698 NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



year for the first time in Australia and is now found to be spread- 

 ing in the Port Jackson district; and the following five rare 

 species of Epacris from the Blue Mountains and the Moss Vale 

 district — E. apiculata, A. Cunn., E. robusta, Benth., E. Hamiltoni, 

 Maiden & Betche, an unrecorded variety of E. Calvertiana, F.v.M., 

 and an unrecorded variety of E. purpurascens, R.Br. 



Mr. Fred. Turner exhibited and offered some observations 

 upon — 



(1) Homeria aurantiaca, Sw.,a South African iridaceous plant 

 which has become acclimatised in certain South Australian 

 pastures, and is suspected of poisoning stock. The South Aus- 

 tralian Government Dairy Bacteriologist forwarded him the plant 

 for identification and report. Although this is the first time he 

 has received the plant from S. Australia as a suspected poison 

 plant, both H. aurantiaca and //. collina have established them- 

 selves in certain pastures in Victoria, and he had received 

 authentic accounts of stock dying from eating these plants which 

 were sent to him for identification and report. Both these 

 species of Homeria have long been cultivated in Australian 

 gardens. 



(2) Euphorbia, eremophila, A. Cunn. — Mr. G. G. Bunning, 

 Darr River Downs, North Western Queensland, forwarded him 

 specimens for identification, and stated that this plant had lately 

 cropped up very thickly over his district, although previously 

 unknown on the Downs country. It is supposed to be account- 

 able for the deaths of large numbers of travelling stock. 



(3) Acacia Bidwilli, Benth., a specimen of which he received 

 from Longreach, Queensland, where it is said to provide good 

 fodder for stock. 



Mr. Palmer showed a roughly made but effective aboriginal 

 stone axe from Lawson; and, from the same place, a pugnacious 

 little spider, Theridion bicolor. 



Mr. R. Greig Smith exhibited a series of samples of cloudy 

 wine, and cultures of the acetic-acid-forming bacterium concerned 

 in the production of the turbidity. 



