The Souiii Australian Naturalist. 41 



societies heartily support any action taiveii by the Town 

 Council of Glenelg. ]\Ir. Kiniber led a small party along the 

 beach. Over sixty varieties of shells were picked up in a short 

 time, and these were dealt with by the leader, who showed that 

 even the commoner species are most beautiful and most 

 interesting. 



Excursion, April 1, 1922, to Carey's Gully.— Under the 

 leadership of Mr. W. H. Selway, a large party journeyed, via 

 Norton's Summit, Summertown, and Uraidla, to Carey's Gully, 

 returning via Crafers and Glen Osmond. The route taken 

 embraces some of the finest scenery in the Mount Lofty Range. 

 The only scrubland which could be explored was that in close 

 proximity to the road, and few specimens were taken at this 

 time of the year. The white immortelle (Ixodia achilleoides) 

 was the most notable flower seen. Its generic name is derived 

 from the stickiness of its foliage, which resembles birdlime. A 

 few plants of native heath, Epacris impressa, were in flower. 

 Blackberr}^ bushes were plentiful, and the berries were duly 

 sampled and appreciated. A large brown si)ider proved of 

 interest to the entomologists of the party. At this time of the 

 year the white trunks of the gums, which had recently shed 

 their old coating of bark, make a conspicuous feature in the 

 landscape. 



Lecture, "The Artesian Areas of Australia," April 11, 

 1922. — The Chairman of the Section, Mr. W. Ham, lectured on 

 the subject of artesian water to a large audience. By means of 

 slides (kindly lent by the Government Geologist, Mr. Keith 

 AVard) the lecturer showed the artesian areas of Australia. 

 The Great Australian Basin occupies an area of 569,000 square 

 miles, and many other basins occur of great importance in the 

 development of Australia. The source of the water was given 

 as meteoric ; that is, derived from the rain falling on the 

 uplands of Queensland and New South Wales, and also from 

 Central Australia, and thence slowly percolating through to the 

 sea to the north, and to mound springs hi the loAv-lying Lake 

 Eyre basin of Central Australia. The evidence for this theory 

 Avas dealt with and the various artesian areas described. One of 

 the most important to South Australia is the Murray- Basin, 

 covering the Murray Plains, the water being derived from the 

 Victoriaii Grami)ians. The (luality of the water varies according 

 to its distance from the intake beds, but is generally too 

 mineralised to be used for irrigation. The bores in the north- 



