2o6 Field Naturalists' Club— Proceedings. [^'Mar^h^' 



The chairman said the author had treated a technical subject 

 in such a simple way that all present could take an interest 

 in it. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Mr. J. W. x\udas called attention to a photograph illustrating 

 a curious growth by a eucalypt at Beaconstield. The tree 

 forked in the usual manner about ten feet from the ground, 

 but the limbs had united again about fifteen feet higher up, 

 and branched out afresh. 



Mr. F. G. A. Barnard called attention to a statement in a 

 recent publication, " The First Chapter in the History of 

 Victoria," where the author, in describing the country near 

 Sorrento, where the first settlement had been attempted in 

 1803, says : — *' The aspect of the country then was totally 

 different from its appearance now. The impenetrable tea-tree, 

 which now covers the whole face of the peninsula — except in 

 the clearings — had then not made its appearance, and did not 

 make its appearance for more than a generation later. Instead 

 of tea-tree, the ground was carpeted with grass, with scarcely 

 a particle of scrub anwhere except in the swamps, and the 

 hills and valleys were sprinkled with trees, which gave a park- 

 like appearance to the landscape." He asked whether any 

 member could support or disprove this statement, which, to 

 him, seemed rather improbable. He had been under the im- 

 pression that thickets of tea-tree were the original coverings 

 of the land. 



Dr. Hall said that it was quite possible the principal vege- 

 tation had altered as the author stated, and pointed out that 

 at one time the district provided the Melbourne market with 

 great quantities of firewood, principally Blackwood, Acacia 

 fnelanoxylon. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. F. G. A. Barnard. — Pot-grown specimen of fern 

 Lomaria fluviatilis, showing fertile fronds ; also beetle, Cata- 

 dromus lacordairci (Carabidae), taken at Kew. 



By Mr. F. Cudmore. — Fossil, BytJwtrepis (?) tenuis, J. Hall, 

 from Silurian (Barandella Shales) of Hatton's Corner, Yass, 

 N.S.W. 



By Mr. J. E. Dixon. — Flowers of Melaleuca parviflora, also 

 Coleoptera, &c., from Parwan. 



By Mr. C. J. Gabriel. — Shells, Clavagella australis. Sow., and 

 Turbo stamineus. Mart., collected by exhibitor at Balmoral 

 Beach, Middle Harbour, Port Jackson ; also Voluta irvincv-. 

 Smith, and V. volva, Chem., from Western Australia. 



By Mr. A. D. Hardy, F.L.S. — Euglena rubra, n. sp., col- 

 lected from small pool at Doncaster, 1906, in illustration of 

 paper ; also various infusorians. 



