'917 J 



Field Naturalists' Cluh — Proceedings. ^^ 



pcndulits, from Scoresby ; fasciated branch of Acacia suavcn/cns, 

 bearing flowers, collected near Mount Eliza, on Langwarrin 

 excursion. 



By Mr. J. Searle. — Ova, larva, and cercaria stages in the 

 life-history of Bilhazia — a fluke parasite affecting human 

 beings ; fossil jawbone (human) fountl near Swan Hill. Victoria. 



After the usual conN'crsazione the meeting terminated. 



EXCURSION TO LANGWARRIN AND FRANKSTON. 



Owing to rough, boisterous weather, Monday, 4th June, the 

 King's Birthday holiday, was unfortunately quite unsuited for 

 a field excursion ; however, nine members journeyed to Lang- 

 warrin by train, and were met at the station by Mr. J. S. Mann, 

 a member resident in the district, (ioing south to a lane, we 

 followed it in a westerly direction to the Hastings road. The 

 uncleared land here carried Eucalyptus ainygdaUna. Connnon 

 Peppermint, and E. cinerea multiflora, Alealy Stringybark, 

 with Casuarina siiberosa. Black Sheoak, and Exocarpos ciipressi- 

 formis, the Native Cherry or Cherry Ballart, with a varied 

 undergrowth, among whicli Hakca aciciilaris and H. nodosa 

 wwc in flower, and two Cassythas or Dodder-Laurels, C. 

 glabella and C\ piibescens, were seen parasitic on the native 

 shrubs. On the Hastings road we foimd on a Peppermint the 

 two Mistletoes, Loranthus celaslroidcs and L. pcnduliis. Aerial 

 roots were noticed on L. cclastruidcs, but wen^ absent from 

 L. pcnduliis. Continuing southward along the Hastings road 

 and the tlui-e-chain road that goes to Moorooduc station and 

 to Dromana, we found both mistletoes abundant, and aerial 

 roots on all samples which were definitely identified as /,. 

 celastroides. but never on one definitely recognizable as the 

 other species. In consequence of the aerial roots and leafy 

 branch''S arising from them, L. cclastroides spreads along the 

 tree on which it is growing, and presents an appearance of 

 starting from many points, whereas the other species is 

 localized at one point of attachment, which commonly appears 

 in the case of a large plant of the mistletoe as the swollen end 

 of a l)ranch, though closer examination reveals usually the 

 weak growth of the host plant beyond the point at which the 

 mistletoe is attached. There may be, of course, many in- 

 dependent clumps of either or both species on the one tree. 

 A specimen of L. cclastroides is exhibited to-night cut into 

 sections t(j show the invasion of the tissues of the host plant 

 by the outgrowths from the aerial roots, and others which 

 clearly show that the aerial roots are produced quite early in 



