The South Australian Naturalist. 15 



has successfully grown the Waratah. the scented Boronia, several Acacias. 

 Eucalypti, and many other specimens of the native flora. The leader, 

 Mr. E. H. Lock, very heartily thanked Mr. Wollaston for his kindness 

 in showing his garden. 



May 12th. 1919. — Prof. W. Howchin. F.G.S., led a large party down 



the Sturt River from Eden. Geology formed the suhject for the day's 

 outing, and the professor pointed out that the glacial till to be seen not 

 far from the railway station afforded one of the oldest evidences of ice 

 action on our planet. The discovery of this profoundly interesting 

 glacial deposit w^as made by Professor Howchin himself, a fact wdiich 

 made the leaders' remarks all the more interesting to the excursionists. 



May 24th, 1919. — Morialta Gorge was visited ; the leader was Dr. C. 

 Fenner, F.G.S.. w'ho handed the members plans of the reserve. Beautiful 

 views were obtained from Blackboy Lookout. The nature of the rocks 

 was shown and their past history explained. The great earth movements, 

 well exemplified in the valley, were shown in the crumpled rocks, and 

 the great fault-block movements, whereby the present aspect of highland 

 and plain was determined. The subsequent wearing action of the small 

 stream in carving out the valley was explained as the party proceeded up 

 the gorge. 



June 3rd. 1919. — A charabanc excursion was made to Port Noarlunga, 

 under the joint leadership of Dr. C. Fenner, F.G.S., and Mr. W. J. 

 Kimber. The former remarked that the rocks were packed with fossils. 

 The presence of so many fossils and casts high up the cliffs of creatures 

 only found in shallow water, pointed to the fact of the slow but con- 

 tinuous rising of the land. The locality is a classic one in Australian 

 geology. Mr. Kimber discoursed on fossils, the chambered nautilus, lamp- 

 shells, black mussels, littoral molluscs, and cuttlefish. 



June 23rd, 1919. — A party of members went by road to Mount Plea- 

 sant, when Mr. W. Ham acted as leader and interested the members in 

 the geology and physiography of the district. Reaching Mount Pleasant, 

 the party partook of lunch, after which the leader gave a short address 

 on the physiographical features of the region. By means of maps handed 

 to each of the party he descril)ed the course of the River Torrens. rising 

 about three miles north of the township and flowing to Birdwood. In 

 this part of its course both road and railway take advantage of the easy 

 grade worked out by the river. Thence to Gumeracha the road follows 

 down the river, but at Gumeracha the river turns and cuts through the 

 ranges, forming a gorge so wild, steep, and narrow that it has not yet 

 had a road formed right through it. By means of the map the wdiole 

 course of the river was traced, and the history of the river was deduced 

 from its physiography. The speaker also referred to the River Onka- 

 paringa as exhibiting somewhat similar features. The mineral resources 

 of the district were also referred to, and some account was given of the 

 many gold mines started. In the afternoon the party visited the old 

 workings of the Golden Stope Mine and Golden Stope West, both of 

 which have been w^orked with some success at various times. 



July 12th. 1919. — The visit paid to the Museum proved to be most 

 interesting, and the Director (Mr. E. R. Waite, F.L.S.), was heartily 

 thanked for providing such an instructive afternoon. The chief item 

 of interest was the exhi1)iiion of the enormous bones of the huge blue 

 whale, recently stranded near Streaky Bay. This stupendous creature 

 is the largest whale preserved in any Museum, and measures 87 ft. 4 ins. 

 long. Mr. Waite also drew attention to some aboriginal skulls and Papuan 

 tree houses, with their quaint and cleverly executed carvings. The coin 

 room was also visited. 



