Proceedings. 333 
The Secretary submitted from Dr. Officer several branches and twigs of 
she-oak (Casuarina quadrivalvis) disfigured, (and in some places encircled), 
with tuberosities on the bark, m the centre of each of which spring (from 
the inner bark and at right angles to the wood below) small round turret-like 
processes, half an inch to an inch in length, slightly tapering to an obtuse 
point. These processes proved to be hollow, and, where they are in contact 
with the wood, have a cup-like form, within which is found a flattened round 
soft body, having a long acicular process, corresponding to the hollow interior 
of the turret-like projection already described. The internal substance of 
this soft body is a thick fluid of a sanguineous and grumous character, and 
externally it is surrounded with fine cottony matter. The little turrets are 
obviously developed by the stimulus arising from the progress of transfor- 
mation in the insect, and they sometimes carry with them a portion of 
the bark as they break through the protuberances mentioned. The insect 
is said to be common on the Casuarina here, and on enquiry it is found to 
manifest itself so far north as Salt Pan Plains: probably it may exist 
throughout the island. Two specimens of a very small snake from Port 
Phillip, and probably undescribed, were also presented by Dr. Officer. 
They are a little thicker than sewing twine, about six inches in length, 
and delicately marked along the sides with lines of black pomts upon a 
nearly white ground colour. 
Dr. Moore, of New Norfolk, presented to the Museum a leaden musket 
ball, picked up by himself on the field of Waterloo, on 30th of August, 1841. 
Mr. John Abbott presented an interesting series of fresh-water shells, 
collected by Charles Abbott, Esq., in the vicinity of Calcutta. Also a 
congeries of whitish conical ova-cells, hermetically sealed and fringed round 
the edge of their base, and attached to a common centre at their apices. 
On being opened each sac was found filled with embryo shells, belonging 
to a Murex or Fasciolaria. The specimen was obtained on the sea-beach, 
near George Town. 
From Mr. Glover, junr., of Sorell, were received the skins of two small 
rat-like animals, apparently about twice the size of the common mouse, 
having an elongated head and snout, with dentition like that of Antechinus 
or Myrmecobius (WatERH): broad, short, naked ears, and a rather long tail, 
moderately clothed with fine hairs to the very tip. The fur is of a leaden 
hue, but is exteriorly a greyish black along the back, and ashy and greyish 
white along the belly. The animals were recently obtained alive from 
crevices and holes in rocky ground, and died while in confinement. 
Specimens of fossils and rocks from Mr. Gardner lay upon the table. 
A paper was read by James Barnard, Esq., on the Seventh Census of the 
United States of America. 
A large .oil painting of Mount Wellington, taken from Mount 
