120 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXVI. 



remarks as to the folly of indiscriminate clearing of timbered land 

 are particularly pertinent, and it is to be hoped that some atten- 

 tion will be given to the author's suggestions. Those plants 

 which contain poisonous principles in such quantities as to be 

 dangerous to man or animal are specially marked. In the 

 detailed account of the commoner weeds the different species are 

 dealt with under their natural orders, and the coloured plates of 

 the proclaimed plants, which have appeared from time to time in 

 the Journal of Agriculture, are inserted in their proper places. 

 The notes about the plants are necessarily very brief, and require 

 a little botanical knowledge on the part of the reader, as illustra- 

 tions of each species would have made the cost of the volume 

 excessive. The second part is devoted to a " Census of the 

 Naturalized Aliens of Victoria," amounting to 364 species. Of 

 each the scientific name, common name, natural order, date and 

 place of publication of first record of naturalization, local dis- 

 tribution and original home, and character is given. A useful 

 glossary of technical terms is a thoughtful addition, while a very full 

 index completes a work which, though necessarily, of a technical 

 character, is full of useful information for the grazier and the 

 agriculturist. 



Cultivation of Native Plants. — Attention was called in the 

 Austrdlasian of 13th Nov. to the eflforts made by Mr. A. Rutter 

 Clarke, of Merriwa, Orrong-road, Toorak, to establish a native 

 plant section in his garden. A large variety of eucalypts, 

 acacias, and other flowering shrubs have been planted, and are 

 doing remarkably well. It is to be hoped his example will be 

 followed by others, and so dispel the idea that the members of 

 our native flora are not worth garden room. In the same paper 

 of 4th December Mr. G. Weindorfer, of Kindred, Tasmania, 

 relates his experience with numerous native plants which he is 

 endeavouring to establish round his homestead. Several inter- 

 esting coniferous plants, removed from Cradle Mountain, Tas- 

 mania's highest mountain, appear to be thriving in their lowland 

 situation. 



Werribee Gorge. — The pupils of the Melbourne Continua- 

 tion School, to the number of about 550, made one of their 

 periodical excursions for Nature Study on Friday, 12th Novem- 

 ber, when Werribee Gorge was visited. His Excellency the 

 Governor, Sir T. Gibson-Carmichael, K.C.M.G., the Director of 

 Education, Mr. F. Tate, M.A., and other education authorities 

 accompanied the party, and invitations were extended to several 

 members of the Field Naturalists' Club, who were desirous of 

 seeing how an excursion of such large dimensions was managed. 

 The outing proved to be a most enjoyable and instructive one 

 for all concerned, and was carried through without a hitch. 



