THE VICTOniAX NATL'KALIST. 



left. They have suffered enormous denudation, and one is led to 

 the opinion that, on this point of denudation alone, both as 

 regards the cones and as regards the basalt flows themselves, 

 that if set down as of Pliocene age sufficient time is not allowed to 

 account for this denudation. We next followed down the creek 

 to the Saltwater, noting the immense quantity of alluvium deposited 

 in the broad valley caused by the junction of the two streams. 

 Several well defined old river terraces were also remarked. 

 A short distance down the Saltwater River an outcrop of Upper 

 Silurian rocks occurs. They consist of finely laminated shales of 

 various colours, dipping at the usual high angles. Graptolites 

 are recorded on the Geological Survey Map (quarter sheet No. i, 

 N.W., Keilor) as occurring here, but a diligent search for them 

 was unsuccessful. Growing close alongside the stream here was 

 the only plant of interest noted in flower — viz., Mimulus repevs, 

 R. Br. As it was now getting late we started homewards, noticing 

 on our way numerous species of lichens growing on the basaltic 

 stones, many of which were very pretty, thus ending a most enjoy- 

 able and interesting outing, the landscape features of the valleys 

 being alone worthy of notice, especially from a geologist's point 

 of view. — Graham Officer, 



THE LATE ALPHONSE DE CANDOLLE. 



At the May meeting of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria 

 Baron F. von Mueller, K.C.M.G., referred to the death of the 

 above distinguished botanist in the following words : — 



Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen, — A great man of 

 science has passed away, Alphonse de CandoUe, at Geneve 

 on the 4th of April ! He soon followed Richard Owen, and thus 

 organic natural history in each of its main-divisions lost highly 

 prominent leaders. Both became almost nonagenarians, and 

 both maintained their grand mental faculties unimpaired to the 

 last. Alphonse de Candolle's genius arose under unsurpassed 

 advantages. In his illustrious parent, Augustin Pyramus de 

 Candolle, centred the highest achievements within the science 

 of plants as a whole during the earlier part of this century. 

 Even a grandsire of the elder De Candolle had at the time of 

 Ray and Tournefort as an amateur rendered that name, sub- 

 sequently so illustrious, already known in botanic science ; — thus, 

 — like in the genealogy of the Jussieus, the Gmelins, the Darwins, 

 the Hookers, — also the Geneve great dynasty of phytologists has 

 passed through several generations, so that at the solemn 

 centennial celebration of the Linnean Society one of the two 

 first medals, then bestowed on Alphonse de Candolle by that 

 venerable union of zoologists and botanists, could be received 

 for him by a grandson as his personal representative. Great men 



