180 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXVI. 



Records of the Western Australian Museum and Art 

 Gallery.— The first part of this recent addition to the scientific 

 serials of Australia is devoted to an article on "The Fossil 

 Marsupials of Western Australia," by Mr. Bernard H. Wood- 

 ward, F.G.S., Director of the Museum. The remains of the 

 species described — Tachyglossus aculeatus, Native Porcupine ; 

 thascolomys hacketti, sp. nov.. Wombat ; Phascolarctus cinereus. 

 Koala or Native Bear ; and Sthenurus occidentalis, sp. nov., a 

 kangaroo — were obtained in the Mammoth Cave, in the south- 

 western portion of the State. Mr. L. Glauert, F.G.S., who 

 devoted some two months to the exploration of this cave, and 

 collected about 2,000 specimens, adds some notes on the features 

 of the cave and the occurrence of the bones. A plate of the 

 entrance to the cave, and seven figures, each on a separate plate, 

 of the different specimens, each with included scale of measure- 

 ments, make up a very interesting and creditable publication. 



The A.N.A. Exhibition. — Natural history was represented 

 to some extent at the recent A.N.A. Exhibition, and was 

 evidently appreciated, for we regret to learn from the Govern- 

 ment Entomologist that on examining the cabinet drawers of life- 

 histories, &c., on their return to his office he was greatly annoyed 

 to find that the drawers had been robbed of some of their most 

 valuable contents. Some of the specimens were unique, and will 

 be hard to replace. Seeing that Mr. French has always been so 

 ready to afford information and show the specimens to inquirers, 

 this is very poor reward for his trouble, and will lead to entomo- 

 logical specimens being excluded from the departmental exhibits 

 at future exhibitions. 



The Lotus Lily. — Plants of the famous Lotus Lily, Nelum- 

 hium speciosum, have recently been grown and flowered for the 

 first time in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. The plants possess 

 beautiful peltate leaves, from one to two feet in diameter, rising in 

 numerous instances above the water surface on erect petioles of 

 varying heights up to twenty-four inches. The flowers, which 

 are of a delicate pink colour, nearly twelve inches across, are 

 borne singly on stalks which stand out above the water for two 

 or three feet. The plant is variously known as the " Sacred 

 Lotus," " Egyptian Bean of Pythagoras," " Leichardt's Water 

 Lily," "Pink Water Lily," "Sacred Lily of Buddha." Although 

 the plant grows luxuriantly in the Adelaide, Brisbane, and Sydney 

 Botanic Gardens, a difficulty had previously been found in trans- 

 porting it safely to Melbourne, owing to the liability of its 

 rhizomes to rot in transit. However, by arrangement with Dr. A. 

 Holtze, Director of the Adelaide Gardens, a clump of the plant, 

 while in a dormant state, was lifted one morning in August last, 

 and forwarded by express train the same day. The package 

 received attention here the next morning, and although some 

 of the rhizomes had rotted the remainder were successfully 

 developed. — F. Pitcher. 



