%m 't/l^^ -J '^ V \^ r^C^^c^A Isi,^ ^c/ir if "0 FOR THE PEOPLE 1 FOR EDVCATION FOR SCIENCE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY t^ TIECli] Victorian Naturalist: THE JOURNAL & MAGAZINE OF THE -wot.. XM. MAY, 1903, TO APRIL, 1904. 1bon. jEDitor : MR. F. Q. A. Barnard. The Author of each Article is responsible for the facts and opinions recorded. /IR e I b 0 u r n e : WALKER, MAY k CO., PRINTERS, MAOKILLOP STREET (off 390 LITTLE COLLINS STREET). 1904. '/*4^/^^ <^^. INDEX TO VICTORIAN NATURALIST. ^TOXj. 2^:^. 1908-4. 1 ■AGE 1 PAGE Acacia inoidanu, A ] N'ew Field Naturalists' Club- Variety of - - 13 Excursions — Alpine Flora of Australia and Cheltenham - - - 13 Europe, Coiuparison of - IH Clifton Hill Quarries - 33 Alpine Flora, Origin of - 142 Dr. Home's Aviaries 88 Alpine Flowers, Among the 4 Greensborough 73 Ainytis (jiyantura - 138 Launching Place - 116 Amytis (/oydcri - - 137 Ring wood _ - _ 73 Arnytis house i - 13S 8andringham 100 Amytis laurruiirus - 138 Wandong - _ _ 103 Amytis modesta - - 137 Yan Yean - - 1 59, 165 Amytis striatus - - 13(5 Exhibition of Wild Flowers i 87 Amytis ti'xtilis - 13.3 President's Address 39 Anopheles in Victoria - - 162 Proceedings, 1, 13, 33, 45, 61, Ants. The Bull-, of Victoria - 104 73,85, 97, 113, 129, 141, 161 Australia, Across - 76 Flowers, Among the Alpine 4 Australian Animals, "Whence Fossils at Hexham, Cainozoic ; 91 Came Our - - 39 Grass-Wrens, The 133 Bogong, Visit to Mount ■- 156 HesperidiB, Descriptions of Buffalo Mts. Camp-Out - 144 Australian - - - 52 Botany - - - - 152 Jli'teranyinjiha 'iiieropt - 174 Cryj)togaiiiic Botany - loi) Jlcteroiiymjilia philerope 175 Entomology - - 150 Melbourne Dust - - - 30 Ornithology - - 148 Minerals in Red Rain - 23 Pond-life - 151 Mollusca, Victorian Marine 89 Buffalo Mts. , Flora of 9, 152 Mosquitoes - - 162, 176 Butterflies, Colour Varia- Mount Hotham, Flora of - 7 tions of Victorian - 173 Mount Roland, Tasmania, Cainozoic Fossils at Hexham 91 Visit to - - _ 70 Close Season for Game 113, 162 Mushroom, The So-called Cuttlefish, An Extinct - 2 Petrified - - - 14 (Jythcrclla punctata - 163 Mutton-birds - - - 166 Diatoms in Red Rain - - 26 Mynnecia forjicata 105 Dromicia on Australian MyrriK'cia sanguinea 105 Mainland - 176 National Forests Protection Eels, Notes on - - 46 League - - 4.': i, 45 Field Naturalists' Club- - Notes— Annual Report - 34 A.A.A.S. - - - 128, 140 Excursions — Acanthornis mayna - 140 Beaumaris - - 165 Anyuilla australis 132 Buffalo Mts. - 144 Auloiiorella tubuli/era 99 INDEX. PAflE PAGE Xotes— Notes — Australian Spiders - 140 Ptotifer Record, A - 43 Bclenois Jtina - - - 11. J Starlings - _ _ 115 Birchip Heterocera - 42 Swallow, The White-backed 75 Boys' Field Club of South Timber-growing in South Australia - - _ oS Australia - . _ 112 Brachiunus falcatita - 43 [yna (Kjricola - - 63 , 96 Capusa senilis - - - 42 Vine Moth, Enemy of 43 Cicadas (Locusts) 16 Obituary Notices — Colour Variety of Common Ash worth. The late H. Eel - - - - 140 P. C. - - - 72 , 83 Daisy. The - - - 57 Cayley, The late N. 13 Diatom, A Fossil G3 Origin of Alpine Flora 142 " Do Snakes Swallow their Phillip Island, Visits to 166 Young ? " - 132 Publications — * Dromaiis ati-r - - - o~ Agricultural (fazdte of Neiv Echinoderms, King Island 48 South Wa/rs - - 16 , 60 "Emeu," The Black .57 Australian Nature Stories Exchange _ _ _ 95 for Children 112 Galls on Eucalypts - 48 Emu, Tlie _ _ _ 59 Granite Monolith, A 83 Jourmd of A. mahHa, Meyr. and Lower, Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A., 1902, p. 89, male and female. This variable species shows such constant differences in various localities that a desciiption of the varieties appears necessary; THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 55 also a note on the synonymy, which has not been made clear by Meyrick and Lower. Hewitson's description refers undoubtedly to a male ; he gives the under side as — " Pale rufous grey, except the lower half of the anterior wing and anal angle of posterior wing, which are dark brown. Posterior wing marked by four silvery white spots — two before the middle and two below these, one of which is minute — and by a less distinct white spot and several brown spots. Habitat, Queensland. Exp., i/^ inch " (= 32 mm. double measurement. — G. A. W.) P15tz describes the under side of his Tel. praxedes as — " Reddish-grey. Hind-wing with four white spots encircled with black, two close together in central cell and cell ic, the other two in cells ic and 2, towards the outer margin, a black dot in cells 6 and 7. 16 mm. Port Jackson." These descriptions agree with Meyrick and Lower's male T. maheia, excepting only that they make seven silvery spots on the under side. This is a form very rarely met with, the four con- spicuous spots being usually present, and the other much smaller ones being represented by dark dots, and only very rarely by silvery spots. Meyrick and Lower sink Tel. praxedes under Trap, symmonuis, Hiibn., without assigning any reason for so doing. This cannot be correct, for T. symmomus could scarcely be described as " reddish-grey on the under side," and has more large spots than given by Plotz ; the size also is a telling character, being the same as given by Plotz for ornata, and less than that given by him for picta, iacchus, dirphia, and peronii ; so Meyrick and Lower could only be correct on the very unlikely supposition that Plotz had in his possession only a remarkably undersized specimen of symmomus. Again, Meyrick and Lower sink Tel. phlcea under Traj). jjhigalia (= Trap, phillyra), and here again they must be wrong. Plotz describes ^^/iic/a^ta with references to Hewitson's description and Herrich-Schaetifer's figure on the same page with his de- scription of phlcea. The sexes of phigalia are anything but markedly different, so I cannot believe that Plotz would give descriptions of both, on the one page, as separate species ; besides, his description of phlcea agrees very well indeed with the female of maheta. Plotz describes his specimen as a female, 17 mm. ; locality, Melbourne. There is no doubt that Meyrick and Lower are quite correct in assigning the name j^higalia to Miskin's species ^jAiZ/^/^-a, as can be at once seen by an examination of Hewitson's description and Herrich-Shaeffer's figure. It is not quite easy to decide which of the many forms is the typical T. maheia, but as Hewitson describes the under side as 56 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. "reddish-grey," I conclude it to be the form extending from Twofold Bay, N.S.W., to somewhat north of Brisbane, with a sHght variation as we get farther north to Cairns, where a whitish suffusion extends over the under side in the male — the only sex of the Cairns variation I have yet seen, I consider the following forms worthy of separate varietal names : — Trapezites maheta, var. phigalioides, var. nov. Male, 15 to 16 mm. Shape much as in typical T. maheta, but with outer margin distinctly more convex. Upper side with the spots arranged as in maheta, except that the lowest sub-apical spot is only half the size of the other two, and is placed beyond them towards the apex ; the colour is less shining, and the cilia of hind-wing are grey, spotted with brown at termination of veins. Under side with apical area of fore-wing and hind-wing greyish, sometimes faintly tinged with brown, the spots of fore-wing as on upper side, but larger, the spots of hind-wing as small brown rings, never centred with silver. Cilia grey, spotted with brown. Female, 16 mm. Shape as in typical female, T. maheta. Upper side as in T. maheta, except that the lowest sub-apical spot is nearest apex and the orange band of hind-wing is broader. Under side as in T. maheta, except that tlie apex of fore-wing and whole of hind-wing are greyish. Cilia grey, freely spotted with brown. Locality. — Gisborne, Toora, and Wandin South, Victoria. This variety is described from types (male and female) in the collection of Mr. G. Lyell, from whom I have received duplicates. It is superficially very like the allied species T. phiyalia, which, however, is of different shape, and always has the cell of fore- wing on under side orange. It can be easily recognized by the peculiar position of lowest sub- apical spot in fore-wing, and the absence of silver spots on the under side of hind-wing. Had Plotz mentioned in his description of j)hlcea the misplacement of the lowest sub-apical spot in fore-wing, and had he not described the colour as " reddish-grey," phlma might have been considered as indicating this variety, which is figured in Anderson and Spry's "Victorian Butterflies," p. 119, under the name of T. phig/dia, but that name rightly belongs to the species figured there as T. 2->hilli/ra. Trapezites maheta, var. iacchoides, var. nov. Male, 17 mm. Shape ?s in male T. maheta, but apex of fore- wing very acute, and outer margin quite straight. Upper side as in typical male T. maheta, with the band of hind- wing broader and deeper orange. Cilia greyish. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 57 Under side with the reddish-grey replaced by sahiion colour, and the silver spots of hind-wing (usually six in number) of moderate size, that of apex being equal in size to that of anal angle. Cilia yellowish, spotted with brown. Locality — Corao and Blue Mountains, N.S.W. (F. Brown). Type in author's collection. The colour of the under side readily distinguishes this variety. I was at first inclined rather to think it a hybrid of iacohus and maheta, but now that several males have been taken in two localities it is best regarded as a marked variety. The Black "Emeu." — Mr. Graham Renshaw, M.B., who has on several occasions contributed articles to the Zoologist on rare animals, &c., which are known only as museum specimens, devotes the latest of his essays, in the March (1903) number, to Dromceus ater, the extinct emu of Kangaroo Island. Mr. Renshaw, after diligent search, can record only six specimens, but the where- abouts of th^ee of these is at present unknown. He figures the only stuffed specimen known, that in the Jardin des Plantes Museum, Paris. It will be remembered that an account of the finding in the Florence (Italy) Museum of a skeleton of this bird appeared in the Victorian Naturalist (vol. xvii., p. 114) some time ago, and gave rise to the query (Naturalist, vol. xvii., p. 128) as to whether any remains of the extinct Tasmanian Emu survive in museums, so far with no response. Mr. Renshaw regards Dromceus ater as one of the rarest of the rare birds, but expresses no opinion as to whether it and the Tasmanian are distinct or identical species. This is a point which seems to require clearing up, for, if the same, it is rather singular that the same bird should exist on two islands at least 500 miles apart with no trace of the species, or of a connecting link, on the mainland of Australia, from which the islands are separated, in the case of Kangaroo Island by a strait of only 10 miles across, and Tasmania of 135 miles. Dr. Latham, the eminent ornithologist, in his " General History of Birds," published in 1822, mentions having seen a pair of " Van Dieman's Cassowary," one of which he figures under the specific name of D. ater, but as these are now among the missing specimens, it seems impossible to be certain as to the identity of the Emus of the two islands. The Daisy. — Mr. R. L. Praeger writes in Knowledge for July on wild flowers of the most familiar and best-loved kinds, among them the Daisy, of which he says : — " The yellow button- like disk is composed of a myriad of small perfect flowers, with yellow five-cleft tubular corolla, and ring of fused stamens surrounding the pistil. Of calyx we find hardly a trace ; the close packing of the flowers leaves no room for it, and renders it un- necessary as a protective structure. In the Compositae the calyx is 58 THE VICTOKIAN NATURALIST. usually reduced to a few hairs, which often play a valuable part in aiding seed-dispersal, as we shall see, by growing as the fruit ripens into a feathery plume or pappus, which acts as a parachute. The marginal or ray flowers of our Daisy have no stamens — are female ; and their corolla is white, and greatly expanded in an outward direction — the only direction in which there is room for expansion. These ray flowers, in fact, are largely useful in advertising the otherwise inconspicuous flower-head. Similar devices we have already noted in the wild Guelder-rose ; and we may compare with these such flower-heads as those of the little Cornel, Cornus suecica, and the Astrantias, in which the flowers are surrounded by a ring of coloured leaves, which serve the same purpose. Finally, our Daisy head is surrounded by a close- fitting double ring of small leaves, the involucre, which encloses the whole in bud, and plays the part that a calyx usually plays in a single flower. . . . It is perhaps among some of the larger members of the Daisy group that the composite inflores- cence attains its greatest beauty and perfection. Examine such a flower-form as the Ox-eye Daisy. First we have the close- lapping scales of the involucre, securely enclosing the whole, and protecting it when in bud. Then the splendid ring of ray-flowers, whose object is to render the inflorescence more conspicuous. Thus we find these enormously expanded corollas often assuming a tint other than that of the main mass of flowers — white when the disk is yellow, as in the Ox-eye ; in other species blue, or purple, or yellow, accompanying a yellow or greyish disk. These ray-florets have sacrificed their perfection as flowers for the purposes of advertisement, and are usually devoid of stamens, or sometimes devoid of both stamens and pistil. Finally we have the dense mass of disk-florets, all perfect, producing a quantity of minute fruits. As for the fruit of the Corymbiferse, a large number rely on wind carriage, and the calyx-segments take the form of hairs, which grow into a more or less perfect parachute to aid in transporting the comparatively large fruit to pastures new." Boys' Field Club, South Australia. — We have received a 48-page pamphlet recording the doings of the above club during the years 1893 to April, 1902. This society, which owes its foundation to the enthusiasm of Mr. W. C. Grasby, its present president, was founded in August, 1887, has for its motto — "The naturalist loves life," and its objects — (ist) to encourage nature study, and (2nd) to provide healthful recreation. The members are principally boys of 10 to 18 years of age. Regular meetings and excursions are held for purposes of study, but the great feature of the club has been the Easter encampments, of which thirteen have now been held, lasting from seven to nine days each. These camps are usually attended by some thirty to fifty THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 59 boys ; in fact, so eager are the boys to take part in these outings that restrictions have had to be made, so that members must qualify for the right to attend. The work of the members is chiefly in geology, botany, and conchology, and several new or rare specimens have been secured in the latter department, and the club has a cabinet of type specimens. The pamphlet is illustrated with numerous camp scenes, and is well worthy of perusal by all interested in directing the attention of young people to nature study. "The Emu." — The current (July) number of The Emu, forming the first part of the third volume, is to hand, and contains a number of interesting articles bearing on bird life in its various aspects. " A Trip to the Stirling Range, W.A.," by Mr. A. VV. Milligan, of Perth, is well illustrated, but the palm in the way of illustrations must be given to our old friend Mr. E. M. Cornwall's photograph of a rookery of the Sooty Tern, Sterna fuliginosa, on the Upolu Bank, Great Barrier Reef. This has been excellently reproduced, and affords one of the finest pictures of an animated scene it is possible to conceive. In his notes on his visit Mr. Cornwall remarks : — " I have often wondered how, on a great rookery like this, the birds are able to identify their eggs, and after carefully watching for a considerable time have come to the conclusion that they are not at all particular whose egg they sit on. Although the rookeries of different varieties are well defined, the whole are so jumbled together that along the fringes where two varieties meet the eggs are much intermingled, and in very many cases Sooty Terns had taken possession of Lesser Crested Terns' eggs and vice versd." This remark is in opposition to the ideas usually associated with bird rookeries, and seems to be a probable explanation of the doubts which have arisen in many people's minds as to the birds' knowledge of their own nests in such gatherings. In Mr. Thos. Carter's notes from South- Western Australia is included the following note about a tame Emu, communicated to him by Mr. R. Gale, of Fairlawn : — " The bird was allowed its liberty on the Margaret River estate, and apparently formed an attachment for a horse there, for when Mr. Gale drove this horse from Margaret River to his house near Busselton, a distance of 40 miles, the Emu arrived early the following day, in spite of having had to traverse cross roads and negotiate several fences of barbed wire and post and rails. Did the bird follow the horse by scent?" The part contains many items of interest to bird-lovers. "Notes on the Natural History, &c., of Western Aus- tralia."— This volume consists mainly of the scientific chapters contributed by specialists dealing with the geography, geology, climate, flora, fauna, &c., published from time to time in the Western Australian Year-Book. These have been collected into 60 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. one volume by Mr. Malcolm A. C. Fraser, the Government Statistician, and with the addition of maps and illustrations form an excellent handbook to the natural history of Western Aus- tralia. The maps comprise a general map, and one combining the rainfall records and the zoo-geographical divisions N., N.W., S.W., and C. (central or desert). The chapters deal with — i. Physical Features ; 2. Geography ; 3. Geological Features, with a census of the Minerals, the South-west Cave District, &c. ; 4. Climate ; 5. Aborigines ; 6. Fauna, including lists of Mammalia, Birds, Reptilia, Batrachia, and Pisces ; 7. Entomology ; 8. Flora, with a list of plants; 9. Forest Resources; 10-13. Scientific Institutions ; and 14. Report on the Lake Yanchep Caves. " Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales." — In the May (1903) number Mr. W. W. Froggatt, F.L.S., Government Entomologist, contributes an article on "Some Wood-boring Beetles and Their Habits," in which four minute but de- structive beetles are dealt with. A plate is given showing the insect natural size and greatly enlarged. Mr. Froggatt continues his notes on the Cicadas ( " Locusts " ) and their habits, men- tioning eight species and giving figures of six, and concluding with a good bibliography. In the June number Mr. Froggatt writes on " Insects that Damage Wheat and other Foodstuffs," in which he briefly describes nine beetles and five moths, all of which are very destructive in grain stores, &c. Seven of these are illustrated, natural size and enlarged. References to literature complete the paper. Present-day Cave-Dwellers. — In an article published in Knowledge a few years ago, Mr. Lydekker drew attention to the evidence in favour of an Asiatic origin for the aborigines of Australia, whose nearest relatives then appeared to be the Veddas of Ceylon. " In a letter from Macassar," says that monthly, " the Messrs. Sarasin, who are travelling in Celebes, announce the discovery in the mountains of that island of a primitive people — the Toala — presenting a remarkably physical resemblance to the Veddas. Although these people have now been considerably influenced in the mode of life by contact with the Buginese of the coast districts, there is decisive evidence that a short time ago they were cave-dwellers (as indeed are some of their number now), while within a century or so ago they were in the habit of using chipped stone arrow-heads and other weapons and imple- ments. There can be little doubt that the Toala were the primitive inhabitants of Celebes, and that they were driven to take refuge in the mountains by the Malay invaders, with whom, however, they now hold a certain amount of intercourse. Assuming their affinity to the Veddas to be true, and it is scarcely likely that such a remarkable resemblance can be merely accidental, we have much stronger evidence than before as to the probable Asiatic origin of the Australian aborigines." the Uktorian HdturaHst Vol. XX.— No. 5. SEPTEMBER 10, 1903. No. 237. FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA, The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held in tlie Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, loth August, 1903. Mr. F. G. A. Barnard, one of the vice-presidents, occupied the chair, and about 65 members and visitors were present. CORRESPONDENCE. From the National Forests Protection League, thanking the Club for the support given by members, and urging unrelaxed attention to the reservation of timber country. REPORTS. In the absence of Mr. D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., Mr. F. G. A. Barnard gave a short report of the Club's visit to the Zoological Gardens on Saturday, i8th July, when there was a good attend- ance of members and friends, who availed themselves of the opportunity to inspect the various animals, birds, &c., under the guidance of the Director, Mr. D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S. Additional interest is given to these visits by the information imparted by the Director concerning many of the animals on view. Among other items of interest may be mentioned the Black Swans, some of which were then sitting on their eggs, while several young ones were seen running about. The Emu was also sitting on her nest, containing several eggs. Altogether a very pleasant after- noon was spent, and members left well pleased with their visit. GENERAL BUSINESS. Mr, A. J. Campbell drew attention to the destruction of game on Lake Moodemere. He exj^lained that the lake was reserved some yeais ago as a resort for wild fowl, but, owing to the drought, the sheet of water has been somewhat reduced, and the waterfowl are therefore congregating more in the limited area, and so offering greater facilities for their destruction. Under cover of shooting foxes and other vermin unscrupulous persons are also destroying the ducks, &c. He therefore moved — "That the attention of the Minister of Public Works and the Rutherglen Shire Council be directed to the destruction of game on Lake Moodemere." Mr. G. Coghill, in seconding the motion, stated that some years ago the attention of a former Minister had been successfully directed to the matter. The motion was carried unanimously. .cX 62 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. Mr. J. Stickland drew attention to the necessity of again taking some action for the protection of the wattles. Mr. J. Shephard also spoke on the subject, and the Chairman undertook to send a letter to the newspapers drawing attention to the matter. PAPERS. 1. By Miss K. Cowle, entitled "Notes of a Visit to Mount Roland, Tasmania." In an interesting paper the authoress mentioned the various specimens of natural history met with during her visit, and gave some account of the geology of the district. A number of the botanical specimens collected were exhibited, together with photographic views and other objects of interest from the locality. Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A., congratulated Miss Cowle on the interest- ing and useful work she had accomplished during her visit. Messrs. R. A. Bastow, G. Coghill, and F. Wisewould spoke on the paper, and the latter mentioned the difficulties to be met with in collecting in such rough country. 2. By Mr. J. H. Gatliff, entitled " Additions to the List of Victorian Marine MoUusca." This paper consisted of a list of additional species of Victorian Gastropod shells, which have been identified during the publica- tion of the " Catalogue of Marine Shells of Victoria," by Messrs. G. B. Pritchard and J. H. Gatliff, in the " Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria." The author explained in detail certain characters in several species of shells, by which they could be readily identified, and illustrated his remarks with specimens of the shells. Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A., in complimenting the author on his work, mentioned that Mr. Gatliff, in conjunction with Mr. G. B. Pritchard, had been working for some time on a " Catalogue of the Marine Shells of Victoria." They had finished the Gastropods, and were now working on the Lamellibranchs. He spoke of the close resemblance of many of the shells exhibited by Mr. Gatliff to fossil species, and stated that their work will throw much light on the identification of our tertiary fossil shells. He stated that there were now about 800 recent Victorian shells described, while of our tertiary shells there were quite 800 described, and yet not half had been dealt with. NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. Mr. T. S. Hart, M.A., writing from Ballarat, says :— " It may interest some of the members of the Field Naturalists' Club to know that the rare orchid Prasophylhim archeri was collected in flower about ist May by Mr. R. Copeland in the Ballarat New Cemetery, Ballarat North. I only remember it being recorded in Victoria from near Maryborough, though, of course, it may be THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 63 commoner than I supposed. A Pterostylis, apparently praecox, is now flowering in the ranges south of Amherst." Mr. G. Coghill stated that P. archeri had been found at Ringwood by Miss S. W. L. Cochrane. Mr. C. French, jun., stated that he had collected it at Oakleigh. Mr. G. A. Keartland mentioned, as a result of protection, that kangaroos were greatly increasing in numbers in the country around Whittlesea. Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S., made some remarks on his exhibit of Australian Lycgenid butterflies, chiefly Victorian, which were labelled in accordance with Mr. G. A. VVaterhouse's recent revision of the family, in order to call attention to the many changes proposed in the nomenclature. In referring to many of Mr. "VVaterhouse's determinations chiefly concerning the Victorian species, he drew attention to that author's remarks expressing his doubt as to the correctness of Messrs. Anderson and Spry's record of March for the time of appearance of U^ia agricola. Mr. Waterhouse says that he has "caught many hundreds near Sydney, but none later than November." Mr. Kershaw stated that he has a specimen taken as late as 30th January. Mr. F. Spry, in speaking on the subject, slated that the record of March for this species published by Mr. Anderson and himself was quite correct. Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A, referred to the spread of the Cape irid, Romulea bulbooocliwa, at Inverleigh, and stated that members would be interested to learn that the White Cockatoo, Cacatua galbvita, had discovered that the bulbs afforded excellent food. Mr. F. Chapman, A.L.S., remarked on an exhibit of a valve of a Diatom (Arachnoidiscus) which he obtained from the oldest tertiary strata (Thanet beds) of Pegwell Bay, England. The peculiarity of this fossil lies in the fact of its replacement, by iron pyrites, of the original silica ; the surface markings of the valve are also faithfully reproduced. These pyritized Diatoms were first discovered by W. H. Shrubsole in the London clay of Sheppey, and one of the reasons for exhibiting the specimen was to draw the attention of microscopists to the possibility of their occurrence in the Victorian tertiary clay beds where iron pyrites is found replacing fossils. EXHIBITS. By Mr. R. A. Bastow. — Two Ophiuroids and Asterias calamaria from the Ninety-mile Beach, Victoria, and a King Crab from Singapore. By Mr. F. Chapman, A.LS. — A valve of a tertiary fossil Diatom, Arachnoidiscus, replaced by iron pyrites, from Pegwell Bay, England. By Miss S. W. L. Cochrane. — Wild flowers from Sandringham. By Mr. P. C. Cole.- -Two specimens of the fruit of the Baobab 64 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. tree, Adansonia gregorii, showing aboriginal carved designs, from North- Western Australia. By Mr. A. Coles. — Specimen of Little Falcon, Falco lunu- latus. By Miss K. Cowle. — Photographs, botanical and rock speci- mens, &c., from Mount Roland, Tasmania, in illustration of her paper. By Mr. C. French, jun. — Life-history of Longicorn beetle, Strongylurus cretifer, which is very destructive to the Native Cherry trees in Victoria ; also, aboriginal stone knives (polished), from Swan Hill, Hamilton, Heidelberg, &c. By Mr. J. H. Gatliff. — Marine shells from Victoria, including Modiola victorice, Prit. and Gatl. (type) ; Zenatia victorice, Prit. and Gatl. (type) ; Chioiie strigosa, Lamk. ; C. scallarina, Lamk. ; and 41 additional Victorian marine shells referred to in his paper. By Mr. A. D. Hardy. — Two specimens of Hepaticse — Riccia natans, a floating plant, from BuUeen, and Fimbriaria australis (in fruit), a terrestrial plant, from Malvern. By Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S. — Case of Australian Lycaenid butterflies, including type of Miletus meleagris, Waterh. By Mr. F. M. Reader. — Dried specimens of Brachycome ciliaris, Less., var. glandulosa, Benth., new for Victoria ; and specimens of the rare coniferous shrub, Pherosphcera filzgeraldi, F. v. M., hitherto found at the Katoomba Falls only. Collected by the Rev. W. VV. Watts at Leura Falls, Blue Mountains, N.S W. By Mr. F. Spry. — Case of Victorian Lycsenid b\itterflies. By Mr. J. Tarrant. — Specimens of the bark of the Paper-barked Ti-tree, Melaleuca squarrosa, Donn., Gippsland. After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. SOME COMPARISON OF THE ALPINE FLORA OF AUSTRALIA AND EUROPE. By G. Weindorfer. {Read he/ore the Field Nuturalists' Chih of Victoria, I3th July, 1903. The remarks which I purpose oftering under the above title are based upon observations of the Alpine flora of Victoria and the Eastern Alps of Europe, the altitudes of which are practically alike. Whoever has once ascended a mountain cannot fail to liave observed how the vegetation gradually changes, so that the tourist presently finds himself amidst new and strange surround- ings, in which the vegetation of the lowlands is replaced by one of a totally different appearance. It is well known that in the THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 65 upper regions of the mountains the tree-growth ceases, and a belt of stunted bushes and herbs continues, occasionally covering large areas with unbroken vegetation, or forming patches amongst rocks. The term generally applied to this region is the " Alpine region," and the vegetation thereon is known as the " Alpine flora." This paper deals exclusively with the " Alpine flora" and not with the " flora of the Alps," by which expression a flora is understood whicli would comprise plants growing in all eleva- tions of the Alps in question. It must not be understood, how- ever, that the Alpine flora forms a distinct geographical or systematic class of vegetation, for this is not the case in either of the Alpine flora. It is generally accepted that the lower border of the Alpine regions is formed by what is known as the tree-line ; but, clear as this definition may appear, it cannot be strictly accepted as such, for the following reasons : — The tree-growth does not cease abruptly, but gradually becomes more and more stunted, and in the shade of these bushes grow plants which decidedly belong to the Alpine flora. In every case there is a considerable over- lapping of the Alpine and the lowland flora. The most important characteristic of an Alpine flora in general is therefore to be found in its habit — its physiognomy — which is the product of many and varied factors, such as soil, temperature, air, moisture, situation of mountains and their incline, and other influences. A striking difference between the Australian and European Alpine vegetation is noticed as regards the tree-line. Careful examinations and records have established the tree-line of the Eastern Alps of Europe at 5,700 feet approximately (in the western part of the Alps even 6,400 feet), whereas, in my estimation, the tree-line in the Victorian portion of the Australian Alps is at 5,300 feet approximately — that is, 400 feet lower than in the Eastern Alps of Europe. Mr. J. H. Maiden, F.L.S., Government Botanist of New South Wales, in his pamphlet, " A Second Contribution towards a Flora of Mount Kosciusko " (1899), says: — "The height of the tree-line is fairly constant (about 6,500 feet)." I have taken the tree-line in the Victorian portion of the Australian Alps to be where the normal growth of forest trees ceases, at 5,300 feet, and have not taken into con- sideration the dwarfed tree-growth into which the normal growth is transformed. Mr. Maiden, however, does not explain in his pamphlet the basis adopted by him for his statement. No doubt the greater height and possibly more favourable conditions in the Kosciusko group may explain the difference in the tree-line. The diff'erence between the European and the Victorian Alps is all the more striking when we consider their respective geographical positions. The high plains of Bogong and Omeo 66 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. are situated under the 37th degree of south latitude, while the Eastern Alps of Europe lie in 47 degrees north latitude. The last-named mountain-chain is therefore ten degrees further removed from the equator than the first-named, and must, there- fore sliow a proportionate decrease in the j'early temperature, yet the tree-growth extends to higher altitudes in the European Alps than is the case in our Alps. An explanation of this fact may be that in the European Alps the forests consist, in the higher elevations, ex- clusively of Conifers, whose dense growth resists more effectively the encroachment of the heavy snowdrifts, and thus affords more protection than is the case with the Australian forest, where the Eucalyptus trees, with their high, slender trunks and open crowns, are further apart, thus providing no mutual protection against the ravages of wind and snow storms. It is this general external difference in the forests which un- doubtedly contributes a great deal to the changed characters of the respective floras. Let us further take into consideration the meteorological conditions in both Alpine regions. Mr. James Stirling, F.G S , F.L.S., in a paper — "The Physiography of the Australian Alps " — read before the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, held at Sydney in 1889, says : — • " Snow falls at heights above 2,000 feet, but at the lower levels seldom remains longer than a few days, thawing quickly as it falls unless in the shaded hill sides, where the frost hardens the crust." The height at which snow remains during the winter months begins with 5,000 feet. From here upward the first snowfall appears about the month of April, and melts in the month of No- vember. The snow, therefore, remains in these elevations during a period of seven months, thus leaving a vegetative period of five months. In contrast to this are the meteorological conditions of the European Alps in question. There snow melts, at the same altitudes as in the Australian Alps, about end of May, in less favourable situations not till the end of July. The snowfall commences often in the middle of October, thus giving the vegetation a winter rest of 7^^ to 9^ months, and a vegetative period of only ajS^ to 4^ months. A similar difference will be observed in the respective tempera- tures. The average mean summer temperature of Mount Hotham is 55° F., in the European Alps it is 59" F., while the average mean winter temperature for the Australian Alps is 41° F., and for the Eastern European Alps 30° F. According to these records there is in the Eastern European Alps a shorter time available for the development of plants, though with a greater range of temperature than in our Alps. The result of this short vegetative period is that in neither of the Alps can annual species find the favourable meteorological THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 67 conditions necessary for their growth, for it is obvious that such plants would absorb so much time in forming their stalks and leaves that the time of flowering and maturing the seed would be so close to the commencement of the cold season as to endanger their chances of reproduction. The number of annual species in the European Alps is there- fore limited to a great extent ; besides this, all the annual species show a very diminutive growth, being almost without stalks and leaves, in order to use as little time as possible for the develop- ment of their structure, and to have the use of the warmest days for the development of their flowers and fruit. Although the plant-growth in the Australian Alps extends over a considerably longer vegetative period than in the European Alps, annual species seem to be entirely wanting. Mr. J. H. Maiden remarks in the abovementioned paper : — " Without going so far as to say that there are no annuals growing in the upper regions of Mount Kosciusko, I do not call to mind any plants from the tree-line upward that are not perennials." However, it must not be forgotten that the relative frequency of the species in the two floras is i to lo; that is to say, there are ten times more species in the European than in the Australian Alps. If, therefore, in our Alps some annuals may exist, their number will consequently be very few. I may mention that during a short visit to the Alps last Christmas time in company with our fellow-members, Dr. Sutton and Mr. Barnard, we did not observe any annuals at the elevations in question. In the European Alps it is not uncommon for plants which are annuals in lower levels to turn, in ascending to higher altitudes, into perennials. A further peculiarity of Alpine plants in Europe is the develop- ment of the flowering organs before the leaves appear. There the plants must make the most of the short vegetative period, and in order to mature the fruit without loss of time, have to start flowering immediately after the melting of the snow. During the flowering time the old leaves play an important part as reservoirs of foodstuffs. During winter stiff and leathery, and filled to repletion with nutriment, they provide the flowering part of the plant with the necessary food, and dry up on the budding of the new leaves, which take over the same role as their predecessors. In the Australian Alps, with a longer vegetative period, there is no such necessary hurry, and the plants, without the danger of losing time, may, in most cases, after the snow melts, start with the formation of their stalks and leaves. The number of species with bulbs in the European Alpine flora is limited to two, belonging to the order Liliacege. In the Australian Alps bulbiferous plants are entirely missing. This fact may be explained as follows : — In the sphere of the Alpine 68 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. flora, for want of sufficient warmth during its short vegetative period plants cannot devote their time to building up bulbs, for which purpose, on account of the necessary chemical changes and transformations, a high degree of warmth is required. The role which bulbs play with plants in lower elevations is in Alpine plants taken over by their leaves, which, as before mentioned, serve the plants as reservoirs of foodstuffs for the coming season. All characteristic Alpine plants therefore show, as a peculiarity, the thickness of their leaves, and are consequently greatly in contrast with their nearest relations of the lowlands. In the Australian Alps we may observe this fact in certain plants, as Eucalyptus coriacea, the Acacias, many Compositse, Drimys aroniatica, Pimelea ligustrtna, Dianella tasmanica, Orites lanci/olia, Westringia senifolia, and others. A special mark of Alpine plants is their dense hairiness, the purpose of which is exclusively to protect the plants against extensive evaporation. I am under the impression that the number of species with vestitures is proportionally greater in the European Alps than here. A further peculiarity in Alpine plants is in the crowded grassy growth, with little stalks and small leaves. This circumstance is explained by the fact that the plants of high mountains commence with their vitality at a time when daylight already lasts from 15 to 16 hours. Now, as plants assimilate during daytime and grow during the night, there is more time available for assimila- tion, and plants with greater dimensions will therefore not have such favourable chances ; m addition to this, of course, lower temperature and other different circumstances, as wind and poor soil, play an important part. As examples of this may be men- tioned Slackhousia pulvinijera, Sccevola hookeri, Leontopodium catipes, Gnaphalium alpigineuni. For the same reason lofty trees in Alpine regions are entirely absent. On the other hand, the branches of the low Alpine shrubs are, by the weight of snow masses, mechanically pressed down on the soil, an appearance which is especially characteristic in the European Alps. To take one instance, the depressed bushes of Finus muyhus, or the Knee-wood of the European Alps, with which Eucalyptus coriacea of our Alps may be com- pared. Climbing plants, also, cannot find the necessary conditions for their life, for the production of tendrils would occupy too much time, which could be more profitably utilized for the production of seeds. Of this kind of plant the European flora has only one representative (Atragene alpina), while in the Australian Alps climbing plants are entirely wanting. We have now arrived at a feature by which Alpine plants are mostly distinguished from the related species of the lowlands — THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 69 that is, the colour and the perfume of their flowers. Without a doubt the plants of the European Alps are, in this respect, in advance of those of the AustraHan Alps, and once more I quote Mr. J. H. Maiden's words: — "A greater brilliancy and size of the flowers has been observed in the European Alps. I do not think that is specially true in regard to Mount Kosciusko plants, perhaps because of the inferior height of the latter mountain. The increased brilliancy of the flowers would certainly, I think, apply to some species of Ranunculi, which are so brightly yellow that one cannot fail to remark it. As will be seen presently, there is not that variety of colour in Mount Kosciusko flowers that obtains in the European Alps. If we consider the plants I have enumerated from tree-line to 7,000 feet, we find the colours of the flowers distributed approximately as follows : — White, 36 ; green and inconspicuous, 10 ; yellow, 13 ; dull yellow, 6 ; purple and pink, 7 ; blue, i. (Restiacese, Cyperaceae, Gramine^, &c., have been excluded.)" According to this, the red and violet colours among flowers are not to be found in our Alps ; on the other hand, the blue colour, with one, and the pink colour, with seven, are very poorly represented. This want of contrasts in colour (which want is also found with regard to perfume) is no doubt due to the already mentioned unequal proportion of the species represented in both Alps. It is suflicient to point out that the European Alpine flora possesses 63 orders and 280 genera (Phanerogamse and Acotyle- donese — vasculares), while the Australian Alps have only 37 orders and 75 genera. A striking feature of the Australian Alps is the deficiency of insect life, which is of such great importance as an agent in the fertilization of phanerogamous plants. This will probably account for the want of variety in colour and perfume. Further, let me allude to some other peculiarities which both Alpine floras have more or less in common, as compared with the flora of the lowlands. With the proportionate paucity of larger animals in Alpine regions is going hand in hand the deficiency of spinescent plants, which find it necessary to protect themselves against the extensive attacks of herbivorous animals. There are in the European Alps only a few species, belonging to the genera Rosa, Rubus, Cirsium, and Juniperus, with spines, but the armature of these is not of a very formidable character, while in the Australian Alps this class of plant is represented by Hymenanthera dentata (Mount Kosciusko) and Daviesia ulicina (Mount Hotham). Finally I would refer to the richer green of foliage, and the tendency to form rosettes of leaves, and with this I think that I have mentioned most of those peculiarities by which both of the Alpine floras determine their physiognomic character. 70 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. In conclusion I would say that, although the Alpine flora of Australia does not compare in beauty with that of the European Alps, yet it presents its visitor with an indelible picture, which every Australian may justly regard with pride and speak of as " the Alpine flora of Australia." NOTES OF A VISIT TO MOUNT ROLAND, TASMANIA. Bv Miss K. Cowi.k. {Read he/ore the Field Natural isW Club of Victoria, lOth Augvsf, 1903.) The following notes of a visit to Mount Roland in January last may be of interest to members of our Club. The mountain is a familiar landmark to everyone living in and around Uevonport, on the north-west coast of Tasmania. It stands away in the south, distant son)e twenty miles from the coast, and forms the south-eastern boundary of the great bend at the Mersey. Mount Roland is bold and rugged, its northern end being an almost perpendicular escarpment ; its height is 4,047 feet, and in winter it is often snow-capped. The northern and eastern sides are composed principally of an ancient conglomerate, the pebbles, milky white and water-worn, being embedded in a reddish-coloured matrix. Some of the boulders at the foot of the mountain are smooth and rounded, and look like inlaid work. This smoothing of the rocks may have been the work of an ancient sea, which left in the lower levels, between the base of the mountain and the sea coast, the upper Paleozoic marine beds, in which occur fossils, such as Spirifers, Aviculopectens, &c. We did not find any traces of fossils in the stones brought from the mountain. For the first thousand feet the track winds up through a forest composed of such trees and shrubs as the Stringybark, Eucalyptus ohliqua, L'Her., Peppermint Gum, E. amygdalma, Lab. ; Dog- wood, Fomaderris opetala,h3ih. ; Musk. Aster (Olearia) argophylla, F. v. M. ; Silver Wattle, Acacia dealbata, Link ; River Wattle, A. diacolor, Willd. ; the Prickly Acacias, A. diffusa, Edw., and A. veriirillata, Willd. ; Prickly Box, Bursaria spinosi, Cav. ; Sassafras, Aiherosperma moschatu7n, Lab. ; Stinkwood, Zieria smi'hii, Andr. ; Honeywood, Bedfordia salicina, D.C. ; Cassinia aculeata, R. Br. ; ]\Iint-tree, Prostanthera lasiantha. Lab. ; Tea-tree, Leptospermuni I'ujjestre, H. ; and Guitar Plant, Lomaiia tinctoria, R. Br. Among these were such smaller plants as Pimeleas, Clematis arisiata, R. Br. ; the Purpleberry, BiUiardieri longijiora, Lab. ; the Blueberry, Dianella longifolia, R. Br. ; and the beautiful White Iris, Diplarrhena inorea, Lab. Our first halt was near a spring, in the shade of some fine specimens of the Valley Tree Fern, Dicksonia billardieri, THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 71 F. V. M., whose brown trunks were covered with masses of the little filmy fern, Trichomanes venosum, R. Br. Other ferns noted were Lomaria capensis, Willd., Lindsaya linearis, Swartz, Pteris tremula, R. Br., and the Oak Fern, Pteris incisa, Thun. The rocks were covered with many beautiful mosses and lichens, the most conspicuous mosses being — Bryum altisehwi, C. M. ; Leucobryum candidum, Hampi ; Dicrtmium hillardieri, Bridel ; Hypnum cupressiforme, Simm. ; Lepidozia alothrin, Hook ; and Ptycho)nnion aciculare, Labill. The last two thousand feet are climbed up a ravine, over a sort of cataract of loose blocks of reddish sandstone, the walls on either side being masses of conglomerate some hundreds of feet high, and on one side almost perpendicular. This ravine had evidently been an ancient watercourse, but all that was left of the stream was a small spring which trickled from under the moss- covered boulders, into a sort of basin, and disappeared again under the rocks. From here to the top of the mountain we added to our collections the Gordon Lily, Blaadfordia marginata, Herb. ; the singular epacrid, Richea gunnii, H.; the Solomon's Seal or Turquoise Berry, Dryynophila cyanocarpa, R. Br. ; the Swamp Tea-tree, Melaleuca ericifolia, Sm. ; the Native Pepper, Brimys aromatica, F. v. M. ; the Snowberries, Gaultheria hisplda, R. Br., and G. lanceolata, H. ; the Asters, Olearia {Eitryhia) hdifolia, Benth., 0. pini/olia, Benth., and 0. gunniana, H.; SprengeUa in- carnata, Sm. ; and the Golden Rosemary, Oxylohium ellipticitm, R. Br. From the top of the mountain there is a fine view of the surrounding country and hills, and even the most ardent botanist or geologist must pause to admire it, with that silent outreach of the soul towards eternal beauty. The surface geological forma- tions can almost be traced by the vegetation, especially where the decomposition of the tertiary basalt has resulted in rich agricul- tural land, with its fields of green potato-tops or golden corn, backed up by virgin forest. The centre of the mountain is flat, and around the edges are great masses of stone, to the south all sandstone, contorted and tilted aUnost perpendicularly. This sandstone is composed of rounded grains of ancient rocks, and contains much iron, the protoxide and peroxide compounds colouring the rocks various shades of green and red. Among the trees and shrubs growing on top of the mountain may be mentioned Eucalyptus gunnii, H. ; Honeysuckle, Banksia marginata, Cav. ; dwarf specimens of the Beech, Fagu,s cwa- ninghami, H. ; the Purple Botde-brush, Melaleuca squaivea. Lab.; the Native Heath, Epiacris impressa, Lab. ; E. longiflora, Boronia, gunnii, H. ; B. rhomboidea, H. ; the Purple Heath, Tetratheca 72 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. gnnnii, H. ; the Artichoke, Astdia alpina, R. Br. ; Bceckia gunniana, Schau. ; Gentiana saxosa, Forst. ; the Eyebright, Euphrasia hrownii, F. v. M. ; the Yellow Thyme, Hibberlia serpillifolia, R. Br. ; Cehnisia longifolia, Cass. ; with the Coral Fern, Gleichenia dicarpa, R. Br., and a Lycopodium. Of animal life we have but a poor record. A Black Snake caused some excitement by crossing the track between our party. We saw a few parrots and robins. Two long-haired caterpillars attracted attention, one chestnut-brown with a golden band round the middle, the other dark brown with golden spots. On the 28th of March we again visited the top, but encountered a terrific thunderstorm. The thunder echoed from crag to crag with a deafening roar, the rain came down like a torrent, and in the dense mist we lost the track coming down, and so missed all the specimens we had gathered and put in the shade when going up. At that time GanUheria hispida was looking beautiful with its clusters of snowberries. I should advise anyone intending to visit Mount Roland to go the day before to the little village called Sheffield, which is some five or six miles from the mountain ; or to Mr. Perkins's farm at the foot of the mountain. Our party will never forget the kindness and hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Perkins. I am greatly indebted to Messrs. J. G. Luehmann and R. A. Bastow for the identification of some of my specimens. The late Mr. H. P. C. Ashworth. — It is with very great regret that the death of Mr. H. P. C. Ashworth, a former hon. secretary of the Field Naturalists' Club, is recorded. Owing to want of space, an account of his work in the interests of natural science must be held over for the next Natturalist. Personal. — During the month the editor received a charac- teristic memo, on a post card from Mr. Robert Hall, as follows : — "Yakutsk, Siberia, 30/6/03. I have truly set foot in the wonderful tundra country ; full of birds, teeming with mosquitoes, and covered with flowers. Every place greets my eyes with a new plant ; first a field of forget-me-nots, as large as those we cultivate, then a paddock of Iceland poppies. Our common onion occupies swamps, and most lovely orchids border them. Buttercups and blocks of ice line the banks of the Lena River, and flowering willows densely cover the numerous islands of the broad stream. Everything is done on a grand scale, and Nature in May wakes quickly from her snowed repose. Insects are varied and numerous. The whole is a wonderland and a surprise." Cbe Uictorian naturalist. Vol. XX.— No. 6. OCTOBER 8, 1903. No. 238. FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA, The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held in the Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, 14th September, 1903. The president, Mr. O. A. Sayce, occupied the chair, and about 100 members and friends were present. REPORTS. A report of the Club excursion to Greensborough on Saturday, 15th August, was read by the leader, Mr. G. Coghill, who stated that over twenty members and friends attended. The main object of the visit was to see the Silver Wattles, Acacia dealbata, in bloom, and members were not disappointed, for many lovely specimens were seen along the banks of the Plenty River. Masses of Clematis microphylla, in full bloom, festooned the smaller shrubs, &c., and added beauty to the scene. The Mistletoe, Loranthus pendulus, was found in bloom on many of the gum-trees, and closer examination disclosed several seeds just germinating on the branches of the trees. Though the district is not a particularly good one from a botanist's point of view, still several interesting species of plants were met with, among which may be mentioned GreviUea rosmarlnifolia, somewhat rare on the rocky banks of the river ; Hovea heterophyUa, Styphelia serrulata, Veronica calycina, and Aster stellulatus. The fern, Woodwardia caiidata, was also obtained. A report of the excursion to Cheltenham on Saturday, 29th August, was given by Mr. G. Weindorfer, who acted as leader of the botanical section. He stated that, being early in the season, only about twenty species were obtained in bloom. Of these, Euphrasia brownii, Acacia oxycedrus, and Sprengelia incarnata were in the most perfect condition. The country was very swampy, and prevented much investigation. Mr. J. Stickland reported that the pond-life section of the party obtained a fair variety of species characteristic of the district, but one rotifer obtained does not seem to have been recorded before, and will probably prove new to science. A report of the excursion to Ringwood on Saturday, 12th September, was given by the leader, Mr. C. French, jun., who reported a good attendance of members. A number of interesting plants were met with, such as Ophioglossum vulgatum (in fruit), Phylloylossum drummondi, Utricidaria dichotoma ; the orchids Galadenia deformis, Pterostylis harhata, Diuris maculata, and the rare Prasophyllum archeri (in seed). Acacia myrtifolia was beautifully in bloom, and a novelty in Wurmhea dioica, with pink 74 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. flowers, was secured. A number of micro-fungi were also col- lected. Both birds and insects were scarce, only a few common species of the former being seen. About forty species of plants in bloom were collected. The hon. librarian reported the receipt of the following donations to the library : — " Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Victoria," No. i, and "Reports of Geological Survey of Victoria, No. i : The Chiltern Goldfield," from the Department of Mines, Victoria ; Joi^rnal of Agriculture, Victoria, vol. ii., part 2 (July, 1903), from Department of Agriculture, Victoria; Agri- cultural Gazette of New South Wales, vol. xiv., part 17 (July, 1903), and "Geological Reports, No. 3 : Kerosene and Shale," from the Department of Mines and Agriculture, Sydney; "A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus," part 3, and " Forest Flora of New South Wales," part 4, by J. H. Maiden, F.L.S., Government Botanist of New South Wales, from the author ; " Proceedings of Linnean Society of New South Wales," 1903, part I, from the Society ; " Proceedings of Royal Society of South Australia," vol. xxvii., part i, from the Society ; Minnesota Botanical Sttidies, part 2 (July, 1903); Nature Notes, ]une and July, 1903, from the Selborne Society, London; and Knowledge, July, 1903, from the proprietors. GENERAL BUSINESS. Mr. D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., mentioned that a Natural History Society had been formed in Perth, Western Australia (with which was incorporated the Mueller Botanical Society), under the title of the West Australian Natural History Society. He desired to move — "That the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria congratulates the West Australian Natural History Society on its formation, and wishes it a successful career." The motion was seconded by Mr. T. Wisewould, and carried unanimously. PAPERS READ. I. By Professor Baldwin Spencer, M.A., F.R.S., entitled " Across Australia." The author, who has made several visits to the centre of Australia, first gave a general account of the geography and physical features of the central portion of the continent, illus- trating his remarks with a fine series of lantern slides of the more striking scenes. Some notes of the zoology and botany met with during his expedition with Mr. F. Gillen to study the habits and customs of the natives in the country north of the Macdonnell Ranges were also given, as well as a brief account of the natives and their habits, each being fully illustrated by lantern slides. Mr. J. Searle again kindly placed his lantern and services at the disposal of his fellow-members. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 75 NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. Mr. G. A. Keartland explained, in connection with liis exhibit of specimens of the White-backed Swallow and their eggs, that although these birds are so frail in structure, they tunnel from 2 to 3 feet into the wall of a sandbank to breed. The eggs exhibited were taken from a hole 2 feet 6 inches in the bank of the Finke River, which required over an hour's hard work with a large screw-driver to dig out. The President drew the attention of members to the Mueller medals exhibited on the table, which are to be awarded by the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science. EXHIBITS. By Mr. E. E. Barker, F.R.M.S.— Two nests of living Bull Ants, Myrmecia fortijicata and M. sanguinea. By Mr. P. C. Cole. — A small ornamented " Churinga" from North-Western Australia, and a pair of Corrobboree Sticks from the Western District, Victoria. By Miss K. Cowle. — The following fossils from New South Wales : — Spirifer duodecinicostahts, Black Head ; Spirifer convolutus ; Martiniopsis, sp. ; Platychisma, Permo-carboniferous, Black Head ; Terebratula, sp., Permo-carboniferous, Black Head ; Mourlonia pleurotomata, Permo-carboniferous, Black Head ; M. morrisii, Permo-carboniferous, Black Head ; Stenopora, sp., Permo-carboniterous, Black Head ; Fenestella, sp. ; Glossoptens, sp., Permo-carboniferous coal measures, Belambi ; Halysites, sp., Silurian Limestones, at Molong ; Stomatopora, sp. ; petrified wood. New South Wales, and Caulfield, Victoria ; and Tasmanian aboriginal flints. By Messrs. J. E. Dixon and C. French, jun. — Fungus (Microcera), parasitic on Mussel Scale Insects (Mytilaspis, sp.), on Hymenanthera banskii, Yarra River, near Fairfield Park. By Mr. C. French, F.L.S. — Butterflies — Morpho rhetenor, Peru; M. aurora, Bolivia ; and 3f. adonis, Amazons — not previously exhibited in Victoria. By Mr. C. French, jun. — Aboriginal stone tomahawk, measuring 8^ inches long, ploughed up at Warragul, Gippsland; also, a stone found under the skull of an aboriginal, from near Hamilton. These stones are fairly common in the Hamilton district. This specimen is peculiar, being hollowed on both sides ; usually only one side is hollow. By Mr. C. J. Gabriel. — Marine shells, Ranella albi-varicosa and It spinosum, from South Sea Islands. By Mr. G. A. Keartland. — A pair of White-backed Swallows and eggs, from Finke River, Central Australia. By Mr. A. Mattingley. — An aborginal message-stick, from North-Western Australia. 76 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. By Mr. B. NichoUs, on behalf of Mr. Knight. — Four snakes, including two White-lipped Snakes, Hoplocephalus coronoides, Giinth., from Thornton, Vic. By Mr. F. M. Reader. — Dried specimens of Erysimum repandum, naturalized and new for Victoria ; and a series of dried mosses from Westland, New Zealand, from the herbarium of and collected by Mr. T. W. Naylor Beckett. By Mr. A. 0. Thiele. — An Obsidian Bomb, from Balmoral, Vic. By Mr. H. B. Williamson. — Dried plants, Lepyrodia scariosa, new for Victoria, from the Grampians, January, 1902; Gratlola nana, from Hawkesdale, Vic, 1885, new for S.W. of Victoria; and Rumex pulcher, Linn., introduced from Europe, naturalized in Victoria, from Curdie's River, January, 1903. [Correction. — The plant exhibited as Xanthosia atkinsoniana (misprinted atkinsonia) recorded in Vict. Nat., xix., p. 136, proves to be a form of Xanthosia dissecta, J. Hooker. — H.B.W.] After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. ACROSS AUSTRALIA. By Professor Baldwin Spencer, M.A., F.R.S. (Delivered before Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 1th Sept., 1903.) [The following is an outline of Prof. Spencer's remarks, delivered vivd voce in explanation of a large series of lantern slides. — Ed. Vict. Nat.\ To many present there will be little new in what I have to tell you to-night, but as in many minds there is a vague uncertainty as to what the centre of Australia is like, I propose, with the aid of the lantern slides, to give you some idea of the appearance of the country passed over by Mr. F. Gilleii and myself during our journey from south to north, which occupied slightly more than twelve months, in 1 901-2. After a three-days' train journey north from Adelaide the traveller reaches Oodnadatta (688 miles), the present terminus of the proposed transcontinental line. Further travel northwards depends entirely upon the nature of the season. In the central part of the continent you are very liable to meet with bad seasons. In fact, it is sometimes quite impossible to travel with horses, and camels must then be taken. On our expedition we were able to get right through with horses, of which we had twenty with us — eight for use in the dray, and the rest as riding and pack horses. We sent ahead sup- plies of food, &c., to last a year, to certain depots, and picked these up as we advanced, always carrying a working supply with us in the dray, as well as various articles to barter with the natives. The journey is very monotonous and uninteresting, from a scenic point of view, but there is really no serious difficulty in crossing the continent. THK VICTORIAN NATURALIST. Some notes on camel travelling may be interesting. Of course the great advantage of camels is that they can go for so long without water, whilst carrying a supply of this for the travellers. A record of 24 days without water is, I believe, the longest one in Australia. The camels always travel in single file, tied together by a string from the tail of one to the nose of the one following, and so on. An ordinary loading camel only travels about three miles an hour, but a good, well-lrained riding camel is just as pleasant to ride as a good riding horse. In regard to the comfort of riding there is just as much difference between camels as between horses. The camel moves both legs on the one side at the same time, which gives a pleasant ambling motion, and gets along at a rate of about ten miles an hour. A camel when angry is very vicious, and has a happy knack of reserving its breakfast for you, and spitting this out when you come within range. It also contrives by some means or another to force air in behind the uvula so as to form a bladder, which conies out at the side of the mouth. The beast makes a bubbling sound, while the bladder grows larger and larger until it is as big as its head, after which it is gradually withdrawn. Regarding the physical features of the central area of the Con- tinent, the following are briefly the more important ones. North from Adelaide there runs a range of hills reaching in parts an elevation of nearly 3,000 feet. Its course is at first parallel to the eastern shore of the Spencer Gulf. From the head of this it is continued northwards as the Flinders Range, and then branches off to the north-west, separating the basin of Lake Torrens from that of Lake Eyre, The railway crosses this range into the Lake Eyre basin, running along close to the southernmost point of the lake, where it is actually 39 feet below sea level. From this point the land gradually rises until in the centre there is a plateau 2,000 feet high, forming the higher steppes. Across this plateau run the Macdonnell Ranges, which have the form of a series of parallel, rugged, mainly quartzite, ridges, and stretch almost due east and west for between 300 and 400 miles. The rivers which drain southwards from them into Lake Eyre actually take their rise to the north of the ranges, and cut their way through them by means of deep and often narrow gorges, which afford the only means of traversing the ranges. The highest peaks have an elevation of slightly under 5.000 feet above sea level. To the south-west of these central ranges lies a smaller basin centering in Lake Amadeus. North of the Macdonnells is the Burt Plain. To the north of this again the country is crossed here and there by unimportant ranges, but, on the whole, gradually falls from an elevation of 1,800 feet to one of 700 feet at Powell Creek. Approaching the coast it once more rises, but only slightly, as the highest point of the watershed, where we crossed it on our way 78 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. to the Gulf of Carpentaria, was only i,ooo feet. We have thus to the north of the Macdonnell Ranges a great inland basin, bounded eastwards and northwards by the coastal ranges. In the Amadean basin there are practically no streams other than very short ones, which soon become lost in the sandhills and flats. In the northern inland parts there are only a few com- paratively small streams, the most important being represented by an irregular series of watercourses, draining during flood time into the so-called Lake Woods, which is really only the overflow of Newcastle Waters. In the Lake Eyre basin the streams are larger, and we have definite watercourses, draining, as in the case of the Warburton, Barcoo, Macumba, and Finke Rivers, a very wide extent of country, but these streams only actually flow at rare intervals, such water as they contain being met with, under ordinary conditions, in scattered waterholes, which, in dry seasons, may be very few and far between, or practically absent. Leaving Oodnadaita, we travelled slowly northwards, gradually rising over the step^^es into the central districts of the continent, across flat and stony country ; but in the rainy season this part becomes so covered with herbage that one wonders where it all comes from. Here and there are low-lying, flat-topped hills, composed of sandstone with a thin capping of hard quartzite, the breaking down of which gives rise to the stones which cover the surface of the stony plains. Further north the country consists of flat, open, thinly-grassed plains, where the flies are often a great nuisance. They are very troublesome, to the eyes especially, and their bites often cause the eyelids to swell to a great size, giving rise to what is locally known by the expressive term of '* bung-eye." So great a nuisance were they that we had to make smoke-fires to keep them away while we loaded the horses, who at times were nearly driven mad by their pertinacity. Travelling north for about 200 miles we came to the Charlotte Waters telegraph station. Here, during the greater part of the year, the country is barren, but during the rainy season it has a slight growth of herbage. Getting towards the Finke River there are a few picturesque spots, where the rocks have weathered into fantastic shapes, resembling ruined castles, &c., or stand out above the sur- rounding sandhills in column form. At last we reached the river, which in its course has cut through the distant Macdonnell Ranges. The banks are lined with gum-trees, and the country, which in the dry season is almost impassable for want of water, is at rare intervals almost as impassable on account of floods ; for the waters rise very rapidly among the ranges in the centre, and come down in tremendous quantities, spreading far and wide over the low-lying lands. The animal life here is very interesting, on account of its methods THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 79 of adaptation to climate. In the dry season one would imagine that no animal or plant life could exist, but immediately rain falls animal life seems to spring from the ground. The natives will soon initiate you into the manner in which the animals live. The frogs, for example, dig into the ground and make a coating of earth around themselves, which hardens, and thus closes them in. In this they w^ait until the rain falls, when they come out and gorge themselves with a stock of food and prepare for the next time they will be closed up. When the rain is dis- appearing they fill themselves out with as much water as possible and go into the holes which they make. The natives are aware of this habit, and, if thirsty and unable to obtain water otherwise, will obtain the frogs and get the water from them. Each frog contains about half a wineglassful. Going westward into the Amadeus basin we have only a very few small streams, which generally run out from low ranges on to the plains and get lost in the sand. The lake itself for the greater part of the year is perfectly dry, and its bed is coated with pure white salt. A large extent of this country is covered with Porcu- pine Grass, which grows in large tussocks, from one to three or four yards in diameter. This grass forms one of the greatest obstacles to travelling, owing to its being armed with spikes, which tear your horses and yourselves. A special form of the She-Oak (Casiiarina decaisneana) grows here, and affords the only shelter which can be obtained from the heat of the sun, which is often intense. On the southern side of the lake, Ayers Rock, which rises precipitously to a height of t,ioo feet, is a prominent feature in the landscape. Its surface is covered with small holes, one above the other, which must have been formed by the water as it descends during the rainy season in cascades down the steep sides. Some twenty miles further away to the west is situated Mount Olga, a group of bare, bold, rounded masses, rising to a height of 1,500 feet above the level plain. Leaving the Amadean basin and travelling north, we come to the Macdonnell Ranges, with their intricate gorges. These are often very narrow and almost impossible to traverse, owing to there being either water or dense scrub in them. Some are very picturesque, the rocks being a red quartzite, and clothed with a greater variety of vegetation. At one spot, and one spot only, we meet with a palrn {Livistona marice), discovered by the explorer Giles in 1872. It is closely allied to the Cabbage-tree Palm of eastern Australia, but is known only in the one locality, where probably not more than two hundred plants exist. It grows to the height of perhaps 80 feet, and is the only palm you will see during the whole journey to the Gulf of Carpentaria. 80 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. Further north the scenery is very monotonous. On the hills we often met with a curious gum-tree {Eucalyptus terminalis), remarkable on account of its dazzling white stem. The whiteness is due to a peculiar powdery surface on the bark, which the natives use for powdering their head-bands and other ornaments. We now travel north over the Burt Plain, the country sloping gradually in the direction we are going. A prominent feature here is Central Mount Stuart, which, as nearly as possible, occupies the very centre of Australia. The early explorers had great difficulty in getting through this countrv, owing to the Mulga scrub {Acacia aneura) being armed with very sharp thorns or spikes, which, when ihey prick your hands or body, are apt to cause a disagreeable sore. Now, owing to the space cleared for the telegraph line, it is quite a simple matter. Barrow Creek Station, our next stopping place, about 1,200 miles north of Adelaide, was, some thirty years ago, soon after the telegraph line was opened, the scene of the only attack ever made by the natives on the telegraph officials. North of this we meet with the Bean-trees {Krythrina vespertilio), the wood of which the natives use for making shields, &c., while the trees themselves are used as resting-places for the bodies of the dead until the time arrives for buiying them. The whole surface of the country is covered with the hillocks of the White Ant, giving it a peculiar appearance, while here and there are ranges of granite hills, the stones of which, in many places, have weathered into perched boulders. At Powell's Creek, 250 miles further north, we meet with the Bauhinia trees for the first time. This tree also belongs to the Leguminosge, and extends to Northern Queensland. A eucalyptus, Ji!. platyphyl/a, in this neighbourhood is remarkable for the size of its leaves when in the saphng stage ; they are fully a foot in length and four to five inches in width, In the full-grown tree the leaves are of the usual size. The northern part of this country was extremely disappointing, as we had expected to meet with at least semi-tropical vegetation towards the Gulf country ; but there was nothing of the kind, only poor gum scrub, with Bauhinias and India-rubber trees, the latter so-called because when the bark is cut there exudes a white fluid which hardens to about the consistency of india rubber. Water lilies grow in the pools, and are very beautiful when in bloom. To the natives they are very useful as articles of food, the stems being eaten raw, while the roots are roasted and treated much in the same way as we use potatoes. A tree which is of great service to the natives in this part of the country is the Paper-bark, Melaleuca leucodendron. When we were there the trees were covered with beautiful pendent spikes of blossoms. The bark is used by the natives for wrapping around various objects. In THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 81 some parts, called Blue-bush swamp country, there are great deep cracks in the soil, which make it very difficult to travel over, the horses being liable to step into the cracks and so break their legs. In the Gulf country the temperature rises to between ioo° and 115° in the shade in the hottest part of the day. At night time the atmosphere is very still, and the mosquitoes are a great trouble. Every morning about ten a breeze springs up, and you have a good warm breeze for the rest of the day until six, when it dies away. Regarding the features of the natives, they are much the same over the whole continent, the only important difference being in the amount of hair on the face. As they grow up their whole appearance changes. In the Arunta tribe as a boy approaches manhood he puts his hair up, and the binding is so closely tied that it must be very painful, the skin being drawn up off the forehead. In certain tribes, as the natives get older, they pull the hair out, not being allowed to cut it. The girls and women change in their appearance very much more than the men, but it is very difficult to obtain a good photograph of the children, as they become so very solemn when being photographed, although very jolly at other times. The women cut their hair off, and must present it to certain persons. As they become older they get more ugly-looking. It has been stated that the women are brutally treated by the men, but this is not the case. They are certainly marked with scars, which is due to the fact that when a relative dies they cut their bodies to show their grief. In the Warramunga tribe when a woman's husband dies she cuts her head open with a tomahawk, and sears the wound with a red-hot fire stick. In the southern parts the women, and some- times the men, have pipeclay thickly smeared over their heads to indicate mourning. Many of the men bear marks on the thighs, self-inflicted, as signs of mourning. The method of fighting — i.e., single combat — is very curious. They take it in turn to hit or cut at one another until the old men consider they have had enough, and when once a fight is over they are perfectly friendly with each other. They have a great idea of enjoying themselves as much as possible, and lying about seems to be the acme of enjoyment. Sometimes you will find them grinding down grass seed, out of which they make dampers. The seeds are placed on a large, fiat stone, and pounded and crushed with a smaller one held in the right hand. Water is poured on, so as to form a dark, gritty paste, which is then baked in ashes. Making string out of fur, hair, or the bark of trees is a favourite occupation. The bark is torn into strips, and then rolled by hand on the thigh. They 82 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. make much use of stone weapons, and the preparation of these takes up considerable time. A suitable piece of stone, such as diorite, is obtained, and chipped away by a piece of quartzite, then finally it is ground smooth on an ordinary grinding stone, fine sand and water being sprinkled on the stone during the process. The natives are very fond of paying visits to friends, though very often the visits end up in fights, but these are generally more rowdy than dangerous. The greater part of the native's life is devoted to holding cere- monies. Great preparations are made for the corrobborees, which sometimes occupy the evenings of a fortnight or longer. Helmets are made out of twigs, tied on to the head with human-hair string. Grass-seed down is then fixed on with human blood, drawn from the body by cutting a vein with a sharp stone or piece of glass. Knocking out one or two of the upper incisor teeth is a common practice, and is done by means of a pointed stick and stone, one blow being often sufficient for the operation. In the Warramunga tribe they go into the water before the operation, the object being to numb the gums so that the pain may not be so great. Finally, there are the sacred ceremonies, which are not allowed to be seen by the woman and children ; should they see them, they are likely to be blinded or killed. During these sacred ceremonies the persons taking part are not allowed to be seen by the uninitiated. The decorations used during some of the cere- monies are very elaborate. Thus, men are decorated to repre- sent an emu or a wild cat, or a design will be constructed on the ground, such as a wavy line, indicating an old ancestor who was a snake-man. The illness of a blackfellow is attributed to some external cause ; thus, in one case the medicine-men decided that a man was suffering from the bone of a dead blackfellow, which had gone inside him, as well as the gnarled knot of an old gum-tree. They said they got the bone out and the knot as far down as the stomach, when they tied a string tightly round to keep it from gettmg back, but without avail. The man died, and his body was at once carried off and placed on a platform in a gum-tree, where it would remain for a year, the widow and other relatives cutting tliemselves and wailing. At the end of a year three men go to the tree and rake the bones out into a bark dish. They then smash the skull, and bury all, except one arm-bone, in an ant-hill. The arm-bone is brought into the camp and handed to an old woman. Finally, after the conclusion of a special ceremony, the women are sum- moned to the ceremonial ground, and bring the bone with them THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 83 in a paper-bark covering ornamented with yellow ochre and black. The bone is then taken from the women and broken with a stone axe and buried in the ground. The late Mr. H. P. C. Ashv/orth. — Mr Ashworth, whose death, at the age of thirty-two, was briefly recorded in the last Naturalist, was a close and enthusiastic observer in several departments of natural science, and was ever ready to lend his aid in the furtherance of nature work. He filled the position of hon. secretary of the Field Naturalists' Club from January, 1894, to May, 1896, when, owing to failing health, he had to refuse re-election. In November, 1894, he accompanied Mr. D. Le Souef on a visit to the Hunter Group and Albatross Island, off the north-west coast of Tasmania, where they made several interesting observations on the bird life of the islands, which were embodied in a paper published in the Naturalist, vol. xi., p. 134. This was ihustrated by a plate from a photograph by Mr. Ashworth. He again showed his powers of close observation in an interesting paper, " On the Dispersal of the Mistletoe," Vict. Nat., xii., p. 51, in which he described the habits of the little Swallow Dicaeum, or Mistletoe-bird, Dlcceum hirundinaceutn. In October, 1895, he repeated his visit to Albatross Island, this time in company with Mr. J. Gabriel, an account of his trip appearing in the Naturalist, xiii., p. 3, illustrated by a plate from a photograph of the Shy Albatross and nest from Mr. Ashworth's camera. This visit led to an exhaustive paper on a difficult subject — "The Flight of the Albatross" — Vict. Nat, xiii., p. 11, in which he referred to the various theories as to the flight of birds, and offered the opinion that too little consideration had been given to the power of the birds to take advantage of the various inequalities in the wind to gain in velocity relatively to the surrounding air. Besides being a good naturalist, he took a leading position in his professional work in the Victorian Railways Department, and, jointly with a fellow-officer, secured the first prize for the design of the Central Railway Station, now being erected at Flinders-street. After he was unable to follow active work, in conjunction with his brother, Mr. T. R. Ashworth, M.L.A., he brought out a work on "Proportional Representation," which has been favourably criticised in political circles. Mr. Ashworth was of a very genial disposition, and many members of the Club regretted that, owing to the short notice of his death, they were unable to follow his remains to their last resting-place in the Boroondara Cemetery, at Kevv, on Thursday, 20th August. A Granite Monolith. — A huge block of granite, measuring 120 feet in length, 45 feet in width, and 18 feet in depth, estimated to weigh about 6,000 tons, was recently shifted from its bed at the Harcourt quarries, near Castlemaine, by a single charge of 25 lbs. of powder. 84 THE VICTORIAN NATUHALIRT. CORRESPONDENCE. THE TREE-LINE IN THE AUSTRALIAN ALPS. To the Editor of the Victorian Naturalist. Sir, —Mr. G. Weindorfer's paper, " Some Comparison of the Alpine Flora of Australia and Europe," in the September Naturalist, is very interesting, and full of points for discussion. At page 65 he states that I do not explain the basis adopted by me for the statement that " the height of the tree-line is fairly constant (about 6,500 feet) " on Mount Kosciusko. The trees forming the tree-line are Eucalyptus coriacea (pauci- floraj. They are abundant on the Monaro plains, and can be traced all up Mt. Kosciusko, gradually diminishing in height until (at the height above sea-level stated) they abruptly cease, forming a narrow strip of mallee-like growth about twenty feet high. This growth fringes the edge of the escarpment, and extends for a considerable distance at the same level. There is no abrupt transition in the tree-growth, and it is proper, in my opinion, to use the term " tree-line " in the sense in which I have used it. I agree with Mr. Weindorfer that the tree-line is much lower on the Victorian side — probably this is accounted for by the southern aspect. With reference to the snow-fall, referred to at page 66, deep snow-drifts are eternal on the highest parts of Mt. Kosciusko. Snow may fall any day in the year. I have been snowed up for three days in January, and have seen the remains of some thousands of sheep that perished in a blizzard on 26th January, a few years ago. I notice at page 64 that Mr. F. Reader, in exhibiting Pheros- phcera fitzgeraldi, says that it has been found at the Katoomba and Leura Falls (quite close to each other) only. I beg to say that it is far from rare at the Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains. — Yours truly, J. H. MAIDEN, 2%th September, 1903. Director Botanic Gardens, Sydney. " Red Rain." — Those interested in the nature of " red-rain " sediments will find a valuable contribution to the subject by Prof. A. Liversidge, LL.D., F.R.S., in the Jcurn. and Proc. R. S. N.S.W., vol. xxxvi., 1902, pp. 241-285. We are indebted to Mr. G. S. Walpole for kindly calling our attention to the paper, which was unfortunately omitted from our article on the subject in the June number of this journal. — F. Chapman and H. J. Grayson. Cbe Utctorian naturalisi Vol. XX.— No. 7. NOVEMBER 5, 1903. No. 239. FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held in the Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, i2th October, 1903. The president, Mr. O. A. Sayce, occupied the chair, and about fifty members and visitors were present. CORRESPONDENCE. The hon. secretary read a letter from the Secretary of the Shire of Rutherglen, in reply to a communication from the Club drawing their attention to the destruction of game on Lake Moodemere. The Shire Secretary stated that his Council had done, and was continuing to do, everything in its power to prevent the destruction of game on the lake. In pointing out the difficulty the Council has had in carrying out its intentions with regard to the reserve, he explained that when the reserve was applied for some years ago the Government refused to adopt the suggestion of the Council that all shooting should be absolutely prohibited within the area in question, and stated that had this suggestion been acted upon convictions could easily have been secured, whereas, under existing conditions, they are all but an impossibility. He thought that, with the facts before it, the Club might be able to suggest some way out of the difficulty. A letter was also read from the Secretary of Public Works regarding the same matter, which stated, in consequence of a communication received from the Club, that the inspector under the Fisheries and Game Acts had recently spent four days on and about the lake, and failed to find any justification for the reports mentioned. The inspector stated, in fact, that there is little or no game at the lake to destroy, as though on the lake before daylight and till after dark he never saw more than twenty ducks. In the discussion which followed, the action of the Rutherglen Shire Council was favourably commented upon, and it was urged that the Club should support the Council in its endeavours to protect the game on the reserve. Mr. F. Pitcher moved, and Mr. F. Baker seconded — " That the matter be left in the hands of the committee, to take such action as it thought necessary." Messrs. G. Coghill, G. A. Keartland, and the secretary also took part in the discussion. REPORTS. Mr. F. G. A. Barnard reported a good attendance of members in response to Dr. G. Home's invitation to visit his aviary of 86 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. Australian and other birds on Saturday, 19th September, when an interesting afternoon was spent. Mr. G. Weindorfer read a lengthy report on the botanical portion of the Club's excursion to Sandringham on Saturday, 26th September. Mr. W. Stickland, in reporting on the pond life portion of the same excursion, stated that only the usual forms common to the district were met with. Messrs. G. Coghill and G. A. Keartland reported a good attendance on the excursion to Mitcham on Saturday, loth October, and mentioned some of the more important species met with both in botany and ornithology. The hon. librarian reported the receipt of the following donations to the library : — -Journal of Agriculture of Victoria, vol. ii., No. 3, from Department of Agriculture, Melbourne ; " Memoirs of Geological Survey of Victoria, No. 2 : Castlemaine Goldfield," and " Annual Report for 1902," from Department of Mines, Melbourne ; Agricultural Gazette 0/ Nev:) South Wales, vol. xiv., parts 8 and 9, August and September, 1903, from the Department of Agriculture, Sydney ; " Sydney Botanic Gardens : Biographical Notes of Officers," vi., vii., and viii., by J. H. Maiden, F.L.S., Director, from the author; "Catalogue of Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds," part 3, and " Records of Aus- tralian Museum," vol. iv.. No. 8, from the Trustees Australian Museum, Sydney ; " Proceedings Royal Society of Victoria," vol. xvi., part i, 1903, from the society; "Journal and Proceedings Royal Society of New South Wales," vol. xxxvi., 1902, from the society ; " Proceedings Linnean Society of New South Wales," vol. xxviii., part 2, from the society ; " Transactions of New Zealand Institute," vol. XXXV., 1902, from the institute; Nature Notes, August and September, 1903, from Selborne Society, London; Knowledge, August and September, 1903, from the proprietors ; " Proceedings Academy of Natural Sciences, Phila- delphia," vol. liv., from the Academy ; " Transactions Nova Scotian Institute of Science," vol. x., from the institute ; and publications from Field Columbian Museum, Chicago. ELECTIONS. On a ballot being taken, Messrs. Wm. Somerville, 16 Bellevue- street, Richmond; Ernest E. Barker, F.R.M.S., Wyuna, Park- street, South Yarra ; and Master Joseph Hilton Tuckett, Neerim- road, Murrumbeena, were duly elected members of the Club. GENERAL BUSINESS. The president announced that, in view of the many and valuable services rendered to the Club by Mr. J. Searle in placing his THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. S7 lantern and services at the disposal of the Club free of cost, the committee had appointed him honorary lanternist. PAPERS READ. I. By Mr. A. E. Kitson, F.G.S., entitled " On the Occurrence of Older Cainozoic Marine Fossils near Hexham, Western Victoria." The author recorded the occurrence of marine fossils near Hexham, and pointed out the geological features of the district. The fossils were discovered in a bed of clay, when boring for water, at a depth of 56 feet from the surface. Few entire shells were found, but from the fragments obtained upwards of twenty species were identified, and the deposit is closely related to the well-known beds at Mornington, Port Phillip, and Muddy Creek, Hamilton. NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. >Mr. T. S. Hart, M.A., contributed a note on some specimens of a Pimelea collected at Canadian, 3 miles S.E. of Ballarat which he forwarded for exhibition. Mr. G. Lyell, jun., forwarded a note on the time of appearance of the butterfly Una agricola, concerning which some discussion had taken place at the August meeting of the Club. Mr. A. D. Hardy called attention to the fact that some of the leaves on an Oriental Plane tree in Collins-street, Melbourne, which were in close proximity to an electric light, had remained on the tree all the winter, and were still green. Mr. F, G. A. Barnard read a letter from Mr. Robt. Hall, dated Mouth of the Lena River, Siberia, 15th July last, in which he mentioned some of the more interesting features which attract the attention of an Australian in those regions. EXHIBITS. The evening was specially set apart for exhibits of wild flowers, but owing to the great heat of the weather on the two previous days, the display suftered to some extent. The principal exhibits were : — By Miss S. W. L. Cochrane, about 35 species collected at Beaumaris and Gembrook, including Bauera rubioides, Grevillea alpina, G. rosmarini/olia, Thelymitra ejnpactoides, 2\ ixioides, T. aristata, and Calycothrix tetragona and Swainsona 2)rocumbens from Stawell. By Mr. G. Coghill. — Over 100 species from Point Lonsdale, Tunstall, Emerald, &c., including Tetratheca ciliata (white), Correa wmula, Sphcerolobium vimineum, Swainsona lesserti/olia, Calochilus robertsoni, Prasophyllum j^cttens, Caladenia suaveolens, C. tnenziesii, Pterostjlis barbata, &:c. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. By Mrs. Galsworthy. — About 20 species from Beaconsfield' including Dillwynia Jloribunda, Diplarrhena morcca, &c. By Mr. T. S. Hart, M.A. — Specimens of a Pimelea from Canadian, near Ballarat. By Mr. J. T. Paul. — About 50 species from Grantville, Western Port, including Goodia lotifolia, Styphelia lanceolata, Epacris obtusifolia, Caiadenia cairnsiana, C. menziesii, &c. By Mr. VV. Scott. — Boronia serrulata and B. pinnaiifida, from Sydney. By Mr. A. O. Thiele. — About 20 species from Castlernaine, including Grevillea alpina, G. rosmarinijolia^ Eriostemon obovalis, Brachyloma daphnoides, Fterostylis nutans, &c. By Mr. J. West. — About 25 species from Phillip Island, in- cluding Caiadenia patersoni (very fine). Clematis aristata, Caia- denia carnea, var., &c. By Mr, H. B. Williamson. — 7 species grown in the Hawkesdale State school garden, viz. : — Lhotzkya genelylloides, Tliryptomene mitchelliana, Stypandra glauca, Grevillea aquifolivm, G. oleoides, and Pimelea lini/olia, transplanted from the Grampians, and Goodia lotifolia, grown from seed. By Mr. F. Reader. — Dried specimens of Erodium cygnorum, with pinkish-violet flowers, and Tunica j^rolijera, L., a naturalized plant new for Victoria. After an extended inspection of the wild flowers, the meeting terminated. VISIT TO DR. HORNE'S AVIARIES. At the invitation of Dr. G. Home, about twenty-five members of the Club met at his residence, Queen's-parade, Clifton Hill, on Saturday, 19th September, in order to inspect his collection of live birds, which in some respects is quite unique. The afternoon, unfortunately, was cold and windy, and the birds, being m aviaries out of doors, were consequently not seen at their best. Great delight was expressed at the tameness and sociability of such birds as the Spine-billed Honey-eater, Acanthorhynchus tenuirosiris, and the White-eye, Zosterops coeridescens. Among the other honey-eaters flying about in perfect freedom, and apparently in the best of health, were the Sanguineous, Myzomela sanguinoleiita; YeWovf-idiCtd, Ptilotis chrysops; Yellow- tufted, P. anricomis ; White-plumed, P. penicillata \ White-eared, P.leucotis; Ynscon?,, P.fusca ; Yellow-plumed, P. ornata ; Warty- faced, Meliphaga phrygia ; and White-bearded, Meliornis 7iovce- hollandice ; also the White-browed Scrub-Wren, Sericornis Jrontalis ; Yellow-breasted Shrike-Robin, Eopsaltria australis ; Blue Wren, Malurus cyaneus ; and Ground-Lark, Anthua australis. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 89 Many of these birds are usually regarded as very shy, and quite impossible to keep in captivity ; but Dr. Home and his niece, Miss Bowie, by studying their habits, &c., have managed to gain their confidence to such an extent that they will take from the hand the flies or other tit-bits provided. On entering the aviaries it was interesting to see how soon the birds recognized their mistress, and even answered to pet names. The collection of finches is very extensive, and includes specimens of the following Australian species : — The Fire-tailed, Zoncnginthus bellus ; Red-browed, uEgi7dha temporalis ; Painted, Emblema picta ; Gouldian, Foephila go%ddim ; Banded, Stictoj)tera bich- enovii ; Black-ringed, -S. annulosa ; Chestnut-breasted, Munia castaneithorax ; Plum-headed, Aidemosyne modesta ; Long-tailed, Poephila acuticauda ; Black-throated, P. cincta ; Masked, F. personata; Scarlet-headed, P. mirahilis ; Crimson, Neochmia phaeton ; and the Red-faced, Bathilda ruficauda, besides a number of handsome species from foreign countries. Besides the Chestnut-bellied (King) Quail, Excalfactoria australis, which does exceedingly well in the aviary, and a clutch of whose eggs was being reared in an incubator, there were specimens of the Brown Quail, Syncecus australis, and the Stubble Quail, Cotur7iix pectoralis. Pigeons were represented by the Partridge (Squatter) Pigeon, Geophaps scrlpta, and the Crested, Ocyphaps lophoies. A large number of small foreign birds were quite at home, such as the Weaver-birds of Africa and India, the Paradise Whydah, the Napoleon Whydah, &c. In one aviary the contrast between our familiar Blue Wren and the brilliant orange-red of the Orange Bishop-bird of South Africa was very striking. Among the larger birds fine specmiens of the Golden, Amherst, Reeves's, and Svvinhoe's Pheasants were greatly admired. Two hours quickly passed, and after partaking of the hospitality of Dr. and Mrs. Home, the party separated, well pleased with the interesting afternoon. — F. G. A. Barnard. ADDITIONS TO THE LIST OF VICTORIAN MARINE MOLLUSCA. By J. H. Gatliff. {Read be/ore the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, lOth August, 1903. Some years ago I contributed to the Naturalist a list of the Victorian marine moUusca which included some 350 species. In this list, which will be found in vol. iv. (1887), p. 57, and vol. v. (1888), p. Ill, an attempt was made to reduce the number of synonyms, which had always proved a great hindrance to the study of Australian mollusca. Since that time fresh observations have been made, and additional species recorded, so that the 90 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. list became almost obsolete, consequently in 1897 Mr. G. B. Pritchard and myself undertook the preparation of a complete catalogue of the Victorian marine mollusca, with full synonomy and notes. This has been published from time to time in the " Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria," the sixth part^ completing it to the end of the Gastropods and enumerating 531 species, having been published in February last ; but even durmg the publication of the new catalogue additional species have been found and described. These will be dealt wilh later on in a similar manner to those already catalogued, giving references, habitat, observations, &c., but in the meantime h has been thought desirable to publish the names of the additional species, amounting to 41 in all. These, which include several types, I am exhibiting to-night, but special attention might be called to the following as being particularly noteworthy : — Truncaria australix, Angas. — Described in 1877, found in New South Wales. So far I have only obtained three specimens. Mitra pellucidn, Tate. — This is a very small white shell, from 4 to 8 millimetres in length, and is, as its name denotes, pellucid. Columhella Jilosa, Angas. — This was described in 1867, having been dredged in Port Jackson ; it is an interesting form, being spirally lirate. The specimens exhibited were dredged in Western Port. I had some others and placed them with larger shells on the roof of an outbuilding to become deodorised. 1 noticed that the sparrows often hopped about these shells, and when I brought them in found that the small ones had disappeared, and could only conclude that the birds had devoured them. Donovania Jenestrata, Tate and May. — This is the first record of the genus having been found here, and the species is one recently described. The type was obtained on the east coast of Tasmania. Co7ius apbtst7-e, Reeve. — This species makes the fourth in the genus that has been found on our shores ; it was described in 1843, and is recorded as occurring in New South Wales, New Zealand, and Cape of Good Hope. The shell is somewhat solid, usually about i inch in length, and may be readily distinguished from our other species by its broader form and encircling dotted lines of colouration. 1 have been enabled to add the four additional sj)ecies of Triforis through the kindness of Mr. Chas. Hedley, Conchologist, Australian Museum, Sydney, who has been studying the New South Wales representatives of the genus. Having published his results in the " Proceedings Linnean Society N.S.W.," part iv., for 1902, he was good enough to send me examples of some of the species for comparison, and I was thus enabled to identify four more as species found in Victorian waters. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 91 Truncaria australis, Angas Mitra pellucida, Tate Marginella strangei, Angas Marginella whani, Pritchard and Gatliff' Marginella pisum, Reeve Marginella tridentata, I'ate Marginella cymbalum, Tate Columbella filosa, Angas Terebra inconspicua, Pritchard and Gatliff" Terebra fictilis, Hinds Conus aplustre, Reeve Natica tenisoni, Tate Donovania fenestrata, Tate and May Daphnella crebriplicata, Reeve Daphnella mimica, Sowerby Daphnella mimica, Sowerby, var. fusca Mangilia incerta, Pritchard and Gatliff Mangilia st. gallge, T. Woods Crepidula aculeata, Gmelin Vermetus caperatus, Tate and May Scala (Acrilla) minutula, Tate and May Crossea cancellata, T. Woods Fulima infiata, Tate and May Turbonilla (Ondina) harrisoni, Tate a7id May Odostomia deplexa, 2'ate and May Odostomia suprasculpta, T. Woods Oscilla ligata, Angas Pseudorissoina tasmanica, J\ Woods Triforis graniferus, Brazier Triforis labiatus, A. Adams Triforis cinereus, Hedley Triforis maculosus, Hedley Teinostoma cala, Pilsbry Cyclostrema inscriptum, T'ate Cyclostreniajohnstoni, ^eo?o?om