76 t.'oUs. [v„T"kxx".i. 



shoulders, best ears, best ribs, and best brisket." Owing to 

 the kindness of Mr. Bauld, all of these points can be fully 

 appreciated by the public, as both the skeleton and skin have 

 been preserved and mounted, and form a very interesting 

 example of the results of " artificial selection " amongst animals. 



Victorian Plant Names. — A further instalment of the 

 suggested vernacular names for Victorian plants appeared in 

 the Journal of Agriculture of Victoria for August, covering the 

 orders Labiatae to Epacridacsse inclusive. 



A Correction. — Bats at Jenolan Caves.— In the August 

 Naturalist (page 51) I am reported as having said that the 

 bats " had shifted their quarters owing to the influx of visitors." 

 What I said was that I had seen them when going through the 

 Nettle and Arch caves, where they were noticed hanging from 

 the rocks here and there. — J. Stickland. 



Fossil Blackwood (?) — Recently Mr. W. Baragwanath, of the 

 Geological Survey Office, Ballarat, found a small piece of fossil 

 wood in a mine — the North Prince — ^at Deep Creek, about two 

 miles north-west of Eganstown, in the Daylesford district. The 

 wood came from a depth of 300 feet below the surface, and was 

 in the wash, under 30 leet of black clay and several layers of 

 basalt. Mr. Baragwanath suspected that the wood might be 

 Blackwood, from its appearance in the hand specimen, and a 

 piece was forwarded to Professor Ewart, who reports as follows : 

 — *' The specimen of fossil wood forwarded from Smeaton agrees 

 very closely with that of Acacia melanoxylon. The wood fibres 

 are much distorted, but show the same relative proportion to 

 the vessels, and the latter have the same average diameter as 

 in A. inelanoxylon. The medullary rays are also similar in ar- 

 rangement, markings, and breadth. The medullary rays cells 

 have the same relative length and breadth and show similar 

 interprotoplasmic communications between the ends of the cells. 

 In the transverse section of the fossil wood the medullary rays 

 cells appear closer together, but the wood has apparently under- 

 gone considerable lateral distortion and compression. A curious 

 feature is that the medullary rays cells are better preserved 

 than the wood fibres, probably owing to the abundant tannin 

 content of the former. The wood shows no resemblance to that 

 of any species of Eucalyptus. Casuarina, Banksia, or Grevillea, 

 and can be referred to Acacia melanoxylon with as much cer- 

 tainty as is ever possible with the case of a fossil timber." The 

 occurrence of what is apparently a piece of fossil Blackwood at 

 such a depth below the surface seems to be worth placing on 

 record. — ^Chas. Fenner. School of Mines, Ballarat, 2Sth August. 



