THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 159 



inducement for other of our members to collect and study our 

 highly interesting alpine flora, of which each visitor to the Alps 

 cannot fail to say that here richness of colour and beauty of form 

 exist such as only Nature herself has the power to think out and 

 create. — G. Weindorfer. 



Cryptogamic Botany. — Among the mosses, hepatics, and 

 lichens collected by Miss Kate Cowle, I have been able to 

 identify the following species : — 



Mosses. — Hypnum cerviculatum. Hook, and Wils.; Bartramia 

 afhnis. Hook.; Leptotheca gaudichaudii, Schwr. ; Bartramia 

 comosa. Mitt.; Bryum brachyurus, Hmpe.; Sphagnum cristatum, 

 Hmpe.; Thuidium furfurosura. Hook, and Wils.; Hypnum ruta- 

 bulum, Lin.; Bryum; Polytrichum commune, Lin., also along- 

 growing variety of P. commune amongst Sphagnum. 



Hepatics. — Chiloseyphus sinuosus, Nees, with Lepidozia 

 patentissima. Hook., the latter very minute ; Lepidozia cupres- 

 sina, Lindberg ; Jungermannia colorata, Lehman. 



Lichens. — Parmelia perforata, Wulf ; Cladonia pyxidata, 

 Cladonia aggregata, Ach.; Parmelia (conspersa?), Usnea bar- 

 bata, L., var. dasypoga. — R. A. Bastow. 



The excursion having been such a success should warrant a 

 similar camp being formed another Christmas in the real Alps, at 

 the higher altitude of Mount St. Bernard or Mount Hotham, 

 where no doubt an equally profitable and enjoyable time could 

 be spent. — Geo. Coghill. 



EXCURSION TO YAN YEAN RESERVOIR. 



About twelve members met at Spencer-street Station on Founda- 

 tion Day, Monday, ist February, for a visit to the Yan Yean 

 Reservoir, the main storage basin of the water supply for the 

 metropolis. The party was accompanied by Mr. E. G. Ritchie, 

 Assistant Engineer of Water Supply, and the Club is indebted to 

 him for his assistance in facilitating the operations of its members 

 on this occasion. On arrival at the reservoir, lunch was disposed 

 of, and a section of the party commenced a search for flowering 

 plants along the bank, while another section made use of the boat 

 in order to apply a tow net to secure the " plankton " and a drag 

 hook for submerged plants. The strong wind interfered consider- 

 ably with the success of the boating party, as it created quite 

 respectable waves, and no doubt very much reduced the number 

 of free-swimming animals near the surface. After an hour or two 

 of persevering application, the boating party joined the shore 

 section, and further search was made along the margin in the 

 sheltered parts. Several members made an examination of the 

 locality in search of fossils, meeting with fair success. 



Of the zoological captures it may be said that, either owing to 



