214 THE VICTOEIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXIII. 



means pain and death to the "subject " studied. Here 

 was a glimpse of genuine Nature-study — that real study 

 which leads directly to its correlative, Nature nurture. 

 This is our best result, for our purpose is the loving study 

 of the living. Would that more of our teachers could 

 have heard it, and seen for themselves the fascinating life 

 of these patient bird-lovers, who found so much of interest 

 and value in a district within about twenty miles of Mel- 

 bourne. INIost of OUT teachers have opportunities, and 

 often better opportunities of similar studies in connexion 

 with the wonderful bird-life of this favoured State. 



THE ROCKS STUDIED IN THE FIELD. 



Bv T. S. Hall, M,A., Lecturer and Demonstrator in 

 Biology, University of Melbourne. 



Attention was mainly devoted to the results of the de- 

 composition of rocks, as consideration had elsewhere been 

 given to their formation. 



The first rock examined was a coarse sandstone forming 

 part of the lignitic series. The rough grains of sand, 

 irregular and fissured, are derived from the decomposition 

 of a granite like that of Mount Martha, close by. The 

 cement is iron' oxide, or iron rust. The grains of sand 

 are knocked off the solid rock by the scour of the loose 

 beach-sand driven by the waves. The coat of i'ron cement 

 is partly scrubbed off and partly dissolved by the sea 

 water. The fine material is carried off to deeper water, 

 and white and transparent quartz grains form almost all 

 the beach. This sand may have formed part of many 

 rocks in succession, and is now ready to form part of some 

 new rock. 



Next, we considered bluestone or basalt. This is a vol- 

 canic lava. It is dark in colour, and heavy, on account 

 of the large amount of iron in one of its constituent 

 minerals, for it is composed of several. One of its mine- 

 rals, felspar, looks like chopped grass. The lath-like 

 crystals are seen under the microscope to interlace. They 

 are tough, just as sal-ammoniac or asbestos is tough, so 

 that, though this felspar is not so hard as quartz, it is not 

 so easily pounded to powder. Owing to the felt-like 

 structure of the rock, and its toughness, bluestone forms 

 the best of all rocks for road-making where the traffic is 

 heavy, and is extensively used in Victoria. 



