703 



NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



Mr. Etheridge exhibited the womerah described in his paper. 



Rev. J. Milne Curran exhibited a good specimen of " knotted 

 schist" from the aureole of altered rock surrounding the intrusive 

 granite at Bathurst ; also a specimen of the auriferous lode-stuff 

 from Pambula. 



Mr. C. W. Darley exhibited a collection of shells dredged up 

 from the sandspit off Darling Point in front of Rushcutters Bay. 

 The dredge " Sydney," Mr. H. Orr, master, has been removing 

 this bank, and in doing so has lifted an immense quantity and 

 variety of shells, of which a few are now exhibited. The question 

 is how was this large sand-bank formed; and did the shells live on 

 it, for they show little or no signs of abrasion, as would probably be 

 the case if they had drifted any distance? If they did, have they 

 all been killed by impurities in the water, for none are found 

 living 1 ? The sand-bank extends from the N.W. corner of Darling 

 Point a distance of at least 1200 feet towards Garden Island. 

 There is only 12 feet of water at the end and 6 feet at about 600 

 feet out. As deep as has been dredged, say for 28 feet at least, 

 the bank is all pure sand. 



Mr. Fred. Turner exhibited specimens of Telopea oreades, F.v.M. 

 (narrow-leaved form), the Victorian Waratah, collected at the 

 Fitzroy Falls, N.S.W., the most northern habitat yet recorded for 

 the plant; said to be very rare. Also three fungus-smitten 

 grasses from the interior : Eriochloa punctata, Hamilt., Panicum 

 Mitchelli, Benth., (two valuable pasture grasses; in the case of the 

 second of these the first occasion on which he had seen fungoid 

 growth on it), and Aristida ramosa, R.Br., one of the "three 

 awned spear grasses," a noxious plant. To the presence in fodder 

 of parasitic fungi such as these, the fact that many sheep died so 

 mysteriously at times, was, Mr. Turner thought, sometimes 

 possibly attributable. 



