Vol-^>^viii.-j Field Natuvalists' C/uh — Proceedings. 23 



as kinternisL on many occasions, and moved a vote ol" thanks 

 to him. This was supported by Mr. Best, and carried by 

 acclamation. paper read. 



By Mr. J. R. Tovey, entitled '" Notes on the Flora of 

 Coode Island." 



The author briefly related the history of the island, which 

 was created in 1886 by the cutting of the Coode Canal in order 

 to shorten the distance between the Melbourne wharves and the 

 mouth of the River Yarra. Originally forming i^art of the 

 area known as the Sandridge Bend, it was covered with tea-tree 

 and other indigenous vegetation, but in course of time this had 

 almost entirely disappeared. Of late years portion of the island 

 had been used as a dumping-ground for ships' ballast brought 

 from foreign ports, and as a consequence the flora was now 

 almost entirely exotic, and it was interesting to note that many 

 of the plants were natives of South Africa. 



Some discussion ensued, during which Mr. C. J. Gabriel 

 remarked that a Torres Strait shell had recently been found 

 in Victorian waters, and asked whether the liallast area con- 

 tained any shells. 



Mr. F. Chapman, A.L.S., said the paper was very interesting, 

 and, considered with Mr. Gabriel's remark, threw some light 

 on the distrilmtion of strange rock material found in various 

 places along our shores. Some stone from Sweden had 

 recently been reported, and it would be interesting to see if 

 any species of the Swedish flora would appear. 



Mr. A. D. Hardy, F.L.S., said that he remembered examining 

 some ballast near the Yarra, which, he found, had come from 

 Santos, in Brazil, having l)ecn brought from that port by a 

 vessel which had called there, but. owing to the prevalence 

 of fever, had received no cargo. 



Mr. C. French, jim., remarked that Coode Island offered 

 plenty of opportunities to the pond-life hunter. 



Mr. Tovey, in replying to the various speakers, said that the 

 ballast locality contained many shells, probably of foreign 

 origin. 



Owing to the lateness of the hour, Mr. Williamson's paj^er 

 on a visit to East Gippsland was postponed until the next 

 meetmg. natural history notes. 



Mr. R. W. Armitage, B.Sc, said that while at the Gippsland 

 Lakes at Easter his attention had been attracted by the number 

 of the Coast i^ell-birds, or Bell-Miners, M anorhina melanophrys, 

 in the scrub near Kalimna, which were particularly har- 

 monious for the time of year, and appeared to be feeding 

 almost exclusively u):»on mosquitoes. The birds were also very 

 numerous about the mouth of the Latrobe. 



