100 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTE. 



Mr. F. G. A. Barnard called attention to the introduction into 

 Victorian waters of the American plant, Pontederia speciosa, 

 Kunth, known as the Water Hyacinth, and quoted from the 

 Queensland Agricultural Journal for August as to what a pest it 

 had become in that colony, as also the Yellow Water-Lily, 

 Nymphcma /lava, Leith, also of American origin. He exhibited 

 specimens of the plant, and in view of the rapid manner in which 

 it increases, cautioned members against introducing it into any 

 Victorian lagoons or rivers. 



Messrs. Coles, Sayce, T. S. Hall, Tisdall, Pitcher, Maplestone, 

 and others joined in the discussion which followed, and the 

 secretary was instructed to write to the Secretary for Agriculture, 

 drawing his attention to the spread of the plant, which was re- 

 ported to be already acclimatized in the Murray, and also to the 

 spread of the Iris, Romulea bulbocodium, exhibited by Mr. C. 

 French, jun., at the last meeting. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. F. G. A. Barnard. — Orchid, Pterostylis nutans, and 

 shrub, Lhotzkya genetylloides, from Grampians, both grown at 

 Kew ; some Western Australian wild flowers ; and plants of Water 

 Hyacinth, in illustration of note. By Mr. A. Coles. — Young 

 Australian Blue Crane, Antigone australasiana, Gld. By Mr. C. 

 J. Gabriel. — Shells, Pinna australis, from Western Port, and 

 Trigonia lamarcki, from Sydney Harbour. By Mr. J. H. Gatliff. 

 — Type shell of Thalotia dubia of Tenison-Woods, by permission 

 of the Director of the National Museum ; specimens of Thalotia 

 conica, Gray, from Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, for 

 comparison. By Mr. T. S. Hart, M.A. — Geological specimens, 

 maps, and photographs, in illustration of his papers. By Mr. 

 Geo. Lyell, jun. — Butterflies of the genus Xenica, in illustration 

 of his paper, including the following species : — X. tasmanica, 

 X. achanta, X. klugii, X. hobartia, X. hobartia, var. lathoniella, 

 X. orichora, X. kershawi, X. correce, X. correal, var. fulva, and 

 X. leprea. By Mr. F. M. Reader. — Dried specimens of grass, 

 Stipa eremophila, new to science, and the grass Amphipogon 

 strictus, R Br., var. setifer, Benth., new for Victoria; also of 

 varieties of grasses, Stipa pubescens, S aristiglumis, and S. scabra, 

 in illustration of paper. By Mr. O. A. Sayce. —Representative 

 genera of the family Phreatoicidse. By Mr. J. Stickland. — Green 

 Hydras, from Heidelberg. By Mr. C. Walter. — Pterostylis con- 

 cinna, from banks of the Snowy River at Orbost, East Gippsland, 

 previously recorded in Victoria from Port Phillip coast only ; 

 Diuris palustris, Lindley, from Keilor Plains, September, 1900 ; 

 Dodoncea stenozyga, F. v. M., from between Lakes Hindmarsh 

 and Albacutya, September, 1900. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



