160 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



EXCURSION TO WILLIAMSTOWN. 



The excursion on Saturday, gth February, was planned for the 

 Back Beach, Williamstovvn, and a party of six members of the 

 Club left town about 2 o'clock for the purpose of testing that 

 locality as a fishing ground for microscopic organisms, on similar 

 lines to those pursued on a visit to the coast off Hampden this 

 time last year. A glance at the locality named sufficed to show 

 that the prospects of sport were not encouraging. A stiff breeze 

 blowing towards the shore tumbled the sea too much to allow of 

 the tow-net being put down. A move was therefore proposed to 

 quieter waters, which were found near the Gem pier. Here a 

 boat was secured, and, once clear of the shipping near, the tow 

 net was put out by Mr. Shephard. The muddy appearance of 

 the water gave little hope of success, and only a few " dips" were 

 indulged in, so as to allow each member to carry home some of 

 the spoils. However, a slight investigation of the material at 

 home revealed a good many interesting larval forms, principally 

 of the Echinodermata. Medusoids were also fairly plentiful, 

 together with a Radiolarian, occurring singly and in groups. The 

 Hampton waters gave similar results, and that locality is recom- 

 mended, for obvious reasons, in preference to Williamstovvn for 

 future towing operations. As remarked last year, a very profit- 

 able field of investigation is opened by excursions similar to that 

 of last Saturday, and it is hoped that members will undertake 

 such excursions privately from time to time at different seasons of 

 the year, so as to furnish particulars of the larval fauna of the 

 waters of Port Phillip. — W. Fielder. 



EXCURSION TO THE MOONEE VALLEY. 



Ten members and their friends met on Saturday, 23rd February, 

 1895, on the Moonee Ponds railway platform. A divergence 

 from the direct course to the Moonee Ponds Creek was made for 

 the purpose of inspecting the cutting in the western end of the 

 new extension of Brunswick-road, west of the creek, where there 

 are to be seen the Tertiary ferruginous sandstone and grits, 

 which form the subsoil of the plateau from the railway station to 

 this cutting. These were observed to be clearly stratified, though 

 in some places there was observed a concretionary form. Here a 

 search was made in the sandstone for fossil leaves, which were 

 believed to exist, and some undoubted though fragmentary 

 specimens were obtained, proving their existence in this 

 deposit ; and our search in the less sandy and more ferruginous 

 portions was rewarded by numerous examples and fragments of 

 Gasteropods and Lamellibranchs. 



Following the cutting lower down the hill, this marine deposit 

 was found to rest on the denuded surface of the older basalt, 



