t74 Field Naturalists' Club — Proceedings. [v'oPxxxi 



who said that there was a good attendance of members, but, 

 owing to the extremely dry season, objects of interest were 

 extremely scarce. Several species of gall-making coccids 

 (scale-insects) belonging to the genus Brachycelis were found, 

 and their remarkable fonns examined. Several ordinary forms 

 of scale-insects were seen on eucalyptus saplings, while some 

 bushes of Helichrysiim ferriigineum were found to be affected 

 with a yellowish-green scale, a species of Asterleocanium, 

 ])robably new. A beetle, Lagria grandis, was very common 

 about many of the eucalypts. In some districts this beetle 

 has recently attacked ripe fruit and vegetables, becoming quite 

 a pest. Several eucalyptus saplings almost stripped of their 

 leaves were noted, bearing dozens of the leafy homes of the 

 larvae of Hubner's Case-moth, thus presenting a very peculiar 

 appearance. In a sheltered gully some plants of the Rainbow 

 Fern, Davallia dubia, were secured for home cultivation. 

 After a pleasant ramble of about four miles over country which 

 in springtime should yield an abundance of wild-fiowers. the 

 station was reached shortly before 6 p.m. 



REMARKS ON EXHIBITS. 



Mr. p. R. H. St. John, referring to his exhibit of herbarium 

 specimens of Eucalyptus Smithii, R. T. B., 1899, said this par- 

 ticular form of eucalypt was little known in Victoria, but was 

 in great demand in New South Wales for oil, its average yield 

 being 1.35 per cent., containing 75 per cent, of eucaly])tol. The 

 specimens exhibited were collected near Mallacoota Inlet, 

 February, 1915, by Mr. A. T. Burton, of the Victorian Rail- 

 ways. The tree is known as the Ciully Gum, and was found 

 by the late Mr. A. W. Howitt, about 1882. 



Mr. O. Rosenhain called attention to his exhibit, consisting 

 of damaged bunches of grapes, mostly Waltham Cross, which 

 had been destroyed by blackbirds in his garden at East St. 

 Kilda, where he has about sixty vines, and could pick ten times 

 as many bunches in a similar condition. He considered the 

 blackbirds the most destructive of all introduced birds. 

 Unlike the starling, the myna, and the sparrow, which take 

 flight at the slightest alarm, the blackbird instantly runs to 

 cover, and is lost to sight, thereby making its destruction a 

 difftcult matter. In ten or fifteen minutes it returns and recom- 

 mences its depredations. He therefore strongly recommended 

 that the blackbird be placed on the list of destructive birds. 



Adverting to his exhibit of the molar tooth of whale, 

 Parasqualodon wilkinsoni, M'Coy, from Crassatella beds. Table 

 Cape, Tasmania, Tertiary (Janjukian), Mr. F. Cudmore said 

 the Parasqualodon belongs to the sub-order Odontoceti, or 

 toothed whales, which is first found in Australia in tlie Janjukian. 

 P. wilkinsoni has been recorded from beds of that age at Waurn 

 Ponds, Torquay, and Cape Otway. in Victoria. 



