iv. ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. 



agents. Incrustations such as manganiferous and ferru- 

 ginous coatings, dendritic markings, etc., a.re ascribed to 

 ihe decay and alteration of encrusting algae and lichens, 

 or of colonies of bacteria. To the latter are also ascribed 

 Accumulations of bog-iron ore and bog-manganese. The 

 disintegration of rocks is held to be brought about by the 

 attack of bacteria on their carbonaceous, ferruginous and 

 other constituents and the consequent breaking down and 

 loosening of the originally compact and resistant rock 

 substance. 



In the discussion on the paper it Avas generally con- 

 ceded that the author had made certain interesting obser- 

 vations but his deductions were almost entirely disagreed 

 with. The difficulty of carrying out efficient experiments 

 with bacteria was pointed out and the wish was expressed 

 ihat more should be known about the conditions under 

 which the experiments had been carried out before any 

 reliable conclusions could be drawn from them. Messrs. 

 Ourney, Richards, Smith and Walkom and the President 

 took part in the discussion. 



Notes and Exhibits. 



Dr. T. H. Johnston exhibited some interesting polypes 

 '{? Corymorpha) which Avere living as messmates on a crab ; 

 also some simple corals {?Cylicia). All of these specimens 

 were collected by dredging recently in Bribie Passage- 

 He also exhibited a worm, Gordius sp., which was found 

 by Mr. H. A. Longman in freshwater at Montville. In 

 its young stage this animal lives as a parasite on certain 

 insects. 



Mr. C. T. White exhibited specimens of (i) Nostoc 

 commune, a widely-spread species of alga recently recorded 

 from Queensland. The specimens were found growing in 

 damp soil on the Brisbane River, (ii) Sporochnus pedun- 

 ^ulatus collected recently in Moreton Baj% a species of alga 

 new to Queensland waters. Also a fungus, Morchella 

 rotundata, var. fulva, an European species recently found 

 by him growing in quantity at Fig Tree Pocket, Brisbane 

 River. 



Mr. H. A. Longman exhibited a live specimen of 

 Physignathus lesueurii from Montville and a giant cricket. 



