48 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



the tables by Mr. C. Gabriel. It would be impossible to enumerate 

 the species, but it may be mentioned that one found by him, Tricho- 

 tropis gabrieii, is new to science, and that there are several more 

 which will probably prove to be new. As for Polyzoa, Mr. 

 Gabriel has worked these waters for many years and can safely say 

 that the collector of Polyzoa cannot go wrong. They grow here 

 in abundance and in wonderful variety. Species are found here 

 which do not occur in Port Phillip Bay and other places. The rare 

 and lovely form, Rhahdazoum vjilsoni, has been found at frequent 

 intervals. The specimen upon which Dr. M'Gillivray founded 

 his description (M'Coy's "Zoology," plate 17S, fig. 4) was a very 

 poor one, and the lamented doctor was delighted when some 

 good examples were sent to him by Mr. Gabriel, who has 

 found it attached to the piles of Cowes Jetty, but its natural habitat 

 is a weedy bottom and shallow water, and it is with close observa- 

 tion to be found, together with Pustulipora australis, Bicellaria 

 ciliata, and others, in fair abundance. Another rare form, Amathia 

 tortttosa, has frequently been found, and have not only dredged it 

 from deep water (21 fathoms), but have at low tide picked nice 

 clumps of it off the banks of what is locally known as Reed's 

 Channel. 



Oysters are to be found in Western Port, and some time ago 

 the Government allowed dredging to be carried on after a long 

 interval of protection. The fishermen, however, soon cleared 

 them off, and the few which are left are, we believe, again pro- 

 tected, and many dredges are now for sale. The fishermen are 

 not the only enemies of the poor oyster, for we hear of his 

 natural enemy the crab, whose method of attack is ingenious, to 

 say the least of it. A little sand is first placed in the opening 

 mouth of the oyster, which no doubt sets up an irritation, which 

 causes the bivalve to open still more, when our wily crustacean 

 seizes his opportunity and dexterously inserts a stone, and then 

 helps himself to his delicious meal. This has been observed by 

 a friend in Sydney Harbour, and new shells have been repeatedly 

 dredged up which were found to be quite empty. After a while 

 we landed on Sandy Beach, to the east of Cowes, for lunch. One 

 of us elected to ride on Mr. Denne's back, but as the ground was 

 firm for one but boggy for two he paid for his temerity, as the 

 bearer, to save himself, gently dropped his burden in the water, 

 much to the amusement of the other fellow. After lunch we con- 

 tinued classifying and dredging until about 5 p.m., then, hoisting 

 sails, we made straight for Denne's Bight. 



Next morning 6 a.m. saw us busily engaged arranging our several 

 specimens of seaweeds and Polyzoa, then breakfast and off in the 

 boat. This day we went past San Remo and dredged some fine 

 seaweeds, particularly Claudea elegans. We made certain of this 

 being a local seaweed, as it came up attached to fair-sized stones. 



