THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



As the steamer passed the last Williamstown pier, a shoal of 

 the common large jelly-fish was encountered, whose green ten- 

 tacles streamed prettily away behind the pellucid disc, producing 

 pretty colour effects as seen through the somewhat similarly 

 tinted water. As none were seen in mid-voyage, or near Port- 

 arlington, it seemed that the wind had driven the shoal up to 

 Hobson's Bay. 



A strong easterly gale of a few days before had strewn the 

 Portarlington beach with specimens. Hundreds of the perfect 

 tests of Sea-eggs of the two commonest species, Strongylocentrotus 

 erythrogrammus and Amblypneustes ovum, in places littered the 

 shore. A living specimen of the rare crustacean, Ibacus peronii, 

 was one of the first captures. A little further on a pretty green 

 Blenny, Clinus despicillatus, was found thrown up on a bank of 

 weed. 



The tide was ebbing fast, and your party had the advantage of 

 examining the rocks, sands, and mud-flats under particularly 

 favourable conditions. The shell-beach near to the pier was 

 passed quickly over as it is a feature of Portarlington which can 

 always be examined by visitors. The low reefs which succeed 

 had weathered and softened to a sort of still firmly adhering 

 mud, in which numbers of Modiolus had formerly found moorings. 

 Their open valves projected conspicuously above the surface, but 

 all were dead shells ; no animal was to be seen. On weeds and 

 under the shelter of jutting ledges of the reefs the gorgeous 

 Pheasant Shells, Phasianella tritonis, had their headquarters. 

 In no other part of Port Phillip are they more abundant. 



On the mud and sand flats the commonest mollusc is a Venus, 

 Chione conularis, used for bait by the fishermen, as is C. lavigatus 

 at Sandridge. The low rocks were occupied by thousands of 

 periwinkles, of characteristically Australian genera, Trochocochlea 

 and Risella, and of the air-breathing genus Siphonaria. 



Under loose stones below low water mark we found the prickly 

 sea-urchins, large black brittle-stars, sea-cucumbers, several 

 kinds of sea-anemones, ear-shells (Haliotis nicvosd), and cones 

 (Con us anemone), whelks (Fasciolaria coronatd), and good speci- 

 mens of the pretty orange-red sponge, Tethya. 



Later on, meeting some old friends, we were introduced to and 

 kindly entertained by Mr. Oaks, who has a pleasant residence 

 close to the rocky shore. This gentleman had gathered many 

 specimens thrown up during the easterly gale before mentioned, 

 and amongst them we noticed fine examples of the Paper 

 Nautilus (Argonauta oryzata), of the large scallops (Perten fumatus 

 and P. asperrimus), of Ancillaria marginata, and of other dwellers 

 in the deeper waters of the bay. The waters must have been 

 stirred to their very depths by the storm. 



The excursion was, then, an interesting one. A large number 



