222 Excursion to Heidelberg. ^y^^ 



Vict. Nat. 

 XXX 



of tube-building protozoa of the genus Stichotricha, one of 

 which had taken up its abode in the tube of a stentor still 

 inhabited by its rightful owner, but the result did not seem 

 to be very satisfactory to the intruder. Rotifers noted 

 included Brachioniis hakeri, Ehr., Stephanops (probably 

 lamellaris, Ehr.), Limnias ceratophylli, Schrank, Melicerta 

 ringens, Ehr., and many beautiful clusters of Megalotrocha 

 alboflavicans, Ehr. These last are spoken of by Hudson and 

 Gosse as being rare, but our experience seems to indicate that 

 they are quite plentiful in many of the ponds near Melbourne. 

 Of Entomostraca, three orders were represented, but the 

 number seen was not large. Desmids and other algae were 

 conspicuous by their absence. — J. Stickland. 



SOME COASTAL PLANTS: THEIR SHELTER VALUE 

 AND FIRE DANGER. 



By T. S. Hart, M.A., B.Sc. 



(Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, gth Feb., T914.) 

 The prevalent coastal tea-tree scrub is well known to be 

 highly inflammable ; but any extensive removal of vegetation 

 on an open, sandy coast, either to make clear fire-breaks or by 

 general thinning, would be hkely to lead to serious and 

 increasing sand-drifting. The practical problem becomes that 

 of preserving a sufficient covering of vegetation of the least 

 inflammable kinds possible. 



I desire to indicate how improvement may be made while 

 still utihzing the native plants of the coastal scrubs. Besides 

 observations made previously on the manner of growth of 

 some of the plants, I have recently made some rough tests of 

 the ease of ignition of the fohage of several species, including 

 a few introduced plants which are quite at home in the same 

 situations. The tests were made by heating on a rack over 

 a gas-ring, with uniform flame during each series of tests. The 

 results may be summarized as follows : — 



1. Most inflammable, quick ignition, and plenty of 



flame — 



Leptospenmim IcBvigatmn, Coast Tea-tree, and 

 Leucopogon Richet, Native Currant. 



2. Easily ignited — 



Bursaria spinosa. Sweet Bursaria. 



Correa alba, White Correa. 



Casiiarina quadrivalvis, Drooping Sheoke. 

 Under moderate heat the sheoke glowed and burned away 

 rapidly without flame. This manner of burning and the 

 character of the plant would make it less dangerous as a con- 

 tributor to a fire. 



