NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 247 



bility of our Southern lands for the propagation of this valuable 

 timber. — Also a specimen of Vegetable Wax, obtained from the 

 branchlets of Beyeria opaca, which, if it could be obtained in 

 quantity, would be of commercial importance. 



Mr. Cleland exhibited some Port Jackson oyster-shells, which 

 he had found exposed in a thick layer on one of the banks of the 

 Namoi at Narrabri, N.S.W. Investigation and inquiry revealed 

 that they were debris from a local oyster-shop, deposited on the 

 river-bank, and subsequently covered by Hood-silt -a possible 

 trap for a palaeontologist in the future. 



Mr. A. A. Hamilton exhibited dried specimens and fruits, 

 accompanied by a photograph, of Tetragonia nigrescens E. k Z.^ 

 var. maritima Sond., an alien from South Africa, collected on 

 the beach at Maroubra Bay, not, so far as known, previously 

 recorded from Australia, 



Mr. Fletcher showed three racemes of Grevillea buxifolia, 

 from two plants, with abnormal flowers, most of them with two 

 pistils on a common stalk, in one case also with eight stamens. 

 [For a somewhat similar case in G. punicea R. Br., see Mr. Cheel's 

 record in these Proceedings, 1911, p. 158]. * 



Dr. H. G. Chapman exhibited an example of "peptone" 

 solution prepared from the proteins of egg-white. Egg-white 

 containing about 15 gm. proteins, was mixed with an equal 

 volume of 2% sodium chloride. To 300 c. cm. mixture, 300 c. cm. 

 j^ soda were added. The alkaline liquid was placed in the' 

 incubator at 37°C. for 15 days. At the end of this time, the 

 Huid no longer coagulated upon heating it. It had remained 

 sterile. The liquor was placed in a digester and heated under 

 six atmospheres pressure for one hour. A slight precipitate 

 formed, and the lluid became dark in colour. The fluid 

 was resterilised by boiling it on three successive days. The 

 solution was found to be faintly alkaline in reaction, 100 c.cm. 

 containing 4 c.cm. ^y alkali. It yielded 0*48% nitrogen, cor. 

 responding to 3% "peptone." The solution has been used to 



