154 Proceedings. 
order,—comprising choice apple, pear, cherry and plum trees, rasp- 
berry plants, hazel, beech, and hybrid rose plants, &c.; also the 
receipt, per Eliza, of a case of new varieties of gooseberry, all dead ; 
also a case of indigenous plants from Dr. Story, of Swan Port; also 
a case, per Munford, from Wellington, containing twenty-six species 
of New Zealand plants, in exchange for plants sent to N. W. 
Lewin, Esq., through Capt. Hayle, in April last; and a box of Tas- 
manian plants (sixty) collected on the East Coast, near Wabb’s 
Harbour. 
Mr. Rout, of Elizabeth-street, sent to the Museum a dried branch 
of Xylomelon pyriforme, the wood pear of Sydney, exhibiting the 
leaves, seed vessel, and winged seeds. Mr. Rout also sent a specimen 
of a peculiar combustible matter, having a black colour and semi- 
resinous lustre, said to have been obtained from masses which had 
oozed out from fissures in the sedimentary rocks on the banks of 
the Ouse River. Mr. Dobson, of the High School, placed on the 
table specimens of the same substance, transmitted by Mr. Young, 
of the Ouse, said to have been procured in the manner stated. Drs. 
Officer and Agnew considered the substance to be of animal origin, 
and that there has probably been some misconception as to the 
mode of its production and occurrence. 
The Rev. T. J. Ewing sent a collection of insects from the southern 
coast of China. 
From Mr. Henry White was received an elegantly-branched red 
lithophyte, probably a species of Melita, from the vicinity of Sin- 
gapore. The Secretary observed that fragments of a nearly allied 
genus, and equally beautiful, are occasionally cast upon the northern 
coast of Tasmania, along the shores of Bass’s Straits. 
A box of specimens of the Spheria Gunnii, the caterpillar plant 
of Franklin Village, was received from Mr. Emmett, of Circular 
Head, collected by himself; together with written observations on 
the mode of their occurrence, which were read. 
Extract of a note from Mr. R. C. Gunn was read, wherein it was 
stated that Mr. Gunn has recently met with this fungus near Penquite, 
at Patterson’s Plains, Launceston. 
The following paper, transmitted to His Excellency Sir W. 
Denison by Mr. Deas Thomson, of Sydney, giving the details of 
assays of a picked specimen of Bathurst gold conducted by Mr. J. 
