Excursion to Williamstown Beach. [voi°xxxi 



XII 



EXCURSION TO WILLIAMSTOWN BEACH. 



In the unavoidable absence of the appointed loader, the 

 guidance oi the party of aboul sixteen members and visitors 

 taking part in the excursion to the Williamstown Back Beach 

 on Saturday. 13th March, appeared to devolve upon Mr. J. 

 Searle and myself. The cool weather helped to make the 

 afternoon thoroughly enjoyable. The curved sweep of the 

 foreshore at Williamstown admirably shows, at either end. 

 the extremes of wave-action, in regard to their force and 

 sorting power on the rocks and sand. To the west we have 

 the bare rocks of bluestone, with their accompanying shell- 

 fish faunas, as Cominella, Risella, and Patella ; whilst to the easl 

 the sand forms a wide stretch, amongsl which may he picked 

 out the more delicate forms of shell, chiefly bivalves, as the 

 thinner-shelled species of Venus and Meretrix. From this 

 sandy surface fairly good foraminiferous and ostracodaJ material 

 could he gathered by scraping up the tide-streaks. The fate-, 

 were kinder than usual, as the tide was going out during the 

 afternoon, but it was still scarcely low enough to allow oi 

 searching amongsl the rock-pools. Amongst other objects of 

 flotsam examined, fish-jaws and vertebral bones afforded 

 text-, for interesting discussions, during which the comments 

 oi Dr. J. L. Blakie, a visitor, wen greatly appreciated. Several 

 specimen^ of a reef-forming coral (Plesiastreea) were noticed. 

 A sample ot seaweed examined under the microscope showed 

 numerous kinds of diatoms, as Grammatophora, whose brown 

 riband- were very abundant : many attached clusters of a 

 stalked Gomphonema ; fragments of Lichmophpra fans; and 

 a few stately Gyrosigma. Species of nematode worms were also 

 very common in the water, which denoted the presence of 

 a fair quantity ot decaying matter present, probably derived 

 to some extenl from 'he outflow ot several innocent-looking 

 village drains. An examination oi a pinch oi the shore-sand 



from a tidal streak showed numerous coralline-, and othei cal- 



ous alga : fragments oi polyzoa [Caberea) ; by oi molluscs, 

 as Mytilus, Meretrix. Liotia, and Assiminea. Also the fol- 

 lowing: Foraminifera Nubecularia bradyi, Millett, M Molina 

 circular is, Born., -p.. Miliolina polygona, D'Orb., sp.. Dis- 

 corbina dimidiata, Parkei and Jones, Polystomella crispa, I... 

 -p.. Polystomella macella, I and M.. sp. ; Osti icoda Aglaia (?). 

 cf. meridionalis, < ■ S Brady, Macrocypris maculata, G. S. 

 I'... Bairdia amy , *■ S B., Cythere ilemissa. G. S. lb. 



Cyth ita, G 5 B., /■ oncha alata, G. S. I'-.. Xesto- 



, G 0. Sars. ; Cirripede Ibla quadrivalvis (col. 

 1 Searle). - F. Chapman. 



