THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 115 



EXCURSION TO HEIDELBERG. 

 On 6th January six members met at Collingwood and proceeded 

 to Heidelberg. The lagoon near the river, which has always 

 proved prolific, was made the fishing ground. The water was 

 low but clear, and a short search revealed an abundance of 

 microscopic forms of animal life. One circumstance in regard to 

 Volvox is noticeable. It is always found at this place, though 

 never plentiful, while the localities where it is to be found in 

 large numbers might be visited nine out of the twelve months 

 without seeing any. Some weed of the genus Nitella was very 

 rich in sedentary forms, later examination showing many repre- 

 sentatives of Protozoa and Rotifera. Of the Protozoa there was 

 a remarkable variety of species of Vorticellidse, some of the 

 colonies of Carchesium rivalling in the extent of their arborescence 

 the plates of Kent's "Manual," which are often regarded with more 

 or less incredulity. Many of the colonies of Carchesium had 

 rotifers of the genus Philodina parasitic upon them, and in 

 some cases there were as many rotifers as protozoons on the 

 same stem. Some elongated forms were exactly similar in 

 external outline to the rotifers living with them. Among the 

 rotifers a somewhat interesting case of parasitism was noticed. 

 An individual Limnias ceratophylli had attached to its tube two 

 species of the rotifer (Ecistes longicornis, two of the genus 

 Philodina, two specimens of Vaginicola, and a number of Vorti- 

 cella. A large number of fixed colonies of rotifers were met with, 

 some being the common Lacimdaria socialis, and others repre- 

 sentatives of a species of Lacinularia presenting distinct and 

 unique features, which will probably turn out to be new to science. 

 A cursory examination of the material revealed, as well as those 

 alluded to, species of Acineta, Rhizopoda, Polyzoa, Sponges, and 

 Entomostraca. — J. Shephard. 



SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN FUNGI AND PHANEROGAMS. 



Bv Henry Thos. Tisdall, F.L.S. 

 (Bead before Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, llth November, 1895.^ 

 It is a well-recognized fact that a number of plants live, either 

 partly or entirely, by taking the juices of other plants as a means 

 of nourishment ; in other words, there are parasites in the vege- 

 table as well as in the animal kingdom. There are, however, 

 degrees of parasitism — for instance, the Dodder plant (Cuscuta) 

 puts forth no leaves in order to secure the necessary carbon from 

 the atmosphere, but takes all its nourishment from its host ; the 

 Mistletoe, on the other hand, bears leaves, and only takes part of 

 its food from its victim. The celebrated Prof. Kerner, of Vienna, 

 states " that although the roots of several species of Euphrasia 

 join on to the rootlets of neighbouring grasses, and take a certain 

 portion of nourishment from them," yet, he adds, '' it is not in- 



