66 Field Naturalists' Club— Proceedings. [\\,l xxxfi. 



of the genus Eurytemora were secured. Operations at Lake 

 Corangamite, though conducted under adverse weather con- 

 ditions, resulted in the discovery of a copepod which may 

 prove to be the type of a new genus. The Brine Shrimp, 

 Paratemia zietziana, was noted in immense numbers in parts 

 of the lake. The authors advocated a systematic investiga- 

 tion of the microfauna of the lakes of the Western District. 

 and expressed the belief thai such would reveal many rare 

 and interesting tonus of life. 



Mr. A. D. Hardy, F.L.S.. favoured the suggestion of Messrs. 

 Shephard and Searle. and suggested that the Club should 

 arrange a " camp-out " near the lakes lor those interested in 

 the class of study under discussion. 



The president, Dr. ('. S. Sutton, and Mr. F. (i. A. Barnard 

 took part in the discussion, the latter referring to the weirdness 

 of the adjacent Stony Rises, adding that, in a favourable season, 

 their botany would doubtless prove interesting. 



j. By Mi. K. A. Keble. entitled " Picric Acid and Grass-tree 



Gum." 



In a short and somewhat technical paper the author pointed 

 out that in the gummy exudation of the Xanthorrhceas, or 

 grass-trees. Australia possesses a large and practically untouched 

 reserve ol a commodity which, with a little scientific treatment. 

 yields picric a< id. one ol the principal ingredients employed in 

 the manufacture ol the various high explosive compounds so 

 extensively used with such appalling effecl by the European 

 power, in' the presenl war. The fairly high percentage ol 

 picric acid yielded by the gum, ot resin, ol the grass-tree was 

 apparently known to the scientific and commercial men ol 

 othei nations. >ince a number oi companies had been formed 



prior to the war to gathei and export the resin, but whether 

 it was utilized foi industrial purposes, or devoted to less peaceful 

 ones, appeared problematical. 



M,, presidenl said that ovei eighl years ago Robeii Kaleski 

 fully described the Xanthorrhoea and it.s products in the 

 Bookfellow. Tin resin was then worth £l0 per ton. and in 

 collecting it a man could readily earn ios. or r.2s. per day without 

 much exei tion. 



Messrs Pitcher, Hardy, Searle, and Barnard contributed to 

 a short discussion whi< h followed. 



\ vi i RA1 HISTORY NOTE. 



\ taNORMAi Limb in \ I opepod. Mr. J. Searle said that 

 the finding ol abnormal structures in species ol the fresh-watei 

 Copepoda is »o extremely tare thai such an occurrence is worthy 



( ,i note. Just now the copepod Boeckella symmetrica, <». 0. 

 tremely abundant in the Botani* Gardens lake. 



It is a Strouidv-maiked species, and easy of identification. 



