74 Shephard, ^ Visit to Great Lake, Tasmania. [voV'^xxxiii 



result arrived at is that it is of specific rank, and description 

 will follow later. 



Next morning the wind had dropped, and Constable Collins, 

 who is in charge of the hostel, and, among numerous other 

 duties, is postmaster and meteorolgical observer, most obligingly 

 essayed a risky voyage on one of the very leaky boats to use 

 the tow-net. He very firmly declined any addition to the 

 boat's crew, giving as a reason they would get wet feet : but 

 the writer is inclined to think it was with a view to being un- 

 hampered if emergencies occurred. A little instruction enabled 

 him to use the net in a most efficient manner, and, after a 

 strenuous time alternately rowing and baling every few minutes, 

 he managed to cover about a mile of surface, the boat returning 

 in a water-logged condition. This work, combined with the use 

 of the net from the shore at various points, should yield the 

 prevalent forms at the south end of the lake at this time. 

 Examination .of the material during the evening, as was antici- 

 pated, showed that the river and lagoon, fed from the lake, 

 contained the same prevalent forms, but the more efficient tow- 

 net yielded greater abundance from the latter. The prevalence 

 of the rotifer and the Bosmina already mentioned was most 

 remarkable, no other form approaching them in number. 

 Other rotifers noted were a Syncheta, Asplanchna, Copeus, 

 Euchlanis, Notops, and Polyarthra flatyptera, besides several 

 others which the means at hand were insufficient to identify. 

 The Entomostraca obtained were Bosmina brevirostris, Daphnia 

 carinata, and Mr. J. Searle has since identified Cyclops albicans, 

 and states that B. brevirostris occurs in the Yarra valley. It 

 was intended to obtain a supply of the unique form Paran- 

 aspides lacustris. which is one of only three living species of 

 the order Anaspidacese recorded so far, and, with Anaspides 

 tasmanice. l:)elongs to the family Anaspididae, the third species 

 Kooniinga cursor, of the family Koonungidae being well known 

 to members as the discovery of the late Mr. A. O. Sayce. P. 

 lacustris is a shrimp-like animal found in the weeds near the 

 margin of the lake i but, as the artificial raising of the level 

 has submerged the weed zone and placed it at a distance from 

 the present shore-line, it could not be reached. One specimen 

 was, however, obtained from the stomach of a trout caught 

 during the visit. 



Some facts given by Col. Legge will give an idea of the 

 climatic conditions. In 1903 the mean temperature of January 

 was 66.5, the min. 33 : in June, mean 38.4, min. ig. the lake 

 is frozen over every year, and when the ice breaks up it is 

 driven by westerly winds to the shores, where it has piled up 

 the diabase blocks in terraces. This effect is not noticeable 

 at the south end, visited on this occasion, and will now be sub- 



