NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 49 



exclusion of almost any obher plant. Some few years ago, when 

 botanising near Blacktown, with the late Honorable Dr. James 

 Norton, M.L.C., he fouad two plants of Anisacantha, divaricata 

 R.Br.; but there was no doubt that the seeds had been brought 

 from the western country in railway trucks that conveyed shee|i 

 to the Riverstone meat-works. As far as he was aware, that 

 was the first time this species had been found growing on the 

 eastern side of the Dividing Range. In the interior stockmen 

 call the spiny fruits of various species of Anisacantha " bindy- 

 hies," which are often a terror to those who camp out. Sclero- 

 Icena bicornis Lindl., had spread very much during recent years 

 in some parts of the Brewarrina district. This plant is disliked 

 by pastoralists on account of its spiny fruits. Some varieties of 

 this species have strong, and very sharp spines more than half 

 an inch long. 



Mr. Fletcher asked if any Member could furnish him with 

 references to scientific records of the occurrence of freshwater 

 eels in the creeks of Norfolk Island, as he had been unable to 

 ascertain that ichthyologists had had the opportunity of examin" 

 ing specimens from this locality. Nevertheless Lieutenant King, 

 who commanded the party which first colonised the island, both 

 in his "Description of Noi'folk Island,"* and in his Journal,! 

 speaks definitely about them. As the common freshwater eel 

 (Anguilla australis Rich.) had been recorded from Lord Howe 

 Island (Australian Museum Memoirs No.2, pp.20 and 72), it was 

 worth investigating whether conditions at Norfolk Island had 



*"The island is well supplied with many streams of very fine water, 

 many of which are sufficiently large to turn any number of mills. These 

 springs are full of very large eels." [Description of Norfolk Island, by 

 Lieut. -Governor King, 10th January, 1791. Historical Records, Vol. i.,. 

 Part 2, p 429]. 



t " The island is well supplied with many streams of very fine water, 

 .some of which are sufficiently large to run any number of mills : it is pro- 

 bable that most of these rivulets originate from springs near Mount Pitt. 

 . . . . All these streams abound with very fine eels." [Lieut. King's 

 Journal, in Hunter's Historical Journal, 1793, p.3S9]. 



4 



