2 DR. б. $. WEST ON THE ALGÆ OF 
that I asked permission to examine more of the material. The sample had 
been obtained in February, 1904, about two hundred yards from the shore, 
and from the nature of the species observed I felt certain that the Aloæ of 
the Yan Yean Reservoir would be well worth investigation. 
Shortly afterwards, in response to my suggestion, Mr. Hardy very kindly 
consented to obtain for me periodical collections from this large sheet of 
water, and I have to tender him my best thanks for one of the most interesting 
and instructive series of collections I have yet examined. Mr. Hardy 
forwarded me, according to detailed instruction, samples of the plankton 
taken by boat at regular monthly intervals for thirteen months, in addition 
to samples from the weedy margin of the reservoir taken with the same 
regularity, and others from various parts of the drainage area. The value of 
these collections is greatly enhanced by records of the temperature, both of 
air and water, by remarks upon the meteorological conditions prevailing at 
the time of collecting and between the dates of collection, as well as by 
sundry information which has a bearing upon the distribution of Algz in this 
district of Victoria. 
The Yan Yean Reservoir *, which has a superficial area of about 1460 
acres, furnishes part of the water-supply for the city of Melbourne, distant 
about 25 miles. Some of the water comes by an open aqueduct from the 
Toorourong Reservoir, a smaller body of water of 36 acres, supplied by small 
streams which, with their tributaries, drain a large portion of both the 
southern and northern slopes of the range of mountains dividing Victoria 
into a northern drier and а southern well-watered territory f. The formation 
of the reservoir began in 1853 by the construction of an embankment, five- 
eighths of a mile in length and 30 feet in height, to join the ends of low hills. ` 
which form the south-westerly extremity of the catchment basin—an area of 
4500 acres. The reservoir was completed in 1857, but only since 1888 has 
the main water-supply been along the aqueduct from the Toorourong 
Reservoir. The intake by this aqueduct is roughly about six times the 
amount received from the rainfall in the catehment basin f. 
Much of the Toorourong supply is similarly obtained along an open channel, 
* It may be of interest to know that the name ** Yan Yean" is recorded as having been 
that of an Australian aboriginal chief, who signed the Batman Treaty (June 11, 1835), and 
means ‘ boyish” or a * bachelor." 
T A chart compiled by Mr. Hardy from data furnished by Mr. P. Baracchi, the Govern- 
ment Astronomer, clearly shows a wide difference in the rainfall of the northern as contrasted 
with the southern district. Prof. J. W. Gregory, however, does not recognize the dividing 
range, and from geological evidence states that, “in spite of geographers and biologists,” the 
Great Dividing Range is a misleading geographical myth. 
] The intake by aqueduct in 1903 was 5,984,000,000 gallons, and by rainfall in catchment 
basin was 1,021,952,000 wallons. In 1904 the figures were respectively 7,447,949,000 gallons 
and 1,125,526,000 gallons. 
