Ve ^~\ Field Naturalists' Club — Proceedings. 139 



of crude oil of Melaleuca nesophila, F. v. M., and Eucalyptus 

 macrandra, F. v. M., said that the former was distilled on 

 19/11/15 and the latter on 12/1/16 from material obtained, 

 through the kindness of the Curator, from cultivated trees in 

 the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. Both trees were natives of 

 Western Australia, and, so far as he was aware, this was the 

 first record of the distillation of oil from either. One or both 

 oils might ultimately prove of great commercial value. The 

 specimen of timber of Eucalyptus obliqua, L'Heritier, 

 Messmate, shown was obtained in the Forrest district. 

 Whilst on a visit to that locality during the Christmas holidays 

 he had noticed a pile of sawn timber at least half a mile long 

 and of considerable height. No gum veins were visible in any 

 balk constituting that pile. There was no need for us to send 

 to Tasmania for hardwood when a superior article existed at 

 our doors. 



Mr. E. R. Webb drew attention to his exhibit of fourteen 

 varieties of freshwater shells obtained from the Upper Rich- 

 mond River, New South Wales. Some of the shells were found 

 on plains rarely covered with water. 



Mr. T. S. Hart, M.Sc, invited inspection of his exhibit of 

 roots of Exocarpos cuprcssiformis, Native Cherry or Cherry 

 Ballart, showing parasitic and auto-parasitic root attachments, 

 and said that the specimens exhibited showed attachments of 

 the roots of Exocarpos cupressiformis to roots 01 other plants 

 — namely, Acacia arntata, Eucalyptus antygdalina (from Scoresby), 

 and Eucalyptus dives (from Creswick). The ends of some of the 

 rootlets of Exocarpos are expanded, and form closely appressed 

 cushions on the exterior of the other roots. These " cushions " 

 are easily detached, and are very liable to be detached in 

 digging out the roots. Examination of some of them showed 

 a relatively slender outgrowth from the " cushion " through 

 the outer tissues of the root of the other plant. These attach- 

 ments are most readily found by grubbing a small tree near 

 the Exocarpos, and examining its roots dost; to the butt of 

 the tree. Specimens of roots of Exocarpos cuprcssifonuis 

 were also exhibited showing loops and cross connections 

 originating in auto-parasitic attachments. " Cushions " are 

 formed, appressed to other parts of the roots of the same plant, 

 and eventually the union of the two roots becomes wry com- 

 plete, as can be seen in a cross section through the junctions. 

 These loopings can be readily found by tracing the roots of the 

 Exocarpus outwards from its butt. 



PAPER READ. 



By Mr. J. W. Audas, F.L.S., entitled " Glimpses en passant 

 on a Trip to Mount Beenak." 



The author, in an interesting paper, enumerated the prin- 



