mess- mate) and E. cephalocarpa (Silver- leaf Stringybark) and, occasionally E. ovata (Swamp Gum) in the wetter areas. Introduced species characteristic of maximum disturbance to the vegeta- tion include Holcus lanatus (York- shire Fog), Rubus ulmifolius (Black- berry), Galium aparine (Cleavers) and Preridium esculentum (Bracken). This last species is native to the area, but its numbers markedly increase on disturbance. These species occur sporadically throughout the samples that make up this sub-group, usually with a concomitant reduction in the number of native species for those samples. A second sub-group may be dis- tinguished by a lack of the native * School of Environmental and Life Sciences Murdoch University, W.A. + Botany Department, Monash University 113 species mentioned above, and the presence of Themeda australis. Sites that make up this sub-group are also often disturbed, but more usually by invasion of Ulex europaeus (Gorse) than the Holcus-Rubus group de- scribed above. Tree cover in the sub- group is sparse, and the native lily Tricoryne elatior (Yellow Rush-lily) is often abundant. Association 2 is characterised by a native species — Lomandra longifolia (Spiny-headed Mat-rush), and an in- troduced South African species — Ehrharta erecta (Panic Veldt Grass). Tree cover is chiefly Eucalyptus ovata. Sites forming this association are usually associated with steep banks near the creek. In two of the sites the shrubs Melaleuca _ ericifolia (Swamp Paper-bark) and Acacia melanoxylon (Blackwood) are pre- sent. Before the clearing and disturb- ance to the creek bed, carried out in recent years by the MMBW, the vegetation of the creek sides would have been dominated by these two shrubs. All sites associated with this association have been disturbed, as evidenced by the constant presence of the Holcus-Rubus species group. Some parts of the reserve are almost devoid of native species, and their vegetation consists of an asso- clation characterised by Bromus unioloides (Prairie Grass), Plantago lanceolata (Ribwort) and Rumex crispus (Curled Dock), together with Holcus-Rubus species group. Discussion. Although considerable invasion by weed species has occurred in this area the original vegetation pattern is still apparent. Association 1 represents the typical dry sclerophyll forest with “heathy shrub’’ understorey, formerly very common on the Silurian mud- stones and sandstones in the central and north-east of greater Melbourne. 114 ASSOCIATION 1 SUB-ASSOCIATION B SUB-ASSOCIATION A 22 18 25 26 21 45 24 19 41 72332" 9° 108 20429 36. 37,935.13 12° 4 39 6 5 3° 17°43 23 38 8 SAMPLE NUMBER : Br By 22 2 Eucalyptus obltqua 1 cephalocarpa Hovea heterophylla = a + + + + + Themeda australis Anthoxanthum odoratumn* Leptdosperma laterale . Nat. Vol. Aecacta armata be) (e8) + + + +/+ + MO] 4 + 4+ + Ss we tt am +t +f 4 AF es re +/+ + 4 +109 + NN] + "| uoljeloossy jo sarsods Jolepy — | 9[qe_L + + 4 +/+ + Nn] + + 4+ N = NI+t + DB AITO + + aI1N + + t+1+ a a ms + + +/+ + + 2 — + +N +44 FG aw + + + NI + +0 + + + NIN NN EO +n +/+ + + +14 4+ 2 ,0OALA YADYAYT ¥0}D7]000uUn] ObD4Ur]d p170f[1buo] DipuDnwo7 pzvao snzdh7z peng unzUe]nose WNIP1da4d ,ourivdp um17v5 x 8n210fqujn snqny SNZDUD] Sno] 0H psourds pidpsaing sap10d14s Duan] 0da1W xDdaf1uoz07zs $1zs80uby yLOUIM DEW yo ZvaIpodA sruaoyoodhy S17 DAZ SND DO Sstulof[111f DapUDdwoT unsoanfainf wnipinyy Dynpod D1UYDD Saiaqiwes Dvazoo0Yydo7T snxe7fouqzur1 sndo7hdum) puhboi.e2 srbpi071 Dy unjynbupsnzqgo wntqo7zhzn1g unuriadiunl umutedsozdeT ,DESOd Da7NWOY »Snavdodna xa71N 115 May / June Table 2 — Major species ASSOCIATION SAMPLE NUMBER : 1 44 Melaleuca ertetfolta 2 Acaeta melanoxyton 2 Fumarta offictnalis* Lomandra longtfolta Ehrharta erecta* Agrostts stolontfera* Mterolaena sttpotdes ae zo) + ih 3 1 1 1 + + +t Plwe wltn 2 +P +tire + N]T+t & wl}t Fe lw RO ho) Go) | roe ee Gono 2 28 31 30°32 14°16 47527 ik +1 + ]e f Bursarta sptnosa if of Association 2. Holecus lanatus* 1 Rubus ulmtfoltius* + 2 Galtum aparine* + + Ptertdium esculentum 5 1 ‘Adiantum aethioptcum + 1 2 Eucalyptus ovata + aes 3 Briza mtnor* 2 2 Level: Hypochoerts radicata* 1 2 Poa australis ie + + Gahnta radula 1 + ie! Lophocolea semiteres Iya fe Themeda australis 4 3 + Anthoxanthum odoratum* 1 + + Lepidosperma laterale + + Leptospermun juntperinun et Bromus untolotdes* ar +P i Plantago lanceolatax *; Such forests were dominated by Euca- aparine together with the native lyptus obliqua, E. cephalocarpa, E. goniocalyx (Long-leaf Box), E. mac- rorhyncha (Red_ Stringybark). In- creasing invasion of non-native species often results in an understorey with fewer shrubs and a greater number of grass species (e.g. sub-group b of Association 1). The moister slopes and creek bed were characterised by a woodland with Eucalyptus ovata and E. viminalis (Manna Gum) as the dominant tree species. Such wood- lands were often quite poor species. Across this pattern of vegetation, the introduced species group Holcus lanatus, Rubus ulmifolius and Galium 116 Pteridium esculentum have become established in partially cleared or dis- turbed areas. If one examines the distribution of those introduced species in their native countries (W. Europe) the following emerges: Rubus and Holcus (together with Agrostis stolonifera) are all charac- teristic of a vegetation type described as Prunitalia spinosae (Westhoff and den Held 1969). This vegetation is found in situations such as hedgerows, borders between woodland and pas- ture and other areas of transition be- tween vegetation types. Ulex euro- paeus is characteristic of the vegeta- Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 ASSOCIATION 3 SAMPLE NUMBER : Bromus untolotdes* Plantago lanceolata* Rumex crispus* Holeus lanatus* Rubus ulm foltus* Galtum apartne* Ptertdium esculentun Bursarta spinosa Agrostis stolontfera* Microlaena sttpotdes Ehrharta erecta* Eucalyptus ovata + Fumarta offtcinalis* 2 Briza minor* Hypochoerts radicata* Poa australis Gahnta radula Lophocolea semtteres +++ + + 4+ Campy lopus tntroflexus 35 Lomandra filiformis Anthoxanthun odoratum* Themeda australis Eucalyptus cephatlocarpa Agropyron repens * Oxalis pes-caprae* + tion type Sarothamnion, which is found in similar situations, but usually on more nutrient-poor soils. All of these situations are subject to disturbance from time to time (clearing, cutting, trampling, etc.) and so it is not suprising to find these species occurring in disturbed areas of native vegetation. What is interesting is the fact that there appears to be a coexistence between fragments of native plant communities and intro- duced plant communities. Under- standing this coexistence and balance is clearly of importance in devising Management strategies for such areas so that the maximum quality and May / June + 48 49 50 42 34 15 46 40 Table 3 — Major species ot Association 3. 3 + tes) 2 + 1 1 2 + 3 3 3 quantity of native vegetation is main- tained. Understanding the role of in- troduced species in native plant com- munities is likely to be of increasing importance in this area, perhaps par- ticularly in studies of the Dandenong Valley Park proposed by the MMBW and outlined by Jones (1975). REFERENCES Bridgewater, P. B. (1971). Practical appli- cation of the Zurich-Montpellier system of Phytosociology. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 84, 255-262. Jones, E. (1975). Plant survey of proposed Dandenong Valley Park. Vict. Nat. 92, 216. Westhoff, V. and den Held, A. J. (1969). Plant Communities in the Netherlands. Zutphen. (Text in Dutch.) 117 The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2 —Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous (Continued from page 68 In the last issue) BY JAMES A. BAINES Microseris. Gk mikros, small; chicory (Black), lettuce or endive (Jaeger) were plants called seris in Greek. M. scapigera, Yam, or Yam-daisy as given by Willis, is the tuberous-rooted composite that provided the staple food of Australian Aborigines, ob- tained by the women with their yam- sticks. The true yams are members of the tropical genus Dioscorea, with 600 species, of the monocotyledonous family Dioscoreaceae, only three of which are Australian and none Vic- torian. The epithet scapigera means bearing a stalk or scape. Microsorium. Gk mikros, small; soros, a heap, mound (hence Lat sorus, a sporecase); the sori being small indi- vidually but prominent collectively. Our two species are M. diversifolium, Kangaroo Fern (so-named from the shape of some of the fronds) and M. scandens, Fragrant Fern or Scented Polypody, the latter name coming from Polypodium (= many-footed), the genus to which these ferns for- merly belonged, in family Polypo- diaceae. Microtis. Gk mikros, small; ous, otos, ear; from the general appearance of each individual in the flowering spike of these onion orchids. Three of our eight species are alternatively known as leek orchids, a name better kept for species of Prasophyllum. Mimosa. Gk mimos, mimic; referring to the sensitive collapse, when touched, of the leaves of M. pudica, Sensitive Plant. *Albizia lophantha, Cape or Crested Wattle, was formerly M. dis- tachya, and Acacia botrycephala was classified in Mimosa from 1800-1829. 118 Europeans persist in calling cultivated pinnate species of our acacias mimosa, ignoring the word wattle that is uni- versal throughout Australia. No Mimosa species are native to Aus- tralia, but one species has become naturalized in Queensland. The com- mon name Prickly Moses used in Vic- toria for Acacia verticillata and in W.A. for A. pulchella, is a corruption of Prickly Mimosa. Mimulus. Lat diminutive of mimus, a mimic; because the corolla looks like the face of a monkey, hence the com- mon name monkey-flowers for these plants. Victoria has two introduced species, *M. moschatus, Musk Monkey-flower or Monkey Musk, and *M. luteus, as well as three native species. They belong to family Scrophulariaceae. (M. repens, also in N.Z., is called Maori Musk in that country, and Creeping Monkey-flower here.) Minuria. Gk minyros, in the sense of small, thin (though its primary mean- ing is whining, complaining); probably alluding to the leaves of M. lepto- phylla, Minnie Daisy, which is one of our five species, all native. They belong to the Astereae tribe of family Compositae. *Mirabilis. Lat word for wonderful, hence the common name Marvel of Peru for *M. jalapa, which becomes like a weed in some gardens and occasionally escapes — also known as Four-o’clock, or False Jalap, the purgative jalap coming not from this plant but from convolvulaceous plants growing originally at Jalapa in Mexico. (Jalapa is from Aztec, meaning sand Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 by the water.) Mirabilis genus is in family Nyctaginaceae. Mitrasacme. Gk mitra, head-dress, used in the sense of an ecclesiastical mitre; akme, summit (hence English acme); because of resemblance of the corolla M. pilosa to a bishop’s mitre, hence its common name, Hairy Mitre- wort. Victoria has six species, all native, and all known as different kinds of mitreworts. The genus is in family Loganiaceae. Mniarum. Gk mniaros, mossy, soft as moss. Scleranthus mniaroides was Mueller’s amended name for a caryo- phyllaceous plant he had described seven years before as M. singuliflorum, but the correct combination of S. singuliflorus was adopted in 1938. All species previously in Mniarum are now in Scleranthus. Knawel is the common name. *Modiola. Lat modiolus, the nave of a wheel; alluding to the shape of the fruit. This is a monotypic American genus of family Malvaceae. *M. caro- liniana, Carolina Mallow, is also known as Wheel or Creeping Mallow. Mollugo. Lat name of a plant be- lieved to be Galium mollugo (from mollis, soft). Our two species of Glinus were once classified in Mol- lugo, G. lotoides being first M. hirta then M. glinus. Hutchinson separated Molluginaceae from Aizoaceae, nam- ing it from the genus Mollugo. *Moluccella. Molucca Islands or the Moluccas (formerly known as_ the Spice Islands, now part of Indonesia), with diminutive -ella added. *M. laevis, Molucca Balm, is also known as Bells of Ireland, though not native to either region, as J. C. Willis gives the habitats of the four species as ranging from the Mediterranean to N.W. India. The genus was named by L. in 1753, when knowledge of the source of ‘spices’ was rather vague. (Cf. the word turkey, this American bird being thought by the English to have come from Turkey, and by the French from India (d’Inde), hence their word dinde for turkey.) (To be continued) Field Naturalists Club of Victoria The Botany Group, FNCV Editor’s Note. This is the first in a series on the FNCV Study Groups. In each of the next five issues there will be an account from one Group so that Club members can be aware of the purpose and activities of the various Groups. All FNCV members are welcome at any of the Groups and, as meetings and excursions are more informal than the large Club affairs, people get to know each other more quickly. There is no extra subscription. Many of our most active and enthusiastic members are also memters of one or more of the Groups. All meetings, etc., are on page 123. Botany is a fascinating and absorbing study. Whether you want to know a few of the more common plants found in the bush or the type of plants in a particular area, to photograph native plants or to learn more of the structure and function of plants —come to the Botany Group. The main interest of the Group is with Australian plants living in their natural environment. The broad purpose is to provide opportunities and encouragement to observe, study and enjoy plants. May/June Excursions The Botany Group meets each month and has an excursion each month. An excursion might be simply to a particu- lar area, or it might be for a particular subject such as fungi or ferns or euca- lypts. Each is led by a person know- ledgeable about the chosen area or sub- ject, so the excursions provide excellent opportunities to identify and study plants in the field. But they are informal affairs and individual members take from them 119 what they most enjoy. Occasionally we have a week-end trip. On these excur- sions we travel by private car, but we try to even out the expenses. Last year our excursions included a project that was new to us. We were asked to make a plant survey of part of the proposed Dandenong Valley Park. The survey was arranged and carried out in haste, yet we derived great satisfaction from it. It was a severe test of the knowledgeable members, but the less knowledgeable and the merest beginners were a necessary part of the survey teams and all learned quite a lot. It was re- ported in this journal in October 1975, page 216. Most areas are too far afield for such a project, but it is likely we will make a plant survey of the new FNCV property at Kinglake. Meetings At Botany Group meetings there is a 45-minute address on some aspect of Australian plants or on a particular area. Like the excursion leaders, the speaker might be a member of the Group or an outside specialist. These addresses are usually illustrated with colour slides and are followed by questions to the speaker. Our programme this year includes an address on a plant family at several of the meetings; the other addresses have yet to be arranged. In addition, at each meeting there is a 15-minute talk for beginners. Although this Group does not study academic botany as such, some basic botanical knowledge is necessary if we are to understand plants, and these 15-minute talks provide some of that necessary background; they are usually illustrated with easy-to-follow diagrams. These short talks were instituted last year and proved very popular—and not only with beginners! Duplicated take-away sheets were often available but they are less likely this year as duplication costs have sky-rocketed; members will need to take notes, and diagrams can be copied after the meeting has ended. Several members bring plant speci- mens to each meeting and these are dis- cussed. Often, much can be learned from a simple exhibit, so the more the better. Books on plants are usually displayed, some for borrowing. Our meetings end at 10 p.m., but many people stay longer— looking at exhibits, copying diagrams or just talk- ing. We really get to know each other. Members We are a pretty mixed group of people. Some of our members are very knowledgeable indeed about plants, several have a moderate knowledge and some are real beginners. Similarly, we are mixed regarding age. Mostly our members are middle-aged or more, but we have some keen young members who add liveliness to meetings and are a great asset at excursions. There is a place in our Group for people at all levels and all ages. Any FNCV member or other person is welcome —as a regu- lar member, or as an occasional visitor to hear a particular address or for a par- ticular excursion... or just to find out what we are like. Botany Group meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at the Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra at 8 pm; excursions are on the last Saturday. For specific programmes, see “Diary of Coming Events’ on page 123 of this journal. Volunteers Wanted for Small Jobs Typist/Duplicator operator. The minute- taker makes hand-written records of pro- ceedings at Council and General meetings. These need to be typed, duplicated and despatched to Council Members before the next Council meeting. The Club owns a spirit duplicator that takes little space and is fairly easy to operate. Usually there are three foolscap pages of typing, occasionally more, and 15-20 duplicates. Total time per month is 1-2 hours and the worker is up-to-the-minute on everything that is happening in the Club. 120 Please see the minute-taker (Madge Lester) or the President. Library Monitors. At General meetings a person is required to be present in the library at 7.30 p.m. and after the meeting has ended. He/she would show borrowers how to fill in a borrowing slip and advise when to return the book, file the slips, receive returned books and check out the slips. If there is more than one Monitor they could devise a roster system. Please see the Librarian or President. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Subscription Reminder Notice FNCV members are asked to check whether they have paid their subscription for 1976; if not, please forward to the Treasurer. Subscriptions were due on 1 January. Reports of FNCV Meetings General Meeting Monday, 12 April Speaker for the evening was Miss Mary Doery. Miss Doery gave a naturalist’s view of a Pioneer coach trip from Darwin to Perth that several FNCV members had joined. The trip was in August last year. They covered 3,800 miles in 17 days, yet many aspects of natural history were observed, enjoyed and photographed. It was an absorbing address and effectively demonstrated that even when travelling by a public vehicle the naturalist can find much to interest him. Water in Wyperfeld. Mr. Ros Garnet showed photographs of creeks and lagoons that are at present in Wvnerfeld National Park. He speculated on the re- vitalisation it would bring to the euca- Ivpts and other vegetation. Such water has not been seen in Wyperfeld since 1918. Exhibits. There was an extensive dis- play of lignite and coal from various Victorian sources, A piece of wood (or was it lignite?) obtained at Yallourn was formed from the Queensland Kauri Pine Agathis robusta 30 million years ago. Also from Yallourn was another piece of wood still with its bark — Callitris cupressinoxylon. A lump of brown coal was thought to be fossil pollen. In a small bottle were some Indian Meal Moths Plodia interpunctella. The moths were about 1 cm long, grey with a white band on each wing. It is an introduced pest as the larvae attack stored food. Also in the bottle was another moth the same size but white with black bars — Philobota contentella. The genus Philobota is Australian and has about 300 species but, Tillyard says, “in no case has the larva been dis- covered’. Under a microscope was a wasp that is parasitic on the egg mass of the praying mantis. A species of Dodder bearing many of its small flowers and fruits was firmly entwined on a sprig of Basil. Leaves May / June (phyllodes) of Acacia dunnii from Wyndham W.A. were about 12” long by 8” wide. A sedge, found growing abun- dantly in a drain, carried the query “what is it?”. It was the introduced Drain Sedge or Umbrella Sedge Cyperus era- grostis and is a considerable pest. Subscriptions. The Treasurer asked members to be prompt with their sub- scriptions. Many have not yet been paid, but they were due at the beginning of the year. In 1975, more than $50 was spent in reminder notices! Annual General Meeting Monday, 10 May 1976 Annual Report for 1975* was read by the Vice-President, and here are the main items. Membership has increased slightly. All Study Groups have continued actively, and the Mammal Survey Group has made some significant range exten- sions. But the Preston Junior Field Naturalists Club has gone into recess. A full programme of Sunday bus trips was continued, with a longer trip to the Grampians in October and to the Orbost area over the Christmas period. In May, the Sunday outing was replaced by a working bee at Studley Park to help eradicate boneseed. The organiser, Mr Ian Cameron, estimated that several thousand plants had been removed. Eleven issues of ‘The Victorian Naturalist’ were published, and life mem- bership was conferred on Mr Grif Ward for his service as editor during ten years. Publication of ‘Ferns of Victoria and Tasmania’ by the late Norman Wakefield and revised by Dr J Willis, has been very successful. Amendments to the Constitution were adopted; the result is a smaller Council, and certain office-bearers may be Coun- cil members or not as they wish. For family reasons, our new _ Secretary, Mr Garnet Johnson, was forced to resign but, at his suggestion, he continued as Correspondence Secretary. 121 A ten-acre property at Kinglake was bequeathed to this Club by Mr Harold Frahm, and a management committee is to be appointed. The Natural History Medallion for 1975 was awarded to Miss Alison Ashby of South Australia. A Medallion Trust Fund has been established with the hope it will finance the award which costs about $120 a year. Arrangements have been made with the National Herbarium for plant identi- fications free of charge under certain conditions. In 1980 this Club will reach its cen- tenary. Club archives contain consider- able material and members were asked to bring forward anything they might have. It is hoped to publish some his- torical material during the centenary year. Mrs Corrick thanked Office-Bearers, Council Members and other persons for their services to the Club. Her final words were: “We are a large and well- established Club with considerable assets, but the management of our affairs . falls on too few people. ... If we are to continue to exist as a Club we need the active help and interest of more of the general membership.”’ Treasurer's Report for 1975.4 Mr McInnes announced that a deficit of $826 at December 1974 had been turned to a credit of $371 in 1975 despite the reduction of outside grants from $3500 to $1200. This successful result was largely due to the increased subscription fee which gained another $3000, and to advertising in and overseas sales of the ‘Naturalist’, increased interest on invest- ments, and to economies in clerical costs and rents. Other items of interest were the Ivy Dixon legacy of $200, and a profifit of $547 from book sales for the Club Improvement Fund. Publica- tion of the revised ‘Ferns of Victoria and Tasmania’ had been very successful with a profit of more than $2000 and a second printing has been ordered. Election of Council Office-Bearers. Council consists of the President, Vice-President, Immediate Past President and ten other members. Nominations were: President — Mrs M. Corrick; Council Members — M. Allen- der, B. Callahan, W. Clark, M. Lester, J. Martindale, A. Parkin, R. Sandell, T. Sault, B. Smith; Office-Bearers — Sec- retary Sex change oe Sequence of reproduction in a land snail. just half the population, the females, as in most groups of animals. The anatomy of the reproductive tract of a snail is shown in Fig. 2. The gonad produces both sperm and eggs which are passed in turn down the common duct and out through the genital atrium. The snail commences its breeding activity as a functional male with the gonad producing sperm and the auxi- liary male glands maturing. As sperm is passed down the common duct it is enclosed in a protein envelope secreted by these male auxiliary glands into a kind of sperm parcel called the sper- matophore. At mating two individuals come to- gether, both physiologically in the male stage of reproductive activity. Copulation takes from 5 to 60 minutes and usually occurs at night; it consists of the reciprocal transfer of sper- matophores from one snail to the other. The spermatophore from the partner is taken and stored in a special sack, the spermatheca, where the wall of the spermatophore is broken down and the sperm stored. The animal then undergoes a sex change. The gonad no longer produces sperm, but the many egg cells mature and start their passage down the re- productive tract. During this sex 129 ‘Fertilization pouch’ Albumen gland Ais Vas deferens change the male accessary glands are reduced and the female ones expand and mature. When the eggs are released from the gonad into the top part of the repro- ductive tract, the stored sperms are passed from the storage sack or sper- matheca down the tract to meet and fertilize the eggs. These fertilized eggs are then surrounded by a layer of ‘“‘albumen’’, a protein food for the egg from the albumen gland. This enlarged egg is then surrounded by a series of egg membranes and finally with a cal- careous shell from the female auxiliary Genital atrium Spermatheca penis Figure 2. Diagram of snail to show the position of the reproductive tract. Common duct glands of the common duct. The eggs are then layed in clutches of 20 to 30 in shallow holes in damp ground where they take several weeks to develop into miniature snails. This process of laying large eggs with plenty of food for the developing embryo inside a thick impervious shell, enables the young snails to develop successfully away from water. It was the development of this facility which enabled the terrestrial molluscs to suc- cessfully conquer the land. Movement and feeding in snails will be described in a later article. Victorian Non-Marine Molluscs, No. 15 BY BRIAN J. SMITH* The largest and most widespread family of land snails in Australia, speaking either from the point of view of species diversity or family distribu- tion, is the family Camaenidae. This is the dominant family of snails in the faunas of Queensland, Northern and Central Australia. However, this dominance does not extend into the 130 south-eastern Australian faunal region where the family is confined to a single species endemic to the region, together with several species charac- teristic of adjacent regions which en- croach over the boundaries into this region. * Curator of Invertebrates, National Museum of Victoria Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Chloritobadistes victoriae (Cox 1868) This species has a dark brown glo- bose shell, an average diameter being 8-12 mm. It is characteristed by very fine, dense, periostracal ‘hairs’ on the outside of the shell, these hairs being irregularly placed giving the appear- ance of the shell covered with a fine brown velvet. On dead shells, where the periostracum has been removed, evidence can be seen for the presence of the hairs in the form of minute hemispherical pustulae on the surface of the shell. These are thickenings of the shell at the base of each hair. C. victoriae is confined to southern and central Victoria and Northern Tasmania where it is found in both wet and dry sclerophyll forest areas and in marginal woodland scrub. It is found in damp situations under logs, fallen bark or in litter and in many areas 1s very common. In south-eastern Australia there is only one other species of snail bearing periostracal hairs with which C. vic- toriae could be confused. This is a closely related species, belonging to the same genus, Chloritobadistes brevipila (Pfr. 1849). This species occurs in southern Queensland, through New South Wales and into far eastern Victoria. The shell shape and form is generally similar to C. victoriae, but the periostracal hairs are large, widely spaced and in regular rows. On dead shells the raised pustu- C. victorice Sa, ») » p 3) yk ryt ie i C. brevipila lae are also large and arranged in regular rows. It is not known whether the two species occur together in East Gipps- land. Drawings by Miss Rhyllis Plant Preparing material for ‘The Victorian Naturalist’ When preparing material for publication, please have it typed with double line spacing and leave at least 3 cm (about 14”) clear margin at the left. Captions to figures should be typed on a separate page. Monochrome illustrations should be supplied, as it is costly and rarely satisfactory to reproduce from coloured material. If article is of a scientific nature, it is desirable to supply two copies of text matter. July/August 131 The Spines of Sea Urchins BY H. H. BisHop, Microscopy Group, FNCV In the previous journal, Vol. 93, No. 3, an article was published giving de- tails for making microscope slides from the spines of sea urchins. This article deals with the collecting of sea urchins, and describes the spines from some different species. Collecting As most sea urchins are vegetable feeders, living on seaweeds or on the green algal scum that covers rocks, the most likely place to find them is where these conditions prevail. In Victoria, specimens of our most common sea urchin, Heliocidaris ery- throgramma, can be found on rock platforms around Port Phillip Bay. Other areas for collecting are sheltered bays on the Victorian and New South Wales coast. Specimens may also be found on less sheltered coasts after severe storms. Description Spines of the various species differ considerably in shape, size and colour, and the colour of individuals varies according to the condition of habitat. Under natural conditions, dark speci- mens are usually found in bright light and clear water, while pale individuals are found in darker and more turbid conditions. Many sea urchins living in shallow water are nocturnal, avoiding the light in daytime by moving under rocks. When viewed under the microscope the different patterns and _ brilliant colours of the spine sections are re- vealed. Although the external colour of individuals of a species may vary, 132 the colour pattern of a cross-section of spines is the same for that species. A description of the spines of the sea urchins collected by the writer is as follows; they are members of four different families. ECHINOMETRIDAE Heliocidaris erythrogramma is the most common sea urchin on the Vic- torian and New South Wales coast. Spines are solid and round, tapering to a point. Length of the spines de- pends on age, and range from one to two inches when fully grown. Colours of individuals range from a light olive green to dark purple. Spines also vary in colour throughout their length, tending to a lighter shade at the tip. Sections cut from spines of this sea urchin make very attractive micro- scope slides. They have rings radiating out from a centre core, and there are microscopic perforations over the en- tire area which give the appearance of a circular piece of lacework in dif- ferent colours. CIDARIDAE Goniocidaris tubaria. The spines of this sea urchin are unusual, having horny protrusions along their length and terminating with a broad flat end. Spines are a creamy colour, with the horny protrusions tipped with brown. Phyllacanthus parvispinus is com- monly known as the slate pencil sea urchin. This is a remarkable looking sea urchin with a small number of large, thick round primary spines sur- rounded by numerous small secondary spines. It is found on the New South Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Wales coast at low water level, and usually in small numbers as_ they prefer deeper water. Another member of this family is Heterocentrotus trigonarius, which has large triangular spines; colour of the spines varies from fawn to dull red, with a band of white. Spine sections of members of the family Cidaridae do not have rings like those of AHeliocidaris erythro- gramma and are more compact, but they do have the overall microscopic perforations. TEMNOPLEURIDAE Holopneustes inflatus is a small, nearly spherical sea urchin’ with short delicate spines, usually a pale flesh tint in colour. These sea urchins live among the large brown seaweeds and are only found on the beaches on rare occasions. DIADEMATIDAE Centrostephanus rodgersii, a large sea urchin, is found on the New South Wales coast. It has long hollow spines finely sculptured, colours ranging from a deep purple to almost black. Sections cut from the spines have the appear- ance of rubies. The species mentioned here are only those which the writer has been for- tunate enough to collect. There are numerous other species on the Aus- tralian coast and elsewhere which he would like to have and would be glad to receive from other collectors. Why I enjoy Microscopy To an enquiring mind, trained to ob- serve, and search for the ‘‘why”’ and ““how’’, microscopy reveals a whole new world that the unaided eye cannot perceive. Until the end of secondary school years I lived on a farm where my parents en- couraged an interest and appreciation of nature in its variety of forms, animal, vegetable and mineral. Tertiary education added some knowledge of mechanics, electricity, optics and illumination; but not one microscope to see through. My first ‘“‘microscope’ was a 12/6 Japanese instrument, 200X, 400X, 600X in a neat wooden box, but it did not (and could not) give much satisfaction. Later my interest was aroused by an article in “Victorian Naturalist’? on making a micro- scope with standard lens, and by micro- scopy exhibits at an F.N.C.V. nature show. Now that accumulated years have re- leased me from the rat race and left me with good sight and health, I can enjoy the pleasures and wonder of seeing the ‘invisible’? but all-important details of life in their infinity of form and com- plexity. I also enjoy the fellowship of like-minded folk wiser than I in the realm of the “‘invisible’’. It is gratifying, too, to see how friends and acquaintances appreciate what they see through my microscopes; worlds they did not know existed in plant forms, acquatic life, insects and the beauty of crystals. U. BATEs. Notice to Authors concerning first proofs If authors wish to see galley proofs, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope with your material and proofs will be sent to you as a matter of routine. But time is critical, and the editor should receive checked and OK’d proofs by return mail or such material could be delayed to a later issue. July/August IRE Stone Age Camp Site at Frankston BY A. E. SPILLANE* Frankston is a large thriving city on the shores of Port Phillip Bay and has the distinction of being the main gateway to the Mornington Peninsula. Seeing the area today, it is hard to imagine that not so many years ago, a tribe of Aborigines had an important camp site about three kilometres from the heart of the present city. The camp site The camp site was situated just off the south side of Cranbourne Road, on a property known until recently as Ridout’s Sandpits. The Aborigines had their camp high up on a sand dune. From the top of the dune they would have had a very picturesque view of the surrounding countryside. Looking north, they would have seen the mountains of the Dandenongs, to the west the waters of Port Phillip Bay, while a large amount of the flat coun- try in between contained the large Carrum-Carrum Swamp. From the Aborigines viewpoint, the site would have been in an ideal posi- tion. The sandy ground was compara- tively dry and warm in the winter; it was near the Bay for fishing and the gathering of shellfish; the surrounding bush would have supplied mammals for food, while the extensive Carrum- Carrum Swamp would have harboured thousands of water birds in good sea- sons. Most important of all, just to the south of the site were swamps con- taining water for the needs of the camp. When the Peninsula was first settled, the Bunurong tribe of Aborigines in- habited the area. In all probability, it was people from that tribe who occu- pied the site. In 1908, the property containing the camp site was acquired by the Ridout family and used for the extraction of sand for the building industry. Ori- ginally, the area was covered by the heathland flora which was typical of this part of the Peninsula. *President, Peninsula Field Naturalists’ Club. Photographs by author. Plate 1. Ground-edge axe from the site; 22.1 cm long. 134 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Stone implements Several years ago when Mr. M. H. Ridout was removing sand from a locality on the property close to a large reed-covered swamp, he un- covered a ground-edge axe resting on marl. The soil covering the axe con- tained charcoal. The axe (Plate 1) is the largest and one of the finest speci- mens from the Peninsula that the writer has examined. The stone from which it was manufactured is “‘green- stone’’ (metabasalt), possibly from one of the Aboriginal quarries at either Plate 3. Microliths from the site; actual size. July/August Plate 2. Muller found at the site. 6.) cm long. Mount William or Mount Camel in Victoria. Its dimensions are 22.1 cm long by 9.2 cm by 4.3 cm. Another interesting find made by Mr. Ridout on the property was a muller (Plate 2); it is 6.5 cm long by 4cm by 3.8cm. Mullers were used in conjunction with millstones for grind- ing seeds from wattles and other plants for food; they are rarely found on the Peninsula. Over the years, some very interest- ing microliths — the “pygmy” stone implements of the Aborigines — have 135 Plate 4. Trapezes, points, and triangle from the site; actual size. been found at the site. They include stone materials used in their manu- segments, trapezes, scrapers, flakes, facture were fine and coarse-grained and Bondi points. The main types of quartzite, quartz and chert. Plate 5. Microliths from the site; actual size. 136 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 The microliths from the site are par- ticularly interesting as they cover a large range of types and sizes. Plate 3 Shows a group of segments. On the ex- treme right, top row, is a sturdy speci- men 30mm long, while another ex- ample at extreme left, bottom row, is only 11 mm long. The trapezes in Plate 4 range in length from 29mm to 12mm. An in- teresting microlith in this group is the triangle, extreme right, bottom row; triangles are seldom found on the Peninsula. Top left is a fine example of a Bondi point; it is 24 mm long. Plate 5 illustrates the disparity in the sizes of geometric microliths. Top right, is a very chunky type of seg- ment, 17mm high. The specimen on the extreme right, second row, is 18mm long and only 2 mm thick; it shows signs of great age. The segment on the left, bottom row, is only 10 mm long. Conclusion The sand dune upon which the main ‘“‘workshop” area of the camp was Situated has now gone; the urbaniza- tion of this part of Frankston is pro- ceeding rapidly and is removing all tangible evidence of the Stone Age people who used to roam over this region of the Peninsula. Acknowledgement I am indebted to Mr. M. H. Rid- out for his kindness in making his axe and muller available to me for inspec- tion and photography, also for his valu- able information regarding the history of this very interesting site. REFERENCES Howitt, A. W., 1904. ‘““The Native Tribes of South East Australia’’, Macmillan, London. Massola, Aldo, 1959. “‘History of the Coast Tribe’, Victorian Naturalist, 76 (7). McCarthy, F. D., 1967. ‘‘Australian Abori- ginal Stone Implements’’, Australian Museum, Sydney. Mitchell, S. R., 1949. “Stone Age Craftsmen’’, Melbourne. Spillane, A. E., 1971. “Aboriginal Relics on the Mornington Peninsula’, Victorian Naturalist, 88 (12). Spillane, A. E., 1973. ‘Traces Left by the SUG on Phillip Island, Victoria’’, Ibid, 90 (9). Spillane, A. E., 1974. “An Aboriginal Camp Site at Portsea, Victoria’’, Ibid, 91 (7). Natural History Medallion Trust Fund The Natural History Medallion was instituted in 1939 as an annual award in recognition of outstanding service to Australian natural history. For many years it has been financed solely by the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria. Why is the FNCV now asking for contributions to this Medallion Fund? Over the last five years the FNCV has paid out $520 to maintain the Medallion award. Back in 1960 the cost was £9/10/6 and a member’s subscription was £2; in effect, the cost was equal to five mem- bers’ subscriptions. In 1975 the cost was $123 and a member’s subscription was $10, so last year it took more than twelve subscriptions to meet the cost. July/August The purpose of the Natural History Medallion Trust Fund is to have an in- vestment that will provide an annual contribution to help finance the award. We appeal to public institutions inter- ested in natural history to assist in build- ing up this Fund. The following donations have been received and we thank the donors: Amount invested as at 31 March 1976... .. $304 Peninsula Conservation League .. 5 IMG Lom Satlt 005s tew 3 awe ee 10 Total $319 GARNET JOHNSON, ASSISTANT SECRETARY 17 Mammal Survey Group Contribution No. 9 Mammals in the Pomonal area, The Grampians BY J. H. SEEBECK* tT Introduction Between 24 December 1970 and 3 January 1971 members of the Mammal Survey Group of the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria carried out a survey of the mammals of the Pomonal area of The Grampians, Western Victoria. In this paper the results of that survey 14240 LY Ci \ @ Pomonal South Road Fonthams Peok Rood Long Gully Redman; Kilometres Kalimna Falls Picnic Ground Figure 1. Survey area, Pomonal. A-H Trapping sites. X Camp. 138 and some additional data collected by the author are reported. The names of the members of the Group whose work provided the data for this paper are listed in the acknowledgements. Description of the area The area surveyed (Figure 1) was about 3.5 km south of Pomonal town- ship, in the eastern foothills of the Mt William Range, almost directly below Mt Cassel. Traps were set at eight sites (Figure 1) referred to as: A. Camp area and Fanthams Peak Road Jones’ property Mitchell Road . Redmans Road west Redmans Road east Kalimna Falls Picnic Ground . Moyston West . Stawell Water Supply pipeline. These sites were chosen because they were representative of the dif- ferent vegetation formations present in the area, and at a more detailed level, contained most of the alliances within those formations (as defined by Sibley 1967). Table 1 indicates the vegetation formation at each site. Spotlighting was carried out near the camp in area A and at three other sites: The Black Range (Bunjils Cave Reserve); Mount Zero Road north of Halls Gap; and a part of the Serra Road and Victoria Valley Road in the northern Victoria Valley. Incidental observations were made HAMMOOn *Mammal Survey Group of Victoria, C/o Secretary, 3 Harold St, Blackburn 3130. tFisheries and Wildlife Division, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, 123 Brown St, Heidelberg 3084. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 of mammals in other parts of The Grampians. Land Use Freehold land in the area is used for grazing of sheep and catile and for growing vegetables, particularly pota- toes. Most of the farms adjoining public land had uncleared or partially cleared areas abutting the uncleared public land. These farms have existed in their present form for many years but earlier had formed part of the large grazing properties of the original European settlers in the district. Public land investigated during the survey was mostly Reserved Forest forming a part of The Grampians State Forest which is administered by the Forests Commission, Victoria. Geology and Soils The geology of the Grampians has been described in detail by Spencer- Jones (1965) and the soils by Sibley (1967). The area surveyed comprised two different categories: (a) that north of Redmans Road, which is part of the Grampians Plains land-system outwash slopes, with deep sandy nomopodsolic soils developed on siliceous sands derived from the car- boniferous sandstones of the ranges, and (b) that along Mitchell Road, south of Redmans Road, which is part of the Grampians Ranges land-system, composed of coarse to medium quart- zose sandstones. The soils developed on this base are rocky, iron nomo- podsols. Vegetation Vegetation formations varied from dry sclerophyll forest through scrub to heathland. The dry sclerophyll forest in the northern section was intermingled with heath-woodland. Along Mitchell Road on the more skeletal soils, most July/August of the area was covered with dry sclerophyll forest and heath-woodland, open heathland and some wet creek gullies where the understorey vegeta- tion was typical of the wet sclerophyll forests in The Grampians. The major plant alliances in the dry sclerophyll forest and heath-woodland were the messmate-scentbark alliance and the brown stringybark-messmate- scentbark alliance. The main differ- ences between the two alliances were in the spacing and form of the trees which reflected the comparative dry- ness or wetness of their respective sites. The heath understoreys present in both alliances were 1-2 m high and included several species of Acacia, Banksia marginata, Leptospermum juniperinum and Xanthorrhoea aus- tralis aS Major components. The dry scrub along Mitchell Road was composed largely of heath under- storey species with scattered, stunted eucalypts — long-leaf box (Eucalptus goniocalyx) and brown stringybark (E. baxteri) being the most common. The heathland in the area was mainly that included in the prickly teatree-silver banksia alliance. Many other species including Casuarina paludosa and various species of Xan- thorrhoea, Hakea, Acacia, Pultenaea, Dillwynia, Melaleuca, Leucopogon and Epacris were present. Climate Sibley (1967) has described certain elements of the climate of The Gram- pians in some detail, particularly rain- fall and temperature. The survey area lay mostly between the 650-700 iso- hyets, but the southern area along Mitchell Road lay between the 750- 900 mm isohyets. There is a late winter maximum and a summer mini- mum distribution of rainfall. Temperature records for The Gram- plans area are available only for Horsham, Ararat and Hamilton and 139 Table 1. Trapping and spotlighting effort. Vege- Number Number tation of of forma- trap spotlight Site tion* nights hours A HW 385 8 B HW 58 — is S 190 — D DF 24 — E DF 11 — F DF 29 —— G HW 14 — H DF 10 — Black Range — — Victoria Valley — 6.5 Mount Zero Road — 4 Total a2) ZS *HW = heath-woodland, DF = dry sclerophyll forest, S = scrub. show that July is the coldest month with a mean maximum temperature of about 8°C, and February the hottest month with a mean maximum tem- perature of about 19°C. During the period of the survey the weather ranged from very hot and dry to cold, wet and windy. Methods Trapping was carried out with wire mesh cage traps, 360 x 200 x 165 mm, and some folding aluminium traps, 450 x 160 x 150 mm, baited with a mixture of peanut butter, rolled oats and honey. Traps were set for only one night at each site except those near camp, where traps were set for up to three nights. Along Fanthams Peak Road a grid of 95 trap stations was set out in con- junction with Miss M. Stanley (now Dr. M. Happold) of the Department of Zoology, Monash University. This grid system covered an area of approxi- mately 3.5 ha, and traps were set for three nights for a total of 182 trap nights. Mist nets were set on two occasions to catch bats. Spotlighting, using 6- volt portable spotlights, was carried out on foot and from motor vehicles. Chance sightings of mammals were recorded and skeletal material found was collected. Table 1 gives a summary of the trappings and spotlighting effort. Results During the survey 15 native species and 4 introduced species of mammals were recorded in the Pomonal area. Details of trapping and spotlighting results are given in Tables 2 and 3. Table 2. Trapping results. Number of animals caught. Total number Number of each species caught at 8 sites of each species Species A B c Antechinus flavipes y) l A. stuartii 9 A. swainsonii 2 3 Isoodon obesulus jap 2 Trichosurus vulpecula Potorous apicalis 16 Rattus rattus ] R. lutreolus 8 4 Mus musculus l 4 Pseudomys shortridgei jb) 2) Total number of animals trapped at each site IS = 52 2S Number of species at : each site 6 4 5 % Trapping success 140 19.48 25.86 10.00 12.5 0 D E F G H caught 10 l 3 13 5 24 3 0 3 0 2 10:35220; 6720 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Records of a further two native species collected by the author are included and the presence of one further species of macropod in the areas is considered possible. Notes on the Species Recorded Voucher specimens which have been retained form a part of the collection of the Fisheries and Wildlife Division, Ministry for Conservation, Victoria. Echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus Only three individuals of this Species were seen during the survey. Two were observed in daylight near the camp and one by spotlighting along the Victoria Valley Road. In March 1968 the author observed two animals, one on Fanthams Peak Road, the other on Redmans Road within the Reserved Forest. No specimens were collected. Yellow-footed antechinus, Antechinus flavipes This species was encountered only in the heath-woodland areas close to the campsite and in similar habitat near the Long Gully Road junction. The author also recorded this species at Moyston West in March 1968. Echidna, Tachyglossus aculeatus. Photo by John Wallis. Of the 10 individuals trapped, two were juvenile males, one was an adult male, one was a juvenile female and three were adult females. The sex of three animals was not determined. One of the adult females was lactating. Traps were usually collected in the morning so it is not known at what time animals were trapped; however, two animals were trapped during day- light. Diurnal activity is not uncommon within the genus Antechinus. Specimen: 5641. Brown antechinus, Antechinus stuartii A. stuartii was trapped only in the southern section of the survey area, along Redmans Road and Mitchell Road, in the Grampians Ranges land- Table 3. Spotlighting Results. ; Tot No. of each species seen at 4 sites Be ane . A Black Mt Zero Victoria species Species Range Road Valley seen Tachyglossus aculeatus | 1 Phascolarctos cinereus 2 2. 4 Trichosurus vulpecula 2 3 2 6 13 Pseudocheirus peregrinus 4 1 5 Petaurus breviceps 6 ] 4] Macropus giganteus 2 53 a5 M. fuliginosus M. rufogriseus 4 4 8 Vulpes vulpes l I Total number of animals : seen at each site 20 3 6 65 Number of species at each site 6 1 4 5 July/August 141 Swainson’s antechinus, Antechinus swainsonii. Photo by Leigh Winsor. system. Capture sites varied from the dry rocky bed of a creek to heathland, but most were near creeks in very dense ground-cover. The ratio of female to male cap- tives was about 2:1 with most animals (9 of 13) being juvenile or sub-adult. The only adult animals recorded were female. Specimens: 5639, 5646. Swainsons antechinus, Antechinus swainsonii Two female and three male animals were trapped. All were adult. The species was found in heath-woodland near the camp, but along Mitchell Road creekside vegetation appeared to be the preferred habitat. Specimens: 5633, 5643. Short-nosed bandicoot, Tsoodon obesulus Most of the specimens were taken in the heath-woodland along Fan- thams Peak Road. Two animals were trapped in dense bracken beside a creek about 2 km south of the camp site. The trapping records indicate a sex ratio of 1:1, but a number of animals were recaptures. About 50% of males and 75% of females were adult. Three females had pouch young litters of 1, 2 and 3. The single young and 1 of the 142 litter of 2 were rejected by their mothers whilst in the trap. On the grid area along Fanthams Peak Road, J. obesulus was trapped on two successive nights. Eight animals were trapped on the first night and seven of these were marked at that time. Eight animals were trapped on the second night. Of these, two were confirmed recaptures and one, a juvenile, probably a recapture. No bandicoots were trapped on the grid on the next night. Specimens: 5643, 5653. Koala, Phascolarctos cinereus All animals seen were detected by spotlight. An adult female and asso- ciated juvenile were seen along Fan- thams Peak Road and two adults were seen along Mt Zero Road north of Halls Gap. Many animals were heard calling in the general vicinity of the camp. No specimens were collected. Brush-tailed possum, Trichosurus vulpecula Brush-tailed possums were encoun- tered in all areas surveyed. Two adult animals were trapped, one on Red- mans Road, the other at the pipeline tunnel. Spotlighting near the camp, north of Halls Gap, in the Bunjils Cave Reserve and along the Victoria Valley Road revealed low numbers of the species. The sex of only a few animals was determined and no juveniles were re- ported. Road-killed specimens were seen along roads in the area. Specimen: 5636. Ring-tailed possum, Pseudocheirus peregrinus Few ring-tailed possums were observed by spotlighting. Most of those seen were along Fanthams Peak Road and they included two animals which were disturbed at a nest hollow some 5 m above ground level. The Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 mummified remains of a juvenile and an old, weathered skull were found near the camp area. In 1968 the author found, by spotlighting, that the species was very common along Fan- thams Peak Road and near the camp. Specimens: 5660, 5661. Sugar glider, Petaurus breviceps Four animals were seen along Fan- thams Peak Road in one evening’s spotlighting. One was feeding on flowers of a Banksia marginata. In addition to one animal being seen, two others were heard calling in the Mt Zero Road area, north of Halls Gap. On 30 December, while watching mist nets strung across a small dam in a paddock near the camp, three animals were observed in a tree along- side the dam. After the initial sight- ing the animals disappeared and it was some time before they were again located, by careful listening. No other trees were within gliding distance. Finally one animal was observed from a distance of about 1 m; it was licking sap that had collected in a pocket where a branch joined the main trunk. Subsequent investigation showed that at the pocket and elsewhere, the bark had been incised in a small ‘“‘v’ so that the sap was diverted into the branch-trunk pockets. No specimens were collected. Feather-tailed glider, Acrobates pygmaeus In 1968 the author was shown a photograph of an A. pygmaeus which had been collected at Fyans Creek (14km north of Pomonal township) in March 1967. Another specimen found in a house at the junction of Redmans Road and the Pomonal South Road was also reported to the author in 1968. Potoroo, Potorous apicalis This species was found only near July/August the camp in the heath-woodland along Fanthams Peak Road. Thirteen potoroos were caught on the grid and three nearby. The 13 were marked with ear-tags and comprised 5 adult males, 5 adult females and 3 animals whose sex was not determined. One of these was an independent juvenile. Four of the five females were carrying pouch young. Specimens: 5642, 5655. Grey kangaroo, Macropus sp. Near the camp during the survey two animals were spotlighted, a mob of 12 was seen in daylight in open paddocks and two skulls were col- lected. On 2 January 1971, 53 indi- viduals were seen by spotlight along the Victoria Valley and Serra Roads. Grey kangaroos are regularly seen in Halls Gap township and road kills are not uncommon along the Grampians Road. At the time of the survey, members of the Group did not distinguish be- tween the two species of grey kangaroo — Macropus giganteus and M. fuli- ginosus — that occur sympatrically in parts of The Grampians. Records kept at the time refer only to “grey kan- garoo’’. From observations by the Feather-tailed glider, Acrobates pygmaeus. Photo by courtesy Fisheries and Wildlife. 143 author and others since the survey it seems probable that most of the animals seen on the eastern side of the Mt William Range were M. giganteus. However, the species composition of the 53 grey kangaroos observed in the Victoria Valley cannot be established since both species occur there with M. fuliginosus present in greater pro- portion (K. Norris, Fisheries and Wild- life Division, Victoria, pers. comm.). Red-necked wallaby Macropus rufogriseus A few of this species were seen during spotlighting near the camp, along Mt Zero Road north of Halls Gap, and in the Victoria Valley. Five animals were also reported as daylight sightings, and two skulls were col- lected. In 1968 the author observed red- necked wallabies in the camp area, along the Grampians Road, at Silver- band Falls and at Watgania Gap. The species appears to be widespread in The Grampians. Specimens: 5657, 5659. Chocolate bat, Chalinolobus morio A mist net set partly over the water of a dam and partly among trees trapped an individual of this species close to the surface of the water. Specimen: 5656. Rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus Moderate numbers of rabbits were seen in cleared paddocks, near the camp. No specimens were collected. Black rat, Rattus rattus Only three animals were trapped, all in widely separated localities. Two were taken in very rocky terrain, and from later observations by the author and others (K. Norris, pers. comm.) it appears that R. rattus has successfully occupied many of the rocky areas in The Grampians. All animals trapped 144 were adult, two were males and the sex of the third was not determined. Specimens: 5637, 5644. Swamp rat, Rattus lutreolus Swamp rats were captured in most areas where traps were set, although not in large numbers. Most were taken near creeks or swampy areas in dense vegetation — bracken, waterfern or wiregrass with teatree or paperbark shrub cover. In 1968 one swamp rat was captured in the kitchen garden of the farm-house near the camp. All animals examined were adult. Of 13 animals, 8 were males and 5 were females. There were no obvious ex- ternal signs of recent breeding. Specimens: 5640, 5645, 5647. Heath rat, Pseudomys shortridgei Most specimens were caught in heath-woodland along Fanthams Peak Road, on the grid set out by M. Stanley. A total of 13 animals were caught at this location and were marked. The sex ratio was about 1:1. Eight animals, mostly males, were recap- tured during the trapping period. One animal was recaptured twice in one day. Most animals were adult or : LE RE gOS = Ek x 2 Heath rat, Pseudomys shortridgei. Photo by J.H.Seebeck. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 nearly so, but at least three were juveniles. A further specimen was caught on the Pomonal South Road about 1 km south of the grid and two others were taken some 11 km south near the junction of Mitchell Road and Moy- ston Road. In 1968 the author obtained two specimens from heath-woodland south of Redmans Road, 6 km south-west of the camp but although this site was re-trapped during the present survey, no animals were captured. Specimens: 5638, 5649. House mouse, Mus musculus Four of the animals trapped were taken along a creek running through open farmland south of the camp. Rattus lutreolus was also present at this site. The remaining animal was collected on the perimeter of a pad- dock near the camp. Specimens: 5648, 5650, 5654. Water rat, Hydromys chrysogaster No specimens were encountered during the survey. However, A. E. Howard, a member of the Group, has seen and photographed the species in Lake Fyans, and in March 1968 the author trapped an adult male on a creek bank adjoining Mitchells Road about 1 km south of Redmans Road. In April 1968, specimens were col- ected at Silverband Falls (south-west of Halls Gap) and in a creek 2 km east of Grampians Road along Red- mans Road. In February 1969 a fur- ther specimen was taken in Fyans Creek at Borough Huts. It therefore . appears that the species is present in many waterways in The Grampians but the population density is low. Specimens: R3398, R3431, R3432, R3734. Fox, Vulpes vulpes Apparently foxes are present in low July/August density in the forest and farmland. One was seen near camp in daylight, one was spotlighted in the northern Victoria Valley and two skulls were retrieved from the carcasses of shot animals. Specimens: 5662, 5664. Discussion The Grampians have long been known for the diversity and the un- usual character of their flora, and are shown by the results of this survey to Support a wide range of mammal species. Three dasyurids, all species of Ante- chinus, were encountered. Antechinus stuartii was restricted to the dry forest in the southern and western parts of the study area, particularly along creeks, while A. flavipes was found only in the heath and heath- woodland. A. swainsonii was found in heath-woodland and also in stream- side vegetation. From our observations there does appear to be a general separation of A.stuartii and A. flavipes on habitat selection, but Wakefield & Warneke (1967) reported sympatry between A. stuartii and A. flavipes at Glenlofty in The Pyrenees (about 50 km to the east of The Grampians) where the habitat is dry sclerophyll forest and woodland. Isoodon obesulus, the only perame- lid recorded from The Grampians, was taken only in areas of sandy soil. I. McCann of Stawell (pers. comm.) reported that the numbers of J. obesu- lus in the Pomonal district seem to Table 4. Trapping success in different vegetation formations. Number Number of Vegetation of animals Success Formation trapnights caught % Heath-woodland 453 90 19.9 Dry sclerophyll forest 78 10 12.8 Scrub 190 19 10.0 145 have increased since myxomatosis was introduced in the early 1950s and the consequent reduction in rabbit num- bers. This may have been because of reduced disturbance of the soil allow- ing more availability of food for the bandicoots, or just the removal of physical conflict between the two species. This survey indicates that the koala population is low in the eastern foot- hills. It is possible that these animals are descendants of those released at Halls Gap in 1957, when 611 animals were transferred from French Island (Fisheries and Wildlife Division re- cords). However, koalas were rare and restricted to uninhabited regions of The Grampians (Audas 1925), so it 1s possible that the present population levels in the Pomonal district are similar to those existing before the re- introduction programme commenced. Only four species of possums (repre- senting three families) were recorded during the survey and their numbers were low. This is in accord with previ- ous and subsequent experience that most of the stringybark forest in The Grampians generally supports only Sparse possum populations (K. Norris, pers. comm.). Most of the ring-tailed possums were seen in the _ heath- woodland area but they occur in the dry foothill forest and in the remnants of roadside woodland near Pomonal itself. Wakefield (1963) reported the pre- sence of Potorous in an Holocene sub- fossil assemblage from the northern end of the Victoria Range, some 40 km to the west, but the Pomonal area is the only part of The Grampians where potoroos have been collected recently. Pomonal now supports the only known inland population of this species in Victoria, all other popula- tions being coastal (Portland district, Otway Ranges, French Island and East Gippsland). 146 The difficulties of determining the species of grey kangaroos recorded has already been mentioned. The other large macropod present in the sur- veyed area, Macropus_ rufogriseus, was found to be widespread and com- mon in The Grampians. Although only one bat species was identified, it is very likely that a number of other species are present. Rattus lutreolus was found to be widespread and common, but Pseu- domys shortridgei was much less wide- spread, and was restricted to heath- woodland. P. shortridgei has been found only in The Grampians and in the Portland-Nelson-Casterton area, although it was originally found in Western Australia (Thomas 1906) where it is now apparently extinct. It is of interest that Rattus fuscipes, the most abundant native mammal in Victoria is not found in The Gram- pians. Wakefield (1963) reported Holocene sub-fossils of R. fuscipes greyl at two sites in The Grampians but this is the only indication that the species may have once occurred there. The heath-woodland vegetation formation appeared to suppport the greatest variety of species (Table 2) and also had the greatest numbers of animals present, as shown by the trapping successes (Table 4). At heath-woodland sites trapping success was nearly twice that of dry sclero- phyll forest and scrub. In addition, several species were collected only in heath-woodland—Antechinus flavipes, Isoodon obesulus, Potorous apicalis and Pseudomys shortridgei. These last two species have a restricted distribu- tion in Victoria (as outlined earlier) and the populations in the Pomonal area are of importance in their State- wide conservation. In view of this, it is regrettable that a large part of the heath-woodland in the surveyed area was and still is free- hold land, potentially subject to drastic Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 habitat alteration at any time. This vegetation formation, developed on the Mt Cassel sub-unit of The Gram- pians Plains land-system is very re- stricted and mostly cleared (Sibley 1967). The diversity of the mammal fauna present within it, as reported here, adds weight to the consideration that the conservation of its remaining natural sections is urgent. Acknowledgements The data presented in the paper is largely the result of the work of the following members and helpers of the Mammal Survey Group — J. Barnett, G. Baulch, L. Baulch, C. Crouch, J. Forse, J. Hampton, N. Hampton, A Howard, J. Howard, H. Homan, P. Homan, H. Janssen, S. Janssen, H. King, R. King, E. Lawson, R. Lawson, L. Marshall, D. Munro, L. Munro, D. Reeves, J. Seebeck and M. Stanley. The Group wishes to acknowledge the generosity and help of Mr P. Van Every for providing a camp- site and other facilities. I. R. McCann and K. C. Norris provided valuable un- published information. D. Evans, J. Hampton and R. Warneke read the manuscript and gave valuable comment. Field assistance in 1968 was given by R. S. Tumman. Mrs W. Tomlinson pre- pared the figures. Protected species of mammals were handled under the pro- visions of a permit issued by the Fisheries and Wildlife Division. Equip- ment used in the surveys was obtained from a grant made by the M. A. Ingram Trust. REFERENCES Audas, J. W. (1925) ‘One of Nature’s Wonderlands. The Victorian Grampians.”’ (Ramsey: Melbourne). Sibley, G. T. (1967). A study of the Land in The Grampians area. Soil Conservation Authority, Victoria. Spencer-Jones, D. (1965). The Geology & Structure of The Grampians area, Western Victoria. Memoir Geol. Survey Vict. No. 25 (Govt. Printer, Melbourne). Thomas, O. (1906). List of further collec- tions of Mammals from Western Aus- tralia, including a series from Bernier Island. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1906: 763-777. Wakefield, N. A. (1963). Mammal remains from The Grampians, Victoria. Victorian Nat. 80: 130-133. Wakefield, N. A., and Warneke, R. M. (1967). Some _ revision in Antechinus (Marsupialia) — Victorian Nat. 84: 69-99. Feral Cats in the Western District Recently there was an account in the Melbourne ‘“‘Herald”’ of a cat ‘‘as big as a fox” that had killed several sheep near Geelong. It encourages me to report the following incident which occurred three years ago, off Wild Dog Road near Apollo Bay. Just before sunset I left camp and wan- dered along a track on the chance of getting a rabbit, although the surround- ings were mostly scrub and forest. But the track opened on a clearing and there was my rabbit. As I raised the rifle, some- thing else caught my eye. A little to the left of the rabbit was a huge tabby cat, perched on its hindquarters and gazing straight at me. It was as big as a full- grown Alsatian dog, with a round face and a particularly thick neck, but in other respects just an ordinary cat. Realising that few would credit my report without evidence, I transferred my aim to the cat, fired — and missed. The July/August » beast merely turned its head to look at where the bullet had struck. My brother was some distance behind me and I shouted excitedly to him to come quickly. This sent the cat bounding off. With typical cat-like lope it moved into the surrounding bracken. My brother was in time only to see a dark shape disappearing in the bush and asked if it were a wallaby. At least he was close as to size, and the movement of a wallaby through scrub with head down would not be so dissimilar. There is little doubt in my mind that some feral cats have grown to giant pro- portions and possibly could account for the occasional sighting of ‘‘panthers’’. Incidentally, this cat would have had no trouble in bringing down a healthy sheep or even bigger game. Perhaps other members have a similar story to tell? CoLiIN DouGLas, GLEN WAVERLEY. 147 Water in Lake Eyre BY M. G. Corrick While travelling in South Australia in July and August 1975, a visit was made to Lake Eyre which then con- tained water. It is the second time this century that Lake Eyre has filled. Conditions in past ages The history of Lake Eyre may be traced from Cretaceous times when Central Australia contained an exten- sive sea. This was followed by a period of great lakes when rainfall was high and water probably covered many thous- ands of square miles to depths of some hundreds of feet. The warmer, moist climate produced luxurious vegeta- tion, such as gave rise to the Leigh Creek coalfields. Fossil discoveries at Lake Callabonna and similar areas give evidence of the presence of large herbivorous marsupials. By the time man appeared in Aus- tralia the climate was arid and the inland lakes were drying out. The first explorers suspected that there might be a great sea in the in- terior of -the continent. E. J. Eyre, after whom the lake was named, found water in an arm of Lake Eyre South in 1840, but he did not go on to find Lake Eyre North. In the present century there have been several scientific explorations; all those prior to 1949 found the lake to be a dry salt pan, and it was generally believed, at least until the early 1930’s that the lake could never fill. Most arid region in Australia The present Lake Eyre has a total area of 8,000 km? (3,000 sq miles) and is a drainage basin for approximately 148 1,300,000 km? (500,000 sq miles) of in- land Australia, a region about eight times the size of Victoria. Much of the catchment has a very low rainfall and in normal years the drainage from south-eastern Queensland into the Warburton and Coopers Creek is dis- sipated before reaching the lake. The Lake Eyre region itself is the most arid in Australia, having an annual fall of less than 127 mm (5 inches), whereas the evaporation rate is 2.54 metres (100 inches) per year. The lake bed is gently tilted from north to south, falling approximately 4 metres in 120 km from the northern shoreline to the lowest area in Madi- gan Gulf in the south-east, which was calculated in 1972 as 6.35 metres be- low sea level (Roma Dulhunty, 1975). Records of water in Lake Eyre A study of early rainfall records suggests that there would have been considerable water in the lake in 1890- 91, but the first filling to be observed since white settlement was in the period 1949-52 and is well documented (Bonython and Mason 1953; Bonython 1955 and 1960; Mason 1955). The peak of this flood was between September 1950 and August 1951, when water in Lake Eyre North reached a depth of 3.6 metres (12 feet); this was not deep enough to cause it to flow down the Goyder Channel to Lake Eyre South. The present flood reached a peak in May 1974, when a maximum depth of 5.7. metres was recorded in the southern part of Madigan Gulf and 3.6 metres along the shoreline (R. Dul- hunty). This was sufficient to allow water to flow into Lake Eyre South. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 At the time of the visit in August 1975, 15 months after peak height, there was still considerable water in both parts of the lake, with a depth of two metres along the southern shore. Early in 1976 further heavy rain fell over the lake and its catchments. A newspaper report on 23 April 1976 stated that the lake was filling again and was only one metre below the record level of 1974. Some evidence of floods in the re- cent past has been obtained from the study of the shingle terraces round the southern parts of the Lake (J. A. Dulhunty 1975). These terraces are formed from deposits of gravel washed up round the shore by wave action. Measurements suggest that there have been three prehistoric fillings of the lake which exceeded the 1974 level. These were 2.8 metres above 1974 approx 3,000 years ago; 1.6 metres above 1974 1,500 years ago, and .7 metres above 1974 500 years ago. Madigan Gulf Goyder Channel ff ' wat >} Muloorina Lake Eyre South N Laine 40 (eeeebendeehesne! ININNIINIUTL Elliot Price Wilderness National Park. July/August On the way to Lake Eyre A road to Lake Eyre North goes from Marree through Muloorina Sta- tion to the northern end of Lake Eyre South and follows the Goyder Channel to the southern shore of Lake Eyre North. (See map.) The Muloorina lease was taken up by the late Elliot Price in 1936. His grave and memorial may be seen at the approach to the homestead. The property is now run by his family, and their cluster of houses and outbuild- ings form almost a village near the lagoon on The Frome. In 1963-64 the property was used as a base by the late Donald Campbell when he suc- cessfully broke the land speed record for a wheel driven vehicle on the dry bed of the lake. During this time, up to 200 people were housed or camped at the homestead. Some birds of the area The Frome Lagoon was excavated by Elliot Price and the water supple- mented from a bore. This delightful oasis attracts large numbers of birds. Numerous Black (Fork-tailed) Kites were seen roosting in the trees as well as circling overhead. These birds are a familiar sight in inland Australia; they feed on carrion and refuse, and large flocks congregate around homesteads, killing yards and rubbish dumps. Both the Australian Raven and the Little Crow were observed near Muloorina; the presence of the latter was con- firmed by examination of a dead bird. The water and associated growth provided a suitable environment for Reed Warblers, Welcome Swallows, Willie Wagtails and Magpie Larks which were all seen near the lagoon. A pair of Ground Cuckoo-shrikes were also seen among the scattered Acacias not far from the lagoon. Beyond Muloorina the track crosses gibber plains and here the Gibber Bird and Australian Dotterel were 149 seen. As a result of local rain there cans and Hoary-headed Grebes. The were extensive areas of shallow pools, and Black-tailed Native Hens were present whenever Cane Grass (Era- grostis australasica) or small shrubs provided cover. A Black-breasted Buz- zard was seen circling overhead in this area. Approaching Lake Eyre the gibber plain gives way to low sand-hills sparsely covered with small shrubs. Orange Chats were plentiful and easily observed perched on the tops of bushes. The White-winged Wren was also here, but was more elusive and only a few males in breeding plumage were seen. Enormous flocks of tiny flies were encountered in the vicinity of the lake; they were of the size and appearance of mosquitoes and sounded like them but did not bite. Great clouds of them seen from a distance appeared like an approaching ‘‘willie-willie’’. Eric Bony- thon (1971) also observed them in 1950 and we found it necessary, as he did, to withdraw about 8 km from the water’s edge before making camp. It was not possible to walk to the water’s edge of Lake Eyre South due to the large expanse of soft mud left by the receding water. However, good views were obtained of the birds crowding the margins. The most plenti- ful was the Avocet in flocks of several hundred, as well as large numbers of Pelicans, Black Cormorants, Seagulls and a few Black-winged Stilts. The shore-line of both lakes was littered with dead fish, identified at Muloorina as Bony Perch. Apparently these breed in Coopers Creek and are carried down by flood waters to die in the saline lake water. Their presence in large numbers suggests that they may provide food for the Pelicans and Cormorants. In Goyder Channel there were large flocks of Pink-eared Duck, Grey Teal and White-eyed Duck, as well as Peli- 150 road built across the channel to pro- vide access to the lake for Donald Campbell’s speed trials has been sub- merged by the flood waters. This road also enabled the Price family to make use of the western portion of their lease, but since the filling of the lakes and channel they have had to make a long detour round Lake Eyre South to reach this part of the property. Lake Eyre North on 10th August 1975, although about two metres be- low the maximum level of May 1974, was still a magnificent stretch of seemingly endless water, with a sloping beach of clean white sand. It was a clear sunny day with a light breeze and rather hard to realise that these surroundings, so like the sea-side, were in fact some 700 km from the coast and below sea level. Pelicans, Cormorants and Whiskered Terns were seen in this area but con- ditions were apparently not suitable for ducks or waders. The bird list (Appendix 1) is of species seen between Muloorina home- stead and the lake and is obviously not comprehensive. Desert plants Among the scattered shrubs close to the water’s edge Scaevola_ collaris (Fan-flower) was blooming well, and little piles of fruits were found blown together into depressions in the sand. The innermost covering of the seed is extremely hard and well-adapted for survival in arid conditions. Atriplex spongiosa (Pop Saltbush) was a conspicuous shrub at the margin of Lake Eyre South: The large: rounded, bright green bushes were up to 1 metre high and 14 metres across. When young, the spherical fruits are like little balls of pale green foam plastic about 1 cm in diameter. A small collection of plants found in flower close to the lake was made and Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 is listed below (Appendix 2). It would appear that there had been a flush of flower some weeks earlier; some Species were in fruit but not many annual or ephemeral plants were seen. No attempt was made to identify or collect species not in flower. The making of lists was incidental to the main aim of the trip which was to experience and enjoy the rare spectacle of Lake Eyre under water. Appendix 1 Birds observed on Muloorina Station and on and around Lake Eyre, 9-10 Aug. 1975. Common names according to ‘A Field Guide to Australian Birds’, Peter Slater. Emu, Hoary-headed Grebe, Pelican, Black Cormorant, White-faced Heron, Black Swan, Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck, White-eyed Duck, Black-shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Square-tailed Kite, Black-breasted Buzzard, Spotted Harrier, Brown Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel, Black-tailed Native Hen, Australian Dotterel, Black-winged Stilt, Red-necked Avocet, Silver Gull, Whiskered Tern, Crested Pigeon, Galah, Welcome Swallow, Pipit, Ground Cuckoo-shrike, Willie Wagtail, Reed Warbler, Brown Songlark, White-winged Wren, Orange Chat, Gibber Bird, Zebra Finch, Magpie-lark, Black-backed Magpie, Australian Raven, Little Crow. Appendix 2 Plants seen in flower within half a kilo- metre of shore of Lake Eyre. Eragrostis dielsii (Mulka Grass). Muehlenbeckia coccoloboides. Atriplex spongiosa (Pop Saltbush). Salsola kali (Prickly Saltwort). Swainsona stipularis. Nitraria schoberi (Nitre Bush). Lawrencia glomerata (Salt Lawrencia). Frankenia sp. (Sea-heath). Trichodesma zeylanicum (Cattle Bush). Morgania glabra (Blue-top). Scaevola collaris (Fan-flower). Brachycome sp. REFERENCES Bonython, C. W. (1955) — In “‘Lake Eyre, South Australia. The Great Flooding of 1949-1950’’. The Report of the Lake Eyre Committee. R. Geogr. Soc. of Aust. (S.A. Branch), pp. 27-36, (Griffin Press Adelaide.) Bonython, C. W. (1960)— A decade of watch- ing for water in Lake Eyre. Proc. R. Geogr. Soc. Aust. (S.A. Branch) 61: pp. 1-8. Bonython, C. W., and Mason, B. (1953) — filling and drying of Lake Eyre. Geogr. J. 119 (3): pp. 321-330. Bonython, Eric (1971) — Where the Seasons Come and Go. (Hawthorn Press, Melb.) Dulhunty, J. A. (1975) — Shoreline shingle terraces and prehistoric filling of Lake Eyre. Trans. R. Soc. S.A. 99 (4): pp. 183-188. Dulhunty, Roma (1975) — The Spell of Lake aes (Lowden Publishing Co., Kilmore, ic. Mason, B. (1955) —In ‘‘Lake Eyre, South Australia, The Great Flooding of 1949- 1950”. The Report of the Lake Eyre Com- mittee. R.. Geogr. Soc. of Aust. (SA. Branch), pp. 11-26. (Griffin Press, Adelaide). Frankenia sp. (Sea-heath). Natural History at the Coast Kitty has one article in hand for our special coast issue in December; it deals with channels in shore platforms. And there are some promises, most of them unspecified but they include a short ele- mentary item on Galeolaria, a more erudite one on organisms associated with Galeolaria, and another substantial article on tides. We hope to receive material on geo- logy, birds, land plants and seaweeds, mammals, insects and other invertebrates. There are so many things at the coast to interest naturalists. Material for this coast issue should be with the editor by 30 September. ALSO AVAILABLE FROM FNCV SALES OFFICER: How to know West Australian Wildflowers, Part TV by W. E. Blackall and B. J. Green. Price $21.00, discount to members; postage variable — $1.00 or more, due to distance. July/August 151 Observations of the Rainbow Bird Mirops ornatus in the Warby Ranges September 1975-March 1976 BY I. C. Morris* The area under observation was in a small clearing (about three acres) among dry eucalypt woodland in the Warby Ranges, south of Wangaratta. Nesting burrows of the Rainbow Birds were on sparsely vegetated slopes of granite gravel soil. Arrival of birds A few birds were first seen on 25 September, having migrated south from wintering in Northern Australia, New Guinea, Philippines, etc. Each day the numbers increased until ap- proximately 50 birds could be seen at one time, usually in small flocks of 8-14 birds. They constantly called their characteristic ‘“‘churr” as they circled around the tree tops or landed on high dead twigs. Preparation of nests About two weeks after arrival there were signs of some birds pairing off and they would land on the ground and start digging for brief periods but then appeared to abandon the attempt. Male Rainbow Bird on observation twig. 152 Four to five weeks of excessively wet weather followed (10” rain in October) and birds could only be seen occasionally, keeping to the timber, and all digging ceased. By the 10th November the weather was fine and warm and the ground was beginning to dry out. The birds then became very active in the clearing; flying in pairs, chasing off a third bird, engaging in courtship, feeding, eating gravel-particles on paths, and scratch- ing preliminary shallow holes in the ground. I noticed at this stage that their colouring was most beautiful and much more vivid than in September. Although considerably reduced in numbers in the past six weeks, 15 pairs were seen commencing to dig their nesting tunnels or burrows in a small area near my cottage. Digging appeared to be done mainly by the female (distinguished by shorter pin feathers on end of tail). She would dig with her strong thick beak and then scratch a shower of dirt out behind with her feet. The male would do a short stint of digging occasionally, but mainly he would sit on an “‘observa- tion twig’? nearby. Observation twig This observation twig, as I called it, was usually 2-4 metres from the en- trance of the nesting burrow and seemed to be an important adjunct to the nest. It varied from a dead twig 30 cms high to an open twig on a tree five metres high. *South Wangaratta Roadside. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 It appeared to be used for the following: 1. For the male to keep watch while the female was digging or sitting. 2. For defending the pair’s territory against other Rainbow Birds. 3. To alight on and look around be- fore entering nest. 4. To alight on before taking food to the young in the nest. 5. As a base for catching food on the wing. 6. For communication. The birds had a series of calls given while perched on this twig, such as a warn- ing call when a predator like a falcon was in the vicinity, a soft call “‘tookie tookie’’ before entering the nest, and a loud call ‘‘cleep cleep’’ when calling young birds, etc. Sitting period The sitting period commenced ap- proximately 26th November. The female did most of the sitting, up to two hours at a time, but the male would enter the nest for 5-10 minutes on occasions. When the female was sitting, the male kept constant watch on the observation twig, even on the hottest days when he showed signs of distress with gaping beak. He left only briefly to catch food on the wing, such as moths, butterflies, small grass- hoppers, dragonflies. Due to the sloping nature of the tunnel, and the nesting chamber being approximately 30 cms deep, it was not possible to see the birds sitting or the number of eggs, even with the use of mirrors and torches. As I did not take daily observation notes I cannot say accurately how long the incubation stage lasted but it was probably three weeks. Feeding young Feeding the young was first observed on 18th December, and it was shared by male and female. At first very July/August small insects — flies and tiny moths were taken into the young, but after two weeks they were given larger 1n- sects such as dragonflies, grasshoppers, butterflies, beetles; only once I saw bees taken to the young although there was a beehive nearby. At one nest I observed multiple feeding (see below). Young birds remained in the nest for approximately four weeks, and were fed with increasing frequency as they got older. For the last few days before emerging they came close to the entrance of the burrow; the adult birds would carry food to the entrance, but not enter. I was able to see young birds near the entrance with the aid of a mirror. Leaving the nest When the young birds left the nest, commencing 13th January, several adult birds would be seen excitedly and noisily flying round the entrance giving the “‘cleep cleep” call. Near sunset (2030 hours D.S.T.) five to six adult birds would take part in an- other noisy excited melee, as they helped to drive the young back into the nest for the night. This usually happened for three evenings, though the third time was rarely successful, and the young and adult birds finally would fly off into nearby tall timber and were not seen near the nest again. Iam not sure how many young birds were in each nest, as the times taken to emerge and re-enter nest were brief (1-3 minutes) and I was not often on the spot when it happened. However, I was able to count three young from Nest 1, three from Nest 3 and one from Nest 4. I could have missed some, of course, due to the excited circling and swooping of the adult birds. The young birds appeared to be three- quarter size when they emerged and their colours were dull and lacked the 153 black band on the neck. Their tails were short and broad and without the two long pin feathers at the end. Once the young had left the nest all birds kept to the forest area and could be seen or heard occasionally. About a fortnight before they left the locality for their northern migration, birds were seen in small flocks (8-20) cir- cling constantly around the nesting area. The last date the birds were seen by me was 14th March. Mutual help One of the most interesting parts of my observations was what I called ‘“mutual help’’, such as: 1. At one nest I saw constant mul- tiple feeding by 6-8 birds but, strangely enough, not at any other nest. 2. If a goanna approached the nest site, five to eight birds would be seen swooping and diving noisily to drive it away, always successfully. - 3. Several adult birds (as mentioned previously) would gather around to assist In encouraging young birds to emerge from the nest and later to drive them back into the nest. I do not know whether these extra birds assisting the nesting pair were from nearby nests or whether they were un- attached birds living in nearby trees. Nesting burrow One nest was carefully excavated and measurements were taken: total length of burrow approximately 93 cm; deepest part approximately 30 cm from the surface. Two sections of nesting burrow: 1. Tunnel: Length from entrance to Sketch of nesting burrow in gently sloping hillside of granite gravel soil. beginning of nesting chamber approx 45 cm. Height approx 5 cm. Width approx 6.5 cm. 2. Nesting chamber: Length from where tunnel widens to back wall approx 38 cm. Height approx 8 cm. Width approx 20 cm. The nesting chamber was _ large enough for two or three adult birds to enter at the same time while feed- ing the young, and to be able to turn around so that they emerge head first. It seems that no nesting material was used, but the nesting chamber was found to be more than half-full of blackish droppings and debris consist- ing of wings, heads and shells of beetles, dragonflies, etc., and a few fine shards of white egg shell. Most of this debris was pushed to the rear part of the nesting chamber, was up to Scm deep and weighed a total of 1 kilogram. There were many small Scavengers present including very fine white threadworms, maggots, pale grey flies and pale fawn-coloured centipede- like creatures. Observations made during one sea- son can give only a general picture, and this newcomer to the district will be checking that picture in following seasons. Back issues of Natural History Journals for Sale A reader has hundreds of journals which he would prefer to sell to naturalists rather than to book dealers. They include The Emu, The Victorian Naturalist, Bird Observer Club Notes, Wild Life, Walkabout, Zoo Magazine, Parade Magazine, The Victorian School Paper. Please contact Mr. Harvey Dickison, 43 Tucker Road, Moorabbin, 3189; phone 97 2641. 154 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 A visit to Doughboy Island, Furneaux Group BY J. S. WHINRAY + Flinders and Cape Barren Islands are the largest islands of the Furneaux Group in south-eastern Bass Strait. They are separated by Franklin Sound and Doughboy Island is in the western part of this Sound; see map. Doughboy Island is well-named as it slopes to the sea on all sides from its central rise which is about 20 metres high. The island has not been surveyed but is about 8 hectares in area. It isa granite island and the coast is granite except at the eastern point where there are two small sand beaches and a consolidated dune. A few sheep are grazed on the island which is leased from the Tas- manian Lands Department. My visit, which lasted an hour, was on 5 November 1969. Eastern point I landed at the tip of the eastern point. Hairy Spinifex Spinifex hirsu- tus, Jersey Cudweed Gnaphalium luteo-album and Coast Fescue Festuca littoralis grew on the coastal sand 1 2 ——aeeeee KILOMETRES Isabella Reef g —___+_ = 7 ZA ao Neds Point FRANKLIN SOUND poucHBoy 1. July/August CAPE BARREN |. e The Corner here. Nearby were a few clumps of the introduced African Boxthorn *TLycium ferocissimum. In sandy soil just in from the coast were Knobby Club-rush Scirpus nodosus, Bidgee- widgee Acaena anservinifolia, Kidney- weed Dichondra repens and Austral Carrot Daucus glochidiatus. Most of the eastern slope of the island could be seen from this point. Blue Tussock-grass Poa _ poiformis, Pale Rush Juncus pallidus and Austral Bracken Pteridium esculentum were the dominant species on the slope. The Blue Tussock-grass was the most abundant species. No shrubs could be seen and it seemed that the vegetation was very simple. As I moved up the Slope this impression soon proved false, as there were many herbs grow- ing amongst the dominant species. The native grasses found were Long- hair Plume-grass Dichelachne crinita and a Wallaby-grass Danthonia race- mosa. The introduced grasses were Giant Brome *Bromus diandrus, Soft Brome *Bromus mollis, Silvery Hair- grass *Aira caryophyllea, Annual Cat’s - tail * Koeleria phleoides, Squirrel-tail Fescue *Vulpia bro- moides, Rat’s-tail Fescue *Vulpia myuros and Fox-tail Fescue *Vulpia megalura. The other native herbs were the Common _ Onion-orchid Microtis unifolia, Yellow Wood- sorrel Oxalis corniculata, Leek Lily Bulbine semibarbata and _ Karkalla Carpobrotus rossii. The other intro- duced herbs were Suckling Clover *Trifolium dubium, Sheep Sorrel *Rumex acetosella, Four-leaf Allseed *Polycarpon tetraphyllum, Cat’s-ear + Flinders Island, Tasmania, 7255. 155 *Hypochoeris — radicata, Centaury *Centaurium pulchellum and Mouse- ear Chickweed *Cerastium fontanum ssp. triviale. There were some low granite out- crops on the slope and small herbs grew in the shallow soil at their mar- gins. Sieber Crassula Crassula sieber- ana, Hairy Centrolepis Centrolepis strigosa and Toad Rush Juncus bu- fonius were found there. Altogether twenty-five plant species were found on the slope. The photo- graph shows part of the slope. North-eastern coast This walk of about 150 metres brought me to the north-eastern coast about 25 metres from the eastern point. Here, on a small point, were a few tussocks of Prickly Spear-grass Stipa teretifolia. There were some Slender Thistles *Carduus tenuiflorus near them and not far away was some Seaberry Saltbush Rhagodia baccata in a coastal granite crevice. This was the only native shrub noticed during my visit. Re ei ER FSG OS oe oS Photo: author 156 Doughboy Island: eastern slope and point. Blue Tussock-grass is in the foreground. South-eastern coast Next I walked to the south-eastern coast about 25 metres from the eastern point. Some herbs grew here in the sandy soil between the clumps of Blue Tussock-grass. The introduced species were Stiff Rye-grass *Lolium loliaceum, Fern Grass *Catapodium rigidum, Coast Barb-grass *Parapholis incurva, Drooping-flower Clover *Tri- folium cernuum and Purple Cudweed *Gnaphalium purpureum. The native species were Variable Plantain Plan- tago varia, Yellow Wood-sorrel Oxalis corniculata, Leek Lily Bulbine semibarbata and Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima. Just to the south-west was some White Cudweed *Gnaphalium candidissimum., About 10 metres further to the south-west, the sandy shore gave way to a steep granite slope with ledges carrying shallow soil. Some of the herbs in this soil were Pink Purslane Calandrinia calyptrata, Sea Pearlwort Sagina maritima, Chickweed *Stellaria media, Black-anther Flax-lily Dianella revoluta and a Pennywort Hydrocotyle Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 sp. The bright orange lichen Telo- schistes spinosus (Hook. f. & Tayl.) J. Murray was collected from coastal granite below this spot. Lichens at eastern point Thence I returned to the eastern point and collected lichens from granite outcrops at and just out from the tip. The specimens included two collections of the orange and yellow Xanthoria ectanea (Ach.) Ras. ex R. Filson. All the lichens have been lodged at the National Herbarium of Victoria (MEL1013734 — 1013742). Only three of the nine collections could be determined. Altogether forty-eight plant species were recorded for the island and a list is given below (Appendix 1). Other species are likely to occur as only about an eighth of the island was examined. The twenty-two introduced species make up forty-six percent of the island’s flora. Seventeen plant specimens were obtained and lodged at the National Herbarium of Vic- toria, Melbourne. All the Doughboy Island plants are widespread in the Furneaux Group where I have found them on many islands during the last eight years. Birds The only birds noticed were Cape Barren Geese Cereopsis novaehol- landiae. A pair rose from the upper part of the eastern slope and flew towards Neds Point on Cape Barren Island. Another pair, that did not rise, was seen near the middle of the north-eastern coast. Acknowledgements Miss M. A. Todd determined the plant specimens lodged at the Her- barium and Mr. R. B. Filson deter- mined three of the lichen specimens lodged at the Herbarium. July/August Appendix: List of Doughboy Island Plants, 1969. An asterisk marks an_ introduced species. M indicates a specimen lodged at the National Herbarium of Victoria. FERN Pteridium esculentum (Forst. f.) Nakai (Austral Bracken) MONOCOTYLEDONS Gramineae (Poaceae) : Spinifex hirsutus Labill. (Hairy Spinifex) Festuca littoralis Labill. (Coast Fescue) *Catapodium rigidum (L.) C. E. Hub- bard (Fern Grass) M*Vulpia bromoides (L.) S. F. Gray (Squirrel-tail Fescue) M*Vulpia myuros (L.) K. C. Gmel. (Rat’s-tail Fescue) M*Vulpia megalura (Nutt.) Rydb. (Fox- tail Fescue) *Bromus diandrus Roth (Great Brome) *Bromus mollis L. (Soft Brome) M*Koeleria phleoides (Vill.) Pers. (An- nual Cat’s-tail) M Poa poiformis (Labill.) Druce (Blue Tussock-grass ) M Dichelachne crinita (L. f.) Hook. f. (Long-hair Plume-grass) Stipa teretifolia Steud. (Prickly Spear- grass) *Aira caryophyllea L. grass) M Danthonia racemosa R. Br. (Wallaby- grass ) M*Lolium loliaceum (Bory & Chaub.) Hand.-Mazz. (Stiff Rye-grass) M*Parapholis incurva (L.) C. E. Hub- bard (Coast Barb-grass) Cyperaceae: Scirpus nodosus Rottb. (Knobby Club- rush) Juncaceae: Juncus pallidus R. Br. (Pale Rush) M Juncus bufonius L. (Toad Rush) Centrolepidaceae: M Centrolepis strigosa (R. Br.) Roem. & Schult. (Hairy Centrolepis) Liliaceae: Dianella revoluta R. Br. (Black-anther Flax-lily) Bulbine semibarbata (R. Br.) (Leek Lily) Orchidaceae: M Microtis unifolia (Forst. f.) Reichenb. f. (Comon Onion-orchid) f. (Common Onion-orchid) DICOTYLEDONS Polygonaceae: *Rumex acetosella sp. agg. (Sheep Sor- rel) Chenopodiaceae: Rhagodia baccata (Labill.) Mog. (Sea- (Silvery Hair- Haw. 157 berry Saltbush) Aizoaceae: Carpobrotus (Karkalla) Portulacaceae: M Calandrinia calyptrata Hook. f. (Pink Purslane) Caryophyllaceae: *Stellaria media (L.) Cyrillo (Chick- weed) *Cerastium fontanum Baumg. ssp. triviale (Link) Jalas (Mouse-ear Chickweed) M Sagina maritima G. Don (Sea Pearl- wott) *Polycarpon tetraphyllum (L.) L. (Four- leaf Allseed) Crassulaceae: Crassula sieberana (Schult. & Schult. f.) Druce (Sieber Crassula) Rosaceae: Acaena anserinifolia (Forst. & Forst. f.) Druce (Bidgee-widgee) Papilionaceae (Fabaceae) : M*Trifolium cernuum Brot. (Drooping- flower Clover) M* Trifolium dubium Sibth. Clover) Oxalidaceae: rossii (Haw.) Schwantes (Suckling Oxalis corniculata L. (Yellow Wood- sorrel ) Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) : Hydrocotyle sp. (Pennywort) Daucus glochidiatus (Labill.) Fish. et al. (Austral Carrot) Gentianaceae: M*Centaurium — pulchellum — (Swartz) Druce (Centaury) Convolvulaceae: Dichondra repens Forst. & Forst. f. (Kidney-weed) Solanaceae: *Lycium ferocissimum Miers Box-thorn) Plantaginaceae: Plantago varia R. Br. (Variable Plantain) Compositae (Asteraceae) : Gnaphalium luteo-album L. (Jersey Cud- weed) (African *Gnaphalium candidissimum Lam. (White Cudweed) *Gnaphalium purpureum L. (Purple Cudweed) *Carduus tenuiflorus Curt. (Slender Thistle) *Hypochoeris radicata L. (Cat’s-ear) What do Swamphens feed on? On Sunday morning 27 June, an Eastern Swamphen was on the small water-lily lake in the Botanic Gardens. It was standing on the lily leaves and seemed to be pecking at something. I managed to get quite near, and then the bird picked up a large fish in its bill and dragged it across the leaves. The fish was pale grey, almost as long as the bird and 10-15 cm across; a small piece was missing at the front end. The bird placed one foot on the fish, and I watched it for several minutes: peck, peck, and look up; peck, peck, and look up. It walked away from the fish, turning over leaves with its foot and peer- ing under them but did not seem to find anything edible. It looked around, saw a Moorhen poking the fish and returned at a rush. The Moorhen departed almost as rapidly. When I returned three-quarters of an 158 hour later, the Swamphen was in much the same place. And again it picked up the fish and carried it across the leaves — towards me. The fish was about two- thirds its previous size. The bird seemed to have difficulty in removing the flesh. One large foot grasped right round the fish at the narrow part towards the tail, and the bird had to tug to remove each bite so that the fish was pulled up and flopped back when the flesh came away. Is a Swamphen capable of catching and killing a 40-45 cm fish? (With those strong feet and heavy bill, killing would seem to be less of a problem than catching.) If the bird did not kill the fish, what did? And, if given the chance, does the Swamphen feed on carrion or at least on the recently dead? The books say that Eastern Swamphens feed on grass, aquatic plants and molluscs. M. J. LESTER, SOUTH YARRA. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 The Distribution of Australian Plants A request for information from Naturalists BY A. C. BEAUGLEHOLE* AND R. F. PARSONS** The available data on Victorian vascular plant distribution are based on National Herbarium of Victoria records as given in ““The Distribution of Victorian Plants” by Churchill and de Corona and in the Handbook by J. H. Willis on the basis of 24 Major Grids. Much more work is needed be- fore Victorian plant distribution is well documented even at this scale. For example, one of us (A.C.B.) has recently compiled 4,452 new Major Grid records. Victorian botanists often find plant species in a Grid Square not listed in the above sources, but such occurrences are not systematically re- corded or drawn to the attention of others. We are emphatic that it is worth- while systematically recording such Major Grid additions, so that Churchill and de Corona’s compilation can be up- dated, for the following reasons: 1. Although broad-scale, the Major Grid records provide a valuable start- ing point for much ecological and taxonomic research. New records help Each Major Grid used by botanists. | rectangle is 1° latitude x 1.5° longitude. July/August to indicate the occurrence of popula- tions which would otherwise not be sampled or taken into account. 2. The Major Grid records are an essential first step in eventually pro- ducing an atlas of the Victorian flora. 3. They can be used in conservation for quantifying percentage representa- tion of flora in reserves within any one Grid Square (see Churchill and de Corona). 4. They are an essential first step in identifying and listing species endan- gered or threatened with extinction. Accordingly, individual record cards have been designed with the aim of letting botanists easily document in standardized form new Major Grid records both from their past work and in the future. To serve the above pur- poses, new Major Grid records must include full data on locality, etc., all to be held on permanent file and freely available. Whenever possible, it is most important that they be supported by voucher specimens, which are im- portant because: 1. Identification can be checked or the specimen re-named if necessary in future revisionary studies. 2. Existence of vouchers from every Major Grid Square helps ensure that variability within species is properly represented by the available specimens. For convenience, it is preferable that these vouchers be held by the National Herbarium of Victoria, as permanent documentation of occur- rence of a species in a Major Grid. *3 Beverley Street, Portland, 3305. **Botany Department, La Trobe University, Bundoora, 3083. 159 We believe that such data on the distribution of Victorian plants are re- quired as a matter of urgency. The information obtained will be critically important in determining rational land use policies in the future and in de- ciding just which Victorian plant species are at present threatened with extinction. Anyone interested can obtain recora cards for new Major Grid records by writing to Dr. R. F. Parsons, Botany Department, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083. REFERENCES Churchill, D. M., and de Corona, A. (1972). The Distribution of Victorian Plants. Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. Willis, J. H. (1972). A Handbook to Plants in Victoria. Vol. II, Melbourne Univ. Press. Conservation of Genetic Resources of Indigenous Victorian Trees The Forests Commission of Victoria is seeking information on the location of trees which could be of scientific interest due to variant characteristics of genetic origin. If you know of any Victorian trees or groups of trees that seem different from normal, they are the ones the Com- mission wants to hear about. A detailed form is available at FNCV meetings or from the Commission and should be re- turned before the end of 1976. The Cornmission is undertaking re- search to determine whether any variant characteristic of a tree is due to genetic origin or merely to environmental fac- tors. The significance of genetic variation lies in the opportunity to grow trees of improved characteristics that will be better than trees of uiticontrolled seed origin. Bibliography of works by Baron von Mueller A bibliography of the works of Baron Ferdinand von Mueller (1825-1896) is being prepared by a team financed by the Commonwealth of Australia. We will be grateful for a list of any publications or other writings by him that may still exist in private hands. For further information please ring or write to the National Herbarium, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra 3141; ’phone 63 7030. D. M. CHuRCHILL, DIRECTOR. Young Little Grebes practise flying Although there have been a number of comings and goings of Little Grebes to and from my dam in the last two years, I have never actually seen them arriving or departing. They are said to be feeble flyers and usually travel at night, so it was of interest to see the young grebes, when nearly full-grown, trying’ the strength of their wings. As a preliminary, all four birds gathered in a group at one end of the dam; first one and then another flew the whole length of the dam, just skimming 160 the surface. I observed this performance half a dozen times over a period of about a week, but I don’t know the frequency in any one day. No doubt a good deal of practising went on unseen by me. On the last occasion I observed it, one of the grebes lifted itself to the level of the top of the dam bank (3 or 4 feet up). I thought it was off, but it circled and landed on the water again. Next day there were only three grebes on the dam. N. T. RossiTER, SOUTH WANGARATTA. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 New Australian Plant for Victoria Formerly known only from the Blue Mountains NSW, Dampiera scottiana was believed to be extinct BY JEAN GALBRAITH During the past few years we have heard of several interesting plant dis- coveries in Victoria’s eastern high- lands. One species, Dampiera scottiana F.Muell. collected by Mr. Evan Chesterfield, is of especial interest. Dampiera scottiana was described by Baron von Mueller in volume 11 of ‘‘Fragmenta Phytographiae Aus- traliae’’, published between 1878 and 1881, and is the only reference I can find (other than the listing in Kew Index). The description was based on the only known collection of the species by Dr. Woolls who sent it to Baron von Mueller from the Blue Mountains, N.S.W. Unfortunately I did not note the date on the Mel- bourne Herbarium specimen, but it must have been before 1880. The species, although it resembles in many ways our familiar Blue Dampiera Dampiera stricta, is more erect and with a somewhat woody base, slightly different leaves, and smaller dark blue flowers. The really striking difference is the shining ves- ture of silver hairs on the flowers, very unlike the brown hairs characteristic of D.stricta, and unlike any other species I know except D. fasciculata of W.A., which differs conspicuously in other ways. So far as I can discover, D.scot- tiana was not seen anywhere between 1880 and 1973, and it is not mentioned in the recently published ‘‘Flora of the Sydney Region’’, which covers the Blue Mountains plants. When I asked the Director of Sydney Herbarium about this, I was referred to Mr. P.Smith of the Botany Department of the University of N.S.W.; he has made a special study of the group which includes D.scot- tiana. When Mr. Smith saw Evan Chesterfield’s specimen, he confirmed the identification and said that he had believed D.scottiana to be extinct, al- though there are two somewhat similar N.S.W. species undescribed as yet. It seems to me more surprising to re-discover a long lost species very far from its known habitat than to dis- cover a new species. It certainly poses more questions. The plants found by Mr. Chester- field were fairly abundant in two or three small areas near McMillan’s Lookout, elevation about 1,000 ft. It was on 18 June 1973. A _ visit in October of the same year found the plants still blooming. Perhaps June is the beginning of the flowering period for D.scottiana and October the end. This discovery reminds me of the finding of Hibbertia hermaniifolia on Mt. Elizabeth near the Tambo River, during a Bairnsdale F.N.C. excursion some years ago. It was _ previously known only from Bent’s Basin on the Nepean River, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. NEW PUBLICATION AVAILABLE FROM FNCV SALES OFFICER In Australian Natural History Series by Collins: “Spiders”? by Barbara York Main. 296 pages. $12.95, discount to members; postage 90c within 50km, $1.20 within Victoria. July/August 161 The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2—Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous (Continued from page 119 in the last issue) BY JAMES A. BAINES *Momordica. Lat mordeo, bite, mor- dicus, biting; a genus of tropical cucurbits of twining habit, in which for 72 years *Ecballium elaterium, Squirting Cucumber, was classified. The reason for the first syllable Mo- is obscure, but the leaves of Momor- dica are said to have the appearance of being bitten. *Monerma. Gk monos, single; erma, support; probably from the _ rigid flowering spike. *M. cylindrica, Com- mon Barb-grass (known in U.S.A. as Thin Tail), was listed in Ewart’s ‘Flora of Victoria (1931) as Lepturus cylindricus. Monoploca. Gk monos, single, alone; plokos, a lock of hair, curl, wreath. Lepidium leptopetalum was described by F. Mueller as a Monoploca, and at the same time (1855) he named Winged Pepper-cress Lepidium mono- plocoides. All Monoploca species are now in Lepidium, family Cruciferae. Monotoca. Gk monos, single; tokos, offspring, a birth; from the one-seeded fruit. Our three species of these epa- cridaceous shrubs are known = as broom-heaths. Morinda. Lat morus, mulberry; in- dicus, Indian; Indian Mulberry. M. jasminoides, Jasmine Morinda, is one of the sub-tropical plants reaching Victoria only in East Gippsland. N.E. Queensland has most of our six Aus- tralian species. M. citrifolia, Bankudo or Nino, is native to the Philippines, tropical Asia, Pacific Islands, but also is indigenous along the Queensland coast. The genus belongs to family Rubiaceae. 162 *Muraltia. Named by N. J. von Necker after Johann von Muralt (1645-1733), a Swiss botanist. *M. heisteria was introduced from South Africa. The genus belongs to family Polygalaceae. (Omitted from Part 1.) *Myagrum. Gk myagros, mouse- catcher (from myagra, mouse-trap), hence mouser (a kind of snake) and flycatcher (a plant, probably of family Cruciferae); applied to plants because of stickiness, not necessarily insecti- vorous. *M. perfoliatum, Musk Weed, a troublesome plant in S.A., is so far confined to the Wimmera in Victoria. Myoporum. Gk myo, to shut, close; poros, pore; alluding to the closed appearance of the leaf glands — trans- parent spots filled (and thus closed) with a pellucid substance. Victoria has seven species, all native, including M. insulare, Boobialla, M. platycarpum, Sugarwood, M. montanum, Water- bush, and M. deserti, Turkey-bush (so called because the wild turkey, or bustard, Eupodotis australis, is fond of the fruit. The genus gives its name to family Myoporaceae. Myosotis. The classical Gk name for the European forget-me-not, from mys, genitive myos, mouse; ous, otos, ear; because of the resemblance of the leaves to the ears of a mouse. Victoria has three introduced species and two native ones, all known as different kinds of forget-me-not, a common name probably stemming from roman- tic notions of the ‘language of flowers’ (cf. German Vergissmeinnicht, with identical meaning). The Common For- get-me-not, M. arvensis, of our gar- Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 dens has not been naturalized. Family Boraginaceae. Myosurus. Gk mys, myos, mouse; oura, tail; alluding to the long slender spike. Our species, M. minimus, Mousetail, is regarded as native, but J. M. Black in his ‘Flora of South Australia’ men- tioned it as ‘introduced in America and possibly in Australia’. The genus is in family Ranunculaceae. Myriocephalus. Gk myrios, very many, numberless (cf. myrias, 10,000, hence our English word myriad, from the genitive myriados); kephale, head; in reference to the numerous flower heads of these composites. Victoria has two of the ten species of this en- demic Australian genus, M. rhizoce- phalus, Woolly-heads, and M. stuartii, Poached-eggs Daisy or Ham-and-eggs Daisy, picturesque common names given because of the vivid yellow centres surrounded by white florets. F. Mueller and Sonder gave the speci- fic name in honour of explorer, John McDouall Stuart. Myriophyllum. Gk myrios, very many; phyllon, leaf; in reference to the many divisions of the submerged leaves of these aquatic plants. All of our seven native species are known as different kinds of water-milfoil, and the single introduced species, *M. brasiliense, is known as Parrot’s Feather. The genus belongs to family Haloragaceae. (Mil- foil means 1,000 leaves.) Najas. Gk naias (plural naiades), a water nymph; Linnaeus used the late Latin j as more in keeping with the consonantal sound of 1 (y in English, but j in nearly all the continental languages of Europe, including his own Swedish). Nevertheless the generic name has often been rendered Naias. Our sole species, N. tenuifolia, Water July/August Nymph or Australian Naiad, is one of five Australian species (of a world total of 50), and is very rare here, being found only a few times along the Murray and in the Wimmera. The family Najadaceae takes its name from the genus. The Naiades of an- cient Greece were nymphs of fresh water, presiding over waters or springs which were believed to inspire those who drank of them (cf. Oceanides, of the wide oceans, Nereides, of the inner seas, the Mediterranean, and Pota- meides, of rivers). *Narcissus. Gk Narkissos, classical Gk name of the daffodil, in honour of the beautiful youth (known to us in the Latin spelling Narcissus) who was turned into the flower by the gods after falling in love with his own re- flection (hence our word narcissism). *N. pseudo-narcissus, Common Daf- fodil, and *N. jonquilla, Jonquil, are very often seen as garden escapes, and in some places are quite persistent. *Nassella. Probably a diminutive of Lat nassa, a mnarrow-necked _fish- basket, with suffix -ella added (cf. the protozoan genus Nassellaria). The species naturalized in Victoria, *N. trichotoma, Nassella Tussock is native to the pampas of Argentina, and has become a noxious weed in N.Z. pas- tures. It first appeared in Victoria in 1954, but near Yass, N.S.W., in 1935, hence the name Yass River Tussock. *Nasturtium. Lat nasus tortus, twisted nose; from the pungent odour (that will ‘turn up your nose’). *N. offi- cinale, Water-cress, was formerly Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum, and is in family Cruciferae, which contain mustard oil, as does Tropaeolum, which is the ‘nasturtium’ of our gar- dens, but is one of 90 species from Mexico to South America, of family Tropaeolaceae. 163 *Nepeta. Lat name used by Pliny for these plants (from nepa, a scorpion). *N. cataria, Catmint or Catnip, has a specific epithet derived from Lat catta, a word used for both cats and weasels, the usual word for cat being felis (hence the adjective feline). Catmint was called in medieval Latin herba catti (postulating a masculine noun cattus —cf. Rattus rattus, the rat). Cataria was formerly capitalized, as it was a generic synonym of Nepeta; the latter name should be accented on the first syllable. Gareth Browning, in ‘The Naming of Wild Flowers’ has a most interesting paragraph on the extraordinary fascination this plant has for cats, mentioning ‘the ridi- culous creature’s ecstatic behaviour in the presence of the herb’. He suggests that perhaps the bitter taste and strong flavour excites a sexual interest. He gives ‘cat herb’ names for the plant in French, Italian, German, Dutch and Spanish. Americans use the common name Catnip, which comes from Nep, a short form of Nepeta still heard in certain local English dialects. Family Labiatae. Nephrodium. Gk nephrodes, kidney- like; alluding to the form of the in- dusium of these ferns. Two species of Lastreopsis in our flora were formerly classified in this genus, family Aspi- diaceae. Nertera. Gk nerteros, lowly; from the habit of growth of these creeping herbs. Our two species, both native, are N. reptans, Dwarf Nertera (the specific name means creeping), and N. depressa, Matted Nertera (an al- pine bog-plant). The genus is in family Rubiaceae. *Neslia. Named by Desvaux after J. A. N. Denesle, a French botanist (many such surnames may be written either with the article attached or separated, like Latrobe, La Trobe; Labillardiére, La Billardiére; similarly with the preposition de, of, denoting place of origin, thus De Nesle, Des Vaux, etc.). *N. paniculata, Ball Mustard, is in Victoria established only near St. Arnaud, but it is natura- lized also in S.A. The genus is in family Cruciferae. (Omitted from Part 1, so included here.) Neurachne. Gk neuron, nerve; achne, anything shaved off, froth, husk, glume; alluding to the many-nerved outer glumes. Our sole species is N. alopecuroides, Foxtail Mulga Grass, the specific epithet meaning ‘like Alo- pecurus’, the foxtail genus (Gk alopex, alopekos, fox; oura, tail). *Nicandra. Adanson named _ this monotypic solanaceous genus after Nikander of Colophon, a poet who wrote of plants and their medical uses, circa 100 B.C. (his name means in Gk victorious or conquering man). *N. physaloides is known as Apple of Peru (it is endemic in that country), the specific epithet meaning ‘like Physalis’, a genus with three species naturalized in Victoria, also in family Solanaceae. (Omitted from Part 1.) (To be continued) FNCV PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE Ferns of Victoria and Tasmania by N. A. Wakefield, revised by Dr. J. H. Willis. Price $3.25, discount to members; postage 40c. Send order to Sales Officer: Mr D. E. McInnes, 129 Waverley Road, East Malvern, 3135; telephone 211 2427. 164 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria The Mammal Survey Group, FNCV Editor's Note. Here is the second in our series on the F.N.C.V. Study Groups. All Club members are welcome at any of the Groups and, as meetings and other activities are more informal than the large Club affairs, people get to know each other more quickly. There is no extra subscription. Group events on page 167. The major aim of the Mammal Survey Group is the study of the distributions of the species of mammals native to Vic- toria. The emphasis of the Group is therefore on field surveys throughout the State, and as correct identification of mammals is essential for this work, the distinctive characteristics of each species are learnt by all Group members. The Group aims to contribute both to the scientific knowledge of Victorian mam- mals and to awareness of these animals among the general public. Camps The most important activity of the Group is the regular survey camp. Each month, a weekend or long weekend is spent in a previously reconnoitred area of bush, and the mammals of the area are systematically surveyed. Small mammals are captured in portable box and wire cage live-traps, and are carefully identi- fied. Such live-trapping is carried out under a permit from the Fisheries and Wildlife Department; every trapping party at a survey camp is therefore led by an experienced person who is licensed under this permit. Larger mammals, particu- larly the arboreal possums and gliders, are surveyed at night by spotlighting with hand-held lights. Records of every camp are kept so that detailed distributional information on each species may be accumulated. Most areas of Victoria are visited, but areas closer to Melbourne are naturally surveyed more often. Longer camps at Easter and Christmas are normally held in more distant areas. Recent work by the Group has resulted in some significant discoveries. At the 1974 Christmas camp in the Casterton area of south-west Victoria, the insecti- vorous marsupial Antechinus minimus was trapped. This finding represents an inland range extension as the species had previously been known only from coastal localities. During a survey of the Lang- warrin Military Reserve in 1975, the rare New Holland Mouse Pseudomys novae hollandiae was captured. These new dis- coveries, together with the routine camp records, help to fill the gaps in our know- ledge of Victorian mammals. Meetings Meetings are held each month. At most of these a speaker addresses members on a particular aspect of the biology of mammals and their conservation. Speakers are often specialists from outside the Group. Apart from these talks, members report sightings and discuss past and future activities of the Group. The meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at the Arthur Rylah Institute, Brown Street, Heidel- berg, from 8.00 pm until about 10.00 pm. Contributions from Country Members Recently we have published two very interesting articles written by people in the country. In this issue there is a report on Rainbow Birds; in last issue there was one on Little Grebes. It is certain that other interesting nature observations are made by mem- bers in various parts of the country. The observations might be brief and could be prepared as short nature notes. Or they might be over an extended period and would make full length articles. Both kinds of items are wanted. People living in the country see more and have oppor- July/August tunities to see more than city members who can go to the country only once a week and probably not as often as that; they are at a disadvantage. So we look to our country members and other people in the country to supply a substantial part of our natural history material. Preparing an article takes time and work. Writing is more difficult for some than for others, and many people declare they cannot write. Such a declaration could easily be due to modesty rather than to fact, but if you are one of the “can’t write” school, it need not prevent 165 you from giving us your observations. Simply send your notes. A member of our Editorial Committee will write them up and send them back to you for your approval or alteration. Many worth while nature observations never get recorded in print because the observer lacked the energy and/or skill to write them. Everyone is the loser. If you lack energy, there is nothing we can do about it; if you merely lack skill or time but have the energy to jot down notes in a legible manner, we can have your observations prepared for other members to enjoy in a future Victorian Naturalist. Life member passes on Mrs. Effie Missen was made a life member about five years ago. Mrs. Missen was a Melbourne member until 1942, when she married and moved to the Colac area. But she took her natural history interests with her, and she and her family were among the founding members of the Colac F.N.C. in 1956. Mrs. Missen died in May. We extend sympathy to her rela- tives and to her son, Mr. Robert Missen, who is continuing the subscription to the ‘Victorian Naturalist’? which he finds a valuable source of reference. Reports of FNCV Meetings General Meeting Monday, 14 June This was the Queen’s Birthday holiday and attendance was only 50! Speaker for the evening was Mr. Ian (Dick) Morrison. He showed slides of birds, lizards, caterpillars with their re- sulting butterflies or moths, spiders, orchids, and ended with the floral em- blems of the six States and Northern Territory. On many of his subjects, Mr. Morrison gave fascinating comments from personal experience. Exhibits. A large display of fungi from Enock’s Point (10 miles from Jamieson) consisted mostly of gilled fungi— large and tiny, some “‘jelly’’ specimens, some brackets, and an intriguing +cm Chloro- splenum species; it was bright greenish- blue, and the piece of wetly dark wood on which it was growing appeared to be stained green, but the green was actually the fine mesh of the fungus mycelium. Four microscopes revealed details of the anthers and stigmas of Fuchsia, Photinia, Cestrum and Daphne; it was interesting to compare their arrangements. Fossil casts from Tertiary beds at Royal Park showed four different gastro- pod molluscs. Slender, 3cm caterpillars, dark green with a narrow red stripe along each side, had eaten everything except the veins of some gum leaves; were they Blue Gum Caterpillars? Bird Study Group. Members interested in forming a bird group were asked to add their names to the list on the exhibit table. By the end of the evening, the list had several names. 166 General Meeting Monday, 12 July 1976 This was the day of the Medibank strike and there was no meeting. Boneseed Eradication at Studley Park Sunday, 18 July 1976 This was a follow-up to the “pulling’’ exercise of May 1975. Workers went over the same area as last year and were very encouraged to find remarkably little Boneseed. It seems that the pest can be eradicated by pulling up the plants. Then the team attacked another area. The organiser, Mr. Ian Cameron, and his fellow workers are to be congratulated on this project. Next year, the old areas will be checked and the range extended. More workers will be needed. Boneseed (Chrysanthemoides monili- fera) establishes itself very readily and threatens to crowd out the native vege- tation. With the persistent efforts of members of this Club and other organi- sations, we can hope that the pest will eventually be eradicated from Studley Park. Small Jobs Mrs. Elma Gardner has volunteered to do our typing and duplicating. Miss Cicely Allen has volunteered as a library moni- tor at general meetings. We thank Mrs. Gardner and Miss Allen for responding, but it would be desirable to have one or two additional library monitors. It is an easy job and would be even easier if two or three could form a roster. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 et (Continued from page 126) GROUP MEETINGS (All members are invited to attend any Group Meeting, no other payment.) At the National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, at 8.00 p.m. First Wednesday in the Month—Geology Group. 1 September—“‘Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics”. Dr. Chris. Gray, La Trobe University. 6 October—‘‘Geology of Fiji’. Mr. G. Love. Third Wednesday in the Month—Microscopical Group. 18 August, 15 September, 20 October—Members’ exhibits and discussion of sub- jects and methods. Details September Nature Show. Second Thursday in the Month—Botany Group. 12 August—‘‘Native Pea Flower Plants’’. Dr. R. G. MacDonald. 9 September—‘‘The Grampians’’. Mrs. I. Dunn. 14 October—‘‘Propagation of Native Plants’’. Mr. F. Jeffs. Each meeting includes a quarter-hour address for beginners—various subjects. At the Conference Room, The Museum, Melbourne, at 8.00 p.m. First Monday in the Month—Marine Biology and Entomology Group. 6 September, 4 October, 1 November—Members’ Exhibits. At the Arthur Rylah Institute, Brown Street, Heidelberg, at 8.00 p.m. First Thursday in the Month—Mammal Survey Group. 5 August—‘‘Wild Life of the Victorian Mallee’’. Mr. Clive Crouch. 2 September—‘‘Cave Dwelling Bats’’. Mr. Ellery Hamilton-Smith. 7 October—‘“‘Biological Mapping’’. Mr. Arthur Brook. GROUP EXCURSIONS All Members are invited to attend Group Excursions. Day Group—Third Thursday in the Month. Thursday, 19 August—National Gallery of Victoria. Meet at Gallery Entrance, St. Kilda Road (1.15 p.m.). Guided tour starts at 1.30 p.m. Thursday, 16 September—Melbourne University Grounds. Meet at Gratten Street Entrance at 11.30a.m. Lunch will be provided for 20 members. Book with Mr. D. E. McInness (211-2427). Thursday, 21 October—Maranoa Gardens. Meet at 11.30 a.m. Geology Group Sunday, 8 August—‘‘A Beginner’s Look at the Fossils and Geology of Beaumaris”’. Meet at Cheltenham Railway Station at 2.00 p.m. Sunday, 12 September—‘‘Geology of Euroa’. Meet at Euroa Post Office, 10.45 a.m. Botany Group—All members welcome. Please note change of date for August Excursion—‘‘Wattles”’. Saturday, 14 August—‘‘Wattles’, Warrandyte, and Wonga Park. Leader: Mr. Ian Morrison. Saturday, 11 September—‘‘Cranbourne New Botanical Gardens’’. Leader: Mr. Ian Morrison. Saturday, 25 September—‘“‘Survey of F.N.C.V. Land at Kinglake”’. Week-end, 9-10 October—‘‘The Grampians’’. (Leave Melbourne Friday evening.) Saturday, 30 October—‘“‘Orchids—Mornington Peninsula’’. Leader: Mr. Ian Morrison. GROUP CAMP NOTICES The Mammal Survey Group will hold a camp at The Otways on 18-19 September. (Details—Ray Gibson, 62-4007 business. ) July/August 167 OM men wate, Field Lanne Club of Victoria Established 1880 OBJECTS: To stimulate interest in natural history and to preserve and protect Australian fauna and flora. Members include beginners as well as experienced naturalists. Patron: His Excellency the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Q.C. Key Office-Bearers, 1975-1976. President: Mrs. MARGARET CORRICK, 7 Glenluss Street, Balwyn, 3103. (857 9937.) Secretary: Dr. ALAN PARKIN. Assistant Secretary (correspondence): Mr. GARNET JOHNSON, 20 Sydare Avenue, Chadstone, 3148. (56 3227.) treasurer — Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145. (211 2427.) Hon. Editor: Miss M. J. LESTER, 4/210 Domain Road, South Yarra, 3141. (26 1967.) Hon. Librarian: Mr. J. MARTINDALE, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. Hon. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield, S151. (527°2749.) Sales Officer: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Road, East Malvern, 3135. (211 2427.) Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards St., Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36 0587. Group Secretaries Botany: Mrs. RUTH ANDERS, 7 Barrington Drive, Ashwood, 3137. (25 3816.) Day Group: Miss D. M. BELL, 17 Tower Street, Mont Albert, 3127. (89 2850.) Field Survey: R. D. SANDELL, 39 Rubens Gve., Canterbury, 3126. (83 8009) Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Mr. STEPHEN HARWOOD, 5 Prentice Street, Elsternwick, 3185. (53 1357) Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy St., East Brighton. (96 3268.) 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 1975 Metropolitan ae : $1 Joint Metropolitan .. - Ne ie - te 3 FS ifs $1 Joint Retired Members De: ae fe! 2 ee $1 Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65. ae By la ie: $ Joint Country : ne es oh x ah ot a $1 Junior a se: a Bi ae rie “f “As $ $ ] $ olokerokoroyere) CSOS00SGSCOCSO Subscriptions to Vict. Nat. soe sik a 1 ni ahs Overseas Subscription A is re hs aN. a ca Ri $ Junior with ‘‘Naturalist’” .. xa a itt Es = = ee ots Individual Magazines rae uN $0.75 All subscriptions should be eae a aesbe to ihe Field Returatice Club of Victoee and sen 24 to the Subscription Secretary. OWDNOWAONO @ JENKIN BUXTON PRINTERS PTY. LTD. WEST MELBOURNE Published by the FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA in which is incorporated the Microscopical Society of Victoria Category “B” "Registered in Australia for transmission by post as a pertodical. $1-20 FNCV DIARY OF COMING EVENTS At The National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 11 October (8.00 p.m.) — Speaker—Dr M. Joshi. Subject—‘“‘The Grand Canyon, U.S.A.” Monday, 8 November (8.00 p.m.) — Speaker—Mr Brian Leonard. Subject—‘‘The Effect of Fire on Animals throughout the World.” Monday, 13 December (8.00 p.m.)— Speaker—Dr Elizabeth K. Turner. Subject—‘‘In Darwin’s footsteps to the Galapagos Islands.” New Members—October General Meeting: Ordinary: Mr. John G. Allan, 18 Charles Street, Cheltenham, 3192 (Mammal and Field Survey). Mr. Andrew J. Barnes, 17/24 Robe Street, St. Kilda, 3182 (Birds and Reptiles). Mr. Ralph Berg, 18 Walmer Street, Kew, 3101 (Birds and General). Mr. Alister Briggs, 12/45 De Carle Street, Brunswick, 3056 (Entomology and Geology). Miss C. Brumley, 32 Faversham Road, Canterbury, 3126 (Mammal Survey). Mrs. S. G. Clark, 8/6 Balwyn Road, Canterbury, 3126. Mr. Neil Duncan, 4 Holland Road, Ringwood East, 3135. Mr. Rick Hancock, 2 Coombs Avenue, Huntingdale, 3166 (Botany, Mammal Survey). Mrs. Ella Hurrell, University College, Parkville, 3052. Miss J. A. Johnston, 1/155 Power Street, Hawthorn, 3122. Mr. Bruce McGregor, 28 David Street, Brunswick, 3056. Mr. Alf Salkin, 38 Pinewood Drive, Mt. Waverley, 3149 (Botany). Mrs. T. Sherlock, 3 Kitmont Street, Murrumbeena, 3163 (Botany). Mr. L. Smart, 22 Stewart Street, Windsor, 3181. Mr. Symons, 81 Leicester Street, Fitzroy, 3065 (Botany and Geology). Joint Members: Mr. and Mrs. E. Parker, 1 Kiewa Street, Ashwood, 3147. Country: Mr. Ralph S. Coghill, P.O. Box 69, Wodonga, 3690. Mr. Peter F. Dryden, 90 Kelp Street, Warrnambool 3280. Mrs. Mary Gladstone, P.O. Box 329, Cobram, 3644 (Trees, Plants, Birds, Geology). Dr. M. J. Hunter, P.O. Box 311, Albury, N.S.W., 2640. Mr. F. Kingwell, 53 Service Street, Tatura, 3616. FNCV EXCURSIONS Sunday, 17 October—Kinglake. This will include an inspection of our Kinglake property and a visit to the Park. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. Fare $4.00. Bring one meal and a snack. Tuesday, 2 November. Cup Day Picnic—Wombat Forest. Leader, Mr J. Myers. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.20 a.m. Fare $4.00, half price under sixteen. Bring a picnic lunch and a snack. Bookings should be made with the excursion secretary. Those going direct by private car should meet at approximately 11.15 a.m. at Firth Park picnic area which is reached by a good gravel road from Bullengarook about halfway between Gisborne and Bacchus Marsh. After lunch there will be a bushland walk to the site of an old sawmill. Juniors are specially invited to join in this excursion. Sunday, 21 November—Angahook Forest Park. Leader, Miss J. Forster. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.30 a.m. Fare $5.00. Bring two meals. Members travelling by car should meet at the Park about noon in the right-hand car park as you enter. Saturday, 4 December—Lake Mountain. The December excursion will be held on Saturday, 4 December, in conjunction with the Native Plants Preservation Society. The coach will leave Batman Avenue at 9.00 a.m.. Fare $5.00 — bring two meals. Saturday, 1 January-Sunday, 9 January—Tasmania. This excursion will be based on Burnie and led by members of the Burnie F.N. Club who have formed a committee to plan the programme consisting of day trips from Burnie, a day at Cradle Mountain is likely to be included. Accommodation has been booked at the Club Hotel for the party on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis. The party will travel to Burnie by air on Saturday morning and return on Sunday afternoon, 9 January, but members wishing to extend their stay may do so. The cost for accommodation and return air fare should be under $200.00. The transport on the day trips will be extra, but a figure cannot be given until the programme is arranged and there is some indication of the number going. Bookings should be made with the excursion secretary as soon as possible, accompanied by a deposit of $25.00 and the balance paid by the November General Meeting. The Canterbury Botanical Society (N.Z.) Inc. will be on a camping tour of Tasmania while we are there and have suggested that a few members might like to join their party for the last few days of their trip; they will be going to Cradle Mountain on 9 January, then on to Launceston on the 11th and they leave for N.Z. on the 13th. They are on a camping type trip with tents, sleeping bags, food and bus transport pro- vided; the cost would depend on individual arrangements and the address of the Society can be obtained from the excursion secretary. (Continued on page 211.) The Victorian Naturalist Volume 93, Number 5 6 October 1976 Editor: Margery J. Lester Committee: Margaret Corrick, Reuben Kent, Roland Myers, Brian Smith, Grif Ward Solar Eclipse—23 October 1976, by David Marshall... .. .. 172 Endemic Flora of Victoria, by Ross Macdonald .. .. ...... 174 Bush-peas of Victoria, by M.G.Corrick . .. .. .. .. .. 2... 176 Australian Plants on Burwood-Alamein reserve, by T.B.Muir . 180 Generic Names of Victorian Flora, by J.A.Baines .. .. .. .. 182 Life History and Biology of a Snail, by Brian Smith... .. .. 185 Victorian Non-Marine Molluscs, by Brian Smith. .. .. .. .. 189 New Bat of Victorian Forests, by Harold Parnaby .. .. .. .. 190 Palaeo-ecology of Pebbles, by K.N.Bell . .. .. .. .. 2... .. 194 Life History of Gall Fly on Eucalypts, by G.A.Currie .. .. .. 196 Blackburn Lake Classified by National Trust .. .. .. .. .. .. 197 Recent Fossil Discoveries in Victoria, by T.H.V.Rich .. .. .. 198 BE OOKMRCKICW SE” sen ger. 3... Meee ls ts et kame Ate es tt 207 Field Naturalists’ Club of Victoria: The Geology Group .. .. 209 Reports of FNCV Meetings, 210. Cover illustration: The bat Pipistrellus tasmaniensis is now recorded alive in Victoria, see page 190. This photograph, about four times larger than life, was taken by Alan Hartup. ~ Solar Eclipse — 23 October 1976 BY Davip F. MARSHALL* On Saturday 23 October 1976 most of the densely populated areas of Vic- toria will experience a total eclipse of the sun by the moon. The total eclipse in Victoria will occur from 4.38 to 4.44 pm; the partial phase will continue for about an hour before and after. All parts of Australia will have a partial eclipse. A total eclipse is a rare phenomenon, repeating itself only after hundreds of years for any particular place. When an eclipse of the sun occurs, the moon passes between the sun and the earth so that the shadow formed by the moon crosses the earth’s sur- face. Because the sun is larger than the moon, the intense black umbral Shadow covers only a small area of the earth’s surface, and this is swept across the earth’s surface as the moon moves around its orbit. Surrounding the dark umbral shadow is an area where only part of the sun is obscured by the moon. This is called the region of par- tial eclipse. The total eclipse will sweep across Victoria along a path shown in the map. Near the centre of the path, totality will last about three minutes; near the edges it will last only seconds. A detailed map has been prepared by the Lands Department and can be pur- chased for $2.00 from the Science Museum. Danger When an eclipse occurs a most eerie sensation is experienced and there is real danger; the danger is that you might look at the eclipse without the moon completely covering the sun. If there is the least part of the sun 2 sf) a : <<, ] eae Penumbral shadow exposed, it will damage your eyes per- manently if you look at it, even if you use smoked glass, welding goggles, or over-exposed photographic film. Under no circumstances look directly towards the eclipse before or after it is total. During the period that the eclipse is total, it is dark like night-time and only then is it safe to look directly at the eclipse. To observe the early stages of the eclipse, an image must be projected on to a white screen, and this image can be looked at with perfect safety and the stages observed with reasonable accuracy. It is very likely that devices for projecting such an image will be explained in the daily press so no more will be said here, and information could be obtained from the Science Museum. Things to look for When the eclipse occurs, a number of phenomena can be seen with the naked eye which are invisible in the full glare of the sun. The faint upper atmosphere of the sun becomes visible. Streamers partly illuminated from the sun but mainly illuminated by ionized atoms and electrons are seen radiating around the sun in the corona. Some- times prominences resembling large flames are seen, at times forming loops and arches. Flares which are brighter *Planetarium Lecturer Science Museum of Victoria Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 and smaller than prominences can also be observed. The sky around the eclipse will be so dark that planets and stars will be seen if the atmo- sphere is clear enough. If a large white surface is placed facing towards the eclipse, often sha- dow bands are seen moving across it during the period just before and just after totality. Clouds in the sky show variation as the dark shadow passes. From a high position you can see the shadow of the edge of the moon sweep- ing across the countryside. Many people will be interested in the behaviour of animals and insects. If humans experience an eerie sensa- tion it is likely that animals will be even more sensitive to it, and the eclipse will be followed by a short “day” of about two hours as the sun sets at 6.45 pm. How creatures react to the second nightfall could provide some very interesting observations. Anyone making observations will find the following items essential: 1. A notebook. On each page out- line at least two circles the size of a 20 cent piece on which a vertical and horizontal diameter are drawn. Use them as foundations for sketches. 2. A torch. 3. A clock or watch with second hand. Additional items are: tape recorder, weather vane, thermometer, spare sharpened pencils and rubbers, sheets of cardboard, white screen for shadow bands. Remember, be ready to record any- thing; clouds can make observations uncertain and you may be the observer with the best chance to see something that was not anticipated. The eclipse will last less than three minutes so try to arrange that you are able to look all the time. Later you will realise the value of the sketches, jottings and noises you recorded. Photography Direct photography of the eclipse is only satisfactory if a telephoto lens is used. While any sun is visible the shortest exposure at minimum aper- ture must be used, but beware of damage to your camera from the in- tense heat generated on the shutter if direct sunlight is allowed to fall on it. When the eclipse is total, take photo- graphs at as many different speeds and apertures as you can: short exposures show details close to the eclipse, long exposures show the streamers better; luck may enable you to photograph something your eye does not detect. Of course use a tripod and have a torch handy. Do not look at the sun through the camera or its view-finder, even with a filter. It could result in permanent eye damage. A booklet about the eclipse is avail- able for $1.40 from The Astronomical Society, Box 1059J, GPO, Melbourne. As well as astronomical data, it con- tains suggestions for natural history observers and useful hints for photo- graphers. Ha mal Path of the moon’s shadow across Victoria. It advances at about one mile (1.6 km) per second. September/October 173 The Endemic Flora of Victoria BY Ross MACDONALD* A list of the endemic vascular plants of Victoria can never be complete. Some species may have “‘border-hopped”’ to be found in other States, and so must be excluded from the list. On the other hand it is to be hoped that further searching will provide new endemic species in the future. In this list, varieties and subspecies have been excluded. *Signifies hybrids and aberrant forms of other species. At the present time there are 136 species endemic to Victoria. FERN Cyatheaceae: Cyathea marcescens MONOCOTYLEDONS Gramineae: Poa hothamensis Deyeuxia sp., affin D.angustifolia Cyperaceae: Scirpus victoriensis (likely to be found in NSW and SA) Carex paupera Restionaceae: Lepyrodia flexuosa Centrolepidaceae: Centrolepis cephaloformis Liliaceae: Astelia australiana Orchidaeae: Thelymitra murdochae Calochilus richae Diuris fastidiosa (presumed extinct) Prasophyllum morganii P.colemanae (presumed extinct) P.subbisectum P.parviflorum P.appendiculatum P.diversiflorum (presumed extinct) Paracaleana/sullivanii* Caladenia pumila (presumed extinct) Pterostylis crypta* Pt.celans* DICOTYLEDONS Proteaceae: Persoonia arborea Grevillea repens 174 G.sp. (Elphinstone, Fryerstown, Enfield) G.microstegia G.sp., affin G.microstegia (Ben Major area) G.willisii G.dryophylla G. steiglitziana G.aquifolium G.williamsonii* (presumed extinct) G.jephcottii G.confertifolia G.chrysophaea G.dimorpha Polygonaceae: Muehlenbeckia horrida (likely to be in NSW) Chenopodiaceae: Atriplex papillata Bassia ramsayae Ranunculaceae: Ranunculus eichleranus Cruciferae: Lepidium aschersonii L.dubium* (doubtfully distinct from preceding) L.sp. (south coast) L.desvauxii Crassulaceae: Crassula tripartita Baueraceae: Bauera sessiliflora Tremandraceae: Tetratheca subaphylla (almost certainly in SE of NSW) T.stenocarpa Mimosaceae: Acacia phasmoideés A.ausfeldii A.X grayana* A.glandulicarpa A.williamsonii A .howittii A.phlebophylla A.dallachiana A.nano-dealbata Papilionaceae: Pultenaea tenella P.maidenii P.muelleri P. prolifera P. patellifolia P.costata P.williamsoniana P.subalpina P.mollis P.weindorferi P.d’altonii Dillwynia oreodoxa D.capitata Platylobium alternifolium Bossiaea rosmarinifolia Swainsona plagiotropis Rutaceae: Boronia muelleri B.latipinna Phebalium sp. (Pine Mountain) Ph.sp., affin Ph.squameum Asterolasia asteriscophora _A.phebalioides Rhamnaceae: Trymalium d’altonii T.ramosissimum Spyridium cinereum Dilleniaceae: Hibbertia spathulata H.humifusa H.sp. (Macalister River watershed) H.sp. (also from Macalister River watershed) *Balcombe Court, Croydon. Vict, Nat. Vol. 93 Frankeniaceae: Frankenia sp., affin F. gracilis Thymelaeaceae: Pimelea hewardiana Myrtaceae: Eucalyptus alpina E.mitchelliana E.kitsoniana E.neglecta E.crenulata E.froggattii Baeckea crenatifolia Calytrix sullivanii Thryptomene calycina Haloragaceae: Haloragis rubra Callitrichaceae: Callitriche cyclocarpa Araliaceae: Astrotricha parvifolia A.asperifolia Acknowledgement Epacridaceae: Wittsteinia vacciniacea Choristemon humilis Leucopogon riparius L.neurophyllus L. pilifer L.glacialis L.thymifolius Monotoca rotundifolia Acrotriche prostrata Trochocarpa clarkei Labiatae: Westringia senifolia W.cremnophila W .crassifolia Prostanthera melissifolia P.sp. (Cultivation Creek, Grampians) P.decussata P.sp., affin P.decussata P.sp., affin P.rotundifolia (Macalister R.) P.sp., affin P.howelliae (Macalister R.) Rubiaceae: Coprosma nivalis Lobeliaceae: Hypsela tridens Goodeniaceae: Goodenia macmillanii G.lineata Stylidiaceae: Stylidium soboliferum Levenhookia sonderi Compositae: Brachycome petrophila B. gracilis B.riparia Celmisia sericophylla Olearia speciosa O.frostii O.rugosa O.allenderae Helichrysum rogersianum Leptorhynchos gatesii (presumed extinct) Gnephosis baracchiana I wish to thank Dr. J. H. Willis for his meticulous correction and updating of the manuscript. REFERENCES Willis, J. H. A Handbook to Plants in Victoria, Volumes 1 and 2. M.U.P., 1962, 1972. Preparing material for ‘The Victorian Naturalist’ When preparing material for publication, please have it typed with double line spacing and leave at least 3 cm (about 14”) clear margin at the left. Captions to figures should be typed on a separate page. Monochrome illustrations should be supplied, as it is costly and rarely satisfactory to reproduce from coloured material. If article is of a scientific nature, it is desirable to supply two copies of text matter. To all FNCV members or not you attend general meetings regu- larly, there will be much on those pages that will interest you and often some things you should know. See page 209 in this issue. The last few pages of each “Natura- list’ are reserved for information about FNCV affairs and persons. Those pages are the chief means of communication of Council with all Club members. Whether September/October 175 Bush-peas of Victoria — genus Pultenaea No.1 TExT BY M. G. CorrRIcK* Pea flowers in various shades of yel- low and brown are a prominent feature of Victoria’s bushland. In all, fourteen genera comprising fifty-nine species are represented in the State. By far the largest genus is Pultenaea, the Bush- pea, of which forty-six species have been recorded. They grow in a wide variety of habitats from sea level to the alps, in coastal dunes and semi-deserts of the north-west, in swamps and_ alpine moors. In fact any area rich in flower- ing shrubs is likely to contain one or more species of Pultenaea. The genus Pultenaea is endemic in Australia, numbering about 120 species which are confined to the temperate regions. Many species occur on the Hawkesbury sandstones in New South Wales and in the Grampians in Vic- toria. _caruncle Oe a ao “\ __- standard Fig.1. A typical pea-flower; a, expanded petals showing the standard, wings and keel; b, staminal bundle; c, style and ovary disected to show the ovules; d, seed showing the caruncle. DRAWINGS BY REX FILSON 176 Pultenaea was first described in 1793 by James E. Smith, a Scottish phy- sician and botanist and founder of the Linnaean Society. He named the genus after a contemporary physician and botanist, James Pulteney. Dr Smith’s description, with a coloured illustra- tion by James Sowerby, was published in “‘A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland’’. The plants which Smith de- scribed were cultivated in England at Stockwell, from seed brought from New South Wales. By 1799 there were twelve species in cultivation in Great Britain, but they have not proved easy to estab- lish in cultivation in Australia. Since the publication of Bentham’s ‘Flora Australiensis’’, Vol.2 in 1864 there have been two major publica- tions on the genus Pultenaea. H. B. Williamson (1919-1928) dealt with over 100 Australian species. Mrs. Joy Thompson (1961) prepared a key and descriptions of all species known to occur in New South Wales. Pultenaeas in Victoria vary in size from the low, mat-forming P.peduncu- lata to the tall P.altissima, which may reach a height of three metres, and all are classed as shrubs. The flower The Pultenaea flower is a typical pea-flower (Fig.1la) and to distinguish the genus from others with similarly coloured flowers it is necessary to ex- amine some of the less prominent fea- tures of the plant. The stamens are always free from one another; if a flower is dissected *7 Glenluss Street, Balwyn Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 they will fall out separately. The style is usually as long as or longer than the stamens and may be gently curved at the tip or occasionally hooked. The Ovary contains two ovules, but often only one matures (Fig. Ic). Stipules Stipules are always present at the base of the leaves. They may be small and inconspicuous or deciduous; in the latter cases they may be seen on young growth, or the scars will be evident on the older wood. On the leaves imme- diately below the flower the stipules are often much enlarged and may be joined together. In some species a gradual transition can be seen from a leaf with a pair of stipules, to a single organ in which the vestigial leaf may appear as a minute central lobe be- tween the united stipules. In the fol- low descriptions the term ‘“‘enlarged stipules’’ will be used to describe these organs. Bracts and Bracteoles In many species the flowers are sub- tended by numerous’ conspicuous bracts. These probably have evolved from stipules but where they are noticeably different from them in shape or size the term “‘bract’’ will be used. Bracteoles are always present; they may be immediately below the calyx or may arise on the calyx tube. They are one of the most important features distinguishing the genus, and their shape, texture and position are very important in separating species. The fruit The pod is ovate, usually swollen and often beaked; when ripe the valves curl back to release the seeds and re- veal the pale inner surface. The carun- culate seed (Fig.1) is another import- ant feature, but difficult to see because mature seeds are usually ejected as September/October soon as the pod ripens. However, if the ovary of a mature flower or un- ripe fruit is carefully dissected the de- veloping caruncle can often be seen. It is a small swelling, or outgrowth from the testa (seed coat) near the point of attachment to the funicle. Features that identify the genus Several of Victoria’s yellow pea- flowers combine some of the features described here, but it is only in Pul- tenaea that free stamens, stipules, bracteoles and carunculate seeds are combined. In fact there are few genera, apart from Pultenaea, that have both bracteoles on the calyx and stipulate leaves, so that the presence of these two features is a strong in- dication of a Pultenaea. Most species are very variable, par- ticularly in size and shape of leaves and degree of hairiness of the plant. The following descriptions are based on broad concepts; attention will be drawn to variations, but it is felt that in many cases a great deal of field study and collection is necessary be- fore reliable classification can be made at sub-specific level. To avoid duplica- tion of illustrations and to facilitate references, figures will be numbered consecutively throughout the series. Records of the distribution of Pul- tenaea in Victoria are far from com- plete. The maps accompanying de- scriptions of species in this series are based mainly on existing collections and show the areas in which a species is likely to be found. In some cases these vary slightly from distributions recorded by Chur- chill and de Corona (1972) and Willis (1972), but it was preferred to omit records which could not be checked. The author would be pleased to hear from anyone having additional infor- mation. Offers of help in locating some of the less widespread species would also be appreciated. 177 Pultenaea daphnoides J. Wendlander in Botanische Beobachtungen, Hanover 1798. Large-leaf Bush pea. This species is one of the most wide- spread in southern and eastern Vic- toria. It is a tall showy shrub, usually 2 to 3 metres high, which favours sheltered and rather moist sites, often under tall timber. In drier areas such as the Brisbane Range, P.daphnoides will be found on south-facing slopes. It is not common in the Grampians and is absent from _ north-western areas. P.daphnoides also occurs in New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania. The flowers are in dense clusters at the tips of the branches. They are clear yellow, except for the dark brown keel. The standard is about 12mm wide and 8mm high (without the claw). The calyx is 8-10 mm long, with slender bracteoles 1 mm wide and 3mm long inserted above the centre of the calyx tube, but not usually reaching the height of the calyx lobes (Fig. 2d). Calyx and pedicel are densely covered with long, pale, silky hairs. The broad, brown, obtuse bracts are often split at the tips and have fine, silky appressed hairs at their base and Fig.3. The known distribution of Pultenaea daphnoides. 178 along the mid-rib. Most bracts have fallen by the time the flowers are fully open. The leaves are obovate or cuneate, glabrous and paler on the under side, with slightly recurved margins. The mid vein is produced into a slender mucronate point. The dark brown tri- angular stipules are about 2mm long and their bases often remain on the stem after the leaves have fallen. There is a good deal of variety in leaf size and shape (Fig.2g) even on single plants. Most Victorian speci- mens have more obcordate leaves than the typical Port Jackson form. Willis mentions a narrow-leaved form from Mts Ida and Korong, and two distinct leaf forms are reported to occur on Wilson’s Promontory but no collec- tions from the latter area have been seen. Acknowledgements: I wish to thank the National Her- barium, Melbourne, for permission to study the collections and Dr Jim Ross, Senior Botanist, for advice and en- couragement. REFERENCES: Bentham, G. (1864). Flora Australiensis, Vol. 2 (Lovell Reeve & Co., London). Churchill, D. M. and de Corona A. (1972). The Distribution of Victorian Plants. (The Dominion Press: Blackburn.) Thompson, Joy (1961). Contributions to the N.S.W. Herbarium, -Flora Series 101: 60. Williamson, H.-B. (1920) — Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 32: 210-224. (1921)— Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 33: 133-148. (1922)— Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 35: 96-107. (1925) — Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 37: 125-129. (1928)— Proc. Roy. Soc. Vict. 40: 57-61. Willis, J. H. (1972). A Handbook to Plants in Victoria, Vol. 2. (Melbourne University Press.) ~ Mict. Nat. Vol. 93 Fig.2. Pultenaea daphnoides; a, habitat; b, flower; c, floral bract; d, calyx and a bracteole; e, style and ovary; f, base of leaf showing the stipules and hairy petiole; g, variation in leaf size and shape, i, from a typical Port Jackson specimen, ii and ili from Mount Kaye, north of Orbost, iv from Gippsland, v, Sampsons beach, Orbost, vi from the Bemm River area, vii from the Grampians. DRAWINGS BY REX FILSON September/October 179 Australian Plants still survive on Burwood - Alamein railway reserve in eastern suburbs of Melbourne BY T. B. Murr* The metropolitan area is now largely covered by roads and houses, and the original vegetation has virtually dis- appeared. Recent articles by Bridge- water (1975), and Bridgewater and Wellington (1976) have discussed two remnants of this vegetation. Another remnant is to be found in the railway reserve between Burwood and Alamein stations—an_ unculti- vated place of the kind that small boys like to explore. One such schoolboy (Robert 1976) has written about his impressions of it. He found birds, sun- dews, ants, Running Postman — hours could be spent in contemplation of them. His interest led the author to compile a checklist of the native plants, the total being 42 for a dis- tance of 1.8 km. The trees, mostly Eucalyptus camal- dulensis, are very attractive and are a dominant feature of the landscape in the vicinity of the railway line. They are fairly evenly scattered along the reserve, but the remainder of the native species are now found only in several isolated sections. Various factors are contributing to their disappearance, the invasion of weeds being the most serious. In places lawn mowers have effectively eradi- cated the native species, replacing variety with a dull uniformity. Local residents have sometimes attempted to improve the reserve with exotic garden plants, whose garishness contrasts with the quiet subtle beauty of indigenous species. Others regard it as a rubbish dump, and the Victorian Railways occasionally plough or bulldoze some parts. 180 Nevertheless this reserve is poten- tially valuable. With wise management the smaller native plants should re- main for some years yet, although it seems certain that they will eventually disappear. However the trees and shrubs, viz.: Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E.viminalis, Acacia armata, A.mearn- sil, A.melanoxylon, Bursaria spinosa, and Exocarpos cupressiformis, should remain indefinitely. To conserve the area The following measures are neces- sary to preserve the area. 1. Rubbish, exotic garden plants and certain weeds such as Chrysan- themoides monilifera (Boneseed) should be removed. 2. Earthworks should be limited as far as possible, and banned from sections where the native species are best. 3. To allow regeneration, selected sections should be protected from burning, mowing, etc., until seedlings are big enough to survive without further attention. 4. If regeneration is slow in some places they should be replanted with seedlings propagated from existing plants in the reserve. This reserve can be used in several ways. Areas of this kind offer us the means of teaching children about con- servation in a very practical way, and without the need for travelling great distances. If they learn at an early age they will, like Robert, enjoy and pro- *52 Liston Street, Burwood 3125. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 tect these areas. The plants are a source of propagating material for people wishing to re-establish the in- digenous flora. The larger areas can be incorporated into systems of bicycle and walking tracks, instead of being converted into freeways as is so often their fate at present. The author would be pleased to hear from anyone knowing of other rem- nants of the original flora, no matter how small. Checklist of Australian plants of the Burwood-Alamein railway reserve MONOCOTYLEDONS Agropyron scabrum, Common Wheat- grass Anguillaria dioica, Early Nancy Bulbine bulbosa, Bulbine Lily Burchardia umbellata, Milkmaids Caesia vittata, Blue Grass-lily Danthonia caespitosa, Common Wallaby- grass D.geniculata, Kneed Wallaby-grass D.linkii, Wallaby-grass D.setacea, Bristly Wallaby-grass Dianella caerulea, Paroo Lily Dichelachne crinita, Long-hair Plume- grass D.sciurea, Short-hair Plume-grass Dichopogon strictus, Chocolate Lily Hypoxis glabella, Yellow Star Juncus sp. (Section Genuini), Rush Lomandra filiformis, Wattle Mat-rush Luzula campestris sens.lat., Woodrush Poa australis sp.agg., Tussock Grass Stipa semibarbata, Fibrous Spear-grass Themeda australis, Kangaroo Grass Tricoryne elatior, Yellow Rush-lily Thelymitra sp., Sun Orchid DICOTYLEDONS Acacia armata, Hedge Wattle A.mearnsii, Black Wattle A.melanoxylon, Blackwood Acaena agnipila, Sheep’s Burr Bossiaea prostrate, Creeping Bossiaea Bursaria spinosa, Sweet Bursaria Cotula australis, Common Cotula Drosera peltata, Pale Sundew Eucalyptus camaldulensis, River Red Gum E. viminalis, Manna Gum Exocarpos cupressiformis, Cherry Ballart Geranium retrorsum, Crane’s-bill Kennedia prostrata, Running Postman Lepidium hyssopifolium, Common Pepper-cress Leptorhynchos squamatus, Scaly Buttons Pimelea curviflora, Curved Rice-flower P. humilis, Common Rice-flower Senecio quadridentatus, Cotton Fireweed Wahlenbergia quadrifida, Sprawling Bluebell W.tadgellii, Tadgell’s Bluebell REFERENCES Bridgewater, P. (1975). ‘‘Vegetation in the S.E. suburbs) of Melbourne, Australia. 1. Clayton South’, Vic. Nat., 92: 93-95. Bridgewater, P. B. and Wellington, B. (1976). “‘Vegetation in the south-eastern suburbs, Melbourne. 2. Native and intro- duced plant communities in a Mount Waverley reserve’’, Vic. Nat., 93: 113-117. aa i 1976). [Note], Environment News, 1). 1 Thank you for help with block costs The Fisheries and Wildlife Division of the Ministry for Conservation, Murdoch University of Western Australia, and the Zoology Department of the University of Melbourne, have all contributed gener- ously to the cost of blocks in recent articles by their respective personnel. September/October Illustrations add considerably to the cost of producing “The Naturalist” yet our journal would be much less attractive without them. The FNCV is very appre- ciative of the help given by _ those organisations. Thank you. 181 The Origin of Generic Names of the Victorian Flora Part 2—Latin, Greek and Miscellaneous (Continued from page 164 in the last issue.) BY JAMES A. BAINES Nitraria. Greco-Latin nitrum, salt- petre; because the plant was_ first found growing on saline plains in Siberia. Australia has only one of the seven species in the world, N. scho- beri, Nitre Bush, which in Victoria is only in the N.W. and W. The genus belongs to family Zygophyllaceae. *Nonea. Name given by F. C. Medicus for reasons unknown; possibly from Lat nonus, nine; or non-ea, not there; or from a proper name such as Nona, -ea being used in New Latin to form generic names when the surname ended in a vowel. *N. lutea, Yellow Alkanet, was formerly classified in Alkanna (through Spanish alcana from Arabic al-hinna, henna), of which alkanet is a diminutive. The genus is in family Boraginaceae. (Portuguese mathematician, Pedro Nunes, 1492- 1577, was known also as Nonius, and Nonea could derive thence.) Notelaea. Gk notos, the south; elaia, the olive, olive-tree; being southern plants in the olive family, Oleaceae. Our two species are known as Large Mock-olive and Privet Mock-olive, the latter name stemming from the speci- fic epithet Jigustrina (= like Ligustrum, privet). Nothofagus. Gk nothos, false, spu- rious, bastard; hence Lat nothus, false; Lat fagus, beech; being in family Fagaceae, and therefore related to the beeches of Europe (Fagus). Our species is N. cunninghamii, named as a Fagus by Hooker after Allan Cunningham, and more appropriately known in Victoria as Myrtle Beech than in Tas- mania, where the misleading name of 182 Myrtle is almost universally used. Australia has three endemic species, but there are 35 in the genus, which extends to New Guinea, New Cale- donia, N.Z. and South America. Notholaena. Gk nothos, false; laina, cloak; because the curved margin of the leaf segments forms a spurious in- dusium. R. Brown founded the genus, which is now included in Cheilanthes, two of our cloak-ferns, C. distans and C. lasionhylla, having formerly been in Notholaena. Family Adiantaceae. *Nothoscordum. Gk nothos, spurious, false; skordon, garlic; a generic name established by Kunth in 1843 for Ven- tenat’s Allium fragrans when he re- cognized it as not a true garlic (Lat allium, garlic). It is curious that Aiton’s A. inodorum (1789) is con- specific, but the epithets mean exactly the opposite, i.e. fragrant, and ‘with- out smell’. *N. inodorum is the valid name for Wild Onion, also known as Fragrant False-garlic, a weed of un- certain origin, in family Amaryl- lidaceae. Notothixos. Gk notos, the back; thixis, touching; because these mistletoes are parasitic on other mistletoes (in Vic- toria on Dendrophthoe and Muel- lerina). It recalls the verse: ‘Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite ’em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum.’ N. subaureus, Golden Mistletoe, is in subfamily Viscoideae of Loranthaceae, raised by Barlow to family status as Viscaceae. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 *Nuphar. Gk nouphar, name of a medicinal plant, perhaps a water-lily (Jaeger); the Arabic name (Smith and Stearn); the Persian nufar or naufar, water-lily (Gilbert-Carter); from nau- far, the Arabic name of the plant (A. T. Johnson and H. A. Smith). *Nuphar lutea, European Yellow Water-lily or Brandy-bottle, is the water-weed that defies eradication from acres of the large lake in Mel- bourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens. The latter common name was given be- cause the flowers smell of alcohol (the new kiosk recently erected will not have a licence to sell alcoholic drinks, as was planned for the former structure that was to have obtruded near this lake). They are not lilies, being in the dicotyledonous family Nymphaeaceae. Nymphoides. Resembling Nymphaea (Gk oides, with the form of); because these water-loving plants look rather like water-lilies. Our two _ native species, Wavy and Entire Marshworts respectively, were formerly in Limnan- themum, and belong to family Men- yanthaceae. *Oenothera. Gk oinotheras, onotheras, the name in classical authors of Nerium oleander, Common Oleander native to Mediterranean countries, meaning ass-catcher (because of its poisonous qualities). Humphrey Gil- bert-Carter, in his ‘Glossary of the British Flora’, refers to his ‘Guide to Cambridge Botanic Gardens’ (1922), where he gives, in the relevant scripts, the names, all meaning ‘ass-poison’ for the oleander in Arabic, Persian and Italian (the last-named being ‘ammazzo l’asino’), and gives the Sanskrit name, meaning ‘horse-killer’, for Indian Oleander (N. odorum). The generic name Onagra, from which comes the family name Onagraceae to which Oenothera belongs, is a superseded synonym for this genus of the wholly September/October American Evening Primroses, three species of which are successful intro- ductions to Victoria (of a total of 80). Onagra means the onager, or wild ass; Anogra, its anagram, is another synonym for Oenothera. Johnson and H. A. Smith derive Oenothera from Gk oinos, wine, thera, pursuing or im- bibing; claiming that the roots of an allied plant were regarded by the Romans as an incentive to drinking. A. W. Smith and Stearn give an alter- native derivation from oinos, wine; thera, booty, but reject it in favour of ass-hunter or ass-beast (Gk ther, wild beast), and mention that the name originally had nothing to do with the yellow-flowered American plants to which the name was transferred. Olax. Medieval Lat olax, odorous, ill- smelling; because the wood of some Asian species has an unpleasant odour. Victoria’s sole species, O. stricta, is confined in this State to far East Gippsland, but another species is in S.A. and W.A. The genus is tropical, with 55 species, and gives its name to the family Olacaceae. *Olea. The classical Lat name of the Olive, *O. europaea, which is found wild in some places, such as Studley Park, Kew. The genus gives its name to family Oleaceae. Olive trees are dominant in many Mediterranean landscapes. Olearia. Often considered to be from Lat generic name, Olea, from the re- semblance of the leaves of the N.S.W. species O. dentata named by Moench when he set up the genus in 1802, to those of the olive. However, it is al- most certain that Moench named it in honour of Adam Olschlager (1603- 1671), whose name was latinized as Olearius, author of a flora of Halle (Germany). Professor J. F. Brechen- macher, in his ‘Etymologisches Worter- 183 buch der Deutschen Familiennamen’ (Etymological Dictionary of German Surnames), mentions, under the entry Olearius, that this name was adopted and written in this way by Johann Olschlager (1546-1623), Superintendent of Halle, because his father (real name Coppermann) had been an oil-presser or oil-miller (Olschlager) at Wesel. Oil came not from olives, but from lin- seed, poppies, rape and nuts, butter being used for cooking. So our genus is linked with oil through this deriva- tion also; the name Olea was given to the olive by the Romans because of the oil content (oleo, to smell), though the word came to them from Greek elaia, the olive (from leios, smooth). Victoria has 37 species, all known as daisy-bushes, with different adjectives, one of them, O. argophylla, Musk Daisy-bush, being the fragrant species referred to in the early literature and still in popular parlance as musk (true musk is Mimulus moschatus in the plant world, and in the animal world the odoriferous secretion of the musk- deer, musk-rat, musk-ox, etc.). The family of course is Compositae. Olearia should be pronounced in five syllables, not four as though honour- ing a mythical Irishman O’Leary! Omphacomeria. Gk omphakos, sour, unripe, bitter (omphakias, wine made from unripe grapes); meros, a part; because the obovate drupes are in- tensely acid, though edible. The genus has only a few characters separating it from the other sour-bush genus, Choretrum, in family Santalaceae. Our species, O. acerba, Leafless Sour-bush, has a specific name meaning tart (cf. acerbity). Omphalolappula. A monotypic genus set up by Brand in 1931 because the nutlets are intermediate in character 184 between those of Omphalodes and Lappula. Omphalodes, a genus from Eurasia and Mexico, was named be- cause the nutlet hollowed out on one side resembles the human navel, and Lappula means little burr (Gk omphalos, navel; Lat lappa, burr). O. concava, Burr Stickseed, was named by F. Mueller first as a species of Echinospermum, then of Lappula. It is in family Boraginaceae. *Ononis. The classical Gk name of a plant in Dioscorides, probably a rest- harrow, but not our introduced species, *O. repens, Restharrow, which Polunin states is not native to Greece; our other species, *O. spinosa, Spiny Restharrow, however, is (he lists seven species for Europe). Family Papilio- naceae. Restharrow means arrest- harrow’, because its tough roots stop the harrow. *Onopordum. Latinized form of Gk onopordon, from onos, ass; porde, fart, breaking wind (cf. Lycoperdon). Linnaeus, 1753, used the form in -um, so Hill’s Onopordon is invalid. One of our three species is *O. acanthium, Scotch Thistle, for which Willis pre- fers the common name _ Heraldic Thistle, because it is used in heraldry and is thought to have been introduced to Scotland rather than being a genuine native. The genus is in family Compositae. Opercularia. Lat operculum, a_ lid, cover; alluding to the lid of each par- tial fruiting head. It is an Australian endemic genus of family Rubiaceae, and Victoria’s six species are all known as different kinds of stinkweed. (The name Stinkweed is used in U.S.A. for Diplotaxis muralis in Cruciferae.) (To be continued) Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Life History and Biology of a Snail Part 2. Protection, Movement and Feeding BY BRIAN J. SMITH* Land snails are soft bodied animals protected from predators and the rigors of the hostile terrestrial environ- ment by a hard external shell into which they can completely withdraw. The shell The shell is calcareous in nature, being made up of calcium/magnesium carbonate laid down by the leading or outer edge of the mantle. Thus it grows by adding on extra material to the aperture lip only and to form the shape, sculpture and colour pattern of the shell. The snail can repair small breaks or areas of damage in the body or outer whorl of the shell, but loses this ability the further away from the mantle edge the break occurs. Besides providing physical protection for the soft body of the snail, the shell gives protection from predators in providing camouflage by its colour pattern and sculpture. The pattern and sculpture are Figure 1. Scanning electron microscope picture of Thryasona elenescens from Geelong. (12x) September/October species specific and under genetic con- trol. Colour pattern in particular can have considerable variation in some species with local population variants showing interesting environmental modification. The classical work on this was carried out in Britain where populations of dark shells were shown to have a protective advantage in deep Shadow hedge-row situations; while populations of light shells of the same species fared better in sand-dune habi- tats; the selecting factor being pre- dation by birds in each case. The most elaborate microsculpture on shells in south-eastern Australia is seen in the minute ‘“‘endodontoid”’ snails (Fig. 1). This complex sculpture may have a function in relation to sur- face water in cracks in logs, but noth- ing is really known about this. The body of the snail occupies the whole of the shell (see Fig. 2 in Part 1 of this series, Vic. Nat. 93(4): 130). The shell is coiled upon itself for added protection and is the best way to keep the weight of the body and its centre of gravity in the right place in relation to the foot on which locomo- tion occurs. This shell coiling is also under genetic control and occasionally odd growth abnormalities can occur. Movement Snails move by a progression of muscular waves of contraction along the sole of the foot. This is assisted by the secretion of a lubricating and pro- tecting mucus from the pedal gland at *Curator of Invertebrates, National Museum of Victoria. 185 the front of the foot creating the widely known slime trail. The wave movement of the foot combined with the protecting mucus enables the snail to traverse rough surfaces that might otherwise damage the animal. Mucus is also secreted by the general body surface to conserve mois- ture and prevent dessication, and by the foot and mantle edge for lubrica- tion in feeding. Feeding One of the unique structures, charac- teristic of the phylum Mollusca and possessed by five out of the six classes of living molluscs, is the possession of a radula. This is the basic feeding organ of all land snails and consists of a ribbon-like membrane in the buccal cavity of the snail on which are rows of hard radula teeth. This structure is carried on a moveable cartilage-like base and is moved over that base by a series of muscles to act like a rasp or file to break-down the food and carry it into the mouth (Fig. 2). When feeding, the entire cartilage base, muscles and radula are projected through the mouth. The radula teeth are arranged in rows and are con- tinuously being worn away at the front as indicated in the drawing, and Figure 2. Diagram of head of a snail showing the position of the radula. Drawing by Phyllis Plant. 186 new teeth are being formed at the back by the radula gland. As the front teeth become worn, they are replaced by the radula moving forward with new ones—rather like a conveyor belt. Throughout life the radula con- tinues to grow. Work on the common garden snail Helix aspersa has shown that the radula has about 180 rows of teeth with over 100 teeth per row and in the season of active growth and feeding the replacement rate of the radulae was over two rows of teeth per day. As is to be expected the number, form, shape and arrangement of the radula teeth are different in different species of snail. This difference is in- fluenced by two basic and sometimes conflicting factors. Firstly the type and structure of the radula teeth is dependent on the type of food eaten by the snail. Teeth can function as scrapers, rasps, particle catchers, lances for soft animal food and many other variations. Also there is often variation along the row with some teeth acting in a primary role of fragmenting the food; while other teeth, usually the lateral and marginal ones, act as secondary particle gatherers and other roles in the feed- ing stroke. ar REPT RAS EADOAL TS 2 UMA ORT ALS TN en eh ol é oesophagus Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 The other main influence on tooth type is the phylogeny of the species under study. Basic patterns of tooth arrangement give useful clues to super- family, family and generic placement and relationship and is used as an im- portant character in taxonomic studies of land snails. Two examples of dif- ferent tooth shape and form are given of Victorian land snails. The small rasping teeth of the herbivorous snail Helicarion sp. (Fig. 3) is contrasted to the long lance-shape teeth for hold- ing prey of earthworms or slugs as in the carnivorous snail Rhytida capil- lacea (Fig. 4). Because of the different food and because these two species belong to totally different family and super-family groupings, the shape of the teeth are totally different. Most snails also have a jaw which acts in conjunction with the radula in food gathering. Emptying into the buccal cavity are the pair of salivary glands which secrete mucus and prob- ably some enzymes to commence digestion of the food. The food sub- stances are then passed down the oesophagus into a large holding sack, the crop. This in turn leads to the stomach from where several blind- ending diverticulae lead into the diges- Figure 3. Scanning electron microscope picture of the radula of a herbivorous snail Helicarion sp from Gray, Tasmania. (640x) September/October tive gland or liver. Digestion is both intra-cellular and extra-cellular by a complex battery of enzymes. One of the most unusual features found in some herbivorous snails is the production of a cellulase, an enzyme which will directly affect the breakdown of cellulose. Land snails are one of the very few types of ani- mals which produce this enzyme directly; even most herbivorous mam- mals such as cows and sheep have to rely on a cellulase produced for them by intestinal bacteria. Because of their cellulase, snail liver extracts were used in early commercial fibre manufactur- ing processes. After digesting processes have taken place the food residues are passed into the rectum and voided as faeces. Life duration The life of a snail is often limited to a year. A snail hatches when one whorl of the shell has developed, the size depending on the species; a newly hatched Helix aspersa is about 4mm. If conditions are favourable, the snail will continue steady growth, and will mate and lay eggs within a year. It will survive only to complete the lay- ing of the last batch of eggs. But, if Figure 4. Scanning electron microscope picture of radula of a carnivorous snail Rhytida_ capillacea from the Hunter Valley, NSW. (54x) 187 there is a period or periods of aestiva- tion, the snail might not mature for two or three seasons. A slug is fundamentally a snail with- out an external shell; some have a vestige of a shell internally. Lacking a shell that can be sealed by epiphragms, the slug’s aestivation is a matter of re- treating to a damp dark spot and re- tracting head and tail so as to expose the least possible surface area. Unwelcome as they are to gardeners, snails form a vital part of the ecology, being instrumental in the breakdown of both living and dead plant material, and in turn forming part of the food chains of other animals in the en- vironment. Wolf Spider and her Eggs Some time ago some friends brought me a large female Wolf Spider Lycosa ramosa to photograph. After taking several pictures, I wondered how I could let it go without a predator getting it. As this spider lives in a hole in the ground, I drilled a five-eighth inch hole three or four inches deep in a well drained part of the lawn, placed the spider near the hole and put a box upside down over the spider and hole to allow the spider to find the hole itself. Next morning I removed the box and found the spider had moved into the hole and had started to line the wall with silk. Occasionally I would observe it just below the mouth of the hole. One day, to my surprise, the spider was on the sur- face outside the hole. A closer observa- tion revealed it had spun a little mat of silk about three-quarters of an inch in diameter and was laying eggs on it. When it had laid about 50 or 60, it gathered the edges of the mat together (as one gathers a handkerchief full of plums), started to produce more silk and bound the bundle into a spherical eggsack which it carried into the hole. Further observations showed that when the sun was shining, the spider would hold the eggsack in the sun at the mouth of the hole. I had hoped to see the eggs hatch as this species of spider carries its young on the mother’s back until they are old enough to fend for themselves. But sorry to say, before this happened I found the hole empty; apparently a predator — wasp or bird had found my spider. IAN Morrison. “Pecking order” in Satin Bower Birds Varying numbers of Satin Bower Birds frequent my garden and bird table from May to September. Usually six to twelve can be seen at any one time, and it is interesting to see how the one mature blue male dominates the flock. He will not share the bird table and drives away up to half a dozen birds at once —though in time he be- comes tired of perpetual challenges or is satisfied and flies off. The table is soon hidden by as many greedy snatching birds as can crowd on to it. That does not last long; one or other of two which will be 188 blue quite soon drive off the rest and feast in solitude. Only when they have gone may the rabble eat in peace. The almost mature male birds can be recognised by their pearly or pale grey beaks while the younger male birds and females have brown beaks. The bower, in a sheltered part of the garden, was built four years ago by a pearly-beaked bird who is now the only blue one in the flock. He visits it com- paratively rarely now and it is used more by younger birds. JEAN GALBRAITH, TYERS Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Victorian Non-Marine Molluscs, No. 16 BY BRIAN J. SMITH* Many of the molluscs introduced in- to Australia are pest species, the most widely known being the Common Garden Snail Helix aspersa. However the most widespread and devastating in their effect on gardens, crops and pas- ture, are three small to medium slugs belonging to the family Limacidae. These are Deroceras caruanae, Dero- ceras reticulatum and Lehmannia (Lehmannia) nyctelia. The genus Deroceras is typified by the body being spotted or without pat- tern but with no bands. The two species are both very common pasture and garden pests. Deroceras’ reticulatum (Muller, 1774) Fig. 1. This is a medium-sized slug up to 50mm in length, the body being typically a pale buff colour with dark brown to grey _ reticulations, sometimes so dense as to give a dark brown to grey appearance, sometimes with white calcareous-looking spots and reticulations. The body often ap- pears swollen and flaccid, the animal Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 September/October slow-moving and not very active. When the animal is disturbed, a milky white secretion is exuded all over the body. Deroceras caruanae_ (Pollonera, 1891) Fig. 2. This is a smaller and much slimmer slug reaching about 30-40 mm in length. It is typically light brown to grey in colour with an almost total lack of pattern. The body is cylindrical in shape with the head pro- truding a long way forward of the mantle. The slug is very active in be- haviour, displaying extremely rapid crawling, the body producing a non- viscous colourless mucus. It is a cryp- tic animal, being hard to see because of its size, colouration and its habit of nesting in crevices and the root sy- stems of plants. The genus Lehmannia has_ bands and spots on the body, and internally the rectum bears a long caecum. Lehmannia (Lehmannia) nyctelia (Bourguigrat, 1861) Fig. 3. This is a medium to large slug 50-60mm in length characterized by longitudinal black bands on the body and mantle. Typically there are two lateral bands, but in some either one or two secon- dary bands occur towards the middle of the body. A median band can often be seen on the mantle. The body is usually pale buff to light brown, flaccid in nature, and the animal secretes a colourless mucus. The species is very common in cleared country and in suburban gardens, and lives under rocks or logs. All three species described above are common species in all the southern States of Australia where man has ex- tensively modified the environment. * Curator of Invertebrates, National Museum of Victoria 189 Live records for Victoria of the bat Pipistrellus tasmaniensis (Gould 1858) BY HAROLD PARNABY* The Tasmanian Pipistrelle Pipistrel- lus tasmaniensis, one of the largest Australian vespertilionids, has been recorded in Western Australia, Tas- mania, New South Wales (Iredale and Troughton 1934) and Queensland (Kirkpatrick 1966). There has been some confusion re- garding the species status in Victoria, perhaps resulting from Wakefield’s re- port of sub-fossil material of this species from the Buchan caves (Wakefield 1967). In a tabulation of the distribution of Australian cave bats, Hamilton-Smith (1964) indicates the live occurrence of the species in this State, but this is a typographical error (Hamilton-Smith, pers. comm.). Ride (1970) lists the species as oc- curring in southern Victoria; however Wakefield, in an amendment of Ride’s Victorian distribution data, states that it has ‘“‘not been recorded living in Victoria’? (Wakefield 1971). The in- clusion of the species in the Land Conservation Council’s Report of the Melbourne Study Area (1973) appears to be baseless as none of the organisa- tions credited with supplying the data for the mammal list have any records of the species. Its inclusion in an ap- pended mammal list to the LCC’s Re- port of the South Gippsland Study Area — District 1 (1972) is an error (Andrew Thornley, pers. comm.). Thus the Tasmanian Pipistrelle has only recently been recorded live in Victoria (Brunner et al 1976). This note gives some further details of that occurrence made available to the author by Mr. Alex Gilmore of the Fisheries and Wildlife Division, to- gether with reports of captures at two other locations. 190 Daylesford, 1974-76 A survey of the bat fauna within a 20 km radius of Daylesford (lat. 37° 21’ S, long. 144° 09’ E) was under- taken over a two-year period from early February 1974 to late February 1976 and resulted in 54 pipistrelle cap- tures (36 2 and 18 ¢ which were not individually marked). Five of these speciments are preserved and regis- tered in the National Museum of Vic- toria as C.11488 ¢, C.11489 @Q, C.16009 ¢, C.16011 ¢ and C.16151 &. I began the survey by experimenting with a method of capturing bats that involved stretching strands of fishing line across a dam several cm above the water surface, or over concrete water tanks 4.25 by 4.25 metres which protruded about a metre above the ‘ground. The lines used were monofila- ment nylon fishing line ranging in diameter from 0.1 to 0.2 mm (as stated by the manufacturers), and with breaking strain from about 0.8 to 1.5 kg. On 9 February 1974, two separate parallel lines 3 to 4 cm above the water and perhaps a metre apart were Stretched across a tank on the south side of Currays Hill, 6.4 km east of Daylesford. Of the many bats which collided with these lines during the 24 hours following dusk, 10 crashed into the water and were captured: 6 female Eptesicus pumilus, 2 female Chalinolobus morio, and 2. Pipis- trellus tasmaniensis (C.11488 and C.11489) which were’ sent’ to Mr J.McKean (CSIRO Division of Wildlife Research) who confirmed the identification. This was the second * 101 Brougham Street, Kew Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 night during which I had tried the method. The first time was at the same tank on 2 February, and using one line a male Eptesicus was captured. On subsequent occasions, using mist nets in addition to the line method, the pipistrelle accounted for about 25% of the total of 219 captures, while Eptesicus accounted for 43%, and the remaining 5 species combined, 32%. Despite the possible selective- ness in these techniques, I consider the pipistrelle to be one of the com- moner species in the area. Pipistrelles were captured at 4 tanks and 10 dams in all three forest types defined by the LCC Report (1973). Habitat preference could not be de- termined due to the great disparity in efficiency of the techniques when used on tanks compared with dams which were less successful; the tanks were in forest type III, the dams in the other two forest types. The LCC vegetation classification is a modification of Specht’s vegetation system (LCC, 1973: 63) and open forest I, II, and III are rough equiva- lents of Specht’s low open forest, open forest and tall open forest respec- tively. Vegetation and precipitation in the Daylesford region are described and mapped by the LCC (1973): Open forest III. Forest 28 to 40 metres in height, of Messmate Euca- lyptus obliqua and Narrow-leaved peppermint often in association with Candlebark E.rubida and Manna Gum E.viminalis, typically with a shrubby understory and Forest Wire-grass Tetarrhena juncea. It occurs along the divide which is commonly of 600 to 800 metres elevation and around 1,000 mm rainfall. Open forest II. Forest 15 to 28 metres in height and of similar species composition to open forest III but with an understory of low open shrubs September/October and tussock grass. Its main occurrence is on sites intermediate in elevation and rainfall, and in addition is inter- spersed with type III over much of the divide, and also occurs on the better sites to the north of Daylesford. Open forest I. Forest less than 15 metres in height of Red Stringybark E.macrorrhyncha, Messmate, Long- leaved Box, Red Box E.polyanthemos, Grey Box E.microcarpa and Yellow Box E.melliodora, with a_ sparse ground cover of tussock grass often with low open shrubs. Open forest I is found in the lowlands to the north of the area between Daylesford and Guildford where sites are much poorer, of 300 to 420 metres elevation and annual rainfall around 600 to 700 mm. Ectoparasites were collected but await identification. Dartmouth Dam, 1975 A specimen was obtained on 21 April 1975 during a fauna survey of the Dartmouth Dam inundation area (lat. 36° 34’ S, long. 147° 36’ EB) conducted by the Fisheries and Wild- life Division (Thomas and Gilmore 1976 in press). It was shot at dusk by Alex Gilmore in a clearing adjacent to the Dart River one kilometre up- stream from its junction with the Mitta Mitta River, and is preserved in spirit as C.14845 in the National Museum of Victoria. This specimen is a female with undeveloped teats and and forearm measurement of 50 mm. Vegetation along the river consists of Northern Swamp Gum Eucalyptus camphora and thickets of Leptosper- mum phylicoides and L. brevipes with low open forest (Specht, 1970) of Narrow-leaved Peppermint E. radiata on the adjoining river flats, and Broad-leaved Peppermint E. dives and Long-leaved Box E. goniocalyx on the surrounding hills. The elevation of the site is approxi- 191 mately 305 metres and average annual rainfall about 1,200 mm. Dargo, 1976 An adult male pipistrelle was cap- tured on 2 January 1976 on the Dargo High Plains by Boyde Wykes of Zoology Department, Monash Univer- sity and is lodged with the National Museum as C.16131. It was caught in one of several mist nets erected around a dam on the Dargo High Plains Road, 33 km north from Dargo (lat. 37° 28’ S, long. 147° 15° EB). Other species netted at the same site on this and the previous night were released and identified by Boyde Wykes as WNyctophilus geoffroyi, N.timoriensis, Eptesicus pumilus and Chalinolobus morio. The dam _ ap- peared to be the only water source in the area. No site details are available. Forearm length and identifying characteristics Descriptions of the pipistrelle in the literature are mostly incomplete. Dobson (1878) gave probably the most thorough diagnosis (under Vesperugo krefftii), and Troughton (in Le Souef and Burrell 1926) was also useful. Tate (1942) was primarily concerned with cranial and dental features. Lord and Scott (1924) give the forearm length as 45 mm, apparently based on Dobson. However, Dobson gives only one forearm measurement of 1.9 inches (48 mm) for a mainland speci- men. Four female specimens from Tasmania in the Queen Victoria Museum, gave forearms of 48 mm and 50 mm (measured fresh prior to skinning), and 47 mm and 48.5 mm for bats that had been in spirit for about 3 months (Rk. H. Green, pers. comm. ). At Daylesford bats were not indi- vidually marked on release but the forearm lengths of 29 female cap- 192 tures ranged from 49-53.5 mm with mean 51 mm, and 15 male captures had a range of 49-53 mm and again a mean of 51 mm. When attempting to identify a pipi- strelle one should consider a large vespertilionid with the snout naked anterior to the eyes, and slender ears that project well above the fur. The ears have a characteristic notch on the outer margin near the tip (see cover photograph). While the drawing in Ride (1970: 172) exhibits the naked snout and long projecting ears, the ear notch is unfortunately not visible due to the angle from which it has been drawn. There are three south-eastern Aus- tralian Vespertilionidae of comparable size to the pipistrelle. The Bent-wing Bat Miniopterus schreibersii and Goulds Bat Chalinolobus gouldii are readily distinguished by their ears which are about as broad as long, and do not project far above the fur. The Bent-wing is also distinguished by the characteristic wing fold of the third digit. According to Troughton (1967) the species with which the pipistrelle is most likely to be con- fused is the Broad-nosed Bat Nycti- ceius rueppellii. I have not seen live specimens of the latter but its ex- ternal characteristics are apparently By ee Diagram showing minute upper second incisor in Pipistrellus (left), which. is absent in Nycticeius (right). Vict, Nat. Vol..93 similar to P.tasmaniensis. The distin- guishing feature generally cited in the literature is the absence of the minute second upper incisor tooth in Nycti- ceius (see diagram). Acknowledgements I am grateful for assistance given by R. M. Warneke of the Fisheries and Wildlife Division, and E. Hamilton- Smith, for reading the manuscript and their resulting suggestions, and to J. M. Dixon of the National Museum for checking the draft and allowing access to the collections. Drawing equipment was loaned by Lee Ahere. Boyde Wykes of Monash University and Sandy Gilmore of the Fisheries and Wildlife Division kindly supplied information concerning their locality records. The fine photograph was taken by Alan Hartup of Newstead. REFERENCES Brunner, H., R. L. Amor and P. L. Stevens (1976). The use of predator scat analysis in a maminal survey at Dartmouth in north-eastern Victoria. Australian Wildlife Research 3 (1): 85-90. Dobson, G. E. (1878). Catalogue of the Chiroptera in the collection of the British Museum. British Museum, London. Hamilton-Smith, E. (1964). Australian Cave Bats. A provisional guide to identification. CSIRO Division of Wildlife Research, Canberra. Iredale, T. and E. Troughton (1934). A checklist of the mammals recorded from Australia. Mem. Aust. Mus. 6: 1-122. Kirkpatrick, T. H. (1966). Mammals, birds and reptiles of the Warwick District, Queensland. 1 Introduction and mam- mals. Qld. Journal Agric. and Animal Sciences 23: 591-8. Land Conservation Council (1972). Report on the South Gippsland Study Area — District 1. Land Conservation Council (1973). Report on the Melbourne Study Area. Lord, C. E. and H. H. Scott (1924). A synopsis of the vertebrate animals of Tasmania. Oldham, Beddome and Meredith, Hobart. Le Souef, A. S. and H. Burrell (1926). The wild animals of Australasia. With a chap- ter on bats by Ellis Le G. Troughton. Harrup and Co., London. Ride, W. D. (1970). A guide to the native mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press, Melbourne. Specht, R. L. (1970). Vegetation, in ‘‘The Australian Environment’. Ed. G. W. eas CSIRO and Melbourne University ress. Tate, G. H. H. (1942). Results of the Arch- bold Expeditions No. 47. Reviews of the vespertilionine bats, with special attention to genera and species of the Archbold Collections. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 80: 221-297. Thomas, D. J. and A. M. Gilmore (1976 in press). The terrestrial vertebrate fauna from the Dartmouth Dam _ Inundation Area. Australian Wildlife Research. Troughton, E. (1967). Furred Animals of Australia. Angus & Robertson, Sydney. 9th Edition. Wakefield, N. A. (1967). Mammal bones in the Buchan District. Vic. Nat. 84(7): 211-214. Wakefield, N. A. (1971). Distribution data of Victorian mammals. Vic. Nat. 88(2): 48-50. bold Expeditions Nu. 47. Reviews of the Winner of 1976 Natural History Medallion The Natural History Medallion for 1976 has been awarded to Winifred M. Curtis, M.Sc., Ph.D.(Lond.), F.L.S. Dr. Curtis was first nominated for the award in 1972 by the Society for Grow- ing Australian Plants (Tasmanian Region), and the nomination was sup- ported in subsequent years by the North East Tasmania Field Naturalists’ Club and the Latrobe Valley Field Naturalists’ Club. This is the thirty-sixth year of the September/October award and the first time it has gone to a Tasmanian. Dr. Curtis was for many years lecturer in Botany at the University of Tasmania and is a leading authority on that State’s flora. Her publications include “A Stu- dent’s Flora of Tasmania’, and the text which accompanies Margaret Stones’ paintings in “The Endemic Flora of Tas- mania” of which five volumes have been published. 193 Palaeo-ecology of Pebbles Beach pebbles and stream pebbles can be distinguished and the presence of one or the other can help determine the origin of sediments BY K. N. BELL On the basis of a study of water- washed pebbles in Malaya, Lenk- Chevitch (1959) suggested that beach- washed and stream-washed pebbles had easily distinguishable characteristics. This is a note to describe the results of a similar study on some Victorian pebbles. If such pebbles can be easily dis- tinguished then it would be possible to use that fact in the study of pebble beds in geological strata to show their origin. Pebble Characteristics (i) PROFILE: A pebble has three axes A, B, C, the longest, medium and shortest axes respectively (Fig. 1). These axes may or may not be mutu- ally perpendicular, and are not con- current. It is possible therefore to have three profiles or cross-sections of the pebble — AB profile which is per- pendicular to the C-axis, and BC and AC profiles. Only the AB profile has been stu- died here. (11) GEOMETRICAL LINES: (a) Apical line—the longest straight line which can be drawn on the cross- section, i.e. the A axis in the AB pro- file. (b) Bisectrix — usually a curved line. It is plotted by joining the mid- Fig. 1 194 points of the width chords of the pro- file considered. These chords are at right angles to the apical line. Lenk- Chevitch.found that for beach pebbles the bisectrix lies on one side of the apical line, whereas for stream pebbles the bisectrix cuts the apical line at least once. (111) FRACTIONAL DEPARTURE — Sch- leiger (1969) added to the theory of pebbles by defining the fractional de- parture, D’, between the apical line T and the bisectrix as D’ = — where T is B the maximum distance between the apical line and the bisectrix and B is the maximum width of the pebble in the profile being considered. If D’ is less than 0.05, the pebble is regarded as symmetrical, S type. If D’ is greater than 0.05, the pebble is asymmetrical, As type if the bisectrix does not cut the apical line (Fig. 2), or disym- metrical, Ds type if the bisectrix cuts the apical line at least once (Fig. 3). Thus the As type corresponds with the beach pebble and the Ds type with the stream pebble. Method Pebbles were collected for study from Indented Heads, Port Phillip Bay (marine pebbles); Morrison’s, Moora- bool River (stream pebbles) and from Steiglitz. About 100 non-cracked and unsplin- tered pebbles were selected, in size about 3-10 cm longest diameter. These were photographed on graph-paper to *22 Mallaluka Avenue, Ocean Grove. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Apical line Bisectrix ——_____—___> B axis B axis BEACH PEBBLE STREAM PEBBLE give the AB profile. On the photo- graphs each apical line and bisectrix were drawn and the fractional depar- ture then calculated for each pebble. Results The table shows the results found for pebbles from Indented Heads and the Moorabool River. It was found that As type pebbles were dominant in the marine sample and the Ds type in the river sample. In neither case were the S type pebbles very common. This is the same result as Lenk-Chevitch found. As it is possible to check upon the origin of pebble shape it becomes fea- sible to use this fact in palaeo-eco- logical studies of sediments where fossil organisms may not be present. With this in mind pebbles were col- lected and measured from a gravel pit at Steiglitz. As shown in the table, the percentage of each pebble type present at Steiglitz bears a closer re- semblance to those of the river-worn than to the ocean-worn pebbles. So we can conclude that the gravels about Steiglitz are river deposits. TABLE Locality As Ds S Indented Heads 44% 29% 27% Moorabool River 38% 44% 19% Steiglitz 37% 53% 10% REFERENCES Lenk-Chevitch, P., 1959. ‘“‘Beach and Stream Pebbles’, J. Geol. 67(1): 103. Schleiger, N. W.. 1969. “Pebble Shape and Roundness in Relation to Environment.” Lab-Talk, Feb., p. 10. Increase of the Cape Barren Goose When seeking back issues of “The Victorian Naturalist” which contain in- formation on Big Green Island, a reader supplied up-to-date news about some of its bird life. (In spite of the prefix “Big”, the island has an area of less than two square miles; it is about two miles west of Flinders Island in the Furneaux Group.) Since purchasing the property four years ago, Mr. John Nield reports that Cape Barren Geese are increasing in numbers and are in no danger of ex- tinction. In previous years, rarely were more than 30 geese seen on the island. Now, Mr. Nield estimates that there are Septermiber/October up to 400 at any one time, although there might be as few as 50 — according to the green feed available. Sometimes, with the quantity of droppings, parts of the property look like a fowlyard, Of course they affect the sheep carrying capacity, and many farmers regard the Cape Barren Goose as a pest and ap- proaching plague proportions. Mr. Nield also reported on the preda- tion of Mutton Birds by Pacific Gulls. The gulls frequently raid the Mutton Bird nest sites, especially in the early mornings. They take anything they can reach — eggs and young birds. 195 Life History of a Gall Fly on Eucalypts BY G. A. CURRIE Editor’s Note. Intrigued by Ken Strong’s account of Gall Flies in our April issue, a reader brought attention to the following article. It is a short extract from “‘Galls on Eucalyptus Trees’? published in the ‘Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales’’, Vol. LXII, Parts 3-4, 1937, and is reprinted here by permission of that Society. The complete article is available in our F.N.C.V. library. There are many species of Fergu- sonina flies which attack Eucalyptus trees, and all are associated in the galls with nematodes. The fly which causes the galls on E. macrorrhyncha was studied most intensively, so the life history of that fly is presented here. Nematodes accompany fly eggs laid in young flower buds Adult flies emerge from the galls in summer, and the females, after mat- ing, proceed to lay eggs in the young flower-buds which are appearing at that time. With each egg, any num- ber of larval nematodes from one to fifty is passed into the cavity between the operculum and the floor of the inside of the bud. Many eggs may be laid in the same bud by a single fly or by several flies, and as many as 74 eggs and 227 nematode larvae have been found in a single bud. Embryonic development within the egg of the fly proceeds during the next six weeks (eggs which were laid on 15th December hatched on Ist Feb- ruary). During that period the larval nematodes feed vigorously on the pri- mordia of the stamens and cause a rapid proliferation of cells which form irregular masses inside the galled bud. On hatching, the fly larvae make their way between two contiguous masses of cells and tear out small crypts in which to lie. The larval nematodes join them in their several 196 crypts and develop rapidly to the adult stage. The nematodes of that generation are all parthenogenetic females which lay eggs in the gall cavity alongside the fly larva, with which they lie in contact. The fly larva passes through three instars, all in the crypt inside the galled bud, obtaining its food from the plant cells surrounding it. During the first and second instars it feeds on the gelatinous cell-sap, some of which oozes from the cells after they have been punctured by the stylets of the nematodes. The third instar larva tears down the walls of the cavity in which it lies and feeds on the ruptured cells. Female nematodes in fly pupae The nematodes breed parthenogene- tically in the cavity during the larval life of the fly without harming it in any way; males appear in numbers in the autumn and winter, and when the female fly larva is about to pupate, two fertilized female nematodes enter its body cavity, probably through the skin. There, during the pupal period of the fly, the female nematodes change from the free-living form to a much enlarged parasitic form which has no stylet or gut, the whole of its. internal space being filled by a much enlarged ovary. Male flies are never parasitized in this way by the nema- todes, female flies invariably so. By the time the adult female fly Vict. Nat. Vol. 93: emerges, the parasitic nematodes are discharging large numbers of segment- ing eggs inside its body cavity. On hatching, larval nematodes make their way to the ovary of the fly, penetrate into the oviduct, and there await the passage of an egg down the chitinous ovipositor, whence they accompany it into the young flower-bud to start the cycle anew. This life history can be taken in its broad outlines as typical for the whole series of flies. The time of year when adults emerge and the point of the tree attacked vary, but young growing tissue is always selected by the flies for Oviposition, and the nematode larvae which are always deposited with the eggs of the fly are active before the eggs hatch. Blackburn Lake Classified by the National Trust As well as Blackburn Lake the Classification includes Jeffery Street and some other streets further west that are known as the “Bellbird Streets’. In addition, two nearby small areas have been Recorded. Classification means “. . . those parts of the physical environment, both natural and man-made, which in the Trust’s view are essential to the heri- tage of Australia and which must be preserved.’ Recorded areas are those “|. which contribute to the heritage of Australia and whose preservation is encouraged.” In its citation, the Trust describes the area aS an oasis in suburbia. The lake and its environs remain largely in their natural condition, providing a haven for more than 165 bird species. The area is renowned for its Bell Miners, for a breeding colony of Regent Honey-eaters, as a_ resting place for certain migratory birds (Rufous Fantail, Satin Fly-catcher, etc.) and for large numbers of water- fowl, many breeding. The second Vic- torian recording of the Koel was in the Lake Reserve in 1976. The streets extending outwards from the lake are an integral part of the ecology of the lake area, being corridors of movement for birds. Seplember/October These private streets have resisted the pressures of normal street-making re- quirements and retain a quiet, almost rural character unique in Melbourne. They demonstrate an excellent integra- tion between the natural and man- made environments. The natural vege- tation, bird life and informal roads and gardens combine to provide a rare example of rus in urbe. The streets vary greatly in quality. Jeffery and Linum Streets are the most consistent and unified, but in spite of faults the area has an overall ““sense of place’’. The lake area also varies in quality. At its worst there are large areas where sheet erosion has resulted from intensive use around barbecues. At its best there are tranquil winding tracks passing through dense indigenous forest. Regeneration is being success- fully undertaken by sensitive manage- mecnt operated by local residents. The two Recorded areas do not have high aesthetic value. However, they both have potential for sensitive development compatible with the general character of the Classified areas. Interested readers should apply to the National Trust for further infor- mation of this newly Classified area. 197 Recent Fossil Discoveries in Victoria Five late Cenzoic fossil marsupial sites in Victoria: a progress report BY THOMAS H. V. RIcH* Introduction The history of Australia’s unique mammals and birds begins with a few feathers and fleas found at Koonwarra in deposits of early Cretaceous age, about 120 m.y.B.P. (m.y.B.P. = million years Before Present) (Waldman, 1971). It is thought that the fleas could only have lived as ectoparasites of mammals; hence mammals are thought to have been present by this time. From then until about the beginning of the Miocene, approximately 20 m.y.B.P., the only record of these groups are penguins and cetacean re- mains from a few areas, plus some rare enigmatic traces of what could be land birds. Until the beginning of the Miocene, therefore, the fossil re- cord is virtually mute about even the most general aspects of the evolution of terrestrial mammals and birds in Australia. However, in at least a pre- liminary fashion based on the fossil record, it is now possible to chronicle the evolutionary events after 20 @ Lancefield @ Bacchus Marsh Beaumaris Fig.1. Five fossil marsupial sites in Vic- toria that are currently being studied. 198 m.y.B.P. that affected the higher ter- restrial vertebrates of Australia. That this comparatively detailed history of land mammals and birds can be constructed only for the last one-sixth or less of the time these groups have been in Australia, means that much remains to be done by vertebrate palaeontologists to shed light on the evolutionary events that occurred there. By 20 m.y.B.P. all the major groups of marsupials and birds had differen- tiated. Therefore, what the fossil evi- dence can now shed light on are the phyletic relationships within some of the groups best represented in the fossil record. Questions of a broader nature concerning relationships receive little useful information from fossil evidence simply because the events of interest took place long before the record begins. Other major questions that a de- tailed understanding of this earlier history could throw light upon (were it available) are the places of origin and time of entry into or migration from Australia of the various birds and mammals — questions that intrigued biogeographers before the time of Wallace. Recent reviews of these ques- tions show that controversy still exists (Lillegraven, 1974; P. Rich, 1975; Ted- ford 1974). To answer these questions properly will require the discovery of many new fossil sites: both older sites than the 20 m.y.B.P. barrier beyond which our * Curator of Palaeontology National Museum of Victoria Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 understanding at present is merely that the groups existed, and younger sites in order to be able to refine the general outline that now exists. In addition, previously known sites must be re-examined to increase knowledge of their fossil forms, and to refine the age estimate for the localities so that the order of events is more accurately known. What follows is a summary of cur- rent activities of the Department of Palaeontology, National Museum of Victoria, directed at furthering under- standing of this history. Several other organisations are involved in these projects to various degrees. Much of what is written in the paragraphs be- low is of a preliminary nature and subject to revision and refinement with further work. None of these projects are finished or ready for definitive treatment yet. The unanswered ques- tions are discussed as well as the rela- tively firm conclusions, for in the former lie the most fertile ground for future research. September/October Batesford In October 1975, Mr Greg Sack of Hawthorn, Victoria, when on a visit to the Batesford Quarry of Australia Portland Cement Ltd, near Geelong, discovered the left and right mandibles of a Zygomaturus sp, a member of the family Diprotodontidae, National Museum of Victoria P42530. Both mandibles had Mo-4 preserved, unfor- tunately in an extremely advanced state of wear preventing a more pre- cise identification. Measurements in- dicate that this individual is as large as the largest available specimens of the Pleistocene Zygomaturus trilobus and the Pliocene Zygomaturus keani, the largest of the recognized species in the genus. Where did the enclosing matrix come from? During the course of quarrying acti- vity, the block of matrix in which the specimen occurred was moved at least 100 metres to the place it was found on the quarry floor by Mr Sack. That Fig.2. Lateral view of right mandible of Zygomaturus sp. from the Batesford - Quarry of Australian : Portland Cement _Ltd near Geelong, Victoria. Approx. -23 cm long. NMV P42530. . Fig.3. Crown or occlusal view of same specimen as in _| figure 2. 199 it survived the action of the earth- moving equipment at all was an in- credible bit of good luck. Unfortu- nately, this displacement means that the original location of the specimen can never be established with certainty. However, circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that it came from a fissure in the Batesford Limestone. Several such fissures have been un- covered over the years in the process of excavating the Batesford Limestone for cement. Blocks from that unit are found in the fissures, together with large contorted slabs from the over- lying Fyansford Formation, and a third lithology seen nowhere else in the quarry but the fissures. This third lithology is a black, silty clay distinguished from similar litho- logy in the Fyansford Formation by a strong sulphur odour and the absence of finely comminuted marine fossils. Although the Fyansford Clay is characterized in its lower part as hav- ing sulphur present, no sample has been found that is as strongly odori- ferous as this black silty clay. In this unique lithology occur the only bone fragments thus far found in situ in the fissures, and a similar matrix was adhering to the Zygomaturus man- dibles when they were discovered. Both the isolated bone fragments from the fissures and the jaws have a strong odour of sulphur. The only other fossil bones found in the quarry are in the Batesford Limestone and they are much lighter in colour and completely lack the sulphur smell. What is the age of the deposit? Directly above the Fyansford For- mation over much of the Batesford Quarry is a basalt flow of the Newer Volcanics. Samples taken from the same flow about two kilometres to the south have been dated by Aziz-Ur- Rahman and McDougall (1972) at about 2 m.y.B.P., late Pliocene. Be- 200 cause blocks of this basalt are not present in the fissure deposits, the fis- sures must have been filled by the time of outpouring of the basalts, late Plio- cene. Conceivably, the fissures could have been filled any time after the deposition of the Fyansford Forma- tion which was completed by the Bairnsdalian, late Miocene (Abele et al, 1976). However, because the fis- sures were apparently open to the air rather than the sea, it is likely that they were not active until after the Cheltenhamian (about 7 m.y.B.P.) to Kalimnan, the age of the Moorabool Viaduct Sand (Abele et al, 1976) dur- ing or after which the sea finally with- drew from the area. Current efforts at this site are directed towards finding additional specimens that can be identified. Subsequent to the discovery of the mandibles, only scraps have been re- covered. This site has the potential for yielding a reasonably well-dated collection that could be a major refer- ence point if the maximum age can be more precisely determined and turns out to be close to the minimum of 2 m.y.B.P. As present, there is no assemblage of terrestrial vertebrate fossils with a firmly fixed age in the vicinity of 2 m.y.B.P. in Victoria and few in Australia. Bacchus Marsh This site is located about nine kilo- metres south-west of the town of Bacchus Marsh on an unnamed tri- butary of Parwan Creek. It was dis- covered by Miss Kerry Hein in a kaolin pit owned by her family. From this locality have come about fifteen skulls, twelve jaws, and numerous skeletal elements of small individuals referrable to the genus Diprotodon. Only a few other sites have as many well-preserved speci- mens of this genus. The small size of the individuals is not simply because Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 the sample consists of juvenile animals only, for obvious adults with all teeth fully erupted and in a worn condition are present. Whether the size of the individuals warrants their being separ- ated as a distinct species from other specimens of Diprotodon must await detailed study. From this material it will be possible to extract information about the anatomy of Diprotodon that has never been described, such as the structure of the auditory region. Such information should prove useful in furthering our understanding of the relationships of this genus to other diprotodontids as well as other mar- suplals. The deposit from which the speci- mens came appears to be a channel or series of channels which have cut into an older kaolin deposit. These chan- nels, besides containing material re- worked from the kaolin deposits, have coarse quartz sands and blocks of basalt that were derived from a flow that caps the present surface through September/October Fig.4. Right lateral view of skull of Diprotodon sp. from Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Approx. 66.5 cm long. NMV P31299. f Fig.5. Palatal view f same specimen as which the Parwan Creek is cut. A maximum date on the locality is pro- vided by a sample of basalt collected about eight kilometres from the fossil site and presumably formed by the Same volcanic episode that generated the blocks found in the channel de- posit. This sample has been radio- metrically dated at 4.03 +0.04 m.y.B.P. (Aziz-Ur-Rahman and McDougall, 1972). Subsequent to the deposition of the fossiliferous sediments, the valley where the specimens occur has been eroded another fifty metres deeper. The time required for this erosional episode or episodes has not yet been established, but dating it offers the only possibility at present to establish a minimum age for the fossils. The erosional episodes may have occurred during or immediately after periods of uplift along the Rowsley Fault which triggered downcutting by the Parwan Creek and its tributaries on the up- thrown block west of the fault. 201 Lancefield The swamp deposit At Lancefield there is an extremely rich deposit of fossil bones located in a swamp near the town park. Much effort has been expended during the past three summers by numerous per- sons connected with Monash Univer- sity, the Victorian Mines Department, Sydney University, University of Mel- bourne, the Institute of Aboriginal Studies and the National Museum of Victoria; they are attempting not only to excavate the fossil bones, but to understand the environment they ac- cumulated in and the mechanism or mechanisms that brought about such a great concentration of specimens. Most of the area excavated thus far appears to have been a swamp when the fossils were parts of living animals —not unlike the present swamp. All the animals that occur in the inferred swamp deposit were the size of a living emu and grey kangaroo or larger. About 90 per cent of all the specimens belong to Macropus titan. Other ele- ments in the fauna are Diprotodon sp, the kangaroos Sthenurus sp, Protem- nodon anak, Protemnodon sp, and the ground birds cf. Genyornis and Dro- maius sp. About forty square metres of the swamp deposit have been ex- cavated, yielding approximately eight individuals per square metre. Swamp site and channel site compared During the 1976 field season, a two Square metre test trench was excavated that encountered a second type of de- posit, a former channel of a stream that had become filled with sediment. Unlike the swamp deposit from which the bulk of the specimens came, material here tended to be more com- plete. Despite the fact that literally hundreds of maxillae fragments of Macropus titan had been recovered in the swamp deposit, there was not one palate intact of the species in this 202 channel, much less a complete skull. In the channel deposit, along with the maxillae fragments, a palate and a nearly complete skull of another in- dividual were found. In the swamp deposit, long bones tended to be nearly horizontal or dip at relatively low angles; bones with a vertical orientation were extremely rare. By contrast, the channel deposit yielded about a dozen long bones of emus that were vertical. In the swamp deposit, remains of small animals were conspicuous by their absence, al- though a concerted effort was made to find some. From the channel de- posit, only about a half-dozen teeth of small animals were recovered, but they added considerably to the num- ber of taxa represented at Lancefield: Thylacinus cf. cynocephalus, Vom- batus sp, cf. Wallabia, and rodentia. In 1977, it is planned to return for a fortnight to this site and excavate another two or three square metres of the channel deposit. The objec- tives will be to recover more of the smaller animals in order to gain a more complete picture of the fauna there and to see if additional, well- preserved skulls and_ skeletal ele- ments can be recovered. The excava- tion in 1976 chanced to encounter the edge of a stream channel. It is planned to locate the 1977 excavation at a point likely to be close to the central axis of the former channel. . Artefact with the animal fossils Originally, a single season of exca- vation was planned at Lancefield, the summer of 1974. In the course of work that year, a stone tool was found in association with the fossil bones. In an attempt to decide whether further evidence of the association between the animal remains and humans could be found, work continued during the following two summers. To date, no unequivocal evidence has been dis- Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 covered to establish this association at Lancefield, and the site therefore re- mains a tantalizing puzzle. If the arte- fact was associated with the bones owing to the action of humans living at the same time as the animals, why are there no other indications of human activity at the site? If the arte- fact was emplaced long after the animals were buried, how did it be- come intercalated among the bones? Interest in this question of the pos- sible association between the animal remains and humans has resulted in a much more thorough investigation of this site than would otherwise have taken place. The geology has been studied in detail by several workers and attempts have been made to radio- metrically date the bone. Beaumaris Fossils of land animals The fossil land mammals from Beaumaris are the oldest in the State. True, at Koonwarra there is evidence that land mammals were present much earlier (the fleas) but it is at Beau- maris that the unquestioned record of their presence begins — with bones of the actual animals. Unfortunately, fossils of this kind from this site are quite rare; less than half a dozen have been found. Meagre though this sample is, the site is extremely important because along with the land mammal fossils, marine invertebrates occur in the same rock unit; the Black Rock Member of the Sandringham Sands. The assem- blage of marine invertebrates from this unit forms the basis of recognition of the Cheltenhamian Stage. Because similar marine invertebrates occur elsewhere in the world, it has been possible to establish that the Chelten- hamian corresponds to the late Mio- cene (about 7 m.y.B.P.) in terms of the world-wide geological time scale. It is unusual for an assemblage of September/October land mammal fossils to be so accur- ately dated in Australia because generally the geological conditions of the fossil sites are unfavourable. Therefore, these few specimens form an important reference point for dat- ing collections of land mammal fossils from other places using only the land mammals themselves. Two kinds of land mammals are represented at Beaumaris and both are diprotodontids. Zygomaturus gilli is the oldest and smallest species of the genus. It is known only from Beau- maris. The second diprotodontid can- not be definitely identified at the generic level although it probably is allied with Kolopsis, a genus known from the Northern Territory and New Guinea. Previously, it has been sug- gested by Woodburne (1969) that all the diprotodontid material known from Beaumaris belong to Z. gilli. However, comparison of an undoubted lower Mg of Z. gilli found in 1972 by Fig.6. Crown or occlusal view of right My, (lower fourth molar) of Zygomaturus gilli from Beaumaris, Victoria. Original specimen property of Mr Brian Crichton. 30.5 mm long. 203 Mr Brian Crichton with the homo- logous tooth in the jaw previously thought by Woodburne to represent the lower dentition of this species, in- dicates that the latter belonged to a quite different animal. Unfortunately, this jaw was badly battered in the intertidal zone before being discovered and can only tentatively be referred to Kolopsis. Fossils of marine birds and animals Specimens of marine birds are sur- prisingly common at Beaumaris, parti- cularly penguins. An albatross has also been described. Although marine mammals are common at Beaumaris, they have received scant attention in the scientific literature beyond simple lists of taxa. Most of the material con- sists of water-worn fragments but two sections of articulated vertebrae are known; one is from a seal and the other a small cetacean. Morwell The site of this fossil occurrence is a firehole roughly 250 metres in dia- meter at the top of the Morwell 1A seam in the State Electricity Commis- sion of Victoria Opencut Mine at Morwell. Formation of the firehole began when the coal seam was exposed to air and caught fire. Burning of the coal formed a depression which sub- sequently filled with water to create a lake. The lake in turn was gradually filled with clay and silt up to the level of the top of the surrounding coal seam. While these lake sediments were accumulating, several skeletons of two species of kangaroo, Macropus titan and Protemnodon anak were buried in them. Afterwards, the Haunted Hill Gravel was deposited on top of both the coal seam and the sediments filling the firehole. Bones were first reported in May 1975 by mining personnel, and since 204 then the remains of about forty indi- vidual kangaroos have been found, together with a single skeleton of a bird, the Plain Wanderer Pedionomus, and the skeletons of a few small fish. Many of the skeletons were complete and often in articulated condition be- fore being uncovered by the mining machinery. The skeletons were scattered over an area within the firehole about 100 x 200 metres. About half of them were found in a group near the southern margin of the firehole, but others occurred singly or in groups of two or three at random in the south-eastern two-thirds of the firehole. The absence of skeletons from the north-western third of the firehole has not been satis- factorily explained as yet. Not all the specimens died at one time. They occur over a vertical dis- tance of 8.9 metres near the bottom of the firehole. Some of the difference in elevation between pairs of speci- mens may be owing to slumping and irregularities in the bottom of the lake at the time of deposition of the skele- tons. However, examples were ob- served where specimens close to one another were separated vertically by sediments in which individual beds were uncontorted and could be traced continuously from above one speci- men to below another. Whatever the mechanism that caused this accumulation of bones at Morwell, it was highly selective. With the exception of the one small bird skeleton, all the terrestrial vertebrates in this large collection can be assigned to only two species of kangaroos. Pre- sumably, there were many other mam- mals of approximately the same size living at the time these skeletons were buried. Where these two kangaroos are found elsewhere, other such forms occur alongside them. Yet, there is not the slightest indication at Morwell of any of these other mammals. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Dating by fossil pollen Preliminary palynological or fossil pollen analysis of sediment collected from around the skeletons suggests a late Miocene age, 8 to 10 m.y.B.P. If this determination is correct, it would mean seriously revising the present picture of macropod evolution, for Macropus titan has previously been known only from late Pliocene! or younger deposits and Protemnodon anak from Pleistocene deposits exclu- sively (Bartholomai, 1973). Partridge (pers. comm., 1975) placed the pollen samples collected from around the skeletons in the late Mio- cene Triporopollenites bellus zone of Stover and Partridge (1973). The Mor- well coal seams are placed in the im- mediately previous zone of Stover and Partridge (1973), the early Oligocene to early Miocene Proteacidites tuber- culatus Zone. Therefore, the great age of the firehole cannot be readily ex- plained away by contamination from the immediately surrounding coal seam. The coal seams at nearby Yal- lourn have been assigned to the T. bellus Zone so there may have been a source of contaminants nearby during post-7. bellus time. However, if pollen was being reworked into the firehole deposit during that period, one would expect palynormorphs that are exclu- sively post-T. bellus Zone in range to be present, but none have been seen in the samples analyzed by Partridge thus far (pers. comm., 1975). Even if the palynological evidence is ignored, the Haunted Hill Gravels give some control to an age assignment for the underlying firehole. Jenkin (1968) reviewed the age of this unit and concluded, ‘“‘However, it can be stated with reasonable certainty that the Haunted Hill Gravels were de- posited in the period between the Kalimnan and the Upper Pleistocene, and the bulk of the formation in the Upper Pliocene and perhaps Lower Pleistocene times.”’ A Final Comment Not one of these sites was found by a palaeontologist deliberately set- ting about to locate fossils. Rather, people with other interests who had an overwhelming desire to understand what they had found were responsible for the discoveries. Driven by their curiosity, these people took the trouble to bring the material to the attention of professional palaeontologists. These five sites are not unique in this regard, the same could be said for most of the terrestrial vertebrate sites in Victoria. Persons of a similar outlook have been responsible for many valuable later discoveries at these same sites that also added to the knowledge of the history of terrestrial vertebrates in this part of Australia. Much of the credit, therefore, for the understand- ing of this history that has been and will be wrung from the fossil record must be given to these people. 1A partial skeleton identified as Macropus faunus by De Vis (1899) was collected in a deep lead beneath a basalt at the Great Buninyong Estate Mine. Hart (1899) discussed the geological setting of the specimen and Whitelaw (1899) gave a cross-section of the Great Buninyong Estate Mine in which the original location of the bones is noted. The specimen, National Museum of Victoria P24133, on re-examination has been assigned to Macropus titan, a course suggested by Bartholomai’s action (Bartholomai, 1975) synonomising M. faunus De Vis, 1895, with M. titan Owen, 1838. Aziz-Ur-Rahman and McDougall (1972) analyzed three basalt samples collected in the vicinity of Ballarat and obtained dates greater than 2 m.y.B.P. They suggested that, “ of the basalts in the Ballarat area are Late Pliocene in age. . Many ’ A sample taken from the basalt directly above the fossil site would be more satisfactory but until this is done, the inference for a minimum age of late Pliocene for this specimen must be based on radiometric dates determined for samples collected no closer than thirteen kilometres which are inferred to have been generated by the same episode of volcanism. September/October 205 Acknowledgement Few of the ideas and pieces of in- formation in this article are exclusively my own. Rather than attempt to re- construct the plexus of innumerable conversations with and written com- munications from many different per- sons that led to them, I here take the liberty of thanking them all and earnestly beg the pardon of any inad- vertently overlooked: Drs P. Gunn, G. and J. Hope, D. Horton, P. Ladd, E. Lundelius, P. Rich, G. Sanson, A. and J. Warren, R. Wright; Messrs W. Blake, B. Crichton, T. Darragh, T. Flannery, R.Gaulton, E.Gill, R.Glenie, C. Mallett, R. Macdonald, C. Macrae, P. Mac- umber, R. McCutcheon, J. Parker, A. Partridge, R. Thorne, G.Sack, A.Shugg, K. Simpson, I. Stewart, C. Tassell and R. Walkley. Finally, none of these people would probably agree in toto with what is written here and therefore bear no responsibility for its contents. I wish to thank Ms Susan Gibson, Lynette Anderson and Patricia Batche- lor for respectively drawing Figure 1, typing the manuscript, and editing, and Mr Frank Coffa for the photo- graphs in figures 2-6. BIBLIOGRAPHY Abele, C. et al, 1976. Tertiary. In Douglas, J. G., and Ferguson, J. A. (eds.), Geology of Victoria. Geol. Soc. Australia Spec. Publ. No. 5, pp. 177-274. Aziz-Ur-Rahman and I. McDougall, 1972. Potassium-Argon Ages on the Newer Vol- aus of Victoria. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic. 85: Bartholomai, A., 1973. The genus Protem- nodon Owen (Marsupialia: Macropodidae) in the Upper Cainozoic deposits of Queens- land. Mem. Qld. Mus. 16(3): 309-363. 1975. The genus Macropus Shaw (Mar- supilia: Macropodidae) in the Upper Caino- zoic deposits of Queensland. Mem. Qld. Mus. 17(2): 195-235. De Vis., C. W., 1899. Remarks on a fossil im- plement and bones of an extinct kangaroo. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic. 12: 81-90. Hart, T. S., 1899. The bone clay and associated basalts at the Great Buninyong Estate Mine. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic. 12: 74- Jenkin, J. J., 1968. The geomorphology and Upper Cainozoic geology of southeast Gipps- land, Victoria. Mem. Geol. Surv. Vic. 27: 47 Lillegraven, J. A., 1974 Biogeographical con- siderations of the marsupial-placental dicho- tomy. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 5: 263-283. Rich, P. V., 1975. Antarctic dispersal routes, wandering continents, and the origin of Aus- tralia’s non-passeriform avifauna. Mem. Nat. Mus. Vic. 36: 63-125. Stover, L. E. and A. D. Partridge, 1973. Ter- tiary and Late Cretaceous spores and pollen from the Gippsland Basin, Southeastern Australia. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic. 85: 237-286. Tedford, R. H., 1974. Marsupials and the new paleogeography. In Ross, C. A. (ed.) Paleo- geographic provinces and provinciality. Soc. Econ. Paleontologists and Mineralogists, Special Publication No. 21, pp. 109-126. Waldman, M., 1971. Fish from the freshwater Lower Cretaceous of Victoria, Australia, with comments on the palaeoenvironment. Spec. Pap. Palaeont. 9: 1-124. Whitelaw, H. S., 1899. Report on alleged dyke in the Great Buninyong Estate Mine. Monthly Progress Report, Geological Survey of Victoria, November and December, 1899, Nos. 8 and 9, pp. 46-47. Woodburne, M. O., 1969. A lower mandible of Zygomaturus gilli from the Sandringham Sands, Beaumaris, Victoria, Australia. Mem. Nat. Mus. Vic. 29: 29-39. Notice to Authors concerning first proofs If authors wish to see galley proofs, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope with your material and proofs will be sent to you as a matter of routine. But time is critical, and the editor should receive checked and OK’d proofs by return mail or such material could be delayed to a later issue. 206 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Book Reviews ‘How to Know Western Australian Wildflowers — Part IV”’ by B. J. Grieve and W. E. Blackall 24x 17cm, 402 pp. University of Western Australia Press, 1975. Recommended retail price: $21.00. More than ten years have elapsed since Part III of this ‘How to Know’’ series was published (see review in Muelleria 1: 239-240, July 1967), and 22 years since Part I appeared in 1954. It is now most gratifying to see the work completed, by treatments of the families Solanaceae to Compositae (in Engler & Prantl’s sequence); Goode- niaceae was already presented in Part II. High praise is due to Professor Brian Grieve and the University of Western Australia Press for a splen- didly produced and most useful book. In many ways the present volume is superior to its predecessors, having much more detailed drawings (includ- ing whole plants of the smaller herbs) and a gallery of sixteen attractive colour plates, each of which carries from five to eight pictures of different species. It is an excellent comple- ment to A. H. and A. W. Reed’s re- cently published ‘“‘Flowers and Plants of Western Australia’? (1973). The very strong blue cover is embossed with floral motifs; the useful intro- ductory key to all plant families in Western Australia is repeated, as is the illustrated glossary to botanical terms preceding the index. This fine textbook will be indispens- able to any student wishing to identify the multitudinous flowers of the West — even though its retail price is several times higher than the $5 for Part III. J. H. WILLIs. “Flowers and Plants of New South Wales and Southern Queensland” by E. R. Rotherham, Barbara G. Briggs, D. F. Blaxell and R. C. Carolin 28.5 x 22cm, 192 pp, incl. 35 pp of text (with index) and 556 colour plates. A. H. and A. W. Reed, 1975. Recommended retail price: $18.95. This very commendable book is the third in Reed’s series on Australian Flora in Colour, which began in 1968 with ‘‘Flowers and Plants of Victoria’’. Except for that vast tropical third, the Commonwealth’s wildflowers are now fairly well covered pictorially.. Both format and lay-out follow closely those of the Victorian and Western Australian predecessors, but only vernacular names of wide usage are provided — none have been coined. Plates are arranged under eleven bréad eco-geographical sections, e.g. Heath, Mallee, Alpine and*Subalpine Communities, etc...Green endpaper maps show the 17 major geographic September/October divisions under which Queensland and New South Wales vegetation is dis- cussed. The 556 colour photographs are noteworthy for their beauty, clarity and easy recognition, with quality of reproduction up to the high standard set in the two companion volumes. If there be any questionable feature, it is the re-appearance of 88 species that were already portrayed in “Flowers and Plants of Victoria’’; in- deed, Plate 2 (Avicennia marina, Grey Mangrove) is the selfsame picture as Plate 191in the Victorian book. While some overlapping is perhaps unavoid- able, it would have been advantageous 207 to see most of these repetitive items replaced by plants not _ hitherto illustrated. Except for species ranging widely over Australia, the distribution is set out State by State; but in 26 instances (e.g. Atriplex vesicaria, Bossiaea heterophylla, Pomaderris lanigera and Scaevola aemula) Victoria has been omitted from captions to species well documented for this State. The state- ment that Acacia longifolia var. sophorae is “‘Native to the coast north and south of Sydney, but has been extensively planted elsewhere’’ would seem to imply that this tree is endemic in New South Wales, but it is cer- tainly indigenous and _ widespread throughout the sandy littoral of Vic- toria and Tasmania. Banksia integri- folia, given for “‘Bass Strait Islands’’, has not been observed anywhere in the Strait this century, and the old record for King Island (1876) may be dubious. Fortunately, very few errors seem to have crept into the text. One notices under Plate 349 ‘“‘Chiloglothis”’ instead of Chiloglottis, while the long- familiar name Cassia eremophila (Plate 478) is now generally abandoned in favour of the prior C.nemophila. Plate 203 depicts the orchid Lyperanthus suaveolens, not ‘“‘Orthoceras strictum”’ as stated in both text and index; Plate 462 looks much more like Kochia erioclada than any form of K. pyrami- data, and, anyway, the latter is hardly a “small shrub’? but the tallest of its genus in Australia (sometimes to 2m high). Here then is a welcome botanical book covering the most densely popu- lated part of the Commonwealth which, coincidentally, has the richest and most varied flora of any Aus- tralian State; it is bound to prove popular and useful to the professional plantsman, as well as to wildflower lovers and all cultivators of our native plants. J. H. WILLIS. New Publication available from FNCV Sales Officer “The Mosses of Southern Australia” by George A. M. Scott and IlIma G. Stone; 496 pages; more than 100 species illustrated by Celia Rosser, others described. Published by Academic Press at $29.50; 20% discount to members; add postage. Other publications, including the two reviewed above by Dr Willis, are available from FNCV Sales Officer; discount to members; add postage. Write for a list of titles — include stamped addressed envelope for reply. Mr D. E. McInnes, 129 Waverley Road, East Malvern, 3145, or phone 211 2427. Natural History Medallion Trust Fund We will be pleased to receive donations from organisations that feel this Fund is worthy of their support. The following donations have been received and we thank the donors: Amount invested as at 30 June 1976 .. .. ..°.6 ss 0e os AO EL eee eee Miss-M. McLaren .. 2.066 ee we eee oe ol a 50 Total $369 GARNET JOHNSON, ASSISTANT SECRETARY Errata In the headline to the article by I. C. Morris on page 152 of the August issue (Vic. Nat. 93: 4) the specific name should read Merops ornatus. In the article on Lake Eyre (Vic Nat 93: 4, 148) 6.35 metres below sea level refers to the surrounding area, not to the bed of the lake. 208 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria The Geology Group, FNC V The Geology Group was founded in 1946 when there was a world-wide up- surge of interest in the earth sciences. During its 30 years the Group has aimed to increase that interest and to help pro- vide information on the various aspects of geology. The science has many branches — petrology, mineralogy, palae- ontology, geomorphology, etc., but most members feel that a general interest touching on all aspects provides great satisfaction. However, they are always eager to learn from the specialists among them and from visitors. Meetings and Excursions The Group has a meeting each month and an excursion each month. At the meetings there is an address by a guest speaker or by a Group member. Exhibits are a feature of the meetings and create much fruitful discussion. The monthly excursions are to quarries, volcanic eruption points, fossil sites, or to other areas of geological significance. Transport is by private car but there are usually some spare seats for those who do not drive. On one occasion, the Group surveyed and mapped the aboriginal chipping sites in the “greenstone” at Mt. William near Field Survey Group in recess Since its beginning in 1972, most members of the Field Survey Group have been involved in taxonomic and distribu- tion studies on aspects of Victoria’s in- vertebrate fauna. These projects have been very rewarding for the people con- cerned and it is hoped that eventually they will make an important contribution to scientific knowledge in the fields studied. An on-going project is the publishing of introductory articles in “The Natura- list” on the invertebrate groups that members have specialised in. The first of these should appear early next year. Unfortunately, a fall-off in attendances at meetings and camps made it impos- sible for formal Group activities to be continued successfully. At the July meet- ing, members agreed to suspend meetings and camps until there are enough in- September/October Lancefield. This was done under the supervision of two licensed surveyors in the Group. Collecting, recording, conservation Many members become keen collectors of minerals, fossils or various rock types, but the Group has a long-standing prin- ciple: when specimens are found that are not common to the particular area or cannot be readily identified, they are sent to the National Museum for identification and recording. Without this understand- ing, members could unwittingly conceal information that is vital to our geological history. This precaution is particularly necessary when unexpected fossils are discovered. The Group is concerned about the preservation of geological features and has often brought the attention of local councils and planning bodies to such matters. The Geological Group meets on the first Wednesday of each month at the National Herbarium; excursions are on the second Sunday. All FNCV members are welcome and no previous knowledge of geology is necessary: Group members will gladly help newcomers. terested people to make the Group viable again. With new members, the group could readily return to vigorous activity. No sphere of natural history study is ex- cluded from our aims. ROBIN SANDELL Work meeting of Editorial Committee On Tuesday, 19 October there will be a work meeting of the Editorial Com- mittee at the Editor’s home at 7.30 p.m. sharp. Each member will edit one, two or three articles, and mark them for the printer together with their relevant illus- trations. This will be followed by a pag- ing day, probably on Tuesday 9 or 16 November. Members not on the Committee who wish to attend these editorial work meet- tings should phone the Editor. Two or three extra persons could be fitted in. 209 Reports of FNCV Meetings General Meeting Monday 9 August Speaker for the evening was Dr. Peter Attiwill on “Plants and the atmosphere”. Dr. Attiwill began by describing Joseph Priestley’s experiment of 1772 demon- strating the ability of green plants to “restore air” as Priestley expressed it; as later discovered, this is because they put oxygen into the atmosphere. Thousands of millions of years ago the earth’s at- mosphere had very little free oxygen, and it was probably due to the photo- synthetic activity of microscopic green plants that produced enough oxygen for other forms of life to develop in any quantity. Later, Dr. Attiwill talked about the carbon dioxide that green plants had “locked up” millions of years ago and how this carbon dioxide is now being released in steeply rising amounts by the burning of fossil fuels; and he spoke of modern man’s production of more dust: one activity tends to warm up the earth’s atmosphere, the other to cool it. Although there is enough oxygen in the atmosnhere for millions of years, Dr. Attiwill feels that the increase of carbon dioxide is very disturbing. Exhibits. Cross sections of Sea Urchin spines under six microscopes showed the colour and diversity of these objects and were a most informative follow-up to the article in the August “Naturalist”. A specimen of Turkey Bush Myo- porum deserti had attractive, pendant white flowers about 1 cm across. An in- triguing woody fruit from the Bunya Mountains of Queensland carried the question “‘what is it?”. It was a multiple fruit about 5S cm across; each single fruit had opened out into three sections, very thick and woody, and each section contained a 4 cm black seed neatly fit- ting in its own woody hollow. New Secretary needed. Dr. Alan Par- kin has resigned as he is off to Norway for further study. The President asked for a volunteer to replace him and stressed that the job is not heavy as our Assistant-Secretary, Mr. Garnet Johnson, handles all correspondence. Other Officers. The appointment of Mr. Reuben Kent as a Council member was announced. We need another Coun- cil member and a Vice-President. Council consists of 13 persons. All members can- not always attend and the Council Meet- 210 ing is likely to lack the necessary quorum of seven if we have not our full quota of Council members. Any FNCV mem- ber who can spare a little extra time (another meeting each month and some attentive thought) should consider offer- ing his/her services as a Council mem- ber or as an Officer, even if it can be only for a six-month period. “The Naturalist.” The Editor asked members to show more interest in the journal they finance — a journal that has a recognised standing and world-wide distribution. This interest could take the form of contributing articles and nature notes, by criticising the contents and ap- pearance of the journal — both favour- ably and unfavourably, by consciously reading more of the journal than they usually do, by expressing appreciation to authors when articles are particularly enjoyed. If members have difficulty in preparing material for publication, simply apply to one of the Editorial Committee and he will help you. Black Rock Junior FNC seeks leaders for excursions. Persons willing to give a half day or full day service should con- tact Mark Bailey, 31 Potter Street, Black Rock, phone 598 1137. General Meeting Monday 13 September The speaker was Mr S. J. Cowling of the Fisheries and Wildlife Division of the Ministry for Conservation. The Division is the oldest of the conservation agencies and operated successively under various departments as ideas changed. These days, the basic objectives of the Division are to ensure perpetuation of animal species by conserving wildlife populations and their habitat. Exhibits included rock specimens from Euroa — rhyodacite, aplite and, under a microscope, black tourmaline crystals. Also under a microscope were some gar- net crystals from the Violet Town volcanics. There was a bag of sand from Cooper Nook, N.S.W., and separate bags showed the minerals that are mined from that sand — monazite, rutile and zircon. A crystal of chiastolite showed the characteristic X pattern down the centre formed by carbon impurities; ‘‘chi’’ is Greek for the letter X, hence the name. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 (Continued from page 170.) GROUP MEETINGS (All members are invited to attend any Group Meeting, no other payment.) At the National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra, at 8.00 p.m. First Wednesday in the Month—Geology Group. 3 November—“‘Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics.”’ Dr Chris Gray, La Trobe University. 1 December—‘‘Members’ Night, slides and exhibits.” Third Wednesday in the Month—Microscopical Group. 20 October, 17 November—Members’ Exhibits and Discussion. Second Thursday in the Month—Botany Group. 14 October—‘‘Propagation of Native Plants.’’ Mr F. Jeffs. 11 November—‘“‘Aquatic Plants—Paddling after Puzzles.’’ Miss Helen Aston. 9 December—‘‘Members’ Night.” Each meeting includes a quarter-hour address for beginners, various subjects. At the Conference Room, The Museum, Melbourne, at 8.00 p.m. First Monday in the Month—Marine Biology and Entomology Group. 1 November, 6 December—Members’ Exhibits. At the Arthur Rylah Institute, Brown Street, Heidelberg, at 8.00 p.m. First Thursday in the Month—Mammal Survey Group. 4 November—‘“‘Film Night.”’ 2 December—‘‘Members’ Discussion Night.”’ GROUP EXCURSIONS All Members are invited to attend Group Excursions. Day Group—Third Thursday in the Month. Thursday, 21 October—Maranoa Gardens. Meet at Entrance 11.30a.m. Mont Albert tram in Collins Street, No. 42, alight at Kireep Road. Thursday, 18 November—Tour of Tintern School grounds (Ringwood). Leader, Miss M. Doery. Meet at Ringwood East Station at 11.15 a.m. Train leaves Flinders Street at 10.25 a.m., arrives Ringwood East 11.07 a.m. Geology Group Sunday, 10 October—‘“‘The Island, Werribee Gorge.’ Mr J. Myers. Meet at Bacchus Marsh, 10.30 a.m. Saturday-Sunday, 13-14 November—Meet at Yea Post Office, 11.00 a.m., Saturday. Arrangements for a week-end stay to be decided at next meeting. Botany Group—aAll members welcome. Week-end, 9-10 October—The Grampians (leave Melbourne Friday evening). Saturday, 30 October—Orchids—Mornington Peninsula. Leader, Mr Ian Morrison. Saturday, 13 November (afternoon)—Aquatic Plants. Leader, Miss Helen Aston. Saturday, 27 November—Grange Heathland. Saturday, 11 December—Mr. Donna Buang. Leader, Mr Ian Morrison. GROUP CAMP NOTICES The Mammal Survey will hold a camp at The Switzerland Ranges, 20-21 November. (Details—Stephen Harwood, 53 1357.) Christmas Camp to be arranged, details later. September/October 211 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Established 1880 OBJECTS: To stimulate interest in natural history and to preserve and protect Australian fauna and flora. Members include beginners as well as experienced naturalists. Patron: His Excellency the Honorable Sir HENRY WINNEKE, K.C.M.G., O.B.E., Q.C. Key Honorary Office-Bearers, 1975-1976. President: Mrs. MARGARET CORRICK, 7 Glenluss Street, Balwyn, 3103. (857 9937.). Vice-President: Secretary: Assistant Secretary (correspondence): Mr. GARNET JOHNSON, 20 Sydare Avenue, Chadstone, 3148. (56 3227.) Treasurer — Subscription Secretary: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Rd., East Malvern, 3145. (211 2427.) Editor: Miss M. J. LESTER, 4/210 Domain Road, South Yarra, 3141. (26 1967.) aie Mr. J. MARTINDALE, c/o National Herbarium, The Domain, South aria. Excursion Secretary: Miss M. ALLENDER, 19 Hawthorn Avenue, Caulfield, 3161. (527 2749.) Sales Officer: Mr. D. E. McINNES, 129 Waverley Road, East Malvern, 3135. (211 2427.) Archives Officer: Mr. CALLANAN, 29 Reynards St., Coburg, 3058. Tel. 36 0587. Group Secretaries Botany: Mrs. RUTH ANDERS, 7 Barrington Drive, Ashwood, 3137. (25 3816.) Day Group: Miss D. M. BELL, 17 Tower Street, Mont Albert, 3127. (89 2850.) Field Survey: R. D. SANDELL, 39 Rubens Gve., Canterbury, 3126. (83 8009) Geology: Mr. T. SAULT. Mammal Survey: Mr. STEPHEN HARWOOD, 5 Prentice Street, Elsternwick, 3185. (53 1357) Microscopical: Mr. M. H. MEYER, 36 Milroy St., East Brighton. (96 3268.) 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 1975 Metropolitan a r: ae ae re oe : *y: foi. as $10.00 Joint Metropolitan .. ay des oe sie ri af Bs eh ae wSili2s50 Joint Retired Members ; $10.00 Country Subscribers, and Retired Persons over 65. i eh ae os Ao $8.00 Joint Country o it ee im Nt - 3. $10.00 Junior ae ie 2 a a ue Mee i $2.50 Subscriptions to Vict. Nat. d at ; = ; a we ps $8.00 Overseas Subscription PEs ae 2 on oe is, bh es , $10.00 Junior with “‘Naturalist’” .. in. ne: nce et oo ae ve ae $8.00 Individual Magazines ye $3) $1.20 All subscriptions should be made baa to the Field Neturatiet Club of Wictoue and posted to the Subscription Secretary. 6 JENKIN BUXTON PRINTERS PTY. LTD., WEST MELBOURNE November’December, 1976 SPECIAL COAST ISSUE No.1 Published by the FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA in which is incorporated the Microscopical Society of Victoria $l-20 Category “B” FNCV DIARY OF COMING EVENTS At the National Herbarium, The Domain, South Yarra. GENERAL MEETINGS Monday, 13 December (8.00 p.m.)— Speaker—Dr Elizabeth K. Turner. Subject—‘“‘In Darwin’s Footsteps to the Galapagos Islands.”’ Monday, 10 January (8.00 p.m.)— Subject—‘“‘Members’ Night’’—Short talks with slides on various subjects. Convener: Mr Ian Cameron (86 7035). Monday, 14 February (8.00 p.m.)— Speakers—Miss Mary Doery and Mr Ian Morrison. Subject—FNCV Bus Trip to N.S.W., August-September, 1976. New Members—December General Meeting: Ordinary: Mrs Joan Anderson, 18 Grosvenor Street, Mid Brighton 3186 (Botany, Marine, Entomology). Mr C. Henshaw, 4 Pelling Road, Murrumbeena 3163 (Botany). Miss Juliana M. Koth, 21 Smart Street, Hawthorn 3122 (Mammal Survey, Botany). Mr Michael J. McBain, 17/1 Fulton Street, East St Kilda 3182 (Botany, Geology). Mrs Gabi Rosos, 1/11 Irving Avenue, Windsor 3181 (Geology, Ecology). Mr Michael Schramme, 4/9 Robe Street, St Kilda 3182. Mr Fabio Zudich, 5 Mary Avenue, West Heidelberg 3083 (Mammal and Field Survey). Joint: Mr. Peter Burchill and Mrs Rita Burchill, 10 Gleeson Drive, Bundoora 3083. Mr Robert D. Thompson and Mrs F. R. Thompson, 23 Byron Street, Box Hill South 3128. Country: Mr A. E. Logan, ‘‘Wodara’’, Carobost, Wagga Wagga, N.S.W. 2650 (Orchids). Ms Christine Riley, 1201 Acton Road, Cambridge, Tas. 7170. Mr Jeffrey A. Wauchope, Ormiston Gorge, C/- P.O. Box 1046, Alice Springs, N.T. 5750. FNCV EXCURSIONS Saturday, 1.1.1977-Sunday, 9.1.1977—Burnie, Tasmania. Led by the Burnie F.N. Club. The plane (T.A.A.) will leave at 9.00 a.m. and the connecting coach from 50 Franklin Street at 8.10a.m. The accommodation is at the Club Hotel, Mount Street, Burnie, on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis. The cost of the trip should have been paid by the time this issue of the Naturalist is received and it is hoped the $200.00 will now cover transport in Tasmania. We will be going on day trips on Sunday and Monday and it might be advisable to include something for picnic lunches on these days as they will be holidays. On the return flight the plane will leave for Melbourne at 3.00 p.m. Sunday, 16th January—French Island. Leader Mr T. Sault. The Stony Point express leaves Flinders Street at 9.27 a.m. and connects with the Cowes ferry which stops at Tankerton on request. Bring two meals. Sunday, 20 February—A Marine Biology Excursion led by Dr Brian Smith. Details will appear in the next Naturalist. (Continued on page 259) 214 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Mt The Victorian Naturalist Volume 93, Number 6 8 December 1976 Editor: Margery J. Lester Committee: Margaret Corrick, Reuben Kent, Roland Myers, Brian Smith, Grif Ward Channels in Shore Platforms, by E.D.Gill .. .. .. .. .. .. 216 Birds of the Victorian Coast, by Jack Wheeler... .. .. .. .. 221 Animals that make Shells, by E.A.Bishop .. .. .. .. .. .. 224 Two new Molluscs for Victoria, by A.E.Monger .. .. .. .. 226 An introduction to Galeolaria, by D.E.McInnes .. .. .. .. 228 Cryptic Molluscs among Galeolaria, by R.Burn & K.N.Bell 232 Intertidal Crabs of Victoria, by Geoff Wescott .. .. .. .. .. 237 Eucalypts along the Victorian Coast, by Pat Carolan... .. .. 246 Bush-peas of Victoria, by M.G.Corrick .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 250 Habitat of Swamp Antechinus, by J.W.Wainer & R.J.Gibson 253 Generic Names of Victorian Flora, by J.A.Baines .. .. .. .. 256 Field Naturalists Club of Victoria: Marine Biology & Entomology Group 257, Reports of Meetings 258 - Cover illustration: Rough Rock Crab Nectocarcinus tiberculosus, see page 237. Photograph by B.Pump. Channels in Shore Platforms —a world of their own BY EDMUND D. GILL* Australia possesses some of the most energetic coasts in the world. The Southern Ocean is the dynamo that provides this power, which arrives chiefly in the form of swell. Because most Australian tides are of small range, and the marine attack is concentrated in that range, many ex- cellent shore platforms exist on the rocky coasts, especially in the southern part of the continent. As the cutting of the platforms is a function of ocean energy, they occur on headlands and on exposed coasts. However, platforms are not continuous. They are charac- teristically divided by channels. These constitute an ecologic unit of their own —a world in itself. 1. Channels as Boulder-makers Most boulders are made in rivers. On the Otway coast of Victoria, for example, more boulders are found in the vicinity of river mouths than any- where else. However, the channels also are factories for the making of boulders and pebbles. Angular pieces of rock from cliff falls are swept by waves into channels, as also are rocks quarried from platform edges or plucked from platform surfaces. An- gular rocks are also levered from channel walls by the uprush of surf and the subsequent backwash. Even on platforms that are very resistant to marine attack, a great deal of abrasion occurs in the channels. The angler can feel through his line the movement of boulders on the channel floor, and the sinker can be- come buried and irretrievable if left unattended. 216 2. Channels as Ecologic units The oxygen-rich surf zone has a large biota both in species and in num- bers. But the channel has a different range of life forms from both the platform edge and the _ platform surface. Let us again take the Otway coast aS an example. The large kelp Dur- villea potatorum common in Victoria and Tasmania, is characteristic of open coast sites. It ranges along the plat- form edge, but does not inhabit the channels. In an open sea situation, the tops of the kelp holdfasts mark mean low water level. Similarly, the ascidian (sea-squirt) Pyura forms a band in the vicinity of low sea level on the open coast, but does not continue up the channels. On the other hand, Galeolaria the marine worm with a calcareous exo- skeleton, builds its white tubes on rock surfaces in the surf zone, but not where the sea makes a frontal attack. Galeolaria can thus be found in various Sheltered spots along the edge of the platform, but more extensively in the channels. Where best developed, it forms a white band on the channel wall, and the top of the band marks mean sea level. *1/47 Wattle Valley Road, Canterbury. Plate 1 Upper. Near horizontal supratidal shore platform in Lower Cretaceous arkose about 1km SW of Point Sturt, Otway coast, Vic- toria, Australia. Note two channels beyond the platform; they originated by the sea eroding along major joint planes. Lower. Surf spreading. across the above platform, As it is horizontal there is no backwash. The water runs from the back of the platform into channels, and so returns to the sea. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 November/December 217 Photographs by author. 218 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Channels have a range of seaweeds, calcareous algae, molluscs and other forms of life that populate the rock surfaces except for those of the mobile boulders and pebbles. At the head of the channel there are often boulders too big to be moved, and on these various life forms make their homes. 3. Channels as Refugia On the Otway coast parrot fish are the normal inhabitants of channels and platform edges. Young sweep may be found in the channels from time to time, and probably occupy them as refugia from marauding larger fish. However, occasionally the channels carry fish that are far from their normal habitat. Mr Ian Hunt, a fisher- man at Lorne, told me that he has seen a channel full of barracouta driven in by attacking dolphins. One evening at dusk I caught two “‘sea cod” in a channel but know of no other occurrence in this habitat. Most people did not know what they were. 4. The Channel as a Water System On an open beach, the energies of the restless sea are dissipated by the waves breaking to surf, then running up the beach, ard returning as back- wash that battles the next incoming surf line. The beach is essentially a ramp, where gravity works against the water running up it, and pulls the backwash back into the sea. Plate 2 Upper. Lower Cretaceous siltstone platform with low seaward dip (ramp) graded to low water level, NE of the platform shown in Plate 1. The boundary between the siltstone and the arkose is a fault, and the photo shows the siltstone beds curved against the fault line. Lower left. Gulch at Artillery Rocks, Ot- way coast, filled with heavy surf, May, 1975. Note the calcitic concretions on arkose pedestals. Lower right. The beginning of a channel. The sea is quarrying along major joint planes in the arkose platform on the SE side of Reedy Creek, NE of Lorne, Otway Coast. November/December The softer rocks form similar ramps, and some beaches are veneers of sand over such ramps. However, the harder rocks have not yet had time (since the sea returned to its present level from the Last Glacial low) to evolve ramps, and so platforms stand at all manner of levels. At Lorne, between the supratidal platform at Stony Creek and the mouth of the Erskine River, a gradation of levels occurs until the beach takes over at the river mouth. Whereas on a beach or a ramp- platform the sea runs up the incline, then down again, the sea breaks over a supratidal horizontal shore platform, and spreads across it, often in a series of fans. As the platform is horizontal, there is no backwash. Then where can the water go? It runs off the back of the platform into channels, which are the conduits for conducting the water back to the sea. Supratidal platforms look flat, but their profile near the cliff is slightly arched so as to lead the water to the channel. Occasionally gutters are excavated by the sea at the back of the platform to assist this process. In addition to conducting away the waters from horizontal and irregular platforms, the channels have their own system of advancing and retreat- ing waves and surf. So the waters of the channel are the most turbulent, and as a result the most oxygenated, of all the coastal ecologies. 5. Channels as Marine Structures The architecture of channels is the work of the sea. They are usually built at right angles to the waves, the direc- tion of energy input. However, if there is a band of weaker rock oblique to the platform edge, this material will be preferentially eroded, resulting in a channel at an angle to the platform edge. All channels are a function of weaker rocks being more _ rapidly eroded by the waves. The weakness 219 may be in the lithology, or due to in- ternal structures such as_ bedding planes, joints or faults. Some channels are in early stages of development, while others are mature. Some are narrow and deep, while others are wide and shallow. When deeper than wide they can be called gulches. Because the channel floor is usually covered with rocks that abrade it, erosion extends down below low water level. The head of a channel may be at a cliff, or in a cave cut in a cliff. More commonly the head of a channel cor- responds to a gully or other negative feature on land. The subaerial forces have worked down the same zone of rock weakness that the sea exploited to carve the channel. Museum of Coastal Geomorphology Point Sturt on the SW side of Wye River on the Otway coast of Victoria is noticed by travellers along the Ocean Road because of the radio tele- phone installation on it. About 1 km SW of the Point there is a small head- land of Lower Cretaceous massive arkose that has resisted the attack of the sea. On the seaward edge is an excellent supratidal horizontal plat- form, with a dip slope at the edge of about 10°. On the NE side of the head- land, the arkose suddenly cuts out, and the shore is inset. This is because a fault brings in the 100% more ero- dable siltstone, which forms a low ramp with a beach at the back. A channel has developed along the fault plane, and another nearby to the SW where the arkose has been weakened by a series of large joint planes. The latter channel passes up into an abandoned channel where coastal tea-tree and other shrubs grow up through the rocks. At the top of the channel is a platform (parking space) cut during the Last Interglacial when the sea was 7.5m higher. Other channels exist further SW again, and they also are due to large joint planes. Beyond the Otways are the cliffs of earthy limestone at Port Campbell, and of aeolianite from Lake Gillear to Warrnambool. The latter contrast in both rate and mode of channel ero- sion, showing that channels can form in different ways at different rates in different rocks! Another coast issue in February There has been a great response from writers with coastal material, and there will now be two coast issues —this one and February 1977. It was not easy to decide which articles should appear in December and which should be withheld until Febru- ary. However, the Editorial Committee agreed that we should carry out our usual aim of providing material on a variety of interests in each issue, but with particular emphasis on marine biology in this one. In February, there will be more articles on coastal geology, plants, mammals and birds. 220 Articles for this issue were received well on time; we thank all writers and apologise to those who may have made a particular effort to meet the deadline but whose work is being withheld until February. Although this issue contains four pages more than usual, it could not accommodate all the material. One environment for an issue seems to be a good idea and the Editorial Committee is considering another special issue for next December. If readers have any suggestions regarding subject matter, please send them to the editor. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Some Birds of the Victorian Coast BY JACK WHEELER* Bass Strait is a natural corridor or fly-way for many species of sea birds which frequent both the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. On the other hand, the Strait is a barrier to certain land-locked species, fourteen of which are endemic to Tasmania and its islands. There are also many mainland species that have never attempted the crossing to Tas- mania, one being the Kookaburra which has been introduced. Even two of our most common mainland species, the Willie Wagtail and the Peewee, are only stragglers to the south. However, many species do move between Tasmania and Aus- tralia, including many of our migrants. Sea birds that breed in burrows Sea birds, no doubt, have bred for centuries on the Bass Strait islands and other islands off our coasts. None is better known than the Short-tailed Shearwater which returns every Sep- tember with clockwork precision from its remarkable migration to the Arctic region. Some of the islands are riddled with countless thousands of nesting burrows. The birds are best observed at dusk during the breeding season throughout summer at Phillip Island, Muttonbird Island (near Port Campbell) and Griffith Island at Port Fairy. After a day at sea, each arrives at dusk to feed its mate incu- bating the single egg, or the hungry chick alone in the nesting burrow. During daylight hours, it is an amaz- ing sight to watch huge flocks of these birds feeding off shore. After the Short-tailed Shearwater has migrated northwards, its smaller November/December cousin the Fluttering Shearwater pro- vides a similar interest during the winter months, the birds having crossed the Tasman from New Zea- land, often in flocks of countless thousands. Another of our coastal birds is of course the Little Penguin, often re- ferred to as the Fairy Penguin; it also breeds in burrows. Thousands of tourists at Phillip Island are enter- tained by these birds when they arrive in the evening to feed their young. One pair of Penguins continually takes up residence in an old cannon resting on the sand at lonely Fort Island, immediately south of Sorrento. The White-faced Storm Petrel, often referred to by sailors as “Mother Carey Chickens”, is another species that nests in burrows. The two Vic- torian rookeries are within Port Phillip Bay; one is at Mud Island and the second, an overflow rookery, is to the east on Fort Island where it occupies almost every available space. Each year, observers make _ special trips to Mud Island to watch these dainty birds arrive — usually around 9 p.m. after a day of feeding miles out in the ocean. Well before dawn they are off again for another day at sea. Other sea birds Off shore, the Australian Gannet is frequently seen. It is not quite so handsome on the wing as the Alba- tross, but is untiring in its search for shoals of small fish. It gives a remark- able display of near-vertical diving, *72 James Street, Belmont, 3216 221 and often remains under water for several seconds. Gannets breed on Lawrence Rocks near Portland, and on Black Pyramid Rock near King Island. Ten years ago, a tiny overflow of Lawrence Rocks birds established a breeding rookery on a pile light in Port Phillip Bay known as the Wedge. The writer visits there every season to band the chicks, over seventy of which have now been reared. There are two raw sewage outfalls on the Victorian coast, one at Black Rock near Barwon Heads and the other at Point Danger, Warrnambool. Each winter, near these points there are excellent opportunities for observ- ing both species of Giant Petrel which visit there to feed, having bred in sub-antarctic rookeries. The Southern Giant Petrel sometimes exhibits a white phase bird, although it has some brown to black mottling on _ the feathers. There is little doubt that the num- ber of Silver Gulls is increasing along our coastline, although most of the breeding occurs at inland rookeries. Often seen with them are the larger Pacific Gulls. Together with the latter, keen observers may identify the Dominican Gull of New Zealand. It is slightly smaller, and when in flight reveals a pure white tail. These birds have recently been seen at Lakes En- trance and Airey’s Inlet. Wading birds Wading birds are almost a study on their own and without that fine book- let published by the Bird Observers Club “Field Guide to Waders’, the average observer finds it most diffi- cult to positively identify particular birds. Waders may be seen in a number of areas — Altona Salt Works, Little River and Werribee Sewerage Farm, Avalon, Moolap Salt Pans, Swan 222 Island, Queenscliff and particularly Mud Island. At any of these localities species which may be seen include Dotterels, _ Godwits, | Greenshanks, Knots, Plovers (Golden and Grey), Sandpipers, Stints and ‘Turnstones. Some of these species winter here and do not fly north to breed. Even the large Eastern Curlew has remained. During winter, the lovely Double- banded Dotterel from New Zealand may be seen occasionally. Along any beach, particularly in remote areas, the Red Oystercatcher may be observed, but there is concern that so few Sooty Oystercatchers and Double-banded Dotterels are seen. The several estuaries in this State also. provide excellent areas for waders. The Pelican, White Egret and White-faced Heron frequent these areas, and on occasions the White- necked Heron. Other birds of the coastland A walk near the beach might result in sighting the watchful Kestrels or the Black-shouldered Kite hovering high or, if in east Gippsland, the majestic White-bellied Sea Eagle. Where bushland is close to the sea as at Lorne and Mallacoota, many species of bush birds can be seen — from dainty Grey Fantails to robust Crimson Rosellas. Australian Gannets with young at nesting site on Lawrence Rocks, Portland. Photograph by author. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Two favourite haunts of the writer are along the coast west of Port Campbell and at Point Addis. The former is where stunted shrubs and tussocks give cover to one of our most delicate species of bird — the Southern Emu Wren. It has been ob- served here within a stone’s throw of the ocean, but has disappeared from many other localities. At Point Addis, the elusive Rufous Bristle Bird may be stalked amidst the stunted melaleuca scrub at the base of tall cliffs, and its distinctive note can be heard answered by its mate. Superb Blue Wrens and tiny White-browed Scrub Wrens share the habitat with the Bristle Bird. One could fill many pages covering this subject, but let the foregoing whet the reader’s appetite for more ex- ploration, whether it be at Portland or Mallacoota, or during a quiet stroll at Sorrento. Book Review “The Care of sick, injured and orphaned Native Birds and Animals” By Jack Wheeler. 10cm x 18cm, 20 pp. Published by Geelong Field Naturalists Club. High speed vehicles, overhead cables, oil pollution of waterways and systemic poisons have all contributed to the in- crease in present day hazards to our birds and animals. Often, when such hazards are the cause of an injury to either, it is probable that neither veter- inary service nor Fauna Authority is nearby to give advice. It is at such a time, that some know- ledge of what should be done may prove invaluable in treating the injury and providing aftercare; and with the pub- lishing of this small book, that know- ledge is readily available. Within its pages, details of the initial treatment, housing and feeding of both birds and animals are given; and special sections dealing with orphans, oiled sea birds and window-crash birds, together with many other species are included. The booklet has been produced for free distribution and already has been sent to every school library in Victoria; it is now going to public libraries and to conservation groups. Individual orders should include postage: one copy 20c, 2-3 30c, 4-6 60c. Obtain them from Mr J. R. Wheeler, 72 James Street, Belmont, 3216. G. M. WARD Cuttle-bone Cuttle-bone is often washed up on our beaches, but few people know where it comes from. Many are surprised to find that this “bone” is actually the Shell of a mollusc for it does not look at all like a sea shell. The cuttlefish, the animal that produces the cuttle-bone, is a highly modified mollusc and is more closely related to the squid and octopus than to other molluscs. Although cuttle-bone is equivalent to Sr x S i, CUTTLE-BONE = November/December the shell of ordinary molluscs, it is inside the body of the animal, along the back. The cuttle-bone contains a great number of gas chambers, and the buoy- ancy of the animal can be adjusted by altering the amount of gas in the cham- bers. It also serves as a sort of skeleton to support muscles, so the term ‘‘bone”’ is not so very wrong after all! Like squids, the cuttlefish has ten long arms at the front. It is a predatory ani- mal, the well-developed eyes being used for sighting the prey, the arms. for catching it, and it can change colour rapidly to camouflage with its sur- roundings. ROSALIND ST CLAIR, EAST MALVERN 223 Animals that make Shells BY E. A. BisHop, MARINE BIOLOGY Group, FNCV On the beaches of Port Phillip Bay, on the long coastline of Gippsland, below the cliffs of the west Victorian coasts, we find shells. They are the protective coverings of a most interest- ing group of animals. These animals have been given the name ‘molluscs’ from the Latin mollis, meaning soft; they have soft bodies and are not supported by any internal framework such as a skeleton. There are about fifteen thousand species of molluscs in Australian waters with about three thousand recorded from Victoria. Some characteristic features of molluscs The shell of a mollusc is produced by special cells in the mantle. This is a sheet-like extension of the body that lies closely against the inside of the shell. Gills project into the space be- tween the mantle and the main body of the animal. Sometimes, the mantle has remarkable colours. With the tro- pical Giant Clam, it is the mantle that tourists look at with admiration rather than the shell. A noticeable characteristic of mol- luscs is the muscular thickening of the undersurface of the body to form what is called the “‘foot’’. In the gas- tropods (snails and limpets) the foot is a means of creeping locomotion, and the limpets also use it as an organ of attachment. The foot of a bivalve is wedge-shaped and serves as a burrow- ing tool. A structure unique to molluscs is the radula. This is like a flexible file that is extended from the mouth and used for rasping food. (See Dr Smith’s account of snail feeding in the last 224 issue: Vic Nat 93, 5, 186-7.) Bivalves are filter feeders and do not have a radula. Eggs and young Eggs may be laid singly or in vast numbers contained in formations characteristic of the particular species — straps or ribbons of various kinds, Strings, rafts, capsules, or blobs of jelly. These egg-masses are often washed up on beaches. One of the sand snails Ectosinum zonale has a peculiar egg-mass. Hold one up to the light and you will see that it consists of thousands of micro- scopic eggs lying between and _ sur- rounded by sand grains that are glued together in a compact layer, the whole mass looking like a collar. It can be five or six centimetres across. The eggs hatch into tiny larvae, quite unlike their parents and capable of swimming. These larvae (veligers) float about with the tides as plankton, together with other larvae and minute animals and plants. The Anemone Cone _ Floraconus anemone, which is found in Victorian waters, is known to have direct de- velopment. Numbers of small, flask- shaped egg-capsules are attached to a rock; the juveniles break through an ‘“‘escape hatch” and crawl off as minia- ture snails, each equipped with a tiny fragile shell already recognisable as that of a cone. Various ways of living A few molluscs continue a plank- tonic existence all their lives. The Violet Snail and Ram’s-horn Shell are floating creatures carried by the ocean currents. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 MANTLE CAVITY SIPHON OPERCULUM TENTACLES FOOT A carnivorous gastropod. The mouth part of carnivores is extended forward as a snout or proboscis. Many carnivores have a siphon, and there is usually a groove or channel where the siphon emerges at the shell opening. The Violet Snail Janthina is known as the “floating shell of the high seas’’. The shell can be up to four centi- metres across and is very thin and fragile. It is strange that a gastropod mollusc complete with shell should be a floating creature, but it is achieved by a remarkable secretion from the foot that produces a float of foam-like mass. To the underside of this float, a series of egg-capsules are fastened in the breeding season. Janthina feeds on other planktonic animals. In contrast to Janthina, the Ram’s- horn Shell Spirula spirula is a creature of the depths, floating along on the deep currents of the ocean. Specimens have been taken in plankton nets at depths of 200 to 2000 metres. Most molluscs live in coastal waters or in the intertidal zone and many feed on seaweeds, the leafy kinds or the smaller or encrusting ones. The radula is a splendid rasping tool as the gardener sadly knows with land snails. Generally they feed at night. Limpets settle themselves in one place on a rock but move away to graze, each always returning to its own indented spot. With the suction and muscular action of the foot they can make themselves capable of with- standing rough seas; it is almost im- possible to move them once they are aware of danger. Some molluscs are carnivorous and even feed on other molluscs. They are capable of drilling a hole in the shell November/December of their victim and sucking out the animal. A few carnivores, such as whelks, are able to get under the operculum, the hard trap-door that closes the opening of many gastropods. Bivalves are found on open beaches, on mud flats and estuaries, often bur- rowing under the sand where they can go to a depth of 30 centimetres. They have no radula and feed by a filter system. Most bivalves have two pro- jecting tubes or siphons; water enters through the inhalent siphon, passes across the gills and goes out through the exhalent siphon. During its pas- sage across the gills, both oxygen and food particles are drawn from the water; the oxygen passes directly into the blood stream in the gills, and the food particles are directed to the mouth. One bivalve, Hairy Ark Barbatia pistachia, is amongst the few inverte- brate animals that have red blood. It is not like the red blood of back- boned animals in regard to its cor- puscles, but contains a red pigment related to haemoglobin, and so is un- like that of blue-blooded lobsters or crabs. The waters of tropical areas are very rich in molluscs, many of which have brightly coloured shells. But the ani- mals within the superb tropical shells are built on the same pattern as the animals in the less brilliant shells of temperate areas. The colour of a mol- lusc’s protective covering — the shell — is partly determined by environ- mental factors. SIPHONS A typical bivalve. A bivalve has no head or eyes, although some _ species have _light- sensitive spots at the mantle edge. 225 Two new Molluscs recorded for Victoria BY ALAN E. MONGER* While collecting in shell sand at Honeysuckle Point, Shoreham, during May 1973, I picked up a limpet-like shell quite unlike any I had seen before. Although empty of animal it was in perfect condition and at first glance looked like Zeacrypta with its tiny shelf covering part of the aperture. However, it possessed a slit and fine latticed sculpture which showed the family to be Fissurellidae. A look at Cotton’s ‘South Australian Mollusca’”’ gave the genus as Zeidora A. Adams 1860 (synonyms Crepiemarginula Seguenzin 1880, Legrandia Beddome 1883 and Zidora Fischer 1885). Only two species of this genus have been described from South-east Aus- tralia; Z.lodderae (Tate & May, 1900) Z.tasmanica (Beddome 1883). A _ sy- nonym of the latter is Z./egrandi (Tate 1894). The Shoreham specimen was identified as Z.tasmanica. At the time of Tate’s writing his note on the genus (Tate 1894) there were only six species known in the world, two of which were fossil. More are now known, but they are few and far between and apparently inhabit deep water, although May recorded a specimen of ‘“‘Z.legrandi’> from the littoral zone at Leven, North Tas- mania. Beddome’s description of Legrandia tasmanica was quite unsatisfactory and there was no figure to help mat- ters. Tate described his Z.legrandi in detail although without a figure and while noting that his species was twice the size of Beddome’s, stated that there was a distinct possibility that they were one and the same species. This was later confirmed by Tate and May (1900). 226 The description of Z.tasmanica is as follows: Shell cap-shaped, very flat, delicate, elliptical in outline with a deep anterior fissure and a narrow furrow extending from the fissure to the apex. Apex minute, hooked, al- most reaching the posterior margin. Colour, pale brown. Sculpture of obli- quely radial and concentric threadlets producing an elegant cancellation. The aperture margin is finely serrated. On the inside which is smooth and glossy, is a narrow crescent-shaped shelf at the posterior end. Dimensions: 9.5mm x 6.0 x 2.0 height. Zeidora lodderae (Tate & May) was originally incorrectly described and figured as Z.tasmanica by Hedley, but Tate and May later recognised it as a separate species. It is much smaller than Z.tasmanica but otherwise very similar in appearance. The one strik- ing difference is that the apex of *Honorary Associate in Invertebrates, National Museum of Victoria. = ; = n > US = Saws <2ND SA SAN \ sr Figure 1. Zeidora tasmanica. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Figure 2. Rimulanax corolla. Z.lodderae overhangs the posterior edge of the shell. During the HMAS ‘“Kimbla” ex- pedition of November 1973, a second specimen of Z.tasmanica was dredged in eastern Bass Strait. It was about the same size as the Shoreham specimen and somewhat bleached. The fact that Z.tasmanica is found in South Australia and Tasmania makes it not surprising that it has at last turned up in Victoria and can be added to the list of Victorian Marine Mollusca. Dredging from the “‘Kimbla’’ pro- duced a number of specimens of Rimulanax corolla (Verco 1908) also from the family Fissurellidae. The easternmost record was in 274m depth, off Cape Howe, and the southernmost was in 421m depth off Flinders Island. The description of R.corolla is: Shell thin, roundly ovate, depressed conic; colour white; apex spiral, recurved backwards; a perforation occupies the middle third of the anterior dorsal slope; between the perforation and the apex, its previous site is closed by sunken plates; between it and the mar- gin is a distinct rib fissured super- ficially throughout; the whole shell covered by as many as 90 radial ribs which crenulate the edge; between the ribs concentric lamellae form tiny scales which however are barely visible on the tops of the ribs; internally a small shelf or septum convex towards the interior, hides the upper part of the perforation; dimensions up to 18mm x 15.5mm x 5mm height. This beautiful little shell was only known previously from deep water off South Australia. It is unfortunate that no live specimens were taken off the ‘“‘Kimbla”’ expedition, but the shells that were obtained were in such good condition for such a fragile species that it can be safely assumed that they were living in the immediate vicinity of dredging operations and that there- fore their known range has been ex- tended to far eastern Victoria. At the moment, the Shoreham speci- men of Z.tasmanica and one specimen of R.corolla are in my collection. The remainder of the specimens from the ‘*Kimbla”’ collections are housed in the National Museum of Victoria. REFERENCES Beddome, C. E., 1883. Description of some new marine shells of Tasmania, Proc. Roy. Soc. Tas. for 1882: 167-170. Cotton, B. C., 1959. South Australian Mollusca, Archaeogastrovoda. Adelaide. Hedley, C., 1900. Studies of Australian Mollusca. Pt. 1. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 25: 87-100. Mav, W. L. (revised by J. H. MacPherson), 1958. An Illustrated Index of Tasmanian Shells. Tas- mania. Tate, R.. 1894. On the Occurrence of the Fissurellid genus Zidora in Australian waters. Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 18: 118-119. Tate, R., and W. L. May, 1900. Descriptions of new genera and species of Australian Mollusca (chiefly Tasmanian). Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 24: 90-103. Tate, R., and W. L. May, 1901. A revised census of the marine Mollusca of Tasmania. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 26: 344-417. Verco, J. C.. 1908. Notes on South Australian ter Mollusca. Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 32: AVAILABLE FROM FNCV SALES OFFICER “Readers Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds”. 616 pages. Discount to members. Postage $1.25 in Victoria. November/December 227, Galeolaria — the white, Coral-like Growth seen on rocks at low tide BY D. E. McINNES, MARINE BIOLOGY Group, FNCV Everyone scrambling along a rocky shore sees a layer of white coral-like material on rocks exposed at low tide. This growth can also be seen on the piles of a pier and particularly well along the fence of sea-water baths as in Fig. 1. The white layer extends in a level band that is just covered at high tide and well clear of the water at low tide. Most people see it and think of it as “just some corally stuff’. But what is it? A close look as in Fig. 2 shows it is composed of a multitude of inter- twined limy tubes (4). (The words and numbers in bold type are key clues in determining what the growth is; they will be referred to again.) Look at the tubes with your hand lens (every good naturalist carries a hand lens); each tube is seen to be blocked with an ornamental disc just below the edge of Figure 2. Closer view of the tubes. 228 the tube. But what are these closed tubes? Let us find out by taking some home and making a closer examination. A closer look at the tubes Gently prise off about two square inches of the “corally stuff’. Also collect some clear sea water in a bottle or clean thermos flask. Take home the sample and the salt water. When home, place the sample of tubes in a porridge bowl—have a desk lamp near to give plenty of light on the object. Now for the closer examination. The ideal way is to use a low power stereo-microscope which gives a wonderful three-dimensional view, but our 8x hand lens will give enough magnification and with it we can see quite a lot of detail. First, let us look carefully at the little disc just inside the tube. This disc is similar to the operculum of a periwinkle, where it serves as a door that closes and protects the animal within from danger and drying. Look carefully with the hand lens at this operculum (for that is what it is called) and notice how ornamented it is, in contrast to the operculum of a periwinkle. The operculum has 3 to 5 basal plates with movable calcareous spines (5) arising from the base of the plates; there are 9 of those spines (6) and the outer ones are toothed like a curved saw. Fig. 3 is a drawing of the operculum with the spines spread out to show the detail of the saw-like outer ones. The ornamentation on the operculum is important in identifying the various genera. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Underwater action from the tubes Now for the real action. Cover the sample with salt water, and with the lens in focus we will watch. Soon the opercula in the tubes start to move up, then to one side, and cautiously there emerges what looks like the fronds of two tiny tree-ferns growing from each tube. If we give the dish a tap, all the fronds disappear back into the tubes. After a short time, the fronds gradu- ally push their way out again and spread out like a net. If we watch one set of fronds very carefully, we will see tiny particles in the water being swept in a current down the fronds towards their centre. This is how the creature obtains its food. Along the arms forming the fronds are little finger-like projections on each side and these are covered with minute hairs (cilia). The cilia can be seen only with a high-power micro- scope; they beat in unison and it is Figure 3, above. Basal plates and moveable spines on the operculum of Galeolaria caespitosa. (Drawing by K.MclInnes.) Figure 4, at right. Worm removed from limy tube. Galeolaria caespitosa. (From Linnean Soc. 1884.) November/December their combined action that causes the current. But even with a hand lens, the little fingers can be seen bending down to help push a choice particle towards the mouth or, if an unsuit- able bit arrives, the fingers help to reject it and push it aside. The whole system of fronds, finger projections and cilia forms an elaborate net to guide food to the mouth of the animal. The action of these creatures spreading their nets to catch food never fails to arouse interest. If it is possible to see them with a low-power stereo-microscope, the three dimen- sional view makes things even more interesting. With the fronds extended, we no longer see the operculum for it has disappeared behind them, but we still do not know what kind of animal we are looking at. X NY } a x wu, x, iN oot } Ml a AN ti \ Hits a ia) ‘ de7 |: MEE Le eS, Wie, Se 229 The animal out of its tube The next step is to select one tube and gently break it apart without damaging the inhabitant. Sometimes, merely breaking the whole sample in half will do the trick and will release a tube dweller. We place the freed animal in a small saucer or petrie dish and, with light from a desk lamp, we can have a good look with the _ stereo- microscope or hand lens. What we now see is shown in Fig. 4. (For a good drawing it was necessary to go to the Proceedings of the Linnean Society 1884.) What we now see is a worm (1) of some sort, about 15-25 mm in total length. An initial exami- nation shows that it is composed of many segments (2). The operculum is at the end of a short pillar called the peduncle grow- ing out from the dorsal side of the worm. The frond arms or tentacles, numbering thirty-six, are formed at the front of a saddle-shaped part that has a series of circular ridges. If we look carefully at the edges of the saddle we can see groups of fine hairs that project and withdraw. The hairs are called setae, and there are many setae (3) on the saddle (or thorax) and also on the remainder of the worm which is seen to be composed of many segments (2). This lower part is the abdomen. The front of the saddle (thorax) is curled over into a collar, and this is the part that secretes a ring of new lime around the edge of the tube to gradually lengthen and enlarge the tube. Another interesting feature that can be discerned is that particles are being carried in a water current in a de- pression along the ventral side of the abdomen to the thorax, where the current passes round to the dorsal side. Again, this current is caused by minute cilia. When the worm is in 230 the tube, the current carries the ex- creta along the depression in the abdomen around to the back of the worm where it is expelled well clear of the food net. This is what it is After this examination, it is pos- sible to find out just what we are looking at. During the examination, key clues and numbers were printed in bold type. Let us take the clues in the order of their numbers. Number 1 states that the creature iS a worm; number 2 states that it has many segments which places it in the Phylum Annelida (segmented worms). Number 3 says it has many setae which places it in the Class Poly- chaeta (many setae). Number 4, the worm lives in limy tubes so _ that means that it is a member of the Family Serpulidae (limy tubes); num- ber 5 with an operculum of basal plates and movable spines fits it into the Genus Galeolaria; and number 6, having nine spines attached to one side of the plate it becomes the species caespitosa. So much for the anatomy of Galeo- laria caespitosa. Another aspect is that the Galeolaria inhabits a particu- lar part of the intertidal zone. It forms a band 18 to 40 centimetres wide, the top of the band reaching just under the lowest high tide level. In Port Phillip Bay the lower level of Galeolaria is about half tide mark when the tide is at its lowest spring level; there is much variation in dif- ferent situations, but this holds as a general rule. Also in Port Phillip Bay the Galeo- laria band is at a higher level next to the mussels; the latter seem to grow from below low tide level to the half way tidal mark. In places where there is wave action the Galeolaria and mussels tend to mix together, but in Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 sheltered areas the dividing line is quite sharp and obvious. Polycheate worms, of which Galeo- laria is one genus, have an amazing variety of forms. They range from a large centipede type over one metre long and used as bait by fishermen, to a form that lives in a mud tube and throws out a net of single threads to trap food particles; in some tropical forms the threads can be a metre in length. REFERENCES Dakin,W.J. Australian Seashores, 154-156. Straughan,D. Marine Serpulidae of East Austra- lia, Aust.Jour.Zoology 15, No.1, 201-261 (in- cludes comprehensive reference list). Some Saltmarsh Plants Saltmarshes are always places of inter- est. The plants in them are often com- mon in their specialised habitat but not found elsewhere, and some that have both interest and beauty are so incon- spicuous amongst taller growth that we do not see them. I realise this anew on every visit to the saltmarsh between Loch Sport and Golden Beach. With one exception, not yet confirmed, plants in that marsh are species one would expect in such a place, yet I have not seen all of them growing together elsewhere. Beside the common Beaded Glasswort Salicornia quinqueflora, they include the coarser Thick-head or Black’s Glasswort S.blackiana. The fleshy leaves of these plants, together with those of Trailing Hemichroa Hemichroa pentan- dra, make a background of soft green, smokey red and dull yellow or occasion- ally scarlet. Against this background, the loose mats of Southern Sea-heath Frankenia pauciflora are conspicuous be- cause of their fine heathy foliage dotted with delicate white or pink flowers, a centimetre across and so thin they are almost translucent. Amongst these a diligent searcher may find two of Victoria’s three species of Wilsonia: Silky Wilsonia Wéilsonia humulis forming mats of small, cloudy grey and pink leaves overlapping in clusters like tiny fans, and the much looser sprawling Narrow-leaf Wilsonia W .backhousei with fleshy green linear leaves 2-3 cm long. Both species have tiny flowers. It is interesting to note that our third Wilsonia W.rotundifolia which has round but not overlapping green leaves, grows beside a lagoon at Meerlieu, a little north of Golden Beach. In Vic- toria, Wilsonia is nearly always coastal, but in Western Australia it grows fre- quently on inland saltpans. JEAN GALBRAITH, TYERS Examining the Radulae of Molluscs As stated on page 257, a member of the FNCV Marine Biology Group is carrying out a project on radulae. The radula is ‘“‘a sort of flexible file that is extended from the mouth and used for rasping food” (page 224). It is unique to gastropods. The National Museum of Victoria supplies our worker with preserved specimens that it wishes to have examined. They are placed in 10% sodium hydroxide overnight. The horny radula is resistant to the solution and is easily picked out from the resulting mush; it looks like a thread of brown November/December cotton, 1 cm to 20 cm long according to the species and size of the specimen. If fresh specimens are available a quicker process can be used. The radula is an important factor in separating species. Superficially, one animal might look very like another, but the radula of each could be entirely different and is a great aid to identifi- cation, The radula thread is placed under the microscope for critical examination. In our next issue the process of making radula slides will be described. 231 Cryptic Molluscs inhabiting Galeolaria in Victoria BY ROBERT BURN* AND K. N. BELL* The tubicolous polychaete Galeo- laria caespitosa (Lamarck, 1818) “occurs as a band at the top of the lower eulittoral on open coasts which afford some shelter. In localities of ex- treme exposure it is found where rock stacks or boulders protect it from the full force of the sea. In Port Phillip Bay it is found as a fringe on boulders, favouring the exposed side’’ (Black, in King, Black and Ducker 1971). Rarely in Victoria does it attain the thick en- crustations reported from NSW (Dakin, Bennett and Pope 1952) or eastern Tasmania (Guiler, 1959), and then only at well protected areas such as the northward facing rocky out- crops at Portarlington in Port Phillip Bay. Where Galeolaria growths are thick enough, and not just a veneer on the rocks, the spaces between the tubes are populated by an extensive cryptic fauna (Bennett and Pope, 1953). Prompted by the discovery of a small ectoparasitic pyramidellid mol- lusc Pseudoskenella depressa (Ponder 1973) living on intertidal encrusta- tions of Galeolaria in south-eastern Australia (Ponder 1973), samples of 1 PORTLAND 2 LORNE 8 CLIFTON SPRINGS 9 LIMBURNERS PT, 10 KIRK PT 11 ALTONA I2VRICKETTEHS:PT 3 BREAMLEA 4 13TH BEACH 5 PT. LONSDALE Galeolaria from Port Phillip Bay and the open coastline were investigated for the cryptic molluscan fauna. De- tailed lists of the living molluscs pre- sent were compiled for each locality; the results are shown in Table 1. The presence of other animals were noted, but no attempt was made to assess how common the species were, mol- luscan or otherwise. Locality notes Selection of localities was governed largely by the fact that both authors reside in the Geelong area. All samples were collected by the authors, except that from Ricketts Point which was made by Dr Brian Smith. Seven localities within Port Phillip Bay were sampled. Three localities, the explosives jetty at Altona, Kirk Point, and Limeburners Point (Corio Bay) are not listed in Table 1 because no molluscs occurred. Of the other four localities, Steeles Rocks at Portarling- ton has large thick encrustations on a northward facing shore; here too it was noted that the Galeolaria formed larger, thicker tubes less. closely packed together and the animals were larger and softer coloured than the open ocean samples. At Clifton Springs, the sample was taken from old timber piles well above the sand — and shingle substrate. The Queenscliff sample from about 100 metres south ~ of the pilot jetty, and that from ~ Ricketts Point, were both from semi- 6 QUEENSCLIFF 7 PORTARLINGTON 13 SHALLOW INLET z Fig.1. Map showing the localities of the i a *Honorary Associates, Galeolaria collections made for this study. National Museum of Victoria. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 232 i | Table 1 East of Port} Port Phillip Phillip Bay Bay Ricketts Point Clifton Springs Steeles Rocks Portarlington ‘Winchesters’ Shallow Inlet Queenscliff Species x x< x< x< Meturoplax retrojects x< x< Poneroplax albida Ischnochiton variegatus x Montfortula rugosa Xx Austrocochlea constricta x Bembicium nanun juv. X Notoacmea alta Notoacmea sp. Xx Patelloida alticostata x x< Trochid sp. juv. Rissoid sp. 1 x Xx Rissoid sp. 2 X Orb/iteste/la sp. Xx Omalogyra (Helisalia) sp. 1 YK OS Omalogyra (Helisalia) sp. 2 Lepsiella vinosa x X Fusinid sp. juv. x x< x< Pseudoskenella depressa Xx x< x Odostomia indistincta Runcinid sp. nov. x Leuconopsis pellucidus Xx xX Onchidella patelloides x X Siphonaria dimenensis Kerguelenella stowae Mytilus edulus planulatus xX | X x X Brachydontes rostratus x Electroma georgiana x Kellia australis X xX X TO lilies 2 = Sr 10 protected areas, in the former subject to much sand movement and very close to the main interchange of oceanic waters into Port Phillip Bay. The single sample from east of Port Phillip Bay came from timber piles in the channel of Shallow Inlet, on the north-eastern side near the area known locally as ‘‘Winchesters’’. This is a very protected shallow water locality. November/December West of Port Phillip Bay ®o Swe = ese eth fe ro) Se ee 2) Se owes owes Apes ee ce Sle! ee OO sme a ae x xX xX Xx x xX xX xX Xx x x x x x x x Table 1. Xx X Mollusc species x x present at each x locality. xX Xx Xx x SNouonNnpNawA OaoAanwoaHeanHaNnNAnF FH FWN AF TR WN X X Xx X Xo OKs Pex X X Xx Xx YO 1S eS X Xx X XT eX 14 ee?) V6, 15) As The Point Lonsdale sample came from a very narrow band of Galeolaria on the NE (protected) side of the base of a rock stack on the platform below the lighthouse. At Bancoora Reef, Breamlea, and Point Anderson, Port- land, the samples came from thin en- crustations on the protected damper (usually lower) parts of boulders well back from the edge of the reef. 233 An isolated flat rock table at mid- tide in a beach of large-grained highly mobile sand provided a small sample from 13th Beach, Barwon Heads. A southfacing high rock overhanging a narrow channel on the high energy coast at Point Grey, Lorne, carried a thin encrustation. The molluscan species The majority of the molluscan species inhabiting Galeolaria are suf- ficiently large to be identified from standard reference books such as ‘Marine Molluscs of Victoria” (Macpherson and Gabriel 1962). The remaining species are small to minute, needing careful examination and refer- ence to specialized literature. Some species enjoying the protection of the Galeolaria were present only as juveniles, never as adults. Bembicium nanum and Patelloida alticostata were readily identifiable despite their small size. The Trochid sp and Fusinid sp were quite unrecognizable except for a tentative family placement. Other species were fully adult but small, only about 1mm in major dia- meter. Orbitestella sp has a brown shell with radial ribs on one side. Omalogyra (Helisalia) spp 1 and 2 also have brown shells, the first with a darker band and rounded whorls, the second with slightly higher spire. Laseron (1954) described similar snecies from NSW. The latter species are widespread in Victorian waters, be- ing found in great numbers on the green algae Caulerna and Bryopsis in rock pools and subtidally. Rissoid spp 1 and 2 are very com- mon; the first being pale brown and up to 3 mm long, the second black and up to 2mm long. Laseron (1950) de- scribed four species of Notosetia from Galeolaria within Sydney Harbour, all of which are very close to the present species. Seven species of the genus are recorded from Victoria (Macpherson 234 Fig. 2. Pseudoskenella depressa. Height of \\ shell 1.065mm i ) (Drawing from | Ponder 1973). and Gabriel 1962) but nothing is known of their habitats. Small specimens of a dark brown highly conical limpet appear to be Notoacmea alta, usually associated with mussel beds. The small greenish yellow Notoacmea sp with a distinctive brown cross might be N.granulosa. This latter species is close to N.mufria described from Galeolaria in the Sydney area (Hedley, 1915). Pseudoskenella depressa is a pearly turbinate species about 1.5mm across and 1mm high. It is separated from all other Australian pyramidellids by its short spire. The presence of this species at eight localities, often in large numbers, indicates that it is both widespread and common despite its small size. The other pyramidellid, Odostomia indistincta Brazier (1894) has a conical spire and a small tooth in the aperture. It was abundant in the Ricketts Point sample, and Laseron (1951) found it abundantly in Galeo- laria in North Harbour, Sydney. It is a new record for Victoria. The small air-breathing ellobiid Leuconopsis pellucidus, that was pre- viously considered a rare species re- stricted to damp litter in swampy areas at the back of beaches, was found. to be very common in five of the 10 samples. Its preference seems to be for more open coastal situations. The other air-breathing species Onchidella patelloides, Siphonaria die- menensis and Kerguelenella stowae show the same preference, none of them occurring in samples from with- in Port Phillip Bay. On the other ~ Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 Fig; 3: Odostomia indistincta. Height of shell 2.5mm. This is a new record for Victoria. (Drawing from Laseron 1951.) hand, S.diemenensis is very common at rocky localities in the Bay and on the open coast, so perhaps its occur- rence on Galeolaria at Portland was by chance rather than purpose. The only opisthobranch found re- presents a new species of the suborder Runcinacea, distinguished from _ its Australian relatives (Burn, 1963) by the presence of a distinctively shaped external shell. The present specimens, both adult and juvenile between 1 and 3mm long, indicate that this species lives in the Galeolaria. A_ similar species is known from the West Indies. Of the chitons, Meturoplax retro- jecta has been long associated with Galeolaria caespitosa. It was not pre- sent in the Portland sample, where instead small Poneroplax albida were found. P.albida was present at Portar- lington and Ricketts Point in Port Phillip Bay but not elsewhere on the open coast. Small Ischnochiton varie- gatus specimens occurred in the Ricketts Point sample. This is a com- mon species in very sheltered condi- tions within Port Phillip Bay. The bivalve Electroma georgiana appears to be a chance occurrence on Galeolaria. It is very common at- tached to brown algae and Zostera at Portarlington. November/December Other animals present At Lorne, a peculiar shrimp-like crustacean with translucent cylindrical abdominal section was found inside empty Galeolaria tubes. At Portarlington a small orange peanut worm (Sipunculoidea) is very common, together with the barnacle [bla quadrivalvis, various polychaete worms and nemertines. Two species of foraminifera were present. [bla quad- rivalvis was also found in the Shallow Inlet and Point Lonsdale samples, and at least two species of polychaetes were present in both. In addition, the Shallow Inlet sample contained one species of shelled barnacle, at least two species of ostracod and one of isopod. Foraminifera were present in the Clifton Springs, Ricketts Point and Point Lonsdale samples. Small crabs were noted in the samples from Shal- low Inlet and Portarlington. An ostra- cod and the small brown anemone Actinia tenebrosa occurred in the Ricketts Point sample. Discussion There have been very few studies of the cryptic and associated faunas of Galeolaria, and these refer only to the larger and more conspicuous species present. Bennett and Pope (1953) listed - five molluscs as characteristic of the Galeolaria association along the Vic- torian coastline, and noted the pre- sence of a number of other animals. Kershaw (1958) gave a list of six mol- luscs associated with Galeolaria in re- lation to the general Tasmanian coast- line. Guiler (1959) examined a more restricted area in south-eastern Tas- mania, and listed six species from the Galeolaria association. Their results appear in Table 2. Of the nine species recorded from Tasmania, seven occur in Victorian samples. As a result of this study, it appears that Meturoplax retrojecta, Pseudo- 235 Table 2 2 ron) Ria go aoe Spcelaes Oe) Gite Sy, See ‘= @ € & je TS Se = 2 7 = “ 2 © a n 2 Species Ssaey £9 Meturoplax retrojecta Xx Sypharochiton maugeansis X X Montfortula rugosa x Xx Notoacmea alta X Patelloida alticostata X Lepsiella vinosa Xx Xx L. reticulata X Onchidella patel/oides x Xx Mytilus edulus planulatus X Brachydontes rostratus X Kellia australis Xx xX Xx Table 2. Previous records of molluscs among Galeolaria in Victoria and Tasmania. skenella depressa, Mytilus edulus planulatus and Kellia australis are characteristic of the cryptic fauna of Galeolaria on the central and western coasts of Victoria. Of these, /.e. planu- latus and K.australis occur in the Tas- manian lists, with Sypharochiton mau- geansis replacing M.retrojecta as the characteristic chiton. P.depressa is recorded from deeper water in Tas- mania (Ponder 1973), and more re- cently has been collected alive from Galeolaria at localities on the Tas- manian north coast (W. F. Ponder pers. comm.). Author Index to ‘The Victorian Naturalist’ 1884-1976 Compiled by J.A.Baines, 368 pages, now available from FNCV Sales Officer, $11.00; postage 80c within 50 kilos, $1.20 within Victoria, $2.00 Interstate. 236 Furthermore, the Victorian samples examined indicate that (i) the cryptic fauna becomes depauperate within Port Phillip Bay in a north and west direction, and (ii) the air-breathing species are restricted to the open coastline where perhaps the oxygen content of the water is higher and the sediment deposition is lower. Lastly, the authors agree whole- heartedly with the statement by En- dean, Kenny and Stephenson (1956) regarding Galeolaria: “‘Investigation of the ecology of the associates of such species is a task of sufficient com- plexity to warrant separate study.” REFERENCES Bennett, I., and Pope, E. C. (1953). Intertidal zona- tion of the exposed rocky shores cf Victoria, together with a rearrangement of the biogeo- graphical provinces of temperate Australian shores. Aust. J. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 4: 105-159. Burn, R. (1963). Australian Runcinacea. Aust. Zool. 13: 9-23. Dakin, W., Bennett, I., and Pope, E. (1952). Aus- tralian Seashores. Angus and Robertson, Sydney. xii + 372 pp. Endean, R., Kenny, R., and Stephenson, W. (1956). The ecology and distribution of intertidal orga- nisms on the rocky shores of the Queensland mainland. Aust. J. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 7: 88- 146. Guiler, E. R. (1959). Long term changes in inter- tidal zonation in Tasmania with special reference to the Mollusca. J. Malac. Soc. Aust. 1(3): 59-67. Hedley, C. (1915). Studies on Australian Mollusca, 12. Proc. Linn. Soc. NSW 39: 695-755. Kershaw, R. C. (1958). Tasmanian intertidal Mol- lusca. J. Malac. Soc. Aust. 1(2): 58-100. King, R. J., Black, J.H., and Ducker, S. C. (1971). Intertidal ecology of Port Phillip Bay with syste- matic list of plants and animals. Mem. Nat. Mus. Vic. 32: 92-128. Laseron, C. F. (1950). Review of the Rissoidae of New South Wales. Rec. Aust. Mus. 22: 257-287. Laseron, C. F. (1951). The New South Wales Pyra- midallidae and the genus Mathilda. Rec. Aust. Mus. 22: 298-334. Laseron, C. F. (1954). Revision of the Liotiidae of New South Wales. Aust. Zool. 12: 1-25. Macpherson, J. H., and Gabriel, C. J. (1962). Marine Molluscs of Victoria. Melbourne Uni- versity Press. 475 pp. Ponder, W. F. (1973). Pseudoskenella depressa gen. et sp. nov., an ectoparasite on Galeolaria. Malac. Rev. 6: 119-123. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 The Intertidal Crabs of Victoria An introduction, check list and key to adults BY GEOFF WESCOTT* Introduction After several early works on the shore crabs of Victoria (Fulton and Grant 1901, 1906a, 1906b; Ward 1929) very few studies were published until the compilation of species lists for Port Phillip Bay (Griffin and Yaldwyn 1971) and Westernport Bay (Marine Study Group of Victoria 1971). This paper brings together the results of these papers and provides a key to the identification of Victorian shore crabs (brachyurans). A check list and some information on the general ecology of these crabs are also included. The true crabs, or Brachyura (brachys: short; oura: tail) are one major group (or section) of the Rep- tantia (walking) decapod (ten-legged) Crustacea. The other decapod groups are the crayfish and lobsters (Macrura) and the half crabs and hermit crabs (Anomura). Brachyurans can be re- cognised by the presence of five pairs of limbs, a fused head and thorax covered by a carapace, and a distinc- tive but reduced, recurved abdomen. Figure 1. The anomuran Lomis hirta or hairy stone crab (scale line 1 cm). November/December Some anomurans such as Lomis hirta the hairy stone crab (Figure 1) can be mistaken for true crabs, but a limb count and check of the abdominal region will show that only four pairs of walking legs are visible, instead of five as in the true crabs. Only the true crabs (brachyurans) will be considered in this paper. Crabs always have a calcified cara- pace and a pair of stalked eyes which can be retracted into hollow orbits at the front of the carapace. Near the eyes are two pairs of short sensory antennae. The mouth is complex and bordered by six pairs of appendages, the outer three (the maxillipeds) be- ing modified thoracic appendages. The shape and structure of the maxillipeds are influenced by the habitat and eco- logy of the crab. The first pair of legs is modified as chelipeds (pincers or nippers) and they are usually larger in the male. The sexes are also separ- able by the shape of the abdominal flap on the underside of the crab. In the male the flap is narrow, while in the female it is broad (semi-circular in shape) and covers most of the under- side of the thorax. The female carries the eggs between this broad flap and the thorax on the modified abdominal appendages (pleopods). In the male only two pairs of abdominal appen- dages remain and these are used in reproduction. The eggs of crabs hatch into a larval form known as a zoea. These larvae are free-floating (planktonic) and may moult several times, going through a *Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne. 237 Mictyris platycheles, Macrophthalmus latifrons, Litocheira bispinosa, Carcinus maendas,— Nectocarcinus tuberculosus, N.integrifrons, Philyra laevis, Ozius truncatus. 238 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93. Figure 3. The spider crab Halicarcinus ovatus number of different stages, before they are deposited on shores as juvenile crabs. Crabs, like all other crustaceans, grow by a series of moults during which the carapace, legs, mouth ap- pendages and gills are cast off. This process is controlled by hormones released from the central nervous system. Shore crabs breathe by means of gills which must remain moist for re- spiration to occur. The gills are found in the branchial chambers at the sides of the carapace, and are arranged in two series attached to the thoracic ap- pendages and to the walls of the branchial (gill) chamber. Further general information on life history, morphology and terminology, can be found in works by Rathbun (1918), Hale (1927), McNeill (1962) and Grif- fin (1970). More detailed information can be obtained from Waterman (1961) and Newell (1970). There are four major groups of crabs (Griffin 1970): (1) Oxystomata (pebble and box crabs) in which the mouth frame (the shape formed by the outer maxillipeds) is triangular (the frame is rectangular in other crabs); (2) Dromiacea (sponge crabs) in November/December which the last pair of legs is folded over the back; (3) Oxyrhyncha (spider or masking crabs) which have round or oval cara- paces; and (4) Brachyrhyncha which have Square or rectangular carapaces. Most species of crabs in the key are mem- bers of the last two groups — which include the families Portunidae (swim- ming crabs), Xanthidae (reef crabs), Ocypodidae (ghost and fiddler crabs), and Grapsidae (shore crabs). An Artificial Key to the Intertidal Crabs of Victoria This key to the identification of Vic- torian crabs has a number of limita- tions. Firstly, it is artificial. This means that the more obvious characters used. to choose between alternatives are not necessarily those regarded by taxono- mists as important in distinguishing groups. A check list (with common names) is presented in Table 1. Species nomenclature follows Hale (1927) and Griffin and Yaldwyn (1971). Secondly, the word “‘intertidal’’ in- cludes any crab, dead or alive, which may be collected within the intertidal zone on Victorian shores. Therefore, the inclusion of a species in this key does not necessarily mean it inhabits the intertidal zone. Finally, this key is constructed from the records of the National Museum of Victoria, the species list given in Griffin and Yaldwyn (1971), the list provided by Marine Study Group of Victoria (1971), and collections made by the author (Wescott 1974, 1976). Four species in the check list (Table 1) have not been included in the key due to unavailability of study material. Hence, the key is only a preliminary version and is not complete. Addi- tional species found in Victoria should be brought to the attention of the National Museum of Victoria. 239 Figure 4. Eight species of the Family Grapsidae (scale line 1cm). Left to right and upper to lower: Plagusia chabrus, Sesarma erythrodactyla, Leptograpsus variegatus, Leptograpsodes octodentatus, Cyclograpsus quadridentatus. audouini, Acknowledgements The assistance of and consultation with Mr R.Howard, Dr M.J.Littlejohn, Mr R.Miller, Mr T.O’Loughlin, Mr A.Robertson and Dr G.F.Watson is 240 C. granulosus, Brachynotus spinosus, Paragrapsus gratefully acknowledged by the author. — Dr A.A.Martin read and criticised the ~ manuscript. I would also like to espe- cially thank Mr Russell Synnot for proof-reading and general assistance Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 with the manuscript. The author also thanks Prue Ven- ables for preparation of the illustra- tions incorporated in the key, Brian Pump for photographic assistance, and Lynne Rowe for typing the manu- script. Mr A.Neboiss of the National Museum of Victoria first suggested the idea of preparing this key. The author was supported during this research by a Commonwealth Post Graduate Research Award. TABLE 1 A Check List of Victorian Brachyurans (53 species) Tribe: Dromiacea: Family DRoMIIDAE: Petalomera lateralis Ridged sponge-crab. P.wilsoni Hairy sponge-crab. Dromidiopsis excavata Shaggy sponge-crab. *Cryptodromia octodentata Bristled sponge-crab. Tribe: Oxystomata: Family LEUCOSIIDAE: Phylxia dentifrons Square nut-crab. Ebalia intermedia Smooth nut-crab. Philyra laevis Smooth pebble-crab. P.undecimspinosa Large pebble-crab. Merocryptus lambriformis Rough nut-crab. Tribe: Brachygnatha Sub-tribe: Oxyrhyncha: Family HyMENOSOMATIDAE: Halicarcinus ovatus Three-pronged sea-spider. H.rostratus Beaked sea-spider. H.australis Blunt-nosed sea-spider. Elamena unguiformis Triangle crab. Family MAsIDAE: Paratymolus latipes Velvet crab. Naxia deflexifrons N. aurita Smooth seaweed-crab. N.tumida Little seaweed-crab. N.spinosa Spiny seaweed-crab. Eruma hispidum Shaggy seaweed-crab. *Notomithrax minor. *Leptomithrax gaimardi Great spider-crab. Gonatorhynchus tumidus Sea-toad. Sub-tribe: Brachyrhynca: Family PorTUNIDAE: Carcinus maenas. Nectocarcinus integrifrons Rock-crab. N.tuberculosus Rough rock-crab. Ovalipes australiensis Sand crab. Family XANTHIDAE: Actaea peroni Thorn-legged crab. Pilumnus acer Long-spined hairy-crab. P.etheridgei. P.monolifer Beaded hairy-crab. P.tomentosus Common hairy-crab. P. fissifrons Tasselled-crab. Heteropilumnus fimbriatus Bearded crab. ppp ects serratifrons Smooth-handed crab. Ozius truncatus Reef crab. Family GONEPLACIDAE: Litocheira bispinosa Two-spined crab. Family PINNOTHERIDAE: Pinnotheres pisum Swollen pea-crab. Family GRaPsIDAE: Sesarma erythrodactyla. Leptograpsus variegatus Common shore-crab. Leptograpsodes octodentatus Burrowing shore-crab. Planes minutus Columbus crab. Cyclograpsus audouini Smooth shore-crab. C.granulosus Purple-mottled shore-crab. Paragrapsus quadridentatus Notched shore-crab. P.gaimardi Mottled shore-crab. P. laevis. Helice leachi. Helograpsus haswellianus Mud crab. Plagusia chabrus Cleft-fronted shore-crab. Brachynotus spinosus Little shore-crab. Family MIcCTYRIDAE: Mictryris platycheles Soldier crab. *M_.longicarpus. Family OcTyPopIDAE: Macrophthalmus latifrons Sentinel crab. *These species are not included in the key but have been recorded by Griffin and Yaldwyn (1971) and Powell (1974). KEY TO VICTORIAN BRACHYURANS 1. Commensal in bivalve molluscs; body round; eyes small; poorly calcified Cafa- pace. . Pinnotheres pisum (Figure ‘174, Hale 1927: as P.subglobosa.) Free-living; body may be rounded but not poorly calcified (unless during moulting) 2. Body semi-spherical and bright blue in colour; always walks forwards and in large groups; found only on sandy shores (see Fig.2) .. . Mictyris platycheles (Powell 1974, has studied the ecology of November/December this species.) Body partly flattened dorso- en tee to bottom); usually walks sideways ...... 3 3. Eyes on very long stalks which at rest lie parallel to front of carapace (Fig.2 and Fig.5-A) .. .. .. Macrophthalmus latifrons Eyes not on plonnneed Stalks 0.00.0... 4 4. One distinct and very pointed notch on side of peatsuac ae 2 and Fig.5-B) .. é .. Litocheira bispinosa 241 10. 11. 12. If notch present, not as in Fig.5-B...... 5 Distal (outermost) segment of last walk- ing leg flattened noticeably relative to other legs — an adaptation to swimming (Pamily Portunidae) we) 0s. 2 co 6 Distal segment of last walking leg not flattened, and therefore not noticeably different from other legs................ 9 Two large conspicuous spots to rear and sides of carapace; distal segment of last leg oval .. Ovalipes australiensis (Figure 148, Hale 1927; as O.bipustulatus.) No spots present on carapace, last ne flattened but narrow, not oval .. panera | Carapace shaped as in Fig.2 and Fig.5-C; pronounced notches on sides and front of carapace; carapace oon in life .. pee ee eis Bole 6.5 .. Carcinus maenas Carapace Benelli: atduileteral not as in Fig.5-C; frontal area may be lobed, but cecal not oe eines brown-orange in life .. ct eS ae ee Oe ere ee Tubercles (small, sharply defined eleva- tions of various shapes) present on an- terior of carapace giving a rough appear- ance; frontal region lobed as in Fig.2 and ae 5- Dw: found on muddy shores .. .. Nectocarcinus tuberculosus auibeieles sent: frontal region of cara- pace smooth and entire, or possibly with a very small notch (Fig. 2 and Fig.5-D (ii) ); found on ea, shores .. : Rae. . Nectocarcinus integrifrons Mouth frame (shaded region, Fig.5-E) triangular and sharply pointed in front (Fig.5-E(i)); body pone i sage (Family Leucosiidae) .. = . 10 Mouth frame Steel (Fig.5-E (ii)) Dorsal surface of carapace lacking large protruberances although may be uneven; some PrOUmEDeraaces may. be present on sides of carapace . tee Dorsal surface of carapace uneven, with large protruberances, two conical for- ward-directed prominences in mid-area of carapace, and one large protruberance in mid-rear area Merocryptus lambriformis (Figure 202, Hale 1927.) Dorsal surface of carapace smooth and shiny; margins of carapace may possess small projections or bumps............ 12 Dorsal surface of carapace reasonably smooth but always beaded or nodulate; never shiny (Genus Philyra) .. .......... 13 A pronounced “‘snout”’ with distinctive ‘*eyeball-shaped”’ structures behind snout (Fig.5-F) ................ Phylxia dentifrons No pronounced “snout” or “eyeball- shaped” structures; chelipeds (pincers) of males may be much larger than body .... . 242 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. . Ebalia (Phlyxia) intermedia (Figure 199, Hale 1927; as P.intermedia.) Posterior margin of carapace rounded and without teeth (Fig.2) .. ...... Philyra laevis Posterior margin of carapace with teeth . Philyra undecimspinosa (Figure 196, Hale 1927; as P.murrayensis.) Last walking leg bearing pincers (Fig.5-G) permanently carried over back (used to hold camouflaging seaweed in place) (Family Dromiidae) .................... 15 Last walking leg without pincers and not permanently carried over back; if sea- weed present on dorsal surface of cara- pace then permanently attached to the crab and not held on by legs.......... 17 Transverse fringe of long hairs on front of dorsal surface of carapace .. . Dromidiopsis excavata (Figure 106, Hale 1927.) Not as above ... . 16 Front of carapace with three teeth, the two outer ones being pointed (Fig.5-H (i) ) . Petalomera lateralis (Figure 108, Hale 1927. ) Front of carapace with three teeth, the two outer ones being rounded (Fig.5-H(ii)) . Petalomera wilsoni (Figure ‘111, Hale 1927. ) Carapace (Fig.5-I(i)) .. eanabece” square or quae (Fig. 5-I(ii)) .. bas decide bse OeNaeu ae Mae ae ee Dorsal surface of carapace flat and often with rostrum’ protruding over eyes and mouth (Family Hymenosomatidae) .... 19 Not as above (Family Majidae) ........ 22 Ganeu or subcircular Carapace shaped like an equilateral tri- eee 2 . Elamena (Trigonoplax) unguiformis Canes roughly circular in shape .. .. 20 Rostrum three-toothed (Fig.3 and Fig. 5-J); margin of carapace angular .. : 2 ee .. Halicarcinus ovatus hogan cinale (its three- oe mar- gin of carapace a smooth arc. eee A) | Rostrum long, narrow and acute (Fig.5-K) . Halicarcinus rostratus (Figure 114, Hale 1927. ) Rostrum blunt and as long as wide .. Halicarcinus australis (Figure 115, Hale 1927. ) Note: In the following species it may be- come necessary to remove weed from the crab before considering a couplet. Carapace as in Fig.5-L .. _ Paratymolus latipes (Figure 119, Hale 1927. ) Carapace not as above ... Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 we pan Sac pe CD ‘ eet. ) ‘ii 0 G aa Bi ec ak . (i) (ii) (ii) Figure 5. Diagnostic characters A-U, referred to in key. November’/December 243 23. 24. 25 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. Carapace with Naxia) .. Cpe eho iaierats spines .. lateral spines (Geays ae : aS hee 27 Second-last segment of leg (propodus) very wide and truncated at distal end. (Compare normal shape in Fig.5-M(i) with truncated pyepedts in me 5- ee Proved. eae slightly tHe. oan o finitely not truncated at distal end .. . 26 Spines and tubercles (defined in Couplet 8) on carapace relatively sharp and long; no spines on the anterior part of the lateral margin of basal antennal segment eee ke cs ec. cs INGXIQ SpInOsa (Figure 125, Hale 1927.) Spines and tubercles on carapace short and blunt relative to spines on anterior part of lateral margin of basal antennal segment .. .. Naxia tumida (Figure 126, Hale 1927. ye (These two species are very difficult to tell apart and Hale 1927, p.127, should be consulted.) Small spines on carapace above eyes (Fig.5-N) .. .. Naxia aurita (Figure Le ‘Hale 1927. Y Not as above ........ .. Naxia deflexifrons Eye stalks narrow; anterior external angle of basal joint of second antenna greatly produced and visible from above (Fig.5-O(i)) .. Eruma hispidium (Figure 130, Hale 1927. ) Eye stalks thick, anterior external angle of basal joint of second antenna not visible from above (Fig.5-O (ii) ) .. Gonatorhynchus timidus (Figure 129, ‘Hale 1927. ) Carapace shaped as in Fig.5-P, with front significantly broader than rear eee! Xanthidae) .. ee I ee es 4 Carapace Se iet, with fant mand but ey wider than rear Gey uapsidee) op (The Soe ae a ee of species of grapsid crabs has been studied by Griffin 1971; zonation in Victoria has been dis- cussed by Synnot and Wescott 1976.) Carapace smooth and free of any cover- He distinctive black ign (Fig.2) :. .. Ozius truncatus . 30 Carapace and chelipeds covered with lobes and granulations .. .. .. INO ta S AWON Gres an oS coats Mees Not. as eabovee. 31 Carapace naked, or with only a few hairs _ Pilumnopeus serratifrons (Figure 162, Hale 1927; as Heteropanope serratifrons. ) 244 Actaea peroni 32. 33. 34. 35 36 Sie 38 39. calaraces covered with a ones or short hairs .. HE . 32 Front and antero-lateral margins (be- tween front and side) of carapace covered by a very dense and long fringe of hairs; hair covering remainder of carapace; four rounded lobes on antero-lateral margins . Heteropilumnus fimbriatus (Figure 170, ‘Hale 1927.) Carapace without long fringe of hairs, and if possessing lobes then not rounded and not four in number Com rhage se (Although 1 nine species of Piles occur in S.E. Australia (Griffin and Yaldwyn 1971), this key will separate only four species found in the Port Phillip Bay Sur- vey of 1957-63, and one species found by the Marine Study Group of Victoria 1971 in Westernport Bay.) Carapace covered with vey short hairs, or pubescent os 2 s.. 400.5 see 34 Carapace covered in er fie 3S One to three tubercles (defined in Couplet 8) on middle or rear antero-lateral lobes of carapace Pilumnus monilifer (Figure 163, ‘Hale 1927. ) Not as above ...... .. .. Pilumnus fissifrons (Figure 164, Hale 1927.) Long hairs forming a sparse but obvious fringe just behind front of carapace ...... .. na ae en uv aa) eee tgs oe ae: sav shige! stata LLLLNITUSROGEN (Figure 166, Hale 1927.) Not as above’: .2-... 000) acne ae eee One to three spines near antero-lateral border of carapace, but no spines or tubercles (defined in Couplet 8) on the second-last and third-last segments of walking legs .... .. .. Pilumnus tomentosus (Figure 167, Hale 1927.) No spines on carapace, but many spines on second-last and third-last segments of walking legs........ .... Pilumnus etheridgi ren of carapace with several deep clefts (Fig.4 .% : .. Plagusia chabrus Front oie carapace maya contain teeth, but not with deep clefts .. e .. 38 Body highly vaulted (Fig.5-Q); one very small notch on side of carapace; very nar- row legs; found on muddy shores .. § . Helograpsus haswellianus (Figure hh. Hale 1927; as Helice haswel- lianus.) Body not vaulted; may possess notches on side of carapace .. : . af Dorsal surface of carapace ridged i e grille-like effect (Fig.5-R (i) or (ii)) .. Dorsal surface of cane sinoutl 2 relatively flat .. ee .. 43 Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 _ 40. Body square, ridges confined to outer edges of carapace; greenish-black or iri- descent geek (Fig.4) .. ” Sesarma ‘erythrodactyla (Gunn 1972, ‘reports the first Victorian occurrence of this species.) Body ellipsoid or oval, but never square; ridges cover most of dorsal surface .... 41 41. Ridges very weak; found on drift weed .. Planes minutus (Figure 182: Hale 1927. ) Ridging on carapace obvious; underside of crab often blue or purple in life; found on rocky reefs and headlands; moves very quickly when disturbed .................. 42 42. Ridges on carapace clearly delineated and in a regular parallel pattern; under-sur- face sna blue (Fig.4) .. 1G: 3 . Leptograpsus variegatus Ridges not aT altel or in a regular pattern; under-surface usually purple (Fig.4) .. .. Leptograpsodes octodentatus 43. Margin of carapace entire, eae may be microscopically beaded .. . 44 Margin of carapace ae atonaly ARO MENG ie See cee bee fees ak cise nde dares eden) sees 25 4 44. Tufts of hair present between bases of walking legs (Fig.5-S); carapace never Aaa mottled a 4).. ars . Cyclograpsus audouini No tufts of Baie peivech bases of walking legs; often possessing a purple-mottled carapace (Fig.4) Cyclograpsus granulosus (Wescott 1974, 1976, has examined these species in detail.) 45. Oblique hairy ridge on external surface of outer segment of feeding apparatus (third maxilliped) (Fig.5-T) .. . 46 Not as above oe 4).. - .. Brachynotus spinosus 46. Body thick, front abrupt (no over-hanging shelf); lateral margins sub-parallel to- wards rear of carapace, and usually with more than two distinct notches; slate-grey to olivaceous in life .. .... .. .. Helice leachi Body not thick; front of crab over-hang- ing, shelf-like; one or two notches on lateral margins .............0...0....0.. 47 47. One notch on side of carapace near front (Fig.4) .. . Paragrapsus quadridentatus (Wescott 1974, has examined this species in detail.) Two notches on side of carapace ...... 48 48. The next separation is very difficult to make, especially for females. See Camp- bell and Griffin (1966) and Griffin (1969) for more information. First walking leg with felt on anterior sur- face of carpus, propodus, and dactyl (Fig.5-U(i)); suture between first and second sternites not marked by prominent ridge (Fig.5-U (ii) ) .. .. Paragrapsus laevis First walking leg of male with felt only on edges of propodus and dactyl (possibly naked in female); first and second ster- nites of male separated by a distinct ridge (Fig.5-U (ii)).. .. .. .. Paragrapsus gaimardi REFERENCES Campbell, B. M., and Griffin, D. J. G. (1966). The Australian Sesarminae (Crustacea: Brachyura): genera Helice, Helograpsus nov., Cyclograpsus and Paragrapsus. Mem. Old. Mus. 14: 127-174. Fulton, S. W., and Grant, F. E. (1901). Some little known Victorian decapod Crustacea with de- scription of a new species. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic. 14: 55-64. Fulton, S. W., and Grant, F. E. (1906a). Some little known Victorian decapod Crustacea, with de- scriptions of new species — No. III. Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic. 19: 5-15. Fulton, S. W., and Grant, F. E. (1906b). Census of the Victorian decapod Crustacea. Part I. (Brach- yura) Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic. 19: 16-20. Griffin, D. J. G. (1969). Notes on the taxonomy and zoogeography of the Tasmania grapsid and ocy- podid crabs (Crustacea Brachyura). Rec. Aust. Mus, 27: 323-347. Griffin, D. J. G. (1970). Australian crabs. Nat. Hist. 16: 304-308. Griffin, D. J. G. (1971). The ecological distribution of grapsid and ocypodid shore crabs (Crustacea: Brachyura). J. Animal Ecol. 40: 597-621. Griffin, D. J. G., and Yaldwyn, J. G. (1971). Port Phillip Bay Survey 2: Brachyura (Crustacea, Decapoda). Mem. Nat. Mus. Vic. 32: 43-63. Gunn, S. W. (1972). Victorian occurrence of the Aust. crab Sesarma erythrodactyla — Hess, 1865. Vic. Nat. 89: 76. Hale, H. M. (1927). The Crustaceans of South Australia. Part I: pp. 1-201. Govt. Printer, Adelaide. November/December Marine Study Group of Victoria (1971). Littoral Survey of Westernport Bay. B. J. Smith (Ed.). Interim Report. McNeill, F. (1962). Crabs of the Sydney Fore- shores. Aust. Nat. Hist. 14: 37-43. Newell, R. C. (1970). Biology of Intertidal Animals. Paul Elek (Scientific Books) Limited, London. Powell, H. K. (1974). The Life History and Eco- logy of Mictyris platycheles Milne-Edwards (Decapoda: Mictyridae). Unpublished B.Sc. (Hons.) Thesis, Department of Zoology, Uni- versity of Melbourne. Rathbun, Mary J. (1918). The grapsoid crabs of America. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 97: 1-461. Synnot, R. N., and Wescott, G. C. (1976). Zona- tion at Flinders Reef, Westernport Bay. Vic. Nat. 93: 97-107. Ward, M. (1929). Common shore crabs of Port Phillip. Vic. Nat. 46: 75-83. Waterman, T. H. (ed.) (1961). The Physiology of Crustacea. Parts I and II. Academic Press, New York and London. Wescott, G. C. (1974). A Preliminary Investigation into the Factors Limiting the Geographic and Vertical Distribution of Three Closely Related Species of Grapsid Crab (Crustacea: Brachyura). Unpublished B.Sc.(Hons.) Thesis, Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne. Wescott, G. C. (1976). An Analysis of Hybridisa- tion between Two Species of the genus Cyclo- grapsus (Crustacea: Brachyura) in South-Eastern Australia. Unpublished M.Sc. Thesis, Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne. 245 Eucalypts along the Victorian Coast Notes on the Victorian ocean coastline with reference to aspect and distribution of Eucalypts BY PAT CAROLAN* The following observations refer generally to a narrow zone bordering the ocean coast, most tree species named growing within about 200 metres of high water level. This does not extend to areas which could be described as coastal in a broader sense, and much more information could be obtained with more detailed study of botany and soils. Climate The Victorian coast extends about 800 km east-west but only about 130 km north-south so there is little dif- ference in average temperature. There is also a very low range in extreme temperatures. Examples are: Average Average Max. Min. hottest coldest month month Gabo Island 21226 S.5°€ Wilson’s Promontory 207 8.0 Cape Otway Pe) 8.5 Cape Nelson 20.8 7.8 Compared with: Melbourne 25.9 6.2 Bendigo 29.2 3.5 Average annual rainfall varies from 1049 mm at Wilson’s Promontory to 610mm at Queenscliff (and possibly lower along the 90 Mile Beach). In the west there is a pronounced rain de- ficiency in summer and even at Wil- son’s Promontory the average winter rain is about three times the average summer — hence the summer fire danger. At Gabo Island rainfall is still slightly heavier in the winter months. This is in contrast to the nearby NSW coast and inland where rain- fall is fairly uniform through the year. 246 The high rainfall areas of the Ot- ways and Wilson’s Promontory are backed by high land and naturally support better quality forest, while the less likelihood of summer drought and winter frost in East Gippsland aid the penetration of sub-tropical east-coast type vegetation. However, the climate figures appear to have little relation to the variation in plant species in adjoin- ing areas. More detailed micro-climate information, including wind data, is necessary. Influence of Aspect There is a marked difference in vegetation on adjoining east and west facing coasts, far more than would be expected from the minor climatic dif- ferences. Eucalypts rarely attain tree size on any coast facing west or south- west. In southern Victoria southerly winds are dominant in summer and northerly in winter, but westerly winds are fre- quent in all seasons and, combined with hot afternoon sun in summer, have a strong dehydrating influence. Salt spray also inhibits plant growth on exposed west coasts (Parsons & Gill, 1968). But there are some puzzling factors about the higher quality vegetation on east faces. There should be a slightly higher rainfall on western slopes. Easterly winds may be strong and per- sistent in South Gippsland in summer (e.g. in the dry February of 1976) and *1/92 Were Street, Brighton. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 there is no reason why an easterly should not transport salt in spray. Wind pruning and dead leaf tips are common on exposed east faces. Great damage has been caused on the NSW coast by storms (e.g. in 1974) yet forest vegetation in many places extends to the beach. Effects of Calcareous formations There is another important factor which affects vegetation on much of the Victorian ocean coast as far east as Wilson’s Promontory. This is the presence of calcareous sands and con- solidated dune limestone (often re- ferred to as aeolianite or calcarenite), of Pleistocene or Recent age, derived from the sands. These formations nearly always occur on west facings or exposed points which are partly ex- posed to the southwest, e.g. Point Roadknight at Anglesea, Point Lons- dale and the Nepean Peninsula. The only minor exception known is where the calcarenite covering the Cretaceous mudstone at Cape Otway extends east- wards to the mouth of the Parker River. Calcareous sands are dominant on the south and west coasts of Aus- tralia and quartzose sands on the east (Bird, 1968). Surface streams are absent from the permeable calcarenite, in contrast to the numerous small creeks and springs with sources close to the coast which are common in other areas, e.g. Otways, Waratah Bay. Calcarenite is not related to the underlying geo- logical formations which may be Ter- ments, basalt or granite. Even when fairly deep soils have developed on the calcarenite and there is good vegetation cover, including trees such as casuarina, leptospermum and banksia, there are no eucalypts, e.g. Nepean Peninsula. This is not the case in South and Western Australia where apparently more lime-tolerant species survive despite low rainfall, e.g. west of Port Lincoln, and near Portland. Eucalypts do grow on older limestone formations. Distribution of Eucalypt Species These notes refer to areas where species have been identified. Unfor- tunately there are many gaps. The East Gippsland coast is left for some- one better informed to describe as Fell (1972) has done for the Gippsland Lakes district. The areas are numbered 1 to 6 as shown on map. 1. Portland Area (Sand dunes, cal- carenite, basalt. Rainfall about 700mm per annum). Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp. macro- carpa (Yellow Gum). At Nelson be- hind sand dunes near mouth of Glenelg River. E.diversifolia (Coast Gum). At Cape Nelson. Grows as dwarf mallee in dense coastal scrub to within about 100m of coast but about 30m above sea level, and as small gum-barked tree in slightly more sheltered positions, on calcarenite with very thin soil cover. Extends over large areas and probably much more extensive before clearing. tiary, Mesozoic or Palaeozoic sedi- shy cae C Cc aN a CO Area 1 2 \\\\ Coastal Eucalypts ©cC Calcareous Dunes or Calcarenite November/December E.baxteri (Brown Stringybark). Mixed with E.diversifolia within 1 km of coast, still on calcarenite but with more soil cover. Bud opercula are ex- tremely warty suggesting affinity with E.alpina (Grampians Gum). E.nitida (Shining Peppermint) also occurs in this area but distance to coast is not known. E.goniocalyx (Bundy) (gum-barked). On cliff top overlooking Portland Bay, on basaltic soil. E.viminalis (Manna Gum) on Dut- ton Way between Portland and Narra- wong. This is further inland but on coastal plain with basalt outcropping. 2. Port Campbell Area (Horizontal Tertiary Limestone forming undulat- ing plain above vertical cliffs. Rainfall about 700 mm). E.nitida and E.obliqua (Messmate Stringybark). Stunted trees in grey sand over limestone. E.ovata (Swamp Gum) and E.obli- qua. Slightly further inland. Better forest in sheltered valley round Port Campbell. E.ovata and E.obliqua. At Loch Ard Gorge. 3. Cape Otway-Lorne (Mainly Cre- taceous Arkose, steep slopes, good soil when weathered. Rainfall over 1000 mm). E.kitsoniana (Bog Gum) near Blan- ket Bay. E.obliqua. A few survivors in cleared landscape at Apollo Bay. E.viminalis (gum _ barked) E.obliqua near Separation Creek. E.ovata, E.aromaphloia (Scent- bark), E.obliqua. West of Jamieson River and common in many areas to Lorne. E.globulus (Southern Blue Gum) (and/or E.st.johnii). At Mt. Defiance Lookout and extending for about 20 km along coast including very exposed sites. with 248 E. sideroxylon (Red Ironbark). Big Hill area, east of Lorne. This is an unusual habitat as they grow as tall trees in a high rainfall, east-facing sheltered site and on the Cretaceous formation in association with E.glo- bulus. 4. Aireys Inlet-Torquay (Tertiary — sandy soils, partly gravel and ironstone capping. Rainfall about 600-900 mm). E. sideroxylon with E.ovata on cliff tops from Aireys Inlet to Urquhart’s Bluff. Dwarf E.sideroxylon, goniocalyx, baxteri, obliqua on cliff tops east of Anglesea. The distribution of E.bax- teri is interesting. It may occur in in- termediate localities but has not been noticed between the Portland and An- glesea districts. In latter area it ap- pears to hybridise with associated E.obliqua. E.obliqua is most ubiquitous of all species and so common that it is impossible to name all localities. E.sideroxylon forms almost pure low dry forest right to beach on east side of Point Addis and continues in- termittently to Torquay. E.leucoxylon (not seen since Nel- son) reappears near Jan Juc. 5. Point Nepean-Waratah Bay (Rain- fall about 600-1000 mm). Eucalypts are rare or absent on cal- carenite, basalt and Cretaceous sedi- ments which mainly face southwest. E.viminalis. On _ sheltered sandy- alluvial foreshore at Inverloch. E.obliqua, ovata, radiata. In east facing sheltered pocket round Walker- ville. (Also wet gully vegetation with prosanthera and tree ferns extending to beach.) 6. Wilson’s Promontory (Granite — bare rock, gravel, sandy and peaty swamp soils. Rainfall over 1000 mm). This is such an interesting area that it needs fuller description. The fol- Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 lowing is a brief record of eucalypts near coast. E.obliqua, baxteri (re-appearing after long gap), radiata, kitsoniana, globulus (rare but very close to sea), cypellocarpa (Mountain Grey Gum) (only noticed at sheltered south end of Sealers Cove). The notable feature is that eucalypts grow on granite fac- ing west. In many areas man has destroyed or altered the natural environment by clearing, burning and bulldozing. The present craze to turn every road into a high speed highway is a threat to roadside vegetation which is often the only remnant of the original ecology. The position is further complicated by planting Australian species not native to an area, e.g. E.camaldulensis (River Red Gum) at Apollo Bay and E.vimi- nalis at Tidal River. It is therefore hoped that naturalists will record their own observations and do much more to arouse interest in preserving the natural habitat, especially among local residents. In conclusion, two facts of plant ecology are stated: 1. When plants occur in areas iso- lated by hundreds of kilometres from the same species, this is evidence of a suitable habitat now. This simple fact sometimes seems to be forgotten in speculation about climatic change. 2. Plants may extend from a major area of typical habitat into nearby areas which may not be their normal habitat, if there is room, i.e. if com- petition from other plants does not keep them out. These statements may appear some- what contradictory but it is the appa- rent contradictions and unknown fac- tors which make ecology such an in- teresting subject. REFERENCES Bird, E. C. F. (1968). Coasts. Aust. Nat. Uni. Press, Canberra. Fell, L. A. (1972). Ecology of Some Eucalypts of the Gippsland Lakes District. Vic. Nat. 89(1): 11. Parsons, R. F. (1966). Soils and Vegetation, Tidal poet Wilson’s Promontory. Proc. R. Soc. Vict. 79: Parsons, R. F. & Gill, A. M. (1968). The Effects of Salt Spray on Coastal Vegetation at Wilson’s Promontory, Victoria, Australia. Proc. R. Soc. Vict. 81: 1. Operculum of a Sand Snail In May 1976 among the shells on the beach at Edithvale, we found several seemingly new shells which, over many years, we had not noticed before. They were frail, ear-shaped, transpar- ent, honey-coloured and slightly pliable, 20-25 millimetres long and 15-16 mm at The operculum and the snail it came from. Natural size. November/December the widest part. Each looked like a miniature false ear shell, concave on one surface and convex on the other, the concavity being 1-2 mm up from a flat surface. Faint radial striations diverged from a once-coiled whorl near the wider end of the straight side towards the curved outer side. Dr Brian Smith recognised this as the operculum of the Conical Sand Snail Polinices conicus that produces the jelly blubber “sausage” containing hundreds of eggs seen as tiny white spots in the jelly. These sausages are common on the beach. It is strange that there is no mention of this operculum in “Marine Molluscs of Victoria” by MacPherson’ and Gabriel, where the shell of the sand snail is pictured and described. L. M. WHITE, CANTERBURY 249 Bush-peas of Victoria — genus Pultenaea No.2 BY M. G. CorrIck* The distribution of several Victorian Pultenaeas extends to coastal areas, but present records show that two are ex- clusively coastal. Habitats close to the sea are ex- tremely varied and often very harsh; many distinctive plant communities have evolved in response to these con- ditions and, because of the adaptations necessary to cope with the differing environments, the dividing line be- tween communities is often very sharp. Small changes, such as the presence of a sheltering dune or a trickle of water soaking down a cliff may completely alter the vegetation around it. The two coastal Pultenaeas will never be found growing together in the same plant community. Puitenaea canaliculata F.Mueller in Trans. Roy. Vic. Inst.119 (1855) This species is usually found on sand dunes within sight of the ocean and is thus adapted to one of the most rigorous of the environments near the sea. In this situation it must endure salt-laden winds and loose, sandy soil which dries very rapidly. It is recorded from along the shore between Portsea and Cape Schank, from Corner Inlet and from a few areas in the extreme south west of the State. It also occurs in South Aus- tralia. Ferdinand von Mueller first de- scribed the species from plants col- lected by Charles Stuart at Encounter Bay in 1847. It is a stiff spreading shrub 1 to 2 metres high, often forming dense mounds 3-4 metres across. Except for the petals and stamens it is covered with soft, silky, often golden hairs Known distribution of Pultenaea canaliculata and P. prolifera. 250 which may give the whole plant a brown, velvety appearance. The leaves are 8-12mm long, ob- lanceolate terete, channelled above; usually curved upwards and _ very hairy. The prominent stipules are 3-4 mm long, hairy, slender, somewhat recurved from the stem and have a prominent mid vein. The calyx is hairy, the lobes taper to slender tips and the three lower ones are longer than the tube. The linear, concave bracteoles are attached at the base of the calyx tube; they are brown and hairy with a dark keel, and reach to about half-way up the calyx lobes. The flowers are axilliary and densely clustered at the tips of the branches among leaves with enlarged stipules. The ovary and base of the style are *7 Glenluss Street, Balwyn Fig.3. a-e, Pultenaea canaliculata drawn from MEL 503760; a, habit; b, calyx and a bracteole (slightly larger); c, style and ovary; d, floral bract; e, leaf and stipule. f-j Pultenaea pro- lifera drawn from MEL 503761; f, habit; g, calyx and bracteole (slightly larger); h, style and ovary; i, floral bract; j, leaf and stipule. k, pod of Pultenaea prolifera drawn from MEL 35267. Vict. Nat. Vol. 93 = November/December SF, Fr LE; 7 w ul ~ Lad Ww at ow at w ipa G ee. lc < ape = SX in = co = Oo “Ss = fe) ans oO = J Zz 3 Zz IBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILNLILSNI NVINOSHLINS S3IYUW? 5 —- | — 2S WO ra 5 Wp > ; 2 ; z @ He z _ 2 OILALILSNI NVINOSHLIWS S3 iyvugd Hyeul BRARI ES SMITHSONIAN _ i Gi = Pete Ks = az < s co 4 ve 3 z WSS = Zz pp 3 = DY 3G. 5 6 Ly bsg shes oO MY gp y = O SS “ip * 2 “yy = 2 = 4 = > PF = > s ; Tp) ae 7p) = Tp) IBRARIES INSTITUTION NOILNLILSNI NVINOSHLINS SJIUW - Zz a 2 ex. w” see 2 wm re YN — & Ne ao ow ‘ | = (ae = WS @w lead to = & = \ loa 0 YG % * 5 5 2 = ST z tc ae —NVINOSHLINS Saiuvdgi SMITHSONIAN - \ a ~ = a — wo R O oo O ao ra NN “a= Mog . Ni > SAWS E > i = = WA E = =< = => WN XS Ww) — w > a ys ~*~ = | = ae: | SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILOLILSNI NVINOSHLINS S3I1YV ” a Zz 7) = 7) = = = = = 4 WM «WN Wn nm wn wo Oo oo SEIN) co Oo = = WY Ss sy, = = | = =\ See = = 2 uv? = ” z NVINOSHLINS Saluvugy LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN as - 2 7 on & - 3 uw S aa. ce = w is = cS Oo cS o (cag = = = = O a Oo eS Oo 3 z J z —! = -IBRARI ES_ SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILALILSNI NVINOSHLINS Sa 1yy =e = 5 reall > E 0 z = F Bie ~ rE i a z O z me NOILNLILSNi NVINOSHLINS S3INVYGIT LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INST WV The Victorian Naturalist The Magazine of the FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB OF VICTORIA in which is incorporated THE MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA Vol. 93 January — December, 1976 Editor: Margery J. Lester @ MELBOURNE: ) JENKIN BUXTON PRINTERS PTY. LTD. 1-13 Abbotsford Street, West Melbourne, 3003 INDEX Compiled by James A. Baines ABORIGINES Aldo Massola, Italo-Australian Anthropo- logist of the Aborigines, 91 Frankston, Stone Age Camp Site at (illus.), 134-137 AUTHORS Alderson, J. 86-90 Alston, A. J. (etal.), 59-61 Anonymous, 197 Backholer, J. R. (etal.), 110-112 Baines, James A., 27-30, 68-69, 91, 118-119, 162-164, 182-184, 256-257 Bates... 133 Beattie, Susan, 43 Beauglehole, A. C. (with R. F. Parsons), 159-160 Bell, K. N., 194-195, (with R. Burn) 232- 236 Bennett, D. J. (etal.), 59-61 Bertuch, I. D. (with H. Brunner), 55-56 Bishop, Edith A., 224-225 Bishop, Harry H., 107-109, 132-133 Bridgewater, P. B. (with B. Wellington), 113-117 Brunner, H. (with I. D. Bertuch), 55-56 Burn, Robert (with K. N. Bell), 232-236 Carolan, Pat, 246-249 Camilleri, A. (etal.), 59-61 Churchill, D. M., 160 Corrick, Margaret G., 66-68, 95-96, 119- 120, 148-151, 176-179, 193, 250-252 Covacevich, J., 25-27 Currie, G. A. (reprint), 196-197 D’Abrera, Bernard (efal.), 21-24 Doggett, Victor (etal.), 21-24. Douglas, Colin, 147 Edmonds, J. W. (etal.), 110-112 Forster, Joan, 70 Galbraith, Jean, 161, 188, 231 Gibson, R. J. (with J. W. Wainer), 253-255 Gill, Edmund D., 92-95, 216-220 Jackson, R. (etal.), 110-112 Legler, John M., 40-43 Lester, Margery J., 158, 165-166 Macdonald, Ross, 174-175 McInnes, Daniel E., 228-231 Marshall, David F., 172-173 Monger, Alan E., 226-227 Morgenroth, Peter A., 62-63 Morris, I. C., 152-154 Morrison, Ian, 188 Muir, T. Bruce, 180-181 Nield, John, 195 Nolan, I. F. (etal.), 110-112 Parker, Norman (etal.), 21-24 Parnaby, Harold, 190-193 Parsons, R. F. (with A. C. Beauglehole), 159-160 Pritchard, G. B. (posthumous), 4-20 Rich, Thomas H. V., 198-206 Rossiter, N. T., 84-85, 160 St. Clair, Rosalind, 223 Seebeck, John H., 56-58, 138-147 eR nCEe Rosamond C. H. (efal.), 110- 11 Smith, Brian, 71, 128-130, 130-131, 185- 188, 189 Spillane, A. E., 134-137 Stainforth, B. (etal.), 59-61 Strong, John, 231 Strong, Ken, 64-65 Synnot, R. N. (with G. C. Wescott), 97-107 Turner, Elizabeth K., 47-54 Wainer, J. W. (with R. J. Gibson), 253-255 Ward, G. M., 3, 223 Wellington, B. (with P. B. Bridgewater), 113-117 Wescott, Geoffrey C. (with R. N. Synnot), 97-107, 237-245 Wheeler, Jack, 221-223 Whinray, J. S., 155-158 White, Laura M., 249 Willis, J. H., 207, 208 BIRDS Bower Birds, Satin, ‘Pecking order’ in, 188 Egret, Little (Egretta garzetta) (photo), 1 Goose, Cape Barren (Cereopsis novae- hollandiae), Increase of the, 195 Grebes, Little (Podiceps ruficollis), Nesting habits of, Observations on the, at South Wangaratta (photo), 81 Grebes, Little (Podiceps ruficollis), young practise flying, 160 Lake Eyre (bird-list, 1975, after water- filling), 151 Rainbow Bird (Merops ornatus) in the Warby Ranges, Observations of the (illus.), 152-154 Swamphens (Porphyrio porphyrio), What do they feed on? (Botanic Gardens note), 158 Victorian Coast, Some Birds of the (illus.), 221-223 EXCURSIONS Grampians and Little Desert Tour, F.N.C.V., 17-22 October, 1975 (illus.), 47-54 Studley Park, Kew (boneseed eradication, 18 July, 1976), 166 FIELD NATURALISTS’ CLUB OF VICTORIA Accounts and Financial Report, 73-78 Annual Report, — Editorials, 3, 39, 71 General Meeting Reports, 31, 32, 71, 72, 121, 122, 166, 210, 258 Group Reports: Botany Group, 119-120 Day Group, Entomology and Marine Biology Group, 257 Field Survey Group, 209 Geology Group, 209 Mammal Survey Group, 165 Microscopical Group, — Trust Fund, Australian Natural History Medallion, 54, 96, 137, 208 Ringwood Field Naturalists’ Club, 46 Victorian Naturalists’ Clubs Association, — Western Victorian Field Naturalists’ As- sociation, 32-34 Club Reports: Donald, 32; Hamilton, Horsham, Maryborough, Mid Murray, Portland, Stawell, Sunraysia, Tim- boon, Warrnambool, 33 GEOLOGY, PALAEONTOLOGY AND PHYSIOGRAPHY Diprotodons: Batesford, 199-200; Bacchus Marsh, 200-201; Lancefield, 202 Fossil Discoveries in Victoria, (illus.), 198-206 Geology Group, F.N.C.V., 209 Kangaroos, Fossil: Macropus titan at Lancefield, 202; at Morwell, 204 Lorne, Victoria, Large Waves at (illus.), 92-95 Pebbles, Palaeo-ecology of (illus.), 194-195 Sandringham-Beaumaris Coastline, Geo- logy of the (illus., and with map), 4-20 Shore Platforms, Channels in — a world of their own (illus.), 216-220 Upper Devonian Bones near Genoa, New Discovery of (illus., and with map), 59-61 Zygomaturus (family Diprotodontidae): Batesford, 199-200; Beaumaris, 203-204 INSECTS Beetles, Rose Chafer, Eupoecila aus- tralasiae Don and Diaphonia dorsalis Don, Behaviour and Larvae of (illus.), 86-90 Crickets, A Plague of (at Moggs Creek), 70 Entomology Group, F.N.C.V., 257 Gall Flies (family Fergusoninidae) (illus.), 64-65 Gall Fly on Eucalypts, Life History of a (reprint), 196-197 Swallow-tails, Trogon-wing, Trogonoptera brookiana Wallace, A new race of, from West Malaysia (illus.), 21-24 MAMMALS Recent Antechinus, Swamp (A.minimus mariti- mus), Habitat of the, in Victoria (illus.), 253-255 Bat, Pipistrelle, Tasmanian (Pipistrellus tasmaniensis) (photo), 169 Bat, Pipistrelle, Tasmanian, Live Records for Victoria of the (illus.), 190-193 Cats, Feral, in the Western District, 147 are Sugar (Petaurus breviceps) (photo), 5 Pigs, Wild, A Nest Constructed by (at Amos Bay, North Queensland) (illus.), 25-27 Pomonal area, The Grampians, Mammals in the (illus., and with map and tables), 138-147 Rabbits on Gippsland Islands (with 2 maps), 110-112 Rat, Broad-toothed, The, 56-58 Rat, Broad-toothed (Mastacomys fuscus) still in Sherbrooke Forest, A successful search for, 55-56 MARINE BIOLOGY AND INVERTEBRATES Animals that make Shells (illus.), 224-225 Crab, Rough Rock (Nectocarcinus tuber- culosus) (photo), 213 Crabs (3 intertidal zone species illus.), 105 Crabs, Intertidal, of Victoria, The (18 species illus., with full checklist and key), 237-245 Cuttle-bone (illus.), 223 Galeolaria caespitosa (Polychaete Worms, family Serpulidae) — the white, coral- like growth seen on rocks at low tide (illus.), 228-231 Limpets, Keyhole (family Fissurellidae): Two new Molluscs recorded for Victoria (illus.), 226-227 Marine Biology Group, F.N.C.V., 257 Molluscs, Cryptic, inhabiting Galeolaria in Victoria (illus., and with table of 28 species), 232-236 Molluscs, Gastropod (6 species illus.), 102 Rimulanax corolla (keyhole limpet new to Victoria) (illus.), 227 Scorpaenid Fish, Mavxillicosta scabriceps Whitley, First Record in Victoria of (illus.), 62-63 Sea Urchin Spines, Cutting thin sections for microscope slides (illus.), 107-109 Sea Urchin Spines (those of 6 species de- scribed), 132-133 Slugs (family Limacidae): Victorian Non- Marine Molluscs No. 16: Deroceras (2 species) and Lehmannia (illus.), 189 Snail, Life History and Biology of a, Part 1: Aestivation and Reproduction (illus.), 128-130; Ditto, Part 2: Protection, Movement and Feeding (illus.), 185-188 Snail, Sand, Conical, Operculum of Poli- nices conicus (illus.), 249 Snails: Victorian Non-Marine Molluscs No. 15 (Chloritobadistes victoriae and C.brevipila) (illus.), 130-131 Zeidora tasmanica (keyhole limpet new to Victoria) (illus.), 226 Zonation at Flinders Reef, Westernport Bay (illus.), 97-107 MICROSCOPY Sea Urchin Spines, Cutting thin sections for microscope slides (illus.), 107-109 Why I enjoy Microscopy, 133 MISCELLANEOUS Blackburn Lake Classified by the National Trust, 197 Solar Eclipse — 23 October 1976, 172-173 Water in Lake Eyre (with map, bird-list and plant-list), 148-151 PERSONAL Ashby, Alison M., 1975 Australian Natural History Medallionist, 95-96 Collis, George (obituary), 31 Curtis, Winifred M., 1976 Australian Natural History Medallionist, 193 Hammet, Ivo (obituary), 31 Hooke, Barbara (marriage), 73 Massola, Aldo, Italo-Australian Anthropo- logist of the Aborigines, 91 Missen, Mrs. Effie (obituary), 166 Morrison, Ian (Dick) (marriage), 73 Mueller, Ferdinand von, Baron (Biblio- graphy of works, compilation note), 160 Salau, Mrs. May (recovery after excursion accident), 73 PLANTS Botany Group, F.N.C.V., 119-120 Burwood- Alamein Railway Reserve in eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Aus- tralian Plants still survive on (with checklist of 42 species), 180-181 Bush-peas of Victoria — genus Pultenaea No. 1: P.daphnoides, Large-leaf Bush- pea (illus.), 176-179; No. 2: P.canalicu- lata and P.prolifera (illus.), 250-252 Dampiera scottiana, New Australian Plant (rare, Blue Mountains) for Victoria, at McMillan’s Lookout, 161 Distribution of Australian Plants, The (re- quest for information from naturalists), 159-160 Doughboy Island, Furneaux Group, A visit to (illus., and with map and plant list), 155-158 Endemic Flora of Victoria, The (list of 136 species), 174-175 Eucalypts along the Victorian Coast (with map), 246-249 Generic Names of the Victorian Flora, The Origin of — Part 2 (continued): Lycopodium to Mentha, 27-30; Men- yanthes to Micromyrtus, 68-69; Microseris to *Moluccella, 118-119; * Momordica to *Nicandra, 162-164; Nitraria to Opercularia, 182-184; Sse to Orthoceras, 256- a7 Lake Eyre (plant-list, 1975), 151 Leersia oryzoides, Rice Cut Grass, First Record in Victoria of (illus.), 66-68 Mueller, Ferdinand von, Baron (Biblio- graphy of works, compilation note), 160 Saltmarsh Plants, Some (including 3 species of Wilsonia), 231 Vegetation in the South-Eastern Suburbs, Melbourne, No. 2: Native and intro- duced plant communities in Damper Creek Reserve, Mount Waverley (with species lists of 3 associations), 113-117 REPTILES Tortoises, Care of (illus.), 43 Tortoise, Short-necked (Elseya dentata) (photo), 37 Tortoises, Short-necked, Australian, Feed- ing Habits of some (illus.), 40-43 REVIEWS ‘The Care of Sick, Injured and Orphaned Native Birds and Animals,’ by Jack Wheeler (published by Geelong F.N.C.), 223 ‘Flowers and Plants of New South Wales and Southern Queensland,’ by E. R. Rotherham, Barbara G. Briggs, D. F. Blaxell and R. C. Carolin (A. H. & A. W. Reed), 207-208 ‘How to Know Western Australian Wild- flowers’ — Part IV, by B. J. Grieve and W. E. Blackall (University of Western Australia Press), 207 SPIDERS Wolf Spider and Her Eggs, 188 z G ® & «a NVINOS AWS ¥ ON D SMITHS( Lig Cj Ly NYINOSI “ee NVINOSHLIWS SSIYVYGIT LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUT SM NVINOSI LALILSNI J S3JIMVUGIT_LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUT 5 ul : ul S a, a a4 ow oa. 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