y«fr- «i -• ;w. ' ■.;.: ■■. ' v^.. - 38s . W!g&J%\ - -«*»!. FOR THE PEOPLE FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY !■£. V* * Srt ? !Li(ItJr»7'ar f.oti> THE Victorian Naturalist: THE JOURNAL & MAGAZINE OF THE i^Itl 3|Utiplfete' ^hh of Ij^top* VOX*. 1M. MAY, 1892, TO APRIL, 1893. The Author of each Article is responsible for the facts and opinions he records. Melbourne •. WALKER, MAY & CO., PRINTERS, 9 MACKILLOP STREET (OFF 390 LITTLE COLLINS STREET). 1893. a^>-^\ 6 \ o ]^^aJL id INDEX TO VICTOBIAN NATUEALIST. VOL. IX. Australian Plants, Descrip- tions, &c, of New, 9, 42, 56, 76, 93, 112, 127, 143, 160, 175, 187 Aristolochia - - - 160 Atriplex - - - - 187 Bassia - - - - 187 Beilschrniedia - - - 11 Calocephalus - - - 187 Cymodocea - - - 160 Didiscus - - - - 58 Endiandra - - 12, 42 Erernophila - - - 76 Eugenia - - - -10 Glossostigma - - - 128 Goodenia - - - 58 Huniea - - - - 143 Hypsophila - - - 11 Leucophyta - - - 187 Livistona - - - 112 Myrfcus 9 Polyosma - - - 42 Prasopliyllum - - - 43 Pterostylis - - - 93 Randia - - - - 43 Solanum - - - - 175 Trachyniene - - -56 Utricularia - - 175, 176 Velleya - - - - 127 Barnard I., Visit to South - 7 Benjeroop, Trip to - - 150 Birds of Benjeroop - - 156 Birds of Melton - - - 1 1 7 Birds, Protection of Native - 40 Brighton District, Notes on Rocks of 156 Butterflies, List of Victorian 121 Caladenia coerulea - - 63 Cathypna Bpenceri - -15 Ccratodus, A Search for - 1<> Cheltenham, Excursion to - 101 PAGE Coccidae, Notes on Victorian 136, 172, 179 Colour Variations of Aus- tralian Lepidoptera - 182 Conglomerates, Notes on Kerrie - - - - 64 Correspondence - - 12, 40, 59 Cryptostylis hptochila - - 53 Curculio - - - - 54 Diatoms, Notes on Collecting, &c. - 102 Discovery of Supposed Human Footprints at Warrnambool - - 32 Eurymela - - - - 55 Fan Palm, Notes on West Australian - - - 112 Ferntree Gully, Excursion to 50 Field Naturalists' Club — Annual Meeting - - 45 Field Naturalists' Club Excursions — Cheltenham - - - 101 Ferntree Gully - - 50 Frankston - - - 133 Gisborne - - - - 120 Grampians - - - 8 Heidelberg - 135 Melton - - - - 115 Merri Creek 5 Mount Corranwarrabul - 118 Ring wood - 100 Saiidringham - - - 99 Springvale - - - 117 Field Naturalists' Club — Prize Competition 13, 59 Field Naturalists' Club — Pro- ceedings, 1, 3, 13, 45, 48, 61, 77, 97, 113, 129, 145, 161, 177 Fitzgerald, The late R. D. - 75 Trip In- " Flora Australiensis," The • Frankston, Excursion to " Fungi, Australian," by M C. Cooke Fungi, Notes on - Gippsland, Notes of a to South Gisborne, Excursion to Grampians Excursion, vertebrata of Heidelberg', Excursion to - Human Footprints, Supposed Humea, Notes on Limit of Genus - - - - Infants, Prehensile Power of Insects, Life-Histories of Invertebrata of Grampians Excursion - - - Kerrie Conglomerates, Notes on Lepidoptera, Colour Varia- tions of Some Australian Lepidoptera, Notes on Vic- torian - 80, Lepidoptera, Transforma- tions of some Australian Life-Histories of Insects Limit of Genus Humea hivistona alfredi - Lyre Birds - - - - Melton, Excursion to - Merri Creek, Excursion to - Mosses, Collection, &c, of - Moth, Whistling Mount Corranwarrabul, Ex- cursion to - Musical Sands, Note on Mylitta australis - " Native Bread" Natural History Notes from Townsville - Obituary — Fitzgerald, R. D. - Woolls, Rev. W. Orchid Notes 43, 53, G3, 93, Other Societies' Work - 174, PAGE 183 133 74 144 68 120 8 13.3 143 96 54 8 04 182 121 66 54 143 112 12 115 5 123 5!) 118 39 144 144 - 105 185 101 188 TAGE Papuan Plants, Notes on New - - - - 111 Peripatus, Oviparity of Vic- torian - - - - 41 Plants, Notes on New Papuan - - - 1 1 1 Polyporas mylittce - - 144 Protection of Native Birds - 40 Queensland, Trip to - - 10 Reviews — " Australian Fungi " - 74 " Victorian Butterflies " - 186 Ringwood, Excursion to - 100 Rocks of Brighton, &c, Note on 156 Rotifer, A New - - - 15 Sands, Note on Musical - 39 Sandringham, Excursion to- 99 Scale Insects, Notes on Vic- torian - - 136, 172, 179 Springvale, Excursion to - 117 Townsville, Natural History Notes from - - - 165 Transformations of Aus- tralian Lepidoptera - 66 Trip to Benjeroop - - 150 Trip to South Gippsland - 68 Variations in Wurmbea dioica 101 Victorian Butterflies, List of 121 "Victorian Butterflies" — Review - - - ISO Victorian Scale Insects, Notes on - 136, 172, 179 Victorian Lepidoptera, Notes on - 80, 186 Victorian Peripatus, Ovi- parity of - - - 41 Victorian Plant, A New - 43 Visit to South Barnard I. - 7 Warrnambool, Supposed Human Footprints at - 32 Whistling Moth - 59 Woolls, Late Rev. Dr.- - 185 Wurmbea dioica, Variations in 101 Zoological Gardens, Remarks on 147, 164 THE Qictovian tyatxxvali&t. Vol. IX.— No. 1. MAY, 1892. No. 101. FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. The ordinary monthly meeting was held in the Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, 14th March. Professor W. Baldwin Spencer, president of the Club, was in the chair, and there was an attendance of some 80 members and friends. librarian's report. The hon. librarian reported the receipt of the following donations to the library : — " The Geelong Naturalist," quarterly, Nos. 1, 2, and 3, from Gordon College Field Naturalists' Associa- tion ; "Technics," journal of Stawell Technical College, 1st February, 1892, from Stawell School of Mines; "Records Australian Museum," vol. i., No. n (Index), from Museum; " Catalogue Marine Shells of Australia and Tasmania," part i., from Museum ; " Journal New York Microscopical Society," vol. viii., part 1, from Society. ELECTION OF MEMBER. On a ballot being taken, Mr. H. Quiney was elected a member of the Club. PAPER. The only paper of the evening was communicated by Professor W.Baldwin Spencer, on "A Trip to Queensland in Search of Ceratodus." Special interest attaches to this form, since it is the Australian representative of a small group of animals (the Dipnoi) which is intermediate between the fishes and the amphibia. Ceratodus has its home in the Mary and Burnett Rivers in Queensland, whilst its ally, Lepidosiren, is found in the Amazon, and another relative, Protopterus, flourishes in the waters of tropical Africa. Although unsuccessful in obtaining the eggs of Ceratodus, owing to the early season, Professor Spencer was able, (rom a careful study of the surroundings under which the animal lives, to demonstrate very forcibly that its lung is, doubtless, of as great a service to it during the wet as during the dry season — a theory in direct opposition to the generally accepted one that it functions principally during the dry season, when the animal is inhabiting a mud-cocoon within the dry bed of the river. Many interesting specimens, including Ceratodus, earthworms, land planarians, Peripatus, &c, were secured, and THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. shown in illustration of the paper ; and the limelight views, pre- pared from photograghs taken on the trip by Professor Spencer, and exhibited by Mr. J. Searle with his usual skill, were a fitting accompaniment to a highly interesting paper. NATURAL HISTORY NOTE. Mr D. Le Souef read a note communicated by Mr. H. Barnard on "A Visit to the South Barnard Island, Northern Queensland." Interesting details were given as to the beche-de- mer fishery conducted there, and full description of a Tern rookery. EXHIBITION OF SPECIMENS. The meeting terminated with the usual exhibition of specimens, of which the following is a list: — By Mr. E. Anderson. — Specimen of Tliailina selene, bred from a larva taken at Gisborne by Mr. G. Lyell, jun. ; 2 specimens of Monoctenia vinaria, bred from larvae distributed by the Rev. Mr. Hennell at the January meeting; water-colour drawings of Monoctenia vinaria and Ialmenus evagorus. By A. Coles. — Lace Lizard from Dimboola ; Australian Goshawk; Death Adder, captured at Monduval, N.S.W., after having bitten Mr. J. M. Simson, of Toorak, who was successfully treated with strychnine and ammonia. By Miss Cochrane. — Paintings of orchids and other Victorian wild flowers. By Mr. C. French. — Eleven new species of Australian Longicorn Beetles, including one new genus and three new species found in the Berwick and Lilydale districts, Victoria. Nanus as under: — Maulia (new genus) pictipennis, Blackburn, new species, Berwick, Victoria — C. French ; Bebius (genus new for Victoria) variegatus, Blackburn, new species, Lilydale, Victoria — C. French ; Ectosticta ornata, Blackburn, new species, Lilydale, Victoria — C. French ; Penthea conferta, Blackburn, new species, interior of Queensland ; Lygesis ornata, Blackburn, new species, Queensland ; Monohammus frenchii, Blackburn, new species, Queensland ; Sisyrium Icevigatum, Blackburn, new species, Western Australia ; Opsidota guttata, Blackburn, new species, Western Australia ; Microtragus frenchii, Blackburn, new species, Western Australia ; Neostenus nigra, Blackburn, new species, Western Australia ; Coptocercus tatei, Blackburn, new species, Western Australia ; also Lepidoptera from New Guinea. Ex- hibited by C. French, jun. — Eggs of Glossy Ibis; eggs of Western Brown Hawk. By Mr. G. Hill. — Victorian Coleoptera. By Master Gerald Hill. — Victorian Hymenoptera. Exhibited by Baron von Mueller. — The following plants, collected by Stephen Johnson : — Wrightia baccelliana, from Russell River, Queensland — new to science; Phyllanthus hypospodius, from Mount Bartle Frere, Queensland — new to science ; Eugenia johnsonii, Mount Bartle Frere, Queensland — new to science ; Wendlandia basist THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. aminea, from Russell River, Queensland ; Cassinia Icevis, new for Victoria, collected by A.J. Campbell, near Bacchus Marsh ; Cassytha paniculata, new for Victoria, collected by S. Jephcott, Hume River; Eugenia hedraiophylla, F. v. M., Mossman's River, Queensland — new to science. By Mr. D. Le Souef. — Eggs of the Comb-crested Parra or Lotus Bird. By Mr. F. Spry. — Larva of Agarista casuarince (18 days old).' The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held at the Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, nth April. Professor W. Baldwin Spencer (president) was in the chair, and there was a full attendance of members and friends. REPORTS OF EXCURSIONS. .The first report was read by Professor Spencer, who, together with Mr. C. French, F.L.S., headed an excursion to Fern Tree Gully on 26th March. The party was ur.able to get through much real work, owing to the heavy showers of rain which fell at intervals during the day, but those who remained in the district for the following day were more fortunate. Professor Spencer recorded seven species of earthworms, two of which were new, together with the same number of land planarians and a few specimens of Geonemertes ; Mr. French reported a fair collection of beetles, flies, cicadas, and ichneumons ; Mr. H. T. Tisdall furnished a long list of botanical specimens, including a large number of fungi. Amongst the former was a rare orchid (C. leptochila), recorded for the first time for Victoria. Mr. C. Frost named several birds and five lizards, one of the latter (Liolepisma ceneum) being noted for the first time in Australia, though found previously in New Zealand ; whilst Mr. T. Steel noted the curious land shell, Helix atramentaria. A report of the Club's excursion to Merri Creek, under the leadership of Mr. G. Sweet, followed. The geologists met with a fine section showing the basalt resting directly on the silurian rock ; but by far the most interesting objects were the fine sections of columnar basalt. Only a few of these columns have been left standing their full height, the superiority of the stone for building purposes making it an object of special interest to the quarryman. In a special note Mr. Sweet advocated the employment by the Government of some of the unemployed to clear away the debris which at present somewhat obscures this remarkable and uncommon formation. ELECTION OF MEMBERS. A ballot for new members resulted in the election of Mr. Eyre Williams, B.A., Mr. J. B. Backhouse, M.B., and Mr. H. Grayson. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. PAPERS. The first paper was contributed by Mr. James Lidgett, and treated of "Some Transformations of Australian Lepidoptera." The paper was divided into two parts, the first of which served as an introduction to a systematic treatment of the subject, which embraced the life-history of nearly a dozen separate forms. Mr. A. J. Campbell, F.L.S., then gave an oxy-hydrogen lantern exhibition illustrative of a recent trip through a dense tropical jungle in the Richmond River district of New South Wales — a paradise for a naturalist, but scarcely for a photographer. Never- theless, Mr. Campbell proved the camera to be a valuable adjunct to his field work, and managed to bring back about four dozen negatives, from which, with the assistance of two members of the Working Men's College Photographic Club, he was enabled to make a series of very effective slides, remarkable not only for their clear and crisp outlines, but also as illustrations of valuabje natural history subjects and typical scrub scenes. Mr. R. S. Sugars very successfully worked the apparatus, kindly lent for the occasion by the authorities of the Technical College. The following may be mentioned as amongst the most success- ful views of the series : — " In the Pine Ranges," " Still Life," "Marshall Falls," "Palm Scene," "Botanical Studies," " Bower of the Regent Bird," and coaching scenes, especially the one " Under the Shadow of a Great Rock." DEPUTATION TO THE GOVERNMENT. The chairman announced that a deputation from the Royal Society and the Field Naturalists' Club waited on the Chief Secretary on Thursday, 7th April, and asked that the allowance for the department of the Government Botanist, which has been, reduced by the Cabinet from ^2,750 a year to ^1,200, should be increased to ^1,500, as this would enable Baron von Mueller to more effectually carry out the work pertaining to his office. Mr. M'Lean, in replying, said the Cabinet had only decided on the reduction after having made careful inquiry into the depart- ment and its utility, and they came to the conclusion that ^"1,200 would be ample to devote to the purpose. However, as the deputation had asked him to again bring the matter under the notice of the Cabinet, he would do so on the first opportunity. The Club was represented by Professor Spencer, Rev. W. Fielder, and Mr. F. Wisewould. EXHIBITION OF SPECIMENS. The meeting terminated with the usual exhibition of specimens, of which the following is a list : — By Mrs. Flatow. — Spondylus, from California ; fossil fish, from Lebanon ; Nautilus (fossil) and Ammonite, from England. By Mr. C. French, sen. — A TTIE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. complete collection of the British Sphingidas ; also a rare orchid (Cryptostylis leptochila, F. v. M.), from the Dandenong Ranges. By Mr. C. French, jun. — Case of Australian sea-birds' eggs, including ten species of Terns. By Mr. G. E. Hill. — A case of Victorian Longicorns and two Victorian snakes. By Baron von Mueller. — Embelia Jlueckigeri (new to science), collected at Russell River, Queensland, by Stephen Johnson ; Eugenia sayeri (new to science), collected at Russell River, Queensland, by W. A. Sayer ; Eugenia myrsinocarpa (new to science), collected at Trinity Bay, Queensland, by Fitzalan ; Argophyllum nitidum, collected at Johnstone River, Queensland, by Berthau — new for Australia ; Myrtv.s epipastica, collected at Endeavour River, Queensland, by W. Persieh — new to science. By Mr. Dudley Le Souef. — Nest and eggs of the White-eyebrowed Robin ; also, Peripatus insignia. By Mr. T. Steel. — Egg cells of the Mason Wasp, from Fiji ; also Land Shell (Helix atramentaria) from Sassafras Gully. EXCURSION TO MERRI CREEK. The excursion to Merri Creek for geology, on Saturday, the 5th March, was moderately well attended. Several members met at Spencer-street station, and on reaching Coburg station their number was increased. The course selected by the leader — Mr. George Sweet — was nearly due north, over the southern portion of the basaltic rocks which form the surface of most of the land from Brunswick to the Dividing Range. Several old worked-out quarries, with massive blocks of basalt still standing solitary and alone amid the debris, bore testimony to the excellent character and extensive use of this class of rock. Ever since substantial buildings have been erected in Melbourne it has been used for the basements and for paving the water channels of rights-of-way, for which it is well adapted. Turning at right angles towards the east when opposite the North Coburg station, we encountered the quarries where a large part of the present supply of bluestone for building and paving purposes is obtained. Reaching the top of the west bank of the creek, it was found that the course of the creek lay through the basalt itself, through which it had eroded its course to a depth varying from 40 ft. to 60 ft., with banks generally sloping back from the creek for a hundred yards or more, but rising where we first struck the creek, and also in some other places, into precipitous cliffs of basalt overlying upper silurian reck, which occasionally appeared in the bed of the creek, and in which the waters had found a rock more easily eroded than the massive basalt. Owing to this occasional large and deep pools have been formed, very tempting to bathers, and which are only secured against such use by the strict enforcement of the THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. bye-laws. Near Newlands Bridge a fine section was met with, snowing the basalt resting directly on the denuded, upturned edges of the silurian rock, which was observed to be slightly altered by the heat of the basaltic flow for a foot or two below the line of contact. The dip of the beds here was W. 150. No fossils could be observed in any of the stratified rocks, though diligent search was made, and we had to be content with suggestive markings in the bedding plains. Crossing over the market gardens cultivated by the industrious Celestials, and well irrigated by the Yan Yean waters, proof was seen of what this basaltic soil is capable of growing under favourable conditions. Continuing our course behind (east of) the Stockade, evidences of the double flow of basalt are observable. One flow appears to have found its way into the then existing depressions in the surface, containing in some places a soft calcareous material, and in others highly ferruginous sand and quartz gravel deposit. Both were seen to have been forced among the flowing mass, and now appear chiefly at the bottom of the lower flow, and penetrating upwards into the main mass — the former as an impure limestone in veins and larger masses, and the latter (seen in the bed of the creek) ferruginous conglomerate, compactly cementing together other portions of the lower part of the first flow. In the basalt near this zeolites are in places abundant; crystals of arragonite and calcite were also obtained. But by far the most interesting object of this excursion was the fine section of columnar basalt (similar in character to that at the Giant's Causeway, in the north of Ireland) in the old prison quarry, now unused, at about midway along the back (east) of the Stockade. Here, for a width of 120 feet, and to a height of 20 feet near the centre, the columns have been quarried, in common with the slightly laminated and nodular basalt flanking and surmounting them — these monoliths having been sought, on account of the superiority of the stone, for important parts of the prison. But few of them have been left standing their full height, nearly all of them having been broken off; still a fine section was before us, appearing to occupy what was a deep and long depression in the land surface at the time of eruption. A striking peculiarity of this section is that, though the columns, all across the central main body of the mass, are vertical, yet, on either side, where the height is much less, the columns incline towards the centre of the mass till, on the extreme flanks, they approach the horizontal, appearing something as a section of the high stacks of loose fire- wood seen in some parts of the bush, where all are erected on their ends ; the central logs are vertical, or nearly so, while, as they recede from the centre, their tops incline towards it more and more, till, if the stack is still added to, the outer logs, acting THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. as so many abutments, will approach the horizontal. From the quarry across the creek the same prismatic structure continues in a north-eastern direction, the creek having cut its course across the line of this formation, so that, in its bed and up the eastern bank, the present tops of the columns form a pavement of geometric design, observable for a distance of 120 feet by 30 feet, showing 4, 5, 6, and 7-sided figures, the most common being the pentagonal and hexagonal. Some of the horizontal joints show an approach to the cup-and-ball socket structure of jointing, the concavities being distinct. Wherever this prismatic structure occurs the basalt is very dense, the joints small, and the columns fitting closely together. Here we lingered among the ruins of this temple of nature with delight equal to what one might feel when among those of art. To say that we worshipped is unneces- sary, since we each, after the fashion of all visitors to ancient structures, brought away with us relics to illustrate our visit and perpetuate its memory. VISIT TO SOUTH BARNARD ISLAND. By H. Barnard. Communicated by D. Le Souef. I was landed on the South Barnard Island from the s.s. Palmer at 12 o'clock at night, and carrying my luggage well above high water mark, found a sailing boat docked on some logs for repairs, so I laid down under it and slept till morning. A little after day- light I saw a man come out of one of the huts, of which there were several, and then introduced myself to him. He turned out to be the head of the fishing station, and he invited me to stay as long as I pleased, but told me that all his boats were at the Barrier Reef, 30 miles away, and that one of them came in every day with the slugs or beche-de-mer, and went out again at once ; he also pointed out that there were two sandbanks about 25 miles out on the way to the reef, on one of which Terns were breeding in hundreds, and if I liked I could go out in one of the boats and the men would land me on the banks for an hour or two. As one of the boats came in the same evening and left at 12 o'clock the same night, I went in her ; this was Saturday night, but, owing to there being very little wind, we did not get to the reef till Monday morning. Going out we passed within sight of the sandbank, but not near enough to see the birds. Out here it was beautiful. The coral, which was within a few feet of the surface, was of every shape and colour imaginable, and we passed over miles of it. There were four fishing boats anchored where we went, and the method pursued is to have a piece of wire tied on to a long pole. The slugs are taken at low water out of rowing boats. When fishing is ended for the day the slugs are thrown into the hold of one of the larger boats, and then taken to the island, where a lot of gins split them down the 8 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. back, and throw them into a large pot. They are boiled for about an hour, and are afterwards hung in a smoke-house till dry, when they are bagged and sent to Geraldton, and sold for about ;£io per bag. Now for the birds: I stopped at the reef till the afternoon, when, as one of the boats was returning, I went with it, and in about half an hour we again sighted the sandbank. As we neared it I could see the birds flying about in thousands. We ran the boat right on to the sand and jumped out into the water, which was about two feet deep. The birds rose and circled overhead as we landed ; I had three shots, bringing down a bird each time, when the rest took their departure, and I was not able to obtain a fourth. The eggs were lying on the sand in hundreds — I may say thousands, for in one place I noticed a heap about eight inches deep, and in another they were laid as close together as the birds could sit for more than six feet square.. The bank was not more than twenty yards across, and about three feet above high water mark. The Terns were the same species we saw breeding on one of the North Barnard Islands. I only stayed on the bank about half an hour, as the men were anxious to get away. We reached the island about one o'clock the same night, and I employed the next morning in skinning the birds and blow- ing the eggs. Owing to the want of a boat, I was as much handicapped on this island as we were on the North Barnard,, so I employed the time in searching for insects, of which there were very few. I did not leave till the following Sunday, as the steamer was delayed, and then returned to Rockhampton. LIST OF INVERTEBRATA OBTAINED DURING THE EXCURSION TO THE GRAMPIANS. Araneida. arachnida. Species of the following Genera: — Anepsia, Argiope, Epeira, Arcys, Tetragnatha, Celaenia, Cryptothele, Centropelma, Ariamnes, Theridium, Latrodectus, Habronestes, Amau- robius, Mithurga, Lampona, Drassus, Clubiona, Mygale, Stephanopis, Cymbachna, Direa, Tharpyna, Voconia, Lycosa, Hasarius, Salticus. LEPIDOPTERA. Gastrophora henricaria Epinephile abeona Delias harpalace „ aganippe Heteronympha merope Xenica klugii ,, kershawi Pyrameis kershawi Pyrameis itea Synemon sophia Hesperilla donnysa >> (sp.) Agarista casuarinae ,, lewini Chgerocampa Teara tristis And several of the micro-lepidoptera. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. COL Longicornes — Epithora dorsalis Coptocercus rubripes Phoracantha fallax „ recurva Tricbomesia newmani Hehecerus crocogaster Distichocera par Pseudocephalus (sp.) Unknown, 3 species Buprestidse — Stigmodera macularia ,, octospilota ,, xanthofulosa ,, octosignata ,, amphichroa ,, australis ,, unknown, 4 sp. Lucanidce — Lamprima cultridens Autacocyclus (sp.) EOPTERA. Lucanidas — Mastochilus (sp.) Rutelini — Anoplognathus (sp.) Carabidae — Calosoma schayeri Unknown, 3 species Elaters — Chrosis illita Unknown, 6 species Clerirfse— 6 species Curculionidge — 16 species Mordellidas — 4 species Cistelidae — 3 species Chrysomelidae — 20 species DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW AUSTRALIAN PLANTS, WITH OCCASIONAL OTHER ANNOTATIONS ; By Baron von Mueller, K.C.M.G., M. & Ph.D., ER.S. (Continued.) Myrtus monosperma. Glabrous ; leaves rather large, on very short petioles, mostly ovate-lanceolar, bluntly protracted at the upper end, cuneate at the base, somewhat undulate, dark-green and shining on the surface, less so beneath, their primary venules rather distant, moderately prominent, their oil-dots very copious and pellucid ; pedicels few or several, axillary, capillary, rather long, some on compressed thin peduncles ; flowers very small ; lobes of the calyx four, semiovate or semiorbicular, conspicuously ciliolated ; petals almost glabrous, half over-reaching the calyx-lobes ; anthers orbicular- or cordate-ovate, brownish ; disc glabrous ; ovulary two-celled ; fruit small, nearly globular, usually one-seeded, its pericarp very thin ; seed comparatively large, almost globular, its testule cartilaginous, pale, quite smooth, shining; embryo forming only one coil, but at one end somewhat protruding beyond the curvature. Endeavour-River ; W. Persieh. Sap of the wood, according to the finder's note, of epipastic effect. 10 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. Leaves to 3 inches long and to 1^ broad, somewhat resembling those of ScoLopia Brownii. Pedicels attaining a length of one inch. Flowers hardly above ^6-inch long. Fruit measuring about y'i -inch. Seed of nearly ^(-inch measurement, its endo- pleura brown and smooth. Already the carpic characters are sufficient to distinguish this species from all others. The extreme acridity of the sap, if adscribed rightly to the wood of this particular tree, seems unique in the genus if not the whole myrtaceous order. Myrtus lasioclada in a remarkable variety (or perhaps closely allied but distinct species) to which the name decaspermoides has been given, shows leaves shaped like those of Decaspermum panicidatum and Myrtus Beckleri, with inconspicuous venulation, recurved pedicels, five-lobed calyces and very abbreviated stamens with anthers, perhaps through monstrosity, pointed by the excurrent connective. The doubts about this plant can best be unravelled in its native locality, successive altitudes of occurrence more particularly affecting the characteristics of highland-plants. Decaspermum panicidatum occurs on the Logan-River (Scorte- chini), and on the Bellinger-River (W. Macdonald). Rhodamnia Blairiana has with Argophyllum nitidum been brought from Mt. Bartle-Frere by Mr. Stephen Johnson. Well formed seeds very angular ; testule bony-hard. Rhodomyrtus trineura extends to the sources of the Burdekin- River and also to Mt. Bartle-Frere. Leaves to 5 inches long, 2 inches broad. Petals pink. Eugenia minutipZora bears some affinity to E. confertijtora. Eugenia grandis we have also from Endeavour-River, where it was found by Mr. Persieh. Eugenia suborbicularis is now also known from the Mitchell- River (E. Palmer). Bark smoothish, brown. Fruit copiously produced, attaining sometimes the size of a middling apple ; its pericarp pleasantly acid, but often not without some acridity, outside red. (Daemel.) Eugenia Luehmanni. Glabrous throughout ; leaves short-stalked, small, almost lanceolar but gradually much protracted into a bluntish acumen, the venules much concealed ; panicles short, brachiate, their main divisions somewhat thyrsoid ; pedicels almost undeveloped ; flowers very small, rather crowded, three or two or only one on the short ultimate peduncles ; calyx-tube hemi-ellipsoid, without any ^ conspicuous angulation, densely glandular-dotted; lobes semiorbicular, much shorter than the tube ; petals of about double the length of the calyx-lobes, disconnected, very much surpassed by the stamens and style ; anthers almost ovate ; stigma minute ; ovulary deeply sunk, two-celled. On Mount Bartle-Frere, together with a Styphelia of the section Acrotriche ; Stephen Johnson. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 11 Height of tree to about 20 feet. Leaves 1^2 to 2x/> inches long, y2 to Y\ inches broad, much shaped like those of Decaspermum panicidatum. Flowers appearing racemously arranged when some are solitary on the ultimate peduncles. Calyx during anthesis hardly ^ inch long, dull-brownish outside. Petals and anthers whitish. Ovules rather few. Ripe fruit unknown. This hitherto unrecorded plant exhibits many of the character- istics of E. spicata, but its corolla is never syzygoid, although this affords neither an absolute mark of distinction for that species ; the leaves are generally smaller, the pedicels seem never to become conspicuously developed, the ultimate peduncles are shorter, the flowers less numerous in the panicle and thus less umbellular-fasciculed but partly somewhat spicate, and the fruit, when known, may show further differences. Hypsophila oppositifolia. Leaves on rather long petioles, mostly opposite and ovate- lanceolar, bluntly acuminated ; panicles many-flowered, cymous, terminal and axillary ; sepals connate towards the base ; petals ovate, outside beset with short appressed hairlets ; filaments much incurved, considerably longer than the anthers, stoutish, dark-purplish, hispidulous ; style very short ; stigma much broader, depressed ; disc as well as ovulary glabrous. On Mount Bartle-Frere ; Stephen Johnson. Leaves i*4 to 3 inches long, therefore smaller than those of H. Halleyana, from which the diagnostics above given readily distinguish this congener. Should nevertheless it pass by middle forms into the plant first described within this genus, then the additional notes, now offered, will further build out the specific definition. Fruit of the new form has not been found yet. Beilschmiedia lachnostemonea. Leaves mostly ovate- or elliptic-lanceolar, protracted into a short blunt acumen, glabrous, closely reticular-venulated, on both sides shining ; panicle beset with minute appressed hairlets ; sepals and petals almost of equal length, nearly oval, connate towards their bases ; the six stamens of first rank somewhat shorter than the sepals and petals, the three of second rank still shorter, the fila- ments all brownish-lanuginous ; staminoides three, very short; pistil in staminate flowers narrow-conic, glabrous, with a minute stigma. Russell's-River ; W. Sayer. The plant in its characteristics fits closely B. Eoxburgkiana, of which however even for India the specific limits remain yet un- settled, it being so difficult to obtain from jungle-trees the flowers and ripe fruits simultaneously at the same localities. The plant, now described as new at all events for Australia, seems to differ from the typic B. lioxbtcrghiana, which is neither yet recorded from the Sunda-Islands, in somewhat smaller leaves, shorter petioles, more elongated panicles, more lanuginous filaments and 12 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. narrower staminoides ; the fruit, as yet unknown, may also be different. The flowers are conspicuously larger than those of B. obtusifolia, the only other Australian congener as yet dis- covered, and some other differences occur between the two. Endiaxdra dichrophylla. Branchlets bearing a very thin silk-like vestiture ; leaves rather large, ovate-lanceolar or almost ovate, short-acuminate, dark-green on the surface, much paler on the lower page and there bearing a very subtle-appressed indument, rather strongly keeled, their primary venules thin and devoid at their axils of conspicuous foveoles, the secondary venules reticular ; panicles usually much shorter than the leaves, axillary and terminal, bearing a very thin somewhat silk-like vestiture, bracts rather conspicuous, ovate- lanceolar ; flowers very small, on extremely short pedicels ; sepals somewhat larger than the petals, with these connate below the middle and persistent; filaments extremely short; fruit narrow- ellipsoid; pericarp very thin, outside black, glabrous; endopleura of the seed brown. Russell's-River; Stephen Johnson. Height of tree, as far as ascertained, to 40 feet. Leaves 2-5 inches long, \l/i-2 broad, their petioles rather short. Fruit when well developed about 1 inch long. The leaves resemble rather those of Cryptocarya patentinervis, than those of any Australian Endiandra, although four of the congeners have the leaves also greyish underneath, but the costulation is less prominent and copious than in most of the others, while besides various recorded characteristics separate them. Several other new laurinaceous plants, of which we have specimens in our collections from North-Queensland, can for want of adequate material not yet be described. April, 1892. LYRE BIRDS. To the Editor 0/ the Victorian Naturalist. Sir, — It may be of interest to your readers and members of the F.N.C. to learn that Lyre Birds are already beginning to build in the Uandenong Forest. On 23rd March Mr. Robert C. Chandler and I found a newly started nest there, the walls of which were raised by the birds at least two inches between the time of our passing in the forenoon and return some three hours later. This early building has been suggested as an explanation of the fact of two eggs being occasionally found in one nest. The bird laying now is supposed to get tired of sitting, to desert the nest, and to return at the usual breeding season (from June forward), when she lays another egg, and sits again. What say our ornithologists ? — Yours, &c, H. KENDALL. Rath mines Grove, Auburn. THE U i c t o y x a n |t a t at r a I i & t* Vol. IX.— Nos. 2-3. JUNE-JULY, 1892. Nos. 102-103. FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. The ordinary monthly meeting was held in the Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, 9th May. Professor W. Baldwin Spencer was in the chair, and there was an attendance of about 100 members and friends. librarian's report. " Records of Australian Museum," ii., 1 ; " Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds, Supplement 2," by A. J. North, from author ; "Journal of Bombay Natural History Society," vi., 4; "Pro- ceedings of Royal Society of Victoria," iv., new series. ELECTION OF MEMBERS AND AUDITORS. On a ballot being taken, Miss Tulford, Miss Turner, Master E. R. Turner, and Messrs. W. Anderson, E. A. Mann, T. M. M'Knight, F.L.S., and H. G. Turner were elected members of the Club. Nominations were received for office-bearers for the coming year, and Messrs. H. Ashworth and J. Shephard were elected as auditors. PAPERS. Two papers were read by the secretary, the first of which was contributed by Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A., and had reference to " Musical Sands." On a late visit to Phillip Island, Mr. Hall noticed that the sand when walked over gave out a musical note resembling that caused by drawing the finger rapidly over a piece of corded silk. Various theories propounded by naturalists were brought forward in explanation, and the hope was ex- pressed that those of our own country would give the subject consideration. The second paper, contributed by Mr. C. C. Brittlebank, dealt with the "Life History of two Insects," and gave some very interesting details concerning the transformations of one of the Curculionidae, together with the life cycle of one of the " Tree- hoppers," from observations made some years ago in the Dande- nong district. The paper was illustrated by some well-executed coloured drawings. NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. Amongst the natural history notes presented to the meeting the following were of great interest : — " Note on a New Rotifer," 14 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. found and described by Mr. J. Shephard ; " The Great Earth- worm of Gippsland," by Mr. J. Hulme, communicated by Professor Spencer ; and " The Whistling Moth," quoted from the Queenslander of April last. Mr. C. Frost called the attention of members to some parasitic larvae which were plainly visible under the skin on the back of a frog ; and the Chairman made reference to a new Victorian orchid {Pterostylis pedaloglossus) found near Oakleigh, and exhibited in flower by Mr. C. French, jun. PRIZE COMPETITION FOR NATURAL HISTORY SPECIMENS. The exhibits in connection with the prize competition for natural history specimens recently instituted by the Club for the purpose of encouraging the study of natural history amongst the younger members of the community were on view, and although the committee was somewhat disappointed at the rather small number of exhibits, the quality of some of them was highly satisfactory. Messrs. F. G. A. Barnard, D. Best, C. French and G. D. Pritchard acted as judges, and the competitors were placed in the order of merit as shown in the subjoined list. Group Zoology. Class 2. — Mollusca {land, fresh water, and marine shells). — Edward S. Hart, Charles Gabriel, Eleanor C. Keartland, Alice M. Keartland. Class 3. — Lepidoptera {butterflies and moths). — Laurence K. Cronin, Bernard C. Cronin. Class. 4. — Coleoptera {beetles). — George E. F. Hill, Alice Water- house. Class 5. — Other Orders (ivasps, bees, ants,