THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 127 



their bones — a character common to most if not all the species of 

 this genus — many people regard them as poisonous. 



In some species, including the one under notice, the gill-rakers 

 are wanting, for which the name Tylosurus has been proposed. 

 I prefer, however, to use here the more familiar genus, Belone, by 

 which these fishes are generally known. 



The Slender Long Tom is the only species of the genus found, 

 so far, in Victorian waters, and is very rarely met with. I have 

 only seen four Victorian specimens altogether, the first of which 

 was taken in January, 1893. Two others were more recently 

 exhibited in a Melbourne fish shop, where they attracted con- 

 siderable attention and much speculation as to their identity. 

 They were quite unknown to the dealers in the Melbourne 

 market. This and the closely-allied species, B. inacleayana, 

 Ogilby, are, however, common on the New South Wales coast, 

 and according to Ogilby are to be found in the Sydney market 

 during every month in the year, coming into the bays and 

 harbours, at irregular intervals, in shoals. They are always 

 present during the spring and early summer months, at which 

 time they are engaged in spawning, and for this purpose appar- 

 ently frequent the shallower parts of the harbours. 



Ogilby states that B. ./eroa; has not been so far (1893) recorded 

 beyond the limits of New South Wales. Castelnau,* however, 

 had already recorded it from Queensland. 



Proclaimed Plants of Victoria. — In continuation of the 

 articles on the proclaimed plants of Victoria, Prof. A. J. Ewart, 

 Government Botanist, furnishes coloured plates and brief 

 descriptions of the Stinkwort, Inula graveolens, Desf., and the 

 Cape Tulip, Homeria collina, Vent., in the September issue of the 

 Journal of Agriculture of Victoria. Both are introduced plants. 

 The Stinkwort, belonging to the Compositge, has proved a terrible 

 pest in the wheatfields of South Australia, and here has spread 

 to parts of the Wimmera district. The Cape Tulip belongs to the 

 Iridese, and in some districts near Melbourne has caused serious 

 illness to cattle happening to eat it. 



A New Kerosene Emulsion. — Experiments made by the 

 Canadian Department of Agriculture have resulted in the pub- 

 lication of a much simpler formula for kerosene emulsion, one of 

 the best insecticides known, than that usually employed. One 

 quart of kerosene is poured into a dry bucket, half a pound of 

 fiour is then stirred in, and finally three gallons of water are 

 added, and the mixture stirred vigorously. The result is an 

 emulsion containing about i r per cent, of kerosene, which can be 

 made weaker if desired. When used as a spray the flour emulsion 

 is said to possess adhesive qualities superior to the usual emulsion 

 made with soap. 



* Casteln., P. L. S. N.S.W., ii., p. 239, 1S87-8. 



