l88 Field Naturalists' Club — Proceedings. [^"^Feb*^'' 



contains coloured plates and descriptions of several Australian 

 forms, they thought that the publication of its contents in some 

 easily accessible journal, such as the Victorian Naturahst, 

 would be an advantage, they had therefore compiled a brief 

 summary of the contents of the plates, with explanatory notes 

 where required, remarking that, if this work is to be con- 

 sidered in connection with the priority of naming, then several 

 changes of nomenclature will be necessary. 



Some discussion ensued, in which Messrs. J. A. Leach, M.Sc, 

 E. A. Petherick, F.L.S., and J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S., took part. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Mr. J. Searle said that, while searching for Copepoda in 

 December last in a dam at Jumbunna, his attention was 

 attracted to the curious appearance of the numerous water- 

 boatmen and other aquatic insects swimming about in the 

 water. Close examination showed that nearly every in- 

 dividual had one or more minute bivalve mollusca, probably 

 of the genus Pisidium, attached to its legs. It seems probable 

 that while walking or foraging on the bottom of the dam the 

 insects thrust their feet into the open valves of the mollusc, 

 which immediately closed, and remained attached when the 

 insect swam away. Such a fact he had not seen recorded, 

 and he exhibited some of the insects, with the molluscs attached, 

 preserved in formalin. 



Mr. J. Searle also recorded that for three years in succession 

 he had been successful in hatching out Daphnia carinata and 

 another smaller species from ephippial eggs collected over four 

 years ago. The gathering, which contains great numbers of 

 these resting eggs, is almost pure sand, and has been stored in 

 a bottle with a metal screw top. Each year a little of the 

 material has been placed in a perfectly clean glass observation 

 tank, which is then filled up with ordinary Yan Yean tap- 

 water. In a week or ten days a number of these small crus- 

 taceans hatch out. He said that he had still some of the 

 material left, and he intended to repeat the experiment every 

 year, in order to see how long the eggs will retain their vitality. 

 He exhibited specimens of the crustaceans which he had reared. 



Mr. J. Shephard said Mr. Searle's note was very interesting, 

 in view of the experiments made in Europe of rearing similar 

 animal life from dried mud from different parts of the world, 

 and he hoped Mr. Searle would give a more extended account 

 of his results. 



Mr. J. G. O'Donoghue reported having observed a pair of 

 Australian Bustards, Eupodotis aiistralis, popularly known as 

 wild turkeys, in a stubble-field near the Rowsley State school, 

 about six miles south of Bacchus Marsh, on Sunday, 31st 



