556 KOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



NOTES AND EXHIBITS, 



Mr. Maiden exhibited specimens of the Sago and Tobacco referred 

 to in his paper, together with a specimen of the New South Wales 

 Nicotiana sttaveolens for comparison. Photographs taken by Mr. 

 Bevan, shewing the method of preparing the sago, were also shown. 



Dr. Katz exhibited pieces of a Ham in which were foimd 

 scattered small white, irregularly shaped nodules consisting of 

 carbonate of lime. Microscopic examination revealed nothing 

 of the existence of parasites at these spots. It was not im- 

 probable that these calcareous deposits had originated from the 

 presence of a kind of vegetable micro-organism (Actinomyces)^ 

 which has lately been described by Dunker and Hertwig, and 

 which is said to occur frequently in certain muscles of the pig, 

 whei'e it forms small whitish corpuscles. It gives rise to patho- 

 logical changes in the flesh afiected, so as to make it unfit for 

 human food. 



Mr. Macleay exhibited two Snakes which Mr. Froggatt had 

 lately sent him from Port Darwin, (1) Brachysoma si7nile, 

 Macleay, and (2) Furina textilis, Dum. <fe Bibr. This last species, 

 he stated, had been described by Dumei'il and Bibron many years 

 ago as Australian, but had been omitted from Krefft's and sul)se- 

 quent lists, from a mistaken idea originating, he believed, with Mr. 

 KrefFt, that it was identical with the young barred specimens of 

 the common brown Snake Diemenia stiperciliosa. This redis- 

 covery of the species by Mr. Froggatt terminates all doubt on 

 this subject. 



Mr. Macleay also exhibited a small .ffoplocephalus from Cooma, 

 almost identical in appearance with llojylocephalus Jlagellum, 

 M'Coy, a Melbourne species, but differing in the number of sub- 

 caudal plates, and in the form of the head shields. It would be 

 necessary to examine a number of specimens before A'enturing to 

 constitute it a distinct species. 



