T?ie South Australian Naturalist. 



During the evening sessions, Mr. Edgar R. Waite, F.L.S., 

 gave short talks on aquaria and the various apparatus con- 

 nected with them, illustrating his very interesting remarks with 

 a fine collection of apparatus, largely made by himself. 



Mr. W. J. Kimber lectured on fossils and shells, and Captain 

 S. A. White on birds. These lecturettes added greatly to the 

 pleasure of the visitors, as well as to their interest in the study 

 of Nature's wonders. 



Among the crowds of visitors on Saturday afternoon were 

 many old colonists, who renewed their acquaintance with the 

 wild flowers of their early days. The pleasure of these elderly 

 folks was a tribute to the Society. 



Altogether we may congratulate ourselves upon a very 

 successful Show, and one that should stimulate interest in our 

 unique flora. 



Excursion, August 6, 1921. — Under the leadership of Messrs. 

 Selway and Elston, a large party of members walked from Glen 

 Osmond to Mitcham. The party enjoyed the magnificent views. 

 Mr. Elston dealt with the life histories of the common slater 

 and the blindworm. Later the party were entertained by Dr. 

 Pulleine in his splendid garden at Netherby, where they 

 admired the fine collection of desert and rock plants. 



Excursion, August 20, 1921. — A large party found their 

 way to the Black Hill under the leadership of Mr. Ham. The 

 leader dealt with the character of the vegetation which marks 

 out this hill so distinctly from "the rest of the foothills of the 

 Mount Lofty Ranges from the city. The dry, hard, spiny 

 character of the foliage marked it as xerophytic ; that is, being 

 able to live on a small amount of water and to withstand long 

 periods of drought. The geological structure of the hill showed 

 it to be composed of road metal (quartzite), which has been 

 cracked and faulted in all directions by earth movements and 

 climatic influences. As a consequence, when the rain falls it 

 soon runs away into the rocks beneath. Hence the plants found 

 on this hill are characteristic of dry localities. Such plants 

 have developed many ways of saving the precious water : leaves 

 become mere spines, green parts become coated with hard 

 coatings, and bushes become dwarfed in such inhospitable 

 surroundings. The various characteristics of such plants were 

 dealt with and illustrated by the specimens taken. Prominent 

 among the vegetation rise the stems of the blackboy (Xanthor- 

 rhoaea quadrangulata) and the bushy sheaoak. 



