150 Excursion to Rickett's Point {Beaumaris). [v^."^xxxiv 



ovoid carapace. The occurrence oi heavy minerals in the 

 marly beds of the cliff was pointed out, and samples were taken 

 home for detailed examination. The leader of the shore-life 

 party (Mr. J. Searle) was unable to secure a boat for tow-netting, 

 so the members turned their attention to the rock-pools left 

 by the receding tide. In these were found great numbers of 

 rotifers of the genus Synchieta, shore-dwelhng copepods such as 

 Idya fiircata, small amphipods and isopods, and a few speci- 

 mens of living foraminifera. The rocks were covered with 

 winkles, limpets, chitons, and other molluscs, while in less- 

 exposed places anemones of large size were seen and admired. 

 On the sandy bottoms of some of the pools numerous prawns 

 were seen, and their fearless curiosity — which sometimes led 

 to their capture — demonstrated. Some of the party who were 

 taking their first lesson in shore-life were surprised when told 

 that the chitons were molluscs, so a few limpets and chitons 

 were detached from the rocks and their parts compared ; rough 

 dissection with a pocket knife showed the radula or lingual 

 ribbon in each, as well as other points of similarity. On a 

 jutting rock numerous clusters of the cirripede, Ibla quadri- 

 valvis, were found, and when our students were informed that 

 these were crustaceans their wonder was increased. They 

 could see no resemblance between these rough projections lixed 

 on the rock and the lively prawns in the pool below, but when 

 the life-history of the barnacles was explained their interest 

 in zoology increased, and the fact that cirripedes were crus- 

 taceans attached to the rock by their heads, and that they 

 caught their food with their feet, will be a lasting impression. 

 When told that the Ascidians, on the rocks under their feet, 

 shapeless masses as they were, had in infancy possessed a 

 rudimentary backbone, a notochord, it was examined with 

 greater interest, and, as one of the ladies of the party held a 

 specimen at arm's length to see it " squirt," the picture on the 

 title-page of the Onlooker was conjured up, and someone was 

 heard to say, " So that is evolution." Bottles were filled with 

 specimens lor home study, and a very pleasant excursion 

 terminated. — F. Chapman, J. Searle, 



The Fleukieu Peninsula Rosella. — A line colouretl figure 

 of this parrot appears in the current number of the l-.mit. It 

 is a ^pecies, or perhaps variety, which is conlincd lo the neigh- 

 bourhood of Cape Jervis, Soutii Australia, .md i> rcmarkal)li 

 for the brilhancy of the red on the l)nast, *.\:c. i ht coloured 

 Jigurc is <L splendid piece of work, for which the engraver and 

 the printer deserve great credit ; unfortunately, however, 

 neither of their names appears on the plat( . 



