28 Excursion to Lake Corangamite and District. [v^"^''x^xv 



ten specimens. When next there is an opportunity of visiting 

 this lake apparatus will be taken for the special investigation 

 of this class of animal life, and perhaps further new species may 

 be secured. 



On a previous visit to this lake the Brine Shrimp, Parartemia 

 zietziana, was found in great ^umbers on the rocky shore on 

 the eastern side of the lake. Not a vestige of these was observed 

 on this occasion, though it was only a few weeks earlier in the 

 year than the occasion on which they were found. 



The Entomostraca of Lake Colac did not differ from that 

 described on a former visit, though they were not nearly so 

 numerous as on that occasion. On this visit, Hymenosoma 

 laciistris, the Fresh-water Crab, was taken. 



The following is a list of species as far as observed : — 



Cladocera — • 



Moina auslraliensis 



Pseudomoina leninse 

 Copepoda — 



Boeckella symmetrica 

 ,, oblonga 



, , asymmetnca 

 Heteiotemora, gen. et sp. nov. 

 Cyclops albidus 



,, serrulatus 

 Harpactocoida, sp. 

 Ostrocoda — 

 Three species, not yet determined. 



Isopoda — 



Probably new. 

 Brachyura — 



Hymenosoma lacustris 

 Moliusca — 



Cociella striatula 



At some distance from the shore of 

 Lake Corangamite shells of a species 

 •of Limnaea were found embedded in 

 the soil. 

 Insecta — 



A few water beetles, not yet 

 identified. 



Botany. — ^By A. D. Hardy, F.L.S. 



I. — En Route. — -The indigenous flora, especially the trees 

 of the volcanic plains between Melbourne and Colac, having 

 for the greater part vanished, the botanist may reach the lake 

 area almost with as little diversion as the microscopist in search 

 of microzoa. Suffice it to say that, beyond a few Yellow Gums, 

 Eucalyptus leucoxylon, near Lara, and Red Gums, E. rostrata, 

 and Swamp Gums, E. ovata, between Geelong and Colac, the 

 only plant of arboreous habit is the Drooping Sheoke, 

 Casuarina stricta, a remnant of much that grew on rising ground 

 and rocky hillocks. The sheokes have been cut out for fire- 

 wood and for fodder in drought time for stock ; the gums, too, 

 have been heavily " pruned " for stock feeding, and cut 

 out for fencing and firewood. (Here I may mention that I 

 have seen well-fed cows in a good grass paddock rush up to 

 and greedily devour the leaves and twigs of a large branch 

 of E. ovata that had suddenly crashed to the ground.) In the 

 Stony Rises — a weird area of tumbled basalt — ^the exclusive 

 gum-tree is the Manna Gum, E. viminalis, and this is supported 

 by small Blackwoods, Acacia melanoxylon, and Native Cherry 

 or Ballart, Exocarpos cupressiformis, with a ground cover of 

 common bracken and " Prickly Moses," Acacia verticillata, &c. 



