TTIE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



complete collection of the British Sphingidas ; also a rare orchid 

 (Cryptostylis leptochila, F. v. M.), from the Dandenong Ranges. 

 By Mr. C. French, jun. — Case of Australian sea-birds' eggs, 

 including ten species of Terns. By Mr. G. E. Hill. — A case of 

 Victorian Longicorns and two Victorian snakes. By Baron von 

 Mueller. — Embelia Jlueckigeri (new to science), collected at 

 Russell River, Queensland, by Stephen Johnson ; Eugenia sayeri 

 (new to science), collected at Russell River, Queensland, by 

 W. A. Sayer ; Eugenia myrsinocarpa (new to science), collected 

 at Trinity Bay, Queensland, by Fitzalan ; Argophyllum nitidum, 

 collected at Johnstone River, Queensland, by Berthau — new 

 for Australia ; Myrtv.s epipastica, collected at Endeavour River, 

 Queensland, by W. Persieh — new to science. By Mr. Dudley 

 Le Souef. — Nest and eggs of the White-eyebrowed Robin ; also, 

 Peripatus insignia. By Mr. T. Steel. — Egg cells of the 

 Mason Wasp, from Fiji ; also Land Shell (Helix atramentaria) 

 from Sassafras Gully. 



EXCURSION TO MERRI CREEK. 



The excursion to Merri Creek for geology, on Saturday, the 5th 

 March, was moderately well attended. Several members met at 

 Spencer-street station, and on reaching Coburg station their 

 number was increased. The course selected by the leader — Mr. 

 George Sweet — was nearly due north, over the southern portion 

 of the basaltic rocks which form the surface of most of the land 

 from Brunswick to the Dividing Range. Several old worked-out 

 quarries, with massive blocks of basalt still standing solitary and 

 alone amid the debris, bore testimony to the excellent character 

 and extensive use of this class of rock. Ever since substantial 

 buildings have been erected in Melbourne it has been used for 

 the basements and for paving the water channels of rights-of-way, 

 for which it is well adapted. Turning at right angles towards the 

 east when opposite the North Coburg station, we encountered 

 the quarries where a large part of the present supply of bluestone 

 for building and paving purposes is obtained. Reaching the top 

 of the west bank of the creek, it was found that the course of the 

 creek lay through the basalt itself, through which it had eroded 

 its course to a depth varying from 40 ft. to 60 ft., with banks 

 generally sloping back from the creek for a hundred yards or 

 more, but rising where we first struck the creek, and also in some 

 other places, into precipitous cliffs of basalt overlying upper 

 silurian reck, which occasionally appeared in the bed of the creek, 

 and in which the waters had found a rock more easily eroded 

 than the massive basalt. Owing to this occasional large and deep 

 pools have been formed, very tempting to bathers, and which are 

 only secured against such use by the strict enforcement of the 



