86 Field NaturaHsts' Club— Proceeding's. [voV"xxxV. 



was reached at about () p.m., after an iiiterestin;^" walk oi about 

 four miles. 



The botanical excursion to Clayton on Saturday, 31st August, 

 was reported by the leader, Mr. H. B. Williamson. Fifteen 

 members, including the president and assistant secretary, spent 

 a pleasant and profitable time in the afternoon around Clayton, 

 and were favoured by fine weather. Although rather early 

 for most of the spring flowers, the number of species recorded 

 was very fair. From Clayton railway station the party walked 

 in a north-westerly direction for half a mile into a patch of 

 Manna (iums growing on a sandy ris(\ and sheltering tea-tree, 

 heaths, and various scrul) plants. Tiie form of Eucalyptus 

 viminalis growing here and elsewhere on tliis coastal region is 

 rather puzzling to one accustomed to the smooth-barked form 

 which grows to such a fine tree, and it takes a good deal of 

 inspection to distinguish it from /:. Stuayiiana. Among the 

 scrub. Silky Tea-tree, Leptospcrmum myrsiiioides. Wedding 

 Bush, Ricinocarpus pinifolitis, and Common Heath, h'.pacris 

 impressa, were most conspicuous, the first nc^t yet blooming, 

 the second just coming out, and the last rather past its best. 

 Three Hibbertias — " Guinea-flowers " — made a good show, 

 especially H. densiflora and H. fasciculata. Grey Bossea, 

 BossicBii cinerea, Gorse Bitter Pea, Daviesia nlicina, Common 

 Hovea, Common Flat Pea, Platyiobium obtusangiihtm, and 

 Scarlet Coral Pea, Kennedya prostrata, were the only leguminous 

 plants found in bloom, except the Acacias, the JBossea being 

 by far the most attractive. Of Acacias in bloom, .4. oxvcednis, 

 A. strida, A. juniperina, and A. armata were the only ones 

 noted, the first-named being the most abundant, and the last 

 chiefly along the fences as a hedge plant. One tree of Light- 

 wood, Acacia implexa, was seen badly infested with galls, but 

 not in bloom. The search for orchids was rewarded by the 

 finding of Pterostylis nutans, Nodding Greenhood, P. concinna, 

 Trim Greenhood, the little Acianthus exsertits, Common Gnat 

 Orchid, and the larger Glossodia. Of lilies only one was noted 

 in bloom — Chanucscilla corynibosa, Blue Squill. This patch of 

 timber and scrub is near the Clayton school, and the leader 

 stated that it formed a favourite collecting-ground for his 

 puj^ils, who had brought to school and ]:)ressed about 360 species 

 since October last, i)robal)ly ioo of which were gathered in this 

 scrub. With the help of his pupils he intends to make a census 

 of the locality, which comprises about 80 acres. Leaving this 

 area, the party proceeded along the North-road to the railway 

 crossing, and there made a detour to the south into the heath 

 scrub, which was found to contain small areas of depression 

 where water lodges, and which are difficult of access at this 

 time of the year. These areas are worth searching in the lat(^ 



