^^^^^' 1 Excursion to Coode Island. 5 



EXCURSION TO COODE ISLAND. 

 Interested by the remarks on the flora, &c., of Coode Island 

 in the Naturalist for July last (]'ict. Nat., xxviii.. p. 57), a party 

 of eighteen board'ed the motor boat at Queen's Bridge on 

 Saturday afternoon, 2jrd March. 01 route to the island. Shortly 

 after arrival there two more members joined the party. All 

 ex])ressed surprise at the large amount of foreign vegetation 

 that was growing there. It was noted that most of the plants 

 found flowering there during previous trips made by the 

 leaders in such periods of former years as October to December, 

 also June, were found in flower, thus evidently showing that 

 the exotic ])lants had not as yet settled down to our seasons. 

 It was also pointed out that, whilst the foreign shells col- 

 lected there were mostly of North American origin, the plants 

 were mostly South African, and in a few^ instances European 

 or Asiatic, but none of North American origin, thus showing 

 that the North American ballast came from the seashore, and 

 that from South Africa apparently from further inland. 



About twelve plants which are either recognized as nati\'e 

 or naturalized aliens in other parts of the State, but not 

 previously recorded for the island, were collected. Amongst 

 these might be mentioned a variegated form of the Red 

 Goosefoot, Chenopodiiim riibruui. L.. and the Caltrops. Tribiilus 

 terrestris, L. Four species not previously recorded as intro- 

 duced in Victoria were obtained — i.e., 

 Mercurialis annua, L.. Annual Dog's Mercury, Eu})horbiaceie ; 



a native of Europe and North Africa. 

 Aizvon rigidiini, L., var. angustijolinm, Sond., Rigid Aizoon, 



Ficoideae ; indigenous to South Africa. 

 Herniannia velntina, D.C.. Velvet Hermannia, Sterculiace;e : 



another stranger from South Africa. 

 Abittilon indicnm. Sweet., Indian Lantern-flower. Malvacea- ; 

 a native of the tropical regions, also found in South Africa. 

 Two other apparently new introductions were found, but 

 these, unfortunately, were without fully develoj)ed flowers or 

 fruit, and could not as yet be fully determined. Altogether, 

 fully fifty species were noted in flower, notwithstanding the 

 dry season. 



Insects were exceedingly scarce. The only sjjecies found 

 were the introduced carab beetles, Lcenwstenns complanatits 

 (which were found under the stones), two species of the longi- 

 corn Hebecerus, and several other common beetles : some 

 larva" of the salt-marsh mosquito, Citlex laheculosns were col- 

 lected ; and a few specimens of the rare scale-insect, Pnlvinaria 

 salicornice, were found on the salicornia bushes. A White- 

 lipped Snake, Denisonia coronoides, and several small lizards. 

 rvnipanocrvpfis liiieala, were also noticed. 



Mr. R. \V. Armitage has kindly handed us the following 



