84 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXVI, 



By Dr. J. C. Kaufmann.* — Spectre shrimps, with parasitic 

 diatoms ; diatoms from Beaumaris. 



By Mr. J. Lambie. — Grouped diatoms and vase of butterfly 

 scales. 



By Mr. W. J. M'Caw,* — Vegetable fibres under polariscope. 



By Mr. S. Seabrook. — Anthrax and other bacteria. 



By Mr. J. Twyford.* — Rock sections (granite and basalt) under 

 polariscope. 



By Mr. J. Wilson. — Diatoms, Polycystina, &c. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



EXCURSION TO ALEXANDRA-AVENUE, &c. 



Nineteen members and friends assembled at Prince's Bridge on 

 Saturday afternoon, 26th February, for the purpose of examining 

 the geological features of the lower Yarra and the instructive 

 road-sections exposed on the south side of the river. The 

 weather was all that could be desired, being delightfully fine and 

 cool. Turning to the left from the St. Kilda-road, past the 

 Immigrants' Home, the chief geological features of the locality 

 were pointed out by the aid of a sketch map. The former course 

 of the Yarra towards South Melbourne was remarked upon, as 

 seen in the site of swamps formerly crossing the St. Kilda-road 

 and the present Albert Park Lagoon. The prominent river- 

 cliffs of the South Yarra Silurian were noticed, where they begin 

 to rise in front of the artificially truncated mound on which stands 

 the Queen's statue. Some of the red sands from the capping of 

 the Silurian hills had been excavated and thrown down at the back 

 of the home aforesaid, and there was also a small heap of rubbly 

 Silurian at the same place, probably a remnant of the heaps of 

 debris which had already afforded one of our members some 

 choice specimens of the slender Orthoceras-like shell, Proto- 

 bactrites, and a Craniella. The old pumping station was located, 

 and the quarry at the side, which had in former times yielded 

 quite a rich harvest to a few of our indefatigable collectors. At 

 this place, near the anticline, and, in fact on one of its limbs, 

 were formerly found the handsome star-fish, Paloeaster, and the 

 trilobite, Homalonotus. The type-specimen of a curious little 

 crinoid, Hapalocrinus victorice, described by Dr. Bather, of the 

 British Museum, also occurred near here, but closer to the river. 

 The type-specimen of Cyphaspis spryi, Mr. F. Spry informed us, 

 was obtained close to the "Temple of the Winds." Before 

 reaching the first gate of the Botanical Gardens we halted at a 

 grassed depression containing a few heaps of Silurian fragments 

 and some blocks of the quartz-felsite dyke which occurs in the 

 road-section just beyond. The dyke is very compact, white, 

 and comparatively fresh. It is one of the widest of the igneous 



* Also member of the Field Naturalists' Club. 



