June, 1909.] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 17 



EXCURSION TO STONY POINT, WESTERN PORT. 



On our programme of excursions for 1908-9 the Easter excursion 

 was put down for Hastings, but it was decided to alter it to 

 Stony Point, where we had done so well the previous Easter, as it 

 affords better opportunities for good work. 



Before noon on Good Friday, 9th April, our small party of 

 three was heartily welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Osterlund, our 

 hosts of the previous year, and after a hasty dinner no time was 

 lost in getting to the dredging ground. Having been so success- 

 ful with the MoUusca last year, we decided to again work over 

 some of the same ground, and were soon enthusiastically engaged 

 in picking out the treasures from our hauls. We were fortunate 

 in striking the Modiola ground again, but, although we worked 

 over it several times, obtained only one species, Modiola albicosta. 

 However, we kept on till dark, and returned home well satisfied 

 with the afternoon's work. 



Saturday morning was ushered in with slight showers of rain, 

 which proved, however, to be only the " pride of the morning." 

 The tide being out, we spent two hours on the rocks hunting for 

 littoral species, with fair success. A little before noon we started 

 off in the launch again, selecting for this trip some new ground. 

 Starting opposite Sandstone Island, we dredged northerly with the 

 tide for three or four hours, until, rounding French Island, we 

 were opposite Quail Island. The results, however, were so meagre 

 that we decided to try on the Hastings side of the channel, where 

 we found marine life more prolific. Molluscs, polyzoa, sea-pens, 

 &c., were in profusion, and, after selecting what we wanted, a 

 pleasant run home of eight or nine miles wound up an excellent 

 day for the delighted three. 



On the third day we made an early start in a southerly 

 direction. Starting off Tortoise Head, we dredged with the tide 

 towards Rhyll, with excellent results. In this locality are found 

 the .rare Typhis yatesi, Conns segravei^ Humphreyia slrangei, 

 Claviyella luuUangidm-is^ and the extremely rare shells Modiola 

 arborescens and M. victorice. Opposite Rhyll, towards Elizabeth 

 Island, was our next ground : here we were successful in getting 

 six fine specimens of the Typhis, or, as our skipper called them, 

 " Cows' Horns," on account of the two peculiar spiny processes 

 which project and curve outwards very like cows' horns. It is 

 very rarely that this shell is found with the processes intact, 

 consequently we were very pleased that four of them were in 

 perfect order. There still being a i^'^- hours left, we returned to 

 Tortoise Head, and cast a itw dredges in Gardiner's Channel, 

 but the tide was slack, and we were unable to work the dredge 

 properly, so we made homewards again, well pleased with the 

 day's results. 



During the three trips we secured 225 species of Molluscs, 



