8 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXVI. 



lilydalensis, Eth. fil., and Niso (Vetotuba) brazieri, Eth. fil. 

 After witnessing some blasting of the limestone, the party 

 inspected the overlying decomposed basalt, which is seen to rest 

 on a bed of fine angular sand, and this in turn rests uncomformably 

 on the limestone. The sand in places has been partially dissolved, 

 probably by heated and alkaline water from the overlying basalt, 

 and re-deposited as chalcedonic concretionary layers and nodules 

 in the uppermost part of the sand-bed. A fine view of the 

 Dandenong Ranges, and also of the Main Uivide, was obtained 

 from the eastern side of Cave Hill, whilst beneath our feet lay a 

 remarkable bed of quartzite, in part conglomeratic. Crossing the 

 paddock, and taking the road in a westerly direction, we next 

 visited a notable example of a low tuff cone of the older volcanic. 

 This point of eruption is in remarkably good preservation, 

 considering its age and the material of which it is constructed. 

 The interior of the crater is now used as a fruit and vegetable 

 garden. The Melbourne road cuts through one side of the cone, 

 which enabled us to see very clearly the tuffaceous material of 

 which it is constructed — a fine reddish-brown ash with small 

 scattered lapilli. Across the road in an adjoining paddock there 

 is a section showing another tuff deposit, the material of which is 

 of an ash to brown colour, and appears to be a finer material than 

 that seen in the road cutting. The members then returned to 

 Lilydale, and a contingent caught the early train to town. Those 

 who remained for the later evening train were most kindly 

 entertained to tea by one of our members. Miss Rollo, who also, 

 earlier, placed the members under obligation by suggesting the 

 extension of our walk to take in the interesting tuff cone, which 

 proved so instructive an item in our programme. — F. Chapman. 



Early Flowering of Acacias. — Looking over some back 

 numbers of the Naturalist I saw a note on p. 52, vol. xxii. — 

 " The first blossoms of the Silver Wattle, Acacia dealbata, were 

 picked at Kew on ist July, 1905. Notes of other early flowerings 

 are desired." I have a specimen in my possession gathered by 

 myself, marked ^^ Acacia o^ea^6a<a, Healesville, June, 1906." It 

 is in full flower. In other seasons since then I have noticed this 

 acacia in bloom in the same month. My recollection is that it 

 was about the end of the second week. The earliest I have seen 

 were at Yarra Glen early in the same month, and this in several 

 seasons. The earlier bloomers face the north-east. I have observed 

 that in other species this aspect brings the first blooms, and that 

 trees planted in a curve so as to face every point of the compass 

 give a succession of bloom from earliest to latest. Whether or 

 not it is a coincidence, my experience is that these early 

 bloomers are most infested with the Goat Moth, Zeuzera eucalypti, 

 Boisd., particularly the cultivated A. Baileyana. — Reg. Kelly. 

 Mt. Yule, Healesville, 24th April, 1909. 



