*g^o] Excursion to Fitzyoy Gardens. 137 



in public gardens — viz., the Botanic Gardens, the Horticultural 

 Gardens, and now Fitzroy Gardens. We next visited the lake 

 on the western side of the Gardens, finding there Duckweed, 

 Lemna minor, in considerable quantities. This plant is a 

 favoured habitat of the Vorticellidae, and the present occasion pro- 

 vided no exception to the rule. As the afternoon was decidedly 

 warm, we gladly accepted Mr. Reeves's invitation to afternoon 

 tea at his lodge. While there we were able to see a fine dining 

 table made by our host from red gum trees cut down in the 

 Gardens, which exhibited the great beauty of the wood, and its 

 suitability for such purposes. The excellent results obtained 

 during the afternoon make one wish that those in charge of 

 our public reserves could be induced to set aside portions of 

 the pools contained in most of them, wherein the vegeta- 

 tion could be allowed to remain undisturbed, and thus provide 

 sanctuaries for the microscopic fauna and flora of the Mel- 

 bourne district, the natural lagoons near the metropolis having 

 in many cases been drained and thus lost as collecting-places 

 for the microscopist. In connection with the examination of 

 the infusorian, Ophryoglena atra, under the microscope, a rather 

 interesting occurrence may be mentioned. In order to quieten 

 the too great activity of the creature, Epsom salts was intro- 

 duced into the water, apparently in too great an amount, for 

 a profuse discharge of the trichocysts with which this protozoan 

 is armed took place, when the creature's appearance put one 

 in mind of the "fretful porcupine" with quills erect. 



The following are the forms noted : — 



Alg.-e. — Bacillariese. — The genera Cymbella, Gomphonema, 

 Cocconema, Synedra, Navicula, Surirella, and others were 

 represented. Desmidiacese. — Closterium lunula, C. setaceum (?), 

 Cosmarium, sp., Pleurotaenium, sp. Other algas noted were 

 Spirogyra, sp., Pediastrum boryanura, P. duplex, and Scene- 

 desmus quadricauda. 



Protozoa. — Rhizopoda. — Amoeba (sp. ?), Arcella vulgaris, 

 A. dentata, Difflugia acuminata, D. sp., Centropyxis aculeata, 

 C. ecornis. Heliozoa. — Clathrulina elegans. Flagellata. — 

 Trachelomonas hispida, T. armata, Phacus longicaudus, P. 

 triqueter, Euglena viridis, Gymnodinium fuscum, Anthophysa 

 vegetans, Vol vox, sp., Astasia tricophora, Dinobryon sertu- 

 laria. Infusoria. — Platycola longicollis (?), Ophryoglena atra, 

 Paramecium aurelia, Euplotes, sp., Urocentrum turbo, Coleps 

 hirtus, Stichotricha, sp., Vaginicola, sp., Spirostomum 

 ambiguum, Stentor, sp., and others. 



Vermes. — Rotifera.— Stephanoceros eichhornii, Actinurus 

 neptunius, Furcularia longiseta, Brachionus bakeri, Melicerta 

 ringens, Limnias ceratophylli. Polyzoa. — Plumatella repens. 

 Gastrotricha. — Chaetonotus, sp. 



CcELENTERATA. — Hydra oligactis. 



Artiiropoda — Macrobiotus, sp. — J. Stickland. 



