PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 191 



the character of water can be determined by its occupants. Some 

 animalciilfe, he said, could only exist in pure and sweet water. 

 When placed in impure water they died, and gave way to others of a 

 lower organism. There was, in fact, a descending scale — the more 

 impure the water, the lower the organisms in it. Amongst the usual 

 occujiants of jiure water were the four-horned cyclops and the desmid. 

 These could not live in impure water, but he had found them in the 

 Yan Yean. About this time of the year Yan Yean water assumed 

 a slightly opalescent greenish tint. That was caused by shoals of 

 desmids, which multiplied in the spring. He felt quite justified, after 

 repeated tests, in vindicating the jjurity of the water supply of Mel- 

 boiu-ne. 



Dr. Wigg alluded to the subject of foraminifera, or minute shells. 

 Living specimens of this family had, he said, been found on our 

 coast as large as fossil specimens found in other parts of the world, 

 where such large ones were now extinct. 



Subjoined is a list of some of the exhibits, a glance at which was 

 sufficient to show that the microscope has opened up to those who 

 have it under their command a new world : — The president showed 

 a range of Ross's objectives, from the 2-inch to the ^^"i^^ch. The 

 stands he employed were Smith and Beck's first-class smaller. Smith 

 and Beck's educational. Smith and Beck's popular binocular, Collins' 

 Barley's binocular, Beale's clinical microscope, and a new dissecting 

 microscope. The objects shown by him were sections of Australian 

 woods, Australian polyzoa, hair and wool of Australian animals, 

 polariscope objects with a new parabolic reflector, and anatomical 

 injections of Australian animals, as also of the human body ; some 

 stereoscopic micro-photographs of Australian zoophytes, and some 

 microscopic photographs of the moon at various phases, and, finally, 

 microscopic photographs of eminent microscopists. This was a very 

 choice selection. Mr. Sidney Gibbons exhibited a Powell and Lealand 

 A 1 binocular, with opaque object ; a Ross's A 1, with polariscope ; 

 an Oberhaiiser ; some micro-photogi"aphs, one of which showed the 

 sheep scab on an enlarged scale, and the camera with which they 

 were taken ; and other instruments and interesting objects. The 

 excellence of Mr. Gibbons' collection of instruments excited much 

 admiration. A specimen of the red fungus, which has been so de- 

 structive to rye- grass in the Ballarat and Smeaton districts of late, 

 was brought by Mr. Wallis, Secretary of Agriculture. Baron von 

 Mueller says that the fungus is one of the Clavaria, of the family of 

 cryptogamic fungi. Mr. Wallis is of opinion that this fresh plague 

 is attributable to the system of laying down pastm-es adoj)ted by some 

 persons. Instead of sowing such a mixture of grasses as is sown in 

 other countries, they generally produce rye-grass and clover only. 

 After a time the clover dies oif, and the rye-grass alone is left. 

 Grown year after year on the same soil, this grass exhausts the 

 elements which it requires, and the fungus disease is probably an 

 outcome of the consequent weakness of the grass. It has only been 

 discovered lately in this colony. 



Dr. Robert Robertson, Hon. Secretary of the Society, exhibited, 



