Vol. XXVII. 



1911 



] Field Naturalists' Club — Proceedings. 207 



By Mr. D. J. Mahony, M.Sc. — Alunite, from near Diggers' 

 Rest ; essexite, occurring as ejected blocks in the bedded tuffs 

 surrounding Lake Bullenmerri, near Camperdown. 



By Mr. P. R. H. St. John. — Dried specimens of Olax striata, 

 R. Br., collected by exhibitor about six miles north-west of 

 Cape Everard, December, 1910 (recorded by Baron von Mueller 

 for Victoria, Vict. Nat., vol. v., p. 60, but no Victorian speci- 

 mens in National Herbarium) ; Eucalyptus eugenioides, Sieber, 

 var. nana, Deane and Maiden, collected near Orbost, December, 

 1910 (not previously recorded for Victoria) ; Brachyloma daph- 

 noides, Benth. (variegated form), collected near Myrniong, 

 Bacchus Marsh district, October, 1910 (not previously recorded 

 for Victoria). 



By Mr. F. Wisewould. — An English viper, from Devonshire, 

 England ; whip snake ; and young opossum taken from pouch 

 of mother, Mornington, 1871. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



A Remarkable Growth by a Eucalypt. — While spending 

 a week-end recently in the Beaconsfield district, Mr. M'Cann, 

 the head teacher of the Beaconsfield State School, drew my 

 attention to the peculiar growth of a eucalypt there. On 

 examination, I found it to be Eucalyptus elcBophora (E. 

 Cambagei), known amongst bushmen as " grey gum," which 

 is common in that district. This tree is about 15 feet in 

 circumference at the base, and attains a height of about 50 feet. 

 It forks about 10 feet from the ground, and unites again at 

 about 25 feet. After this union, four large limbs spread out. 

 The junction is quite three feet by three, and the limbs growing 

 therefrom are much thicker than those below the union. This 

 tree has a fair amount of foliage, and is remarkable for its 

 unusually crooked growth of limbs. It is affected to a con- 

 siderable extent by the parasitical mistletoe, Loranthus pendultts, 

 which seems to be playing havoc with the timber. As this 

 is a very unusual form of growth for a eucalypt, I had a photo- 

 graph taken of it, which is reproduced herewith, as it seemed 

 to be worthy of record and illustration, and would probably 

 be of interest to many readers of the Victorian Naturalist. — 

 J. W. AuDAS. National Herbarium, 13th February, 1911. 



The Historical Society of Victoria, founded some two years 

 ago, has commenced the publication of its proceedings under the 

 title of the Victorian Historical Magazine. The first number 

 contains, among other items, an interesting paper by Mr. G. 

 Gordon M'Crae on " The Early Settlement of the Eastern Shores 

 of Port Phillip Bay," from which some idea of the original 

 appearance of that part of the State can be gained. 



