160 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



lands of Gippsland. An accompanying map shows that it has 

 already crossed the Alps from its place of origin, the Bright 

 district, and has been found near Grant, towards the Dargo 

 valley. Several illustrations are given showing how it entirely 

 usurps the land, and a coloured plate by Miss S. W. L. Cochrane 

 should enable the most indifferent botanist to recognize it and 

 destroy it at once. The results of numerous experiments are 

 given, but all would be very costly, on account of the rough 

 country into which it is spreading. Curiously enough, a native 

 plant — the Dodder, Cuscuta australis, R. Br. — has proved itself 

 able to strangle it, but Mr. French questions whether the remedy 

 is not as bad as the disease. A coloured plate of the Dodder, by 

 the same artist, is also published. 



Tasmanian Field Naturalists' Club. — This Society has 

 entered on its second year, and promises to become firmly 

 established. It has recently distributed copies of an interesting 

 paper on the Tasmanian orchids by Mr. L. Rodway, Govt. 

 Botanist, with illustrations of eight or nine species. Mr. Rodway 

 has made as much use of popular names as possible in drawing 

 attention to the different species, but, unfortunately, several 

 misprints occur in the spelling of the scientific names. 



Australian Journal of Science. — We regret to learn that 

 sufficient promises of support have not been sent to the publishers 

 to warrant the founding of the proposed Australian Journal of 

 Science. We feel sure that had the journal been started, as 

 proposed, under the editorship of Prof Liversidge, LL.D., of 

 Sydney, it would have filled a decided want among Australian 

 science workers, and would have done much to assist the work 

 of the Australian Association for Advancement of Science. 

 However, the time is not far distant when such a journal must 

 come, and so bring workers all over Australia more in touch 

 with one another. 



The Eucalyptus as a Timber Producer. — An article by 

 Mr. J. Blackburn, Assistant Inspector of Forests, in the Agricul- 

 tural Journal of Victoria for December last, gives some idea of 

 what has been done in the Maryborough district in the way of 

 re-establishing arboreal growth in denuded forest country, and 

 the accompanying illustrations forcibly demonstrate to the reader 

 the wonderful quickness of growth of such valuable timber trees 

 as the Red Ironbark, Blue Gum, Sugar Gum, &c. Mr. Black- 

 burn remarks that the carefully protected plantations have 

 become quite a home for numerous species of native birds, 

 exhibiting a marked contrast to the quietness of the surrounding 

 ring-barked areas. 



