226 Excursion to Bvoadmeadows. [^''^Aprli^^" 



flock of about twenty " Galahs," or Rose-breasted Cockatoos, 

 Cacatua roseicapilla, with a solitary White Cockatoo, were seen 

 here, and it was thought to be an unusual sight to see these 

 birds so near Melbourne. 



Arrived at the hill, search was made for specimens of the 

 two rock-ferns, Asplenmm flabellifoliiim and Cheilanthes teniii- 

 folia, which are usually to be found there, and the search was 

 not in vain. The rocks were ascended, but the view was not 

 equal to that obtained on a previous visit, the You Yangs, 

 35 miles away, being almost the limit of the outlook. Of Mel- 

 bourne, only 15 miles, it was too hazy to make out any leading 

 features. On the previous excursion, the Barrabool Hills, 

 beyond Geelong, 60 miles away, could be made out. The 

 granite outcrop extends for about two miles north-westerly 

 across the Greenvale Sanatorium Reserve into the Woodlands 

 estate. Just across the latter boundary there is a very inter- 

 esting granite tor. A somewhat spherical block of granite, 

 having a diameter of about nine feet in either direction, rests 

 on a much smaller base, about four feet high, forming a very 

 conspicuous and curious object. For the benefit of those who 

 may wish to visit it, it may be mentioned that it is situated 

 about 500 yards south of the road from Greenvale to Inverness, 

 and about 100 yards inside the Woodlands boundary. An 

 attempt was made to capture a fine lizard seen sunning itself 

 on a rock, but it disappeared into a fissure too quickly. 



Having spent as much time as we dared wandering round 

 the outcropping rocks, we returned to the station by our out- 

 ward route. Few insects were seen, two or three common 

 species of Orthoptera (Locustidcc) being the most noticeable. 

 A very fine specimen of the Australian Admiral butterfly, 

 probably just emerged, was flitting about the summit of the 

 hill, which, by the way, is probably about O50 feet above sea 

 level. Some good specimens of the white-flowered ironbark. 

 Eucalyptus leiicoxylon, were noted on the granite countr^^ One 

 of the party, Mr. J. Searle, devoted himself to pond life, and 

 reports as follows : — " Most of the pools visited on Saturday 

 were conspicuous by the absence of Entomostraca, the first and 

 last being exceptions. In the first, on the road to the town- 

 ship, two species of Boeckella and two or three of Cyclops were 

 fairly numerous, while the last pool, at the foot of Gellibrand's 

 Hill, fairly teemed with Daphnia carinata. The most inter- 

 esting find was specimens of an Estheria, which agree very 

 closely with E. elli-btica of Sars. Should it prove to be this 

 species, I think Prof. Sars's specimen, raised from dried mud, 

 is the only other record of the species. A few rotifers, stentors, 

 vorticella, &c., were noted." 



On returning to the station, the members were taken by 



