409 



NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



The newspapers of 1st inst. reported that at Wilcannia nearly 

 an entire flock of sheep had been poisoned through eating raven- 

 ously of "grey bush," resulting in the deaths of 3700. Mr. Fred. 

 Turner exhibited a specimen of the plant implicated, which turns 

 out to be Kochia jyyTamidata, Benth. As this is not a poisonous 

 plant, the fatal results were more reasonably attributable to 

 mechanical irritation and inflammation arising from eating too 

 voraciously of the indigestible twiggy branches. A photograph 

 of the defunct sheep as they lay in camp was also shown, 

 and extracts were read from a letter from Mr. A. J. Esau, of the 

 "Western Grazier," which confirmed the diagnosis given above, 

 and added that the sheep were in xery low condition, almost at 

 starvation point, and that when the opj)ortunity came they simply 

 gorged themselves with "grey bush." 



Mr. Maiden and Mr. Baker exhibited specimens to illustrate 

 their papers, 



Mr. Maiden also exhil^ited specimens of a very young cocoanut 

 plant, showing the early growth of leaves and roots, from 

 Aneityum, New Hebrides. Also, from the same island, a native 

 drill consisting of small quartz crystals fastened to a round stick 

 about 2 ft. long. A piece of perforated rock and loose crystals 

 also accompanied the exhibit. 



Mr. Hedley exhibited a valve of Cardiimi Jiavum, Linn., from 

 Port Jackson. 



Mr. Masters exhibited a collection of 170 species of named 

 Coleoptera, lately received from Mr. Arthur M. Lea, of Western 

 Australia, containing types of all the species described by him in 

 his last paper. The following f^amilies were represented : — • 

 Malacoder^nidce 59 species, Pythidfe 3, Pedilidce 5, Fyrochroidm 2, 

 MycetophagidcH 4, Curcidionidce 3, Melandryidce 6, Mordellidce 47, 

 Anthicidce 15, Cm-ylophidce 20, and a few others. 



Professor David exhibited (1) a number of transparent rock 

 sections, prepared by Mr. Brook, of Sydney University, of an 

 oolitic limestone from the Manning River, New South Wales. 



